Bay of Islands 2-Day Small Group Tour from Auckland with Cruise
Description
Experience the best of Northland with Cheeky Kiwi Travel on this fully guided Bay of Islands Small Group Overnight Tour, showcasing the region’s stunning scenery, rich Māori heritage, and coastal charm. Designed for flexibility, choose to have accommodation in Paihia included (single occupancy surcharge will be applicable to solo travelers) or book your own stay, the choice is yours. Travel in comfort with a small group and enjoy a relaxed pace, personal attention, and the chance to explore hidden gems that larger tours miss. Our passionate guides bring each stop to life with engaging stories, local insights, and a touch of Kiwi humour. Highlights include: a Bay of Islands Cruise to the world-famous Hole in the Rock, visits to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Waipoua Forest & Tāne Mahuta, and The Kauri Museum. Discover the very best of the Far North with a fun, flexible, and premium Cheeky Kiwi experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the area’s top highlights.
Exiting Auckland, we travel west and follow the road through the kumara capital of New Zealand, Dargaville. Our first stop sees us visiting the Kauri Museum, to understand the remarkable story of New Zealand’s largest and most famous native tree.
Visit the breathtaking Waipoua Forest, where you can enjoy its serene beauty and learn about the ongoing efforts to protect these natural wonders for future generations.
Enjoy a lunch break at your own cost in the beachside settlement of Opononi with views over the Hokianga Harbour. Opononi was made famous in the mid 1950s by the tame dolphin Opo, who delighted visitors with its friendly antics.
After enjoying the Hokianga Harbour, we journey further north towards the ‘birthplace of our nation’, Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Here we will be treated to a complete guided tour and cultural performance at Aotearoa New Zealand’s most important historic site. Explore New Zealand’s Māori heritage through interactive museums, traditional performances and historic buildings, including the Treaty House and the beautifully carved Whare Rūnanga.
Arrive in the beachside town of Paihia and check into your hotel, before taking a relaxing walk along the beach and ending the day with dinner at a local restaurant.
After breakfast, we embark on a magical cruise to explore the area’s extensive islands. During the cruise, the guides will share the rich history and natural beauty of the Bay of Islands while we search for the marine life that makes these cruises so famous. With a bit of luck, we might spot some playful doplphins and whales for you to enjoy! The cruise runs for 4.5 hours, taking your on a scenic journey through the Bay of Islands and along the Cape Brett Peninsula.
No Bay of Islands cruise is complete without spending some time at the beach on one of the islands. We’ll be stopping at Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island, where you can swim, stroll along the white sand beach, hike to the top of the hill for scenic views over the entire Bay of Islands, or simply relax at the island’s fully licensed bar and café.
Sadly after this day in paradise we must start to head south again but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip to Auckland with secret stops along the way.
As we arrive back into Auckland, our guide will drop you off to your hotel, marking the end of your Bay of Islands tour with us.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
*If no pickup is selected at time of booking, you will be allocated our default meeting point (SkyCity Hotel). You are welcome to update this at any time. If your location isn’t listed, please choose your nearest available option & meet us there. *Pick-ups can begin up to 20 minutes before the tour departure time, depending on location. To ensure a smooth start, please be ready and waiting outside 5 minutes prior to your specific pickup time. *Pick-up locations are carefully planned for each tour and may vary by day. If your pick-up location changes, kindly inform us in advance. *Our guides make multiple stops and may arrive within a 10-minute window. We are unable to wait for late guests.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Solo travellers will be required to pay a Solo Surcharge for Accommodation (+$150 NZD)
- Not recommended for travelers with severe mobility difficulties
Reviews(52)
Cheeky Kiwi Travel provides an excellent travel adventure to the Bay of Islands. Each stop was exceptional. The Kauri Tree Museum and the Waitange Treaty Grounds were informative and extremely well executed. Our Scenic Hotel Stay was comfortable and the dinner buffet delicious. We had some rough water at the Hole in the Rock and didn't go through but certainly experienced some crashing waves viewed from a distance instead. Also included was a stop for lunch and hiking which was a real treat! All around an exceptional tour!
This was an excellent tour and I would highly recommend taking it. It showed us the highlights of the beautiful Bay of Islands and our guide Jeff was excellent. We’ve done a couple of tours with Cheeky Kiwi now and they’re a brilliant company who offer brilliant experiences.
Hi Lydia, thrilled to have you back with Cheeky Kiwi Travel again! Jeff will love the shoutout. Hugely appreciate the loyalty and the brilliant review.
If you ever want to spend a couple of days exploring the north of New Zealand, this is the tour to book! It was jam packed with activities (watching a cultural performance and learning the history behind the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, hiking around Urupukapuka island and cruising to the hole in the rock) while being incredibly well-paced and thought out. Despite the rainy weather predicted for the weekend, our tour guide Mark did his best to make the trip just as worthwhile. He was incredibly friendly and helpful, providing ample snacks and water for the trip, and was also super knowledgeable about the sights we were set to see. The accommodation was very spacious, with two double beds, an en-suite bathroom and amenities such as a TV (provides YouTube and Netflix), a mini fridge and toiletries. As a vegetarian, there were some lovely restaurants around the hotel in Paihia, so I was not short on food to eat! The only disappointment is that we didn’t manage to spot any dolphins and couldn’t go through the hole in the rock due to rough weather, but that isn’t always guaranteed due to ever changing weather. Nonetheless, this tour was fabulous - I learnt so much about the history of New Zealand and saw some beautiful landscapes, all the while meeting wonderful people. I would do this tour 10 times over. Thank you very much Cheeky Kiwi for making it so memorable!
Excellent experience. Ark looked after us every well. He knew so much about the area. Nice small group. Good accommodation. Of concern was a lady who was sick at the beginning of the tour. We were likely to catch something, which I did and now I am sick on my next tour. We should have been told she was ill, and we could have cancelled, or she should have not travelled with us.
We couldn’t do the whole tour because of a storm and a lot of rain. But John did manage everything and brought us back to Auckland savely.
Our 2-day Bay of Islands tour booked through Get Your Guide and with Cheeky Kiwi as the tour operator was fantastic. We wanted to get a better understanding of the Māori culture and history and get to see some of the North Island and this tour hit all the right spots. Our guide Vicki was knowledgeable and friendly, and was ready to answer all our questions as well as provide recommendations on where to eat. She also went out of her way to take us to see Glow Worm caves not too far from Paihia, a definite must-see and suggested tour addition for future tours. I would highly recommend this tour!
Matt was a fantastic guide and driver. He’s unflappable as a HUGE bird hit our windshield He effortlessly looked after our group of 7 getting a new vehicle replacement As he drove he informed us of what we were seeing, what was coming and communicated all the logistics clearly Timing for all of our stops and activities was bang on Thanks Matt
Had a fantastic time with Matt on this 2-day tour. Excellent trip with lots of fascinating stops. This was a small group of 7 people, which made things a lot more fun! The hotel we stayed at in Paihia (Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands) was lovely. We were super lucky to see dolphins and orcas on our Bay of Islands tour and the stop over at Otehei was excellent.
It was a fantastic tour. It was just the two of us and Liam (our guide). He was very friendly and accommodating, and he took our wishes into account. Simply wonderful, including the weather!
Kia ora! That sounds like a pretty special way to experience the Bay of Islands! A private-style trip with just the two of you and Liam is hard to beat, and it’s great to hear he tailored the day to suit what you wanted to see and do. Even better when the weather plays its part too! We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
This was an enjoyable trip. The environment was beautiful and peaceful. The tour guide was knowledgeable. He was nice and helpful
Kia ora! Great to hear you had an enjoyable trip up to the Bay of Islands. It’s a beautiful and peaceful part of the country, and it’s nice to know your guide helped make the experience smooth and informative along the way. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
