Top Waiheke Island Nature and Wildlife Tours

Indulge in the succulent tastes of Waiheke Island on a 5.5-hour food and wine tour. An informative guide picks you up from your island accommodation or the wharf — if you’ve taken the ferry from Auckland — and takes you to boutique wineries. Taste wine accompanied by locally produced specialties such as award-winning olive oil, fresh-shucked oysters and artisan cheese. Then settle in for a platter lunch at a vineyard restaurant. If you like, stay longer and make your own way back to Auckland at your leisure.

Explore Waiheke Island at your own pace, with all-day tickets for a hop-on, hop-off island explorer bus. Plan the perfect day with help from the onboard host, then see the things that interest you most, choosing from 8 stops near vineyards, galleries, beaches, and trailheads. This full-day Waiheke Island experience offers a personalized combination of nature, culture, and food, and departs from Matiatia every 30 minutes throughout the day.

Discover the wine scene of Waiheke Island on a wine-tasting tour that introduces you to some of the island's best spots. With a small group and guide, taste world-class boutique wines and meet local producers who provide the chance to get to know the island's culture a little better. Along the way, admire the native bush and vineyard scenery.

Explore pretty Waiheke Island's beaches, vineyards, and rolling scenery on a full-day, small-group tour that includes tastings at three boutique vineyards. You'll get an overview and orientation of the island, stopping for great views and sandy beaches, and learn about local wine production as you sip Waiheke vintages. Group size is limited to six people to ensure personal service, with pickup and drop-off at the Matiatia Ferry Terminal or island hotels.

Indulge at some of Waiheke Island’s most appealing eating and drinking spots without worrying about how to get around after enjoying a few wines. On this small-group tour, listen to informative commentary as you visit scenic spots, vineyards, and restaurants. Your local guide is a wine enthusiast, so you can learn about (and taste) the finest local drops.

Soar through the treetops of Waiheke Island on a zipline tour with aerial views of the Hauraki Gulf. After a quick ferry from Auckland, your half-day tour of Waiheke Island starts with a brief overview of the idyllic island by minivan and ends with an interpretive bushland walk. Numbers are limited to a maximum of 12 participants to ensure a more personalized experience in a small group.

Take a premium wine tour of Waiheke Island and sip fine wines at this famed North Island destination, just a ferry ride away from Auckland. An informative local guide accompanies you to award-winning boutique vineyards and shares knowledge of the island and its viticulture along the way. Includes wine tasting fees and round-trip island transport from the ferry terminal by luxury minibus.

Discover the wines of Waiheke on a day trip from Auckland with a small-group tour that visits boutique vineyards. It’s easy to hop a morning ferry and cross the Hauraki Gulf for the short ride to the island. Your guide meets you upon arrival and shares lively commentary as you head to local vineyards for tastings. Afterward, transfers to your lunch venue of choice and the return ferry are provided.

Catch the 9 am ferry from Auckland City to arrive on Waiheke just a short 35 minutes later. We will pick you up from the ferry at Matiatia wharf where our Magic Tour begins. Scenic drive along Oneroa bay via Delamore Lodge to the town art centre and shops making our way to Palm beach look out point via little Oneroa beach our 1st stop for photo opportunity followed by a short walk to the beach make our way to Casita Miro for our 1st wine tasting followed by a dramatic entrance to the best beach on the island Onetangi beach our 2nd photo opportunity stop, followed by Olive oil tasting at Rangihoua Estate onward to Mudbrick for 2nd wine tasting followed by lunch (Not included) finally we drop you for the 2pm ferry . The choice of wineries may change due to availability on the day and ferry fare not included.

Active travelers can enjoy a guided hike amid the beautiful nature of Waiheke Island without getting lost. The small-group tour ensures that hikes are personalized to your needs and interests. Your expert guide will meet you direct from the ferry terminal, brief you on the day, and tell you all about the nature and history of the island en route. Have a leisurely and scenic lunch at Oneroa Village.

Waiheke Island is an artsy and creative place, and on this tour you’ll discover the best of its arts scene with the help of a local guide. Visit sculpture parks, artists’ studios, and galleries while learning about the creative history of the island—and without the risk of getting lost on the trails! The walk is leisurely so is suitable for a variety of fitness levels.

Hike across Waiheke Island, stopping at vineyards on the way, without the risk of getting lost on this half-day guided walk. Your guide will help you spot native wildlife—which is notoriously shy in New Zealand—and lead you to the best lookout points on the island. Sample some of Waiheke Island’s famous wines and have lunch at a vineyard.

Explore Waiheke Island on foot and gain insight into the region’s rich Maori heritage on a walking tour. Hike along winding trails and enjoy sweeping views over the beaches and Hauraki Gulf from the soaring coastal headlands. Along the way, listen as your Maori guide sheds light on the region’s deep roots and shares stories about the island’s past. Stop at a local vineyard and learn of the diverse grape varietals thriving in the fertile soils, then finish with a wine tasting.

Discover the outer Hauraki Gulf aboard the 41-foot catamaran Pacific Star, with daily departures from Waiheke Island. We’ll stop at a pest-free island for a guided walk, plus you’ll have opportunities for swimming, snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding. Our guide will help you learn about the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, its islands and people. You’ll spot seabirds and may see dolphins, and even whales, as we glide along with the wind in our sails. This unique eco adventure is the only day sailing trip offered in the outer gulf and departing from Waiheke Island. If you’d like to take the helm or help us trim the sails, skipper Bruce will be happy to show you the ropes. Your itinerary will depend on the wind direction and weather, so that we can give you the most enjoyable and comfortable experience.

Take a guided walk through the beautiful nature of Waiheke Island so you don’t get lost exploring the beaches and forests on your own. Your guide will point out native wildlife and birds, and tell you all about the unique plant life of New Zealand and the island. This is an ideal day out for active travelers who enjoy being outdoors, plus you can go swimming or relax afterwards, as the tour ends at a beach.

Our accredited nature and forest therapy guide will lead your group through a series of invitations to deliberately slow down, and to become present and mindful, while gently walking in a beautiful location. We will conclude with a tea ceremony to integrate the experience. And, this all takes place on beautiful Waiheke Island, just 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. Minimum booking: 4 people

IMPORTANT: TO BOOK THIS CHARTER, PLEASE SET THE NUMBER OF TRAVELERS = 1. YOU CAN BRING UP TO 11 FRIENDS WITH YOU! Discover the outer Hauraki Gulf aboard the 41-foot catamaran Pacific Star, with daily departures from Waiheke Island. Your charter is for exclusive use of the yacht with two crew (captain and host). We can stop at a pest-free island for a guided walk, plus you’ll have opportunities for swimming, snorkeling and stand-up paddleboarding. Our guide will help you learn about the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, its islands and people. You’ll spot seabirds and may see dolphins, and even whales, as we glide along with the wind in our sails. This is the only day sailing trip offered in the outer gulf and departing from Waiheke Island. If you’d like to take the helm or help us trim the sails, skipper Bruce will show you the ropes. Your itinerary will depend on the wind direction and weather, so that we can give you the most enjoyable and comfortable experience.

For private groups of 2-8, we offer a range of specialist walking options. We’ll provide a tailor-made itinerary and confirm all arrangements on your behalf. Small, personal and private walking tours with an experienced local guide A wide range of options including walking tours all over Waiheke Island, coastal tracks, art walks or guided wellbeing walks Itinerary and pace to suit your interests and requirements If you would prefer a shorter walk, please contact us for special arrangements If you are interested in visiting artist studios, please refer to our Private Art Walk

Join naturalist Olive Andrews for a special day discovering the oceanography of the Hauraki Gulf, its natural history and the biology of marine life including seabirds, marine mammals and fish. Olive is a marine mammal researcher, ocean policy expert and polar guide, who lives on Waiheke Island. Our conservation cruises include a visit to the gannet colony on Horuhoru Rock, home to 2500 nesting pairs and one of only five such sites in New Zealand. The Hauraki Gulf is known as the seabird capital of New Zealand and is also home to resident and migratory megafauna including dolphins, orca, Bryde's whale, fin whales, sei whales and pygmy blue whales. Experience the underwater soundscape via a hydrophone and perhaps meet dolphins and orcas. The cruise is perfect for children (8+) and adults alike. It includes a delicious lunch, plus we'll anchor in a secluded bay accessible only by boat, for some swimming, snorkelling, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding.