TAURANGA City & Scenic Sightseeing 2-hour Local Bus Tour
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Tauranga, New Zealand
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Take in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui’s scenic views on this 2-hour city sightseeing coach tour. Enjoy a scenic drive around the city, driving over the Harbour Bridge and checking out tourist hotspots like the Elms Mission House and Old Post Office, before heading to the Minden Lookout to snap photos of the Coromandel and White Island.
- 2-hour coach tour around Tauranga and Mount Maunganui
- Includes sights of both the inner-city and lush green kiwi and avocado orchards
- Plenty of time to snap the perfect photo at Minden Lookout
- Comfortable ride aboard an air-conditioned vehicle with complimentary Wi-Fi
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- Driver/guide with local knowledge, fun & informative commentary throughout
- Photo stop at the lookout (5-10 mins) and Harbour Drive (time permitting)
- NOTE: When you exit the port gates, turn RIGHT and walk about 20 metres to the RED flags.
- NOTE: Vehicle size may vary on busy days 18-50 seats depending on demand
- * The tour includes only one stop at the lookout (5-10 mins) with drive-by visits to other locations
- Driver Gratuities
- No toilet on board vehicle
- Please note this is a loop tour with 1 stop at the lookout to stretch your legs and take photos!
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 6 Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand
Our buses pick up just outside the cruise ship passenger exit, on the road. The exact location can vary depending on council instructions that day, so please head to our big RED FLAG and wait there. One of our team members will guide you to your bus. Need help? Call us anytime
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Pilot Bay (Pass By)
Mt Maunganui Main Beach (Pass By)
Tauranga Marina (Pass By)
1
The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
The Old Tauranga Post Office (Pass By)
2
Minden Lookout
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Harbour Drive
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Tauranga
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Bay Oval Cricket Ground (Pass By)
Zespri International (Pass By)
Giant Pohutukawa Tree (Pass By)
The Mount Mainstreet (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- The total duration of this tour includes transportation or travel time
- Times may vary or alter to suit the arrival of the cruise ship
- Gold Qualmark Tour Operator
- Tour Name: City & Scenic Sightseeing 2-hour Local Bus Tour (red desk inside the port)
- Our buses pick up just outside the cruise ship passenger exit, on the road. The exact location can vary depending on council instructions that day, so please head to our big RED FLAG and wait there. One of our team members will guide you to your bus.
- Need help? Call us anytime
- This tour is only offered on cruise ship days, as it’s specifically scheduled to align with cruise arrivals.
- Qualmark Covid Clean approved
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 162 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Our guide Sticky Bun was terrific! We had a lot of laughs while learning all about kiwis and the different foliage of New Zealand. Very enjoyable half day tour!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Great review Cindy, will pass onto Sticky. Glad you had an enjoyable visit to Tauranga.
Wonderful bus tour very interesting and our driver was very friendly and knowledgeable, our cruise ship was extremely late but the bus was waiting for us all .
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Debbie for the lovely review! Yes, we had lots of alterations to tours yesterday but everyone was accommodated and hopefully had a lovely day in our beautiful port!
Louise was very knowledgeable. Presented information in an easy to understand format. It was fun to hear about her heritage.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Jeff, for your lovely review. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We're so glad to hear you enjoyed Louise's commentary too.
Good overview of Tauranga area. Driver was fun and informative. Great options to exit tour for further exploration.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Great review Angela, thank you!
We booked a tour , only to find out the the tour bus was a 55 Seat Coach not a Coaster Bus, although terms & conditions did say that the size of the coach could change
There were 50 persons on the coach.
The drivers knowledge was great, but getting on and off the coach was time consuming
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your review and for mentioning the driver’s knowledge we’re really pleased you enjoyed that part of the tour.
As you noted, bus sizes can vary depending on availability and demand on the day. This tour is very popular and designed to offer great value for money so we do operate vehicles at normal operating capacity where possible. Just like buses, ships and planes, tours generally run full rather than half empty so we can keep the experience affordable for everyone.
Thank you again for joining us and we hope you still had an enjoyable experience overall.
A really informative tour. Highly recommended. Our tour guide Bart was great. Knowledgeable and entertaining.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Great review, thanks so much! Really appreciate the recommendation and glad you enjoyed Bart’s commentary.
A good tour, our driver / guide is very knowledgable and also has a good sense of humour, explained a lot and made the tour special. I very much enjoyed it and can recommend this tour of Tauranga
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Barbara for the lovely review and recommendation we really appreciate it!
So glad you enjoyed the tour 😊
Disappointed it was a large bus and it only stopped once for us to take pictures. We couldn’t see much from our side of the bus
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Carla, thanks for your quick review. We do appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Just to clarify, the tour description does state that there is only one stop at the lookout for approximately 10 minutes, other locations are 'drive by'. It’s designed as a short overview of our beautiful area. There are other longer tours available but most of our guests prefer a shorter option so they still have time to explore locally and Mount Maunganui is the perfect place to do that.
Regarding the seating and visibility, this is actually the first time we’ve ever received a comment like that. Our coach is a large tour bus with big tinted windows and no curtains so visibility is typically excellent from all seats. We haven’t had previous concerns about certain seats not being able to see clearly which is why your comment was surprising to us.
Really well organised! The driver/guide is a man who loves his job. We had a great time ❤️. We learned so much about Tauranga.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Heather for your lovely review, just what we wanted to hear!
Louise was great very quirky & funny sang us a song & later we all joined in. Explained tge history of Tauranga really fun & interesting.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Claire for such a lovely review.. Luise is a lovely driver/guide who is passionate about our beautiful area. Thanks again for the review!
A good tour of the city by a knowledgeable guide. However, we were put on a 52 seater coach (which was full) used for school runs and was really quite uncomfortable. There is only 1 stop for about 10 minutes so it’s a long time sitting on very hard seats with limited leg room.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Nicola, thanks you for your quick review.
We do offer the tour at a reduced rate on the day to help fill any remaining seats.
Regarding the stop you mentioned the tour includes one stop of approximately 10 minutes which is exactly as outlined in our literature, with the remainder being a drive-by experience.
The tour is very popular so we aim to fill vehicles where possible. That said, we’re always mindful of our guests’ comfort. If legroom is an issue particularly for taller passengers we are more than happy to move them to another departure where we can better accommodate them.
Bart was an excellent narrator and shared various anecdotes as we drove around Tauranga. Overall, the tour was interesting. Please note that there was only one stop where passengers could get off the bus to take pictures (i.e. Minden Point). Also, there were no washroom breaks which did not present a problem but could be a factor for some.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Hi Louise,
Thank you so much for your lovely 5★ review! We’re really glad to hear you found the tour enlightening.
Just to clarify regarding your comments; we do advertise one main stop at the beautiful lookout, and we let all passengers know in advance that there isn’t a scheduled toilet stop unless it’s needed.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your feedback, we truly appreciate it!
This tour was very casual, thorough & perfect in length thus allowing participants the time to explore on their own.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for the great review, much appreciated :)
Luise was the best guide we had all of our trip. Funny as with her amazing commentry and outlook on life.....and her secret weapon of DUCKS :)
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Great review Gareth, thanks so much and so glad Luise made you trip memorable!
Janine wS very knowledgeable, very informative and a great sense of humour. Commentry was great and enjoyed the tour
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thanks Gayle for the lovely review, will pass on to Janine as she will appreciate the great feedback :)
An informative tour with a very bright and happy Louise as our driver and guide. She knew a lot about the area and drove us safely around the winding roads. An excellent company and guide
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Fantastic review Gillian, thank you. Will pass onto Luise. Appreciate the great feedback :)
Punctual, very informative and enjoyable. Louise had a great sense of humour and is a great ambassador for Tauranga!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Amazing review Russell - thank you so much for sending us such a lovely review, will pass on to Luise :)
Norm was a great guide. He was informative and also had some cool stories. A nice tour to have a quick look around.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thanks Christie, will pass onto Norm. Glad you enjoyed the tour!
Very well organized and punctual.
We had a great guide (Allan) who met us in a spotless van. He was very friendly and informative. The views are spectacular
Would highly recommend recommend, especially if you only have a short amount of time to see Tauranga.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Great review Cheryl, thank you! Alan takes great pride in keeping our vehicles spotless! Thanks also for the recommendation :)
This was a great way to learn about the area, from a comfortable coach, with a very informative driver/guide. Be warned that the trip is 2hrs with no toilet stops!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi Leanne, thanks so much for the lovely review.
We’ve noted your comment about toilet stops, we’re always happy to stop if needed but we do encourage everyone to use the public toilets before departure so we can keep the tour running smoothly and on time. Thanks again for the feedback!
A very good overview of the area and lovely views at lookouts. Very nice tour guide. Comfortable bus.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks Claire for taking the time to give us such a great review!
Lovely sightseeing with our knowledgeable driver and guide Norm. Lots of great stories about Māori culture. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much Caroline, for your kind words. We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the sightseeing and Norm’s stories about Māori culture. Your recommendation means a lot to our team and we’ll be sure to share your lovely review with Norm.
The driver was knowledgeable about the area. The whole tour was worth it when you got to the top of the hill and could see the breathtaking views.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you Betts so much for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the tour and that our driver helped make the experience even better. The views from the top really are something special!
Great way to see area and interesting drive around the area. Bus was clean and easy to get. Well organised.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks Michelle for the lovely review, very much appreciated :)
Short island normal bus size tour to match port time and price. Lady driver bubbly and explains main highlights with a chortle or two. Fine for what we wanted.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks John for taking the time to send us a review, glad you enjoyed the tour :)
Really nice tour with interesting guide who gives a comprehensive overview of Tauranga and nearby towns. Very scenic and enjoyable.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your lovely review!
Really glad you enjoyed the tour and had a great time exploring our beautiful area. We always aim to make the experience informative and fun so it’s great to know that came through on this tour.
The bus driver wasn’t too informative and we only got out of the bus once for a quick stop to take pictures. Most of the time he was quiet.
And lastly, this tour is advertised as a 2 hour tour, however he dropped us off early making the tour 1.5 hours! We weren’t impressed!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear the experience didn’t meet your expectations. We’d like to clarify that the tour is advertised with one stop at the lookout point for photos.
Additionally, we have reviewed the vehicle tracking data for your tour and it confirms that the full duration was two hours from departure to return. We do our best to ensure all guests receive the experience as described. and we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Very nice tour of the area. If you’re looking for a short scenic ride this is it. Our driver was great
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks Steven for the lovely review - passengers love the short local tour, gives them time to explore our beautiful Mount area when they return.
We were timely met as schedule. Drive provided great historical & present information on Tauranga.
Had to request a comfort stop, which was not on the schedule. 65% of the group rushed to the facility when the driver stopped.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're happy to make a toilet stop if needed, although it may slightly reduce the overall tour time.
Starting at the port couldn't have been any easier, pick up right at the entrance. Gary, our driver gave us a very informative commentary. He was very friendly and made our trip enjoyable. Thoroughly recommend this trip.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thanks Helen for the kind words! We're really glad to hear everything went smoothly from the start and that Gary made the trip even better with his commentary. We'll be sure to pass along your compliments to him.
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