6 Sailing and Yacht Charters in Paihia to Build a Day Around

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

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

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”

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2.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.”

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3.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!!”

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4.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!”

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5.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! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

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6.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.”

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