Bay of Islands Tour: Scenic Northland Adventure

Discover Bay of Islands with a guided tour and cruise from Auckland. Enjoy wildlife, cultural sites, and the famous Hole in the Rock.

Duration: 1 day, 12 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Auckland Central - Begin your journey in New Zealand’s largest city. As the tour departs from the city, the guide will set the stage for the day’s adventure and highlight some of the area’s top attractions.
  • The Kauri Museum - Leaving Auckland, the tour heads west through Dargaville, known as New Zealand’s kumara capital. The first stop is the…
What's Included
  • Small Group and Fully Guided Tour
  • Accommodation in Paihia (if accommodation option chosen)
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Entry to Kauri Museum, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and Cruise tickets
  • Luggage allowance - 1 large & 1 small per person
What's Not Included
  • Dinner
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • On-board restrooms
Additional Information

Discover the wonders of Northland with Cheeky Kiwi Travel on this fully guided Bay of Islands Small Group Overnight Tour, highlighting the area’s breathtaking landscapes, rich Māori culture, and coastal allure. Offering flexibility, you can opt for accommodation in Paihia (note: a single occupancy surcharge applies for solo travelers) or arrange your…

Location
Auckland Central
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(49 Ratings)
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583juttag
Feb 2, 2026
Bay of Islands Tour - The two-day tour to the Bay of Islands was a great experience. Even though the weather wasn’t perfect, we had a wonderful time. Our guide John was fantastic – very knowledgeable, friendly, a great driver, and he created a really nice atmosphere. It was a lot of fun and the memories will last forever. Thank you so much to Cheeky Kiwi Travel and especially to John!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
185denisemd
Jan 29, 2026
Wonderful experience - We had a wonderful trip with the right amount of history, nature, culture and fun. The hotel was conveniently placed in Paihai to walk to shops and food. Vickie was a great tour guide! Personable and knowledgeable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elainecv9294hf
Jan 22, 2026
Fantastic tour - Fantastic trip despite the weather on the 1st day. Kauri museum was amazing, didn’t get to see Tane Mahuta due to the weather. But didn’t let that dampen the trip even when the rain tried. The boat trip around Bay of Islands was great but choppy and got to see the Hole in the Rock, we even met Michael Portillo!! Fantastic commentary by our awesome driver Vicki who answered our many questions. Would highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi Tours if you want to go anywhere.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Khatijal2019
Jan 9, 2026
Beautiful experience - The tour was well organized, we didn't have to worry about anything thanks to our tour guide Vicki! It is a beautiful experience and 100% worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chocolateandrunning
Jan 8, 2026
Wonderful Bay of Islands tour! - My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this tour. Our guide Vicki was thoughtful, helpful, knowledgeable, and fabulous. Everything was well organized. We would highly recommend this experience. The scenery was spectacular, and information very interesting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nomad60092304468
Jan 6, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyable. - The bay of islands is just beautiful, the accommodation was perfect and Matt, our tour guide really knows the area. He accommodated everyone’s needs. Knew where to get the best food too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ken-mandy
Jan 5, 2026
Excellent tour - Cheeky Kiwi provided an excellent tour, covering the highlights with a comfortable bus, good accommodation and an excellent and friendly guide (Matt). Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ben
Nov 6, 2025
Well worth doing - The long drive to and from the Bay of Islands was worth it as the tour was full of beautiful scenery and you also get to find out more about Māori culture and the history of New Zealand. Our tour guide Dave was fantastic, he was very knowledgeable and also added some extra interesting stops on the way to and from the bay. He also gave us some great ideas for the rest of our trip to add to our itinerary.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Terriwo4019ad
Jan 19, 2026
Stormy trip but in good cheer to the bay of islands - it was a good trip with only five passengers so plenty of room on the mini bus. Our driver and Guide Vicki was wonderful. The weather was pretty dismal as in rain and gusty winds for much of the trip, which limited the experiences we could have in Bay of Islands. That's not the fault of cheeky Kiwi but unfortunately no way to modify the itinerary to do alternate activities that could've been more enjoyable in bad weather.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emily_k
Jan 8, 2026
Do not book the lodging option if you are travelling as a family!! - Families: DO NOT BOOK THE LODGING OPTION. The lodging option is presented as "twin share accommodation." This is defined as 2 separate beds with 2 occupants in the room (unless perhaps someone requests one single bed). We travelled as a family of 4. We had 2 adults, one 13 year old boy, and a 10 year old boy. I expected 4 separate beds (twin beds are fine) in 2 separate rooms. Instead, I was given the "Family Room" at the Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands. This consisted of 2 twin beds and 1 queen bed in a room. I DID NOT ask for a queen bed. It was incredibly presumptuous to assume the 4 of us wanted to be in the same room and that 2 people would need to share a bed. My husband is a large guy and it's very difficult for me to share a queen bed with him, and my children want their own beds. The two solo travelers on my tour each got their own separate rooms while the 4 of us were crammed in one room. We should have gotten 2 rooms, but the hotel and/or the tour group (Cheeky Kiwi) cheaped out and this was the only room they offered. They would not remedy the situation during the tour and neither after the tour when I complained. My husband had to pay out of pocket for a second room. Other travelers on our tour booked their own rooms at different hotels with MUCH better locations. If I had known how they would cheap out on our "twin share accommodation" for 4 people, I never would have paid for that option. I would have booked two separate rooms for our family so that we wouldn't be crammed together sharing one bathroom. Tour Group Customer service was completely lacking when trying to help me in this situation which is why I am only giving 3/5 stars. It's great when it's great, but when I have an issue, I expect more help than what I received.
Review provided by Viator
From $429
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).