Tauranga Shore Excursion: 4hr History and Kiwifruit Tasting Experience
4.8
110 Ratings
Mount Maunganui
Embark on a 4-hour history and kiwifruit tasting experience in Tauranga. Explore the natural beauty, history, culture, and industry of the region while sampling delicious kiwifruit and avocado. Limited availability from October to April.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Mount Maunganui - Your driver/guide will take you on an interesting journey through the different aspects of life in Tauranga. From the forming of the landscape, the arrival of man and the founding of the city, through to the different produce grown in the province and what modern life is like in the area. Departing from the port gates you will travel through Mount Maunganui township past Mauao the iconic landmark mountain and one of New Zealand’s most popular beaches “The Mount Main Beach” home of surfing, professional beach volleyball and surf lifesaving competitions.
  • Tauranga - Crossing over the Tauranga harbour bridge you will go through the Port of Tauranga and hear about how industry has shaped Tauranga to be the busiest port in New Zealand and see stunning views of the harbour and Matakana Island. In Tauranga you will see some of the earliest European settlement buildings in New Zealand, beautiful gardens and hear about the settlement of Maori and Europeans in the Bay of Plenty, creating the city of Tauranga as it is today.
  • Minden Lookout - Leaving Tauranga, you will head west to the foothills of the Kaimai Ranges to see stunning views of the area with a stop for lunch, some shopping and an opportunity to taste handpicked teas sourced locally and from around the world. A short drive will take you to a Kiwifruit orchard where you will hear about the Kiwifruit industry, sample its fruit including the famous gold kiwifruit, see Avocado trees, hear how this amazing tree produces one of the worlds super foods and sample some of the local avocado produce. Afterwards we head back to Mount Maunganui to finish the tour in time for you to return to your ship.
What's Included
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Port pickup and drop-off
  • Live commentary on board
  • Hand picked Tea, Kiwifruit and Avocado produce tastings
  • Local driver/guide
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Gratuities
  • You do not get to pick fruit from the orchard. Samples will be provided.
Additional Information

The tour begins at 10:00 am, though the exact time may vary depending on the arrival of your cruise ship. This personalised, 4-hour tour of Tauranga starts from the gates of Tauranga port. A knowledgeable local guide will accompany you, providing insights into the enchanting landscape, rich history, vibrant culture, and thriving industries of Tauranga. You will have the chance to admire scenic views, beautiful beaches, historical landmarks, and orchards. Moreover, savour the internationally recognized Kiwifruit and Avocado from local industries along with a variety of teas gathered locally and globally. Upon completing the tour, you will be returned to the port gates. Please note, this tour is only operational from October to April.

  • Limited Mobility aid accessibility - Please discuss with tour operator at time of booking.
  • Passengers must be able to embark / disembark with minimal assistance.
Location
Mount Maunganui
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(110 Ratings)
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Den_l
Mar 29, 2024
Very Informative and Fun. - Extremely informative and fun. Saw the town and suburbs which were interesting. The Kiwi farm was fun and very informative. Learned a lot and enjoyed seeing how it grown and just the beautiful groves. Very different from what we expected.
Review provided by Viator
Lynne_g
Mar 11, 2024
Informative tour - Great excursion with knowledgeable guide. Small group is good. Learnt a lot about Kiwi Fruit. Good tour for elderly father
Review provided by Viator
Jennifer_s
Mar 10, 2024
Fantastic Shore Excursion! - Russell showed us all around Tauranga in a 4 hour shore excursion. He was waiting for us right outside the port gates! We enjoyed learning about the history of the area. The kiwi farm visit with tasting was fun!
Review provided by Viator
Tracy_l
Mar 3, 2024
Great tour - We had a great tour with Russell he was very knowledgeable man and answered any questions we had, we saw all the local sights and then went to the kiwi farm and we sampled some different ones and also some fabulous avocado oils which we have now purchased thank you Russell for a fab tour
Review provided by Viator
Noel_h
Mar 1, 2024
Great taste of Tauranga - Russell was full of information. He also has an amazing way of cutting up an avocado. Lovely small group. We had a great day, very enjoyable.
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Susan_w
Feb 24, 2024
Kiwi - The tasting in the vineyard was fun! Russel was great. Good touring area. Don't know what else to say...
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Michael_j
Feb 22, 2024
Don't miss this opportunity to know Auckland--and how Kiwi Fruit is Grown - An awesome tour of the city ending with seeing a Kiwi Fruit Farm and tasting! Well done, and informative--would recommend to friends and family--price is right too! Thank You!
Review provided by Viator
John_r
Feb 19, 2024
An excellent shore excursion and tasting. - We really enjoyed our shore excursion. The driver was very knowledgeable about the area and was very considerate of the passengers needs and questions. The samples of the kiwi fruits and the avocados were nicely done and we appreciated the information we received during the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Diadu7
Feb 15, 2024
Tauranga and kiwi tasting - Stopping at a Kiwi farm and learning how they grow and when they are harvested. We also got to taste the green and golden Kiwi’s. They were both good. Russel was an excellent tour guide and went the extra mile when we left a package at the cafe.
Review provided by Viator
Donna_r
Mar 25, 2024
Spend your time somewhere else. - This tour was everything you hope you don't have during a short cruise stop. It's not like anything went wrong, and the tour guide was fine, but the whole excursion was built around how many sites you could see rather than the quality of the stops made. Notice the name of the tour includes "FREE kiwifruit tasting." Yes, kiwi was offered, and yes, it was included in the price of the tour. This is how it went... We stopped at a kiwi farm, looked at the kiwi growing (interesting for about 5 minutes because we've never seen kiwi growing). Our guide told us that they had permission to be on the farm, however, we were forbidden to touch anything. Then he took a small portable table out of the back of the mini-bus, set it up, and sliced kiwi that STILL HAD THE PRICE TAGS FROM THE GROCERY STORE on them. Well, if that wasn't a belly laugh!! We're on a farm with about a million beautiful and fresh kiwi and we are served grocery store kiwi! Yeah, that's the kind of tour it was. Again, not the guide's fault. He did what the company told him to do. I would not recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator