Private and Luxury
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 95% of travellers
95% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$149
per adult
E-Ko Tours
E-Ko Tours
4.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
We provide award-winning, wildlife and conservation focused guided cruises and dolphin swimming experiences through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Those looking for the thrill of a lifetime can join us for our Dolphin Swim or View Experience or you could take part in our fully guided cruises to your choice of bird sanctuary islands or Historic Ship Cove. A clean green paradise of bush and sea full of natural beauty, history and wildlife is waiting to be explored and experienced. E-Ko Tours is Qualmark Enviro-Gold certified and the only local operator able to actively search for Dolphins. We provide degree qualified, professional guides on all our Tours.
Picton, New Zealand
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by E-Ko Tours
Private and Luxury
4–5 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 90% of travellers
90% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$149
per adult
Eco Tours
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$149
per adult
Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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from
$195
per adult
Eco Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$149
per adult
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4.5
655 reviews
Excellent
525
Very good
59
Average
29
Poor
17
Terrible
25
Bootsieban
Sidmouth, UK40 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
We have visited NZ from the UK 3 times and I think this is the best tour I’ve ever done and definitely the best value for money when you consider what E-ko tours does for conservation.
The boat is excellent, big enough for comfort but shaped so that it can be taken right up to the rocks for a close up of the birds.
Paul captained the boat, Will was the guide and Rob the photographer who all made a knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic team.
We took the early morning tour and left on time with a group of 8 people.
Paul pulled up to some shearwaters and gannets almost immediately whilst Will gave us info on the conservation efforts NZ is making. He was really enthusiastic and entertaining.
We saw 22 King Shags, seals and then the highlight came when a pod of hector dolphins with a calf came to play around the boat.
We arrived at Motuara Island where no bags or food are allowed and that’s where you need to make the decision whether to hike the trail with Will or stay at the bird bath with Rob. We did a little of each so we managed to get some lovely views as well as a lot of bird sightings and new information.
If we’d been in Picton longer we would definitely have done another trip with E-ko tours, I can highly recommend them. Thanks guys for an awesome morning.
The boat is excellent, big enough for comfort but shaped so that it can be taken right up to the rocks for a close up of the birds.
Paul captained the boat, Will was the guide and Rob the photographer who all made a knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic team.
We took the early morning tour and left on time with a group of 8 people.
Paul pulled up to some shearwaters and gannets almost immediately whilst Will gave us info on the conservation efforts NZ is making. He was really enthusiastic and entertaining.
We saw 22 King Shags, seals and then the highlight came when a pod of hector dolphins with a calf came to play around the boat.
We arrived at Motuara Island where no bags or food are allowed and that’s where you need to make the decision whether to hike the trail with Will or stay at the bird bath with Rob. We did a little of each so we managed to get some lovely views as well as a lot of bird sightings and new information.
If we’d been in Picton longer we would definitely have done another trip with E-ko tours, I can highly recommend them. Thanks guys for an awesome morning.
Written 14 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.
Inlook
Lake Elmo, MN142 contributions
Jan 2020
We saw lots of bottlenose dolphins but they were with babies therefore we were not able to swim with them. These creatures are so curious and friendly with humans that they would forget to eat. We paid 165 NZ$ and did get a refund of NZ$50 for not being able to swim with the dolphins. I thought that was a very nice gesture.
Written 15 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.
Thank you for your review.
Written 25 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
vanisle_al
Vancouver Island, Canada297 contributions
Feb 2020
We went on the tour because the weather was iffy and it fit with our schedule. We really enjoyed it and the enthusiasm of the guide Josephine was a major part of that. They served us hot chocolate (which was better than most, tea and coffee was also available) cookies, a small glass of white wine and a tasty mussel. We saw a large pod of dolphins and over 15 species of birds. The island visit was short but we saw some nice birds (not a lot compared to other predator free islands we visited but the group was too large for real birding).
Written 17 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.
So glad you were able to see all the wildlife in the sounds, thank you for choosing us
Written 6 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Scenic750072
3 contributions
Dec 2019
In the brochure of Kaipupu Wildlife sanctuary they mention pengiun boxes where blue penguins and kiwi rest during the day. I would rather call it rat trap island because that was exactly what we saw. There are rat traps every where and we saw 1 penguin box. Once on the island we were told there are no kiwi's on the island due to the rats and that the penguins swim all day. We saw 1 bird on the island. Wine and mussels were dissapointing. Cups are washed in the basin on board using no dishwashing liquid and then reused. During fish feeding food are just tipped overboard and after the skipper turned around there were no fish around. We are a family of 6 and paying $450 I definitely didn't feel I got my money's worth.
Written 9 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.
Hello ,
Sorry, you did not enjoy our Community conservation predator-free land island. There are a lot of traps as well as the penguin boxes as it is close to town a lot of predators are required to be removed constantly.
The wine we supply is one of the best IN MARLBOROUGH ,Yealands Pinot Gris , WE ONLY SUPPLY ONE TYPE, which was voted No1 White wine 2 years ago and the Mussels are award-winning and grown in the sound.
We do not have a basin on the boat used as we use clean glasses each time.?
Several comments indicate to me that you used 1 of the larger vessels for your tour and not our smaller boat which only takes 18 people with 2 crew so you get great customer service and we have been Guiding locally for 20 years.
The other companies who go to Kaipupu at the price you quoted of $480 for 6 as a family is not our price. We would have only charged $370 for a more personal service.
We only have small boats and an exclusive service that is reasonably priced with a staff to guest ratio of 1/10
We are also the only company which has Trained Knowledgeable guides so you get a full appreciation of the effort put in by the local community on this predator FREE location, a full understanding of its success.
The Wildlife Guide provided also points out all the Bird species and finds Wildlife on the water for you.
We also use SPECIAL FISH (NOT BREAD )food for fish health at THE Marine Reserve and this is slowly put in with a small container, not just dumped in. We also do not back into this area as other companies do, and we use quite engines and go in forward. We use our special food added in small amounts so the fish come to the surface to feed and NO food goes to the bottom. We also tell you all fish types and the habits from a marine biology perspective, the history of how this location came into place and about its benefits locally for our marine environment.
So for the above reason, I think you went with 1 of the other two companies that provide as similar, but UN _ GUIDED service for a 2 hour Tour.
Written 25 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melida J
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • Family
We booked the dolphin tour with E-Ko tours after our whale tour in Kaikōura was canceled due to bad weather. When we booked it, there was 18 available spaces. We drove for 2 hours to make it on time and I called twice to make sure there was availability but no one ever answered the phone. When we reached the front desk to check in, the attendant said reservation was cancelled due to overbooking and that she “tried” to reach us by phone. I checked both my phone and the phone of the person traveling with me and confirmed we never got a call or email about the cancellation. We wasted half the day and stressed out trying to make the reservation. I am so mad of the lack of communication and that they never answered their phones. They deemed to give us a refund after the boat left 😡! I do not recommend.
Written 26 February 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.
ParkTNZ
New Zealand19 contributions
Aug 2020
Rang to enquire about birdwatching tour. Told I could be dropped off on island sanctuary and picked up 2 hours later - sounded exactly what I wanted. Was assured trip was on the following day at 1.30pm. I travelled from Blenheim and on arrival discovered they had sent me an email at 10.30am to say the trip had been cancelled because not enough passengers. Why didn't they ring me?
Later discovered this is common practice. I was not happy as I had arranged other things for the following days and could not accept the changed date they offered - which again could have been cancelled.
Later discovered this is common practice. I was not happy as I had arranged other things for the following days and could not accept the changed date they offered - which again could have been cancelled.
Written 9 August 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.
louise
4 contributions
Dec 2020 • Couples
The staff were lovely and the boat trip was nice. We were meant to swim with dolphins but couldn’t as there were none to be found. I appreciate they are wild and this can’t be guaranteed but the price we paid and the ‘partial refund’ we got didn’t make the day feel worth while. We saw two hector dolphins, which we were repeatedly told was amazing and don’t get me wrong, it was, but it was certainly wasn’t worth the money we paid and the $30 we got back. I’m sure if you get to swim with dolphins is is 100% worth the money. I know part of the money goes to help conservation and again I appreciate that is really important and we are glad that is where our money is going but it was very disappointing knowing how much was spent to not get the experience we wanted.
Written 23 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.
Thanks for the feedback :-)
Written 22 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Niki D
Wellington, New Zealand104 contributions
May 2020 • Solo
Booked this tour the day before and decided
on the Captain Cook tour (which is linked with the Motuara Tour) we were greeted by the lovely Josephine and our skipper (I think Stuart?! So bad with names!) who were amazing. Really informative about wild life, history and culture. They were also great with the kids on board. They made sure we could get up as close (and safely) to the animals without disturbing them. We saw seals, penguins, shags, dolphins etc. Treated to a glass
Of wine on the way back. Really recommend this tour company and I’ll be back.
on the Captain Cook tour (which is linked with the Motuara Tour) we were greeted by the lovely Josephine and our skipper (I think Stuart?! So bad with names!) who were amazing. Really informative about wild life, history and culture. They were also great with the kids on board. They made sure we could get up as close (and safely) to the animals without disturbing them. We saw seals, penguins, shags, dolphins etc. Treated to a glass
Of wine on the way back. Really recommend this tour company and I’ll be back.
Written 31 May 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.
Thank you so much for your kind comment, we were so happy to have you on board. Your children were the best, and made the tour as well ! We had a lot of fun with you so thank you again for coming out with us. We wish you a beautiful week, recharged with full of positive energy :-)
Written 31 May 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TrailBlazer80635
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Couples
We took the full day birding tour to Blumine and Motuara islands yesterday with four other Alaskan friends. It was a wonderful experience and one of the best guided nature tours we have had in NZ. The captain, Paul, was extremely knowledgeable and very adept in handling and positioning the boat in difficult conditions. Equally, or more, impressive was the young and very enthusiastic naturalist, sommelier, barista and boat hand, Will, who shared his passion and knowledge with all the guests. His knowledge was especially impressive given he has only been in NZ for three months. He is a genuine asset to E-Ko Tour’s operation and should be rewarded for his exemplary performance.
Written 19 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.
Olive
14 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
The tour on the Queen Charlotte Sound was outstanding. The Captain slowed and turned the boat so that every passenger was able to be on the right side on the boat to take pictures of the rare wildlife that was out on the water today. It was a day to remember for a long time to come. Thank you Andy, Will and blond Spotter!
Written 31 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.
Jane W
Australia
we would like to swim with the dolphins, we will be in picton (on cruise ship) on the 20th November and wondering if any chance of doing this while we are there
Written 15 October 2019
Sorry - only just got your message - hope you were able to.
Written 26 November 2019
Hi I am really keen to do the whale tour and understand it is due to finish next week, have there been many sightings of whales recently?
Thanks so much
Written 14 August 2019
I did the whale tour in June and saw two humpbacks in the sounds. Nothing is certain with wildlife but do go for it.
Written 14 August 2019
sweetyladdha
Bangkok, Thailand
hello we will be reaching Picton on the 24th dec 9.40am by the interisland ferry. Can you pls suggest how can we do the swim with the dolphins on that day also do you have a tour which has swim with dolphin as well as wine tour ?
Please suggest
Thanks
Written 11 May 2018
Hello there, thank you for your question and congratulations on your up coming wedding.
I am sorry but our tours leave at 9am for swimming so you would not be able to do that one.
We have a tour in the afternoon which goes to an island wildlife sanctuary, you have a sample of wine on the way back, but no swimming with Dolphins I'm afraid.
Written 14 May 2018
My 12 year old is a confident swimmer. how deep are you when you swim with the dolphins and how long is the swim for?
Written 14 December 2017
Please email info@e-ko.nz for all details , thanks
Written 17 December 2017
Hi, we do mot pick up. Piblc buss shuttles bring you to the main information center. We are 4 minutes walk from there.
Written 11 November 2017
We want to see the little blue penguins as well as the dolphins. Which of the 2 half day tours would you recommend?
We are coming in on Holland America on Feb 18th and dock at 8am.
Thank you
Montye Greer
Written 14 January 2017
I would highly recommend the dolphin tour. It was magic. The little blue penguins are cute, but not worth missing out on the dolphins.
Written 11 February 2017
Hi, I get seasick. Would your Birdwatchers Expedition be OK for me?
Written 26 March 2016
Hi Pat, it is extremely calm and sheltered here in the Queen Charlotte Sound and seasickness is not an issue.
Written 10 July 2016
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