Things to do in Kaikoura
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kaikoura
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best balance of settled seas, seal pups, availability and price.
Peak summer, warmest seas and longest days but highest prices and sell outs.
Humpbacks pass and ranges carry snow, but boat cancellations are highest.
Spring in early October, changeable weather and shoulder prices.
Best things to do in Kaikoura
Whale Watch Kaikoura
Year round sperm whale boat to the canyon, with a tail fluke dive as the payoff on most sailings.
Dolphin Encounter
Swim with wild dusky dolphins under permit, or watch huge acrobatic pods from the boat for less.
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway
Free clifftop and shoreline loop past seal colonies and uplifted rock platforms with mountain views.
Ohau Point Seal Colony
Free highway lookout over a breeding fur seal colony where pups play in rock pools below.
Albatross Encounter
Short pelagic boat trip where albatrosses with three metre wingspans feed metres from the boat.
Kaikoura Museum
Small modern museum covering Maori history, whaling and the 2016 earthquake that remade this coast.
Fyffe House
Kaikoura oldest house, an 1840s whaling station home built in part on whalebone foundations.
Wings Over Whales
Thirty minute fixed wing flight where you see a whole sperm whale from nose to tail below you.
Where to stay in Kaikoura
Town centre, West End and the Esplanade
first trip, no car, early boats
Walk to restaurants, the museum and most departures, with sea facing rooms on the Esplanade.
South Bay
quiet, walkers, photographers
Residential shore by the marina and Peninsula Walkway, a short drive or longer walk to town dinners.
Hapuku and the coast north of town
luxury lodge trip
Countryside between mountains and sea where the lodge is dinner and the evening, car essential.
Kaikoura Flat and inland motels
value, families, road trippers
Classic motel courts and holiday parks with kitchens and parking at the lowest proper room cost.
Think twice about
- Highway fronting rooms on State Highway 1
Through trucks run all night and a ground floor highway room spoils sleep before early boat check ins.
- Rural properties north or inland without a car
Farm stays and cottages assume you drive, taxi supply is thin and early departures are hard to reach.
- Listings beyond Kaikoura sold as Kaikoura
Places up the coast or toward Hanmer using the town name mean a long dark drive to a morning sailing.
Best restaurants in Kaikoura
Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses
Garden led lodge dining built on estate produce and Kaikoura seafood, the district special occasion table.
Hiku
Modern in town restaurant centred on Kaikoura seafood, with early breakfasts for boat days.
Zephyr Restaurant
Small chef run locals favourite with a short seasonal menu, book ahead or be turned away.
Nin's Bin
Beachside caravan selling grilled crayfish since 1977, eaten at tables by the sea.
Kaikoura Seafood BBQ
Roadside barbecue grilling crayfish, paua fritters and scallops for picnic tables by the water.
Coopers Catch Kaikoura
The town benchmark fish and chips, with blue cod and paua nuggets to eat by the sea.
Cafe Encounter
Sea view cafe famous for big breakfasts after dawn dolphin swims and strong coffee.
Black Rabbit Pizza
Relaxed pizza restaurant that handles groups, families and takeaway nights with ease.
Outdoor things to do in Kaikoura
Seal Kayak Kaikoura
Guided sea kayak along the peninsula where fur seals swim around the boats, best at sunset.
South Pacific Helicopters
Helicopter whale flights plus mountain landings and heli picnics above the Kaikoura coast.
Mt Fyffe Track
Steep DOC climb to a hut and summit with the definitive view over the peninsula and coast.
Kaikoura Coast Track
Private farmland coastal walk over one or two days through bush, farms and cliff coastline.
Koura Bay Golf Resort
Resort golf course in a lodge and vineyard setting on the coast north of town.
Kaikoura Golf Club
Friendly local club course with mountain views, welcome visitors and honest mid tier fees.
Seamist Fishing Charters
Half and full day fishing charters for cod and crayfish country species, catch filleted to take away.
Dave's Diving Kaikoura
The town only dive centre, guiding cold water dives in kelp forests and marine reserve coast.
Best hotels in Kaikoura
Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses
Luxury lodge and kanuka tree houses on a deer farm with a garden led restaurant.
Sudima Kaikoura
Modern full service hotel on the Esplanade with sea view rooms, a pool and Hiku restaurant.
The Pier Hotel
Historic waterfront pub hotel on the road to the seals, known for seafood and a local bar.
Kaikoura Waterfront Apartments
Self catering apartments with kitchens and balconies over the water toward the peninsula.
Brook House B&B & Cottages
Hosted bed and breakfast with garden cottages, included breakfast and honest local sea advice.
Admiral Court Motel
Well run classic motel with spacious kitchenette units, parking and owners who book your boats.
Dusky Lodge & Backpackers
Large well run hostel with dorms and private rooms, a big kitchen and a spa pool.
Kaikoura TOP 10 Holiday Park
Holiday park with sites, cabins and units close enough to town to walk to dinner.
Is Kaikoura expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NZ$180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NZ$380 a person |
| Splurge | NZ$850 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Whale Watch Kaikoura: weeks ahead
- Dolphin Encounter: weeks ahead
- Albatross Encounter: a few days ahead
- Wings Over Whales: a few days ahead
- Seal Swim Kaikoura: a few days ahead
- Seal Kayak Kaikoura: a few days ahead
- South Pacific Helicopters: weeks ahead
- Kaikoura Coast Track: weeks ahead
- Dolphin swims are permit capped and sell out first. Book Whale Watch early in your stay for a weather rebooking day.
Is Kaikoura safe?
- Keep at least 10 metres from seals and never swim at unpatrolled exposed beaches. Emergency number is 111.
Kaikoura travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- A one night stop staking the trip on a single morning boat. Pre 2016 guides describing closed seal pup access.
Getting around Kaikoura: public transport and more
- Walk the compact centre and Esplanade. Drive for Ohau Point, Mt Fyffe and Hapuku. The Coastal Pacific train is the scenic no car arrival.
Who Kaikoura suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Kaikoura your trip
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