Booking Terms & Cancellation Policy

Our standard terms — please contact us if you have any questions before booking.

About these terms and who we are

These terms apply to every booking made with Uniquely Dunedin, a tour and shore-excursion operator based in Dunedin, New Zealand ("we", "us", "our"). By making a booking, you agree to these terms on behalf of yourself and everyone in your booking. Please read them before you book.

We offer two types of tour:

• Dunedin Shore Excursion — a shared tour for cruise passengers, priced per person.
• Private Excursion — a private vehicle and driver-guide for your group, priced by the hour with a 3-hour minimum.

Bookings and confirmation

Your booking is confirmed once payment has been received and we have sent you a confirmation email with your booking reference. Please check your confirmation carefully and tell us straight away if anything is wrong.

Seats are held for a limited time while you complete checkout. If payment isn't completed within that time, the seats are released and may be booked by someone else.

The person making the booking must be 18 or over and is responsible for making sure everyone in the booking knows and accepts these terms.

Prices and payment

All prices are in New Zealand dollars (NZD) and include GST. Payment is taken in full at the time of booking by card, processed securely by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number.

Prices may change, but once your booking is confirmed the price you paid will not change unless you change your booking.

Cancellations and refunds

You can cancel your booking online at any time before your tour starts: open Manage Booking in My Trips (or look up your booking with your reference and email). The cancellation happens straight away, with no need to contact us, and we email you to confirm it. Before you confirm, My Trips shows you exactly what will be refunded.

The refund depends on how long before the scheduled start of your tour you cancel:

Refunds are made automatically to the card used to pay and usually reach your account within 5–10 business days. Optional add-ons, such as Larnach Castle entry, are refunded on the same basis as the tour.

Tours booked through one of our partners follow the same rules. If the booking was paid on the partner's account or is to be paid to our driver on the day, there is nothing for us to refund to a card: any money you paid the partner is a matter between you and them.

No-shows and late arrival

Please be at your pickup point a few minutes before your pickup time. We will wait 15 minutes past the booked time. If you are not there by then, or don't turn up, the tour is treated as a no-show and no refund is given. If you're running late, call or message us as soon as you can — on private tours, a late start may shorten your tour time.

Changes by you

To change your date, time, pickup, vehicle or number of guests, use Manage Booking in My Trips or contact us. We'll do our best to help, but changes depend on availability and are confirmed by email. If a change reduces the price, the difference is refunded under our cancellation policy above; if it increases the price, you pay the difference. Name corrections are free.

Cancellations or changes by us

Occasionally we may need to cancel or change a tour, for example because of severe weather, safety concerns, road closures or a vehicle breakdown. If we cancel, you can choose a full refund or an alternative tour or date where available. If we need to substitute a vehicle or change the timing, we'll tell you as soon as we can.

Cruise schedule changes

• Ship can't dock or the port call is cancelled — you get a full refund.
• Ship arrives on another date — we'll offer the equivalent tour where available; otherwise you get a full refund.
• Call delayed or shortened — we adjust or shorten the tour so you return in time, and give a partial refund where appropriate.

Return to ship

Shore excursions are planned to get you back with a good margin before your ship's all-aboard time. We are not responsible if you miss your ship because of your own actions (for example, choosing to be dropped in the city, or not returning to the vehicle on time) or because of events outside our control. In any case, we'll do what we reasonably can to help.

We collect from the Port Chalmers Cruise Ship Terminal or the Cruise Ship Wharf in central Dunedin. If you choose to be dropped off somewhere other than your ship, getting back on time is your responsibility.

Private Excursions

• Private Excursions are charged by the hour, with a minimum booking of 3 hours.
• The hourly rate depends on the vehicle. If you don't choose a vehicle, we assign the lowest-priced vehicle suitable for your group size.
• Extra time on the day can be added at the same hourly rate if the driver and vehicle are available and you agree to it. Extra time is charged after the tour.
• If your chosen vehicle becomes unavailable, we may substitute a vehicle of equal or better standard at no extra cost.
• Pickup and drop-off are included anywhere within the Dunedin area. Pickups or drop-offs further away may be charged as extra time.

Third-party attractions and entry fees

Entry fees to attractions are not included unless your booking says so. Larnach Castle entry is not included in a Private Excursion: it can be added as an optional extra at the adult and child prices shown when you book. Larnach Castle's own rules, opening hours and prices apply, and we are not responsible for closures or changes made by the castle or any other attraction.

Children

Child prices apply to the ages shown when booking. Infants must be included in your booking because every person needs their own seat. Children must use an appropriate child restraint as required by New Zealand law — please tell us when booking if you need one, or bring your own. Children must be supervised by a responsible adult throughout the tour.

Accessibility, health and fitness

Tours may include walking on formed paths, inclines and steps. Please tell us about any accessibility, mobility, medical or dietary needs before you book so we can advise whether the tour suits you. Wheelchair access is limited at some attractions, including Larnach Castle. You are responsible for making sure you are fit and well enough to take part.

Conduct on tour

• Seat belts must be worn at all times while the vehicle is moving.
• No smoking or vaping in or near our vehicles.
• Alcohol may only be consumed on private tours, and only with our permission.
• A cleaning or damage fee may be charged if a vehicle needs extra cleaning or is damaged by a guest.
• Our driver may refuse to carry anyone, or end a tour, if their behaviour is unsafe, abusive or affects other guests. No refund is given in that case.

Itinerary changes

Itineraries are a guide. Our drivers may change the order, timing or stops because of weather, traffic, road conditions, attraction closures or safety, and will try to offer a suitable alternative.

Lost property

Please take all belongings with you. We're not responsible for items left in our vehicles, but we'll hold anything found for 30 days and help return it where we reasonably can, at your cost.

Photos

We may take photos during tours. We only use photos in which you can be identified, for example on our website or social media, with your consent.

Our liability

Nothing in these terms limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or the Fair Trading Act 1986 where they apply. If you are booking for business purposes, the Consumer Guarantees Act does not apply.

Otherwise, to the extent allowed by law, our total liability to you for any booking is limited to the price you paid for it, and we are not liable for any indirect or consequential loss, such as missed connections, travel costs or loss of enjoyment.

In New Zealand, personal injury caused by an accident is covered by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) scheme, which generally prevents claims for damages for personal injury. ACC may not cover all costs for overseas visitors, so we strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance.

Events beyond our control

We are not liable for failing to deliver a tour because of events outside our reasonable control, such as natural disasters, extreme weather, pandemics, strikes, government action or road closures. If this happens, we'll offer an alternative date or a refund for the part of the tour not delivered.

Bookings by partners, agents and cruise lines

If your tour was booked for you by a travel agent, cruise line or other partner, these terms apply to the tour itself, including our cancellation policy: the partner can cancel for you on the same basis. If you paid us by card, any refund goes back to that card. If you paid the partner, payment and any refund are handled through that partner and its own terms, so please contact the partner first.

Privacy

We collect and use your personal information to manage your booking and run your tour, in line with the Privacy Act 2020. See our Privacy Policy.

Complaints

If something isn't right, please tell your driver on the day or contact us as soon as possible. We'll respond promptly and try to put things right.

Governing law

These terms are governed by New Zealand law, and the courts of New Zealand have jurisdiction.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The terms in place when you booked apply to your booking.

Last updated: October 2026