Larnach Castle Van Tour: Explore Heritage City with Historian Gregor Campbell

Join historian Gregor Campbell on a captivating van tour of Larnach Castle and explore the rich heritage of Dunedin. Uncover forgotten events, murder mysteries, and the fascinating stories of the people who shaped the city.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • University of Otago - Starting the tour with a quick drive through the university, we see the original old buildings including the Marama Building with ornate features and an interesting story.
  • Northern Cemetery - Drive through the beautiful Northern Cemetery and hear the stories of the famous and everyday people buried there. William…
What's Included
  • Local expert guide and driver
  • Complimentary hotel and port pick up/drop off
  • Climate-controlled transportation
  • Admission to Larnach Castle included
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

A tour with Gregor is like no other. Emerging business award finalist, Tales From Darkest Dunedin and Gregor Campbell, respected historian and expert story teller has been uncovering forgotten events and people in Dunedin’s history. He has been featured in newspapers for his finds and recently on the cover of New Zealand Heritage Magazine for his…

Location
University of Otago
362 Leith Street
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(57 Ratings)
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Randy_r
May 12, 2025
Ghost Whisper Extradentar - Exceptional tour that exceeds what's in the description. The lunch venue and food is exceptional - What A View! The history and little know facts provided about the area by your guide makes this a truly wonderful experience. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
U3283ctjessicar
Apr 10, 2025
Wonderful Tour - Tales from Darkest Dunedin was a brilliant tour. We visited all of the highlights of Dunedin whilst learning the history of the town. The tour group was nice and small, meaning we could spend time at each landmark learning more without the need to push through a load of people. Lunch was absolutely stunning too. Thank you Gregor!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dorothy_g
Mar 17, 2025
Great Tour - Gregor does an excellent tour with a wealth of knowledge about Dunedin. Highly recommended!!! His humor adds to the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Wendy_l
Mar 13, 2025
Stories galore - My guide had stories to tell. Everywhere we went was a relevant spot in the past and present history of Dunedin. He was able to answer all of my questions and surprised me with his knowledge of the buildings; families and local adventurers. Lunch was in a cafe with a wonderful view and a great Caesar salad. Lanark Castle was a highlight. I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Thomas_h
Feb 28, 2025
Excellent tour wit a knowledgeable local - Our guide/driver was very knowledgeable, prompt, and courteous. He provided lots of local color. I recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
D6591jfsusans
Feb 24, 2025
Hauntingly good tour - Gregor treated us to lots of stories at the cemetery and around Dunedin. We enjoyed the lunch where we had some of our best food on the trip. The last stop was Larnach Castle, and our visit there was interesting, too. He is a professional guide and a serious historian, and our group of four came away from our tour with good insights into Dunedin's history. RECOMMENDED!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
William
Feb 24, 2025
THE BEST OF DUNEDIN? YES, IT REALLY IS …😊 - This was a wonderful way out. Helped by golden weather and an amazingly informative and knowledgeable guide, I had had one of the best days of my first visit to New Zealand. Gregor’s knowledge of the city, Otago, New Zealand (and elsewhere) was the stuff of legend. It started in the North Cemetery at the Larnach family tomb where he revealed hugely interesting detail about the family ahead of the afternoon visit to Larnach Castle. Our swing past the gorgeous main old university building and the equally delightful railway station (he and I shared a live of trains and railways) raised the bar again. The stop at Baldwin Street where I had time to walk to the top (much puff expended!) was pretty special. But, for me as a rugby fan, the absolute highlight was that he happily detoured out to where the All Blacks’ feared House of Pain had once stood. Demolished now and confined to the pages of sporting history, nothing remains of this old multi-sport arena except for a wall of about six turnstile gates to which he took me. I was lost in time and memories of such entrances to the old open terraces I stood on as a boy 60 years ago in a far away country. Thank you, Gregor. The afternoon visit to Larnach Castle was fascinating, its gardens beautiful and its location on the hill breathtaking. Equally breathtaking was the scenic journey back with views from the hills across the water and out to the city spreading out on the hillsides. If you want to see the best of Dunedin in a day then this is the trip to take …
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lori_b
Feb 23, 2025
Fun and Interesting would highly recommend this excursion for the family very informative and enjoyable for the family l - Our guide Gregor was great he was very knowledgeable and talked about every site in great detail made for a great excursion
Review provided by Viator
Kenton_j
Feb 20, 2025
A day in and around Dunedin. - Had a great day getting shown around Dunedin and hearing about the local history and about the lives of people in Dunedin's past. Was great to be part of a small group tour with much more personal attention.
Review provided by Viator
Jeffery_b
Feb 19, 2025
Tour guide is a great... - Tour guide is a great story teller and very knowledgeable about the history of Dunedin. We enjoyed a morning tour around the city, lunch with a spectacular view of the city and bay, and then an information tour of Larnach Castle.
Review provided by Viator
From $151
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).