Kaikoura Must Do Activities

Kaikoura is world renowned for its whale watching – it also boasts some of the most spectacular scenery New Zealand has to offer.  Helping you experience this is Kaikoura Helicopters, the most experienced aerial whale watching company in the world. We can have you lifting off from our centrally located heli-pads and within minutes be in the spectacular environment that plays host to the ...

Award-winning whale tourism company in Kaikōura with 30 years’ experience, offering comprehensive marine excursions all year round. Visitors will be taken out in a modern catamaran, in search of not just whales, but many of the dozens of amazing creatures which inhabit these waters.  The star of the show is the Giant Sperm Whale.  Although this is the highlight of the trip, a numbe...

Kaikoura Fishing Tours skipper Tomo, has had years of experience at sea, taking fisher men and women on fishing adventures in the beautiful Kaikoura area. The main trip he offers is a two hour excursion with the opportunity to catch a variety of fish, including the infamous crayfish (New Zealand lobster) which are plentiful around the Kaikoura coastline.  However, three and four hour excur...

The Kaioura Museum is a state of the art Museum experience which showcases Kaikoura's rich and diverse natural, cultural and social history. Displays include excellent exhibits of natural history, Maori taonga, colonial life, whaling, surfing and memorabilia from Kaikoura's past. We also offer research facilities for historians or those wanting to find out more about their family history. A ...

A few minutes' drive from Kaikoura town centre brings you up close to a seal colony.  Park your car and view the seals in their natural habitat, with a backdrop of the Kaikoura mountains and coastline. The New Zealand Fur seal is a common sight  around Kaikoura throughout the year a small breeding colony scattered along the peninsula coastline. The seal population is predominantly mal...

Explore the Kaikoura coastline with a knowledgeable guide or hire your own board or kayak for a personal adventure. Kaikoura Kayaks offers guided tours and hire options for kayaks and stand up paddleboards to allow visitors to explore the coastline and local wildlife. Along the coastline fur seals, blue penguins and dusky dolphins can all be spotted against a backdrop of rugged cliffs and the d...

Swimming with dolphins is a life-changing experience.  Dusky Dolphins are known to be one of the most interactive and acrobatic species of dolphin.   With one of the highest success rates in the world, this bucket list experience is one you will never forget. Joyful, social dusky dolphins, frolicking in their natural environment.  Together, you’ll leap and dive through the...