Private Tour
Heritage Highlights Walk
Overview
Available languages
1 hour
Mobile ticket
Dunedin is a great wee city and is best explored on foot. Once New Zealand's largest city, and now a university town, Dunedin boasts picturesque streetscapes and some standout Victorian and Edwardian (and Art Deco!) buildings. This small-group tour is fun and interesting - and a great introduction to Dunedin. See our reviews!
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
In-person guide
What To Expect
The Octagon
An attractive and vibrant public space, The Octagon has long been the centre of Dunedin. Walkers will learn how the space has evolved, and how Dunedin has evolved. A comprehensive introduction here outlines Dunedin's pre-Colonial, Scots Free Church settlement and gold-rush years, and touches on challenges and opportunities the city faces now. Dunedin's fortunes have always waxed and waned; we learn how this has been reflected in standout Octagon buildings including St. Paul's Cathedral and Dunedin's Municipal Chambers.
St. Paul's Cathedral
Entry to this building is no longer guaranteed, but we do study the Cathedral and discuss why it occupies such a prominent site in what was a staunchly Presbyterian town. We account for the contrasting architectural styles on display, and contemplate changes made and proposed in the wake of the Cathedral's 2020 fire.
Options
Heritage Highlights Walk
Reviews
13 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A great walking tour
H9504AGmichaeld,
Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I took this tour today and it was absolutely fantastic. Athol’s deep knowledge of Dunedin shone through as he shared fascinating insights into how the city has evolved over the years. One of the highlights was his vivid recollection of what Dunedin looked like in his youth—an engaging contrast to the present-day cityscape. The entire experience was captivating from start to finish, and the two hours flew by. Thank you, Athol, for bringing Dunedin’s history to life with such passion and storytelling flair.
A great way to see and learn about Dunedin. Highly recommend.
Reynard1,
Mar 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A great morning with Athol. He met us right on the allocated time and then for around 2.5 hours he shared his knowledge of, and love for Dunedin. He was so knowledgeable and able to share many personal experiences with us. Time did not see to be an issue. There were only the two of us and in no way did we at any time feel rushed. he was very considerate of our age and made sure we had no issues. Found a great coffee shop for us to have a short break on the way around. That in itself was interesting as he was able to show us the alterations to the building while keeping the exterior in keeping with other surrounding buildings. Highly recommend for anyone exploring Dunedin as a good first stop to get oriented then having the opportunity to spend more time in areas of special interest later.
Heritage Walk
Christine G,
Jan 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great 1 hour walking tour providing history of the buildings & settlers - easy walking should you have mobility issues - our guide Athol was friendly & knowledgeable
Good walk
Helen S,
Jan 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Good walk with historical buildings explained and history of Dunedin Athol was very knowledgeable ND obviously loves his town Good overview of Dunedin
Exceptional Unmissable Dunedin walks. Discover its real heart!
Lisa M,
Nov 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We cannot rate Athol’s Heritage Walk and Vogel Street walk (we did both) highly enough! Athol is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of this beautiful intact small city and will guide you through some usual buildings and history. However, what makes his walks unique are that he gets to the beating heart of the place. Much of the walk was spent down secret alleys and visiting inside buildings to see unique features undiscoverable by visitors. If you love architecture and history you will get so much from Athol’s tour. He is responsive to your questions and interests and gave us other wonderful recommendations which truly made our trip!! If you’re a local you should definitely do it too! Be a tourist in your own city. I know you will discover secrets you didn’t know. Thanks so much Athol.
Perfect city tour
Reinhard S,
Nov 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00You can't make a city tour any better. Perfect! Extremely informative and communicative! And most importantly: his English is very easy to understand, no slang. Responds to individual wishes. We loved it!
Walking Dunedin
CJSPTheSweeney,
Mar 12, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The guide Athol, originally from the area, was very informative and we learned some good historical background to Dunedin. The pace was easy and 2 hours flew by.
Very good tour to see the highlights of the city.
Carl M,
Feb 9, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide Athol Parks did a great job. He provided information that I did not know. The tour was an hour long. The city of Dunedin was hillier than I had expected. Athol made sure that we didn’t have to exert ourselves too much climbing up and down hills. This was much appreciated.
Stellar experience
warrnambool,
Feb 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We’ve done walking tours in dozens of cities, all over the planet. This tour was one of the best. Dunedin is both interesting and charming. Athol’s tour today was outstanding. He’s erudite , and clearly deeply in love with the city. Strongly recommended
Great Walk in Dunedin
ashworth53,
Dec 17, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did the Old Town Walk with Athol and it was a great walk and we learnt so much about the history, the buildings and the key events that shaped Dunedin. If you are coming off a cruise ship it's great because the tour start right near where the bus drops you off (in front of the i-Site). We highly recommend this tour.
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Operated by City Walks