Originally a Scottish settlement, the city of Dunedin is now a bustling university town with lots to see and do. After visiting several times over the last couple of years, I’ve decided to put together this Dunedin travel guide with all of my favorite activity, restaurant, and accommodation suggestions. This guide will cover all of the biggest tourist attractions as well as some that are more off-the-beaten-track. Let’s go!
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A little bit about Dunedin
The city of Dunedin was founded in 1848 by a group of Scottish settlers. Also known as the Edinburgh of the South, Dunedin’s name actually comes from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh: Dùn Èideann. Its population grew during the Central Otago gold rush of the 1860s and for a few years it became New Zealand’s largest city. (Dunedin is now New Zealand’s 6th largest city by population, but it’s still considered one of the country’s 4 main cultural centers.)
Other than its Scottish heritage, nowadays Dunedin is mainly known for its student culture. It’s home to the University of Otago, New Zealand’s oldest university. During the day, you can often find outdoor markets, festivals, and lots of fun restaurants and cafes. Since the population is pretty young, there are usually plenty of things to do in the evenings as well.
Best time to visit Dunedin
Weather-wise, Dunedin can be considered pretty mild year-round. Because of the temperate maritime climate, summers can be cooler than you’d expect. Winters are chilly and rainy, but lots of snow isn’t common. The weather can change quickly so it’s a good idea to wear several layers regardless of when you visit.
Since Dunedin has such a strong university culture, I’d recommend visiting in the spring, autumn, or winter. That is when the city comes alive and has the most going on activity-wise. You’ll also avoid the higher accommodation prices and gaggles of tourists in the summer (win-win!).
How to get to Dunedin
Dunedin is located on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The city is surrounded by rolling hills to the north and west, ocean to the south, and the Otago Peninsula to the east.
Driving times from:
- Queenstown: 3.5 hours
- Christchurch: 4.5 hours
- Invercargill: 2.5 hours
Where to stay in Dunedin
Since we usually travel in our van, our favorite place to stay is Dunedin Holiday Park and Motels near St. Kilda beach. There are powered and unpowered campervan sites along with individual motel units. They also provide kitchen facilities, showers, and a coin-operated laundry.
If you’re not traveling by van, there are plenty of hotels and Airbnbs closer to the city center. Try getting accommodation near the Octagon if you don’t have your own vehicle as you’ll be closer to public transportation.
Dunedin travel guide: Activities & things to do
Baldwin Street
Located in the North East Valley neighborhood, Baldwin Street is the steepest residential street in the world. It has a grade of about 35% at its steepest point, meaning that for every 2.9 m (9.8 ft) traveled horizontally, the elevation changes by 1 m (3.3 ft)!
You can either walk or drive up the street, although I recommend walking to get the full effect. Only drive if you’re sure that your car is strong enough to make it to the top. Although the street isn’t that long, it is a pretty challenging (and obviously steep) walk to the top.
Lan Yuan (Dunedin Chinese garden)
Lan Yuan is an authentic Chinese garden built to recognize and celebrate the Chinese immigrants who came to the region during the Otago gold rush. It has several structures within the garden itself, including an entrance hall, a climbing mountain, an archway, and a moon gate.
Admission to the garden costs NZ$10. Make sure you stop by the tea house on your way out, where you can buy authentic Chinese tea, steamed buns, and dumplings.
The Octagon
The Octagon is an octagonal-shaped square in the middle of town. It’s surrounded by bars, restaurants, and shops in every direction. You’ll find lots of really cool European-style architecture around the Octagon. Some of the most prominent buildings include St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Public Art Gallery, and Dunedin Town Hall.
Dunedin Railway Station
A few blocks away from the Octagon you’ll find the Dunedin Railway Station. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful building in the whole city. Constructed in 1906, the Railway Station was designed in Flemish Renaissance style. The building’s ornate exterior earned the architect George Troup the nickname “Gingerbread George.”
On the ground floor, you’ll find a restaurant and lots of beautiful mosaic tiles and stained glass windows. The second floor has an art gallery and sports hall of fame, which are also open to the public.
On Saturdays, the Dunedin Railway Station parking lot turns into the Otago Farmers Market. The market has over 75 stalls, with people selling produce, freshly baked pastries, artisan cheeses, and more. This is a great place to have a bite to eat and stock up on some local products.
Signal Hill lookout
You can find one of the most iconic views of the city at Signal Hill. The lookout is nearly 400 m (1312 ft) high, giving you amazing views of the city, ocean, and nearby Otago Peninsula.
To get to the top of Signal Hill, you can either drive, walk, or cycle.
Larnach Castle
Larnach Castle, located on the Otago Peninsula, is the one and only castle in New Zealand. Prominent entrepreneur and politician William Larnach started construction of the castle in 1871. It took 200 workers and some master craftsmen from Europe over 16 years to finish. All told, the castle contained 43 rooms and required a staff of 46 servants to maintain.
Unfortunately, the Larnach family experienced a few tragedies shortly after the castle was built. After the unexpected deaths of Larnach’s first and second wives, his daughter, and a few bad business moves, he took his own life in 1898. The castle sat uninhabited until 1967 when the Barker family decided to purchase and restore it. Nowadays, Larnach Castle and the surrounding gardens are open for visitors and have been designated as a New Zealand Landmark.
Royal Albatross Centre
The Royal Albatross Centre is located on the tip of the Otago Peninsula. This center is the world’s only mainland breeding colony of the Northern Royal Albatross. They offer 1-hour guided wildlife tours where you can learn all about the albatrosses’ life and will have a chance to see them in their natural habitat from the observatory.
The Royal Albatross Centre also offers 75-minute Blue Penguin viewing tours from Pilots Beach, right next to the center itself.
Dunedin travel guide: Best beaches
St. Clair & St. Kilda
St. Clair and St. Kilda are two lovely connected beaches towards the south of Dunedin. There is a long stretch of promenade that lines the beach where you can find surf shops and tasty brunch restaurants. The beaches themselves are great for swimming, surfing, and sea lion watching (you can often catch them rolling around in the sand).
Tunnel Beach
A 15-minute drive south from Dunedin will bring you to Tunnel Beach, a gorgeous coastal walkway with rugged cliffs. From the parking lot, there is a steep downhill walk that takes about 20 minutes. Once you reach the bottom, you’re met with lovely views and steep drops from the cliffs to the water.
If you want to go a bit further, there is a narrow tunnel around the corner that will take you down to the actual beach. The tide was a bit high when we went, so all we could access were the massive (and slippery) boulders. It was still super cool to see the waves crash within the little isolated bay.
The walk back up is equally steep and took us a bit longer than the walk down. I’d recommend giving yourself at least an hour to experience Tunnel Beach if you’re in relatively good shape.
Sandfly Bay
Sandfly Bay is about a 30-minute drive from the center of Dunedin. From the parking lot, you go down and around these massive sand dunes to the actual beach. We had a lot of fun running and jumping across the dunes. The combination of wind, sand, and waves made for an incredibly wild experience.
Surprisingly, the name Sandfly Bay doesn’t come from the tiny, bloodsucking bugs you’ll find all around New Zealand. It actually comes from the strong winds that blow up the sand and make it fly across the beach. The more you know!
Dunedin travel guide: Restaurants & cafes
Dunedin is packed full of delicious and unique places to eat. Here are some of our favorites:
- Emerson’s Brewery: Craft beer and brewery tours
- Speight’s Brewery: Restaurant, bar, and brewery tours
- Salt: Cafe and restaurant in St. Clair
- Long Dog: Bright cafe overlooking the beach
- Vault 21: High-end Asian fusion
- Tītī: Prix-fixe “trust the chef” secret menus
- IRONIC: Farm-to-table cafe with outdoor sculptures
- Miga Hako: Korean BBQ
- Indish: Highly-rated Indian food
- Gong Cha: Delicious bubble tea
Book a tour in Dunedin
You’ll also enjoy:
- Timaru Travel Guide: 10 Fun Activity Ideas
- The Essential Van Life Packing List
- 16 Quirky & Fun Things to Do in Oamaru, New Zealand’s Victorian City
Thanks for reading this Dunedin travel guide! You can explore more of my New Zealand content here.
xoxo Niki
