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Iconic Shore Excursion: Dunedin City Highlights Tour
4.8
71 Ratings
Port Chalmers
Explore Dunedin's top attractions on a guided half-day tour. Visit Baldwin Street, Otago University, Olveston Homestead, and more. Perfect for cruise passengers.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Signal Hill - Enjoy breathtaking views of the city, harbor, and surrounding landscapes from this elevated spot in Dunedin. There’s a unique connection to Edinburgh, Scotland for those in the know!
- Baldwin Street: The Steepest Street in the World - A must-see in Dunedin, Baldwin Street is world-renowned. Challenge yourself to walk or run to the top, or simply admire it from below. Souvenirs are often available, and it’s a great spot for photos. We always make time for a proper visit to the world’s steepest street.
- University of Otago - As New Zealand’s first university and one of its largest, with around 20,000 students, a quick stop here offers a glimpse into Dunedin’s student culture. A short walk leads to the Leith River, which runs through the central campus, offering a stunning view of the original Clocktower Building from the 1870s.
- Olveston Historic Home - We explore the gardens of Olveston Homestead (free entry). A short walk reveals highlights such as the family’s vintage touring car, the original site of the old 1860s cottage, and the beautiful botanical conservatory. There’s also time to visit the magnificent gift shop inside the house.
- Speight’s Brewery - A key landmark in Dunedin, Speight’s Brewery has been producing beer since 1876, making it the oldest working brewery in the country. We make a quick stop here, allowing time to check out the gift shop and perhaps sample a wee drop of the good stuff.
- The Octagon - Our tour includes 1 hour of free time in the Octagon, Dunedin’s city center. This area is home to great gift shops, banks, ATMs, cafes, bars, and restaurants, as well as stunning heritage buildings like St. Paul’s Cathedral, Dunedin Town Hall, and the Regent Theater. Explore the Writer’s Walk, as Dunedin is recognized by UNESCO as an official “City of Literature.” There are street games and activities for all ages, making this lively central hub a must-see.
- Dunedin Railway Station - Dunedin’s Grand Railway Station is a highlight of our tour, symbolizing the city’s wealth in the early 20th century. We allow time to admire this massive building from the gardens and its beautiful interior.
- Toitu Otago Settlers Museum - One of New Zealand’s top museums, this cultural extravaganza celebrates the people of Dunedin and their incredible achievements. The museum houses a wealth of artifacts, showcasing local Maori history to present-day innovations. We usually stop here on rainy days, but we often drop off passengers here during our 1 hour of free time in the middle of the tour if they wish.
- St Clair Beach - If time allows, we visit St Clair Beach, Dunedin’s popular city beach. Spot surfers on the waves as we pass the beachfront cafes and bars on the Esplanade. We make a brief stop for photos before taking another scenic route back to the cruise ship.
What's Included
- Professional guide
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Port or Hotel pickup and drop-off
What's Not Included
- Lunch
Additional Information
Discover top attractions and iconic sites and lookouts around the city of Dunedin on this half-day city tour. Explore Dunedin with a guide and take in key sites of interest such as the World famous Baldwin Street, University of Otago, Olveston Homestead gardens and Dunedin’s Grand Railway Station. Awesome lookouts over Otago Harbour and from Signal Hill. Visit the Octagon (city centre) for some shopping and a bite to eat. All transport to and from the cruise ship wharf is included. Enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to 20 people. Daily departures are available for cruise passengers and city-based passengers.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- passengers must be able to access the steps on and off the vehicle un-assisted
Location
31 Beach Street
Beach Street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(71 Ratings)
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D8276zdreginas
Feb 15, 2023
Dunedin with Kim - Kim was a fantastic guide as he showed us the highlights of Dunedin. We had time to visit the city, plus we had lunch at the Larnach Castle. We visited the castle, too. Kim had exceptional knowledge and humor which made for a great day! It was the best excursion on our 12 day cruise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Africauganda1
Feb 15, 2023
Fabulous - Just Do It, Don't Have Second Thoughts. Its worth the money you pay very informative and helpful of Dunedin A+++++
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gus_e
Apr 12, 2022
ICONIC TOURS DUNEDIN - Kim was the most informative person on Dunedin and the environs.He really went out of his way to make our trip memorable. We learnt so much and went to places that only the locals would know. He had a very personable manner. Would thoroughly recommend any trip with Kim
Review provided by Viator
315megk
Jan 3, 2021
Dunedin is an amazing place to visit with Kim - I liked every icon we visited and it was amazing to go up and climb down the Baldwin St. Kim’s knowledge of the places we visited was excellent and mind blowing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Northstar593144
Mar 9, 2020
Great tour of Dunedin - Kim was our tour guide for this Dunedin tour. He did an excellent job getting us to all the high points we had on our list. We had opportunity to shop for souvenirs at The Octagon, plus we visited the Railway Station, a great lookout over the city, Baldwin Street and the cemetery. We also got to see beaches and the old “castle”. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Terry_o
Mar 4, 2020
I made it to the top of Baldwin St - overall a great tour, did the University, scenic views, brewery, Baldwin St. etc. Guide was well versed, knowledgeable and had a sense of humor (not cheeky or corney). I actually made it to the top of Baldwin St.
Review provided by Viator
Barbarasimon1
Mar 3, 2020
We recommend this tour - We had a fabulous time on this half-day tour. Excellent sightseeing and stops. Informative and fun. We highly recommend this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linsey_f
Mar 1, 2020
Excellent Tour - Alan was the perfect Tour Guide for us. He took the time to explain so much about Dunedin, that we were all made to feel very special. His knowledge of Dunedin’s history and culture was exceptional and we learn more than you would ever read in a book or the internet.
What a truly nice gentleman. He gave us workable boundaries regarding meeting times and could not do more for us. He even arranged for the pipers to be performing in the centre,which made us feel very much at home. Would 100% recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
109carissac
Feb 27, 2020
Perfect for Cruisers! - My family and I booked this as our shore excursion during our port day in Port Chalmers/Dunedin and had a wonderful day!
I honestly had low expectations as I thought we'd be hearded around like sheep from stop to stop, but this tour was such a great value where you get to visit so many great attractions for such a great price.
We visited the University of Otago, the Dunedin Railway Station, walked up Baldwin Street, and had free time to explore the Octagon area. Our favorite part was walking around the Octagon because the food there was such a treat!
Book a tour through these guys, and they'll take care of everything! You even get water and chocolate!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidsg2332pp
Feb 23, 2020
Excellent tour. - Really excellent tour. Guide was great and almost ended up as a full day tour as we visited so many places and were given as much time as we wanted. VFM is really good compared to cost of tours with cruise line.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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