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
Full view
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
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Elm Wildlife Tours
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravellers talk about
Contribute
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.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
971 reviews
Excellent
872
Very good
84
Average
8
Poor
4
Terrible
3
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
fairsuzy
Plymouth, UK10 contributions
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
Sammytravellingaroundtheworld
15 contributions
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.
I would do the tour again anytime and recommend it to others.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Hi I arrive on a cruise ship on nov 1st 8-6pm. Can I be picked up at the cruise dock and be brought back in time? I’m on royal Caribbean radiance of the seas.
Thanks!
Written 18 October 2018
Hello Kristi. Yes we can arrange a tour for you on that day with a pickup from port and drop back there after.
Please go to our website for more information on the 2 options available and if you have any further questions please respond using our e-mail address as I will be away for the next week and won't be checking Tripadvisor.
Our website address can be found on our Tripadvisor page.
Regards
Shaun
Written 19 October 2018
I have an afternoon tour booked. Where can I park my car?
Written 21 December 2017
The railway station has lot's of parking and we can pick you up from there. If you wish to change your pickup location please e-mail our office with your reference number and preferred location.
Written 21 December 2017
I am unable to book from your website? it keeps telling me it is an unsafe encryption?? I am interested in booking a tour for 2 adults on Saturday 20th Jan. Do you pick up from Larnoch Castle?
Written 21 December 2017
If you are staying at Larnach castle we can pick you up from there. If you can't book through our website please e-mail our office and make your booking that way.
Written 21 December 2017
Hi, I would like to book this tour for 2 adults for Tuesday, January 9th and am having trouble doing that. Your "booking" tab did not connect me . . . please help . . . We are coming in on the Noordam
Written 14 November 2017
The link should work? Sometimes the security settings on some peoples devices does not allow bookings to be made. You could try another device and if that does not work please contact us by e-mail and we can make the booking for you.
Written 15 November 2017
is the lite tour recommended with a 3.5 year old kid?
I read somewhere that there are no restrooms in this trip
also do u have availability for 2 ppl for March 24th or 25th for the lite tour?
can't see availability on your site
Written 8 November 2017
Yes this tour is suitable for a 3.5 yr old child. I'm not sure why the website has it as unavailable. You could send an e-mail to make the reservation and we can enter your details manually. Thanks also for pointing out the problem, we will remedy it asap.
Written 10 November 2017
hi, we are planning to visit Dunedin in 3rd week of march. we are interested in your trip as we and our 3 year old daughter really loves penguins and seals.
but I have a back problem due to which I m not able to walk uphill or for more than 15-20 mins at a stretch..
will the encounter lite tour suit us considering my back and our young daughter?
Written 7 October 2017
Hello Mahima.
The Lite tour will remove most of the walking up and down the hills, however, walking is still required to get from the vehicle to the animals some of which is down a gradually sloping track to the beach and a series of stairs at the seals and penguins. The stairs can be a challenge for some people and without knowing your capabilities I would hate to give a definitive answer.
Written 7 October 2017
Hi,
I was just wondering if there was drop off as well as pick up for the Peninsula Encounters Tour.
Thanks,
Amanda
Written 9 September 2017
Yes Amanda, we pick up and drop from your hotel, backpacker or B&B in the central Dunedin area. We do not pickup from Air B&B or private residence.
Written 10 September 2017
Hello. Is there currently penguins to see and you can photograph them well from the observation huts? Thank you for a answer
Written 9 June 2016
Hello, yes you can see penguins, sea lions and photograph them
Written 15 August 2016
Hello,
We are very interested in booking this tour during a 1 day cruise stop in February 2017. Do you guarantee we are returned to the boat in time?
Thanks!
Kim
Written 29 May 2016
We have never missed a boat yet and if we did we would get you to the next location where the boat docks.
Please see our Cruise Ship Shore excursion option on our website.
Written 30 May 2016
Four of us would like to see Penguins, Seal and Albatross... have heard that you do a tour via bus and boat is that right?
We would like it on 24th April if possible.
Many thanks,
Carole
Written 12 April 2016
Hello Carole.
From April onward through until next spring we do not include the boat trip as an option because our schedule does not meet theirs.
All of our tours use buses to transport people to the various locations then walking up and down the hills is required to see the animals.
On our tour you will see penguins, fur seals, sea-lions and usually we see albatross. At the albatross center some people do the extra albatross tour as an add on. It doesn't increase the length of the tour it just means that you would look at the albatross from the observatory at the albatross center. There is an added cost for that.
If you wish to make a booking please go online to our website and book through there.
If you have any further questions please feel free to ask.
regards
Shaun
Written 14 April 2016
Showing results 1-10 of 16