Explore Group
Explore Group
4.5
Boat ToursSightseeing ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingBus ToursDay Trips
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Looking for a unique way to see the Bay of Islands? Well look no further. The team at Explore Group – Bay of Islands are the ready to show you the best of what Northland has to offer. Our staff are incredibly proud of their backyard and their passion and experience is really what sets us apart. Explore Group is locally owned and managed, with a strong family connection to the Bay of Islands spanning multiple generations. We are a multi-award winning company, recognised for commitment to responsible and sustainable tourism in the local community and wider New Zealand. We look forward welcoming you onboard for one of our unique experiences in amazing places.
Paihia, New Zealand
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Tours and Tickets by Explore Group
Travelers talk about
(107 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,267 reviews
Excellent
854
Very good
277
Average
64
Poor
40
Terrible
33

Doug M
Denver, CO11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
The views were fantastic, our tour guide was helpful and entertaining. The meeting of the Tasman sea and the Pacific Ocean was a perfect sight to see!
Written March 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AllisonD1968
Nowra, Australia30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
A fantastic day our driver/tour guide Roger was the absolute best! He was knowledgeable and interesting but also knew when to give the bus a “learning break” ie he stopped chatting.
If you think the chatter might be too much empower yourself and bring headphones and some music to zone out too
Written March 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dave D
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Fantastic day out but disappointing that the cost did not mention anywhere it was in American dollars as I was booking from Australia.
Written March 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sallygohappy
Houston, TX52 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
The day was long but enjoyable. Huey our driver sang Māori songs to us to welcome us aboard the bus and describing different customs. He had a beautiful voice and could drive and bus and sing at the same time! It was a little disorganized at first finding some guests at different pick up points which along with the bus not arriving until after the 7:00 pick up time took away from the time we had at the cape and the beach. The sand surfing was very fun. We were only out of the of the bus for maybe 40 minutes on the beach and maybe 50 minutes at the cape. So 9 hours of riding for quick stops. Getting off on schedule and only one pick up site would allow for more time at the stops. The lunch provided was not very good so you might want to bring your own food. Maybe the salad would have been the best choice.

All in all worth the long ride to see the Tasmanian Sea battle it out with the South Pacific Ocean battle it out for dominance and the sand surfing. Huey was the best.
Written March 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sharyn R
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Great tour! Lucky to have perfect weather and the skipper (can’t remember her name) was brilliant, she was informative and funny and a great operator of such a large vessel! You go girl!! Beautiful place and would love to return one day!
Written March 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John
England, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Weather wasn’t that good but we got to see everything we wanted - dolphins, seals, birds etc. the landmarks were great, especially the hole in the rock, with a twist!
Written February 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maryna C
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
This tour is fabulous. We had Tahi as our tour guide and he was knowledgeable, relatable and very funny. He made our trip up to Cape Reinga worthwhile. The views were the cherry on top.
Written February 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jean D
Toowoomba, Australia10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Wonderful exciting boat ride. Loved the hour or so on the island. Staff very friendly and nice to see so many young people emoyed.
Written February 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

George M
Windsor, UK256 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Started at 7am got back at 7pm The coach is old and not comfortable We set of and the guide is also the driver - not good considering the roads and the hours he is driving must be 14 a day He gave scant information on the places we passed and spent most of the time talking about his kids his grandkids and dead relatives . We arrived at 90:mile beach only to find the tide was in - surely he knew this We then went off to a Lake for lunch pulled forward to 11.15 instead of 1pm beautiful place but we could only stay 45 minutes Then off to Lighthouse - great place great views but could only stay an hour . Then back to 90 mile beach - a drive on the beach then home .
I know no more about the areas we traveled through than I did before I started .Oh and driver appeared pleased telling stories how he avoids safety inspections on the coach
Written February 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jevb2015
Hertford, UK6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
It was hell not worth nearly 11 hours on a coach. There is nothing good to say about the trip don’t waste your money. We set off just after 7 am and did not arrive back until nearly 7 pm. Food awful and coach even worse
Written February 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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EXPLORE GROUP (Paihia) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go