Seal Coast Safari: Wellington's Natural Wonders

Embark on a thrilling 4WD adventure along Wellington’s rugged south coast. Explore native forests, encounter iconic bird species, and marvel at stunning views of the Cook Strait. Get up close with New Zealand Fur Seals and learn about their history and conservation. Book now!

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Otari-Wilton’s Bush Native Botanic Garden - We begin our journey at Otari-Wilton’s Bush - one hundred hectares of ancient and regenerating forest and New Zealand’s only botanical garden dedicated solely to native plants. Designated a six-star Garden of International Significance by the New Zealand’s Gardens Trust of the Royal New Zealand Institute…
What's Included
  • Proud partner of the Capital Kiwi conservation project
  • Exclusive access to private farmland with stunning views
  • See Wellington’s hidden gems that even most locals don’t know about
  • Pick up and drop off available direct from cruise ships - we’ve never missed a drop off
  • Travel in style and comfort with our new fleet of 4WD Mercedes
  • NZ Fur Seals…
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on a unique and thrilling adventure to Wellington’s hidden coastline. With special access through private farmland, this journey unveils Wellington’s natural marvels in a region unfamiliar even to many locals. Just 20km from the city, this area offers a completely different world.
Travel in state-of-the-art 4WD Mercedes vehicles to explore a…

Location
Otari-Wilton's Bush Native Botanic Garden
160 Wilton Road
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(265 Ratings)
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Coastal08089179223
Jul 1, 2025
Most amazing morning with seals and Marc. - This is one of the very best with the most incredible guides, Marc, who is so passionate about his job. His knowledge was amazing about so many things. I also got many great photoes of seals, birds and lots of other things. Amazing day and well worth the cost.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_b
Jun 19, 2025
Great experience - Good trip to see the seals guide was excellent and very knowledgeable and very friendly. Would recommend
Review provided by Viator
Laura_s
Jun 2, 2025
Don't miss this experience! - This experience was amazing!! Our tour guide Chewy was so accommodating, interesting and enthusiastic. You get so close to seals and see amazing landscapes. It is so worth it!
Review provided by Viator
Travelbug45671
May 20, 2025
Great Day! - The tour was better than I could have expected! The drive getting to the beach was beautiful. Once getting to the beach seeing all the seals was a dream come true, there was so many of them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camper21735486607
May 13, 2025
A Unique Trip into the Wilds of Wellington! - An excellent and unique adventure into Wellington's rugged and wild south coast. We met our friendly guide, Blue, in the CBD and off we went in a brand new, spacious Mercedes 4WD. Otari-Wilton Native Bush was our first stop and we received an educated discussion about trees/bird/plants, etc. We then drove through the town of Karori which felt familiar (that's right, I lived there 30 years ago!) Then it was on to the rugged hills beyond. We laughed at the scattering wild goats, saw enormous wind turbines and, of course, the lovely wild seals (including pups) in their natural habitat. It's nature at its best and we could see right across to the South Island, where a Cook Strait Ferry was homing in on Wellington Harbour. Got home tired but happy with an intimate understanding of these beautiful but endangered sea creatures!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_p
May 12, 2025
Leave the driving to them and just enjoy this tour! - We decided to book this tour from a recommendation from another family on the LOTD WĒTĀ tour. As the same tour company runs this fur seal tour, we knew it would be good…and it did not disappoint! We even got our same guide, Grant, from the LOTD tour. We started at a botanical garden and he expertly pointed out flora, fauna, trees and all the birds we encountered. He was a wealth of knowledge. We then traveled to a private farm where we experienced the high ridge of the valley above Wellington along side the towering windmills. Then we descended down roads I’m so glad we had a guide driving. We were going to try this ourselves but trust me, leave the driving to these guys!!! It was a 4x4 adventure for sure. Down we went to the shore and were met but tons of seals and awesome views. We pent plenty of time getting pics and videos and were treated to a nice snack on the beach. So many sights of the countryside and just great New Zealand beauty. Our guide, Grant, shared so many neat facts and shared history at every turn. Wanderlust does an amazing job!
Review provided by Viator
Kaylener2019
Apr 19, 2025
Great tour - Was a great tour the guide Mark made the tour a great experience. The weather cooperated and the seals were the best. Marks knowledge was impressive.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Virginiagirl79
Apr 19, 2025
Great! - We had an amazing time on this tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the whole experience was amazing. I would definitely recommend this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Literarycat
Apr 19, 2025
Amazing tour! - We live on Wellington’s South Coast and have never before had a chance to see the secluded south west corner of the North island held by Terawhiti Station. Booked for a special birthday, we had a fantastic experience being shown the station and heading to Cable Bay, and to see the seals. Although we live on the South Coast we’ve never travelled around the coast past Red Rocks and this time we were able to see the amazing landforms, views and the wildlife - while seeing a working farm in action. It was a really special experience and we were well looked after by Wywy and Chewy and even though as locals you question what you’ll get from a tour of your own back yard, in this case the answer was: heaps!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancy_p
Apr 14, 2025
See the seals - - Great experience. Tour guide was very knowledgeable. The only thing I would say is that the tour guide should of had enough water for the 7 of us. He only had pop. Also, I wish he would of helped us find and see the seals
Review provided by Viator
From $118
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).