Water Taxi and Shuttle to Larnach Castle

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

The quickest and most fun option to get to see New Zealands only castle. A fast water taxi ride across the beautiful Otago Harbour to Macandrew Bay, a small seaside village on the Otago Peninsula. Here you transfer to our executive shuttle van for your scenic drive up the hill to the castle. Your entry fee to the castle and gardens is included in your fare.

You'll have an hour and a half to explore the castle and gardens. You'll then be brought back down to the harbour, for your second water taxi ride into Steamer Basin, in the heart of Dunedin.

From Steamer Basin it's a short 5 minute walk to the iconic Dunedin Railway Station and Toitu, the Settlers Museum. This is also the departure point for the Cruise ship shuttles that return to Port.

Please note-

Trips from 9.00am to 11.15am leave from Back Beach, Port Chalmers.

Trips from 12.00 and 12.45pm leave from Steamer Basin, Dunedin city.

All trips conclude in Dunedin City except the 11.15am trip that returns to Port Chalmers at 2.15pm

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Our guide is available for the transport and entry to the Castle only. The tour of the castle and gardens is self guided.

Alternative departure points can be arranged subject to availability and other bookings.

Your departure point depends on the time of your tour. Trips from 9.00am till 11.15am depart from Back Beach, Port Chalmers and finish in Dunedin. Trips leaving at 12.00pm and 12.45pm depart from Steamer Basin in Dunedin.

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Morning trips depart from Port Chalmers and finish in Dunedin City

Discounted return trips back to Port Chalmers

Entry ticket to the Castle and Gardens included in your fare

Mid-day Trips depart Dunedin City and return to Dunedin by Shuttle van

Drop off to Dunedin

Please bring your own drink bottle

Bring a warm jacket for those colder days

Return trips to Port Chalmers depend on availability on the day $35 NZD, per passenger.

Your tour of the castle is Self Guided

What To Expect

A scenic 10-15 minute water taxi ride across the harbour from Port Chalmers or Dunedin to Macandrew Bay where you will board our shuttle van for a 10 minute ride up the hill to the famous Larnach Castle, the only castle in New Zealand. This service includes your entry ticket to the castle and gardens. You have 1.5 to 2 hours to explore. We then pick you up in the van for the ride back down to the harbour, and your water taxi ride into Dunedin. Options to return to Port Chalmers can be organized on the day of travel. Please note - Trips from 9.00 am - 11.15 am leave from Back Beach, Port Chalmers. Trips from 12.00 and later leave from Steamer Basin, Dunedin city. IMPORTANT NOTE - ALL trips finish in Dunedin City EXCEPT the 11.15 trip from Port Chalmers that returns to Port at 2.30pm

Options

Steamer Basin Departures

Steamer Basin, Dunedin to Port: Travel by boat to Macandrew Bay then shuttle van to the castle. Tour the castle then back down for your boat ride to Port.
12.00pm and later Departures : Departures from 12.00pm leave from Steamer Basin, Dunedin. Earlier departures leave from Back Beach, Port Chalmers.
Starting point:
Steamer Basin, 16 Wharf Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand

Back Beach Departures

Port Chalmers to Dunedin: Travel by boat to Macandrew Bay then shuttle van to the castle. Tour the castle then back down for your boat ride to Dunedin.
8.30 am - 11.30 am Departures: Departures from 8.30am until 11.15am leave from Back Beach, Port Chalmers. Departures 11.00am and later leave Steamer Basin.
Starting point:
Ferry to Quarantine Island, 39 Peninsula Beach Road, Port Chalmers, Dunedin 9023, New Zealand

Reviews

4.80

95 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Lovely Day
Mona K,
Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We enjoyed the cruise to the shuttle. The bus ride to the castle was short and enjoyable. The castle and grounds were lovely. The cruise ride to Dunedin went well for drop off. We then explored Dunedin on our own and took the local bus #14 (for $3) back to our cruise ship. Lovely day! Thank you
Very friendly and efficient
shaneh840,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Highly recommend this company. Very friendly and efficient. We had to change our tour date and start time due to our ship arrival time changing but it was done with no effort on our part. Rob and Holly are very friendly and efficient.
Great friendly reliable...
Shane H,
Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great friendly reliable service from a family run company also the best way to see Dunedin and surrounds. Highly recommended
They made it possible to visit Larnach Castle in the morning and still have time to see Dunedin in the afternoon.
Diana P,
Apr 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The husband and wife team, who ferried us in the boat, followed by a van ride to Larnach Castle could not have organized our visit any better! Loved it and they are wonderful people! Highly recommend as an option if you’re on a cruise ship like I was. You can walk to the pick up point from the port.
Larnach Castle
Marla P,
Apr 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great directions from Viator and easy pickup. This tour included tickets to view the inside of the castle (where some others did not). One thing I would change was more time at the castle. We ran out of time to see all the grounds. We also would have had a more leisurely lunch there if we had more time there. Great views of Dunedin from the castle. We had a very fun time there.
Worst trip ever be CAREFUL
NORELLE F,
Apr 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00
We had to walk around the cliff to get to water taxi. No signs at all guiding you. Get there then you go across to shuttle bus to castle. Had done tours at each port we landed they were fantastic. traveling up to castle asked driver to tell story on castle. He said you would have to ask the bloke in Australia who built it. Given pamphlet on castle and told to look around will be back to pick you up. Get taken down the hill back to taxi. middle of now where. Dropped at next place told either pay another $30 each to go back to ship or be dropped in Dunedin. chose to be dropped in Dunedin, when there said see that building with flag on top off it head there.20 minute walk. so we walk through industrial area NO ONE around. get to a rail way crossing had to walk up 100 steps cross over and down 100 steps. Not good for the elderly. Then another 10 minute walk back to town. Every other tour you were taken back to where you started. Not 3/4 of the way hen have to pay another $60. Asked lady about this and was told it is a self guided tour. Who goes to a new country/town and does a self guided tour.be very carful booking this tour.
Do this tour!
Megan P,
Mar 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We booked this as shore tour rather than paying to to one through our ship & saved a bundle! Not only that these people know there stuff & we had the most enjoyable day.....highly recommend!👌
Perfect service and the best way to experience Lochlan Castle, Dunedin, and the sea life in the area.
Y7678XArobertj,
Mar 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We met the boat captain at the dock close to the cruise ship who took us quickly and efficiently across the bay, where another employee met us with a van to take us approximately 8 km up to the castle where we arrived as it opened and before any bus groups came for the day. Thus, the six or eight people on our water taxi shuttle, and van shuttle were the first to arrive and had the castle to ourselves for the first hour. Afterward, the van driver took us back down to the dock where we were met once again by the boat, captain, who then took us to the town of Dunedin for us to explore for two or three hours. The husband and wife team who ran the boat and Van were excellent. We liked the service and responsiveness so well, that we wound up booking a second boat ride that afternoon for sites and scenes and nature. He took us out to the mouth of the where we saw dolphins, seals, albatrosses, and many other species of birds.
Pleasant people, excellent service.
Robert A,
Mar 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Water taxi and minibus ran exactly to time in both directions. Husband and wife team were pleasant and efficient…all you might hope for, but rarely find!
It was a beautiful ride...
Donna A,
Mar 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00
It was a beautiful ride to the harbor for pickup and drive to the castle. However it was not made clear in the booking that it was not a round trip fare and we were left in town and had to take a bus back to the ship. Tickets back to the ship were available for purchase from the ship but assuming we were being brought back to the ship’s port we had not purchased them. Fortunately they could be purchased at the bus. The water taxi back to the ship was $30pp.