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chevron_leftChristchurch - Canterbury - Kaikoura Deals

Kaikoura Whale Watching Flight - 40 Minutes - Community Owned & Operated

4.7

799

Deals from $195.00 Save $80.00 Check datescalendar_month

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Embark on an aerial journey in Kaikoura, where you'll witness majestic sperm whales, playful dolphins, and breathtaking landscapes from the skies. Don't miss this opportunity to witness the wonders of marine life and scenic beauty all in one incredible journey.

Highlights

30+ years of whale watching experience with a 100% safety record
Top rated customer reviews
Breath-taking Kaikoura Scenery
Enjoy informative commentary through listening headsets
Community Owed & Operated Organisation
Qualmark Silver Award

Experience Kaikoura's most spectacular marine scenic flight with the region's most experienced flight operator!

From the comfort of your window seat, witness the awe-inspiring beauty of whales, dolphins, and breathtaking scenery. Only from the air can you truly grasp the sheer size of the majestic sperm whale in its natural habitat, providing unparalleled photographic opportunities. During our flight, you might also encounter dusky dolphins, humpback whales, blue whales, orca, and other fascinating marine creatures. After the exhilarating whale encounter, we'll take you on a scenic journey over Kaikoura and its stunning surroundings, with the snow-clad peaks of the Kaikoura mountains and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean as an impressive backdrop.

At Air Kaikoura, we're a small, friendly, locally operated business with a passionate team dedicated to providing you with the experience of a lifetime. While we can't guarantee wildlife sightings as we're observing animals in their natural habitat, we boast an impressive 95% success rate and always provide honest assessments of the day's chances for whale sightings.

Our Scenic Whale Watching Flight offers you the best odds of spotting these magnificent creatures from the air.

Adult $275.00

Child $115.00 (2 - 12 years)

What's included

40 minute scenic flight
Guaranteed Window Seat
Headsets for Live Commentary

Duration

Allow approximately 90 minutes for the whole experience

Location

Air Kaikoura is located 6.5km south of Kaikoura township, on State Highway 1
We’re located at Kaikoura Airport, about a 10-minute drive south of Kaikoura. When you arrive at the airport, turn right, and you’ll find us in the southernmost building.
Free parking is available.

Child Friendly

This experience welcomes families with children.

Bad Weather Refunds

If your experience is cancelled by the operator (because of the bad weather, safety concerns, unscheduled maintenance etc) you will be entitled to a full refund.

Notes

Duration: Flight time 40 minutes. Please allow for 90 minutes total.
Capacity: Our fixed wing aircraft takes a maximum of seven passengers, this makes it exciting and fun.
Conditions: Flights are weather dependent and at the pilots' discretion.
Minimum numbers apply.
Maximum weights do apply in small aircraft; if you think you may exceed 120kgs, please contact the operator to discuss.
Check in is 30 minutes prior to your flight time. Flight times may be adjusted to align with whale diving patterns, which can result in earlier departures. If you are not present at the check-in time, the flight may depart without you.
The activity requires minimum numbers in order to operate
Flights are weather dependent. A full refund will be given if the flight cannot operate due to poor weather conditions
While we do everything possible to locate whales, they are wild animals, and sightings cannot be guaranteed. Refunds or rescheduling are not available if whales are not sighted, but were confident youll love the stunning scenery and the unique opportunity to experience Kaikuras incredible landscapes and marine environment from above.
Infants-11kg & Under (Sitting on an adults lap). Above this weight will be charged a child price.

Available Bookings from 11 Feb to 24 Feb 2026

All prices are shown in NZD ($)

Change Dates

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Adult$195.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$195.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$195.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$220.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$195.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$195.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$220.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$195.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$275.00
Child$115.00

Adult$220.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$205.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$220.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

Adult$195.00 Less than 6 at this price!
Child$115.00

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The boats give you an idea just how big the sperm whale is

großartiges Erlebnis, das wir nie vergessen werden

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Authenticated Reviews & Photos All of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

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4.7

799 reviews

Kaikoura Whale Watching Flight - 40 Minutes - Community Owned & Operated

Showing all 799 authenticated Bookme reviews

Moritz Brinkmann from Germany wrote on 22 March 2024

Keine Wale entdeckt

Der Flug hat Spaß gemacht. Schöne Aussicht. Allerdings keine Wale oder Delphine entdeckt.

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Alexandra Teichmann from Germany wrote on 09 March 2023

Tolle Erfahrung! :)

Es war unglaublich. Die Sonne kam raus und wir hatten das Glück einen Pottwal einige Minuten zu umkreisen und beim Abtauchen zu beobachten. Der ganze Flug war von Anfang bis Ende gut organisiert und der Flug mit dem Piloten hat Spaß gemacht - jederzeit gerne wieder! :)

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Celina Trapp from Germany wrote on 05 February 2026

Tolle Erfahrung, auch ohne Walsichtung

Wir haben leider keinen Wal gesehen, aber einige Delfine. Das Panorama war auch wunderschön und der Pilot hat sich viel Mühe gegeben. Wer zu Motion Sickness neigt, sollte eine Tablette nehmen, mir wurde leider etwas schlecht.

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Dustin Teschner from Germany wrote on 17 January 2026

Guter Beobachtungsflug

Wir hatten Ende Dezember Glück, einen einzelnen Pottwal sehen zu dürfen. Der Pilot war sehr bedacht und hat super mitgedacht, sodass jeder Passagier die Möglichkeit auf eine gute Sicht hatte. Nur die Kopfhörer im Flugzeug waren sehr laut und haben null abgedichtet. Ich komme selber aus der Fliegerei und das waren die billigsten Headsets, die ich je bekommen habe,

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doriss1 from Germany wrote on 13 February 2024

whale watching flight

Schöner Flug, wir haben ein Rudel Orcas gesehen. Der Pottwal wollte leider während unserer Flugzeit nicht auftauchen.

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Bookme Help Terms & Conditions Operators

10:00 a.m.Thursday 13 July

Adult

Child 2 - 12 years

^*This option must be made together with another price type.

When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.

Qualmark Gold

This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.

Qualmark Silver

This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.

Qualmark Bronze

The Qualmark Bronze award recognizes a business that operates with a high level of professionalism, is mindful of its environmental impact, and is dedicated to putting customers first.