Boat Tours in Akaroa

THE 10 BEST Akaroa Boat Tours

Boat Tours in Akaroa

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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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What travellers are saying

  • Norton S
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The views were wonderful, the staff were excellent and importantly the wildlife came out to show their beauty and skills.
    Written 4 September 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • lkrocks
    Scottsdale, AZ361 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome tour and crew!!! Derek, max, Abi all rocked it…wonderful views and easy boat to see them from, great narration too.
    Written 21 May 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Elisabeth
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved getting out and seeing the wildlife up close. We were shown around beautiful landscapes and Tony gave us a great account of the local history.
    Written 12 January 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • fs
    Bangkok, Thailand1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing. Amazing. Amazing!
    Steve and Beth are very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. The small group of people per trip made us feel safe and gave us a nice, cosy experience.
    Got to swim with multiple pods of dolphins, coming right up to us. We had plenty of time in the water (40mins) with dolphins all around us at all times. There were so many! Saw other animals in their habitat such as fur seals too.

    All-round, it was one of the top highlights of our trip.

    Other notes:
    - wetsuits are very clean and dry.
    - boat is clean and safe. spacious.
    - hot drinks and snacks after the swim was yum.
    - part of what we paid goes into the hector dolphin reserve/research.
    Written 17 April 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • John Anderson
    Auckland Central, New Zealand2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fox 11 was an amazing experience
    We were on the 10.30am sailing on 25th February 2024.
    The skipper was excellent.
    Very informative about Hector Dolphins, early Maori history, geology and wildlife.
    Beautiful sailing and excellent music choice.
    Highly recommended.
    Written 26 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • A World Traveller
    Ottawa, Canada25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This small jetboat is the perfect way to see the Akaroa harbour with a passionate local tour guide AND get the exhilaration that you are looking for!

    If you're up for the bumpy ride, and getting tossed around a little - the front 2 rows are definitely for you. If you want speed, with less bumps and sways, the back will likely be more what you're looking for.

    In both cases you will explore areas of the harbour that are not explored by any other tours, as this boat is much smaller and faster that the others. It can go into the caves where the larger boats cannot, and with it's speed it can explore more of the harbour!

    I was concerned about getting wet on the jet boat, but other than a few splashes at the end (which I will get to), you barely get sprayed at all. Think of this boat as more of a speed boat.

    At the end of the tour, on your way back to the harbour, we did some pretty insane 360 degree spins in the boat! Definitely the most exhilarating part of the tour, and a great way to end on a high! This is the time when the front section gets pushed around the most - but if you brace yourself, you'll be totally fine!

    We had tourist and locals of all ages on our boat ride, so if you're up for some fun, this is definitely the tour for you!

    The one downside is that due to the speed and size of the boat, you are not allowed to bring any belongings with you on the boat. You can bring your phone or a small digital camera that can fit in a pocket (as you will have time to take photos at certain stops), but you definitely do this ride for the EXPERIENCE - not for the photos you will leave with.

    It is still without a doubt an amazing experience that I highly recommend!
    Written 24 March 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Katharina F
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A nice sailing tour, very friendly crew and interesting wildlife.
    The atmosphere on the boat was very relaxing as there were only 5 people on the boat plus crew.
    Even though our charter was postponed for 1 hour it was definitely worth waiting for it.
    I can definitely recommend it if you are looking for something not that touristy.
    Written 6 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Dan
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was a brilliant trip for the whole family. As a keen conservationist I was impressed with both the knowledge and respect shown to all of he wildlife that we encountered in Akaroa Harbour. The kids absolutely loved the dolphin swim and seeing seals and little blue penguins on the way back to shore.
    This is a small company who have got it just right!
    Written 15 January 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Alastair W
    Upper Hutt, New Zealand24 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice wander around the isite shop where the missus made a couple of purchases. Very friendly staff and spectacular video of the scenery.
    Written 2 December 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Leslie B
    Portland, OR124 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This excursion was really fantastic. It was a beautiful day and we were able to see so many animals. There were even mom and baby dolphins! That was such a treat. We got to see young fur seals frolicking on shore. And the penguins are so small and cute. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this harbour sail. It was certainly a highlight for my trip.
    Written 24 April 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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