Animal Park, Zoo & Farm

Waiheke Horse tours

Waiheke Horse Tours takes riders out from Woodside Bay on a guided experience that combines a proper lesson with a beach ride and a climb to clifftop views over the Hauraki Gulf. Groups are kept to a maximum of two people, so the attention from instructor Liz is genuinely personal — she matches horses to riders, talks through technique, and takes photos along the way.

How muchTe utu: $185
Ages: 9+
WhereKei hea: Waiheke Island
Rating: 4.9; 54 on Google

Get directions Their websitewaihekehorsetours.net.nz

Perfect for

Animal Parks, Zoos & Farms Outdoor Activities

LocationTe wāhi

Waiheke Island

Woodside Bay Road, Woodside Bay, Waiheke Island 1971, New Zealand

Directions Website

What it is

First-timers make up a good portion of the riders here, and the horses — among them Moss, Waka, Morgan, and the pony Secret — are noted for their calm temperament and patience. The route takes in the beach at Woodside Bay, where riders can walk horses into the water, as well as elevated tracks with open sea views.

The minimum age is 14, making this one for older children and adults rather than young families. Getting to Waiheke requires the ferry from Auckland, then onward transport to the bay — part of what gives the outing its sense of occasion.

What other parents say

Exell7 months ago

Stumbled upon this place by accident, and it was the best accident ever! I was lucky enough to get a booking with Liz and we had such an incredible experience with her today. She was the sweetest and most patient person. At first, we were quite hesitant with handling the horses, but she was so helpful, constantly guiding and teaching us how to ride. We gained alot of knowledge on horse riding. We nstantly felt comfortable and started riding with more confidence. Dont worry about photos, she took loads of em for us 😂 (thank you! The horses were also well taken care of, you can really tell by how soft and shiny their coats were! I absolutely love how she also puts her horses welfare first, never overworked her horses,it was very admirable. I was lucky enough to get to ride Moss, he's such a good boy. Loves teasing a lot and have got a few tricks up his sleeve haha, much love to him❤ last but not least, Liz literally went over and above for us, offering to drop us off at a nearby cafe. Really appreciated the gesture! Will definitely cone back again in the future!

Shanti Lasminingsih2 years ago

I had one of the most amazing experience! Super glad I got to go on this horse tour, Liz and her horses were amazing and such sweethearts. The scenic view was breathtakingly beautiful, even in the winter the weather was perfect and sunny. I got to ride Waka and he was the sweetest horse, very easy to ride on and Liz even helped me out on my riding by teaching me a few things! We had a pleasant chat throughout the tour and after the tour as well. Thank you so much for being the highlight of my birthday! Hope to see you all again soon x

Read 3 more reviews ↓

J Moneya year ago

Drop everything you're doing and come here!!! My wife and I had the time of our lives with Waka (Maori word for Canoe), Moss and other horses (and of course Liz) here at Waiheke Horse Tours. Tour is about an hour and a half long, views were absolutely breathtaking as we walked around the farm and along the coast. Felt like a scene out of a movie! We loved that Liz doesn't overwork her horses. Previous horse rides we've been on in Hawaii, they were 2+ hours long on a hot sunny day, it was clearly a lot for the horses as they were sweating heavily and one of them was even crying 😢 we felt really bad. Liz's horses are leading much happier and healthier lives -- we were apparently the only tour today. They seemed very chill and happily grazing during and after the tour 😛 It was very nice to see Liz taking great care and loving her horses. Thanks Liz for the amazing tour and sharing some cool Lord of the Rings stories with us! 🙏 Apparently Moss was in two of the Hobbit movies and one other horse (who's now retired) was Tom Cruise's horse in The Last Samurai? Super cool. We hope to be back in our next visit to NZ!

Heather Robertsa year ago

A lovely experience for our mixed riding ability group at Waiheke horse tours. The location is beautiful, and the girls loved getting the opportunity to ride outside an arena and along the beach. Liz was very calm and professional managing the tour, and the horses were obviously well cared for. Thank you for such an amazing time! The girls created great memories and they loved the photos you shared with them.

Keala Patterson3 years ago

Waiheke Horse Tours are fantastic. Highly recommend! When we got to the island for our day trip, Ryda was going to be $66 one way and we opted to do the e-bikes from the ferry station. If you’re thinking about that option pls know that it’s about a 45 min ride both along curvy streets and some hilly gravel/dirt road. We go biking often so this was a fun treat. Liz got us on our horses Waka and Morgan who were perfectly matched to myself and my boyfriend. Our longer ride included a short lesson, a ride up the hill overlooking the bay and back down to the beach. It was the most scenic, private, and authentic experiences we could’ve asked for. The horses were so calm and wonderful to us newbies. The views and paths were like no where else! It was a dream to experience it. The other major perk was Liz took amazing photos and videos of us courtesy with the ride. Thanks Liz, Waka, and Morgan.

Reviews from Google.