Whale Watching Flight: Kaikōura's Marine Giants

Experience the majesty of Sperm Whales and breathtaking ocean views on a Whale Watching Flight in Kaikoura. Book now for an unforgettable adventure in New Zealand!

Duration: 40 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 627 State Highway 1 - Gather for check-in and a pre-flight briefing about Kaikoura’s whales and other marine life.
  • Depart from the airport to the whale watching area just off the coast to observe Kaikoura’s whales from above.
  • Relish the stunning alpine and coastal scenery before returning to land.
What's Included
  • 40-minute scenic flight
  • Headset with live pilot commentary
  • Window seat for every passenger
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup/drop-off
  • Food & drinks
Additional Information

Experience the world-famous sperm whales and marine life of Kaikōura with an unforgettable Whale Watching Flight. From the sky, enjoy the perfect vantage point to admire these magnificent creatures in their natural environment, fully appreciating their immense size and beauty.
During the journey, there may also be sightings of dolphins, humpback whales,…

Location
627 State Highway 1
State Highway 1
At Kaikoura Airport, 10min drive south of Kaikoura. Turn right on arrival, Free parking. Checkin 30min before your flight. Flight times may be adjusted to align with whale dive times, this may result in earlier departures. If you are not present at the checkin time, the flight may depart without you
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(206 Ratings)
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Maps59191262119
Sep 16, 2025
Need to try this when in Kaikoura. A++ for Air Kaikoura Aero Club - The young Captain was very cool and knowledgeable. It was a sunny day, and we got lucky to sight the whales. The flight experience itself was worth it. Would recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kkmtga
Aug 31, 2025
Short trip due to weather but was worth it. - Short trip due to weather, but was the most amazing experience. the views were breathtaking, watching that storm come in was a bit frightening but at the same time beautiful. Will come back and do the full experience. staff were wonderful and welcoming, made sure we were set and comfy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karhyu
Aug 25, 2025
Short trip due to weather but was sooo worth it. - We loved the short trip we had, amazing views but was cut short due to weather. We still absolutely loved it and was a great experience. We were just happy we got squeeze in that little trip. Thank you very much
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nigelc658
Aug 5, 2025
Fantastic - This was fantastic, what an experience, worth every penny. Pilot, a young English girl, was brilliant, very safe, experienced, managed to see a sperm whale and dolphins, fantastic views. This is a must do
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W684ognigelc
Aug 2, 2025
Great way to see Kaikoura! - This was a great experience, getting to go on a propeller plane, seeing a whale and a pod of dolphins! Just our luck that on that day we only got to see 1 whale. Ben, our pilot, was very nice and knowledgeable. Landing and take off were smooth, we felt completely safe the entire time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure59462181307
Jun 21, 2025
A bucket list experience! - A brilliant experience, the weather was perfect too, we can highly recommend. Seeing whales from the air gives a great view in their size.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H3741odjaded
May 8, 2025
Whale watch 🫶 - Excellent service, didn’t see a whale from my side of the plane initially sighting 1 .. got to go on again and saw a sperm whale in the front seat 🫶🫶 was amazing !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
602lubad
May 6, 2025
See the whales from above - Great tour - pilot was great with smooth take off and landing. Staff were all friendly and tour well organized. Small plane and goes around things on both sides so everyone has a good view. Much easier to spot the whales from the air and got to see sperm whale and humpback whale.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denise
Apr 19, 2025
Definitely recommend this trip. - It was an amazing experience and we would highly recommend it. It was cost a bit more than the boat trip but if you suffer with sea sickness it’s definitely worth it. We saw a sperm whale and a pod of dolphins playing. Also I recommend you dress lightly as it gets very warm.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dawn_d
Apr 6, 2025
Fabulous - Fabulous! Loved this trip. We saw two sperm whales and a humpback whale as well as lots of dolphins. Our original flight time was 11am, but the weather was bad so it was cancelled, but luckily the weather opened up and we managed to re-arrange the flight for 2pm (in the meantime we went to see the Kaikoura seal colony and had lunch in town!). The plane doesn’t fly far out to sea and circles above the whales when the pilot spots one. The pilot also gives a great running commentary. My daughter found the circling made her feel sick, but she suffers with motion sickness on boats and planes anyway! We were out over the sea for nearly 40 minutes and it was an amazing experience. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
From $143
up to 7 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).