We booked for the last tour of the day, about 4.45pm which we were recommended as this is the time the penguins start coming ashore. We were met by a fantastic passionate guide who gave us a brief talk about penguins and what we could expect to see. We then were each given a green waterproof coat and driven to... more

At the Penguin Place, you get to see yellow eyed penguins up close. They have a unique set of trenches so you can see the penguins, but the penguins cannot see you. Therefore, you get to see them really close and can get some really great photos. When we were there, many of the penguins we either setting on nests... more

We went to Penguin Place in January and enjoyed our visit. We were underwhelmed by the number of penguins we saw (5 - 10) compared to the literally thousands of penguins we had seen at Phillip Island near Melbourne, but the advantage in Dundedin is you get up close via their trench system and you were allowed to use camcorders... more

We were in Dunedin over Christmas and as this was one of the few places open on 25th we decided to do this trip. We booked directly with the Palace and drove ourselves out there in a hire car (about 30 mins from Dunedin centre). It was fantastic and one of the best experiences of our month in NZ. We... more

We were driving up from Invercargill and had to drive like crazy on the waterside road to get here in time, but it was totally worth it! Be patient and the penguins will come. We got lucky and a new, untagged penguin came a few feet from us. Lots of fun. Staff was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot... more

This was the highlight of our brief holiday in New Zealand. The guides are excellent - really enthusiastic about the penguins and very knowledgeable too. There were lots of penguins coming ashore while we were there, we had some great photo opportunities, and we stayed until it was almost dark. It was a fantastic experience. more

We visited Penguin Place in July 2006 with our 7 year old daughter. After 3 weeks on both the North and South Island, this was the highlight of our trip. Our guide was kind and enthusiastic. We met him at 4 pm and stayed out watching penguins until it was so dark that we were almost in danger of stumbling.... more

This is not a trip for you unless you are reasonably fit: there is quite a bit of walking, sometimes at a brisk pace, and uphill. It is also not a trip for people with young children, unless the kids are superdisciplined. You have to stand quietly in the huts for quite a bit, and this may not work for... more

Penguin Place is not easy to get to, but is so very much worth the journey. My husband and I spent 3 glorious weeks traveling in the North and South Islands, and this was by far the highlight of the trip. I've never been an "eco-tourist" before, but I am now. During our 2 hour guided tour we observed these... more