Larnach Castle Tour & Wildlife Cruise (Dunedin Shore Excursion)
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Port Chalmers, New Zealand
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
On this full-day small-group shore excursion, tour Larnach Castle and look out for local birds and wildlife on a cruise. After a pickup from your cruise ship in Port Chalmers, admire the views on the drive around to the Otago Peninsula. Warm jackets and binoculars are available for your use while spotting royal albatross and New Zealand fur seals on the cruise. Learn more from your guide’s live commentary.
- Receive personalized attention on a small-group shore excursion
- Restroom facilities are available on board the boat, for your comfort
- An ideal way to make the most of limited time on land in Dunedin
- See parts of the landscape many travelers miss when sticking to the city
What's Included
- Complimentary Binoculars
- Complimentary Warm Jackets
- Restroom on board
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- DinnerWe don't provide any food during the tour. Food can be purchased from the Ballroom Cafe at Larnach Castle.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
- Port Chalmers Cruise Terminal21 Beach Street, Port Chalmers, Dunedin 9023, New Zealand
Pickup details
Please be ready and waiting in the 'Private Tours Area' within the Port Chalmers Cruise Terminal. Look for a Monarch Wildlife Cruises staff member holding a Monarch sign.
Operating hours.10:00 am
Itinerary
1
Larnach Castle & Gardens
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Otago Peninsula
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
4
Taiaroa Head
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 28 reviews
Diane_S, Feb 2026
The Larnach castle tour was great. Unfortunately the wind was very strong so we couldn't do the wildlife cruise. We did go up to the Albatross Center and because of the wind we were able to see albatross flying around. I got a picture of 2 of them. This tour was much less expensive than the cruise ship tour.
Donna_M, Feb 2026
Had an amazing experience! Went to Castle and then on a boat ride and saw all kinds of wildlife! Great day!
Richard_J, Dec 2025
Good value tour which was tied in to our cruise ships itinerary so there was no fear of missing our back aboard time. Enjoyed walking round the beautiful Larnach castle grounds whilst other tour members took the guided tour of the castle itself with our knowledgeable guide and heard about its history.
Afterwards the boat tour was nearly cancelled due to wind strength but fortunately went ahead in the end. We were lucky to get a close up encounter with a sealion along with brief sightings of a penguin and dolphin. Afterwards the boat took us back to the port where our ship was berthed.
Alan_C, Dec 2025
Lanarch Castle was excellent. Beautifully restored. Then on to the Otago Peninsular. Rewarded by seeing lots of albatrosses flying around our boat. Totally unexpected. A real treat. Most highly recommended.
Margaret_W, Nov 2025
The size of the group was ideal for the castle tour and boat ride. The tour guide did a great job telling us about the castle and the families lives.
Danny pointed out so many great things on the boat tour.
Ken_G, Feb 2025
We had a nice amount of time at Larnach Castle and were able to grab a bite to eat in the ballroom café. The whole grounds were lovely! The wildlife cruise was interesting, and the tour guides there were very good about helping us see a lot of different wildlife. Our tour guide Rob was excellent! Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you Ken. I will pass your very kind words on to Rob, our champion Larnach guide. All the best!
Michael_W, Mar 2024
Sightings of rare NZ fur seals snd the breeding ground for albatross were amazing.
Learned a lot of history on the castle tour.
Guides for both were exceptional.
Allison_L, Mar 2024
Both the castle tour and the wildlife cruise were excellent. We were able to see several albatrosses and seals.
Joanne_T, Mar 2024
We would highly recommend this tour. Larnach Castle was beautiful, and Dave our guide was very knowledgeable. He gave a great commentary of the castle and its history. We grabbed a lite lunch in the castle restaurant and then headed on to the cruise portion of our day. Monarch tours then took us out on the bay and we were introduced to two different types of albatross and fur seals. There were a few blue penguins about, but they are fast little guys and hard to get a good glimpse of. The boat skipper did an excellent job in telling us all about the birds and sea life. We were on a cruise and the pick is at the port was flawless. Also there was no problem getting back in time.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thanks for coming! It's is a great way to explore the Otago Peninsula. A little bit of history and some wildlife all-in-one!
Jane_L, Mar 2024
Larnach Castle certainly is a surprise and well worth visiting. Our tour guide's commentary brought the castle to life. Enjoyed the wildlife cruise and the weather made viewing the albatross easy. When the cruise finished we stayed on the boat for tea and biscuits as it took us back to Port Chalmers.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
The story of Larnach Castle is definitely interesting, to say the least! Thanks for coming, I'm glad to hear the albatross behaved appropriately.
krobinson9914, Feb 2024
We had a great time visiting the castle and on the wildlife cruise. The castle was beautiful and our guide was great - very informative. We saw dolphins, sea lions and blue penguins on the wildlife cruise.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Sounds like a fantastic day. We appreciate you booking with us!
Donna_Z, Feb 2024
Our guide Riss was wonderful and had a lot of information about Dunedin and Larnach Castle. The castle was amazing, the Wildlife cruise was also fun and we saw Albatross, Fur seals, Sea lions, black swans and many other birds.
Brenda_G, Feb 2024
Beautiful castle and grounds. Loved the boat excursion. Saw lots of albatross and sea lions. Drivers did a great job getting us up close.
joel_k, Jan 2024
Good tour of castle with knowledgeable driver/guide. Boat cruise was great with lot of Albatros sightings. Cheaper and better than ship excursion, got us back to ship in plenty of time. Recommend.
Todd_D, Jan 2024
The Castle visit was interesting and the Ocean Cruise allowed us to see penguins, sea lions and albatross up close to the boat. The tour operators for both were outstanding.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thanks Todd! All the best and safe travels!
Verity_C, Jan 2024
Wonderful tour in Dunedin with Cliff and the team aboard our sightseeing tour of Albatross, Penguins and Seals. We were fortunate enough to see them all.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thanks for such a glowing review Verity!
IRoss_M, Jan 2024
An excellent driver/ guide. Great commentary throughout. A nice combination of tour and free time at the impressive Larnach Castle and its amazing story of influential families. A lovely boat trip with ample sightings of sea lions, seals and birds created a nice combination experience of culture and nature.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
We really try to get the balance right. It sounds like we did for you. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Jennifer_B, Dec 2023
We throughly enjoyed our tour today. The guides were fantastic and so knowledgeable. Despite being to Dunedin before we both learnt so much about the town and it’s history. The boat ride was enjoyable and we saw a lot of animals.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Brilliant, I am glad to hear we were able to provide you with new information and also show you the wonderful creatures we have in Dunedin!
pinkribbonus, Dec 2023
Our guide to and during the castle was knowledgeable, excellent, perfect! Our ride to the albatross on the boat was rough waters, all but 4 guests had barely room to sit inside. I admit I was frightened, the high waves, the boat tipping. Perhaps a bigger boat next time and consideration of the water conditions. Our skipper and boat captain knew the waters and great knowledge but I would highly recommend future guests to know what to expect before they head out on the waters. I could not do the boat again.
James_N, Nov 2023
Had a wonderful time with the castle and the wildlife cruise. Ross seemed very knowledgeable and incredibly proud to talk about his town Dunedin. The boat crew (Nigel,Tim, can't remember the narrator) were also wonderful and provided warm jackets and a great deal of information about the wildlife and geology of the area.
From $118.67
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Larnach Castle Tour & Wildlife Cruise (Dunedin Shore Excursion)
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