Bay of Islands Luxury Tours | Extraordinary Journeys

The Bay of Islands is a New Zealand enclave encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands on the northeastern tip of the North Island. It’s the ideal place for island hopping by means of chartered boat.

The area dates back centuries to its Maori inhabitants, but it was also the first place Europeans settled in New Zealand. History left its mark in colonial towns like Russell, where you find bullet holes from the Maori Wars embedded in Christ Church and the Catholic Mission “Pompallier".

Aerial view of green islands and sheltered bays in bright blue water, dotted with small boats beneath scattered clouds.

Two children run and splash along a shaded sandy beach in clear shallows, with calm water and hills beyond.

A white sailboat glides across blue water near rugged green islands in the Bay of Islands under a bright sky.

Why visit the Bay of Islands?

Learn about the Waitangi Treaty, which was signed by the Maori people and the British Empire in 1840, or check out the restored steam engine on the railway at Kawakawa Island.

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Learn about the Waitangi Treaty, which was signed by the Maori people and the British Empire in 1840, or check out the restored steam engine on the railway at Kawakawa Island.
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Not a history buff? No problem – follow the walking trials that crisscross the islands to admire the sea from various vantage points or road trip around the region.
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The Bay of Islands is home to tons of marine life such as dolphins, whales, penguins, marlin and gannets, to name but a few. Discover new ecosystems when snorkeling through underwater shipwrecks.

A person photographs a glowing sunset over calm water near a pier and waterfront buildings in Paihia town.

Aerial view of the Bay of Islands reveals turquoise inlets and many anchored boats around green headlands.

A pohutukawa tree in red bloom frames a sandy beach and calm water, with a small green island offshore nearby.

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Bay of Islands Travel