Elm Wildlife Tours
Elm Wildlife Tours
5
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
About
Elm Wildlife Tours are the ultimate award winning New Zealand wildlife adventure. We guide small tour groups onto the Otago Peninsula, one of the world’s unique wildlife areas to experience a close encounter with some of the world’s rarest wildlife. Royal Albatross, Hookers Sea-lions, Blue Penguins, NZ fur-seals, Yellow-eyed penguins and some15-20 species of marine/wading birds can be seen around a tidal lagoon.Our private conservation area is the highlight of our tour.
Dunedin, New Zealand
Meets animal welfare guidelines

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles971 reviews
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fairsuzy
Plymouth, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Wonderful close up viewing of birds all day long, in the lagoons and on the beaches, sadly we did not see the adult Yellow eyed penguins - we did see the bottom of a baby one in it's nest! A very close encounter with a large sea-lion in the sand dunes which was a bit unnerving but our guide Laura handled it very well. The weather went from sunshine to heavy downpours of rain, so make sure you have good waterproofs with you. The trip to see the penguins is quite energetic, lots of steps and a long steep walk to the beach. Our time at the Albatross Centre was just stunning, having them soaring over you in the hide, we were so lucky to see a changeover, when the adults swap over sitting on the young bird. An amazing day - not to be missed if you love wildlife and visit the Dunedin area. We did this from a cruise ship and the timing was perfect.
Written 28 March 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.

Douglas B
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Our tour was a variation of the standard tour in that it began earlier in the day to align with our cruise ship's time in port.
Our guide Tony met us at the Welcome Centre which is situated at the end of the pier in Port Chalmers. We made a quick stop in Dunedin to see the train station, then continued along the Otago Peninsula towards the Royal Albatross Centre with Tony providing very interesting commentary along the way. At the Albatross Centre Tony pointed out the royal albatross as they soared over the coast and provided helpful information about these magnificent birds.
A delicious lunch was provided which we ate on our way to a private beach where we viewed seals and sea lions. Along the way we enjoyed spectacular views of the peninsula as we wound our way along the high road. Walking the beach and seeing these creatures up close was an unforgettable experience and the beach itself was breathtaking. We looked for penguins returning from the ocean (without success as we were too early in the day) and finished our day by spending a bit more time on the beach with the sea lions and seals before taking the low road back to our ship.

All in all, we had a terrific tour which filled our time in port very nicely and we thank Elm Tours and Tony for a wonderful day.
Written 9 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.

Bon S
Fort Wayne, IN56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We booked this tour as an independent excursion while on a New Zealand cruise. Tour wasn't cheap but for the fabulous day we experienced, it was well-worth the cost. Our guide (Wish I could remember her name because she was excellent) showed us a few of the famous sights in Dunedin and then we headed to the beautiful Otago Peninsula. We spent about an hour or so at the Royal Albatross Center and learned a great deal about the birds in the area. If you are a bird lover, you will not be disappointed. After a quick, but tasty sack lunch we we headed to the huge private area where we hiked down to see many seals playing on the rocks. Then we headed to beach area where we saw one yellow-eyed penguin and several sea lions playing on the beach. Our group of eight were the only people there, so it was a magical experience. Overall, the trip could not have been better, but be forewarned: if you have mobility issues or can't handle a lot of steep stairs, this trip will be very difficult for you.
Written 30 January 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.

Paul B
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Couples
Tour by small minibus ca 10 people. The driver gave an almost constant comentary on the outward bound legs. It was both informative and entertaining
He covered both aspects of the wildlife we were seeing and about to see and the vegitation.
The bus was pausped frequently to allow us to take in the views, be those vistas or animals.

Finally, his local knowledge allowed us to observe the Otago Peninnsula big three: seal, sealion and yellow eyed penguin. Also saw Blue Penguins in nesting boxes.

It was a long afternoon, returning at 9pm, but well worth it. This trip does need a degree of fitness and mobility to get the most out of it: walking in sand dunes and up steep unpaved tracks.

I would recommend including either the Boat trip or the Albatross centre in your package.
Written 17 November 2022
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.

jgold10529
Portland, OR407 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We did both the penguins and albatross tour and was worth it. Got to see lots of animals and our guide, Eric, was super knowledgeable and enjoyable. Keep in mind this goes from 3-930pm so bring a sack dinner (not provided)
Written 14 March 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.

45traveller
Ottawa, Canada35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
What a wonderful way to spend an evening. Our guide, Tony, was not only knowledgeable, he was kind and considerate & had a wonderful sense of humour. What wildlife did we see? Well, four kinds of albatrosses - take the boat tour as part of your evening-sea lions, yellow eyed penguins, and fur seals. What a night.
Written 6 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.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
Our guide entertained us from start to finish and gave us lots of information about the flora and fauna. We were able to see lots of birds and baby seals playing. A very nice experience.
I would do the tour again anytime and recommend it to others.
Google
Written 27 April 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.

Knefknok
Delft, Nederland141 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
Booked this excursion to admire the wildlife around Dunedin. We were picked up at the hotel and went out with a group of 12. Our guide knew a lot and did this in a fun way. Bird watching through the bingo card, seeing seals, the cruise to see the Albatross and the visit to the penguin center were all great. We experienced it as a great day and can recommend this excursion to anyone staying in Dunedin.
Google
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.

Birgita K
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We saw very few animals in 6 hours. It is true that the penguins, for example, are protected but the pictures on their website are misleading, you can't get to the beach and you can't see anything at all without binoculars. We felt like we were on a sponsored tour for "wildlife" and would not recommend the tour.
Google
Written 15 November 2023
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.

Alan & Val
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
A great day at the Peninsula seeing albatross, fur seals, sea lions & yellow eyed penguin.
Tony was a great guide telling us lots about the animals & plants we saw.
He was also a good driver & made it an enjoyable day.
Written 17 September 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.

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