Penguin Viewing Guided Tour: Close Encounter with Blue Penguins at Otago Peninsula, Dunedin

Experience a close encounter with blue penguins on a guided tour at Otago Peninsula, Dunedin. See up to 200 penguins returning from the sea in the evening and learn about the Māori history of the site. Capture the moment with photography and spot other wildlife like seals, sea lions, and albatross.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Blue Penguins Pukekura - Home to the largest penguin colony on the Otago Peninsula, where visitors can witness up to 200 blue penguins returning from the sea each evening (more frequent sightings occur in summer than in winter). During the non-breeding season (February to August), expect to see between 10 to 80 penguins nightly.
    A 30% refund is…
What's Included
  • All Fees and Taxes
What's Not Included
  • No transport provided, guests need to drive themselves to our reserve
Additional Information

Experience the fantastic sight of up to 200 blue penguins arriving from the sea at dusk! Most penguins are witnessed during the spring/summer seasons, as compared to the autumn or winter. Still, we guarantee you’ll sight penguins each night!! In the non-breeding period, from March to August, it is common to observe 20-50 birds per night, but…

Location
Blue Penguins Pukekura
Harington Point Road
This tour requires you to have transport to get to us. (If you need transport then see our "Otago Peninsula In-Depth Tour" option for a tour that includes transport). Meet your Blue Penguin Pukekura guides inside the albatross centre at Taiaroa Head at the end of the Otago Peninsula.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(456 Ratings)
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Nicole_s
Sep 26, 2025
A great time - This was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it! It was very cold and windy down at the lookout point when we went so wear very warm and wind proof clothes (27/9). The tour guides were so interactive and friendly, and we saw a lot of penguins. The guides rotated our groups around the lookout point as well which was great and allowed everyone to get different views and angles of the penguins. The beginning of the tour also started with 30 minutes of an introduction and a bit of history which we absolutely loved. Great effort!
Review provided by Viator
Nola_k
Sep 25, 2025
Exceeded expectations! - This experience well exceeded my expectations! We began with an information session about the history of New Zealand and the penguins. We were told about the penguins' behaviors and exactly what to expect. I didn't think we would have a good view of the penguins from the platform, and I was very wrong. The view was great and they were very close. The staff let us know when each group ("raft") was coming out of the water. They had everyone rotate on the platform, so everyone got a good look at the penguins. The staff was informative and helpful. Unlike other "penguin experiences," we considered, we were allowed to take photos and videos.
Review provided by Viator
Margaret
Sep 22, 2025
Penguins - One of the best things we did in Dunedin. The talk before the viewing was really helpful - lots of great information and history of the area and the habits of the penguins which made what we saw later when the ‘rafts’ of penguins arrived and the penguin behaviour as they made their way to their nest more enjoyable! I even cried when the first little group arrived - simply a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anyone
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janelle_i
Sep 17, 2025
Totally awesome - Make sure you rug up. Very chilly, but well worth the wait. Very cute little penguins. Something everyone must do.
Review provided by Viator
Kem16
Sep 12, 2025
Incredible penguin spotting - Absolutely loved this experience. The guides were very knowledgeable and I enjoyed the talk before hand. We timed it well in the season and got to see a large raft of penguins coming ashore to nest which was so incredible. Highly recommend - although you may want to research the best time of year to maximise yoir experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maeve_c
Sep 4, 2025
loved it - so fun!!! saw so many penguins such a cool experience - okay i need to say more - i loved it -it was fun
Review provided by Viator
Megumi_z
Aug 30, 2025
So cute - You can see the march of penguins right in front of you! It was very cold , rainy and windy but absolutely worth it.
Review provided by Viator
Mikeo929
Aug 29, 2025
Its an experience one should not miss out on - The Gaurdians of the animal life there have one of the most amazing jobs there and it was truly amazing I would like to thank the staff for there insite there knowledge and there passion for the little blue penguins they are so beautiful and cute to see Thank you so much for the experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard
Oct 8, 2025
Fascinating evening watching the little blue penguins. - Fascinating to see the little penguins coming home after a day at sea catching food for their young. The only downside was the crowded viewing platform making it difficult to take photos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
William_g
Sep 5, 2025
We enjoyed this... - We enjoyed this experience, but it would have been better had we been warned about the location being prone to high winds which made the temperature that much colder. We froze!! While they did offer hot drinks, there was no toilets after you left the center, as it closed, so everyone was concerned about having a drink. The staff was terrific, and we highly reccommend, but be prepared that the weather can be much different than downtown Dunedin.
Review provided by Viator
From $31
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).