Day sea kayak tour Rangitoto Island
Description
Come explore the landmark of the Auckland region and see Auckland city from another perspective. You kayak across the Waitemata harbour, meaning 'sparkling waters', where you may see wildlife such as Little Blue Penguins and Cooks Petrels. On arrival at Rangitoto Island, which is the largest and youngest of Auckland's volcanoes, you will start the leisurely 1 hour walk to the summit. Walking up the pohutukawa-cloaked island gives you the chance to explore the baked scoria rocks which support over 200 different native trees and flowering plants. Upon reaching the top you will be treated to the finest 360 degree views that the Auckland region has to offer.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This will need to be requested on your booking form when booking online. We pick up with our mini-van from outside the Museum Atrium next to the seats. Pick takes place 30 minutes before the trip start time, so if your trip starts at 8:30am, your pickup will be at 8:00am. The Auckland War Memorial Museum, Tāmaki Paenga Hira, is one of New Zealand’s most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history, natural history, and military history. The taonga (treasures) from Māori, the peoples of Oceania and New Zealand, and our natural world are waiting to be discovered across three floors of magnificent galleries. A great place to learn and explore before heading out, or after paddling with us.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Check your gear and help keep islands Hauraki Gulf pest-free.Protect our wildlife
- Check - your gear for pests such as rodents and insects
- Clean - footwear and gear, removing soil and seeds
- Seal - ensure your gear is zipped up (no open bags)
- Check your gear for pests
- Before you leave the mainland, check and clean your gear.
- Check that your gear is free of rats, mice, ants and skinks - especially camping gear which has ideal places for them to hide when stored.
- Take extra care to clean gear if you have Argentine ants or plague skinks where you live.
- Clean clothing, footwear and camping gear, removing soil and seeds before and after each trip.
Reviews(83)
You can count yourself lucky if you get BEN as a guide. He was more than just our guide, he became part of our group and gave us an experience that I'll never forget.
Amazing experience. Ben was extremely knowledgeable about all the islands and the day was beautiful.
Horrible experience! Booking a few months ahead was a mistake! When the cruise ship arrived that day we went to check out the tour location for the next day and found omissions from the Tour Listing. "It did / does not mention the Kayak Row of 3.25 miles each way, across a very very busy channel". Realizing there was no way for our group of 7, aged 60-71 would be able to row 6.5 miles. That distance omission was / is significant and a show stopper. I contacted the tour company as soon as we realized, 22 hours before the excursion was to begin to cancel and seek a refund (Keep in mind the ship had just arrived) Answer was NO! Discussed further and tried to explain, NO! Contacted Viator and explained everything, Answer was NO! Not even a swap or partial refund, no admission of any misinformation.. UNACCEPTABLE!! I have been using Viator for 3 years in multiple countries and events. I, and my group will no longer use and support Viator ever again. Nor would I recommend the Kayak trip to anyone! You may have kept my money, but you have lost in the long run.
Awesome day experience with the guide Dan. The day we did our tour was not the best weather but was still a great day and catered well to my partners dietary requirements for lunch. 100% recommend!
Thanks for the great feedback. We will pass on your kind words to Dan.
We had a beautiful day for kayaking and hiking! It's not for the faint of heart as the hiking portion can be strenuous at times, but it is definitely worth doing this tour. Lunch provided after the hike was delicious! We had an excellent tour guide, Ben, who you can tell loves what he does. He was very gracious when I was struggling a bit on the hiking portion. He also made sure that everyone stayed together during the kayaking and hiking. Highly recommend Ben for your tour guide on this excursion.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback. All the best
Had a fantastic time co-guiding with guide Ben on the Duke of Edinburgh silver trip with the Baradene College students. The 3 night, 4 day trip was well organised and set up efficiently from the beginning. The gear was sorted, the students were looked after and it was a well-executed trip. The easy-going nature of guide Ben meant that the students found it stress-free. Safety systems were top-notch, meaning that the teenagers were well cared for and in safe hands. Of note was the educational experience that the students received. Ben went to great lengths to ensure that the students had a robust knowledge of navigation and were ready to lead their sections of the trip. He equipped them with the thinking needed to carry out their leadership responsibilities while supporting them to make safe decisions. This was apparent as he would get the group to huddle and reflect, then discuss while informing them of what was needed. All in all, it was an easy trip as a co-guide because it was stress-free and the students had a lot of fun!
Our Tour Guide today was Ben, he was amazingly insightful & made it a very special day. Right from the safety briefing to the guided tour & delicious lunch he was caring & helpful. Thank you Ben for such a great day that I would highly recommend anyone regardless of your experience. Cheers Phil
Thanks for the awesome feedback, and glad you had a great time paddling to Rangitoto with Ben. Hope to see you on the water again one day.
We had an amazing day with Daniel! He’s an amazing guide and knew so much about the plant life, birds and answered any questions we had. The kayak ride was nice and leisurely. The water was quite calm and the weather was ideal. The hike was an incline but not bad at all and the views at the top of Rangitoto are absolutely worth it! The day started at St Heliers beach at 8:30 and ended at the same place about 2 pm which was perfect leaving time in the day to walk around and have a nice dinner. Definitely worth it for anyone visiting!
The best experience I’ve done in New Zealand so far! I loved every second of the activity, our instructors Ben and Camilla were so knowledgeable and friendly, the views were incredible, food was delicious, and the kayaking was unforgettable, especially in the dark. I was blown away by how much equipment we were given, fleeces, coats, torches, splash skirts, shoes and more!! Way beyond my expectations. Would recommend to anyone :))
Thank you so much for your amazing review! We’re thrilled to hear you loved every moment of the tour and that Ben and Camilla helped make it so memorable. It’s great to know the views, food, and gear all exceeded your expectations too. Thanks for recommending us — we’d love to see you out on the water again one day!
Great day out & a must do when in Auckland. Love the great outdoors so a great way to see & experience Auckland.
Thanks for coming paddling with us :)
