Paihia
Book online or call: (888) 651-9785

Dolphin Cruise to the Hole in the Rock with Island Stopover - Afternoon Cruise

Paihia, New Zealand
  • 4 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
Recommendations

Overview

Slip through the famous 'Hole in the Rock' in New Zealand’s Northland during this half-day Bay of Islands cruise by high-speed catamaran. Pass rocky outcrops, sandy beaches and an array of islands as you make your way out to the Cape Brett Lighthouse, and Motu Kokako Island. Keep an eye out for dolphins and other marine and birdlife.
  • Navigate the famous 'Hole in the Rock' and Bay of Islands
  • See dolphins, penguins and other marine wildlife
  • Relax on a high-speed catamaran
  • Includes a one-way ferry ticket from Russell or Paihia

What's Included

  • Cruise to the mighty "Hole in the Rock"
  • Commentary
  • WiFi on board
  • Free one Way Ferry Ticket from Russell or Paihia
  • Dolphin Viewing
  • Islands and Beaches
  • Dolphin Viewing Guarantee
  • Food and drinks

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point
Type to search

Start time

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Meet your guide in Paihia or Russell for your half-day Bay of Islands cruise. A high-speed catamaran whisks you away to the Bay of Islands and expertly navigate its way through the famous 'Hole in the Rock' conditions permitting, located at the northern tip of Cape Brett.

Search the waters for an array of seabirds and marine life. Watch out for common and bottlenose dolphins, seals, penguins and even a whale or two. Learn about the history of the islands, especially the indigenous Maori and early European settlers, as you cruise through the Inner Islands of the Bay.

Hop off in Russell or Paihia for more exploring after your cruise and use your complimentary ferry ticket to get back.

Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands Day Tours

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Bay of Islands (Pass By)

Cape Brett Walkway (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Departures and itineraries may be subject to sea and weather conditions.
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 200 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

See more

Reviews

4.5
247 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
0
0
0
0
0
Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 247 reviews
Awesome trip
Eric_D, Mar 2021
Dolphins beside the boat and a great commentary! Thanks Captain Weather a little lumpy to go through the hole but this didn't reduce the quality experience
Response from Host, Apr 2021
Kia Ora Eric, Thanks for your 5 star review on your afternoon cruise with us travelling to the Hole in the Rock. We are glad the weather didn't dampen your experience with us! Cheers, Anna and the team at GreatSights
Highly recommended tour
Ritesh, Feb 2021
Highly recommended for anyone visiting bay of Islands, good day on the water & visiting otehi bay island and hole in a rock
Response from Host, Apr 2021
Kia Ora Ritesh, Thank you for highly recommending us to those that are visiting the Bay of Islands! We really appreciate it. Cheers, Anna and the team at GreatSights
Fun with the dolphins
Colin_D, Feb 2021
Seeing the dolphins swim alongside the boat and the dedication the crew put in to find the dolphins. It was excellent
Response from Host, Apr 2021
Kia Ora Colin, Thank you for review. It is great to hear the dolphins put on a bit of a show for you! Cheers, Anna and the team at GreatSights
5 star
Reilly_G, Dec 2020
Awesome trip. Crew were very friendly and informative. Loved seeing the dolphins. Urupekapeka is beautiful!
Response from Host, Dec 2020
Hi Reilly_G Thanks for your feedback , we are very proud of the teams that deliver these great experiences in the Bay of Islands so its awesome to be able to pass comments on to them like this Thanks for choosing us The Fullers GreatSights Team
Bay of Islands, a beauty not to miss
Theresa_S, Apr 2020
I'm going back there to see more...such an amazing breath-taking place....majestic and just beautiful!!
Response from Host, Apr 2020
Hi Tee Yes - we have to agree! Great we look forward to seeing you again soon Safe Travels The Fullers GreatSights Team
Enjoyable tour
Anita_G, Mar 2020
We went on this tour last week and had an enjoyable time. Tour was prompt - everybody was loaded and we were off right on time. Crew was professional, efficient, and courteous. We didn't see any whales or dolphins but no problem with getting a rain check for a free future trip. I can say the crew worked hard to find marine mammals for us - it certainly wasn't for lack of trying that we didn't see any. Despite this, we saw lots of birds, the islands were very scenic, and the Hole in the Rock impressive.
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Hi Anita_G Great that overall you had a good day and glad that you took advantage of the go again opportunity - sometimes the dolphins are off doing their own thing! We look forward to seeing you again soon the Fullers GreatSights Team
Excellent
Carol_R, Mar 2020
Boat was clean and comfortable Crew were great as was the commentary We seen dolphins as promised and the captain followed them so we seen them for a long time jumping and playing
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Hi Carol_R Thanks for joining us and great that the dolphins chose to make one of their regular appearance's Hope to see you back in the bay soon Regards Ryan
Mesmerizing
Amy_M, Nov 2019
So so glad I took this cruise, I probably could have not asked for anything more. Thank you so much.
tour operator should have cancelled the trip in view of the poor sea condition
WAIMAN_W, Oct 2019
sea condition was rough; could not go to the hole in the rock; could not even see the hole in the rock from afar; could not see any dolphin; tour operator should cancel the trip.
A Wonderful Trip
Nansong_M, May 2019
That's a really excellent and breathtaking tour for us. We've seen many dolphins. They swam around our ship. That's amazing. And the great scenery of Bay of Islands also bring the deep impress to us.
Great value for money
Debbie_W, Apr 2019
This was an excellent way to spend 3 hours. The Captain was both informative and humourous and coupled with sightings of dolphins, penguins, seals and numerous birds the 3 hours passed all too quickly. Unfortunately the slightly larger swell meant we couldn't sail through Hole in the Rock however this didn't detract from the trip. Highly recommend this trip
Bay of Islands Cape Brett "Hole in the Rock" Cruise.
Deborah_J, Mar 2019
We did this cruise in mid February. It was absolutely wonderful. The boat was spacious and well maintained. The crew was friendly and helpful. The cruise to the hole in the Rock was exactly as advertised. I would highly recommend this boat tour.
Hole int the Rock and Dolphins
Michael S, Feb 2019
The boat ride was a little long and chopy for us but we are not strong of stomach. Running into a family of dolphins and slowing down was the best part of the trip. We had half hour of dolphon jumping. What fun! The hole in the rock was interesting but not extraordinary.
1 traveler found this review helpful
The captain gave really fun...
Sarah W, Apr 2018
The captain gave really fun commentary and we saw some amazing dolphins on the way to Cape Brett. Good length of tour too.
A relaxing cruise and great photo...
Mary_R, Apr 2018
A relaxing cruise and great photo opportunity if you get a spot by the railing! Does get very windy so hold on to your hat. So fun going through the hole in the rock. Had the unexpected surprise of stopping to watch dolphins before returning to dock. A great family outing.
This tour was fantastic and the...
Anne G, Mar 2018
This tour was fantastic and the ships crew and Captain first class. The trip through the hole in the rock was superb. We even saw seals and dolphins.
This was an enjoyable and well...
David W, Mar 2018
This was an enjoyable and well informed cruise. The hole in the rock transit is something to remember.
The scenery of the Bay of Islands...
Patricia_W, Mar 2018
The scenery of the Bay of Islands was spectacular, but we found the cruise rather disappointing. The boat was packed so it was difficult to move around. There was no chance to go ashore or to swim, as mentioned in the tour information and it was barely 3 hours. We wasted time manoeuvring to pick up passengers at Russell due to the swell and a long time attempting to see dolphins, but only their fins were just visible. We were also unable to go through the much advertised hole due to the dimensions of the boat used and the weather conditions.
A very rough sea could not detract...
Stewart T, Mar 2018
A very rough sea could not detract from the enjoyment of this cruise which was very professionally managed and provided a very educational narrative
it was a great trip but were not...
Eric D, Mar 2018
it was a great trip but were not able to go through the hole in the rock due to abnormal swells
...

Questions?

Product code: 3910_CB_B