Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Free Cancellation up to 7 days in advance
from
$260
per adult
Outdoor Activities in Akaroa
Top Outdoor Activities in Akaroa, New Zealand
Outdoor Activities in Akaroa
Category types
Time of Day
Price
$0 - $900 +
Duration
Awards
Travellers' Choice Awards winners (including the "Best of the Best" title) are among the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor, according to the reviews and opinions of travellers across the globe.
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14 places sorted by featured
- Our Featured sort order ranks tours, activities, and experiences by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, your individual user browsing history and preferences while using Tripadvisor, the frequency of user clicks generally, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.
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On the Water
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 99% of travellers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$120
per adult
On the Water
2 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
$119
per adult
Swim with Dolphins
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$199
per adult
Zoos & Wildlife Parks
1 hour
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travellers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$55
per adult
Day Trips
6–7 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$450
per adult
Night Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$99
per adult
Full-day Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$650
per adult
Bus Tours
6 hours
Free cancellation
Free Cancellation up to 7 days in advance
from
$185
per adult
Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$665
per adult
On the Water
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Free Cancellation up to 7 days in advance
from
$340
per adult
Day Trips
6–7 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$399
per adult
Eco Tours
30 minutes
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$20
per adult
Zoo Tickets
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$1,547
per group
Keep the fun going with other experiences in the area
Things to do ranked using proximity and other Tripadvisor data including bookings, reviews, ratings, and popularity
Rail Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 97% of travellers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$395
per adult
Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 97% of travellers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$299
per adult
Rail Tours
6+ 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
$695
per adult
Private and Luxury
6+ 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
$370
per adult
Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$199
per adult
Bus Tours
5 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$199
per adult
Rail Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$550
per adult
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
Arthurs Pass Private Alpine Vista Day tour
Arthurs Pass Private Alpine Vista Day tour
Rail Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$1,600
per adult
Multi-day Tours
3+ days
Free cancellation
Free Cancellation up to 7 days in advance
from
$1,995
per adult
from
$2,199
per adult
Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$399
per adult
Historical Tours
6 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$300
per adult
from
$5,695
per adult
Ports of Call Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$399
per adult
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
What travellers are saying
- Brian CSydney, Australia3 contributionsGreat scenic full day trip to Akaroa. Includes stops on the way there and back. Convenient Hotel pick-up and drop-off. The very knowledgeable and entertaining Scotty was our Driver/Guide.Written 2 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Natalie BLondon, UK3 contributionsWe had the absolute best time on today’s trip with Stew, Hannah and Buster. We saw four pods of dolphins playing around the catamaran, with Buster happily helping us find them round the boat with an excited tail wag. We saw seals and cormorants too.
Stew was super knowledgeable and engaging about the wildlife, history, local economy and geology of the harbour, a fascinating and funny description throughout.
Stew and Hannah were also kind enough to accommodate for my booking request, begging for Buster to be that day’s Dolphin Dog as I was missing my Schnauzer back in London!!
We can not recommend this tour enough (and the baking was yum too)!
XWritten 30 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Voyage140036895951 contributionThis trip was amazing. Incredibly informative with a good amount of cultural inclusion. All staff on CAT were lovely and welcoming. We spent a good amount of time looking for the hector dolphins and were lucky enough to experience and observe their behaviours. I particularly love that Black Cat Cruises are offering kids go for free over the school holidays. Overall a fantastic experience and highly recommend.Written 2 October 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Stephanie R1 contributionFriendly staff who looked after us well and answered all of our questions. They worked hard to make sure we had a good experience! Loved our experience swimming with the dolphins.Written 25 April 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Peter TolandChristchurch, NZ4 contributionsOutstanding customer service from the two guides (a chirpy lady from Malaysia, and a young man from Taiwan). Both were friendly and knowledgeable, ensuring lots of interaction with the cutest four-footers on earth. Many thanks. 10/10 for our 4pm visit on July 18th 2024.Written 19 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- sarahreeda2018Sydney, Australia1 contributionWe were visiting from US and the North Island and got to see the stars on a very clear winter night. Luca was a great host, explaining the southern night sky, the life cycle of stars, relationship of human-produced light on the environment, and distances across space and time.
A few notes for those that might be considering this:
1) Definitely worth the experience
2) When making a reservation, the address that google extracts from the confirmation is different than the meeting place for the tour, so check the instructions and don't trust the google address.
3) The night can be cold- Luca has blankets and hot drinks, but as you are still for most of the experience, bundle up if going in the winter
4) Children under 5 are not supposed to come- We did not see this in advance, so I was there with my baby and since it was just our family in the group, we all went together, but I would have been very dissappointed to have missed this if she was not allowed in.
5) Definitely worth the experience
Enjoy your place in the stars!Written 9 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Kristy M3 contributionsWhat an amazing experience.
Anuj our driver was so informative and so friendly providing snacks and drinks for us and keeping us up to date with all of his knowledge about the local area.
Swimming with the Hector's dolphins was unreal and the alpacas were so cute and cuddly. Definitely recommend this tour.Written 16 October 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Edmundo_de_ABQAlbuquerque, NM1,271 contributionsThe drive from Akaroa where ships dock, through Banks Peninsula to Christchurch is a long but interesting drive where you see much of the countryside. Christchurch is a magnificent city. Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a family owned and operated place where animals are displayed for public viewing. They advertise that they participate in conservation of Kiwi's and other wildlife. If you imagine that this is a vast wildlife sanctuary it's not. It was interesting to go inside the Kiwi habitat they've created and also to go inside the large bird enclosures.Written 7 February 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Gail S2 contributionsOur tour guide SUE SZABO picked us up before sunrise & took us to a Christchurch (CHch) overlook to watch the sun rise, hit the city, and "pink up" the distant mountains. She knew which scenic route to take leaving CHch for more great views. When she learned my interest in birding, she made several stops so I could do some photography. She has a wealth of knowledge about CHch and the area from CHch to Akaroa. We enjoyed a morning tea stop at a cozy restaurant/art gallery as well as a tasty lunch by the Akaroa Harbour. We hit the jackpot on our Dolphin watching cruise with a pair of Hector's dolphins obligingly appearing as well as albatrosses attending to our tour boat for many minutes. Then she introduced us to her pearl-selling friend, and now I have a snazzy new necklace! Sue is a very accommodating guide, and I hope you will get to enjoy her professional, informative service. She's great!Written 31 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Ian WSydney, Australia6 contributionsBoat crew very good.Patience needed to bob around in cool water trying to see dolphins An experienceWritten 30 December 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
