Kaikoura Whale Watch Day Tour: Discover Marine Life and Scenic Views

Embark on a thrilling whale-watching adventure in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Discover majestic Sperm Whales, playful dolphins, and adorable seals while enjoying stunning views of the Kaikoura Ranges. End the day with a scenic drive and a wine tasting experience.

Duration: 11 hours
Cancellation: 6 days
Highlights
  • Kaikōra - Your day starts with pickup from your Christchurch hotel, then travel in a comfortable coach for about 2.5 hours to reach Kaikoura, taking a scenic road through the North Canterbury region.
What's Included
  • View fur seal colonies up close
  • Experience whale watching on a boat tour
  • Enjoy the comfort of air-conditioned vehicles
  • Explore North Canterbury vineyards with wine tasting (subject to availability)
  • Savor lunch (available with selected options)
  • Benefit from live commentary during the tour
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience the natural treasures of New Zealand on a whale-watching cruise from the picturesque town of Kaikoura. Look for the mighty Sperm Whales that live in these waters along with Dusky Dolphins, New Zealand Fur Seals and Seabirds. Admire breathtaking views of the snow-capped Kaikoura Ranges during your free time in Kaikoura’s township and visit a


Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(153 Ratings)
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Georgina_m
Mar 29, 2025
Jude our guide was... - Jude our guide was brilliant pointing out all the different things to us on the way. Everything was seamless. The whale trip was amazing and we saw a sperm whale and loads of dolphins an amazing sight. Would definitely recommend this trip.
Review provided by Viator
825lindsyr
Mar 19, 2025
Five starts for Stephanie!!! - Unfortunately our whale watching got canceled as we were in line due to weather conditions. However our guide Stephanie made the afternoon absolutely wonderful by giving us a tour of the peninsula and showing us local landmarks. She was incredibly knowledgeable and we were able to have an amazing afternoon even without seeing whales! By the time we returned to the hotel they had already contacted us about a refund (we chose not to go on the alternate excursions offered), all in all they were a great company to work with and I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them again if I’m ever back in New Zealand!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_r
Mar 14, 2025
A perfect Day - Very good organized day, even though the boats could‘n‘t go out because of the weather, a good alternative was immediatly organized. small, nice group. Jude was a very friendly, relaxed and competent driver who knew all the best places where to have a good view on the scenery, seals, even dolphins.
Review provided by Viator
Lauren_d
Feb 25, 2025
!!Must Do!! - Amazing! If there were 6 stars to give I would. Incredible experience, dolphins, whales, seals, birds! Andrew was an incredible guide, so knowledgable, squeezed so much into our trip, very lovely man.
Review provided by Viator
Kathryn_d
Feb 21, 2025
A Stellar Day with Sperm Whales - Stephanie from Leisure tours went out of her way to make it a great day. She drove the van over challenging roads (sometimes narrow and winding) all the time sharing her vast knowledge about the history, geology and ecology of this region of New Zealand. She made sure we had a nice lunch and ample opportunities to view coastal wildlife, like dolphins and fur seals. The whale watch ship was well-design for the goal of watching sea creatures so that every passenger had a good view and a safe bit of railing to hang on to. The captain and crew knew the sperm whale habits well and gave us two stellar experiences with one whale they named “Scarface.” The onboard naturalist was very good - knowledgeable about whales and their ecology, very concerned about safely, and had a contagious enthusiasm about the whole experience. I have been on dozens of whale watches and this one stacks up as one of the best, not only because I spent time with a very cool whale species for the first time, but also because the whole outfit and crew did such a great job making it happen.
Review provided by Viator
Laura_m
Feb 8, 2025
See the whales in Kaikoura! - What an incredible day! Firstly we had fantastic weather. The drive to Kaikōura was scenic and beautiful. We were a group of 10 on the way up. (12 on return.). Carmen, our guide and driver really prepared us for the queuing for the shuttle as well as the best place to sit in the boat. We saw two sperm whales, one orca, and a small school of common dolphins. It was the triple crown! The few hours on the boat were serene as the views are quite simply amazing. We had lunch in Kaikoura and had time for shopping or just walking along the beach. As we were leaving the area, Carmen made a brief stop to view seals. They were so cute! Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Seancaseyk
Mar 28, 2025
Trickey Fog Undid Our Plans - Nice Guide Made Most Of It - We were very excited to see the sperm whales as this is one of the only places in the world where you can. Unfortunately we went all the way to Kaikoura (a 2.5 hr drive) and found out in the line for the boat that boats were cancelled for the day. Planes were cancelled, too. Extremely grateful for our guide Stephanie finding us some dolphins and a really great fur seal nursery / sea cave to look at instead. The real challenge with this experience is that if you commit a whole day to it and don't go whale watching, you lose a day of your vacation and still spend at least 5 hours in the van. We made the most of it, but if it wasn't going to go, I wish we had known before we left Chirstchurch. Refund policy was clear and Leisure Tours was very fast and helpful about providing the refund. Hopefuly next time the weather will be good. It sounds like this must happen a lot, so be prepared.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joan_j
Mar 3, 2025
Changed itinerary- dolphin cruise - Whale watching was cancelled with not enough people. Did the dolphin cruise and it was a great experience. We saw many dolphins and had beautiful weather!
Review provided by Viator
Karen_h
Apr 5, 2025
Whale Watching from Christchurch - It’s a long bumpy ride from Christchurch and sea can be rough. The vehicle we travelled in was fairly small and cramped as full on our trip. Would recommend staying in Kaikora and taking trip locally.
Review provided by Viator
Mandy_b
Feb 17, 2025
Whales or wine, not both! - This was a great whale watching trip and Carmen our host was the absolute best. The only reason I marked it down was because it was sold with a wine tasting on the way home but this is only an option if the whale watching is cancelled or cut short, there is no time to do both so this is very misleading.
Review provided by Viator
From $215
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 6 days before the start of your experience (local time).