City Highlights Plus Albatross

Overview

Six hours with Fantail Tours Limited buys you a loop through Dunedin's city sights and out along the Otago Peninsula, capped with a full hour inside the Royal Albatross Centre, entry ticket included. The route starts in town with a stop at Baldwin Street, the world's steepest street, then moves to the Dunedin Botanic Garden before the drive out onto the peninsula, passing its coastal scenery along the way. The albatross centre is the anchor of the day, where conservators talk through the birds' life cycle while nesting adults and chicks sit on the headland. The return leg brings you back through the city with a stop at the Dunedin Railway Station.

The group is capped at 18 travellers, and GST is included in the price. Lunch is not, and reviewers describe a practical workaround: the guide stops at a grocery store so passengers can buy sandwiches for a picnic later. Several travellers also mention photo stops at viewpoints beyond those written in the itinerary.

Guides rotate, but the reviews repeatedly single out the commentary as the strength of the tour, covering geology, plants, wildlife, local history and Māori context on the drive out. One reviewer summed it up as one of their favourite excursions of the past year, largely because of that running commentary and the chance to see albatross on the nest.

Itinerary

1. Baldwin StreetA 10-minute stop at the world's steepest street.
2. Dunedin Botanic GardenA 20-minute visit.
3. Otago Peninsula driveThe route passes by the Otago Peninsula, with photo stops at viewpoints described by reviewers along the coastal scenery.
4. Royal Albatross CentreOne hour at the centre, with the admission ticket included in the tour price. Conservators at the centre present the breeding colony, and reviewers mention seeing nesting birds, chicks, and albatross flying along the cliffs.
5. Dunedin Railway StationA 10-minute stop, on the return through the city.

Common Questions