Auckland: Day Sea Kayak Tour Of Rangitoto Island

You can count yourself lucky if you get BEN as a guide. He was more than just our guide, he became part of our group and gave us an experience that I'll never forget.

Amazing experience. Ben was extremely knowledgeable about all the islands and the day was beautiful.

Horrible experience! Booking a few months ahead was a mistake! When the cruise ship arrived that day we went to check out the tour location for the next day and found omissions from the Tour Listing. "It did / does not mention the Kayak Row of 3.25 miles each way, across a very very busy channel". Realizing there was no way for our group of 7, aged 60-71 would be able to row 6.5 miles. That distance omission was / is significant and a show stopper. I contacted the tour company as soon as we realized, 22 hours before the excursion was to begin to cancel and seek a refund (Keep in mind the ship had just arrived) Answer was NO! Discussed further and tried to explain, NO! Contacted Viator and explained everything, Answer was NO! Not even a swap or partial refund, no admission of any misinformation.. UNACCEPTABLE!! I have been using Viator for 3 years in multiple countries and events. I, and my group will no longer use and support Viator ever again. Nor would I recommend the Kayak trip to anyone! You may have kept my money, but you have lost in the long run.

Awesome day experience with the guide Dan. The day we did our tour was not the best weather but was still a great day and catered well to my partners dietary requirements for lunch. 100% recommend!

We had a beautiful day for kayaking and hiking! It's not for the faint of heart as the hiking portion can be strenuous at times, but it is definitely worth doing this tour. Lunch provided after the hike was delicious! We had an excellent tour guide, Ben, who you can tell loves what he does. He was very gracious when I was struggling a bit on the hiking portion. He also made sure that everyone stayed together during the kayaking and hiking. Highly recommend Ben for your tour guide on this excursion.

Had a fantastic time co-guiding with guide Ben on the Duke of Edinburgh silver trip with the Baradene College students. The 3 night, 4 day trip was well organised and set up efficiently from the beginning. The gear was sorted, the students were looked after and it was a well-executed trip. The easy-going nature of guide Ben meant that the students found it stress-free. Safety systems were top-notch, meaning that the teenagers were well cared for and in safe hands. Of note was the educational experience that the students received. Ben went to great lengths to ensure that the students had a robust knowledge of navigation and were ready to lead their sections of the trip. He equipped them with the thinking needed to carry out their leadership responsibilities while supporting them to make safe decisions. This was apparent as he would get the group to huddle and reflect, then discuss while informing them of what was needed. All in all, it was an easy trip as a co-guide because it was stress-free and the students had a lot of fun!

Our Tour Guide today was Ben, he was amazingly insightful & made it a very special day. Right from the safety briefing to the guided tour & delicious lunch he was caring & helpful. Thank you Ben for such a great day that I would highly recommend anyone regardless of your experience. Cheers Phil

We had an amazing day with Daniel! He’s an amazing guide and knew so much about the plant life, birds and answered any questions we had. The kayak ride was nice and leisurely. The water was quite calm and the weather was ideal. The hike was an incline but not bad at all and the views at the top of Rangitoto are absolutely worth it! The day started at St Heliers beach at 8:30 and ended at the same place about 2 pm which was perfect leaving time in the day to walk around and have a nice dinner. Definitely worth it for anyone visiting!

The best experience I’ve done in New Zealand so far! I loved every second of the activity, our instructors Ben and Camilla were so knowledgeable and friendly, the views were incredible, food was delicious, and the kayaking was unforgettable, especially in the dark. I was blown away by how much equipment we were given, fleeces, coats, torches, splash skirts, shoes and more!! Way beyond my expectations. Would recommend to anyone :))

Great day out & a must do when in Auckland. Love the great outdoors so a great way to see & experience Auckland.

Our guide Daniel was terrific. Based on the condition of the water and incoming rain, he provided us with an alternative option for our kayak trip to avoid rough water. We headed to Browns Island where we hiked to see inside the old volacano crater. Afterward, we paddled back to a private beach area and enjoyed a delicious lunch. The paddle back was difficult but short. Had we headed to Rangitoto Island, it would have been very difficult. Thanks to Daniel for making the best of our excursion!

The Brown Island excursion was magnificent! We were originally supposed to go to Rangitoto, but we had to change our destination because of the wind. We were not disappointed, quite the opposite. The island was magnificent and the view from its summit over Auckland Bay was incredible! Ben, our guide, was very knowledgeable and full of good energy. The barbecue was so good! I found it incredible to discover such a wild place near Auckland, I really recommend it 100%.

Our adventure was so incredible!! Keyateleeanne was so easy to ask questions to, and we learned so much about the island and NZ! Keyateleeanne was such an awesome guide to chat with as we explored! So glad we got to go on this tour! Would highly recommend kayaking, hiking, or maybe even mini golfing with Keyateleeanne!

I cannot give enough compliments to our wonderful tour guide, k8l31ghn! She was so great at answering our questions (each and every one), and made me feel comfortable as a beginning kayaker. It was really cool to have a young woman like k8l31ghn as a guide, and she really helped us think of fun things to do in Auckland for our last night! Thank you k8l31ghn!

Kaiyghtlyieghnn was an incredible tour guide! We had so much fun today as more beginner kayakers. Our guide, Kaiyghtlyieghnn, was so knowledgeable about the area and answered all of our many questions! Her company was so wonderful and made our last day in NZ so much better. Thank you, Kaiyghtlyieghnn!

Kaightlynn was such a great tour guide! We had had an absolute blast with her even tho most of our group was beginner kayakers . She was so funny to chat with and had many answers and stories for our many questions!

Everything was perfect thanks to our amazing guide Daniel! He was kind, patient, knowledgeable, fun, and a great cook!

The tour was great! Only been here for a few days, but this was my favorite experience in New Zealand! My guide Ben was awesome—very fun and knowledgeable to answer all of my questions about kayaking and Rangitoto island.

This is the perfect tour for anyone interested in seeing the natural sights while in Auckland. Ben, the guide was amazing with his knowledge of Rangitoto Island / Auckland and was helpful in trying to answer all our questions. You do need a moderate level of fitness to complete the tour, but do not worry, you are supported all the way!

Stunning Rangitoto! Oft seen, never visited before. A’la Carte picnic too boot. Ben - guide - very patient (/tolerant).

We had a great day! Ben is knowledgeable, warm, fun, caring, and professional. I would recommend Ben as a guide to anyone! Warm up and stretch to paddle for an adventure filled and beautiful day!

Fantastic experience with the perfect mix of kayaking and hiking. Our guide, Ben, was an incredible guide. You could tell he is passionate about New Zealand and took great care of us. Would recommend to anyone looking for an adventure!

Ben was a great guide, easy free pick up from city location & return. Was a good mix of kayak (an hour there & hour return) plus hike up to view crater of old volcano

It was a wonderful experience, I would highly recommend to visitors! The kayaking and hiking was so fun, and our guide was great!

What a great trip to Rangitoto Island. Guide (Ben) was friendly, very clear about safety instructions and had good knowledge of the area. We hiked to the top of the volcano for fantastic views and then had a delicious grilled lunch with some salads before paddling back. Wonderful experience overall and would do any of their trips.

Paddling out across the harbour was amazing! Our guide Benjamin provided good safety instruction, encouragement, useful tips and local information. The BBQ lunch was delicious!

We had such a great time paddling to Rangitoto and exploring the island with Ben. Ben is such a great guide. He looked out for our safety, shared his love for this beautiful world, challenged us to do fun things (including exploring a lava cave), worked very hard, fed us a delicious meal and paced the whole afternoon and evening. I recognize how challenging it is to have that kind of leadership energy day after day, trip after trip. Impressive! Paddling back to Auckland in the dark with the skyline in the distance was stunning. This excursion is a highlight of our trip to New Zealand. My daughter and I are in good shape. Just know that this trip is very physical. You end up paddling a 5K (twice) and walking about 5k more—in addition to lifting heavy sea kayaks. Be prepared to work as a team in order for this trip to be a success. We thoroughly enjoyed the other people in our group. If you have the time and fitness to do this trip, book it!!

We were lucky to have perfect weather for this daylong adventure. Be sure to be prepared to row for between 2 and 3 hours total (round trip) and hike for an additional hour on some steep inclines. But the views are great and the day was wonderful. The food they cooked was delicious and felt so welcome after the hike.

Great trip, everything was so well organised and Ben was a brilliant guide. Friendly, helpful, informative and he made sure we were all safe. We lucked out with good weather and a small group of lovely people. Views from the top of rangitoto were awesome and the kayak trip back in the dark pretty special. Oh yes and the bbq dinner was delicious. Would definitely recommend the sunset tour. Thanks so much!

Really enjoyed the trip and Ben was a great tour guide - always happy to help you with your equipment and share some facts along the way. Also thought the optional pick up from Auckland city centre was very handy. You need moderate fitness for this, and it did get tiring when the sun came out (wouldn’t recommend on a really hot day), but all in all, it was very fun for a day out!

Amazing! Our guide Ben was so brilliant - felt super safe the whole time and he was very knowledgeable about the local area. We had a great time on the island and Ben made sure my veggie lunch was kept separate from the meat (much appreciated!). Overall brilliant day (little tiring) but totally worth it!

Exhausting and satisfying! Beautiful views, leisurely pace, and fascinating geological history. Thanks to our guide Caitlyn!

Best day ever! We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and experience. Daniel was funny, great coach, genuinely concerned, hospitable, a delicious chef and informative. We could feel the pride in his company and his country.

Amazing day, great kayaking. It was very windy but Ben, our guide was in total control and we were safe at all times. Great views and good food. Really relaxing on the island and great company.

Great trip and Bennett was an awesome guide! Beautiful scenery and a great lunch. Paddle was great but a little challenging, definitely not for the faint of heart and some kayaking experience is very helpful!

Guide not helpful. Requires a lot more work on customers. Long trip to and back. Guide needs to do a better job of figuring out who is paired with who in kayaks.

The day kayak tour to Rangitoto was unforgettable! Our guide, Cody, made the experience enjoyable and stress-free from beginning to end. The delicious BBQ lunch was a fantastic touch. Even with no prior kayaking experience, we felt comfortable the entire time. I highly recommend this adventure!

Richard took us out for a daytime trip to rangitoto and we had a blast! Richard was so knowledgable and a good laugh- even got some songs out of him. They cater for all dietary requirements too- had a nice vegan lunch on the island. Would definitely recommend.

We had a fantastic time with our host Ben! The weather wasn't on our side so we went to Motokorea (Brown Island) instead. This was fabulous we had the place to ourselves and got to explore the island. Ben kept the whole trip light and fun despite the weather and cooked up some great food on the beach. Would definitely recommend this to anyone!

We had a great day out with our guides Ben and Kobe and three other couples. All equipment was provided and appropriate regard was had to safety briefings etc. It’s quite an active day with a 60-90 minute kayak each way, with a couple of hours walking up and back to the summit of the volcano (about 1000 feet high). Fortunately our guides knocked up a very decent hot lunch after our hike to energise us for the return leg of the kayak. In summary, an excellent, active and enjoyable day out, with friendly guides.

The trip was beautiful and ran really smoothly. Ben looked after us with confidence and humour and a lovely lunch to boot! Great way to spend a day

Amazing adventure! Eric was our guide and made the trip easy. Good instruction on paddling and great steaks grilled on the beach. The hike up the volcano was challenging but doable and the paddle home in the dark was exciting. I would do this again!

Awesome experience! Daniel our guide was fantastic! Very knowledgeable, helpful and reassuring. Told us everything we needed to know about paddling and safety before we set out, shared lots of interesting info on the walk to the summit of Rangitoto and cooked a fabulous lunch as well. Great support on the paddle home, offering extra technique tips and ongoing encouragement. Thoroughly recommend and definitely hope to do it again.

Booking this trip was easy, with really good communication from the outset. My questions always answered by close of play that day Meeting Chloe at the museum was very straightforward. Such a friendly tour guide, the group were safe at all times. With a nice BBQ after the walk. Thanks Chloe for a lovely day

Did the day tour to Rangitoto with Daniel, who was an amazing guide! He was knowledgeable and thoughtful and made sure we were all safe and knew how to properly operate our kayaks. The hike to the summit was incredible and the views were spectacular. Would definitely recommend this activity to anyone visiting Auckland!

Eric, our leader, was just the right blend of friendly, organized, and safe. Not too chatty and not arrogant, like some adventure operators. The trip from St. Helier's Beach to Rangitoto was approximately 5K across a fairly busy channel but I never felt unsafe. The trek to the summit of the volcano was also very reasonable albeit, with locks of volcanic rock and tree roots. Definitely not an 'easy' walk for anyone with health challenges. Lunch, prepared by Eric was surprisingly delicious. Some of these lunches can be shoddy, but ours was perfect. Just enough food and well balanced. Total day was about 7 hours (8:30 am - 3 pm) beginning to end. Just right for a day trip. We took an Uber to and from St. Helier's but pick-up and drop-off is also provided. Phenomenal all around.

This tour was great exercise and a generally relaxing way to experience the waters and the island. The view from the top of the island was awesome, and the lunch was delicious. It was a great experience. Our tour guide, Chloe, was knowledgeable and great to lead this trip; we were in great hands. Thanks!

Our guide, Chloe, was AMAZING! She is super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable giving us detailed information and instruction. It was a perfect day for kayaking and hiking. She even grilled us steaks for lunch! This excursion was well thought out due to the amount of activity required. The schedule of kayaking, hiking, lunch, kayaking allowed enough rest between upper body and lower body activities! It’s truly a day of physical activity combined with beautiful views. Our group was small and perfect allowing everyone to get to know each other too!

This was a fantastic day, spectacular scenery from beginning to end. Really enjoyed the kayaking as well as the climb to the top of Rangitoto, the view was well worth the effort. Friendly guide who took good care of us. The only issue was the quality of the picnic lunch, which was not acceptable. I have been on other hiking/outdoor activities in New Zealand this trip, the picnic lunches have been delightful.