15 Wildlife Tours in Dunedin Worth the Petrol

1.Clearwater Wildlife Tours (small group 10max) Otago Peninsula

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 531 reviews · from $139Our pick

Review of Clearwater Wildlife Tours on Otago Peninsula, with private habitats, seals, penguins, sea lions, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“Very informative and a nice change of pace on the peninsula during our stay in Dunedin Quinn guided us thru the valleys and there were lots of stops along the way to take in the views Very lucky to see penguins seals and native birds in their natural environment”

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2.Guided Evening Penguin Viewing Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, New Zealand

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 471 reviews · from $34Best value

See little blue penguins return to the Otago Peninsula, learn from conservation guides, and watch from a close, low-impact viewing platform.

“Best experience of watching penguin ever. I love how the guildes so passionate about their job and I hope they might help out more penguins. I will definitely tell my friends to visit here.”

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3.Wildlife and Penguin Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 239 reviews · 1h 30m · from $44

See penguins, seals, and sea lions on a 90-minute Otago Peninsula tour that supports yellow-eyed penguin conservation.

“Seeing the habitat and the work that is being done to protect these beautiful birds made us all feel very happy to support this project!”

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4.Otago Peninsula Wildlife Cruise with Monarch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 227 reviews · from $43

Cruise Otago Harbour from Dunedin to spot royal albatross, seals, penguins, dolphins, and seabirds with warm jackets and expert commentary.

“A lottery as to whether you see penguins and albatrosses but so much other wildlife so a great experience”

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5.Albatross, seals, and sea birds-Wildlife Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 189 reviews · from $105

Cruise Otago Harbour from Port Chalmers to spot albatross, seals, penguins, and seabirds on a warm, small-group wildlife boat tour.

“In 30 years of cruising, this was probably the worst shore excursion that we have ever booked. The tour consisted of a 30 minute high speed boat ride across a bay on a too small boat populated by too many people, and a PA system that wRead more”

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6.Dunedin Wildlife Cruise-Albatross, seals and harbour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 115 reviews · from $105

Review of Dunedin’s small-group wildlife cruise to Taiaroa Head, with albatross, seals, penguins, harbour history, practical tips, and value advice.

“Very informative tour. Rachael was well informed and made sure we saw as much wildlife as possible in the time.”

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7.Dunedin City, Wildlife and Larnach Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 96 reviews · from $161

Review of Dunedin’s small-group city, wildlife and Larnach Castle tour, with practical advice on sights, timing, wildlife and value.

“We were supposed to see albatross, sea lions, seals and penguins, only saw a couple sea lions. We were taken to the reserve to see penguins and albatross but we couldn’t view either one. The albatross and penguins were in a protected area and you had to sign up for a one hour tour at $45 to see them but we only had 45 minutes there. So killed time in the cafe and gift shop. Very disappointing tour, not worth the money!”

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8.Otago Peninsula Clearwater Wildlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 91 reviews · 4 hours · from $134

Explore rare penguins, sea lions, fur seals, albatross, and private coastal habitats on a small-group Otago Peninsula tour from Dunedin.

“we had an amazing tour with Adrian, and saw 8+ yellow eyed penguins and so many other species of birds and fur seals (and pups!!). it was a great, engaging tour - and tasty snacks too (bonus!). the Clearwater farm is absolutely beautiful, and their efforts to keep the wildlife that visits their community safe is so respectable. this is a must-do tour if you are coming through dunedin! thank you so much for your hospitality and the wonderful experience!”

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9.Dunedin City Highlights, Otago Peninsula Scenery & a Guided Penguin Reserve Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 77 reviews · from $198

Review of Dunedin’s city and Otago Peninsula tour, with botanic gardens, scenic stops, wildlife conservation, and guided penguin viewing.

“Teresa was a fantastic driver and guide-she thought of everything to make us comfortable-from microfiber cloth to clean the windows to gingers for motion sickness to wet wipes, tissues and extra bags for shopping. She also wove us souvenirs! The sights were amazing, with plenty of time for photos. Her knowledge of and passion for the area was contagious. We really enjoyed the penguins. And the history of the area was fascinating.”

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10.Otago Peninsula with Guided Penguin Reserve Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 66 reviews · 6 hours · from $191

Explore Dunedin, the Otago Peninsula, and a rare penguin reserve on a six-hour small-group tour with port pickup.

“Asta was so knowledgeable we learned so much in one day it was amazing she is very likable and easy to get along with and we felt at the end of the day that we had made a friend she is a wonderful addition to your company. overall the tour was well worth the money. The tour of Dunedin was absolutely amazing. visiting the botanical garden as well as the farmers market where the highlight for Dunedin. The penguin tour was also amazing. we had wonderful time and learned so much about Dunedin.”

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11.Larnach Castle & Otago Wildlife Cruise from Dunedin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $108

Review of Dunedin’s Larnach Castle and Otago Wildlife Cruise, with practical advice on scenery, wildlife, value, weather, and what to expect.

“Great way to spend our day in port. Our guide, David, was very informative and helpful. The castle was lovely, with lots of traditional Scottish flare. The boat trip was a bit choppy, but we spotted Seals, Dolphins, and Albatross. My only advice would be, if you are particularly prone to motion sickness, make sure you have meds or bands.”

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12.Otago Peninsula Wildlife Tour & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $142

Review of Dunedin’s Otago Peninsula wildlife tour, with sea lions, penguins, albatross, a cruise, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“Our tour guide, Will, was wonderful! He was friendly, happy, and easy to get along with. He was more than happy to answer any questions anyone had. You can tell that he is very knowledgeable about the wildlife in the area, as is he abouRead more”

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13.Monarch – One Hour Wildlife Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · 1 hour · from $41

Cruise Otago Harbour for royal albatross, fur seals, sea lions, and coastal history on Monarch’s one-hour wildlife trip from Dunedin.

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14.Dunedin City Highlights, Otago Peninsula Scenery & Albatross Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · from $198

Explore Dunedin, Baldwin Street, Otago Peninsula views, and the Royal Albatross Centre on a six-hour small-group tour.

“Teresa, our driver & guide, was very knowledgeable about plants, animals, geography, history, and New Zealand culture. She was very accommodating to all guests. We had several photos stops. We stopped by a grocery store to buy sandwiRead more”

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15.Dunedin City to Sea Wildlife Cruise + Peninsula Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · from $74

Review of Dunedin’s 3.5-hour wildlife cruise and Otago Peninsula bus tour, with albatross, seals, dolphins, views, prices, and practical tips.

“The hectors dolphins put on a great display, have seen them before but never frolicking like that. The commentary was very informative and knowledgeable, we had a great afternoon”

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