Sundowner Sailing: Evening Tall Ship Cruise

Experience a special tall ship adventure in the Bay of Islands with Sundowner Sailing. Enjoy a 2-hour gentle sail, light finger food, and a cash bar. Book now!

Duration: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Paihia Harbour - Paihia is a bustling tourist town in the Summer - lots of restaurants, eateries, shops and beaches. Spend as long as you want there.
  • R. Tucker Thompson - Location where folks book with the Tucker and other attractions, there’s a nice souvenir shop and restaurant as well.
  • Russell - This it the town the ship leaves from - plenty of history, shops and cafes to interest many of our passengers.
What's Included
  • Cruise of the inner Bay of Islands on the tall ship, the R. Tucker Thompson
  • Licensed bar on board
  • Shared Antipasto Platter
  • Wet weather gear (if required)
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Begin a summer evening in the Bay of Islands with a delightful tall ship adventure through the stunning inner harbor. Experience the refreshing sea breeze as it fills the sails, unwind with a refreshing drink, or participate in the sailing activities - manage the rigging or take a turn at the helm. This two-hour tour is available on Wednesdays, Fridays,…

Location
Russell Wharf, Russell, Bay of Islands
The Strand
Departing from the Russell Wharf. We provide free ferry transfers to and from Paihia to Russell. Collect these from any Paihia Info Centre at the wharf. Catch the 3.30 pm ferry from Paihia at the latest to board the ship in Russell 3.45pm. Returning to russell 5.45pm. Ferry Russell - Paihia 6.30pm
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(109 Ratings)
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216lesr
Mar 21, 2026
A great experience - A fabulous evening sail. Great knowledgeable, fun crew. Well worth the money and highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martina
Feb 25, 2026
Unique !! 👍 Fantastic - Just a great experience and great team ! Even if it wasn't a sunset like in the picture book, we had a lot of fun! And to our surprise, dolphins accompanied us for a while!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F9288flpetert
Feb 21, 2026
Great way to spend a couple of hours. - Great fun. Very friendly and helpful young crew. Nice sail under full sail and a chance to climb the main mast. Free nibbles and a pay bar/ cooler. Back in time for dinner at The Duke of Marlborough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christine
Feb 6, 2026
Fantastic experience - This was a very special trip on a very special ship. The staff were all very passionate about their work and made sure the guests were well looked after. The trays of antipasto nibbles were a nice touch. They took time to encourage the children to take the helm. It was wonderful to see the huge sails being unfurled. Happy to thoroughly recommend I can t
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Philip_g
Feb 6, 2026
Wonderful sail in a beautiful ship - Superb experience sailing a stunning schooner in the Bay of Islands. Crew were fun and informative. It's a not for profit that supports sail training for young people, funded in part by taking paying tourists in the summer season
Review provided by Viator
Leeanne_g
Feb 4, 2026
Just honest lovely Experience - Wr had a lovely time with our 8 year old daughter who climbed to top sail. Was amazing. Great experience, amazing to see women owning the sea with such amazingness!!! Highly recommended!!!!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Sergiy_b
Feb 2, 2026
Beautiful experience - Nice experience. A 2-hour late afternoon excursion aboard the famous traditional sailboat R. Tucker Thompson. Sailing could be assisted and breathtaking views of the Bay of Islands could be enjoyed.
Review provided by Viator
Culture25440709304
Jan 30, 2026
Wonderful experience. - Wonderful experience, was the highlight of our holiday for my niece and nephews who got to climb the rigging and help out on deck. Cheese and nibbles were perfect, lovely friendly crew and skipper. Beautiful ship, thank you so much for sharing the experience with us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V4353celaurae
Jan 28, 2026
Enjoyable - Lovely relaxing evening on the water. Fun for the kids climbing the rigging! Friendly staff and we were blessed with calm seas and lovely weather
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mrswinter4
Feb 11, 2026
Unique - For us, this was a must-do so that we could see Russell and its beautiful surroundings from the sea. To do this on a tall-ship was a wonderfully unique experience. The crew were very friendly and full of information. It's a relaxing sail and very calm...too calm as there wasn't enough wind to get us very far in the hour out and back journey but that didn't stop us from climbing the rigging and shouting "Land Ahoy!" Would recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $57
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).