Enjoy all the great features of the Castle to Cruise Tour and include a walking tour of Penguin Place.

Bus out from Dunedin to Larnach Castle. Your guide will show you through this magnificent building and tell you the scandalous and tragic history of the original owner, William Larnach who took his own life with a single shot to the head. Every room has been painstakingly restored by the Barker family who have spent many years returning the castle to its former grandeur. The rooms are once again filled with original artworks, clothing and furniture. Climb the spiral staircase to the rooftop tower for stunning 360° views of the Otago Peninsula. We highly recommend a short walk around the beautiful gardens, recognized to be of international significance.

You’ll then be taken to Wellers Rock Wharf for a one-hour Wildlife Cruise in search of stunning scenery and Southern Ocean wildlife like royal albatross and New Zealand fur seals.

Following the cruise it’s a short drive to the Penguin Place conservation reserve. Discover why beautiful, quirky Yellow Eyed Penguins are the most endangered of all the world’s penguin species. You’ll only find them in a few areas along the South East Coast of New Zealand and on a couple of remote sub-Antarctic islands.

A short bus ride over the farm takes small groups to the reserve, where your guide will lead you on foot through native bush to viewing hides. These hides allow close viewing and photography of birds returning ashore and around the nesting sites of this shy penguin. This is a great opportunity to see these rare birds in the wild. (viewing is varied depending on the time of year).

It’s not all about penguins though, as you walk through the regenerating native bush the guide will point out special native plants. The team at Penguin Place have planted thousand’s of trees and plants in recent years to provide a safe environment for the penguins. The are is also home to NZ fur seal and blue penguin populations.

You’ll learn about the conservation & volunteer work currently happening to ensure the survival of this special species. Your ticket cost goes directly towards helping these efforts continue into the future. Some tours will even get a behind the scenes look at the on-site penguin hospital, if sick or injured birds are being cared for on that day.

A medium level of fitness is required for this tour. You may be required to walk up to 1.5km and potentially use several flights of stairs.

Inclusions:

• Otago Peninsula bus tour

• Entry in to Larnach Castle

• Guided tour of Larnach Castle

• Monarch Wildlife Cruise

• Multi-language info sheets

• Access to warm jackets and complimentary binoculars

• Guided Tour through a Yellow-eyed Penguin Reserve.

Excluded:

• Food and drink not provided. Passengers can bring their own pre-packed lunch or purchase something light from the Ballroom Cafe.

We ask that our guests check-in at our 20 Fryatt Street, Dunedin office 15-minutes before the scheduled start time of your tour. Free carparks are available around this location.

Accommodation pickups can be requested from central Dunedin hotels, motels, backpackers, holiday parks and the iSite Visitor Centre. Pickup requests can be made when confirming your booking.

We don’t pickup from Airbnb’s or private residences.