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Lake Mapourika Kayak Adventure: Explore Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary & Hike
4.9
104 Ratings
Franz Josef / Waiau
Embark on a thrilling half-day kayak adventure on Lake Mapourika, near Franz Josef Glacier. Explore the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary, hike through the rainforest, and enjoy breathtaking views of New Zealand’s tallest peaks and glaciers. Free photos included!
Embark on a thrilling half-day kayak adventure on Lake Mapourika, near Franz Josef Glacier. Explore the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary, hike through the rainforest, and enjoy breathtaking views of New Zealand’s tallest peaks and glaciers. Free photos included!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- 30 Main Road - Dip your paddle into Lake Mapourika’s glassy waters and set foot upon the ancient soils in the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary. This is your chance to get up close and personal with South Westland’s oldest untouched Jurassic age rainforest.
- 30 Main Road - Dip your paddle into Lake Mapourika’s glassy waters and set foot upon the ancient soils in the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary. This is your chance to get up close and personal with South Westland’s oldest untouched Jurassic age rainforest.
What's Included
- Equipment
- Beverages (tea/coffee)
- Local guide
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- National Park fees
- Tea and coffee
- Complimentary photos
- Equipment
- Beverages (tea/coffee)
- Local guide
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- National Park fees
- Tea and coffee
- Complimentary photos
What's Not Included
- Meals (please pack your own small snack or lunch)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Meals (please pack your own small snack or lunch)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
Discover the wonders of Lake Mapourika on this comprehensive half-day Kayak & Walk trip, conveniently located mere minutes from Franz Josef Glacier! Traverse the serene, mirror-like lake and soak in the stunning vistas of New Zealand’s highest-mountains and glaciers. Accompany your guide on a journey through the rainforest trail and savour a hot coffee…
Discover the wonders of Lake Mapourika on this comprehensive half-day Kayak & Walk trip, conveniently located mere minutes from Franz Josef Glacier! Traverse the serene, mirror-like lake and soak in the stunning vistas of New Zealand’s highest-mountains and glaciers. Accompany your guide on a journey through the rainforest trail and savour a hot coffee or tea while admiring the scenery. Additionally, you’ll get FREE photos (sent via email post-trip).
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum child age is 4 years
- Wear loose comfortable clothing, jeans are not recommended. We do our best to keep you dry.
- Comfortable walking shoes
Location
30 Main Road
Main Road
Please check-in at our office 15 minutes prior to your trip departure time. We are located in the building next to The Landing Restaurant.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(104 Ratings)
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Caitlin_p
May 8, 2025
Good trip - Nice peaceful trip kayaking on the lake. Only saw a couple of other people& good walk through natural NZ forest. Kurt was a good guide!
Review provided by Viator
W5210jpdianak
May 1, 2025
Excellent Kayak & Hiking Adventure - Went kayaking on a beautiful lake that reflected the mountains and clouds like a mirror. Hiked through a lush and peaceful forest listening to bird song. Dale made sure everyone was safe. This adventure is highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Valerie_e
Apr 16, 2025
Just that it is awesome!... - Just that it is awesome! We were fortunate to have perfect weather! Our guide Max was amazing. He was very knowledgeable about the lake and the rainforest hike.
Review provided by Viator
R82mee
Mar 27, 2025
Awesome, a must! - One of the best excursions to date, the kayak and hike was one of the highlights of my trip to the South Island. The company and the guide Max were professional, knowledgeable and well prepared. I went on this excursion on a rainy day, and it did not disappoint. I was in a double with the guide, and had never before been on a kayak. They equipped the tour with waterproof gear, life vest, and even took photos which were later emailed. We got to see the kiwi conservation sites, trek through some parts of the rain forest, see the native birds, and enjoyed hot cocoa. Highly recommend this excursion and company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle
Mar 26, 2025
Do yourself a favour and book this tour - Birdlife, calm waters, magical views and an excellent guide.
Franz Josef Tours was our choice for a kayak and guided walk to a Kiwi sanctuary. And how lucky were we to get Sydney as our guide. She is delightful and knowledgeable and kept us entertained for four hours. The kayaking was easy on perfectly calm water, we saw a lot of birdlife and on our walk we learnt of the conservation efforts to protect the birds and animals that inhabit this magical part of NZ. And bonus…we got a hot cuppa before kayaking back to home base. Worth every penny spent and more!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ilovecrums
Mar 16, 2025
Perfect weather for a perfect experience - I booked for the 12.30pm tour but the operator contacted me the day before to ask if I would switch or do a different tour as I was the only one booked on that time. I said I was happy to do the 8.30 timeslot and was I glad I did. Perfect company, a great guide and lovely still morning with blue skies, not a cloud and mirror like lake surface. The kayak trip was well managed, felt perfectly safe and secure all the time. The rainforest walk was unbelievable. A never to be forgotten experience. As a pretty flexible, solo traveller, I'm finding it easy to book the my experiences at last minute. I'm not sure this would be the same for couples or groups.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daxn2020
Mar 11, 2025
An afternoon on the Lake - The environment was fantastic and the guide awesome. The coffee/tea/hot chocolate during the hike was a nice touch and a great place to chat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Navigator31752339510
Mar 3, 2025
Pack your NZ trip with some knowledge! - Big shoutout to Sydney (not the city obviously haha)!! We fortunately had a wonderful guide who was so enthusiastic about the entire area and had answers to all our random questions. Learned so many things from paddling to ferns. Recommend you to do this tour in your early days of traveling NZ so that you can know what exactly you are looking at elsewhere in the rest of the trip 🙌
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richardk548
Mar 1, 2025
Serene Kayak and Nature - We did a morning tour with fog lifting over a glass-smooth lake. There were views of the snow-capped mountains. Once crossing the lake (2.5 km), there was a short hike through the rain forest. Our cheerful and pleasant guide (Sydney?) did a nice job explaining what we were seeing. The kayaks were in good shape and other equipment provided kept us warm and dry. For those who enjoy a pristine, quiet and still lake, and immersion in nature, and willing to put forth a bit of effort, this is a great tour. The hike was steep and slippery in places, and may be challenging for some seniors.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cruiser81133
Feb 22, 2025
Wonderful kayak and hike experience - This tour company provides excellent service. Sydney and Oli made everyone feel safe and comfortable. Very knowledgeable about the eco system. A beautiful cup of tea mid morning. Thank you for a great adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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