Glenorchy Island Safari, Self-drive Option

We booked a family kayaking tour on April 9, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of our South Island trip. A special thanks to our guide, Andy, who provided clear and helpful kayaking instructions, along with sharing his knowledge about Pigeon Island, Lake Wakatipu, and the surrounding area. His knowledge and enthusiasm truly made the whole experience even more enjoyable.

We had that section of the lake and the island almost all to ourselves and it was so peaceful! Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and I thought it was fantastic value given the price of other tours from Queenstown

Such a fun afternoon. Really e hyped this activity. Andy was a great guide and kept us safe and informed and entertained. Beautiful scenery

Andy was an excellent tour guide. We truly enjoyed the kayak cruise on the lake and the hike on the island. It may make more sense to revise the meeting place to be by the lake where the tour starts on kayaks rather than in Glenorchy followed by a drive to the lake launch area. Just a suggestion.

The whole experience was relaxed and very enjoyable, Marcus and Andy are very personable and great guides. I would highly recommend booking this regardless of your kayaking experience. We were very lucky in that when we arrived at the hut, a family of Weka walked right out in front of us. There was a speculation that they knew when the cake was going to arrive.

Fantastic kayaking experience with Glenorchy Island Safari. The guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and made everyone feel safe. Stunning scenery, calm waters, plus a lovely break with hot Raro drink and fruit cake. Very well organised and truly unforgettable.

Absolutely priceless morning on the lake with our guide Andy. The threat of wind never arrived and concluded our trip with an extra long paddle to enjoy such good weather. Meditative and therapeutic for sure.

It was an amazing and lovely day on the water with our friendly guide Grace! She was knowledgeable, funny, warm and a great storyteller! We loved hanging out with her kayaking around the lake. It was a beautiful day and the water was so nice and peaceful. Highly recommend! Thank you again Grace for an amazing day ❤️

We had the best time kayaking on Lake Wakatipu to Pigeon Island! Our guide, Amanda, was amazing and made the experience very comfortable. She was so friendly, great to have a laugh with and had so many insightful stories about New Zealand. We felt so safe on the water and were able to go at our own pace. A very memorable experience that we will be sure to tell everyone about!

Amanda was a fantastic tour guide and has excellent knowledge to share! We had a great time kayaking with her and thoroughly enjoyed this experience!!

The lake was beautiful. Amanda our guide did admirably in teaching two novices to kayak, and teaching us about the surrounds. Strongly recommended!

This was one of the highlights of our stay in Queenstown. Amanda is fantastic and super knowledgeable. She was happy to shape the tour to whatever we wanted and it was great to chat away while we paddled. Highly recommend!!

My son and I loved our paddle with Amanda. The scenery was absolutely magnificent and she was a fantastic guide, providing helpful guidance with the paddling, interesting history of the area, and great companionship. We appreciated having different options depending on how athletic/restful an excursion we wanted. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon!

We ended up with a private tour which was fantastic. I went with my 8 year old niece who was too young for white water rafting with her brother and my teenaged kids so I volunteered to take her kayaking instead of going with my kids. Our guide Amanda was very friendly and supportive and very patient with my niece. The sea kayaks were comfortable and well looked after and we were able to paddle across to pig island despite quite a stiff breeze. Saw some native birds there and it was so peaceful having a private beach to ourselves.

While the area we kayaked in was beautiful and the guide very pleasant, we were mislead by the title of this experience. We were led to believe this was a private kayak tour, meaning it would be just our family with a guide. That was not the case as there were others on the tour with us. We are experienced kayakers and were looking for a more rigorous paddle catered to our family, so were disappointed by the beginner level of the paddling and the group aspect. But again, it was beautiful.

Leaving a favorable review, as the trip was canceled for weather. the company guide was there in person to inform us, and she quickly offered a refund or a rebooking. It was appreciated that the safety of guests was put first over revenue that would result in bad experience/trip. I will look to use this company in 2025.

Our group of 8 had a great time kayaking. The scenery is beautiful and the snack was homemade cake - a nice addition to an already fun trip. So peaceful and Amanda filled us in on lots of interesting information - great story teller 😁 one of our group had never kayaked before and was a bit nervous but loved it!!!

We had a fabulous morning kayaking to Pigeon Island and back. Our guide Amanda was so knowledgeable, relaxed, and made us feel safe and at ease.

Great experience. Nice and kind guides. Whole family enjoyed (including 10, 13, and 15 years old daughters).

We’re very satisfied with this excursion, our guide Amanda was really nice and helpful. Due to bad weather in lake Wakatipu we went on Moke lake that was the best option and It was really amazing. Highly recommended

Great way to experience the lake and islands up close. It helped that the weather was sunny and calm. Definitely worth spending the morning out there!

One of my best experiences in New Zealand. The guide was fantastic and the scenery was out of this world. Also managed to see some weka birds on Pigeon Island which was a bonus