Cruise Ship Tours

Iconic Tours offer the following great options for those visiting Dunedin by cruise ship. We will meet you on the wharf as you disembark the ship, look for your name on our Iconic Tours sign board. Our various cruise ship tour options are listed below. After an action packed day of sightseeing and activities of your choice (see available 'Add-on' attractions below) we ensure your safe and timely arrival back to the ship.

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Cruise Ship Private Tours

Iconic Cruise Tour 1.
City Sights Tour

Start from ship at Port Chalmers wharf, travel along the harbour road to Dunedin city to enjoy a full day of sightseeing visiting many of Dunedin's great attractions.

Highlights

Iconic Tours Full-Day Cruise Tour includes the following:

tour of the University of Otago, New Zealand's oldest and most prestigious university
visit Baldwin Street, the World's steepest street! Walk up or we may drive you to the top
visit Mt Cargill or Signal Hill lookout for a grand view of Dunedin city and harbour and Otago Peninsula
see Dunedin's renowned Botanical Gardens
tour the town belt to view Queens Drive with commentary on the historic mansions and grand heritage buildings
visit Dunedin's Railway Station, built in the style of Flemish Renaissance

Full-Day Cruise Tours may include even more attractions listed below:

guided native forest bush walk near Botanical Gardens to examine NZ native trees and plants.
transfer to the Octagon (city centre) for a spot of shopping and your choice of cafe or restaurant for lunch or refreshments
tour of the Exchange Precinct (near city centre) full of incredible examples of Victorian architecture.
tour of the Otago Museum (with optional Butterfly House)
visit St Clair Beach for a stroll on the Esplanade, taking in the sights and watching the surfers catch the waves.
tour along the hills of Otago Peninsula for photo opportunities and commentary about Dunedin's natural history.

* Time and weather conditions may restrict access to some areas. Please call or email for more information.

Iconic Cruise Tour 2.
City Sights plus Larnach Castle

A full-day City Sights Tour taking in many of Dunedin's iconic buildings, landmarks and scenic lookouts. Included is a fully guided tour of Dunedin's famous Larnach Castle high up on the hills of the Otago Peninsula.

Highlights

Experience breath-taking views along the Otago Peninsula high road with photo stops on-route to the Castle.
Our guide will escort you throughout the entire castle, from the gun room below to the views from the turret and all the marvels in between.
Enjoy our personal attention to detail as we show you William Larnach’s world and tell of his amazing life story.
Larnach Castle's spectacular garden is one of national significance and there is usually time for a stroll before we go

*All entry fees are included & refreshments provided. Please call or email us for more information.

Iconic Cruise Tour 3.
City Sights plus Taieri Gorge Heritage Train Journey

Starting from the ship at Port Chalmers, we travel along the harbour road to Dunedin city for an informative introduction to the day. We then transport you to Dunedin's grand Railway Station where you will board the famous Taieri Gorge Train. After the train journey we continue with a City Sights Tour or choose an optional Add-on Tour to enjoy before we head back to the ship.

Highlights

Travel along the historic railway built during the Otago gold rush period to Pukerangi Station or Middlemarch.
Wonderful scenery can be viewed along the way as you travel through the iconic landscapes of Central Otago.
The heritage train features traditional carriages with many original fittings including open air balconies at each end.
Giant viaducts and historic bridges can be viewed in detail as the train stops at certain points of interest.
Iconic Tours provide a complimentary cheese board and bottle of NZ bubbly to enjoy on board the train.
The train also has a cafe/dining carriage for extra food and refreshments on the trip.

*The Taieri Gorge Train journey takes around 4 to 6 hours depending on the day. This provides enough time for more sightseeing or one more add-on city attraction before we head back to the ship.

**Some Otago Peninsula Tours are not possible in conjunction with the Taieri Gorge Train Add-on. Please call or email for more information.

Iconic Cruise Tour 4.
City Sights plus Olveston

Involves a full-day city sights tour with the additional guided tour of Olveston Historic Homestead

Highlights

Unique opportunity to experience a fully guided tour through a fine example of a Victorian-era stately homestead.
Olveston has been gifted to the city in 1966 by Dorothy Theomin who's family built the home in 1906. The property has been kept in immaculate original condition and ever since has remained a living museum.
The home features an extensive collection of period furniture, art, souvenirs and ornaments collected from around the world.
It is also possible to view an immaculate vintage Fiat motor vehicle housed in the garage.

*Olveston Tour Add-on is available with other add-on attractions which you can include on your full-day Dunedin cruise ship tour itinerary.

Iconic Cruise Tour 5.
City Sights plus Gardens Spectacular

Involves a full-day city sights tour with additional guided tours of Dunedin's authentic Chinese Garden, Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens and Larnach Castle Gardens.

Highlights

Fully guided tours of three significant gardens in the Dunedin area, each one with its own special and unique features.
The three feature gardens we visit are Dunedin Botanic Gardens, Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens and Larnach Castle Gardens. A number of other gardens are available to visit and can be incorporated into a full-day tour (see below).
Complimentary New Zealand wine and cheese are provided on this tour to enjoy a picnic setting on tour.
Great opportunity to experience exotic and native plant species and see how they thrive in New Zealand's wonderful growing conditions.
Otago Museum's Tropical Forest Butterfly House is an optional extra tour showcasing exotic butterflies and chrysalis from around the globe. Excellent photographic opportunities of butterflies and skinks (geckos).
Dunedin's authentic Chinese Gardens are a described as "an oasis in the city" and represent strong ties with Dunedin's sister city Shanghai. These gardens provide an opportunity to reflect, relax and marvel at the incredible workmanship undertaken in their construction. Well worth the visit.

*This tour may be conducted at a pace that suits you. The gardens are large and diverse and many people find there is enough to see within the featured three main gardens to keep one occupied for the whole day. However we endeavour to tailor a garden tour around your interests.

Iconic Cruise Tour 6.
City Sights plus Cadbury Chocolate Factory and Speight's Brewery

Dunedin is home to an enormous chocolate factory (Cadburys Chocolate) as well as a historic and legendary brewery (Speight's Ales). Both places offer excellent guided tours of their facilities, sampling and tasting is of course included as part of the tours... so why not do both?!

Iconic Tours offer these two great tours as optional Add-on tours to our full-day City Sights Tour.

Highlights (Cadburys Chocolate Factory)

A fun filled and fascinating guided tour around the Cadbury Dunedin chocolate factory.
Sample Cadbury products along the way and obtain access to a special discount Cadbury World Store on site!
The Cadbury World Store has a wide range of special products including chocolates, clothing, hats, bags, toys, novelty items and many other souvenirs.

*The Cadbury Chocolate Factory Tour Add-on can be chosen with one of the wildlife tours on the Otago Peninsula.

Highlights (Speight's Brewery)

A fully guided tour through New Zealand's famous Speight's Brewery - sample the ingredients that go into Speight's Ales.
Discover the history of beer making, the brewing process and how to make traditional wooden beer casks.
Visit the Speight's shop & purchase genuine Speight's souvenirs and take part in beer tasting of a variety of ales!

*The Speight's Brewery Tour Add-on is available with Iconic's full-day City Sights Tours.
** Choosing to do both the Cadbury and Speight's Tour Add-ons is recommended with a full-day Iconic City Sights tour.

Iconic Cruise Tour 7.
Otago Peninsula Tours

Start from the ship at Port Chalmers wharf, travel along the harbour road to Dunedin and head to the Otago Peninsula, home to the rare Yellow Eyed Penguins and majestic Royal Albatross.

Experience the pristine views of Otago Harbour from high up on the Otago Peninsula. View rugged beaches, quaint townships, tranquil islands and abundant bird-life on our full-day and half-day Iconic Otago Peninsula Tours. Photo opportunities galore as we tour through a number of interesting and beautiful areas within this special part of Dunedin's landscape.

Visit locally operated arts and crafts shops and galleries, see plenty of sheep on the small farms. Learn about local Maori who lived on the Peninsula many centuries before European arrival.

Add-on Wildlife Tour Options:

Take a full-day Iconic Otago Peninsula Tour and add-on one or both of the following wildlife tours:

Penguin Place (Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve)

View up close the extremely rare and endangered Yellow Eyed Penguin.
Penguin Place is a Nature Reserve with a long standing commitment to conservation and providing a safe haven for these special penguins.
The reserve has specialist viewing huts and hides built to minimise human impact on the penguins and their natural environment.
Unsurpassed photographic opportunities available on this tour!

Royal Albatross Colony (Albatross Observatory Tour)

Visit the only mainland breeding colony of the magnificent Northern Royal Albatross right out on the headland of the Otago Peninsula.
This particular species of albatross is one of the largest in the world with a wingspan sometimes in excess of 3 metres in length!
Tours take you up to the Observatory where nesting albatross rear their chicks. Shags (cormorants) make their nests nearby the observatory and NZ Fur Seals can often be seen down on the rocks.

Wildlife Adventure Tour (Natures Wonders)

An exciting off-road farm adventure which takes in the Otago Peninsula's wildlife at its best.
1 hour tour takes place on a spectacular & secluded section of coastline.
Walk amongst a New Zealand Fur Seal colony and see and shags and penguins in their natural habitat.

*Please feel free to call or email us for more information on any of our tours and services.