Group tour to Bay of Islands return from Auckland
Description
Enjoy this full-day Excursion from Auckland to the Bay of Islands. Including pickup and drop-off from the 4 hotels listed in Auckland CBD, a 4.5 hour guided boat cruise tour with full commentary, 3-hour scenic drive each way with beautiful scenic stops for photo taking.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Cruise from Paihia in the Bay of Islands, searching for Bottled nose dolphins between 144 islands on a Full Day Tour departing Auckland.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Infant seats must be requested at least 24 hours in advance (extra charges apply)
- A minimum of 4 people is required for the tour to operate
Reviews(63)
Wonderful and informative . Our your guide Simon was amazing , very knowledgeable and entertaining. He certainly is an asset to the company. Keep on doing what you’re good at Simon .
Mum and I had a beautiful day , bit disappointed about not being able to go out to the hole in n the rock , but we do understand that due to the weather was not possible, safety comes first, we had a beautiful 4 hours on the boat just being shone all the islands, got off at one , and walked up a hill for a beautiful view
A very exciting and pleasant journey by our driver and guide Paul, Cruise to the hole in the rock is a must do around Auckland.
Great trip with transport from our hotel in Auckland to the Bay of Islands. Simon was a great tour guide full of enthusiasm and fun facts about the Bay of Islands, Auckland and the rest of NZ! He was happy to answer all our questions which made the 3 hour return journey fly by! We sadly didn't see any dolphins and the journey to the hole in the rock was a bit choppy but all in all a great day out!
Very enjoyable trip. Long journey but this was expected did manage some stops on the way to break up the time and comfort stops. Beautiful landscapes and countryside. The driver was great company and made sure we all were included and he explained some interesting things to do on our short stops. Can thoroughly recommend Warren. The cruise to around the Bay of Islands was a good experience. The captain and crew very helpful and provided useful insights to each island we stopped at, felt very safe onboard. Managed to be able to drive through the hole in the wall but the captain made it very clear she would only do if sea conditions were suitable . Lovely rest stop on an island you are able to explore, took a short walk and time for a drink and ice cream too. A great day out.
It makes for a long day but with a great guide like Warren and a fabulous 4 hours out on the salt water, it's well worth the hours to get there and back plus, your guide does all the driving and you get to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Warren was an awesome tour guide, sharing lots about Aotearoa culture, history, flora and fauna. He also had a extensive music Playlist that was great to listen to on the drive back to Auckland. Our skipper and crew were also awesome! Lots of knowledge shared and our skipper took us through the hole in the rock and made it look effortless. She was fantastic! Lots to see and many photos taken. Simply a great day all the way around!
This tour provides a convenient way of seeing a bit of New Zealand’s northernmost part, without the need of staying there overnight - so if you plan to go north to south, this is a great start. It’s very professionally organised, and our guide was fantastic. I learnt a lot, and the views on the way were just stunning. The tour departs from Auckland in the morning, stops at artistically very interesting Hundert Wasser museum/ shop, and continues north to catch the 2pm ferry from Paihia. The ferry navigates the beautiful Bay of Islands landscape up till the famous Hole in the Rock, and then leaves a bit of rest/ exploration/ hiking time on one of the islands. Be mindful - it’s a very long day, with limited time to grab food; so, packing a few sandwiches/ snacks is highly recommended. That said, I would not mind starting the tour earlier, staying at Hundert Wasser for a bit longer and perhaps stopping at the Sculptureum as well for a complete tour of the north.
This is an excellent tour. Got a history, culture knowledge of NZ. Great stop off for snack. Beautiful views of NZ countryside and then the slightly bumpy cruise (sure it was our day!). When I thought it couldn’t get any better we had a large pod of dolphins come to visit. Finished it off with some time on Urupukapuka. It’s a very long day and totally worth it and has given me inspiration for a longer stay next time. So glad I persevered with this trip. Thanks Paolo our wonderful driver and guide.
Our driver Jon was great! Very personable and lovely guy with a brain full of New Zealand local knowledge. The boat trip was amazing, although a little choppy due to weather, but the crew was lovely checking in on everyone. Highly recommend to spend a day at the Bay of Islands
A Bay of Islands boat tour is definately worth doing. The scenery is beautiful. The boat is comfortable and well run. The Island stop was great. However I found the trip to and from Auckland long, cramped and uncomfortable. This is not a 12 hour tour. It would be 14 hours on a good day. Due to a series of mishaps ours was 15 hours, arriving back in Auckland at 11pm. Bring a picnic lunch. We didn't get access to a meal until 4pm.
