Larnach Castle Tour: Otago Peninsula and Wildlife Cruise

Embark on a fascinating journey as you explore Larnach Castle and take a wildlife cruise on the Otago Peninsula. Witness breathtaking scenery and encounter amazing wildlife on this memorable tour.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Otago Peninsula - Tour along the beautiful roads of the Otago Peninsula in our comfortable minivan. Enjoy stunning views of harbour and coast as you go.
  • Larnach Castle & Gardens - Small group guided tour through ‘NZ’s Castle’. Discover the scandalous story of the Larnach family and explore the painstakingly restored building and it’s…
What's Included
  • On-board WiFi
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • On-board restrooms
  • Complimentary warm jackets and binoculars on the Wildlife Cruise
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • This option doesn’t include pickups from the Port Chalmers Cruise Terminal (see our other product)
Additional Information

An unrivalled tour package! Visit the stunning Larnach Castle, travel the beautiful roads of the Otago Peninsula and join special Monarch Wildlife Cruise.
Enjoy a 90 minute tour of Larnach Castle and it’s beautiful grounds. Hear the scandalous story of early settler William Larnach and his family. Explore the beautifully restored castle, with it’s…

Location
20 Fryatt Street
Fryatt Street
We ask that our visitors check-in 15 minutes prior to their scheduled tour start time. Car parks are available.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(52 Ratings)
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1 star
Michael_k
Mar 18, 2025
Enjoyable van and boat trip from Dunedin. - We started our tour driving in a comfortable van from Dunedin through the scenic countryside to the Larnach “castle”. Ross was a superb driver and tour guide. After touring the castle and enjoying a quick lunch on the grounds we left for the cruise. We spent an hour or so on the boat with our wildlife expert Will. We saw a few seals and sea lions along with several species of water birds. The highlight was observing the flight of the greater albatross. The crew of the boat thoughtfully escorted us around a small group of peaceful environmental protestors at our cruise ship port.
Review provided by Viator
Sanfordazrealtor
Mar 11, 2025
A real Dunner Stunner - This was an excellent shore excursion and tour provided by Rob our guide and Monarch tours. Very well organized and the right amount of time for the guided castle and boat cruise. Just like the tour, the weather was great; we had a Dunner Stunner, sunny and warm day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ichun_l
Mar 9, 2025
Best tour - I just did the tour today and absolutely loved it! It felt very special because there were only me and another lady on the tour, and I was honestly stunned they were willing to do the tour for just the two of us. Our tour guide David was warm and professional, giving us detailed commentary on the history and wild life of the area. I think this tour is just the perfect combination that allows you to see the castle (which is quite hard to get to without a car), and the most iconic wildlife of the area. The albatross were really impressive in their wingspan and they got quite close to the boat. In addition you also see some seals and beautiful rock formations! But my favourite part was the "opera" penguin sanctuary, and I feel really privileged to be able to view so many endangered species of wild penguin from up close. All in all, if you're only doing one tour in Dunedin, I think this is it 😉
Review provided by Viator
Gilltone
Feb 22, 2025
Fabulous castle tour & boat ride - Great tour of Lanarch Castle and surrounding areas. Beautiful boat ride to see albatross, fur seals etc. Tour guide had tons of great info about the history of Dunedin. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Henrys201
Feb 19, 2025
Great excusion - Great trip to visit Larnach Castle, learn about its history and efforts being made to bring it back to its former glory. Also and very nice cruise out around Taiaroa Head and observe the wildlife there.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan_s
Jan 19, 2025
Wonderful Day - Great way to spend our day in port. Our guide, David, was very informative and helpful. The castle was lovely, with lots of traditional Scottish flare. The boat trip was a bit choppy, but we spotted Seals, Dolphins, and Albatross. My only advice would be, if you are particularly prone to motion sickness, make sure you have meds or bands.
Review provided by Viator
Dealkent456
Oct 20, 2024
Great tour - Very good tour.Rob was an excellent tour guide for the day. We learned so much about the castle and area on a full day out. Saw lots of wildlife on the cruise but didn't see many penguins on the penguin tour but obviously animaks in the wild are very unpredictable. We enjoyed the tour through the penguin habitat and our guide was very knowledgeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Slatour16
Oct 17, 2024
Dunedin land and sea - Well organized, competent and interesting guides. The mix of well-balanced Things to do. A memorable day. Several species during cruise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Forcasa
Aug 17, 2024
Well worth it and good value - Comfortable and informative! Ross was excellent. Bring some sea sickness pills if you're not good on the water, is it can get very very bumpy. We saw 4 different Albratros.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cameron_l
Nov 1, 2024
History made real - Castle tour was very enjoyable and the guide’s knowledge of the family and its history was very informative. Cancellation of cruise resulted in long delays while waiting for other guests to complete alternate tour option.
Review provided by Viator
From $97
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).