The 15 Best Evening Experiences in New Zealand

Oamaru: Penguins Evening Viewing Ticket - Waiting for the first blue heads

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 682 reviews · 1h 30m · from $28Our pick

Watch Ōamaru’s tiny blue penguins return from sea, hear expert commentary, and support local conservation during a chilly 90-minute evening visit.

“What could you not love about this experience with these cute penguins. We saw over 230 come back from a days fishing. The guides were great giving really interesting information. People need to behave, we are privileged to see these cute birds in their natural environment so we need to keep quiet and put our phones away without trying to break the rules. We also need to wrap up warm and wear a woolly hat as it gets chilly by 11pm!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Dunedin Tours, Evening Experiences, Guided, Penguin & Wildlife Encounters, Tour Reviews

Guided Evening Penguin Viewing Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, New Zealand

2.Guided Evening Penguin Viewing Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, New Zealand

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 471 reviews · from $34Top rated

Watch little blue penguins return to the Otago Peninsula, with expert guides, close views, wildlife, and practical tips for a chilly evening.

“Excellent presentation before the outdoor viewing. Penguins came to shore and everyone got a chance to view them. Wish there were some lights and an EXIT sign in the parking lot to guide us to the street afterward.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Canoes & Kayaks, Evening Experiences, Tauranga Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Glowworm Caves Tours

Tauranga: Evening Glowworm Kayak Tour

3.Evening Glowworm Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 311 reviews

Paddle Lake McLaren at sunset, then enter a glow-worm canyon by kayak on Tauranga’s memorable three-hour evening adventure.

“The tour has been very nice! Great nature, great story's while with the glowworms. Dinner is more a snack (crackers, cheese, pineapple, carrots abd one ginger beer). A star leas because it's too pricey for what it is.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland Tours, Canoes & Kayaks, Evening Experiences, Kayak Tours in Auckland, Tour Reviews, Tours

Auckland: Night Kayak Tour in Glowing Bioluminescent Waters

4.Night Kayak Tour in Glowing Bioluminescent Waters

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 259 reviews · 90 minutes - 2 hours · from $56

Paddle Auckland’s dark coastal waters as bioluminescent plankton glow blue beneath the stars on this guided small-group kayak tour.

“A fun and truly unique kayak tour. We had a beautiful, dark sky full of stars and a bay all to ourselves. Legend and C. were informative, friendly, and helpful without interrupting the amazing setting. Thank you!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Canoes & Kayaks, Evening Experiences, Tauranga Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Glowworm Caves Tours

Tauranga: Evening Glowworm Kayak Tour

5.Evening Glowworm Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 206 reviews · 3 hours · from $134

Paddle Lake McLaren at dusk, taste local treats, and watch thousands of glowworms light a canyon under the stars near Tauranga.

“Ellie was so fun and knowledgeable about the area and the glow worms (who knew they arent really worms?!) and she was such a strong kayaker!! The tour started with great cheese, olives and meats, followed by a safety briefing where we received fleeces, water proof coats and life jackets. Even though we brought our own waterproofs with us, Ellie insisted we use theirs for our comfort so our belongings didn’t get wet. She also provided us with Ocean Bags for our phones/cameras! The kayaking itself was in 2s and took around 1.5 hours. We saw LOADS of glow worms and lots of stars - so I’d recommend doing this…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Buffet Experiences, Evening Experiences, Maori Cultural Experiences, Maori Experiences in Rotorua, Rotorua Tours, Tour Reviews

Te Puia: Te Pō Evening Hāngī Buffet and Cultural Experience

6.Te Puia: Te Pō Evening Hāngī Buffet and Cultural Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 189 reviews · from $114

Enjoy a hāngī feast, Māori songs and haka, and hot chocolate beside Rotorua’s glowing Pōhutu Geyser at Te Puia.

“there is so much food! of all kinds. I was initially worried as I can be a picky enter but there really is something there for everyone. from soups to salad to a variety if hot food. performances were incredible too, only thing is that the hall is flat and there are SO many people there and so it could be hard to see if you are in the back. kids did get to sit up front however which was nice to see. overall such an incredible experience”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland Tours, Canoes & Kayaks, Evening Experiences, Kayak Tours in Auckland, Tour Reviews, Tours

Sunset kayak tour to Rangitoto Island

7.Sunset kayak tour to Rangitoto Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 168 reviews · from $152

Paddle to Rangitoto, hike to its summit for sunset, enjoy a Kiwi BBQ, then kayak back under Auckland’s city lights.

“Incredible! Even in the rain this was a spectacular experience! Definitely want to be in kayak shape to cross the channel! But 100% worth the trip! The guides were super friendly and knowledgeable. My husband and I loved every minute! Just a heads up even though they provide jackets— it’s best to pack warm! And bring a change of clothing if you don’t want to stay wet during the hike. Hope this helps!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Evening Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Wellington Tours

Zealandia by Night Tour

8.Zealandia by Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 140 reviews · from $59

Search for kiwi, tuatara, wētā, glow worms, and more on a guided night walk through Wellington’s Zealandia sanctuary.

“Oliver our guide was amazing. The two assistants were also very important in us having a successful tour as they go ahead and find the different animals. The special part of the night was we managed to see a Kiwi. We also got to see the Pepeketua which was exciting. We enjoyed it so much we went back for a walk through the next day and saw so many of the bird species. Such a fantastic place to visit.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Canoes & Kayaks, Evening Experiences, Kaikoura Tours, Kayak Tours in Kaikoura, Tour Reviews, Tours

Kaikoura: Sunset Evening Kayaking Tour

9.Sunset Evening Kayaking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 128 reviews · 3 hours · from $95

Kayak beneath Kaikoura’s evening mountains, watch fur seals at close range, and look for dolphins, penguins, and albatross.

“Wow, wow, wow, what more can I say. An amazing evening, the weather, the tide levels and the natural all seemed to hit perfect to give us the best experience. We paddled out further than expected due to the calm sea conditions and saw a colony of breeding seals. Saw some dolphins on the way back in. Absolutely superb.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Evening Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Wellington Tours, Wildlife

Zealandia Small Group Eco Wildlife Night Tour

10.Zealandia Small Group Eco Wildlife Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · from $74

Search for kiwi, tuatara, weta, glowworms, and more on a guided night walk through Wellington’s Zealandia sanctuary.

“We had a perfectly guided night tour through Zealandia. Our guide gave us a lot of information and enough time to listen, explore and discover everything. And what shall I say: We saw a lot of Tuataras, Wetas, Glowworms, 2 Hamilton froRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

3-Hour Experiences, Akaroa Tours, Evening Experiences, Penguin & Wildlife Encounters, Tour Reviews

Akaroa: Pohatu Little Penguins 3-Hour Evening Experience

11.Pohatu Little Penguins 3-Hour Evening Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 119 reviews · 3 hours · from $68

See wild white-flippered penguins at Pohatu from Akaroa on a scenic 4WD evening tour supporting 30 years of local conservation.

“Amazing views on the drive out there. checking the boxes we saw a few little penguins, very cute. guide is very knowledgble”

Check availability →Read our full review

Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, Evening Experiences, Maori Cultural Experiences, Maori Experiences in Rotorua, Rotorua Tours, Tour Reviews

Te Puia: Te Pō Indigenous Evening Experience with Dinner

12.Te Puia: Te Pō Indigenous Evening Experience with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 89 reviews · from $121

Review of Te Puia’s Te Pō evening in Rotorua, with Māori performance, hangi buffet, hot chocolate, and Pōhutu geyser after dark.

“Entertanment was informative and fun. Fantastic food. We enjoyed the geothermal event and learning about the Maori Culture.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Cruises & Boat Tours, Evening Experiences, Raglan Tours, Tour Reviews

Raglan: Scenic Harbour Sunset Cruise

13.Scenic Harbour Sunset Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 87 reviews · 1h 30m · from $38

Cruise Raglan Harbour at sunset past pancake rocks, Māori pā sites, and volcanic coast. Enjoy live stories, music, wildlife, and a licensed bar.

“Excellent experience. highly recommend. team were attentive. captain was on point with his talk about the area's history. very informative with a great sense of humour”

Check availability →Read our full review

Canoes & Kayaks, Evening Experiences, Kaikoura Tours, Kayak Tours in Kaikoura, Tour Reviews, Tours

Sunset Evening Kayaking Tour – Kaikoura

14.Sunset Evening Kayaking Tour – Kaikoura

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · from $99

Paddle Kaikoura’s coast at sunset, with guaranteed fur seals, possible dolphins, trained guides, stable double kayaks, and mountain views.

“Very professional in getting us acquainted with kayaking. Although we did see seals close u did not see dolphins which is ok because just being out in the water was fun. Also the guide was able to be with us since we could not do a more strenuous row,and still see the seals up close”

Check availability →Read our full review