Home > Auckland > Small-Group Coromandel Peninsula Day Trip from Auckland
USD $270.00
Small-Group Coromandel Peninsula Day Trip from Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Enjoy a small-group day trip out of Auckland and visit Coromandel Peninsula, with its stunning landscapes of rugged mountain terrain nestled against idyllic beaches. Take a train ride through native kauri forest for panoramic views over the Hauraki Gulf. Enjoy lunch at a local café and take a dip in a thermal pool on Hot Water Beach.
The Coromandel Peninsula is renowned for its beautiful white- and golden-sand beaches, rugged mountain terrain and pristine rain forest. First discovered by two great navigators, Kupe and Cook, the area is popular among locals and tourists alike.
This morning, travel to the Coromandel township and the home of Barry Brickell, a potter, engineer and conservationist. Ride the train that Barry built through replanted native kauri forest, over viaducts and through tunnels as it climbs up the mountain to the viewing station. From here you will have panoramic views over the island-dotted Hauraki Gulf.
Then take a 10-15 minute guided walk through the pristine rain forest to view some of the magnificent kauri trees which once covered the peninsula. Next, travel across the mountain divide and down to the beach, and enjoy lunch at a local café. After lunch, wander along the aptly named Hot Water Beach, and take a dip in one of the naturally occurring thermal pools in the sand or dig your own!.
At the end of the day, visit the famous Cathedral Cove and see where the Pacific Ocean washes through a natural arch.
Please note: The walk down to the arch is over uneven surfaces and dependent on weather conditions. Please be prepared for the walk, it will be over an hour of walking up and down steep inclines.
This was a good tour overall to get a taste of the Coromandel. If I could do it again, I would skip the Driving Creek Railway and allow for more time at Cathedral Cove. Our tour guide was nice and he took us to the Hot Water beaches in time to experience them and later to a great place for lunch. However, if I ever return, I'll probably do it without a tour, so as not to be on a time crunch. The return journey was along a beautiful scenic beach route and it would have been more enjoyable if we weren't flying to get back to Auckland by a certain time.
Review by: Pete, May 2018
This was our favorite tour during our stay in North Island Museum. We had a very informative guide who made us feel very comfortable and relaxed. We got to see many lambs, green pastures, and views of the rugged coastline. My wife and I especially enjoyed Cathedral Cove and the adjoining beach--the scenery is absolutely stunning. We stopped by the forest for an antique train ride, which was interesting but not the best use of our time. Another great spot was Hot Water Beach. Mini tubes of lava lie beneath the sand, and mini pools of hot water collect on the beach, giving many families and couples their own private jacuzzis. I would say the highlights were the hike down to Cathedral Cove and the free time we had to swim in the Tasman Sea/Pacific Ocean.
Review by: cvasta4122, March 2018
The two beaches we visited were quite amazing. Cathedral Caves beach is visually stunning with sandstone formations and caves along the beach. The Hot Water beach was really unusual. On approximately 100 feet of beach you can dig into the sand and hot water bubbles up creating these lovely warm spaces to soak in. Unique and fun....
Review by: Julie-ann Z, December 2017
Fantastic day in the coromandel.... made even better by our very knowledgeable tour guide/driver Alexander! Every place was different and the views amazing. Loved the railway trip especially. Also had good alternative option for us given we couldnt do cathedral cove too steep in way back up. Got to enjoy the views and the beach. Packed a lot in, small van comfort was 3xcrllent and the slightly higher price than others was totally worth it. Lunch was also excellent at hot beach cafe!
Review by: Karen M, October 2017
A very long day but we saw so much that it was well worth it. Options were available for those of us who had mobility issues and that was definitely appreciated. The Coromandel is gorgeous!
Review by: Dmitri I, August 2017
It was amazing trip , so much to see with excellent tour guy, enjoyed every moment of it and look forward to take it again.
Review by: Neal F, May 2017
The vendor on this trip was Bush and Beach. Best tour of the several that we took with Viatour. There were 8 of us and that led a lot of chatting about experiences. Driver was friendly and drew each person into the conversation. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the history and the plants and animals in the area. GREAT stop for lunch-best meal I had on our 30 day trip to Australia and NZ. I had an issue with one of the hikes due to sore foot and he found me and my husband an alternative that was close to the water but not as strenuous as the other hike. I enjoyed talking to the tour leader about climate change and what NZ was doing to conserve their environment.
Review by: ANDREA GUELFI C, February 2017
O passeio é bastante longo, mas não é cansativo, porque o guia que nos acompanhou foi muito educado, acolhedor. Era profundo conhecedor do trajeto, e nos deu informações sobre as formações geológicas, sobre a história do local, com diversas paradas ao longo do percurso para fotografias. Coromandel é um dos lugares mais bonitos da Nova Zelândia! A Cathedral Cove é LINDA! Sensacional o passeio!
Review by: Sabrina M, February 2017
I'm a Narnia Fan and so this tour was a must-do for me. I visited the Coromandel Peninsula mid-February and it was a rainy and cloudy day. The schedule for the day is tidal-dependant. _br/_ The train journey was nice and at the top there was a lookout platform, not much walking involved. The whole experience lasted about one hour. _br/_ The sky started to clear up and the weather was beautiful. Instead taking us to the Cathedral Cove right away to make use of the nice weather, we stopped at an unspectacular waterfall and went for a lovely 10-min stroll through a Kauri forest. We then had lunch and by the time we've finished lunch it was raining again. I felt bumped because the Cathedral Cove on a rainy and dark day is not the same as on a nice one. However, the only good thing is, not too many people went there, so it was less crowded. Cathedral Cove is definitely a must-see place in New Zealand!! I wouldn't have minded to spend the whole day only at Cathedral Cove but we had 1 h 15 min including 30 min walking distance from the car park each way to get a feeling for the place. It was too little time and I felt extremely rushed. Last stop was Hot Water Beach and two boys in my group dug a hole. The water temperature ranged from cold over lukewarm to scalding hot. The guide made up for the lack of time at Cathedral Cove thanks to his informative and interesting commentary otherwise I think I would only have given three stars. I have no idea where the money went for this tour. In my opinion it is highly overpriced and I think there are many cheaper offers to get to Coromandel than this.
Review by: Mackenzie B, November 2016
One word. SEAN. This tour has a lot of driving, but it's absolutely worth it. A crazy train, a hot spring beach, fantastic lunch and some stops in little towns that you'd never seen on a bigger tour. This includes some of the best views I've ever experienced and Sean is so knowledgeable about any and everything New Zealand. He made the tour. I can't say that I've ever had such a pleasant, intelligent and thoughtful tour guide in all of my travels. What a beautiful country and wonderful tour... ask Sean to stop at the pig farm so that you can pat the pigs!
Review by: dotherring, June 2016
It was a good tour, but if you have the time, I would recommend spending more than a day in Coromandel because there is so much to see and do. Warren was a very good guide, but it was just a long time spent in the van.
Review by: Vikram N, April 2016
This is a great tour for nature lovers and as such I would call this an eco tour Our group turned out to be small just me and my wife. Our guide Tony was phenomenal, and very knowledgable. He knew the local flora and fauna in and out. The whole Coromandel Peninsula was stunning. Its one of the most beautiful places in the world. Our trip included an visit to rain forest where we hiked to a few 2000 yr old native Kauri trees. Along the way Tony kept us entertained by talking about a variety of subjects like nature, history, people of NZ etc. Lunch was @ a beautiful restaurant near hot water beach. Lunch was delicious and fresh. Hot water beach is unique in the fact that it has hot water spring on the beach. Its unique and has to be experienced. Overall this trip is highly recommended.
Review by: andromeda610, February 2016
Most wonderful guide and very relaxing day. Treck down to Cathedral Cove is a must, albeit a bit strenuous.
Review by: Barbara R, January 2016
The guide was very nice and courteous. The restaurant Hot Waves Cafe we had lunch was marvellous as well.
Review by: mspinto, September 2015
What an amazing day!! Sean is one of the most knowledgeable people I ever met. We've learned a lot that day and saw stunning landscapes. Thank you very much, Sean. The trip was awesome!
Review by: Katharine H, July 2015
Just wonderful! I have been staying in New Zealand for ten months and this was one of the highlights. Such a beautiful area of the world, and Dawn was a brilliant guide too!
an absolutely fantastic day and a truly amazing place. I was only in NZ for one day, but I am hooked and I want to go back and see the rest of the country. The Coromandel was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Our guide, Sean, was absolutely brilliant - he made the day truly memorable. He worked really hard to make sure everyone had a great day.
Review by: Nancy A. C, March 2015
Plan to spend a lot of time in the van with twists and hairpin turns along the shoreline road. There were a few occasions where we experienced more of the local entertainment/events like the Bricker's train ride in the mountains complete with his art complex there._br/_
The beach hot "tub" event was not to be due to "the high tides". It seems the van does not reach the beach until it is too late to experience the warm/hot spring fed beach area. Other than the train ride and a few quick photo stops, it was disappointing. A tiresome day.
Review by: Nancy A. C, March 2015
Plan to spend a lot of time in the van with twists and hairpin turns along the shoreline road. There were a few occasions where we experienced more of the local entertainment/events like the Bricker's train ride in the mountains complete with his art complex there._br/_
The beach hot "tub" event was not to be due to "the high tides". It seems the van does not reach the beach until it is too late to experience the warm/hot spring fed beach area. Other than the train ride and a few quick photo stops, it was disappointing. A tiresome day.
Review by: Aris, February 2015
Good tour of Coromandel and Cathedral cave. Spent more time driving than expected.
Review by: Richard L, April 2013
Very knowledgable tour guide,did everything and more to make sure we all had a great tour.Went to more destinations than we thought we were._br/_
Well worth the cost.
Review by: Sheila W, March 2013
The peninsula was beautiful but we booked this tour principally to dig in the sand and bathe in the hot water springs. It was very obvious that the driver did not want us to do this said his spade was still brand new. Surprise surprise we ran out of time. we did see the Cathedral rock but it was too strenuous for three of our bus load. I certainly only spent a few minutes down there before commencing the climb back up as I did not want to hold the others up. I feel strongly that these issues were not mentioned in your description. The bus driver was very polite but we did not want to hear either his life story or his singing. Very disappointing trip unlike the one the previous day to The bay of Islands where we had a fantastic driver who went out of his way to make sure everyone was catered for and told us many interesting facts about the area. Did not learn much on the Coramandel tour at all.
Review by: Jim H, February 2013
ok
Review by: Carli R, May 2012
It was a perfect day and our tour guide was INCREDIBLE!
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