Our kids enjoyed the science centre, spent a fair bit of time here, the planetarium was ok would've more liked to hear about facts of the solar system and see more planets than just the astrology constellations. Butterfly house was nice with some birds also. Most I've paid for a museum before.

I enjoyed my visit to the Dunedin Museum and Butterfly House. It's a fantastic place with a great mix of things to see. The butterfly house was a highlight — absolutely beautiful and calming, with so many colorful butterflies flying freely around you. I also really loved the photography exhibition, The museum overall was well-presented, interesting, and worth a visit if you're in the area. Highly recommend!

I visited this museum during my stay in Dunedin and really enjoyed it! It’s a fascinating place with a wide range of exhibits — from natural history and science to cultural collections. The layout is modern and easy to explore, and the staff are friendly and helpful. A great spot to learn, relax, and spend a few hours discovering something new. Highly recommended for visitors to Dunedin!

The museum's experience is the best visit for me in Dunedin. I can't believe so many butterflies in front of my eyes! Amazing and must try in Dunedin. The museum is big and probably you have to spend a day here!

Was a lovely museum and spent a good 3 hours here, you definitely need to pay if you have kids to get into the science area and butterflies as they were the. Ist interesting areas. We paid $81 for our family to get into that and also the planetarium as well. I wouldn’t say it was worth it for that amount and wouldn’t go again because of the price but worth it if you want to tick it off the list or need something to do indoors. Also has a cafe which was great.

I recently visited the Tuhura Otago Museum and was thoroughly impressed by the wide range of exhibits on display. One of the standout attractions is the 2,500-year-old Egyptian mummy, which is astonishing to see in person. The museum's ship model display is also quite remarkable. Among the impressive collection, I was delighted to find a model of the ship my ancestors arrived on in 1930. The museum also features a LEGO display, which looks like a lot of fun, but it requires a separate ticket that I didn't purchase. Another highlight of the museum is the Wildlife Attic, where they have a variety of taxidermy animals from all over the world. It was fascinating to see such a diverse collection. Overall, I had a wonderful time exploring the exhibits, and the friendly staff made the experience even better. I highly recommend a visit to the Otago Museum for anyone interested in history, wildlife, and unique displays.

Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful museum. Came in for the Lego Relics and walked around for more than Lego. I really love how the museum curates Lego with a mixture of historical and old stuff. It is like narrating a story. Very creative. Loves to spend more time here and wish to come back visit (if the ticket price can be cheaper 😓)

This visit was totally unplanned for us, as we happened to stumble across it on our way to our actual destination. Sadly because of the time frame we could only do the garden tour, but we absolutely loved it. Many varieties of plants and stunning views. The castle itself is already beautiful from just the outside but the garden around it completes the experience. Definitely would go again

Paid to visit the gardens $24. If you want to go in the castle as well it's $48. The gardens are lovely and the outside was just as nice. Coming from the UK it's not the I was expecting but it's lovely all the same from what we saw on the outside. You get pamphlets when you buy a tickets detailing the history and a map which was nice. The cafe/ballroom is something else entirely....so grand and very historic. The open fire places added a wonderful touch and you can sit outside in the marquee or even at the tables on the grass. We only got a drink so can't comment on the food but what we did see from other people it looked lovely. The afternoon tea we wished we'd done. It was a lovely visit.

A beautiful historical castle to come for a visit. My partner and I arrived from australia. Checked out the Castle and the Grounds. So much to learn and see. Next time we will definitely stay at the castle! Felt a bit spooky in the upstairs locations in The Castle!

I loved the venue, got a tad upset with all of the private tours they have going at the same time. Had a very sassy lady give me a filthy look as I was entering the room. Didn't feel they had more rights to be in the room than me. I paid my entry but didn't get a tour as I like to take my time. That particular lady needs to consider her body language and behavior and be mindful as I took offense to it.

It's a nice place but not real a castle and you cannot stay there We were on a cruise ship tour and felt that we were rushed through the main floor rooms by the guide. Luckily we had some free time to see the upper floors on our own. There should be some system to manage the flow of visitors wanting to climb the extremely narrow stairs to reach the top of the tower. I ended up there without knowing what to expect as there is absolutely no indication of what it is. Pure luck! Nice gardens but sadly the plants/flowers/trees are not named.

We went to Larnach to do a guided tour of the castle. The tour was excellent, and the history of the original occupants very interesting. Would recommend the guided tour they are being run. The gardens and surrounds are lovely and the views out to Port Chalmers and back to Dunedin outstanding. Had a very enjoyable morning.

I visited the castle and gardens. It was a beautiful day and the flowers were in bloom (Mid November 2025). Very peaceful and serene surroundings. From the front gate entrance with very friendly staff to The cafe in the ballroom which serves delicious food and drinks. Beautiful experience there.

Well worth a stop. Spacious and well laid out. Something for everyone in the exhibits. Cafe gets very full mid morning. Good gift shop. Free entry with donation box. Normally a park on the street close by, pay by plate system.

This was a great little find in Dunedin. We were looking to fill some time and stumbled across this museum and it far exceeded my expectations for a free museum. Definitely worth the visit.

Excellent. A must go and see museum. Well set out, full of great exhibits, good places to sit, nice cafe. Play area for children.

Definitely a learning journey, being in toitu museum. Plenty of exhibits, each station's very cool. Huge place to wander aimlessly for half a day. But its never boring.. i gained alot of insights and knowledge. :) Recommended. Its FOC, runs on donation. Go!

Free entrance but suggested to donate $5 for maintenance. Huge museum with lots of artefacts and exhibits. Highly recommended to visit if have an hour to spare.

Great place to visit. Something for adults and kids as well. Very informative museum where I learnt quite a lot about Dunedin and the great place it is. I would highly recommend a visit if you have some time

Really well laid out, and lots to see. All on oe flatfloor if you have accessibility issues. Very pleasant cafe area

Such a wonderful place to visit. So many things to offer for young and old. You have to visit all the areas, the herb circle, playground feeding the ducks was hilarious with our kids. We came back again to explore more and see the aviary which was awesome, the birds are hilarious and beautiful.

Biggest botanic garden I've ever seen! It's quite the climb, but go up to the aviary. They have all sorts of wonderful birds that come close to look at you (especially when you wear a bright coat). They have all sorts of gardens, but the roses are my favourite!! Don't skip this part of Dunedin

Very large botanic garden that is completely free to visit. The lower garden is flat and wheelchair accessible, but the rest of the garden is very hilly. They have so many different plants so you can absolutely spend a few hours here if you want to see everything. Aviary can be accessed from the East entrance (you can park there) so accessibility there is not an issue. They have lots of interesting bird including a very friendly talking sulfur crested parrot. The visitor centre opens at 10 and have free duck food. There's absolutely tons of ducks around the pond! The cafe at the alpine lodge is closed indefinitely but there's a "coffee cart" as replacement. There's a small glasshouse which was interesting - there was someone sleeping inside on the bench for some reason.

The most beautiful public gardens in New Zealand. Definitely worth a visit in any weather.

Free to enter beautiful rose garden. I went a few months ago gor the cherry blossom, now the rhododendrons are in full bloom. Lovy to see the changing seasons

Such a lovely garden to visit with family, plenty plants and trees for people to enjoy! Strongly recommend it to all travelers🥰

Wow!!! Such a fantastic view of Trees in the Arboretum ( gotta hike up the hill )... Ponderosa Pine, Cypress, Sycamore, Eucalyptus. Done miss the Aviary and the Rhododendron Dell.

The drive to point where this takes you (from Lanarch castle) is pretty average (apart from one viewpoint). Got to the point this said and it was VERY underwhelming after driving a gravel road. Might be nice if you drive via Portabello but wouldn’t bother driving the way above (until you hit a viewpoint) then turn around! Don’t waste your time or fuel! The views on road to Lanarch Castle are far more beautiful.

There are multiple places on the roadway to sit and view the amazing place. People also love running through the edge of the road and the view is extraordinary on the sunset

If you get the chance to come for a drive then you must do so. The views are incredible and well worth the afternoon (or even full day) you will spend driving, walking looking & photographing. True New Zealand.

A very beautiful and quiet place in Dunedin. The drive from Dunedin is breathtaking and you already enjoy a lot of scenic views before reaching this place. The road is not paved at the end so it is wise to take a 4x4 ride but still a sedan has no issue. There is no shop or drinking water so you should have drinking water and snacks with you. You are literally at the end of the world here as there is nothing in front of you but Antarctica very far away. I would say it is a must visit place if you are in Dunedin.

Nice drive for the views. Unfortunately due to bollards erected all the way to the end there is absolutely nowhere to stop along the way. Lighthouse at end cannot be accessed as it’s in conservation area. Really disappointing drive..

Mostly a single lane dirt track

We took a bus tour from Dunedin to Nature's Wonders wildlife park, located on the far south coast of Otago Penninsula. 30 minute drive. Via 8 wheelers, small groups of 4-6 covered nasty dirt roads to the coast. Amazing beauty on a sunny, windy day. We saw seals nesting on the rocks and some rare penguins, yellow-eyed Hoiho - about 500 left alive. The highlight was the natural beauty. Long rolling green hills with sheep grazing - sweeping into the sea. Craggy rocks and sandy beaches. On a sunny day, it was amazing. A far outpost that is worth the effort to see.

Had a family dinner there - loved the restaurant as it was nice and cozy. Seemed to be understaffed as was difficult to get attention. Food wise, it was a bit disappointing, I ordered the fish which was dry, my husband ordered the lamb but the sauce was too acidic that gave a weird tingling feeling at the tip of this tongue and the kids burger (the fries was overly salted) you could literally see the salt.....the beef croquettes was good and try that out. The cheese platter we had was just average.

No.7 Balmac was such a memorable dining experience! We absolutely loved the warm, inviting ambiance and the genuine hospitality from the staff. The food was incredible—every dish had depth and character, and the smokiness from their signature wood-fired cooking really came through beautifully. The wine pairing was excellent too, and it was clear how much care and thought went into everything, from the plating to the flavors. It’s the kind of place you’d want to return to for both special occasions and relaxed evenings alike. Highly recommend if you’re in Dunedin!

5/5 stars for me! Impeccable food accompanied by amazing service. You can tell the chefs put in effort in every part of concocting their dishes. I had the lamb loin and duck confit, they were both amazing. Lamb loin was tender and juicy, accompanied by the red wine reduction sauce which went really well together. Duck confit was tender, juicy and flavourful. Sides were extraordinary too. Specifically the Brussels sprouts. Crispy and light, it goes really well with either main course, or even as a bar snack. Floor staffs were attentive and they knew their products well. In terms of recommending wine or food! Not sure what's up with the negative reviews, but this place is amazing! Try it for yourself.

Absolutely the best!! We had a range of starters, followed by two mains and sides and two desserts. The best dishes we've ever eaten and we've been all over the world. Highly recommend!!

Fabulous fine food dining. Great local and international wine choices.Beautiful views. Exceptional service.

Wow,, I am very impressed with very kind and friendly staff. Food and coffee were so nice especially cheese cake ❤️

Gorgeous fine dining with a warm, welcoming vibe. The BBQ dishes cooked on applewood on open fire are a standout. As are the cocktails! A good wine list too with a couple of decent vinos on tap.

Food and service was 10/10. Probably the most friendly service I've gotten in Dunedin. However the restaurant got too loud for me. They sit you all next to each other, rather than spread out. But restaurants do that I guess?

We were looking for a good seafood restaurant in Dunedin, and this is the one! They serve good food, good service and good vibe! Highly recommend who is visiting this city could have a plan to visit!

The entrance was kind of confusing for the first time visitors like me. The interior decorated with various collectible items, that created a unique vibes. Started with the raw oysters, following a fish main course, finally finished with crème brûlée. Overall the dishes and service were good. Reasonable value.

I've been coming to Plato from time to time for years. I have always thought they were very good but tonights meal has just elevated them to the best restaurant in Dunedin (for me). The new menu (don't know when it changed) was excellent. We had 3 drinks, 3 entries, 3 mains, 1 side, and 2 desserts. Each dish was superbly presented, tasted amazing and surprised the pallette e.g. Pork Belly and Clams in a curry sauce, shark and squid, or Licorice Ice-cream. The portions were large and no one left unsatiated. The service was fantastic with the ambiance homely and unpretentious. I really loved that they had multiple fish options; Mackerel, Gurnard, Tarakihi, Tuna, shark. I can't wait to go again.

Awesome high quality dishes and with generous portion. Best to share the mains if you have a small appetite. Came here due to online recommendation and did not disappoint.

Such an awesome experience!! Such a cool place you always have something to look at with all the knick knacks! The staff were just so lovely and helpful, the food was incredible, I'll be honest it was very pricey.. the cocktails were very small for over $20, my steak for some reason tasted like it had been marinated in salt and the bill blew my socks off. Other than that 10/10!

Great food and staff. Enjoyed the well thought out seafood options, which had huge portion sizes, but were fantastic quality. Reasonably priced wine list, with some great options too. Would love to return (or Plato can come to Wellington)?

Very nice restaurant with a view overlooking the octagon (not all tables). Small menu with different options and a very long wine list. The flowerpot bread comes freshly baked with butter. The sweet corn risotto was the best. The steak was of very good quality however overall it was missing some seasoning, but salt and pepper were available to help myself. My only recommendation is to provide a proper steak knife (mine was not sharp at all and made the cutting a bit of an adventure) as well as a larger fork (I’m not tall, but the fork was tiny considering the steak is served in a bowl shaped plate).

My husband has been raving about this place for the past couple of years, and finally my travels brought me to Dunedin. It was such a wonderful meal that we returned the next day! We highly recommend the delicate ceviche in coconut cream appetizer which was rich yet light. We also had the chicken Waldorf salad as a shared starter one day and that was equally delicious. The chicken was perfectly tender and the mix of apples, walnuts, celery and assorted other fruits and veggies was beautifully balanced. Our exquisite mains of a flavorful baked sole with passion fruit glaze and a perfectly prepared fillet steak were also elegantly prepared and presented. I'm usually skeptical about restaurant steaks because they're oftentimes not as good as what we can cook at home but this was far from the case. It's a combination of the high quality NZ grass-fed beef and some outstanding cooking techniques. There was a very slight hint of wasabi and it came out perfectly medium rare and as tender and tasty as they come. For dessert, we enjoyed a decadent sticky date and banana pudding. The hospitality was exceptional as is the restaurant's ambience. Located right in the Octagon in an elegant historic building, the restaurant sparkles! We’re excitedly planning yet another visit.

Okay. No non alcoholic wines or cocktails. Food was fine. Waitresses teams need polishing slow and laisse fair.

Simply great! We were in New Zealand for our honeymoon and Bacchus was easily one of the best dining experiences of our trip! Our host Gabby was just lovely, food was great and we had an amazing time here.

Our experience at Bacchus was one of the best during our entire trip through New Zealand. The owner talked with us, gave us so much insight into his 30 year history in Dunedin and the food was absolutely amazing! The fish was so fresh and served beautifully, and the desserts were fantastic. Plus, our daughter is still talking about the best chocolate martini she's every had!

Beautiful old building. Great selection of wines. I had a perfect risotto and my husband had a steak with a side of veg. Both delicious. We shared a crème brûlée and what a treat that was. The best I have had for a very long time. Thank you so much.

Stairs lead to the cosy restaurant over looking the Octagon. Friendly and very accommodating staff and chef for specific food requirements. Prompt service. I sat at the table by the window for airflow and view.

We decided to check this out based on reviews. Great customer service from the young ladies & selection of wines but the food wasn’t great! My salmon was cooked to perfection but that’s where it ended. My husband’s linguine wasn’t tasty either. Because of this we decided not to stay for dessert. We don’t mind paying for good food but this place was very pricey based on the lack of quality and attention to detail.

I had oversea guests visited so we thought taking to very nice restaurants as welcome. We were arrived at 8pm and restaurant was quite busy and which we understood there will be delayed however we sat down and staff were friendly but we had been ignored for at least 10-15mins. Before someone came over and said hope it is ok for us to wait 30-40mins for food. We said ok. Then I asked for menu. They ignored us for a while. kept telling us one second. But couple of ppl arrived after us got menu and drink order right away (as soon as they sat down) I had to asked at least 3 times before get some water, we had to kept asking as we wanted to order drink and food. We almost had to beg for menu and water. My daughter was upset as she was quite thirsty so she left to get drink from daily. I never experienced this bad service. I had to go up to counter to order orange juice and water. At the end We only got serve water. Finally we got to order. Food was very good though( but we ordered chips but didn't come.) We spent $275 in total. They could get more money if they would ask for dessert. We end up go else where for dessert. Our guest were disappointed. It was embarrassing. We had such a high expectations in service for such a fancy restaurant. However the food was beautiful. Really enjoyed the food.

Superb food, wine, service, ambience. The onion soup: ‘to die for’. Ditto the “silere lamb”. Excellent value. Really, not expensive for what you get. Thoroughly recommend.

We just had one of our best meals in Dunedin at Two Chefs Bistro. Both the food and the service were perfect.

This is a great place for dinner in Dunedin. The service is exceptional and the food good.

So glad we stumbled on this amazing restaurant. Everything was awesome. The service was first class. The food was some of the best I’ve had. Many classic French cuisine inspired dishes. Well seasoned with the best flavours and plated exceptionally well. Dunedin needs places like this where you pay for what you get. I’ll definitely be back and I’ll tell everyone to come and enjoy Two Chefs fine dining

Really nice food. Unfortunately the service was not that quick, but really good ambience in the restaurant.

Heard so much about the place and finally booked a table for a 40th Bday dinner. The night manager Holly was on the ball, friendly,attentive and knew her stuff. The food was brilliant! Had the dry age steak and worth every cent. Had the fries and beetroot salad to share and easily could've added a 3rd person to devour it. Overall it was a great night-walked out very pleased and super full! Will be back!

Not overly impressed, service was slow and not what i would rate as a top reastaurant. Had to ask for Salt and Pepper, and when they arrived, both grinders were empty and they couldn't find any salt and pepper to fill them. Not a huge choice of mains. Small plates are good. Well we went back again with the Southbase team the service was great food was great very enjoyable 😉 well done

Ribeye was tough and dry; beetroot salad is bland without seasoning / sauce; oyster seasoning was too salty. Salmon wing was good as a starter. Waiter was nice but not attentive enough and often forgot what we asked for.

This was just a really special evening. We had a Tomahawk steak, mash and Beetroot Salad. I also had a couple of the tequila cocktails. I can’t remember its name but it was so pretty and yum. The steak was perfectly cooked, the sides were great for sharing. Everything was awesome. Thank you so much for a great evening

Prohibition Smokehouse – 4/5 Stars I had a great dining experience at Prohibition Smokehouse. The ambience was lovely—stylish yet relaxed—and the service was friendly and attentive throughout the evening. The food was impressive. The beef croquettes were absolutely delicious, and the boneless chicken thigh was full of flavor with a sauce that had just the right touch of heat without being overpowering. I had the tomahawk steak, which was perfectly cooked—tender and packed with flavor. The sides were just as good: the fries were crisp and well-seasoned, and the Brussels sprouts were a standout—rich, caramelized, and bursting with flavor. For dessert, the passionfruit crème brûlée was smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. The only downside? They had run out of coffee, which was a bit disappointing and the only reason I’m giving 4 instead of 5 stars. Otherwise, a fantastic meal and I’ll definitely be back.

an expensive shout but the dishes were enjoyable and high quality! we really liked the lamb rump, ribeye, and beetroot salad however my friend did find her ribeye (not pictured) was more fatty than others.

The food is out of this world, best place to get a steak, I normally am not the type to order a steak but this was melt in your mouth perfection. I was having a terrible day, where my day started at 5am calling an ambulance, Holly gave the absolute best service, was compassionate and custom making me a gin cocktail to my tastes, and had turned me around from being upset to walking out happy. Highly recommend Prohobition Smokehoude, best place to dine in Dunedin.