Kaikoura Whale Watch Day Tour from Christchurch
Overview
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 seal colony on land. Wrap up the day with a scenic drive back to Christchurch and a wine tasting at a vineyard in North Canterbury (time permitting). Your experienced guide shares informative commentary throughout the day on this fun and fascinating tour.
Inclusions
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Live commentary on board
- Whale watching tour by boat
- Lunch (if option is selected)
- Fur seal colony viewing
- North Canterbury vineyard visit and wine tasting (time permitting)
What to expect
Itinerary
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.
Stop At:
• Kaikoura, Kaikoura, Canterbury Region, South Island
• Whale Watch Kaikoura, Whaleway Station Road, Kaikōura 7340, New Zealand
• Why Not Cafe, 66 West End, Kaikōura 7300, New Zealand
• Peninsula Seal Colony, Point Kean, Kaikoura New Zealand
• Christchurch, Christchurch, Canterbury Region, South Island
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.
Stop At:
• Kaikoura, Kaikoura, Canterbury Region, South Island
• Whale Watch Kaikoura, Whaleway Station Road, Kaikōura 7340, New Zealand
• Why Not Cafe, 66 West End, Kaikōura 7300, New Zealand
• Peninsula Seal Colony, Point Kean, Kaikoura New Zealand
• Christchurch, Christchurch, Canterbury Region, South Island
Additional information
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation, if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Please note, infants under 3 years of age may not join the cruises but may travel on the light aircraft tours
- Once the tour has commenced only the unused portion of the tour will be refunded should the boats not sail or the planes not fly.
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- If due to whale sightings or weather conditions the boat offers a partial refund, this refund will be passed on to our customers.
- If whale watch is undertaken by light aircraft and no whales are seen, no refund applies.
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- A decision is made at 6:30am each day, based on local weather conditions, as to whether the tour will depart Christchurch or be canceled. If the tour is cancelled, clients are notified by 7:15am and no cancellation fees are charged. If the tour travels to Kaikoura and the whale watch cruises are canceled, whale watch plane tours are offered as an alternative. If clients do not wish to fly, or the plane tours are also canceled, a cash refund of NZD 120.00 per adult is given. Refund is issued on the day of the tour by the tour operator in Christchurch.
- As the wineries close at 5pm daily and on selected public holidays, a stop may not be possible. On these occasions no refund is applicable.
- Infant seats available
- Currently, the tour cost has been discounted by $15.00 per a person. Due to road conditions following the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016 it may not be possible on all occasions to include a winery due to the wineries closing times.
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Follow the safety guidelines as issued by the New Zealand Government and maintain good hygene and social distancing measures. Do not travel if you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms. If the city in which you are departing from is in alert level two, then please wear a facemask for all transport.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
If you cancel at least 7 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
Ann-Marie C
March 2018
What an exciting day with breath taking whale sightings!
What an exciting day with breath taking whale sightings!
Diane_G
March 2020
We were fortunate enough to have Janet, our driver, to ourselves, so we had a very informative trip to & from Kaikoura. It was a little worrying to see, on arriving at the whale watch station, that our trip had “a high risk of seasickness”!! We bought a capsule to assist with this at the gift sh...
We were fortunate enough to have Janet, our driver, to ourselves, so we had a very informative trip to & from Kaikoura. It was a little worrying to see, on arriving at the whale watch station, that our trip had “a high risk of seasickness”!! We bought a capsule to assist with this at the gift shop. Jordan, our narrator on the boat, also gave us some tips to avoid sickness & it worked! We did not see any whales, unfortunately, but a refund is given in this scenario. Nevertheless Jordan told us so much about whales & was very entertaining with it. On the way back we stopped at a winery for a wine tasting, which ended a lovely dayTania_W
February 2020
We managed to see two sperm whales which was amazing. That for me was the highlight. A little bit disappointed that we didn’t get to visit the vineyard and wine tasting which was due to taking two other people on a dolphin excursion. They didn’t go until the whale watchers had returned! So a...
We managed to see two sperm whales which was amazing. That for me was the highlight. A little bit disappointed that we didn’t get to visit the vineyard and wine tasting which was due to taking two other people on a dolphin excursion. They didn’t go until the whale watchers had returned! So a lot of unnecessary hanging about and the reason why we didn’t get to do the vineyard. My message would be to the tour company if you cannot guarantee the itinerary then you shouldn’t be including it.Maťa K
January 2020
Thank you very much for this great experience! Everything was excellent, our guide picked us up at our accommodation, went to pick other passengers and travelled to Kaikoura with one stop for toulet and we ecen had time to go to Kaikoura lookout for the great view of the town. The guide took care...
Thank you very much for this great experience! Everything was excellent, our guide picked us up at our accommodation, went to pick other passengers and travelled to Kaikoura with one stop for toulet and we ecen had time to go to Kaikoura lookout for the great view of the town. The guide took care of the tickets in the shop and we headed by bus to our boat. The sail was great and we managed to see the spermwhale male for a few minutes! Afterwards, we headed for lunch, had an hour for it, so we recommend to opt for the option without reserved lunch as it was not needed (we did in case we would be in hurry and no free spots in the restaurants) and you can choose from various restaurants by yourself. On our way back from Kaikoura we stopped for the great viewpoint of local fur seal colony and saw lots of them (the pups too) and many seabirds nesting. That was a great experience and we are very thankful for showing us the place! Also, the thorough information on NZ and Christchurch from our guide! Much appreciated, every single detail of the day!Julien_G
October 2019
It was a lucky day ! We saw 2 humpback whales, royal albatross, a lonely Hector's dolphin and a dusky dolphin pod during the cruise. While walking around the cliff, we got really close to fur seals and seagulls. Our guide also shared a lot of information about this tour and New Zealand.
It was a lucky day ! We saw 2 humpback whales, royal albatross, a lonely Hector's dolphin and a dusky dolphin pod during the cruise. While walking around the cliff, we got really close to fur seals and seagulls. Our guide also shared a lot of information about this tour and New Zealand.Colin B
September 2019
The tour was marketed to us as whales + wine tour. When we asked the tour guide why we didn't get to a winery he said that they hadn't done that for 3 years. When we asked the tour company afterwards they said that the tour ran out of time. It did not - we sat in a cafe for an hour. I have also j...
The tour was marketed to us as whales + wine tour. When we asked the tour guide why we didn't get to a winery he said that they hadn't done that for 3 years. When we asked the tour company afterwards they said that the tour ran out of time. It did not - we sat in a cafe for an hour. I have also just checked the marketing doc emailed to us after booking - again no mention of "time permitting" which I suspect has now been retrospectively added to the website. In the end we effectively paid $990 for 4 adults and 3 kids to get a taxi to and back from the whale watching tour (which was good and run by a 3rd party and well worth 5 stars). It's a long drive and it could be argued that the cost for the drive was not extortionate but that isn't really the complaint. You promise something then you deliver. Subsequently arguing with your own marketing material isn't great.