South Island · Canterbury
Kaikōura
Whale watching, dolphins and seals with the Seaward Kaikōura mountains meeting the ocean.
A narrow coastal town where the mountains fall straight into the Pacific. Sperm whales feed offshore year-round, and the peninsula walk is one of the best short coastal walks in the country.
Best time
Year-round
Island
South Island
Region
Canterbury
How we would build it in
Kaikōura works best as part of a South Island loop — two or three nights, with a weather buffer if you are heading to Fiordland. Tell us your dates and we will fit it into a route that makes sense.
Estimate a trip hereJourneys that include it
Sample itineraries
New Zealand Best Heaven
Our signature 12-day journey through both islands — geothermal Rotorua, the Southern Alps, Wānaka and Queenstown, finishing in Christchurch.
From
NZ$5,150per adult
South Island Classic
Seven days from Christchurch to Queenstown — Tekapo's turquoise water, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Milford Sound.
From
NZ$2,350per adult
Keep exploring
Nearby places
South Island · Otago
Queenstown
Adventure capital on Lake Wakatipu — bungy, jet boats, the gondola and world-class dining.
South Island · Fiordland
Milford Sound / Piopiotahi
A fiord of sheer cliffs and waterfalls in Fiordland National Park. Cruise or take a scenic flight.
South Island · Canterbury
Aoraki / Mount Cook
New Zealand's highest peak, glacier lakes, the Hooker Valley Track and a dark-sky reserve.
Make it part of the plan
See Kaikōura on your own itinerary.
Start with an estimate, or send us a message and we will design the route around your dates.