Island Hopper Day Cruise: 6-Hours Sailing Adventure to Wildlife Sanctuary

271 Ratings

Paihia

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Embark on a 6-hour sailing adventure in the Bay of Islands. Discover remote islands, encounter rare bird species, and enjoy snorkeling, paddleboarding, hiking, and swimming.

Duration: 6 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Bay of Islands - Enjoy a 6 hour sailing cruise in the beautiful Bay of Islands. We take you on a cruise among the many islands of the Eastern Bay of Islands, and enjoy a 2 hour island stopover at a wildlife sanctuary island to enjoy optional activities like snorkelling, paddle boarding, and nature walks. This really is the Ultimate Bay of Islands Sailing Cruise.

What's Included

Local guide
Lunch
Use of snorkeling equipment
Use of stand up paddle board
Live commentary on board
All activities
Tea and coffee
Island Hikes in the wildlife sanctuary bush tracks

What's Not Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Bottled water

Additional Information

Experience a day filled with enchantment as you sail through the Bay of Islands.
Stroll from the sandy shores of Paihia and onto a state-of-the-art catamaran, cruising through the bay’s 144 islands towards an isolated island destination.
• Explore the Bay of Islands in true ‘Kiwi’ style on a full day of sailing adventure
• Travel aboard a comfortable…

Experience a day filled with enchantment as you sail through the Bay of Islands.

Stroll from the sandy shores of Paihia and onto a state-of-the-art catamaran, cruising through the bay’s 144 islands towards an isolated island destination.
• Explore the Bay of Islands in true ‘Kiwi’ style on a full day of sailing adventure
• Travel aboard a comfortable catamaran equipped with bean bags and cozy seating for your comfort
• Choose to relax or join in sailing the boat with your amiable, skilled crew
• Partake in a 2-hour stopover on an island where you can snorkel, paddle board, hike, or swim
• Visit protected wildlife islands to see native plants and rare bird species
• Enjoy a morning tea, a delicious packed picnic lunch, and a cool drink during the return sail
• The catamaran docks right at the beach, allowing easy boarding and disembarking for your island ventures!

This trip requires a reasonable level of physical ability to safety board the boat, this can be challenging for people with knee problems
Specific dietary requirements for allergies or food preferences should be catered by the customer for your safety and satisfaction. Vegetarian option available at time of booking if required.
CRUISE SHIP CUSTOMERS be advised that 1.5 - 2 hours either side of cruise ship anchor/departure is recommended to allow reasonable time to get to and from our cruise. We do not make allowances for a change in ship schedule or late arrivals. Normal terms and conditions apply.
A maximum of 16-20 people on board
A moderate amount of walking is involved if you choose to do the island walks, please wear appropriate footwear
Due to uneven surfaces, and a moving boat, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or unstable in the legs
Operates in most weather conditions, please dress appropriately, and be prepared for a day in the great outdoors
Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to late or non-arrival of cruise ship
Snorkel participants must be able to swim competently in open water for a distance of 200m
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Not recommended for people with poor mobility

Location

Barefoot Sailing Adventures

Marsden Road

You will find the Barefoot sailing catamaran anchored on the shore line at Paihia Beach, it won't be hard to find, it has Barefoot Sailing Adventures sign written along the side, and it is usually anchored at least 30 min prior to departure.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(271 Ratings)

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A6704bopatrickm

Mar 28, 2025

Tropical island cruise in the Bay of Islands. - Enjoyed a great sail, great day of activities. Luke and Carmen took great care of us, were knowledgable and great guides for the Bay of Islands. Luke is an able sailor and kept us safe. We enjoyed sailing, great conversations, snorkeling in a small bay of a beautiful tropical appearing island, paddle-boarding and a nice hike to a secluded bay on the other side of the island. We were lucky, and visited by dolphins twice, one time coming right up to the catamaran. Could not have asked for a more pleasant cruise.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

362madeleines

Mar 22, 2025

Best day in New Zealand! - A beautiful day on the water and idyllic island stop. Luke and Carmel took care of everything, even taking our shoes on-shore!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Samanthaft7962mj

Mar 17, 2025

Feels like a day out with friends on your own private catamaran. - If you do one tour/activity when in the Bay of Islands, do this one! It’s a relaxed and very special experience. The boat had a maximum of 10 guests, a mixture of couples, friends and a family group. None of the different bookings were known to each other, but Luke created a really lovely atmosphere on the boat which kept it personal, friendly and a shared experience. We found every one on the trip really nice and interesting, being on the boat felt really luxurious but low key at the same time. You are picked up from the beach, no queues or anxiety about whether you will get a good seat- because they are all good seats…well super comfy beanbags arranged around the Catamaran. If you are interested or want to have a go, Luke will let you help sail, man the tiller. Or you can sit back and be served refresh,ents whilst taking in the beauty of the water and islands. We sailed out to a predator free island where we got to spend a decent two hours snorkelling, paddle boarding and swimming, we pretty much had the cove all to ourselves. Barefoot provide you with a home made packed lunch to picnic on the beach and you can go for a walk and see an abundance of native birds including saddlebacks. On the gentle sail back to Paihia some of the group saw a penguin, the others were catching rays and blissing out in the sun with the waves gently slapping the boat. We were served a refreshing choice of drinks on the way home. This tour is not like a tour, there are no queues and no rushing or whistle stop tours of islands. You have time to take it all in and Luke is very relaxed and patient if you want a last minute swim before the boat makes its return. It’s not a large scale operation and that is why it feels so personal and I think makes it a more memorable way to experience the beauty and majesty of the Bay of Islands. They are a local company and small business and they work in partnership to help maintain the conservation work on the islands. Some experiences in life just resonate with your soul, you can recall almost every moment of it even if it’s 20 years since it happened, and this trip is one of those. You won’t ever forget or reduce to a vague memory, this trip will become one of your ‘ happy place’ you can always go to when life isn’t sitting on a catamaran on a sunny day in the beautiful bay of islands. Book it! You will love it!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Sam_f

Mar 7, 2025

If you do one trip do this one!! - Barefoot offer you the experience to enjoy the bay of islands as they should be enjoyed. It’s no queuing for a big boat and not getting seats with a view, and then a whistle stop tour with a commentary. Luke and his team give you the experience of going out for the day with friends. It’s a small and personalised service and very relaxed. You get on the catamaran on the beach and sit on a comfortable bean bag, and everyone has the best view! The other people sharing your adventure with you are lovely and interesting and Luke is friendly and funny and you enjoy a hot drink and biscuit whilst you leisurely sail to your destination island. Your catamaran takes you to a sheltered beach where you have a lovely homemade packed lunch given to you and a choice of paddle boarding, snorkelling, swimming and bush walking. You are on the island for 2 hours. We did all of the activities and on our walk saw saddlebacks, tuis, fantails, tomtits, kingfisher, parakeets, grey warbler, swallows- it was magical. The journey back was more beautiful sailing whilst relaxing on the catamaran and drinking refreshing cold drinks. If you wanted you could join in with the sailing - which my partner particularly enjoyed. All in all a perfect day. It gave you the experience of chartering your own catamaran and pootling off to a private island with friends, but of course without the expense, stress and responsibilities. If you do one trip in the bay of islands, do this one. It is one that will give you treasured memories, and unforgettable for all the right reasons.

Review provided by Viator

Markbo9816vs

Feb 28, 2025

Terrific Trip - Perfect Day - Best Crew - Great Boat - Good Lunch…Thank you very much for the super Trip and your funny Humor, we had a Great day😃

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Katesv6433iz

Feb 17, 2025

Paradise in the Bay of Islands - Luke and Nero created a spectacular experience sailing the Bay of Islands. Captain Luke took the time to converse with everyone on the boat (capped at 12 guest - which was ideal) as well as share his knowledge of the area and folklore. We started the sail with Nero's legendary coffee and a biscuit, and then moved onto a delicious box lunch picnic once we landed on the island. We maximized the experience and snorkeled, swam, and paddleboarded. It is my definition of a perfect day. Thanks Team Barefoot! We hope to be back again.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

419janec

Feb 15, 2025

Barefoot fun - Great trip, we were very well looked after and entertained by Luke and Carmen. Bean bags and cushions made it relaxing and comfortable. Highly recommend

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Suzydoo

Feb 15, 2025

A great day - The day met all expectations with Luke and Carmen looking after us in such a capable,friendly and relaxed way. The boat was very comfortable, lunch was everything we needed and plans flexible to suit the weather conditions. Beautiful scenery and so nice to see it under sail and to relax on a lovely island stop. Thoroughly recommended.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Leilanidallin

Feb 11, 2025

Best way to see the Bay of Islands. - What an absolutely fantastic tour of the Bay of Islands. Captain Luke and First Mate Nero were super friendly hosts making sure we were well looked after and they had heaps of local knowledge to share. The island stop was beautiful and they sailing was so fun and relaxing. 10/10 would do again and highly recommend.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Larry_s