Whitianga Tours
Glass Bottom Boat Whitianga Cathedral Cove Cruise
5

Glass Bottom Boat Whitianga Cathedral Cove Cruise

By Glass Bottom Boat Whitianga
Recommended by 99% of travellers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-100, max of 14 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
More

Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024

  • professional and friendly crew


Start:
  • Whitianga Wharf, The Esplanade, Whitianga 3510, New Zealand
    Please meet at the Whitianga Wharf 15 mins before your tour departure time. The Whitianga Wharf is located directly across the road from 13 Esplanade.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 238364P1

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Most travellers can participate
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled 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 14 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 238364P1

    From
    $140.00
    per adult
    Select date and travellers

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Glass Bottom Boat Whitianga
      1,678
      Whitianga, New Zealand
      Joined in August 2011
    • Samantha E
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommended two hour boat trip
      Olivia and Bryan were our relaxed and experienced hosts on the morning trip. They had great banter and Olivia had an extensive knowledge of the history and sea life in the area. There was so much to see and I would rate this as the best boat trip and to have the option to snorkel. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended!
      Written 1 February 2024
    • JessVZ
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing coastline, beautiful fish
      Heaps of fun going out with Stevo and Olivia on an overcast morning. Very knowledgeable, fun and gave us a great experience. Saw lots of fish and amazing coastline u like anywhere else in the world. Highly recommend.
      Written 14 January 2024
    • MichelleM10535
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great day out!
      Michael and Olivia were superb hosts, very knowledgable and entertaining! Such a great day out exploring the caves, saw heaps of fish - thanks Team!
      Written 4 January 2024
    • Eric H
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fun Tour with Great Guides
      Steve and Stella were amazing tour guides. The trip was very informative and appreciate learning about the history of the area. Additionally, we were excited that we were given time to swim and see the marine life!
      Written 3 January 2024
    • suejN1131BT
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fabulous trip.
      Fabulous trip with Steve & Mel thismorning. Calm sea and great visibility. So many fish to see and we loved the snorkling. A “must do” on a good day
      Written 19 March 2023
    • Itshardtosay
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fantastic Voyage!
      Great day for the Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-A-Hei marine reserve trip. Sammy the tour guide and Steve the Captain were friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining - taking trouble to make sure everyone could see everything and get photos. Great experience seeing and then snorkeling with the fishes!
      Written 8 March 2023
    • tiny_tiki_tour
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A great morning out, highly recommend!
      Fabulous trip! Our guides Libby and Julian were very knowledgeable and showed us all the secret spots for swimming and the big jump offs. Everyone enjoyed the thrills of riding the boat over the waves. Saw beautiful scenery and a few fish even though visibility wasn't as good as usual (after cyclone hale). A great morning out, highly recommend!
      Written 12 January 2023
    • YeshmiraM
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      So much fun!
      We had a lovely trip out, plenty of fish to see. Our guides Katie & Adi were so amazing and friendly and had lots of information about the bays and the areas we saw.
      Written 25 November 2022
    • sharonag598
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      amazing experience
      Captain Caitie was great and informative, learnt lots about NZ marine life and history. Incredible experience, would recommend!!
      Written 13 November 2022
    • kaatyn
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      One For Our Bucket List
      The weather wasn't kind on the day booked for this cruise, so it was cancelled. The communication from Caitie and Hayley regarding this decision was amazing. The day before an email was sent advising of the possibility of cancelling. We were kept upto date right up until an hour before the cruise was to depart. A choice of rebooking at a later date or a refund was offered and paid immediately. This cruise remains at the top of our bucket list. 5*'s
      Written 28 September 2022
    • LILOLDTURANGI
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Best Host!
      We did a private tour with Libby and Asher who were amazing host!!!! the best!!! i highly recommend this company/tour! the booking was smooth and customer service was awesome! but again our host was amazing had such an incredible experience because of them :)
      Written 24 January 2022
    • Q9266IXamya
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Family fun on the ocean
      My family really enjoyed the boat ride Niamh and Asher made it really fun. We learnt a lot about different beaches and the history about them. Me and Niamh jumped in the water and saw a lot of fish. I’m really glad she jumped in with me because my mum was looking after my little sister. Iva - 9y/o
      Written 19 January 2022
    • Masterlazer
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Please can we do it again and again !
      Thank you Niahm and Julian ." Best experience of Logan's Life" Fantastic Experience!!xx Roux's and Riddles.
      Written 9 January 2022
    • bridgid20
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fantastic family fun
      It was absolutely brilliant. We were a family with a grandmother, grandchildren and parents. Everyone had a fabulous time. The crew, Julian and Libby (and Katy on shore), were friendly and helpful. They were great with everyone young and old. The views were breathtaking and the fish spectacular. There were lots of kina also. Grandmother: enjoyable experience and staff considerate. 8 year old: the fish were marvellous. I also liked going snorkelling and seeing the stingrays. Going really fast was exceptionally fun. And I loved feeding the fish inside the caves. We highly recommend this tour. A fabulous experience.
      Written 26 December 2021
    • Discussted
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      High light of our trip so far!!!
      This was amazing!!! Our crew Amy and Julian were just the best. They definitely need recognition. Will definitely be back with my husband If your in whitianga this is an absolute must do!!!
      Written 28 April 2021
    See all 1,678 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles621 reviews
    Excellent
    603
    Very good
    17
    Average
    1
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    0

    Rgbox
    Ayrshire, UK148 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2020
    Lovely trip on a really nice calm day, water clear and staff on the trip were very good and told us a lot about the area and what fish we could see. The scenery was stunning, they took us to where dolphins were spotted, but the had disappeared by time we arrived, bummer. Anyway still enjoyed it, some of the group had a swim. Five stars to the 2 girl crew who looked after us thanks.
    Written 5 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Rgbox Thanks for coming out on the GBB and for sharing your amazing review. Its good to hear the girls did a fab job exploring the coast with you. That was a bit naughty of the dolphins, ha ha. Maybe next time :) Regards, Hayley
    Written 7 February 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Bomber13
    Christchurch, New Zealand172 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2021
    Excellent, fantastic, informative, and any other possitive words that you want to use to describe the tour, Captain Catie, and guide Niamh were friendly, answered all of my questions, When asked Captain Catie said it was her first year driving the boat, I thought she had been doing it a lot longer, and was surprised it was only a year. Tour is everything that it is advertised as, even the fish know how to put on a show, (the food helps), Would recommend tour to everyone, no matter what age. Could give it 10 stars if I was able.
    Written 15 February 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora, Wow what a fantastic review. Thank you very much :) Glad you had a great time out there with the crew (including the snapper), they do a fantastic job! Thanks for coming out with us. Regards, Hayley
    Written 19 February 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Dan
    Wellington, New Zealand19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2020 • Couples
    For our final day in Whitianga we decided to book a trip on the ‘Glass Bottom Boat’. This isn’t the typical type of activity we book because you never know how much you’re going to get to see or how crowded it might be. Though we decided to give it a shot!

    I can safely say this was one of our top experiences here in Whitianga and we completely loved the whole experience from start till finish. On our trip we had 15 passengers with plenty of space for everyone. And I would say there is no bad seat on the boat. It’s views on views!

    We were hosted by Niamh and Caitie who did an awesome job explaining the geography, marine life and history of Whitianga to everyone. They also provided some top tier banter and entertainment during the boat ride. They’re great hosts!

    This truly was a great way to explore the cost and marine reserve of Whitianga. It’s so beautiful, and much like the heading of this review. It’s the cherry on top to round out your Whitianga experience!
    Written 29 December 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora, Wowee, thank you for your super amazing review. Glad you took the chance to join us and share the experience with the rest of the group and the team. They work real hard to ensure everyone has a great time :) Glad you enjoyed your stay in Whitianga. Regards, Hayley
    Written 29 December 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Roz
    Auckland, New Zealand20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2020
    Mark, the owner operator was totally engaging, with facts on the ancient history of the region and the unusual geology, also the lore and legend of the first people to arrive in the area as well as an insight into how the land would have looked during Captain James Cook's exploratory visit.
    Mark took the time to answer questions well and it was certainly a brilliant view into the Te Whanganui-a Hei marine reserve, with a rich abundance of fish and sea life in the clear waters. I took some memorable photos, helped by Mark, who knew the best shot and the best angle! Just proves you don't have to travel overseas to see amazing views...its all here in New Zealand and on our doorstep in Coromandel.
    I would highly recommend this operator. Mark knows the area extremely well and is friendly, outgoing and very professional.
    Written 20 July 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Rosemary, Wow what a wonderful review! We are very lucky to have Mark leading the team with his passion for the area and knowledge of so many different subjects. You are so right about exploring our own back yard, we are very lucky to have such a diverse area to explore. Thanks again and we hope you will join us again! Kind regards, Caitie
    Written 22 July 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Racquel E
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2021 • Family
    My daughter wanted me to rate this trip 10 stars, but unfortunately we could only do the maximum of 5. Highly recommend this tour if you are interested in learning the local history, seeing some amazing sights, and just generally being entertained. Julian and Niamh were the most amazing hosts, very adaptable, knowledgeable and super interactive with passengers. The view from the glass bottom boat was spectacular, including mermaid Niamh! If you get a chance to go on this trip, definitely try and get on the tour with Julian and Niamh! Snorkeling in the crystal clear water was an absolute highlight.
    Written 17 January 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi there, Wow what a review! We are pleased Julian and Niamh looked after you guys so well and you enjoyed the tour. We hope you will join us again next time you are in the area. Have a great day and thanks for the review. Kind regards, Caitie
    Written 20 January 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Liz Simperingham
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2021 • Couples
    Great historical knowledge from guides.
    Amazing insight into marine reserve and fish stock . Friendly crew. Outstanding scenery.
    Captain Steve and crew Niamh were lovely and professional Thoroughly recommend glass bottom boats
    Written 21 February 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi there, Thanks for the review, we are glad you enjoyed the tour! Kind regards, Caitie
    Written 22 February 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Paul D
    Mount Maunganui, New Zealand27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was a beautiful warm day with no wind and flat sea's. Ash was our skipper and for a young guy was informative, funny and all round a great asset to the company. I see why i can't catch any snapper where i live cause they are all in Mercury bay in the Marine reserve.😃 Would highly recommend this trip.
    Written 3 November 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi Paul, Great to hear you enjoyed your time on the water with Ash. We sure do have plenty of snapper in the reserve which is awesome to be able to show you guys! Thanks for the great review and we hope to see you again. Kind regards, Caitie
    Written 5 November 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Stu T
    Tauranga, New Zealand157 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent trip, well worth it.

    We took this trip as a family party of 8 with 6 adults and 10 kids aged 12 and 9. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a perfect day for it, with glassy smooth conditions.

    Our driver, Katie, was great. She clearly enjoys what she does and was enthusiastic about her commentary. She wasn't just going through the motions as some guides can after giving the same speech every day.

    The tour was a nice mix of great coastline and underwater viewing. The best parts were going inside the cave and comparing the marine life inside the reserve to outside the reserve.

    It's great that their message was the need for more sustainable fishing practices as the impact outside the reserve is clear and somewhat saddening.

    I thoroughly recommend the tour for all ages.
    Written 10 July 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi there, Wow what an awesome review! It was so great to have you guys on board and I am stoked you all enjoyed the tour. We are so lucky to be able to share our beautiful coastline with our guests along with the marine life inside the reserve. The cave sure is a highlight and I am glad you guys took onboard and heard our message of sustainability. We hope you enjoyed your stay in the Coromandel and hope to see you guys again! Kind regards, Caitie
    Written 12 July 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    S. Watson
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2020 • Family
    My Mum, Daughter and I went on this trip with Lucy and Katie. My daughter was really scared on the trip and was very upset for the first half. Both Lucy and Katie were fantastic with her, they gave her a Stingray soft toy puppet to cuddle while she was on the boat and kept talking to her and reassuring her that everything was ok. They were never impatient with her and as a Mum this was something I greatly appreciated. As she became used to the movement and noise of the boat and became more interested with the beautiful views around her they continued to interact with her and talk to her about the fish. I think that my daughter ended up enjoying herself and got to see some of the most beautiful parts of NZ and I was able to relax and enjoy myself also, something I would not have been able to do, If Katie and Lucy hadn’t been so awesome.
    Written 1 January 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi there! Wow thank you so much for leaving this review. Your daughter did very well for someone so frightened, and it was amazing to see her overcome this fear and come out of her shell and get to enjoy all we have to offer! You guys were a pleasure to have onboard, and we hope you had a very happy new year and enjoyed the rest of your holiday! Thanks again. Kind regards, Caitie
    Written 2 January 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Pam
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2020
    Awesome experience on Glass bottom boat. Knowledgeable and friendly crew added to the trip. There is an opportunity to snorkel in the water or you can just stay on the boat and see the sea floor from the comfort of the boat and not feel like you have missed anything. Highly recommend this experience. We able to add on a 90 minute visit to the Lost Spring in Whitianga as a package which is well worth doing
    Written 13 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi PeaJayF Thanks for your amazing review. The beauty of the glass is if you don't snorkel you don't miss out, everyone is still enjoying the experience. Thank you for coming out with us and sharing this review. I hoped you enjoyed the soak at the Lost Spring too. Regards, Hayley
    Written 15 February 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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