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Zealandia Small Group Eco Wildlife Night Tour
4.8
106 Ratings
Wellington
Explore Zealandia by torchlight, discover nocturnal wildlife, and learn about New Zealand’s natural history on this award-winning night tour.
Explore Zealandia by torchlight, discover nocturnal wildlife, and learn about New Zealand’s natural history on this award-winning night tour.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary - The tour begins with a short film and introduction inside the Visitor Centre’s interactive exhibition. Afterwards, the guide leads the group on an exciting walk through the sanctuary in search of wildlife.
- ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary - The tour begins with a short film and introduction inside the Visitor Centre’s interactive exhibition. Afterwards, the guide leads the group on an exciting walk through the sanctuary in search of wildlife.
What's Included
- Torches/flashlights supplied
- Guided walking tour of Zealandia: The Exhibition and Sanctuary Valley
- Torches/flashlights supplied
- Guided walking tour of Zealandia: The Exhibition and Sanctuary Valley
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
Explore the sanctuary by torchlight as your guide leads you in search of some of the more distinctive sights and sounds of New Zealand’s native forest. Enjoy a night discovering New Zealand’s evolution and natural history at Zealandia, located just minutes from central Wellington. The discovery begins with a guided tour through Zealandia: The…
Explore the sanctuary by torchlight as your guide leads you in search of some of the more distinctive sights and sounds of New Zealand’s native forest. Enjoy a night discovering New Zealand’s evolution and natural history at Zealandia, located just minutes from central Wellington. The discovery begins with a guided tour through Zealandia: The Exhibition, a state-of-the-art indoor exhibition showcasing New Zealand’s natural history and world renowned conservation movement. As darkness falls, your guide will lead you into the Sanctuary Valley, the world’s first fully fenced urban eco-sanctuary in search for little spotted kiwi and the many other nocturnal animals that call the sanctuary home. Witness firsthand why Zealandia has been named the top tourism operation in Aotearoa New Zealand 2023, winning the prestigious Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Award. This is an unforgettable Wellington experience not to be missed!
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Wear sturdy footwear, bring extra layers of clothing and a waterproof jacket. Torches (flashlights) are supplied
- Minimum age is 12 years
- Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour start time
- To get to ZEALANDIA at night we recommend you book a taxi via your hotel concierge team or call Wellington Combined Taxis Ph: (04) 384 44 44
- Not recommended for travelers with limited mobility, or difficulty walking for 2 hours in low-light conditions
Location
53 Waiapu Road
Waiapu Road
The ZEALANDIA Visitors Centre is located at the end of Waiapu Road.
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
4.8
(106 Ratings)
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T1285xvdavid
Aug 3, 2025
Awesome experience - For his birthday we took our son on this trip. It was cold, starry and dark but the quality of the information and excellent. It started with an introduction at the auditorium, then a small video and a briefing. We were a group of 12 and that was a good amount of people, everyone could hear because we had earsets and everyone could see because we were given red-light torches. We walked along tracks and through the bush. At the beginning it was lighter so we got to see many birds heading to roost, then we saw some insects and looked for the tuatara. When it got dark we saw a kiwi snuffling around in the bush looking for worms and insects. Later on we saw another one wandering along the track and it passed very close to us and was not bothered by our presence. It was an exceptional experience and well worth the money. We finished up having a cup of kawakawa tea.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O290hcsimonaf
Jun 13, 2025
A crazy emotion - It was a wonderful experience I recommend it to everyone, it is absolutely a must. The tour consists of two hours of walking in complete darkness with the sun of small torches given by the organization. The guide was very passionate and prepared and we could see 4 kiwis. But not in passing because these little animals have been in front of us for several minutes pawing intent on eating. Watching them in their natural habitat, getting out of the forest was incredibly exciting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Froggirl0504
May 12, 2025
This is an amazing tour! - I can't say enough great things about this organization and this tour. I am living in Wellington for five months and got a family year's pass so have been to the sanctuary quite a few times during the day. The trails are wonderful, filled with interesting information. My family is leaving for home tomorrow so we decided to take one last try at seeing a kiwi and did the night tour. It was amazing! The guide was knowledgeable and friendly, we saw so many interesting creatures - insects (3 kinds of weta, slugs, glow worms), a rare frog, nocturnal ducks, shags, and a kiwi! I might need to do this tour again before I leave the country. The price of the tour goes to support the remarkable ecological restoration and preservation Zealandia does, too, so it is doubly worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashleybb9722nx
May 9, 2025
Would Love To Go Back - We didn't realize kiwis were nocturnal (we're not from NZ), so when we learned this, we got on a waitlist for a night tour for the evening we were in New Zealand. We were so excited when spots opened up! Wow! I am impressed by Zealandia's conservation efforts and passion to restore and protect the natural ecosystem. Our guide was experienced and knowledgeable about all that we saw, from foliage to insects and, of course, the birds. We were fortunate to see kiwis throughout the tour. It is a beautiful place, and if we return to Wellington/New Zealand, I'd love to spend more time on the trails. We didn't get to visit during the day, but I can imagine it's simply incredible in the daytime, too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Megan_l
Apr 8, 2025
Nocturnal Knowing - It is great to quietly look out for and see any nocturnal species. But it is on another level to be informed by such a passionate guide. Well done for your purpose and vision Zealandia
Review provided by Viator
Road55796721222
Mar 11, 2025
Amazing night tour - we saw 3 kiwi! - It was an amazing experience - we saw 3 kiwi, 1 morepork and heaps of tuatara, weta and glow worms all really well. Our tour guides Caitlin and Lara were brilliant.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulr685
Mar 9, 2025
Must be your no 1 tour in Wellington - Amazing. Matt was a fantastic guide full of enthusiasm, knowledge and a passion for nature. We saw lots of things even a kiwi which just capped off the whole amazing experience. This is a must do tour if in Wellington, book well in advance as places are limited. Go and you will not be disappointed. Outstanding value too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gregory_s
Jan 20, 2025
Absolute must do in Wellington - If you have even the slightest interest in nature, you have to see this place. Especially the night tour which was a fairly small group of about 12 with a very knowledgeable guide and another guide that acts as a spotter who helped out with us spotting 4 Kiwi's, countless reptiles, fish, and wild looking local insects.
Review provided by Viator
David_t
Dec 7, 2024
Great value for money - your best possible chance of seeing kiwi out and about - Make sure this is on your list. The night tour gives you the best possible chance of seeing kiwi out and about (and having the ticket to Zealandia also gives you free access to the sanctuary the following day, so you can go back and experience anything you think you may have missed in the daylight). Ellis, our guide, was super fun, insanely knowledgeable and passionate, and really went out of his way to make sure the group got to see what it wanted to see. Obviously there’s no guarantees with nature, but this tour gives you the best possible chance of seeing the big ticket bird, and with 24 hours to go back during the day, I reckon it’s seriously good value for money too.
Review provided by Viator
Linda
Nov 25, 2024
Fabulous Zealandia - Wow! We absolutely loved this tour. Oliver led us and Amanda and Sharon went ahead of us to spot the animals. We were fortunate to be able to see the spotted kiwi, tuatara, and pateke and we were surprised to see glow worms. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and a nice gift shop. They even served us tea made from the leaves of a pepper-like plant after the tour. They are passionate about their mission and do an excellent job of explaining the natural history of NZ and their 500 year vision for the future. Well worth a visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
