Back to Nature Tours
Back to Nature Tours
5
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
About
Back to Nature Tours conducts nature based tours of Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula, Catlins and Stewart Island. Join us on one of our world famous cruise ship excursions that include Dunedin's best tour attractions, scenery and wildlife. We also organize private tours for individuals or groups that are tailor made to make your experience in Dunedin one you will never forget. We are a Qualmark Endorsed New Zealand owned business - Qualmark is New Zealand tourism's official quality assurance organisation, providing a trusted guide to quality travel experiences. We are Department of Conservation Permit holders and have a Marine Mammal permit - allowing us to guide visitors legally in some of New Zealand’s most remote and beautiful locations.
Dunedin, New Zealand

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Tours and Tickets by Back to Nature Tours
Travellers talk about
(34 reviews)
(17 reviews)
(5 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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 bubbles334 reviews
Excellent
276
Very good
42
Average
10
Poor
4
Terrible
2

Roy Z
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Solo
Chris picked us up from the ship in a minivan. Just the right number of people to do a small group excursion around Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula. We visited the old station, admired the buildings and wondered at the beautiful stained-glass windows and mosaic decorations on the floor. We saw beautiful old buildings and marveled at the steepest street in the world. We then travelled out of the city to look at farmland and enjoy views of the Otago Peninsula. Chris kept us entertained with his very knowledgeable commentary as we travelled. We looked forward to a walk on a beach and were not disappointed. We looked for sea-lions and saw a couple of mothers with pups in the distance. On the path to the beach, we were surprised to see a huge male sea lion snoozing in the middle of the walkway. He blocked the entire path and was fast asleep. We quietly climbed onto the grass bank and tip-toed past him, hoping he would not wake up. We were lucky to see a sea lion at such close quarters! On the beach we saw a couple more big sea lions and a youngster settling into a sheltered spot for a nap. Chris was a great tour guide, very knowledgeable and friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed our day.
Written 11 March 2024
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.

Tracey T
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Great half day trip, Chris was great host and very informative with his knowledge. Highly recommend for cruise people.
Written 11 March 2024
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.

Donald M
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Chris was very informative and knowledgeable, he took us to private farms to see sea lions. Would do the trip again and throughly recommend.
Written 8 March 2024
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.
Great Review! Thanks for the 5 stars - Haste Ye Back!
Written 9 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rhonda B
Perth, Australia1,510 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
This was a small group tour (bus only takes 15 passengers) from our cruise ship port (Port Chalmers) and covered some really interesting areas of Dunedin, from the city and railway station out to bird colonies and a beach where there were seals (sea lions?). The guide (sorry, I can't recall his name) was most helpful and explained the history and geography well.

Be aware that if you do the beach part on your tour, there is a reasonably high stile you have to climb over and about a 500 m gentle walk. You should have good walking shoes/sandals for walking in the soft sand of the dunes (the beach itself is quite hard), or remove your shoes at the beginning of the sand section and put them on after you've finished with the beach/dunes. Watch out for rabbit holes and tree roots along the walking trail too.
Written 4 March 2024
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.

TxDad2002
Texas10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
This was a great tour! Our guide Chris was awesome at giving interesting commentary. We saw the town and the world’s steepest street, and were amazed at the fabulous railway station. Next we had a lovely ride to the Otego peninsula where we saw quite a few fur seals, including an incredibly close seal pup. The scenery was gorgeous, and the van was SUPER comfortable (the most comfortable of any of our tours!).
Written 27 February 2024
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.
Wow! Love this review! Haste Ye Back!
Written 28 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Janet H
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
It truly was a great excursion and Chris was brilliant. He made the whole experience fascinating and very much appreciated. We saw such amazing scenery and got to see sea lions in their natural habitat.
Written 18 February 2024
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 Janet, Thank you so much for this 5 star review, it really makes our day. You are truly a Back to Nature Legend! Haste Ye Back!
Written 28 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heather R
Wrexham27 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
I can’t comment on the actual trip,as you may have read on my previous review!however our refund is now on hand and I’ve received a very nice apology and explanation from Chris this mornin*,our other trip with back to nature tours was 2xcwllent and when we travel again will look for this small c9mpany to look after us. Thank you.
Written 5 February 2024
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.
Thanks Heather:)
Written 10 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heather R
Wrexham27 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
We didn’t actually go on this much looked forward to trip!we were on a cruise and unfortunately the weather was so bad it was deemed too dangerous to dock meaning we had to miss the trip. I have emailed the operator twice as to a refund but as of today have not heard back. Waiting in anticipation.
Written 1 February 2024
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.
Sorry to hear your ship was unable to dock due to the bad weather. I trust you received a full refund.
Written 10 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rose G
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Friends
Wonderful tour! Beautiful scenery. Saw beautiful seals, including a mother and cub, Saw interesting birds.
Great tour guide, Chris!
Written 22 January 2024
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.
Wow! Thank you so much!!!!!! Haste Ye Back!
Written 27 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nancy
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Excellent small group tour of Dunedin and surroundings with Chris. He was extremely knowledgeable and went out of his way to show us off the beaten path sights. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Dunedin.
Written 20 January 2024
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.

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BACK TO NATURE TOURS (Dunedin) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go