What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Absolutely epic afternoon

  853kats,Apr 2, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Absolutely fantastic. Wonderful boat, awesome scenery and Lloyd the skipper is a great host. A highlight for our family and well worth the money. We had superb weather and the Lake was like glass. There was little wind which was a shame but we got the mainsail up and with the eco engine we couldn’t hear a thing. The carvings are impressive. And really well worth the trip. Huge thanks to Lloyd for his wonderful hospitality (and patience). Will definitely return on our next trip to Taupo.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Silently sailing on Lake Taupo

  SusanC4948,Mar 28, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This was one of the highlights of our NZ trip. The electric-powered sailboat provides a silent ride across Lake Taupo so it is very peaceful. While the electric engine provides security that you will get there and back in the allocated time the sails are not just decoration - they were in constant use on our trip and gave a true sailing experience. [This depends on wind direction, of course, but we had the mainsail up heading out and both mainsail and jib returning]. The skipper clearly loves the boat, gave some interesting comments and my husband, a yachtsman himself, had some interesting and detailed conversations with him. The contemporary [1980s] Maori carvings offer an interesting endpoint and they are impressive from the water. Our skipper drew attention to the smaller accompanying carvings as well. We also had a chance to swim in the lake water near here. We booked online the day beforehand when we sure of our arrival times and the weather. Our afternoon session was pretty full but not crowded. The skipper definitely made sure that both sides of the boat had good views of the carvings. It might pay to book ahead more than we did if you can as it can be booked out (as was the sunset cruise was the day we tried). Please note that I had to check carefully what website I was booking online as there are a number of other cruises out to the carvings on more standard boats.

  

  

• Trip to see the carvings

  xanthe M,Mar 12, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Great day out Chris the skipper was very knowledgeable & friendly would recommend this trip.

  

  

• Amazing trip!

  R3633TJjaimel,Mar 12, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Had an amazing time!! Would highly recommend to everyone.

• Great Sailing Day

  Puapani,Mar 11, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  The captain and Joe were very personable, knowledgeable and caring. It was a fun relaxing sail to a beautiful site.

  

  

  

• Best Sail Ever!

  Journey22203451124,Mar 10, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Had the absolute BEST experience on this tour! Captain & Staff were amazing, super accommodating, and awesome! Lovely commentary, Definitely would recommend this to anyone visiting! :)

  

  

  

  

• Best boat tours in taupo

  ameliacR7869BL,Mar 10, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This is my third time taking a trip out to the Māori rock carvings with sail Barbary. Every single time I have an amazing experience. The crew was excellent as always! They took very good care of us despite the windy weather and rocky water. The boat wasn’t too crowded so there was plenty of space for our party of six on one side of the boat. The captains clever humour and knowledge kept us all engaged and entertained. The skipper was helpful in grabbing ponchos and tea to keep us all warm. Overall, an amazing trip I would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat!

• Best Sailing Tour Ever!!!

  Dreamer36580295456,Mar 9, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This is a must do while in Taupō! Both our captains were incredibly funny and hospitable! Not to mention the sailboat is stunning. You get to wear cozy fleece ponchos and sip a warm cup of tea while seeing the breathtaking carvings! Such an incredible experience would do again and will be recommending to everyone!

  

  

  

• Great cruise, good value

  Sunshin2,Feb 2, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Wonderful trip on beautiful sailing yacht skippered by Chris. 2.50 hrs cruise was great value and Chris kept us entertained and informed throughout. Saw impressive carvings and was able to have swim in the crystal clear waters of lake Taupo. Would highly recommend.

• Blanchett family

  vaughanb2026,Jan 9, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Good knowledgeable skipper who told us a lot about the area. The lake was a little sloppy for the kids but they didn’t mind at all

  
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