Shore Excursion: Dunedin City, Otago Peninsula, Castle Gardens & Olveston Tour

Name: Shore Excursion: Dunedin City, Otago Peninsula, Castle Gardens & Olveston Tour
Price: 295 NZD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.75 (88 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

English

6 hours

Mobile ticket

With this tour, you will experience the pure beauty of Dunedin through a journey rich in heritage, spectacular scenery, and memorable highlights. You’ll explore the stunning Otago Peninsula via scenic Highcliff Road, with its rugged beaches and bays, and visit the gardens of New Zealand’s only castle, Larnach Castle.

Along the way, you’ll visit some of Dunedin’s most iconic locations:

• Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest street

• A local lookout point with panoramic views of the city, harbour, and peninsula

• The University of Otago — New Zealand’s oldest university

• The Octagon

• Dunedin Railway Station

• The Dunedin Botanic Garden — internationally significant and the oldest in the country

In addition, you will join a one-hour guided tour of Olveston Historic Home, one of Dunedin’s true treasures. Every piece inside the house is original, offering an intimate glimpse into the life of the family who once lived there.

Additional Info

Specialized infant seats are available

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

There are stairs to access first floor at Olveston historic home.

Cancellation Policy

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

What To Expect

Baldwin Street - World's Steepest Street!

A short stop to have a look or take a photo of Baldwin Street that used to hold a title of the steepest street in the world for the last 30 years

10 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Signal Hill

Marvel the panorama of Dunedin city and harbour and get a good idea of how city is laid out

10 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Driver/guide

Round-trip shared transfer

Air-conditioned vehicle

Port pickup and drop-off

Lunch

Food and drinks

Larnach Castle interior

Options

Including Olveston

Olveston instead of the train: This option doesn't include train trip. It includes a 1 hour guided tour of Olveston historic home.

Reviews

4.75

88 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Tour in Dunedin
Paul V,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was a very good tour the guide was friendly and helpful, if there was information that she did not know she would look it up. Although all destinations were worth seeing, Olveston was the highlight.
Pleasant overview of Dunedin area
Alan K,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00
Nice overview of Dunedin area. Friendly and helpful guide, though I would have appreciated more discussion and explanation of what we were seeing. Lanarch Castle and Gardens are amazing, but we were disappointed to have very little time to explore the gardens or go inside the house. I’d be happy to skip the “steepest street“ and spend more time at the castle. The van we were placed on was very small for the number and size of passengers and was quite uncomfortable given that we were one of the four people sitting across the back.
Very good
Elizabeth s,Mar 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Yes we enjoyed the excursion and the guide was very informative. The spots were very interesting. Well worth the cost.
Highly recommend. Asta...
Brett,Feb 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Highly recommend. Asta was a great guide- personable and knowledgeable. Having a small group was great.
Avoid this tour. We have...
Anonymous,Feb 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
Avoid this tour. We have traveled globally; this is the worst tour ever. For our small group, the guide was not prepared enough. First, he said he had to "borrow" a small bus; it was old, uncomfortable, noisy, with broken air conditioning, and air did not circulate well. At our meeting spot, other tours had modern buses. Not sure what happened here. One attendee had to slide open the emergency window to give us air. Second, there were too many brief stops (about 10-20 minutes) long where we would need to exit the bus to catch a view, then return promptly. He kept nagging us about returning to the bus on time to keep on track, but why do this? At one stop, he expected us to pick up our lunch on our own and see 3 blocks in 20 minutes while he stayed in the bus. We weren't able to find and order food in time so we were without food the whole day.. He was unfazed and didn't seem to care how we felt or even ask if we got food. The bus was noisy that it was very difficult to hear him at times. One stop was odd because the bus was parked very close to the edge of the road on a mountain cliff which was not safe getting in and out of the bus. In retrospect, I regret signing up for this tour because the house tour was not very interesting and too long. The castle was not really a castle, but a rundown refuge that was ugly and run down. I would not recommend this tour - look elsewhere for a tour that is fun, informative and memorable.
Great sights, but not with this company again.
stefanltje,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
The trip with Fantail Tours was a huge disappointment for me and absolutely not recommended. There was no employee on site at the specified meeting point at 9:30 a.m. After I asked at the cruise terminal, I was informed that the group had already left. It was only after I contacted the company via WhatsApp that it was even checked if anyone else was waiting for me. Such an unprofessional level of organization is not acceptable for a booked excursion. In addition, program items were simply shortened or omitted. In the Botanic Garden there was no announced hike, but only a very short stay of less than 20 minutes. The visit to the castle lasted only about 50 minutes, although according to the program 1.5 hours were scheduled. In addition, the castle was hardly photographable by parked buses. The tour, advertised as a “small group”, was also not true. A group of 21 people has nothing to do with a small group for me. Overall, neither organization nor performance is correct compared to the description. My clear recommendation: In Dunedin, it’s probably cheaper, more flexible and less stressful to take a taxi on your own.
Dunedin tour
LAURIE K,Feb 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Loved the personalized tour! Highly recommend if you want to get a feel for the town in one day! Guide was excellent and shared lots of interesting information.
Great overview of the...
Karstin B,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great overview of the city and a variety of experiences - museums, botanic garden, viewpoints. Very interesting guide with a love for Dunedin.
The best!
Cathy S,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a beautiful day with Asta. Turned out that we had a private tour& and she was so flexible and agreeable to anything we needed to do or see. The views were incredible! The castle gardens are lovely ; the steepest street is cool! She took us to the botanical garden and pointed out different plants. & very interesting trees. It was a pleasure To spend time with this lovely lady. She loves this area and you could tell.!!
Fantastic Tour
lallk58,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We visited Dunedin, New Zealand while on a cruise. It was a fantastic tour. Pick up and drop off was very easy. Our tour guide Asta from Fantails picked us up from the cruise terminal. It was a small group of 4 people on the tour. Our tour guide Asta was very knowledgeable and she gave us a lot of information about Dunedin rich history. Scenic drives overlooking the city were stunning. We went to the Baldwin Street, steepest street in the world. Inside tours of the Olveston historic house with its rich history and inside tour of Larnach Castle with its beautiful gardens were our favorite. We also made short stops at University of Otago, Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin Botanic Garden and First Church of Otago. It was a great tour, we spent a lovely and a memorable day with Asta. We highly recommend this tour.

From NZ$295.00

4.75

(88 reviews)

Free cancellation

Check availability

Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour

Related Experiences

Operated by Fantail Tours Limited

Shore Excursion: Dunedin City, Otago Peninsula, Castle Gardens & Olveston Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

6 hours

Mobile ticket

Along the way, you’ll visit some of Dunedin’s most iconic locations:

• Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest street

• A local lookout point with panoramic views of the city, harbour, and peninsula

• The University of Otago — New Zealand’s oldest university

• The Octagon

• Dunedin Railway Station

• The Dunedin Botanic Garden — internationally significant and the oldest in the country

Additional Info

Specialized infant seats are available

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

There are stairs to access first floor at Olveston historic home.

Cancellation Policy

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

What To Expect

Baldwin Street - World's Steepest Street!

A short stop to have a look or take a photo of Baldwin Street that used to hold a title of the steepest street in the world for the last 30 years

10 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Signal Hill

Marvel the panorama of Dunedin city and harbour and get a good idea of how city is laid out

10 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Driver/guide

Round-trip shared transfer

Air-conditioned vehicle

Port pickup and drop-off

Lunch

Food and drinks

Larnach Castle interior

Options

Including Olveston

Olveston instead of the train: This option doesn't include train trip. It includes a 1 hour guided tour of Olveston historic home.

Reviews

4.75

88 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Tour in Dunedin
Paul V,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was a very good tour the guide was friendly and helpful, if there was information that she did not know she would look it up. Although all destinations were worth seeing, Olveston was the highlight.
Pleasant overview of Dunedin area
Alan K,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00
Nice overview of Dunedin area. Friendly and helpful guide, though I would have appreciated more discussion and explanation of what we were seeing. Lanarch Castle and Gardens are amazing, but we were disappointed to have very little time to explore the gardens or go inside the house. I’d be happy to skip the “steepest street“ and spend more time at the castle. The van we were placed on was very small for the number and size of passengers and was quite uncomfortable given that we were one of the four people sitting across the back.
Very good
Elizabeth s,Mar 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Yes we enjoyed the excursion and the guide was very informative. The spots were very interesting. Well worth the cost.
Highly recommend. Asta...
Brett,Feb 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Highly recommend. Asta was a great guide- personable and knowledgeable. Having a small group was great.
Avoid this tour. We have...
Anonymous,Feb 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
Avoid this tour. We have traveled globally; this is the worst tour ever. For our small group, the guide was not prepared enough. First, he said he had to "borrow" a small bus; it was old, uncomfortable, noisy, with broken air conditioning, and air did not circulate well. At our meeting spot, other tours had modern buses. Not sure what happened here. One attendee had to slide open the emergency window to give us air. Second, there were too many brief stops (about 10-20 minutes) long where we would need to exit the bus to catch a view, then return promptly. He kept nagging us about returning to the bus on time to keep on track, but why do this? At one stop, he expected us to pick up our lunch on our own and see 3 blocks in 20 minutes while he stayed in the bus. We weren't able to find and order food in time so we were without food the whole day.. He was unfazed and didn't seem to care how we felt or even ask if we got food. The bus was noisy that it was very difficult to hear him at times. One stop was odd because the bus was parked very close to the edge of the road on a mountain cliff which was not safe getting in and out of the bus. In retrospect, I regret signing up for this tour because the house tour was not very interesting and too long. The castle was not really a castle, but a rundown refuge that was ugly and run down. I would not recommend this tour - look elsewhere for a tour that is fun, informative and memorable.
Great sights, but not with this company again.
stefanltje,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
The trip with Fantail Tours was a huge disappointment for me and absolutely not recommended. There was no employee on site at the specified meeting point at 9:30 a.m. After I asked at the cruise terminal, I was informed that the group had already left. It was only after I contacted the company via WhatsApp that it was even checked if anyone else was waiting for me. Such an unprofessional level of organization is not acceptable for a booked excursion. In addition, program items were simply shortened or omitted. In the Botanic Garden there was no announced hike, but only a very short stay of less than 20 minutes. The visit to the castle lasted only about 50 minutes, although according to the program 1.5 hours were scheduled. In addition, the castle was hardly photographable by parked buses. The tour, advertised as a “small group”, was also not true. A group of 21 people has nothing to do with a small group for me. Overall, neither organization nor performance is correct compared to the description. My clear recommendation: In Dunedin, it’s probably cheaper, more flexible and less stressful to take a taxi on your own.
Dunedin tour
LAURIE K,Feb 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Loved the personalized tour! Highly recommend if you want to get a feel for the town in one day! Guide was excellent and shared lots of interesting information.
Great overview of the...
Karstin B,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great overview of the city and a variety of experiences - museums, botanic garden, viewpoints. Very interesting guide with a love for Dunedin.
The best!
Cathy S,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a beautiful day with Asta. Turned out that we had a private tour& and she was so flexible and agreeable to anything we needed to do or see. The views were incredible! The castle gardens are lovely ; the steepest street is cool! She took us to the botanical garden and pointed out different plants. & very interesting trees. It was a pleasure To spend time with this lovely lady. She loves this area and you could tell.!!
Fantastic Tour
lallk58,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We visited Dunedin, New Zealand while on a cruise. It was a fantastic tour. Pick up and drop off was very easy. Our tour guide Asta from Fantails picked us up from the cruise terminal. It was a small group of 4 people on the tour. Our tour guide Asta was very knowledgeable and she gave us a lot of information about Dunedin rich history. Scenic drives overlooking the city were stunning. We went to the Baldwin Street, steepest street in the world. Inside tours of the Olveston historic house with its rich history and inside tour of Larnach Castle with its beautiful gardens were our favorite. We also made short stops at University of Otago, Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin Botanic Garden and First Church of Otago. It was a great tour, we spent a lovely and a memorable day with Asta. We highly recommend this tour.