Kaikoura Whale Watch Day Tour: Discover Marine Life and Scenic Views

Embark on a thrilling whale-watching adventure in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Discover majestic Sperm Whales, playful dolphins, and adorable seals while enjoying stunning views of the Kaikoura Ranges. End the day with a scenic drive and a wine tasting experience.

Duration: 11 hours
Cancellation: 6 days
Highlights
  • Kaikōra - Your day starts with pickup from your Christchurch hotel, then travel in a comfortable coach for about 2.5 hours to reach Kaikoura, taking a scenic road through the North Canterbury region.
What's Included
  • View fur seal colonies up close
  • Experience whale watching on a boat tour
  • Enjoy the comfort of air-conditioned vehicles
  • Explore North Canterbury vineyards with wine tasting (subject to availability)
  • Savor lunch (available with selected options)
  • Benefit from live commentary during the tour
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience the natural treasures of New Zealand on a whale-watching cruise from the picturesque town of Kaikoura. Look for the mighty Sperm Whales that live in these waters along with Dusky Dolphins, New Zealand Fur Seals and Seabirds. Admire breathtaking views of the snow-capped Kaikoura Ranges during your free time in Kaikoura’s township and visit a…

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(164 Ratings)
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Jadegreenleaf
Nov 20, 2025
Six Stars! - If I can rate this 6 stars, of 5, I will. Pickup by Stephanie and Carl was on time and they were warm and personable. Friendly and engaging, they took good care of everyone (we were a small group of six pax) throughout the day. The cruise was fantastic too. The sea crew provided a great commentary to whales. We saw a sperm whale, which was amazing. Then an unexpected appearance by a humpback, which was just incredible. We also saw dolphins and albatrosses. A most wonderful experience. Lastly, I'd like to commend Leisure Tours for being very responsive to my numerous queries prior to the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Adadaguan
Oct 3, 2025
Very unforgettable and unique experience - My friend and I had a great time with Pete from Leisure Tours. Pete is a very nice, polite and knowledgeable tour guide, driver and hosted us in total six ppl well. Tour is well organized and we enjoyed our time in Kaikoura.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Derek_b
Sep 15, 2025
Great time! - Our tour guide, Scotty, was extremely knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with. The whale watching was fantastic and we really enjoyed the winery experience!
Review provided by Viator
Daphne_t
Sep 9, 2025
Memorable experience - We had a wonderful experience with our driver/guide, Jude. She picked us up on time and filled us in on information about the places we passed by. She surely went the extra mile to make sure we were comfortable. We even stopped at one point of the journey to see some seals resting on rocks. It was amazing to see them up close. During the whale watch, We saw humpback whales, dolphins and albatross. But it did take some time to see the whales, as they are quite unpredictable. I'd like to thank Jude once again for driving for long hours and her great hospitality.
Review provided by Viator
Margarita_e
Aug 18, 2025
Whales and Fur Seals Oh WOW - This was the most unbelievable tour. We were able to see a Sperm and Humpback whale. The captain didn’t give up until we saw them. Our tour guide Scotty was great. Took us to a beautiful fur seal colony. And to wrap it up, a winery for some end of the day wine tasting. He was also very knowledgeable about NZ.
Review provided by Viator
Selvin_m
Jul 19, 2025
Sensational - Jude the person who picked up gave us was really very very good punctual ,informative friendly and very considerate,we like to give her 10/10 thanks very much
Review provided by Viator
Helena_g
Jul 3, 2025
Breathtaking! One of my favourite travel experiences of all time. - We had an absolutely fantastic day! Pick up and drop off made our journey very relaxing despite the early start date. Our driver was lovely and gave us lots of interesting facts about New Zealand, the seals, the town of Kaikoura, and the whale tour. She also showed us multiple areas that provided beautiful views of amazing NZ nature. Even just seeing the adorable seals would have made the trip worth it; just as the boat ride would have, even if we had not seen any whales. But we got incredibly lucky: two sperm whales, two humpback whales, albatross, and countless dusky dolphins. Truly breathtaking! The boat crew were excellent at spotting the whales and at making sure everyone had a good look. The information they provided on the different species and on identifying individual whales was particularly interesting. The town of Kaikoura also provided great opportunities to shop for beautiful memorabilia for your journey. We even managed to arrive on time for the wine tasting, which was also excellent. Especially the white port and Gewürztraminer are worth a try! We bought some to take back home. Overall, we had a fantastic day packed full of amazing moments. Looking back, it almost feels like multiple days fit into one. Highly recommended and worth every cent!
Review provided by Viator
Dreamer599521
Jun 17, 2025
Great whale-watching round-trip from Christchurch. - This trip was super well-organized. The driver, Jude (from Leisure Tours, the local company), was fantastic and flexible. She arrived on time and everything unfolded on schedule. The boat crew from Whale Watch was very knowledgeable, very helpful and caring and went above and beyond to make sure we all had a great experience! Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Geraldine_t
Jun 12, 2025
Awesome tour! - Well organised. Stephanie kept us safe throughout the journey. We saw 2 sperm whales, 1 humpback whale & dolphins.
Review provided by Viator
Q9707tomelissaw
Aug 31, 2025
Cancelled - Trip cancelled. Message sent only through the trip advisor app which I didn’t get until 10mins after pick up time as I was on a long tour the day before. Not even a text or email. Pretty poor form. Today was my only day I could do this tour. What was the most disappointing it was due to minimum head count not met on a day with perfect weather. One star due to poor communication.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $207
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 6 days before the start of your experience (local time).