2025 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award2024 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award2023 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award
Tours from AucklandBay of Islands ToursNorth Island Tours

Bay of Islands & Paihia 2 Day Tour & Cruise with accommodation

From NZD$899

4.9
(52 reviews)

Departs from: Tours from Auckland

Duration: 36 hours

Start Booking Now
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/shutterstock_313318763.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/new_zealand_3573377_1920.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/shutterstock_389517517.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/shutterstock_169323.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/shutterstock_515378599.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/treaty_of_waitangi_museum.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/visiting_treat_of_waitangi_grounds.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/visitng_kauri_museum.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/welcome_to_paihia.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/paihia.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/visiting_tane_mahuta.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/paihia_bay_of_islands.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/treaty_of_waitangi_cultural_performance.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/treat_of_waitangi_grounds_guided_tour.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/tane_manhuta.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/bay_of_islands.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/dolphins_bay_of_islands.jpg
https://img.rezdy.com/PRODUCT_IMAGE/90077/kauri_museum_guide.jpg

Join Cheeky Kiwi Travel for a two-day journey through the subtropical beauty and cultural heart of Northland. Explore the birthplace of New Zealand, marvel at ancient kauri forests, and cruise the pristine waters of the Bay of Islands on this small group, fully guided tour. With comfortable Mercedes-Benz transport, expert local guides, and handpicked experiences, this adventure perfectly blends history, nature, and relaxation for an unforgettable getaway.

Why you’ll love this

Cruise the world-famous Bay of Islands, including the Hole in the Rock

Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds for a guided tour and cultural performance

Stand before Tane Mahuta, New Zealand’s largest living kauri tree

Stay overnight at a well appointed hotel in Paihia with time to relax and explore

Travel in comfort with a small group and enjoy snacks, stories, and secret stops

Itinerary

What’s included

Accommodation in Paihia (single occupancy surcharge will be applicable to solo travelers)

Fully guided small group tour

Waitangi Treaty Grounds guided tour and cultural performance

4.5-hour Bay of Islands cruise including Hole in the Rock

Entry to the Kauri Museum and Waipoua Forest visit

Snacks and bottled water

Comfortable Mercedes-Benz transport with Wi-Fi and commentary

Why choose us

Famously passionate tour guides

Our guides share stories, laughs, and Kiwi charm on every journey.

Travel in comfort

Small groups, big comfort. Relax in our modern Mercedes minibuses with style and space.

Award-winning tours

Thousands of five-star reviews and top travel awards - experiences loved worldwide.

Kiwi owned. Kiwi operated

Proudly local and passionate about sharing authentic New Zealand with every traveller.

Stories worth sharing

5/12/2026

Highly recommended 2-day Bay of Islands Tour

Cheeky Kiwi Travel provides an excellent travel adventure to the Bay of Islands. Each stop was exceptional. The Kauri Tree Museum and the Waitange Treaty Grounds were informative and extremely well executed. Our Scenic Hotel Stay was comfortable and the dinner buffet delicious. We had some rough water at the Hole in the Rock and didn't go through but certainly experienced some crashing waves viewed from a distance instead. Also included was a stop for lunch and hiking which was a real treat! All around an exceptional tour!

Carolyn H

5
4/27/2026

Book it now!

This was an excellent tour and I would highly recommend taking it. It showed us the highlights of the beautiful Bay of Islands and our guide Jeff was excellent. We’ve done a couple of tours with Cheeky Kiwi now and they’re a brilliant company who offer brilliant experiences.

Lydia j

5
4/25/2026

Spectacular!

If you ever want to spend a couple of days exploring the north of New Zealand, this is the tour to book! It was jam packed with activities (watching a cultural performance and learning the history behind the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, hiking around Urupukapuka island and cruising to the hole in the rock) while being incredibly well-paced and thought out. Despite the rainy weather predicted for the weekend, our tour guide Mark did his best to make the trip just as worthwhile. He was incredibly friendly and helpful, providing ample snacks and water for the trip, and was also super knowledgeable about the sights we were set to see. The accommodation was very spacious, with two double beds, an en-suite bathroom and amenities such as a TV (provides YouTube and Netflix), a mini fridge and toiletries. As a vegetarian, there were some lovely restaurants around the hotel in Paihia, so I was not short on food to eat! The only disappointment is that we didn’t manage to spot any dolphins and couldn’t go through the hole in the rock due to rough weather, but that isn’t always guaranteed due to ever changing weather. Nonetheless, this tour was fabulous - I learnt so much about the history of New Zealand and saw some beautiful landscapes, all the while meeting wonderful people. I would do this tour 10 times over. Thank you very much Cheeky Kiwi for making it so memorable!

Krina P

5
4/9/2026

A great insight into the Bay of Islands.

Excellent experience. Ark looked after us every well. He knew so much about the area. Nice small group. Good accommodation. Of concern was a lady who was sick at the beginning of the tour. We were likely to catch something, which I did and now I am sick on my next tour. We should have been told she was ill, and we could have cancelled, or she should have not travelled with us.

Elizabeth D

5
4/4/2026

Bay of Islands tour

Our 2-day Bay of Islands tour booked through Get Your Guide and with Cheeky Kiwi as the tour operator was fantastic. We wanted to get a better understanding of the Māori culture and history and get to see some of the North Island and this tour hit all the right spots. Our guide Vicki was knowledgeable and friendly, and was ready to answer all our questions as well as provide recommendations on where to eat. She also went out of her way to take us to see Glow Worm caves not too far from Paihia, a definite must-see and suggested tour addition for future tours. I would highly recommend this tour!

Elena P

5
4/3/2026

Stunning landscape orcas dolphins Maori culture

Matt was a fantastic guide and driver. He’s unflappable as a HUGE bird hit our windshield He effortlessly looked after our group of 7 getting a new vehicle replacement As he drove he informed us of what we were seeing, what was coming and communicated all the logistics clearly Timing for all of our stops and activities was bang on Thanks Matt

Expedition556503

5
4/2/2026

Fantastic Bay of Islands 2-Day Tour!

Had a fantastic time with Matt on this 2-day tour. Excellent trip with lots of fascinating stops. This was a small group of 7 people, which made things a lot more fun! The hotel we stayed at in Paihia (Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands) was lovely. We were super lucky to see dolphins and orcas on our Bay of Islands tour and the stop over at Otehei was excellent.

ADSWarwickshire

5
3/27/2026

Fantastic Tour

It was a fantastic tour. It was just the two of us and Liam (our guide). He was very friendly and accommodating, and he took our wishes into account. Simply wonderful, including the weather!

Regina T

5
3/20/2026

Great experience all around!

Our guide Ben was so great! Personable, funny, and knowledgeable. The tour was amazing and just as advertised; there were only about 7-8 of us in the van, so not crowded at all. Got to see so many great things. Paihia is a cute little resort town with LOTS of restaurants to choose from for dinner, all very walkable, and the bay of islands cruise was amazing; we had perfect weather and saw some dolphins and I saw a flying fish, in addition to all of the islands and the hole in the rock. On the way back to Auckland, Ben took us to see some fascinating architecture at Hundertwasser, and a stop for gelato, and to a pub, and we also stopped under the north edge of the harbor bridge for a great view of the city skyline. Very enjoyable tour, and Cheeky Kiwi is highly recommended for making seeing all the big tourist stuff so easy!

Sandy C

5
3/12/2026

Outstanding experience with a great guide

This was an excellent experience from start to finish. It was a very small group which was really nice. The first day was well paced and I enjoyed the Kauri museum more than I had anticipated. Visiting the giant Kauri trees and then Waitangi was really good. We were entertained with Māori songs and dance and had plenty of time in the treaty house and saw the huge ceremonial canoes. The guide at Waitiangi was very verbose but that is not remotely anything to do with cheeky kiwi. The next day brought strong wind and heavy rain and we made a decision not to take the pre arranged hole in the rock boat trip, largely on the strongly worded advice of the crew. I think this was an excellent decision but it then left the whole day ahead with no immediate plan other than returning to Auckland by early evening. I have to say, at this point, things got even better. After a brief phone call to base, Sam crafted a spontaneous bespoke tour that included glow worm caves which I had mentioned I wanted to see. Also walks in rain forests, more Kauris, several spectacular waterfalls and a great lunch stop in Whangarei. Sam was great company and we had some really interesting conversations. Not that it was needed, but perhaps the icing on the cake was that Cheeky Kiwi immediately refunded the unused boat ticket which was so kind. The refund was in my bank account within minutes. This is extraordinarily good service, particularly when I had chosen not to do the it trip due to the heavy seas and rough conditions, even though it did go ahead. All in all, the level of care and service I received, and the way that Sam was empowered and able to use his knowledge and initiative and create a trip from scratch was truly outstanding. A big thank you and shout out to Sam and Cheekykiwi. I would not hesitate to book a further trip or recommend to others. Liz

LoungerLizard

5
Newsletter Signup
© 2026 Cheeky Kiwi Travel. All rights reserved.
Privacy PolicyTerms & Conditions Sitemap