16 FUN THINGS TO DO IN KAIKOURA WITH KIDS

18 OCTOBER 2025

Kaikoura is one of the beautiful towns in New Zealand. It sits between Blenheim and Christchurch, on the east coast of the South Island and is known as the place where the mountains meet the sea. We always love exploring Kaikoura and many people ask if it's worth the 2.5 hour drive up when they fly into Christchurch and my answer is always YES!

It's a place where you can enjoy the nature and landscape in any way that suits your family - you can walk, take a cruise, kayak or fly! But there's more to Kaikoura than the wildlife and views (although that is the main reason people visit it!).

Let me show you (and hopefully convince you!) why visiting Kaikoura is perfect for a family trip and what things there are to see and do. Let's get into it!

Star gaze at the Kaikoura Lookout
Take surfing lessons
Rockpool hunting along the coast
Walk the Kaikoura Peninsula Track
Grab ice cream at Pedroas
Explore the local op shops
Go on a whale cruise or scenic flight
Eat fish and chips on the beach
Swim with dolphins on a dolphin encounter
Visit the Kaikoura Museum
Have some chill time at the library
Enjoy a hot chocolate at Hiku
Play at the local playgrounds
Watch a sheep shearing demonstration
Take a llama for a walk!
Kayak along the coastline

Star Gaze At The Kaikoura Lookout

Kaikoura is part of the International Dark Sky Reserve (not many visitors to New Zealand realise this!) and was officially welcomed into this title on 12th September 2024. So it is a recent thing that is drawing visitors to the area and once place to remember to look up on a clear night so you can enjoy the beautiful night sky including the Milky Way.

One of the best spots to see the stars from is the Kaikoura Lookout. The good news is you can just drive to it - no dragging the kids up a track in the dark! There is a platform beside the carpark and information boards telling you how to capture star trails, if you're a keen photographer! Along the rails of the platform there are metal holders for you to place your phone onto to capture the trails (just don't leave them unattended).

This is also a great spot during the day to get views all across the peninsula and the Kaikoura Ranges.

Take Surfing Lessons

Kiwis love to surf and being in a country completely surrounded by ocean, it makes it pretty easy to do! Kaikoura is famous for being a great spot to surf and there are plenty of beaches where you can do this (some are safer than others - be sure to do your research where the safe ones are). Check out kiwisurfexp.co.nz for kids surfing lessons.

Rockpool Hunting Along The Coast

This is one of our favourite activities to do any time we're at the beach and Kaikoura has some awesome rockpool life to explore - sea anemones, starfish, crabs, little fish, mussels, paua and giant seaweed. It's also common to see New Zealand fur seals hanging around the rocks if you're out exploring - be sure to keep at least 20 metres away!

The beaches we like to explore are along the Kaikoura Foreshore (anywhere really!) and Goose Bay which is a marine reserve 15 mins south of Kaikoura. Its important to note that being a marine reserve, it's illegal to take any shells, rocks or marine life so PLEASE don't take anything home with you, instead enjoy looking into the many rock pools that the beach offers. Goose Bay is along the main highway and there is a carpark, so if you're heading south to Christchurch, it's a nice place to stop off at.

Walk The Kaikoura Peninsula Track

This is one of my top 10 favourite walks in New Zealand! What I love about it is the the incredible views from the clifftop and the amount of seals that you get to see down along the coastline (and it's free!).

There are seals all along the Kaikoura coastline but my favourite place to see a big seal colony on the Kaikoura Peninsula and the Kaikoura Peninsula Walk will take you there. In my opinion, the best spot to see the seal colony is from Whaler's Point at high tide where, during the right time of year, you will get to see all the seal pups playing in a tide pool! It's such an amazing experience seeing them up so close and a very unique experience for kids. There are seals along the coastline before this point but I reckon this is the best spot to see them. You can take the cliff track (highly recommend for the views) and eventually you will see a set of stairs which will take you down to the beach where you can see the seals. Please remember to keep at least 20 metres away from the seals!

Grab ice cream at Pedro’s

Our favourite spot for ice cream and sorbet is at Pedro's. They have a delicious range of flavours of both ice cream and sorbet (yay for those who are dairy free!). They also make great coffee.

You can find them at 18 Beach Road, along the main highway in Kaikoura (no need to take a detour if you're passing through). They are beside Seal Kayak Kaikoura and if you're lucky you will see Pedro - the dog!

Explore the local op shops

We are big op shop fans and it's really popular for kiwis to go in and find a bargain and our girls always head straight to the toy section. It's a weekly family favourite of ours to scour the op shops to see what bargains we can find and we love checking out op shops in new towns. There are currently 2 op shops in Kaikoura - SPCA Op Shop Kaikoura located at 116 Beach Road and the Kaikoura Community Op Shop located at 25 Beach Road.

Go on a whale cruise or scenic flight

If you're planning a trip to Kaikoura then you're most likely hoping to see whales and dolphins and the best way to see them is via a cruise or flight. We did the whale cruise with Whale Watch Kaikoura (currently the only whale cruise company in the area) and we absolutely loved it!! We saw so many humpback whales and dusky dolphins. We also saw a seal thrashing around an octopus and plenty of sea birds.

The cruise is a great way to get up and close to the amazing wildlife (although sightings can never be guaranteed) and it was great to be able to move around both sides of the boat, upstairs and downstairs. We had a calm day so there was no sea sickness for us and the staff were absolutely amazing and made the experience really come together.

Important note: There is a minimum age limit of 3 years to be able to travel on the whale cruise and this age could be raised depending on sea and weather conditions at the time of check in.

If you choose to go on a whale flight, you may spot whales but they will be from a lot further away than on a boat but it would still be an incredible experience, especially going on a plane!

Eat Fish And Chips On The Beach

Kiwis are known for fish and chips and there's nothing more kiwi than eating them on the beach! There are quite a few takeaway shops in Kaikoura and one of the best fish and chip shops is Coopers Catch at 9 West End, in the town. It's only a couple of minutes drive to the beach, so order up, hop in your car, drive to the beach and enjoy!

Swim With Dolphins

Another cool experience to do in Kaikoura is swim with the dolphins or you can just watch from the boat. Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura run these amazing tours and you could spot dusky, common and hector's dolphins and even orcas (yes, they're a dolphin, not a whale!) at various times of the year.

Important: There is a minimum age of 3 to go on the boat and a minimum age of 8 to go swimming. Adults must be accompanied on the boat or in water at all times

Visit The Kaikoura Museum

Kaikoura Museum is a great family friendly indoor activity in Kaikoura, especially if the weather is bad. There's a lot of interactive exhibits (telling stores of the natural and cultural heritage) which is great for keeping the kids entertained, as well as a drawing station. We found it interesting for everyone as there was something for all ages and I enjoyed reading about the Kaikoura earthquake and seeing the images of the aftermath. It's a small museum but enough to see for an hour or so.

As of January 2026 it's $12 per adult and $6 per child or $30 for a family (2 adults and up to 4 kids). Click here for more info including the opening hours and updated prices.

Spend Time At The Library

Above the Kaikoura Museum is the library where there is a kids section with bean bags, plenty of books (you'd hope so!), a colouring station and a toy food area. You will need to be a member to check out books from the library, otherwise it's a nice place to chill and read some books for the afternoon.

Enjoy A Hot Chocolate Or Fluffy At Huku

Our go to spot in Kaikoura for mochas, fluffys and hot chocolates is at Hiku, a local restaurant below the Sudima Hotel. The restaurant is on the Esplanade, directly across the road from Kaikoura Beach which means you get a lovely view of the sea while you enjoy your drinks. We love how they have comfy lounge chairs too!

If you're hungry, the food here is great and we have dined in for lunch and dinner (we love their seafood platter) and they do have small activity packs for kids so be sure to ask if they don't offer (not sure if this is a permanent thing but when we visited in 2025 we got them).

Play At The Local Playgrounds

There are a few playgrounds in Kaikoura and they're all on the smaller size but it will still get that energy out, I'm sure!

- Gooches Beach Playground on the Esplanade
- A playground on the Alpine Pacific Touring Route (main road into Kaikoura) beside the Jehova's Witnesses building
- A playground on Deal Street, opposite the Kaikoura Healthcare building

There is also a skate park on the Esplanade opposite the tennis courts.

Watch A Sheep Sheering Demonstration

Something fun to do in Kaikoura with the kids is to watch a sheep shearing show. The show is suitable for all ages and you’ll learn about different sheep breeds, wool types and shearing tools and techniques. Of course you'll see a sheep being shorn too which is the best part and listen to stories about farming heritage. You also get to meet the sheep and farms dogs.

The Point Campsite put on the shows daily at 1.30pm and you can make a booking on their website or just turn up. It might pay to give them a call just to confirm they are doing the show as I decided to book on the last day I was staying in Kaikoura and the guy running it was out of town. I will try my luck again next time I'm in Kaikoura.

Click here for more info.

Take A Llama For A Walk

One of the most unique activities in Kaikoura is llama trekking, where you get to take your very own llama for a walk! It’s a fun, family-friendly experience (the kids will love it), and there are two trek options to choose from. The Taster Trek (1.5 hours) follows the Kowhai River and winds through native forest, while the Half-Day Trek (around 3.5 hours) takes you along the coastline, past the seal colony, with a stop along the way for cake and hot drinks.

Kids aged 7+ can lead their own llama, while kids aged 3–6 share a llama with an adult. Children aged 0–3 need to be carried for the duration of the trek and a kiddy backpack may be available for use - it’s best to contact the operators directly to check.

Click here for more info.

Kayaking

Kayaking in Kaikoura is one of the best ways to experience the coastline and the wildlife up close. You can paddle right alongside playful New Zealand fur seals, get up close to sea birds and have the chance of spotting dolphins too! Of course wildlife sightings are never guaranteed so the bonus is what kayaking is still a super fun activity and the Kaikoura coastline is stunning!

The tours are guided and are beginner friendly, making this a great activity for families. One tour option is to go on a pedal powered kayaks, which are very stable and easy to use (you pedal with your legs instead of paddling), while other tours use traditional sea kayaks.

Kayak tours usually last around 1.5 – 3 hours, including safety briefings, with plenty of time on the water.

Kayak tour operators in Kaikoura:
- Seal Kayak Kaikoura
- Kaikoura Kayaks

Final Thoughts

We always leave Kaikoura feeling so refreshed and happy after spending so much time outdoors and seeing all the incredible wildlife. There’s something to keep everyone entertained, despite it being such a small town and it's the ideal location for families to make magical memories together. So many of my clients and fellow travellers are still talking about their visit to Kaikoura, years later!

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