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Auckland Central Tours
Auckland Harbour Sailboat Cruise Including Three Course Dinner
4.5

Auckland Harbour Sailboat Cruise Including Three Course Dinner

By Explore Group
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Admire Auckland from the water and enjoy an indulgent meal during a memorable evening harbor cruise. Set sail aboard a yacht from Viaduct Harbour and glide past Waitemata Harbour’s highlights, including the Sky Tower and Auckland Harbour Bridge, while listening to fascinating facts about Auckland and its iconic harbor. As night falls, indulge in a 3-course dinner while you sail.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 5-99, max of 18 per group
Duration: 2h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Go sailing in Auckland to experience one of the nation’s favorite sports
  • Take in the sights of Waitemata Harbour and watch the sunset over Auckland
  • Assist with the sails or steering if you want to learn about sailing
  • Dine on a 3-course meal in the cozy dining room while you sail

  • 3-course Dinner
  • Live commentary on board
  • Use of windproof/waterproof jackets and blankets
  • 1x Complimentary drink on arrival
What's not included
  • Additional alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Gratuities

Make your own way to Viaduct Harbour to board the well-equipped 50-foot (15-meter) sailing yacht.  Set sail on Waitemata Harbour, passing waterfront landmarks such as the Ferry Building, Auckland Harbour Bridge, Mt. Eden, and the Sky Tower—New Zealand’s tallest building. Your captain shares commentary about Auckland’s history and New Zealand’s love of sailing. If interested, you can practice your own sailing skills by helping the crew with the sails or steering the boat. Or simply sip a drink that you have purchased from the onboard bar. While you're sailing, the crew serves up a lovely 3-course dinner in the dining room. Then watch the sunset and see Auckland light up for the evening.  Your evening tour ends with return to Viaduct Harbour.

Start:
  • Explore Group - Auckland, Explore Booking Kiosk Quay Street, Viaduct, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
    Check in at the Explore Kiosk at least 15 minutes prior to tour departure, situated diagonally opposite the Koel Cafe at the Maritime Museum. Please ensure your meal selections (1x main and 1x dessert) are provided at least 24 hours prior to your departure.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2954004POAD

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Most travellers can participate
    • Minimum age is 18 years to consume alcohol
    • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
    • Toilet is also located on-board vessel
    • Cash and EFTPOS/Credit bar onboard
    • Please advise your dinner selections from the set menu at least 24 hours prior to departure.
    • Children must be over 5 years in age
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2954004POAD

    From
    £74.92
    per adult
    Select date and travellers
    Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

    Similar experiences

    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Explore Group
      630
      New Zealand
      Joined in January 2009
    • kimberlyeT7164WE
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      This should be on everyone’s Auckland Bucket list
      Awesome crew, hard working and knowledgeable. Weather was perfect! Be ready to work as it takes all hands on deck to work the sails.
      Written 6 December 2024
    • TerryS978
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome experience
      Very fun and much more exciting than expected! We had good weather which made the sailing great. If you want to, you can participate in the sailing activities. Best couple hours of our day in Auckland.
      Written 27 November 2024
    • mark e
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great opportunity to be on a racingvyacht.
      Any selling trip is regulated by how much winds present and this one's no exception. The wind was seven or eight knots so we did get some speed up but I was hoping that on a racing yacht we would be able to experience some serious speed. They had us grind and anyone who wanted to could steer the boat, clearly the crew was exceptionally pleasant but they had been doing this for months 2 or 3 times a day.
      Written 19 November 2024
    • flipper2222222
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      company cancelled the morning of the tour
      this company cancelled our booking on the morning of our America's Cup Sailing Experience. it was a real let down to find out only a few hours in advance that they hadn't sold enough tickets for our Thursday tour
      Written 24 October 2024
    • Jbramley1998
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      This is a MUST experience
      Such an amazing experience, friendly and fun crew, great teaching of sailing, great with photo opportunities and all round a great team!
      Written 30 September 2024
    • 2ECtravelers
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wind power is thrilling.
      The boat flies under sail and although it became too much wind, experiencing this beautiful boat slice through the water was a thrill. A great time on the water!
      Written 30 September 2024
    • DeepCove02
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Buyer beware!
      Last April we boarded a cruise from Sydney, Australia, that stopped in New Zealand, Tahiti, and ended in Honolulu. We rarely take excursions while on a cruise, but as a person who loved to sail years ago, the chance to sail on an America's Cup racing boat through the Aukland harbour sounded too exciting to pass up. We booked directly through the Explorer group, which seemed sensible and was cheaper than booking through the ship, of course. The reason we decided to travel from Vancouver to Australia and New Zealand this year, is because I am going blind. I have very little sight left, so we knew that time was running out for me to see this distant part of the world. Our cruise ship docked right in the Aukland harbour, and we walked by to see our ship in the morning. Our tour was booked for 1 p.m. We were impressed with the size of the boat and had a pleasant chat about the afternoon tour with one of the crew members working onboard. We raced around several blocks of downtown Aukland, then back to our ship so we could dress for our tour. We arrived on time, to find only one, sad-looking, person at the top of the marina. A young woman informed us that the Tour Was Cancelled! We were dumbstruck. We asked the reason, expecting an emergency or onboard malfunction, but they said that there were not enough people signed up!! How is this our problem? We booked weeks ago, paid in full, and travelled half way around the world, for my last chance to see New Zealand, from a sailing ship or from anywhere!! We will never be back there again, and to make matters worse, they must have known, days earlier, or at least That Day, that they might decide not to sail. Instead they told us less than 3 hours before our cruise was to leave N.Z.! We could have booked any number of tours to at least see the local sites, but now it was too late! All the tour operators were gone and any afternoon buses etc. were full. How incredibly thoughtless, callous and selfish can this company be?! It's what they advertise and at least there were 5 people signed up - so what if you make a little less profit for a 2 hour tour?! It is not that they couldn't sail, they just couldn't be bothered for too few people. Again, not my problem - and you took my money weeks ago. The poor young woman who had no answers (she was left there on her own. We were told that no employees or crew were available to speak with us...) and just had to repeat the bad news, kept assuring us that we would get a "full refund". Yes, I said, that is My money - you're not giving me anything. In fact you're taking away our only chance to sail or explore any part of Aukland. It sounded good on paper - a longtime dream finally realized, but NO. Buyer beware! Apparently they have plenty of business, so they don't care who they disappoint, and thus this poor review might make little difference, but I write so future tourists will weigh the risks. I hope you are treated much better than this.
      Written 20 August 2024
    • bethhB1859TD
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Sailing the Waitemata - sublime experience
      Amazing experience. So nice to be out sailing on the beautiful Waitemata again! The crew were super helpful and looked after everyone really well, instructing their guests how to take the helm, work the grinders. It really showed the uninitiated how fit those sailors have to be and how hard they have to work on the America's Cup racing yachts. Thank you.
      Written 13 July 2024
    • Lozza1964
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great sail in light winds
      Great afternoon on the harbour, sailing with explorer group..great crew and well experienced. Light winds unfortunately, but got the groove going with us all.
      Written 30 June 2024
    • SebBrandt
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Well worth it
      Phenomenal few hours. Boat is a weapon, fast and agile. Crew are awesome and very knowledgeable about all things sailing
      Written 15 June 2024
    • richardsE6758OA
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A great sail
      Thanks to Pete and the crew for a great sail in the harbour.We even joined the Rum race for a while . Highly recommended a very professional company.cheers
      Written 2 June 2024
    • Seaside51476071948
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Stunning sailing day
      Amazing trip I got to really feel apart of the team. Driving and grinding really showed me how much work sailers put into there work. Makes me proud how Nz won.
      Written 9 May 2024
    • Axel Julian M
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Beautiful Auckland scenery and sailing history
      It was a fantastic and comprehensive look at the history of the americas cup as well as how sailing boats worked. I thought it was truly beautiful
      Written 8 May 2024
    • Bandit384
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great Sail!
      A great sail on a windy day. The crew did of sailing the boat with vigor while keeping everyone (relatively) dry. Good weather gear made the trip comfortable, even with a rain shower.
      Written 28 March 2024
    • ConversationStarters
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      America’s Cup Experience a delight!
      We kicked off two wonderful weeks in New Zealand with the America’s Cup Sailing Experience out of Auckland Harbor. A sunny and windy day made for, well, a wonderful experience. We even got to take the help along with getting the sails up and down. And a great crew. Highly recommend this trip which totally exceeded our expectations~
      Written 25 March 2024
    See all 630 reviews
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    4.5
    4.5 of 5 bubbles70 reviews
    Excellent
    53
    Very good
    8
    Average
    5
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    4

    SHThompson
    Auckland, New Zealand17 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2021
    We live in Auckland and due to the current event across the globe we are enjoying more of what our own city has to offer. We booked the sunset dinner cruise as a fun outing for us and our 6 year old son. We all enjoyed it immensely, the crew especially the skipper were fantastic and ensured everyone on board had a great time. Would recommend this cruise for anyone living in Auckland or visiting. Will definitely try out their other cruises on offer. Thanks for a great evening!
    Written 4 January 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    DorwardC
    Sydney, Australia24 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Apr 2022 • Solo
    Checking location was a little difficult to find but other than that this was a great trip. Sailing home was great and a spectacular view of the city and harbour lit up at night. Crew were professional and welcoming. We had a rain but the jackets provided kept me dry and warm.
    Written 1 May 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    David B
    Shifnal, UK341 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful Explore experience during our 2 days in Auckland at the start of our 4 week tour of NZ. Our hotel was only a couple of minutes walk from the Explore departure point and we boarded with the other participants. We were served with a complimentary glass of wine and enjoyed the sights from the waterside. A excellent 3 course meal was served and a great commentary throughout made the experience even more enjoyable. Dusk had fallen on the way back and it was magical to see the twinkling lights on shore.
    Great value for money excursion which I heartily recommend
    Written 14 January 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora DavidBoardmanShifnal, thank you so much for your review - we are so happy that you had an amazing time! 😊
    Written 3 February 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Sue Glass
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2020
    My husband, daughter and I took this cruise on New Years Day. It was a warm and calm evening, and when the sails went up, with a glass of wine in hand and the anticipation of the excellent meal to come, we relaxed into what proved to be a very pleasurable evening. Nothing was too much trouble for Charles and the crew. I recommend that intending passengers heed the advice to bring warm clothing, as you will not want to go below deck when the breeze comes up, and miss the spectacular views of the beautiful harbour.
    Written 18 January 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora veryoldtraveller, thank you for your review - we are so glad you had a great time on board with Charles and our other crew! We have passed on your feedback to them as well 😊
    Written 3 February 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    AlreadyPacked
    Columbia, MD18 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2019
    Beautiful boat, seasoned Captain, and very friendly staff serving drinks/dinner.

    The tour captures the harbor and sunset....and it is a small group which leaves plenty of room to move about. However, dinner was a little disappointing.
    Written 21 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi LLM55, Thanks for taking the time to review your experience and so glad you enjoyed the trip! Sorry to hear dinner didn't meet your expectations. We are always open to feedback so if you had anything specific to mention please email us at marketing@exploregroup.co.nz
    Written 9 March 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Susan S
    Melbourne, Australia9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2020
    We had a wonderful evening on the sailboat cruise. The crew were friendly and very informative about the places we cruised by. The weather was lovely and when it began to grow colder on the way back, they offered blankets to those who were feeling a bit chilled. The food was tasty and well presented. Overall, a great way to spend the evening.
    Written 19 January 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora Susan S, thank you for taking the time to write this review - it was a pleasure to have you on board 😊
    Written 3 February 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    我没有名字
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2021
    The most inspired part of the trip shouldn't be either dinning on the boat or admiring the views of the harbour, but the combination of both. You will be amazed when having a cup of drink and some food on the boat sailing in the harbour of Auckland under the setting sun.

    The chews are friendly. You're able to drive the boat under the supervision of captain for a period of time (quiet long for me in fact).
    Written 5 February 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    wher2next
    United States240 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner cruise as an introduction to sailing! The skipper, Bridget and Ellie (?) were so impressive hosting 17 people for dinner while operating a boat. The weather was a little cold but not terrible. The provided blankets were a nice touch. As a suggestion, for guests who are especially cold, maybe options for purchase of hot liquids might be worthwhile. Overall, this was our most memorable time with locals, and would highly recommend it to future visitors.
    Written 18 October 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank You so much for your review. I will let the girls know. Look forward to having you hopefully book with us in the future. Kindest Regards, Caragh
    Written 19 October 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Mehwish Ashraf
    Suva, Fiji8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2023 • Family
    It was one hell of a tour. The sailboat was very nice, the views were amazing, the skyline was great to see from the harbour and so were other landmarks including the Harbour Bridge. The tour guides were very warm, friendly, engaging and smiling all the time. The food was served nicely. They didn’t get my dessert selection right but that was fine. It was a beautiful evening with lots of nice people and the sailboat team. You get to drive the boat as well and see the hoisting of the sails which was a once in a lifetime experience.
    Written 9 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Kentg
    Auckland, New Zealand10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles


    We really enjoyed the trip and it is really a unique dining experience and a must do in Auckland.

    I will definitely recommend this activity to my friends and family, attached some photos I took on the trip.

    I would like to extend my gratitude to Lara, Noel, Karen and the other lady’s name which I forgot, they were very accommodating, friendly and definitely a 5star service!

    Written 28 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Auckland Harbour Sailboat Cruise Including Three Course Dinner provided by Explore Group

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