Tauranga Shore Excursion: Top Half Day Curated Highlights Tour

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Tauranga, New Zealand

Popular pick

Booked 5+ times last week!

4 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Adiel_A ·

Jan 2026

A wonderful tour, including historical places, view points, gardens, a walk along a small river, learn about kiwi fruit and see a vine, watch an amazing waterfall, and even more…

· Denise_L ·

Mar 2026

A nice day out and off the ship. Good communication, extremely easy to find at the pier. Lots of food goodies along the way and some very nice sights. A good value. When the tour is over spend some time in the ships right there on the waterfront.

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Overview

This half-day shore excursion from Tauranga offers a relaxed tour of the Bay of Plenty’s highlights, including fresh kiwifruit and manuka honey tastings. Travel through scenic farmland and native rainforest in McLaren Falls Park, visit historic sites such as Gate Pa Memorial Reserve, and enjoy hokey pokey-flavored ice cream. The tour includes round-trip port transfers and a stop at a cottage cafe for a freshly baked muffin and coffee.

Get active with a walk to a waterfall in McLaren Falls Park
Taste fresh kiwifruit and manuka honey for a taste of New Zealand
Snap panoramic photos of the Bay of Plenty from Minden Lookout
Visit historic Gate Pa Memorial Reserve for cultural insights

What's Included

Driver/guide
Live commentary on board
Port pickup and drop-off
Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
Free Ice cream
Coffee and/or Tea

Enjoy tea/ cofee and freshly baked muffin at cottage cafe.
Snacks

Fresh Kiwifruit and Manuka Honey Tastings
Air-conditioned vehicle

Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Port of Tauranga Ltd
2 Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand
Departure Point: Outside the Port of Tauranga main pedestrian gate. We will be standing on the grass under the flagpole with a name board. Dressed in uniform of black trousers, white shirts signed with Zealandier Tours and maybe some orange apparrel.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.10:00 am

Itinerary

After pickup at the cruise terminal at Mt. Maunganui, enjoy the ease of small-group transport into the Bay of Plenty countryside.

Head into the Kaimai Range for a guided bush walk past native trees at McLaren Falls Park, and snap photos of its namesake waterfall tumbling through boulders in the river. Returning to Tauranga via the top of the Minden Lookout, stop to admire the views over the Bay of Plenty before you’re driven along the inner harbor and back to the cruise port.

Worry-free Shore Excursion: We will ensure your timely return to the Tauranga port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.

Mt Maunganui Main Beach (Pass By)

Tauranga (Pass By)

The Elms | Te Papa (Pass By)

Gate Pa Memorial Reserve

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Te Puna

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Minden Lookout

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

McLaren Falls Park

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Mount Maunganui (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate

Please wear comfortable clothing, walking shoes
Please bring sun protection
Pricing is per person
There is some walking involved - optional
“As numbers are limited, we encourage booking only when you’re confident of attending. This allows us to operate comfortably and fairly for all guests.”
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.7

based on 182 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great experience

Andreas_K, Mar 2026

Great tour to see New Zealands landscape and nature as well to learn about history and presence. Every second used.

Great half-day tour and beautiful scenery.

Michael_C, Mar 2026

A beautiful day in the Mt. Maunganuin, Bay of Plenty countryside. We headed inland into the Kaimai Range for a bush walk past native trees and waterfalls at McLaren Falls Park, visited historic sites as the Gate Pa Memorial Reserve, had spectacular views from Minden Lookout and the Bay of Plenty. We visited a kiwi orchard, tasted fresh kiwifruit, manuka honey, and hokey pokey-flavored ice cream. Great tour and tour guide.

Tauranga visit was very...

carmen_h, Mar 2026

Tauranga visit was very nice. Terry did a great job talking about different sites and was very accommodating to all his passengers. Specially liked the kiwi demonstration and the yummy ice cream

A nice day out

Denise_L, Mar 2026

Tauranga tour

Liz_B, Mar 2026

Terry our guide was the consummate host, he made the tour interesting, fun and welcoming. Definitely would recommend it.

The best of Tauranga with Kerry H.

Rodelio_R, Mar 2026

The tour was great, very organized. Kerry H. is the best driver/tour guide, treated us to coffee and muffin, kiwi and ice cream.

Great excursion for cruise passengers!

davidlsiddall, Mar 2026

Great guide (Stephen) who was friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining. The sites and stops were good, especially tasting the local foods!

Wonderful overview of Tauranga with great Kiwi hospitality

charmaine_s, Mar 2026

This tour gave an overview of the city and what life is like in Tauranga. Our guide and driver Steven was excellent and very knowledgeable. We stopped at a garden center cafe for complimentary tea and muffins/scones. Went to a park to see a waterfall and were given a taste of kiwi juice and samoles of gree, gold and red kiwi fruit. Had many photo op stops during the tour. Right before heading back to the ship Steven stopped to pick up New Zealand Hokey Pokey ice cream for us which was very delicious. It was a day well spent and I highly recommend this tour.

One of the best tours

Nancy_O, Mar 2026

Wonderful tour one of the best I have had. A true taste of New Zealand and a fabulous display of the countryside

Very good

suzanne_s, Mar 2026

Really enjoyed this trip. We stopped many times for photos, the stop for coffee and cake was an included bonus. A very pleasant walk in the forest. Kiwi fruit and juice stop at an open area, where we were the only people there. The driver/guide was very informative and even cut up all the golden kiwis,

Nice 5hour tour which...

christian_w, Feb 2026

Nice 5hour tour which gets you a glimpse of Tauranga's surroundings. A very empathic and nice guide/driver did a perfect job

Give it a miss!

Sharelle_D, Feb 2026

Disappointing! Maybe it might be better with a different tour guide but ours needed a refresher course in the tour (needed to constantly refer to and read from notes) and how to make it pleasant for everyone, including leaving out inappropriate comments about gender and historical events. Guide needed to start the day with explaining how the day would pan out including what happens at the McLaren Falls Park so there is no confusion. Stopping at a Kiwifruit Orchard means stopping on the side of the road, getting out of the van and looking at kiwi orchard over the fence and plus short stops and lots of drive bys without seeing much. Visit at the Gate Pa could have been longer and more informative by the tour guide as demonstrated by other tour guides that were on site. Only one option of muffin at the cafe, did not cater for people who are GF, no other option available, apart from purchasing something themselves. Needed to ring ahead to the cafe with orders to improve the wait time, because then we were expected to get to a public eating area where kiwis were cut up into small pieces, kiwi juice in little medicinal sized cups and the honey tasting on a small wooden stick was done. This is the first time I have written such a negative review preferring to only write positive ones and forget the negative experiences, but I feel you need to be informed of just how bad this was compared to the other 5 port tours we did across our cruise.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Sharell, I am somewhat surprised to read this as this tour is a great tour - and our most popular by far. I am sorry you did not enjoy any part of the day - and I am very surprised at this. You have managed to complain about every stop and place visited, which is very surprising as there are so many components to the tour. Yes, we cover a lot of different things during the short time you are with us on the tour. Which means in 1/2 day - we do not spend long in any particular place. Maybe you can tell me the name of your guide so I can chat with him and get his input to the day. What happened and what went wrong for you. Freshly baked Muffin choice supplied on the day --- Yes we just get supplied whatever flavor of muffin that is being cooked on the day - we never know in advance - it's a surprise - in regards to no G/F - this is 100% incorrect - there is a section in the food cabinet - separately for G/F food and you were able to select whatever there was, maybe you did not ask or let guide know you were G/F. Kiwifruit Orchard - You are correct - we are not allowed under the kiwifruit vines due to fruit/vine health - we can't introduce bugs / diseases into the orchard, or it will wipe out an entire industry as it nearly did 10+ years ago. Bugs can hitchhike on people's clothes / or in bags and we cannot have people touching the fruit (which everybody wants to do as it looks so inviting - so you have to admire it, take its picture from behind the fence on this tour. McLarens Falls - I am not sure what you mean by guide not explaining what happens at this stop prior to departing the port - I am sure he would have explained on arrival at McLarens Falls Park. In regard to inappropriate remarks re gender & historical events - I can't answer this as I don't know which of my guides you are referring to and I would love to know so I can share your feedback to them. Please msg me your guides name - or at least the day you took the tour. In regard to historical events - if you are referring to Battle of Gate Pa - we cannot change history and maybe it was hard to hear what actually happened here. Referring to notes I don't think any of my guides would be referring to notes for tours as they have all been doing these tours for a good number of years - however he may have been referring to his timeline - to make sure he kept to his times as it is easy to run over time - remember this tour has a lot of places to see / stop at in 1/2 day and make sure you get back to ship within the time frame we state. Please get back to me with guides name / date of tour and I will give you a call to chat after speaking with your guide. I am really sorry you had such a miserable day on one of our tours that you felt the need to share it with the world.

It was a long tour with a...

SteveA_Z, Feb 2026

It was a long tour with a lot of driving but very good! Mike was very informative and a great driver.

Enjoyable excursion!

Dianne_M, Feb 2026

Found this an excellent excursion whilst stopping for a day on a cruise. With only 10 people on the bus, it was a great way to see the highlights of Tauranga. Our driver/guide Mike was knowledgeable and told us relevant cultural history of the areas visited. A very pleasant experience overall!

Tauranga Experience

cynthia_j, Feb 2026

This was a great experience for learning about the area, culture and the people. I would recommend this tour for a quick overview of Tauranga.

Amazing interesting tour made tops by Adrian our guide going above and beyond.

Suzanne_D, Feb 2026

We learnt so much and saw so much. Was leisurely but fitted in ample sights.Adrian our tour guide the best.

Sharon Feb 26

SharonLee_D, Feb 2026

A lovely personable experience with a small group so we could readily discuss aspects of our tour. Good vehicle and safe driver. Very comprehensive tour.

Good Learning Experience

Lindy_S, Feb 2026

Great Tour. Lovely experience at Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Learnt a lot. Good cultural show. Nice Cafe.

Good trip

Terry_W, Feb 2026

A good trip with 15 on board the bus and the driver. He was well organised. Good to taste different types of Kiwi.

I would recommend the tour in a heartbeat

Mark_M, Feb 2026

Friendly tour guide, knowledgeable, kind, warmth and caring! Explained the history and facts about Tauranga! Thoroughly enjoyed sightseeing and seeing how beautiful New Zealand truly is!

The driver/guide was very...

Lilly_K, Feb 2026

The driver/guide was very good and knowledgeable. We went to many interesting places. The trip was of good value.

Excellent 1/2 day tour of Tauranga area

Selma_A, Jan 2026

Steve was an excellent guide. He eagerly shared his knowledge of local history, agriculture, Māori culture, beautiful parks and landscapes, and delicious coffee/pastries. His timing was perfectly matched to our ship’s schedule in port. Thanks for a very fun day!!

Great Tauranga Excursion

Barbara_M, Jan 2026

It is a cross section of the Tauranga area. Including historic sites, waterfalls and great view points. Kerry was a great driver and tour guide. We had kiwi, honey tasting and ice cream. He really enjoys what he is doing.

A great tour around Tauranga

Adiel_A, Jan 2026

A wonderful tour, including historical places, view points, gardens, a walk along a small river, learn about kiwi fruit and see a vine, watch an amazing waterfall, and even more…

Great tour do not miss it. Great value

Sevda_D, Jan 2026

Great tour and I highly recommend it. Our tour guide Steven was great guy. Special thanks to him.. He was very informative and helpful guide.

Terry was amazing on our...

Anne_T, Jan 2026

Terry was amazing on our tour - very informative and so pleasant. Thoroughly enjoyed being on this tour and would recommend it!

New Zealand Cruising.

Theresa_A, Jan 2026

This tour is highly recommended as the 5 hours were fully utilized with sceneries and snacks - muffin, kiwi fruits and ice cream 😋👍.

Relaxing exploration!

AmandaUK, Jan 2026

Terry was a great guide who blanced imparting knowledge, allowing us tourists to take our obligatory snaps & proving a great experience. Thank you.

An enjoyable day of panoramic views and local delights!

RJ_P, Dec 2025

We had an enjoyable day with our guide/driver Terry for our smaller group (20) in a comfortable van . We able to explore all as described; we headed out via a beautiful memorial park stop to Te Puna to take in panoramic views, enjoying a delicious cappuccino and fresh muffin while ducks were nearby. This was followed by an optional trek on rainforest path to climb up in McClaren Falls - you need a decent level of fitness to take this on - then we stopped near the road to get a close-up view of kiwis growing on the vine and finished with a stop at a roadside shop to sample the delicious local ice cream - a refreshing break! An enjoyable day. The tour did go over time but that did not effect a timely return to our ship.

Wonderful Time

stephen_b, Dec 2025

This was a wonderful way to see a variety of things. McLaren Falls park being a highlight of sheer beauty. Our Guide was fun and informative, the kiwifruit was tasty and the ice cream rated a 10, even from our world traveler sister. We took our tour guides advice to walk around the volcano base in the harbor where every ten steps there was a new fantastic view!