Kaikoura Whale Watching Flight - Wings Over Whales

4.7
590

Fly with New Zealand's safest, most experienced, award winning aeroplane whale watching company. With Wings Over Whales, you’ll witness majestic whales, playful dolphins, and breathtaking mountain views — all from the best seat in the sky!

Fly with New Zealand's safest, most experienced, award winning aeroplane whale watching company. With Wings Over Whales, you’ll witness majestic whales, playful dolphins, and breathtaking mountain views — all from the best seat in the sky!

Highlights

  • Enjoy stunning views over Kaikōura
  • See magnificent whales and dolphins in their natural habitat
  • Fantastic photo opportunities of the whales and scenic views
  • Qualmark Gold award
  • Newest Planes in Kaikoura

Join Wings Over Whales for the Experience of a lifetime.

100% Weather Refund Guarantee

“Experience the true magnitude of the world’s largest mammal, the whale!” - TOP REVIEWED!

Discover the awe-inspiring beauty of Kaikoura from the sky with Wings Over Whales – a locally owned and operated company offering unforgettable whale watching and scenic flights. Get up close to the world’s largest mammals, including the majestic Sperm Whale, as well as Dusky Dolphins, Humpback Whales, and other marine life – all from the comfort of your own window seat in a high-wing aircraft designed for the best aerial whale watching experience in Kaikoura.

Operating year-round, Wings Over Whales is Kaikoura’s most trusted and experienced whale watching company, with over 30 years of safe, professional service. Our expert pilots and friendly team are passionate about marine life and delivering a flight you’ll never forget. We are proud to be Qualmark GOLD endorsed, ensuring a premium tourism experience backed by New Zealand’s official quality assurance standards.


  • Every seat is a window seat, perfect for unobstructed viewing and photography.
  • Fly just 150 metres above whales and dolphins for stunning close-up views.
  • Complimentary hot drinks (tea, coffee, or hot chocolate) for all booked guests.


With a very high whale sighting success rate, Wings Over Whales gives you the best chance to witness these incredible creatures in their natural environment. While sightings are not guaranteed, we’re proud to be known for our honesty, safety, and commitment to making every flight a memorable one.

Things you may see

  • Sperm whales
  • Dusky dolphins
  • Humpback whales
  • Blue whales
  • Fin whales
  • Orca
  • New Zealand fur seals
Adult $275.00
Child $130.00 (3 - 11 years)
Infant $0.00 (0 - 2 years)

What's included

  • Flight over Kaikōura's beautiful landscape searching for whales & dolphins
  • Free hot tea, coffee and hot chocolate for booked passenegers
  • Onboard commentary during your flight from local knowledgeable pilots

Duration

  • 40 minutes

Location

  • Main Terminal Building, Kaikoura Airport
  • 617 State Highway 1, Peketa, Kaikoura 7374

Restrictions

  • The maximum weight per seat is 125kgs. Should you have any concerns or queries, please feel free to phone our friendly team before booking.

Child Friendly

  • This experience welcomes families with children.

Bad Weather Refunds

  • If your experience is cancelled by the operator (because of the bad weather, safety concerns, unscheduled maintenance etc) you will be entitled to a full refund.

Notes

  • Please Note: Wings Over Whales has the right to alter passenger's flight times/bookings at their discretion, due to scheduling restrictions, weight and balance of the aircraft, to fill flights.

    All flights are subject to weather conditions, minimum numbers and Wings over Whales terms and conditions.


  • Minimum number required per flight. Changes to flight time may be required.

Available Bookings from15 Aug to 28 Aug 2026

All prices are shown inNZD ($)

Change Dates
Sat 15 Aug
Sun 16 Aug
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Tue 18 Aug
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Fri 28 Aug

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge

  • Adult$275.00
  • Child$130.00
  • Infant Free of Charge
Great experience Great family activity in Kaikoura 멋진경험 Amazing! 凯库拉空中观鲸体验
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Authenticated Reviews

Real highlights, tips, and the helpful advice straight from Bookme customers who’ve actually done this experience, summarised with AI support

  • emergencyCustomers loved the friendly and knowledgeable team, making the experience enjoyable (12 people said this).
  • emergencyMany praised the stunning aerial views of the coast and mountains during the flight (10 people said this).
  • emergencySightings of various whales, including sperm and humpback whales, were frequently highlighted as a major highlight (9 people said this).
  • emergencyThe smooth flying and landing of the aircraft received positive mentions (6 people said this).
  • emergencyThe complimentary shuttle service from town was appreciated by several customers (5 people said this).
  • emergencyOverall, the experience was described as breathtaking and a must-do in New Zealand (8 people said this).
  • star_shineConsider bringing binoculars for better views.
    Arrive a bit early to enjoy the shuttle service and get settled before the flight.

4.7

590 reviews

Showing all 590 authenticated Bookme reviews

lesleyo3 from United Kingdom wrote on 16 March 2026

Absolutely Amazing

The pilots on this flight are amazing. They all work together with the other flight companies, helicopters and boats so that you maximise your chances of seeing the whales from the air. We were lucky enough to see 3 sperm whales (which is no mean feat seeing they are only up for 10 mins and then dive for 45 mins and the flight is 40 mins long). The pilots ensure that guests on both sides of the plane get the same amount of time viewing them and you really do get quite close with just a camera phone. We also saw Dusky Dolphins, Hectors Dolphins and sting rays on our trip. Motion sickness tablets might be worthwhile as the plane circles tightly at an angle to get the best views of the whales. Cannot emphasise how good this company is.

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Manjusree Gaikwad from New Zealand wrote on 08 February 2026

We saw the Whales

This time I took my parents who were visiting nz for the first time and We were so amazed to see the giant mammal both the sperm whale and the Killer whale Felt so lu lucky

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Hellen Donnithorne from New Zealand wrote on 08 February 2026

Wings over Whales

Very pleasant plane ride - unfortunately no whales sighted- but a big pod of dolphins! flying over the coast and countryside a new experience Excellent pilot - who also gave a very good presentation prior to the flight. Facilities at the venue excellent - free tea or coffee and i window to watch other planes coming and going

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emeliner1 from France wrote on 07 February 2026

Whale watching

Absolutely stunning! We’ve seen 3 sperm whales and a little group of long-finned pilot whales, it was awesome. Big up to the pilot, Alexis, who was incredible as well!

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Bob Gibson from United Kingdom wrote on 04 February 2026

Flight 4th Feb

Highly re commended - pilot Jo spot a whale almost immediately and circled many times for excellent views.Her commentary was very informative and announcing that the whale was about to dive enabled good photos of the tail.

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Booking

10:00 a.m.Thursday 13 July

12

Adult

Child 3 - 11 years

Infant 0 - 2 years

*This option must be made together with another price type.
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Qualmark

When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.

Qualmark Gold

This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.

Qualmark Silver

This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.

Qualmark Bronze

The Qualmark Bronze award recognizes a business that operates with a high level of professionalism, is mindful of its environmental impact, and is dedicated to putting customers first.

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