Otago Peninsula In-Depth Tour & Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience
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If you are a visitor that truly wants to see and understand the unique ecosystems, wildlife, culture, geology and botany of the Otago Peninsula then join this tour. We see a variety of wildlife species along the way (Note: seasonal). At Pukekura we have a good chance to see seals nearby & albatross flying overhead. Later we join our Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience tour, see the world's smallest penguin emerging from the sea and walking past us just metres away. Note: Others join us for this experience (max 75) PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALLOWED (no flash) We will offer viator refunds of 30% if we see less than 5 penguins ! (Lower than booking direct through our own website where we can offer refunds of 50%) If no availability on this site, check our own website for additional availability. As a Charitable Trust our aim is to look after our reserve and protect the Otago Peninsula's largest penguin colony. Voted in the top 10 TripAdvisor's Best Experiences in New Zealand 2022.
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
5 stars
Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Gregory_h, 10/7/2025 6:13:43 AM
Easy hotel pick up and drop off. Excellent driver who provided a wealth of knowledge of local fauna along the way. And the blue penguins were the star of the show!!
760georginak, 9/30/2025 6:41:55 AM
It’s great to hear that the kajoruty of the funds go to restoring the colony.. I never get bored of watching little penguins. You view them quite well up close
Naim_Y, 9/6/2025 4:37:17 AM
Great tour, Jonathan was an awesome guide, saw a lot of penguins and learned a lot about the region and the wildlife highly recommend the tour
Ali_R, 9/6/2025 3:59:09 AM
Jonathan was great. We not only saw the penguins, but learned a lot about natural and human history of new zealand and saw many cool birds.
G927LIrobertm, 8/26/2025 11:01:02 PM
Jono our guide was excellent and very informative on the history off Dunedin also on the flora/fauna of the town. We got luck and seen approx 130 penguins come back home for the night after a day at sea.
kwunyiul2, 8/4/2025 9:03:41 PM
Excellent guide James tell us about not only animals knowledge but also Otago history. We could see those little blue penguins from the ocean heading back to their home, totally cute enough to unforgettable, highly recommend to join in. If possible, the light track could light up a bit for penguins homing, of course if possible
Geraldine_N, 7/30/2025 3:50:39 AM
Wonderful experience of the Otago Peninsula. Saw some albatrosses and of course little blue 💙 penguins
642dsms, 7/29/2025 4:17:27 AM
Amazing! From the moment I got in the van it was a joy! Of course my goal was to see the penguins. What I didn’t know was how muxh history and information I would hear throughout the ride out to the peninsula. I especially liked the inclusion of the Māori culture. And the stops for the birds and to just listen to the birdsongs was so nice. This was the highlight of my 3 week travels on the South Island. And then there were the penguins! Worth every cent!
Elena_B, 7/24/2025 4:23:12 AM
Amazing local guide who provided many interesting facts about Dunedin, Otago Peninsula and the penguins.
Amy_F, 7/6/2025 3:37:05 AM
What an excellent experience! Just as promised, we got to see many penguins make their journey from the sea to their burrows. We signed up for the tour so we could see the penguins, but we couldn't have asked for a better orientation to the Otago Peninsula and to Dunedin, where my daughter will be spending the next four months. Jonathan, our guide, shared so much information about animals, culture, history, geology, and more. Top-notch experience!
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- For pick up at Larnach Castle you MUST BE BOOKED TO STAY AT THEIR ACCOMMODATION.
- Please note , Children must be at least 6 years old to participate in this tour.
- To participate children must be at least 6 years old (Vehicles don't carry small child restraints)
- Visitors need to be able to walk 300m unaided and manage stairs (about 60 stairs inbuilt along our walkway leading to our viewing platform). Tour and vehicles are not suitable for very young children.
- Bring warm clothes we are outside for much of the tour, it can get very cold after dark.
- Note we can't have umbrellas on the penguin viewing platform as eye risk to others
No exclusions available
No departure point available
Redemption
PICK UP LOCATION The Dunedin Isite Visitor Centre, 50 the Octagon (wait for us outside the building) is our main pick up location. We also pick up guests from 5 hotels (BUT YOU MUST BE A GUEST STAYING AT THOSE HOTELS FOR US TO PICK UP FROM THEM) If you didn't choose any pick up location then your Pick Up location is: Dunedin Isite Visitor Centre 50 the Octagon. For pick up from the Dunedin Visitor centre please be there 15 minutes prior to the tour start time. FABLE HOTEL: If you chose this hotel as pick up location (You must be staying here to choose this hotel) then your up time is 25 minutes prior to tour start time. DISTINCTION HOTEL If you chose this hotel as pick up location (You must be staying here to choose this hotel) then your up time is 20 minutes prior to tour start time. SCENIC HOTEL SOUTHERN CROSS If you chose this hotel as pick up location (You must be staying here to choose this hotel) then your up time is 15 minutes prior to tour start time. Larnach Castle (Larnach Lodge OR Camp Estate you MUST be staying at either place to be picked up from them) pick up time is 30 minutes AFTER tour start time (we do pick-ups in Dunedin then start our tour and drive out towards Larnach Castle, ALL pick-ups from Larnach Castle do miss the first 20-30 minutes of the tour commentary).24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund