Bay of Islands Tour: Scenic Views & History

Create lasting memories on this half-day tour of the Bay of Islands from your cruise ships arrival at the Waitangi Wharf.

The Bay of Islands is a popular tourist destination in New Zealand. This guided tour shows you an abundance of breathtaking picturesque views giving you plenty of fantastic photo opportunities. The area is often referred to as \

Duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Paihia Harbour - See the Paihia harbour as we drive through
  • Haruru Falls - View the waterfalls
  • Makana Chocolate Boutique - Sample some of the finest chocolates
  • Kawiti Caves - Stunning guided tour of the glow worm caves
  • Manginangina Kauri Walk - A beautiful short walk
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Expert driver/guide
  • Exquisite chocolate-tasting experience
  • Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
  • Convenient port pickup and drop-off
  • Engaging live commentary on board
  • All local taxes included
What's Not Included
  • Food and Drinks
Additional Information
  • At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
  • 100% refund will be issued if your ship can’t make it into port due to weather conditions.
  • If your ship is scheduled to arrive after 9.30am - the tour departure time will…
Location
P3HJ+8V Waitangi
We will be waiting at the end of the Waitangi Wharf - where your tender boats drop you with a sign saying "Bay of Islands Tours" If you are staying at a hotel - please list your hotel name when booking so we can pick you up from reception.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(351 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Terry_j
Feb 3, 2026
It was a great... - It was a great experience. Able to see a lot of the area. Guide was very informative. The cave was amazing and had a great experience.
Review provided by Viator
George_h
Feb 2, 2026
Our tour guide Dyson was... - Our tour guide Dyson was absolutely terrific. He was extremely knowledgeable and very considerate, especially helping the guest find restrooms when needed.
Review provided by Viator
813alfredk
Feb 1, 2026
Great tour with Bay of Islands Tours. - Awesome service, fun tour, Rob the tour guide was great. Just a fun day. Great communication. Easy to do right off the ship. And excellent value. I was a bit nervous since it was independent. But wow, no worries. So easy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jackletfet
Jan 31, 2026
Rob a great Guide, - Rob was a great guide , we were lucky to have him he introduced us to amazing Kauri tree and showed us around this lovely area
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lotsatravel_11
Jan 31, 2026
A great day in New Zealand - We visited Waitangia bay on a cruise and this was a great excursion!! Compared to the cost of the cruise ship tour, it was a steal and you got to see a lot more in a much smaller group. Finding the tour was super easy and it was a full day of activity getting to see the country side and not to be missed attractions. The cave itself is family owed and they have been doing tours for over 400 years. Not only do you see the worms but you get great information too. Along the drive to the caves and other attractions, our driver Matt was safe, friendly and informative. He had a laid back personality that welcomed you to New Zealand. Our only recommendation is to bring a light jacket for in the cave if you get cool easily. Also the cave requires walking on an uneven surface and darkness, so if you have trouble with either of those you can sit outside the cave and enjoy the surrounding forest or you might want to pass. Otherwise, book it! Also for cruise ship passengers, Matt was very conscious about the time we needed to return to the port and had us back sufficiently early!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Garybartlome
Jan 31, 2026
Glow worm highlights - Everything about the tour we did was great. I wasn’t expecting much out of the glowworm caves, but I was very impressed with the knowledge the guide. the caves have been in her family for a long, long time, and she is very well-versed in telling us the history and about the glow worms. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Barb_j
Jan 30, 2026
Loved Bay of Islands at Waitangi - Good way to see Bay of Islands! Loved the smaller van and being able to catch tour right at the port. Glow worm cave very interesting tour. Beautiful walk through Kuaru trees, great views of the country side. Our tour guide, Matt, was awesome!
Review provided by Viator
Robert_b
Jan 29, 2026
Great stops- great driver - van itself needs maintenance - Great day trip. Glow worms were amazing! Too bad you can’t take pictures inside! Forest walk was also fantastic seeing the kauri trees and ferns. All the stops were interesting even the public bathroom stop!!! Driver was very friendly and knowledgeable. Van did not have working air conditioning which made it hot even on a cool day. Also door did not work properly to get out.
Review provided by Viator
Stefanltje
Feb 1, 2026
Well organized. Not quite as spectacular as thought. - Very good organization, very horny driver, Rob was authentically New Zealand and not put on friendly. The Glow worm cave itself, was less magnificent than thought, but worth seeing. Combined with the rainforest walk and the waterfalls a beautiful day.
Review provided by Viator
Anahita_b
Feb 5, 2026
Glow Worm Caves - The tour covers great sites in the Island and Glow worm caves are amazing to see but our bus was very old and we had three travelers with walkers and it was very hard and unsafe for them to move through the wet and uneven caves so we only went to the beginning of the caves and did not see the main areas as there were many stairs to claim we also did not go to the last stop on tour which was a view point due to low visibility per our driver
Review provided by Viator
From $143
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).