Seasons & Weather

From the crisp days of spring to the burnt orange beauty of autumn, snow capped mountains in the winter, New Zealand is a visitor's paradise. Kaikōura lies 8m above sea level, the climate here is mild and generally warm and temperate. No matter the season, Kaikōura Kayaks operates all year-round.

Autumn: March to May 8°- 22°

Autumn is a beautiful time of year in Kaikōura and enjoys some of the most settled weather of the whole year. The sea air is crisp from its first light dusting of snow on the mountains and the ocean glitters from long sunny days. In autumn and winter the Dusky Dolphin pods are at their largest.

Seals sitting on rocks with snow covered mountains in the background

Winter: June to August 3°- 16°

Beautiful crisp winter days. The Kaikōura Ranges are generally covered in snow. Migratory whales pass through, it is a great time of year to see humpback whales.

Spring: September to November 7°- 22°

Kaikōura welcomes the return of the Hutton's Shearwaters, an endangered seabird endemic to Kaikōura. Baby seal pups and wildlife makes this an inspiring time of year to visit. Our famous sunset evening classic tour is back for the season, continually into the summer months.

Summer: December to February 10°- 30°

Warm sunny weather make the most of long summer days and evenings by taking part in any three of our tours to check out the abundance of marine life. You can hire a kayak and even a fishing rod from us and try catching your own dinner

What our customers have to say

Wow wow wow! We'd done whale watching the day before but this beat that hands down. Miles was great, just enough instruction and safety chat and getting us involved in prep. He mentioned that he'd seen spouting and splashing over the other side of the bay so we decided to head that way. Within minutes we were seeing loads of leaping...

Lesley H, UK

We did the trip with a 6 and 8 year old. Parents in the back of each kayak, kids in the front. This worked really well. Saw a huge number of dolphins & Seals. They were playing & doing crazy tricks. Had a lovely time, the staff were really friendly, helpful & enthusiastic. Great value for money and would highly recommend this...

Steve, Nelson NZ

Marine mammal megamix Spent a truly incredible morning around the Kaikōura Peninsula with Matt and Emma, two fantastic local guides. The whole operation was very professional, with high quality kayaks, equipment and a detailed safety briefing. Spent a good amount of time observing the seals, tried our hand at some kayak surfing in the big...

Tom, Neverlands

I would have to say this is up there with one of my best experiences in New Zealand! The kayak tour was incredible and I would really recommend this to anyone. The staff are great, friendly and funny which made the tour even more enjoyable. My team included Emma, Cam and Sophie. As I was on my own, I had the pleasure of sharing a kayak with...

Giorgio Favarulo, UK / Ireland

Third time with Kaikōura Kayaks! Have been in guided tours and hired a double kayak; all experiences were incredible. Great staff and equipment. Kaikōura is one of the most amazing places to kayak - so much wild life and you're surrounded by epic scenery.

Kiana Saltarelli, North America

Great Trip - even the oldies loved it! Had a really great trip with Cowan out to the see the seals and the reef on a beautiful morning. I was a bit worried getting in a kayak with my mother (67) and father (70) but Cowan kept us going at a leisurely pace and even convinced us to have a go in the open ocean! What a great experience and...

John R, UK

"To Matt and the Kaikōura Kayaks team, Thank you very much for a fantastic day of kayaking. Both our trips were very well organised by your friendly team. We found your lessons enjoyable, helping us all to be confident, expert paddlers! We were so lucky to have a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed fantastic scenery and wildlife out...

Kowhai Class, Hurunui College NZ

The experience of a lifetime! Having intuitive and professional guides who allowed us the opportunity to experience an outstanding and very memorable day. They knew just where the incredible action was happening. We saw an amazing array of dolphins playing right near us and also saw blue penguins and seals. We travelled for two weeks around...

Paula Kirby, Wellinton NZ

Sunset magic 10/10 thanks to Emma and her crew. We had a magical day on the water and got to see feeding seals, dolphins and wildlife. Thanks so much would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a unforgettable experience in Kaikōura!!

DKG, Australia

We had a truly wonderful experience; my husband and I went as a stop on our honeymoon trip. Our guide, Ru, was knowledgeable and skillful, and checked in with us often to provide the experience that would help us feel challenged, excited, and also safe and comfortable. From start to finish the team was so thorough and made sure we had all of...

Laura James, USA