Larnach Castle & Otago Wildlife Cruise from Dunedin

Overview

Available languages

English

5 hours

Mobile ticket

Visit the stunning Larnach Castle. Explore the scenic Otago Peninsula and enjoy a special Monarch Wildlife Cruise.

Your guide will take you on a one-hour tour of Larnach Castle. Hear the scandalous story of early settler William Larnach and his family. Explore the beautifully restored castle, with it's original antique furniture and impressive craftsmanship throughout. 30-minutes is allowed to briefly explore the gardens or take tea in the ballroom cafe.

The bus tour will then take you further along the Otago Peninsula.

You'll next board a one-hour Wildlife Cruise, travelling past volcanic cliffs and a historic lighthouse. Enjoy close viewing of fur seals, royal albatross and seabirds. We sometimes spot sea lions, blue penguins & dusky or hectors dolphins.

A 90-minute visit to The OPERA can also be added on as an extra. See conservation in action and possibly see the worlds rarest penguin (yellow-eyed) as you walk through a private eco-reserve and wildlife rehab facility.

Additional Info

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Restrooms at Larnach Castle and on the Wildlife Cruise

Interactive commentary from a local guide

Air-conditioned vehicle

Complimentary wifi, jackets and binoculars on the Wildlife Cruise

One-hour Monarch Wildlife Cruise

Entry fee and one-hour Larnach Castle Tour

We don't provide food or drinks. You can bring it with you or snacks can be purchased at the castle

We don't pickup from Port Chalmers cruise terminal pickup, unless you've booked the correct option.

Wildlife viewing is not guaranteed, but we'll always show you as much as possible.

What To Expect

Otago Peninsula

Tour along the beautiful roads of the Otago Peninsula in our comfortable minivan. Enjoy stunning views of harbour and coast as you go.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Larnach Castle & Gardens

Small group guided tour through 'NZ's Castle'. Discover the scandalous story of the Larnach family and explore the painstakingly restored building and it's beautiful grounds.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included

Options

Cruise Ship Terminal pick up

Cruise Ship Terminal pick up: Castle to Cruise Tour with pickup and dropoff from the Port Chalmers Cruise Ship Terminal.
Pickup included

Castle to Cruise Tour

Pickup included

Castle to Cruise + Penguins

Wildlife + Penguin Tour: Guided walk through an eco-reserve helping save the endangered Yellow-eyed Penguin. Not suitable for cruise ship schedules.
Pickup included

Reviews

4.89

57 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Fantastic experience
Peggy K,
Nov 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our driver Ross shared so many interesting facts along the way. He shared the history of the Larnach family as we toured which brought the rooms to life. We saw black swans on the way to the cruise. The highlights were albatross and a dolphin swimming beside the boat.
Our tour guide Toss was...
Tor B,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our tour guide Toss was very informative. As he is a local to Dunedin, it was great to hear his knowledge. We were very happy overall with the whole tour.
Nice one day tour
272shuaiy,
Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very enjoyable and educational tour, perfect if you don’t have a car. Thank you Will for providing such a great day in Dunedin
Amazing
jenineo2021,
Oct 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was a great experience the guide was full of knowledge the castle was amazing .The wild life cruise was very good as well with very good staff to help you find the wildlife.
Enjoyable van and boat trip from Dunedin.
Michael K,
Mar 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We started our tour driving in a comfortable van from Dunedin through the scenic countryside to the Larnach “castle”. Ross was a superb driver and tour guide. After touring the castle and enjoying a quick lunch on the grounds we left for the cruise. We spent an hour or so on the boat with our wildlife expert Will. We saw a few seals and sea lions along with several species of water birds. The highlight was observing the flight of the greater albatross. The crew of the boat thoughtfully escorted us around a small group of peaceful environmental protestors at our cruise ship port.
A real Dunner Stunner
SanfordAZRealtor,
Mar 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was an excellent shore excursion and tour provided by Rob our guide and Monarch tours. Very well organized and the right amount of time for the guided castle and boat cruise. Just like the tour, the weather was great; we had a Dunner Stunner, sunny and warm day!
Best tour
Ichun L,
Mar 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
I just did the tour today and absolutely loved it! It felt very special because there were only me and another lady on the tour, and I was honestly stunned they were willing to do the tour for just the two of us. Our tour guide David was warm and professional, giving us detailed commentary on the history and wild life of the area. I think this tour is just the perfect combination that allows you to see the castle (which is quite hard to get to without a car), and the most iconic wildlife of the area. The albatross were really impressive in their wingspan and they got quite close to the boat. In addition you also see some seals and beautiful rock formations! But my favourite part was the "opera" penguin sanctuary, and I feel really privileged to be able to view so many endangered species of wild penguin from up close. All in all, if you're only doing one tour in Dunedin, I think this is it 😉
Fabulous castle tour & boat ride
gilltone,
Feb 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great tour of Lanarch Castle and surrounding areas. Beautiful boat ride to see albatross, fur seals etc. Tour guide had tons of great info about the history of Dunedin. Highly recommended!
Great excusion
henrys201,
Feb 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great trip to visit Larnach Castle, learn about its history and efforts being made to bring it back to its former glory. Also and very nice cruise out around Taiaroa Head and observe the wildlife there.
Wonderful Day
Susan S,
Jan 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great way to spend our day in port. Our guide, David, was very informative and helpful. The castle was lovely, with lots of traditional Scottish flare. The boat trip was a bit choppy, but we spotted Seals, Dolphins, and Albatross. My only advice would be, if you are particularly prone to motion sickness, make sure you have meds or bands.