The 10 Sailing and Yacht Charters in New Zealand That Earn Their Price

1.Bay of Islands Tall Ship Sailing on R. Tucker Thompson Including BBQ Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 361 reviews · from $111Our pick

Spend 5.5 hours aboard the working schooner R. Tucker Thompson with Captain Magnus and crew. Help raise sails, steer, climb the rigging, swing into the sea, visit a conservation island, and enjoy scones, tea, and a chicken BBQ lunch. Return ferry transport from Paihia is available.

“Wonderfully positive and inspired young crew. Instead of rushing from photo op to photo op, you truly experience a great day. Lots of participation possible, but never required. We even raced another tall ship for a bit (our crew knew the folks on it) which made for some fun sailing. Cannot recommend more highly, as this non-profit also support sailing trips for youth up north. The scenery is breathtaking.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Island Hopper Day Cruise – sailing to wildlife sanctuary island – 6 hr cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 301 reviews · from $139

Spend six hours with Barefoot Sailing Adventures exploring the Bay of Islands from Paihia. Luke and his crew guide a small catamaran among the islands, with time for snorkeling, paddleboarding, swimming, lunch, and a bush walk on a wildlife sanctuary island.

“Highly recommend this sailing excursion! We were excited to explore the Bay of Islands, and this trip exceeded our expectations. Luke and his crew were knowledgeable, professional, and a lot of fun. We enjoyed learning how to sail, and Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Phantom Sailing Bay of Islands

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 177 reviews · from $121

Join sailing couple Rick and Robin aboard Phantom for a five-and-a-half-hour cruise from Russell. With no more than 10 people, you can sail, snorkel, swim, walk to a lookout, enjoy a homemade lunch, and hear local stories from hosts who have sailed around the world.

“Having had a 30 ft sailboat years ago, this sail brought back memories. However the sailboat and the skipper and his partner made the day perfection. Good stories, good food, great stop off for a swim, and fabulous sailing back at 7.8 knots. How could it be any better. I highly recommend this cruise, especially since limited to 10 people. 😎”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Bay of Islands: Catamaran Sail, Wildlife Island & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 173 reviews · 6 hours · from $134

Join Barefoot Sailing Adventures in Paihia for six hours aboard a comfortable catamaran with guides such as Luke and Sarah. Sail among the Bay of Islands, help at the tiller, then spend two hours on a wildlife sanctuary island with lunch, swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and short bush walks.

“Fabulous day sailing and cruising the Bay of Isles - Sarah & Michelle were great and gave us so much good information about the area.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Bay of Islands: Full-Day Tall Ship Sailing Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 147 reviews · 5h 30m · from $107

Join the locally built R. Tucker Thompson from Russell for 330 minutes of hands-on sailing in the Bay of Islands. Help hoist sails, steer, climb the rigging, swim, or relax. The day includes ferry transfers from Paihia, fresh scones, a BBQ lunch, and support for youth sailing.

“Turned out there was only a handful of people that did the sail at the same time as we did. It was an absolutely incredible day!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Bay of Islands: Day Sailing Cruise with Island Stop & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 122 reviews · 6 hours · from $128

Spend six hours with Brad and Monique aboard the Bayscapes catamaran, sailing from Paihia through the Bay of Islands. Settle into a beanbag, watch for wildlife, then stop for two hours of swimming, snorkelling, paddleboarding, walking, and a catered lunch.

“The guides were awesome. The catamaran was beautiful and we saw dolphins!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Bay of Islands: Awesome Day Sailing Tour with Island Stop

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 6 hours · from $104

Join Captain Mike and the crew of the 65-foot Gungha II for a relaxed six-hour sail from Paihia. Help with the sailing or stretch out on deck, watch for dolphins and penguins, then swim or walk on a quiet island before a fresh sandwich lunch.

“So so good, the food was great, the captain and skipper were both very friendly and walking around the island barefoot was very grounding :)”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Bay of Islands Tall Ship Sundowner Sailing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 100 reviews · from $61

Join the R. Tucker Thompson in Russell for a relaxed 1-hour-50-minute sunset sail through the inner Bay of Islands. Help raise the sails, enjoy a shared antipasto platter, buy a drink at the cash bar, and, conditions permitting, climb the rigging. Paihia ferry tickets are included.

“We had a wonderful time on the Tall Ship sailing. The captain was so nice and let my husband steer the boat and help with other sailing opportunities. He was extremely friendly and his crew was awesome. We would recommend this tour to anyone. This was the best tour we did while we were iin New Zealand visiting from the states.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Bay of Islands: Late Afternoon Sailing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 90 reviews · 2 hours · from $53Best value

Join the R. Tucker Thompson at Russell Wharf for a two-hour late-afternoon sail through the inner Bay of Islands. You can help hoist the sails, steer under supervision, climb the rigging with a harness, or relax with an antipasto platter and a drink from the cash bar. Ferry tickets from Paihia are included.

“It was an amazing trip, Marcel, Rachel, Tom, Conner and Lucy were all fantastic! They were all friendly and amazing with what they do, will definitely do it again, and will recommend it to friends and family. 5 stars for this awesome crew! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Bay of Islands 2-Hour Sundowner Evening Sailing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 36 reviews · 2 hours · from $56

Step from Paihia Beach onto a modern catamaran for a two-hour evening sail through Paihia, Opua, Russell, and Waitangi. The English-speaking crew handles the sailing while you enjoy beanbags, a possible swim, local stories, blankets, and a complimentary non-alcoholic drink before returning for dinner.

“Our skipper and his first mate were helpful and fun. Safety was a priority, so first they ran thru all the safety features...then the fun began. Double hulled boat was in Ship shape. Our skipper kept us all engaged while professionally tending to his responsibilities. He was full of information on the area. The two hours went very quickly. It was a wonderful way to spend time on the water...and the price was very reasonable for the experience we got.”

Check availability →Read our full review