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Taieri Gorge Railway: Scenic Dunedin Shore Tour
4.2
308 Ratings
Port Chalmers
Explore Dunedin’s stunning landscapes on the Taieri Gorge Railway, then discover city highlights. Perfect for train enthusiasts and adventure seekers.
Explore Dunedin’s stunning landscapes on the Taieri Gorge Railway, then discover city highlights. Perfect for train enthusiasts and adventure seekers.
Duration:
7 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Port Chalmers Wharf - The coach departs from Dunedin Port at 8:45 am, heading to the Dunedin Railway Station. Please arrive by 8:30 am for the 8:45 am departure.
- Taieri Gorge Railway - At 9:30 am, embark on the Taieri Gorge Railway from Dunedin. Journey through the stunning Taieri Gorge to Pukerangi, crossing wrought iron viaducts and tunnels…
- Port Chalmers Wharf - The coach departs from Dunedin Port at 8:45 am, heading to the Dunedin Railway Station. Please arrive by 8:30 am for the 8:45 am departure.
- Taieri Gorge Railway - At 9:30 am, embark on the Taieri Gorge Railway from Dunedin. Journey through the stunning Taieri Gorge to Pukerangi, crossing wrought iron viaducts and tunnels hand-carved over a century ago. This is one of the classic train journeys of a past era. The round trip includes several stops for fantastic photo opportunities. Return to Dunedin Railway Station is expected around 2:00 pm.
- Dunedin Railway Station - At 2:30 pm, after the 4.5-hour Taieri Gorge Rail experience, rejoin the coach at Dunedin Railway Station for a 2-hour Dunedin Highlights/Sightseeing Tour departing from the station.
- Dunedin - The sightseeing tour covers the highlights of central Dunedin City, including the Octagon and various historic sites.
- St Clair Beach - Visit the St Clair beach and esplanade.
- Dunedin Botanic Garden - Explore New Zealand’s first botanical garden.
- Baldwin Street: The Steepest Street in the World - Experience the ‘dress circle’ of Dunedin’s original wealthy settlers’ homes and travel up the world’s steepest street to a lookout with views of the city, University campus, and the Peninsula high road, offering spectacular harbour, rural, and ocean vistas.
- University of Otago - Enjoy views of the renowned and historic Otago University in New Zealand, before returning to Port Chalmers and your cruise ship around 4:00/4:30 pm.
What's Included
- Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
- Professional guide
- Port pick-up and drop-off
- Round-trip tour on the Taieri Gorge Railway
- Dunedin city sightseeing tour
- Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
- Professional guide
- Port pick-up and drop-off
- Round-trip tour on the Taieri Gorge Railway
- Dunedin city sightseeing tour
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
When the cruise ship arrives in Dunedin, embark on a journey through the breathtaking landscapes along the Taieri River aboard the Taieri Gorge Railway. Experience the thrill of traveling through tunnels and across viaducts on this excursion perfect for train enthusiasts, and explore Dunedin’s main attractions before heading back to the port. This…
When the cruise ship arrives in Dunedin, embark on a journey through the breathtaking landscapes along the Taieri River aboard the Taieri Gorge Railway. Experience the thrill of traveling through tunnels and across viaducts on this excursion perfect for train enthusiasts, and explore Dunedin’s main attractions before heading back to the port. This excursion is among the most sought-after in New Zealand and has received the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.
- Should your cruise ship timetable be indicating that you will be berthing in Dunedin (Port Chalmers) at 9.00am or later, this does not preclude you from booking these tour options., however, the itinerary maybe adjusted to accommodate the later arrival of the cruise ship.
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
Location
Beach Street Wharf
Beach Street
Meeting instructions are:
The tour will depart from the Visitors' Building on the ship's wharf at 8.45AM.
The Driver / Guide will meet you inside by the Private Tours area.
Look out for our sign "Welcome LEISURE TOURS"
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour departure
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.2
(308 Ratings)
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1 star
Journey18928223302
Feb 7, 2026
Don't book through cruise shps - Excellent journey and history of the rail line well worth the money,staff very efficient and tour guide for leisure tours Alberto very good even though it looked like he had just got up when he picked us up
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rocco_t
Jan 30, 2026
A must do! - This tour was well worth the time and expense. Our ship was late coming in, but the guide waited patiently for us at the wharf. We were driven to the train and took a scenic two hour ride through some of New Zealand's most beautiful scenery.. There is food and beverage available for purchase on the train. Afterwards, our guide Alberto and our driver Warren brought us around the town of Dunedin and showed us some interesting sites on the way back to our ship. My partner and I would definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Lstarcevich
Mar 11, 2020
Fun Day On The Taieri Gorge Train! - During a cruise stop in beautiful Dunedin we chose to take the train up to the Taieri Gorge. We were picked up near the ship and taken to the magnificent Victorian-era train station where we boarded our vintage train. Our adventure took us through part of Dunedin and then up to the mountains and Taieri Gorge. Our train ride was so fun and with amazing views of the gorge. We were able to purchase sandwiches in the dining car and restrooms were available. After winding through the gorge for approximately an hour and a half we reached the top of the mountain where we were given about forty minutes to enjoy the views and wander through a small mountain faire with vendors and music. We then re-boarded the train and enjoyed the ride back to Dunedin where we met up with our bus driver/tour guide who took us for a fun and informative tour around the city before taking us back to our ship. We had a great time and highly recommend this excursion-especially if you love vintage trains!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daryl
Mar 5, 2020
Dunedin and Taieri Gorge - Dunedin is an excellent location and the Railway and Gorge were well worth it.
Great rail journey and some amazing views.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Victor_l
Dec 8, 2025
Long time on train - Wonderful scenery but the train journey time is too much, and practically this tour is a train ride.
Review provided by Viator
Gary_l
Mar 10, 2020
Brochure is a Bit Misleading - First of all, the scenery is gorgeous! But what they don’t tell you is that you see the exact same thing going back as you are in the same seats. You also have to pay for a light lunch. If you have difficulty with steps you will have a difficult time getting on and off the train. Please keep this in mind. The tour of the city was informative. It’s a pretty long day.
Review provided by Viator
Jane
Mar 3, 2020
Great scenery from the train - This was a small group which is ideal for any trip, coach driver was good and the trip around the town very nice.
The Taieri Gorge Railway was brilliant, the comentry on the train was very good and informative. There is a buffet car on the train which served tea/coffee and food which were all good quality. The views from the train are amazing, and seats very comfortable. It would have been nice if the trip could have included a stop at the town of Dunedin, as the little shops looked very nice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wing_l
Feb 18, 2020
Alright. - The train ride was gorgeous. The driver had us waiting and looking for him when we finished. Company was called Go Now tours.
Review provided by Viator
Ron_v
Jan 12, 2026
Why are you asking you canceled - Vicator canceled the tour. I rebooted with the railroad and it was great. Now to see if I get my money back.
Review provided by Viator
Jeffrey_c
Nov 16, 2025
Only experienced a return trip - This should be a round-trip train tour. However we only experienced a single trip due to the late arrival of the tour guide and the driver.
Review provided by Viator
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