Iconic Shore Excursion: Dunedin City Highlights Tour
Description
Discover top attractions and iconic sites and lookouts around the city of Dunedin on this half-day city tour. Explore Dunedin with a guide and take in key sites of interest such as the World famous Baldwin Street, University of Otago, Olveston Homestead gardens and Dunedin's Grand Railway Station. Awesome lookouts over Otago Harbour and from Signal Hill. Visit the Octagon (city centre) for some shopping and a bite to eat. All transport to and from the cruise ship wharf is included. Enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to 20 people. Daily departures are available for cruise passengers and city-based passengers.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Awesome views of the city, harbour and surrounding landscapes from high above Dunedin. There's a special connection with Edinburgh Scotland for those who know where to look!
World famous in Dunedin, you can't visit the city without going to Baldwin Street! Walk or run to the top if you're up for a challenge, or perhaps just check it out from below. Souvenirs often available, great photo opportunities abound. We always allow time for a proper visit to the World's Steepest Street
New Zealand's first university and one of the country's largest with around 20,000 students. A quick stop here is often rewarded with a real dose of Dunedin student culture. A very short walk gets us to the Leith River running right through the central campus. Here we have a stunning view of the original Clocktower Building constructed during the 1870's
We visit the gardens of Olveston Homestead (free entry). A short walk takes in highlights such as the family's vintage touring car, the original site of the old cottage from the 1860's and the stunning botanical conservatory. There is also time to visit the magnificent gift shop inside the house.
Another vital landmark in Dunedin, Speights Brewery has been making beer since 1876, the oldest working brewery in the country. We make a quick stop here, just enough time to check out the gift shop and perhaps a wee drop of the good stuff :)
Our tour offers 1 hour free time in the Octagon, Dunedin's city center.This is where all the good gift shops are, banks money machines, cafes, bars and restaurants as well as some stunning heritage buildings (St Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin Town Hall and the Regent Theater to name a few). Explore the Writer's Walk as Dunedin is recognized by UNESCO as an official "City of Literature". There are street games and activities for children and adults alike, plenty to see in this lively central city hub.
Dunedin's Grand Railway Station is a real highlight of our tour. A true symbol of Dunedin's superior wealth during early 20th century. We allow time for viewing this huge building from the gardens, as well as the beautiful interior.
One of NZ's top museums, a cultural extravaganza all about the people of Dunedin and their incredible achievements over the years. There is a wealth of artifacts here, showcasing local Maori history through to present day innovations. We usually stop here only on rainy days, however we often drop off passengers here if they wish during our 1 hour free time in the middle of the tour.
If time permits we take a trip to the beach. St Clair is Dunedin's very popular city beach. Spot surfers on the waves as we drive past the cafes and bars on the beach front Esplanade. A brief stop for photos before we take another high road for more coastal views on the way back to the cruise ship.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- passengers must be able to access the steps on and off the vehicle un-assisted
Reviews(149)
Very worthwhile.Dunedin came alive to us as Greg shared his knowledge of the city he grew up in. Highly recommend this tour 10 out of 10
Alan did a great job of sharing his knowledge of Dunedin with all of us. He provided information which was not run of the mill,with a bit of comedy and seriousness included. This was a very nice introduction to Dunedin and the surrounding areas as well as New Zealand overall.
What a great tour of Dunedin. Our driver/guide Alan was so knowledgeable about Dunedin’s history and culture. We enjoyed his running commentary on the many and varied sites that we visited throughout the day. Highly recommend.
Allen was our tour guide and made our stops on this tour pleasurable. Allen is very knowledgeable and I truly recommend this tour. Saw the entire highlights and spent time doing it. Thanks again, Allen
Allan was a wonderful guide who took 18 of us around on an interesting and well-paced city tour. We got just the right amount of time at each of the many well-selected stops and were able to experience the highlights of Dunedin in a relaxing half-day. The bus was comfortable and Allan entertained us with lots of general information about life in New Zealand as well as the history and points of interest in and about Dunedin. He is very kind, friendly and knowledgeable, and clearly loves this job. We couldn’t have come close to getting around and seeing everything we did if we had tried to tour the city on our own in our short time there. And we got great insights along the way, plus a ride to and from the cruise ship port. Worth every penny!
We were collected by Alan from the cruise terminal on time and with a smile. Although I did struggle to get on the bus I wasn’t made to feel uncomfortable but encouraged to take my time. The bus was comfortable and the air con nice. Alan kept up a great running commentary of not only what sights we were seeing but also about the history of NZ and the Dunedin area. We saw some lovely sights and had plenty of time for some lunch and souvenir/gifts shopping. Alan was very pleasant all day and gave lots of info about life in NZ. He got us back to the cruise terminal with plenty of time to spare. Thanks very much Alan and thanks Iconic.
Excellent excursion that gave a great overview of the city. Our guide was a wealth of information and gave us one of our best tours yet as we explored New Zealand.
Wonderful tour of Dunedin's sites, tour guide/driver very knowledgeable, helpful and Informative. We had plenty of time to stop and get photos and see everything we wanted. Thoroughly recommend this tour.
It was really nothing more than being taken to a few points by bus and then seeing it for yourself on the spot
Hallo Hadden, het spijt me heel erg dat je zo'n negatieve ervaring had met onze City Highlights Tour in Dunedin. Het is heel ongebruikelijk dat we dit soort feedback krijgen. Zou je me kunnen laten weten op welke datum je deze tour hebt gedaan? Ik wil graag met onze chauffeur/gids over de tour praten en kijken wat er beter had gekund. Als je meer informatie hebt, laat het me dan alsjeblieft weten. Bedankt.
Our guide, Greg, was excellent: attentive to the individuals in our group while keeping the tour on track. There was a nice diversity of activities and the pace was perfect. In addition to information on the sites we visited, Greg was wonderful at answering questions and shared related insights on the area. His narration was a real bonus.
