Tauranga

Tauranga trip ideas

Scenic Lake McLaren Kayak Tour

Tauranga, New Zealand

Likely to Sell Out

From $97.20

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

3 hours 30 minutes
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get up close to New Zealand’s natural beauty on this scenic 3.5-hour Lake McLaren kayak tour. Paddle out onto the calm waters of Lake McLaren with your guide. Discover wildlife native to the region and gain insight into the habitat it calls home. Gaze up at sheer cliff faces towering overhead and enjoy panoramic views over the dense, sun-dappled woodland. Paddle along the tranquil lakeshore and through Mangapapa Canyon, where the water is as deep as the cliffs are high and the dense shrub forms caves along the water’s edge.

Enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city
Family friendly
See native wildlife in their natural environment
All necessary equipment included

What's Included

All relevant kayaking equipment
Dry bags for cameras
Full safety briefing with the trip guide

An additional cost per person does apply to Hotel pickup/drop off: NZ$40.00pp
Gratuities
Food and drinks (some snacks available for purchase at reception)

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Waimarino Water & Adventure Park
36 Taniwha Place, Bethlehem, Tauranga 3172, New Zealand

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

IF YOU ARE ON A CRUISE SHIP PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE DIRECTLY TO BOOK YOUR TRANSPORT. Hotel/Accommodation pick up and drop off is offered for a total additional cost of NZ$40.00pp. Please select the Hotel Pick up option. We can pick up from any accommodation provider in the Mount Maunganui and Tauranga city Centre area.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
The tour can operate in almost all weather conditions

Please dress appropriately for the weather
Easy pace scenic tour
If Hotel/Accommodation pick up is needed please book the Hotel Pick up option upon checkout.
An additional fee of $40.00pp for pick up does apply to all travelers
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 2 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Bryan_H

This was a fabulous experience right from the beginning with our guides being so friendly and welcoming! Both guides seemed to be very knowledgeable about the area and they were also very helpful. The paddling of the kayaks was approximately 1-1/2 to 2 hours which was a little long for me, but I would highly recommend this tour just to see the beauty of Mcclaren lake and to learn about the glow worms. Thank you to Darough (spelling???) & Kris…excellent guides!

Reviews

5.0

24 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-7 of 24 reviews

McKaren Kayak

James_E, Mar 2024

The steep canyons, mist hovering over the river and the sun filtering through the trees and ferns. Jes was a wonderful guide adding much about the area.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you so much for taking the time to review us! So pleased to hear you enjoyed your tour at Lake McLaren! :)

A Pleasurable actvity in a Relaxing, Picturesque Environment.

Robert_H, Mar 2024

David was an excellent guide for a wonderful time on the waters of Lake McLaren. From the pick up point, his reassuring, relaxed and informative manner assisted us to totally enjoy a day of great fun and immersive scenery. Throughout the excursion we felt safe, relaxed and completely looked after. David's happy, caring disposition was appreciated and the experience and scenery was truly memorable.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for taking the time to give us this 5-star review. We are thrilled you had wonderful time with our guide David. Awesome to hear it was a memorable experience! Thank you for choosing Waimarino for your outdoor adventure! :)

Easy, peaceful kayak excursion for all ages.

Kelly_T, Feb 2024

First time kayaking and it was super easy. Guide was informative and the scenery was awesome. Was picked up and dropped off from cruise port. Highly recommend as a day excursion when your ship is in port.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hi Kelly Thank you so much for this awesome review. Glad we could be the first place where you kayaked and happy that we could add this awesome experience to your cruise trip

So happy for this experience!

Bryan_H, Feb 2024

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hi Bryan, Thank you for this awesome review! We are so pleased to hear you had a fabulous experience on our Scenic Lake McLaren Kayak Tour with our friendly guides! :)

A MUST DO

Sharnee_J, Nov 2023

Hannah our tour guide made the experience beautiful with the amount of knowledge of the area she had. The beautiful scenery and peaceful area really made the experience. We were able to organise this tour from the cruise ship terminal. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Hi there, Thank you for this review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your tour. Glad we could add more beauty to your journey

Very Scenic

Gail_L, Feb 2023

Lucy shared lots of local information and made the trip very relaxed and enjoyable. Well worth doing

Response from Host, May 2023

Thanks Gail!

Rain or shine, do this trip

MICHAEL_W, Feb 2023

The ride up and back was easy and didn't take too much time. The lake is gorgeous and doing the trip in the rain seemed to add to the fun and beauty. The kayaks were great and no worries about tipping over at all. Would do again and again.

Response from Host, May 2023

Rain or Shine the weather is fine! We couldn't agree more! Some say the Glowworms even shine brighter in the rain!