Banks Peninsula Cruise: Wildlife and Wine

Join Akaroa Dolphins for a small group nature cruise in Akaroa, New Zealand. Enjoy local wine, homemade treats, and get up close to wildlife. Book now!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 65 Beach Road - As a holder of a New Zealand Department of Conservation Marine Mammal Viewing Permit, we are legally authorized to take guests on dolphin and seal viewing tours. We are proud to be one of only two year-round operators in Akaroa Harbour with this permit, so we encourage you to choose responsibly.
    Enjoy a 2-hour nature cruise on our…
What's Included
  • Knowledgeable local skipper and guide
  • Homemade cookie (family recipe)
  • Complimentary drink (beer, NZ wine, or non-alcoholic option)
What's Not Included
  • Swimming with dolphins (for conservation reasons)
  • Transport to Akaroa
Additional Information

At the heart of our operations is a family-run business, with our management team being 6th and 7th generation locals from Banks Peninsula. In addition to our family members, we have a dedicated team eager to ensure you have an unforgettable experience!
We maintain small passenger groups to provide ample space for you to move around the boat and enjoy…

Location
65 Beach Road
Beach Road
Check-In: 30 minutes before departure. Boarding 15 minutes prior. Note: Akaroa is approx. a 90-minute drive from Christchurch and Lyttelton Port.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(2000 Ratings)
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1 star
Farmerjohncraw
Oct 26, 2025
Fantastic must do experience - Absolutely fantastic trip. Great hospitality, service and experience. Saw Hector's dolphins, seals and even a rare sighting of a mollymawk albatross. This is a must do trip and the company to do it with.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber47000191365
Oct 26, 2025
Best experience! - We had the best experience with Akaroa Dolphins. Of course seeing the dolphins, seals, and penguins was incredible and so was the amazing views from the boat but the team were amazing too. Loved the tour aspect of all the sites along the way, the host team were so friendly and knowledgeable! Our youngest was also sea sick on the boat and the incredible owners gave us some pants since we had to travel back to Christchurch after the trip and we are from Dunedin. An incredibly kind and thoughtful gesture so thank you again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
851kateo
Oct 25, 2025
Fantastic Crew - Such a fantastic trip seeing the wildlife of Akaroa. The team went out of their way to make it a fantastic trip for my group. Can’t wait for more visitors to have an excuse to go again!! Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachel_d
Oct 25, 2025
Absolutely fabulous afternoon - Lovely sized boat, plenty of seating for all. Drinks complimentary including beer and wine. Got to see some penguins, fur seals and a small pod of dolphins who played around the boat for some time which was great. Very attentive staff, super friendly and of course the star was Albie the dolphin sniffing dog and he was bang on. It was a really enjoyable afternoon. The boat was spotless too.
Review provided by Viator
Grandtour23944776655
Oct 25, 2025
Awesome day out - Trip was awesome, had great weather and saw heaps of dolphins! Also saw a seal and penguin! The team was so nice and friendly. Would recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulbs1105ca
Oct 24, 2025
Great memories are made of this - The cruise was just right, not too fast, not too slow. We were blessed with lots of dolphins, some seals and one penguin, all under a sunny sky. Great, friendly crew and skipper with good spotting and commentary. Well done and many thanks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Undecided_in_vp
Oct 22, 2025
Great fun even in bad weather - Anazing tour, even in the rain and clouds! It was windy and chilly but we still had a great time, saw lots of hectors dolphins and some seals! Take the tour, you won’t regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
395jenniferz
Oct 20, 2025
Outstanding Tour - Outstanding tour! Natalie and Dave (pilot) were so informative and accommodating. They discussed the history of the area and the geography. They showed us native dolphins, penguins, seals, and birds! It was truly an experience of a lifetime. Loved it!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daydream135878
Oct 19, 2025
Great way to see the beauty of Akaroa harbour and the sealife - Excellent 2 hour cruise around the harbour on a lovely catamaran cruiser. Lots of different inside and outside seating and viewing options depending on how cold and wet you want to get. If you sit up front outside they give you a warm coat which is nice. I spent $20 on a woolly hat before the trip and it was the best $20 of my holiday as it does get cold. We saw Hector's dolphins, seals and a white flippered penguin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharon_l
Oct 27, 2025
Worth a try! - The ride was nice. Ship depart and return on time. Little upset that only 2-3 dolphins saw during the whole ride while it was really windy and lack of sunshine on my trip!
Review provided by Viator
From $75
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).