2025 Dunedin Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in April)

Dunedin's downtown is perfect for a leisurely day tour! Here, you can find many preserved Scottish-style buildings. Near the roundabout in front of the train station, there are St. Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, and First Church. The train station itself is also uniquely designed. Although you can't enter the First Church, it is still very impressive. It's a great idea to buy a simple lunch and enjoy it at the roundabout park at noon. In the afternoon, you can head to Baldwin Street and Signal Hill Lookout. The lookout offers a view of the seaside and is easily accessible by car. If you enjoy drinking, it's recommended to visit the bars around the roundabout in the evening for a drink.

Dunedin, New Zealand, has the steepest slope in the world. It is recommended to park your car at the bottom of the slope because the top is a dead end. The best place to take photos is from the top of the slope looking down. Although the photos may not look very steep, it is quite a challenge to walk up in person. Additionally, there are stairs beside the slope that are also great for photos! If you lie down on the slope, it's recommended to pose with one hand off the ground for a more immersive feel. After taking photos, we even drove up the slope and made a U-turn back down. If you visit Dunedin, I highly recommend checking it out 😂 But be careful, you might end up spending a lot of time taking photos.

Of course you have to experience the local food when you are abroad. Since I like to drink Seafood Chowder, I directly found another good brunch restaurant. I ordered seafood chowder soup and pumpkin pasta salad. The soup is fresh, thick and delicious. It is full of seafood. The fish is super fresh and has a little chili sauce, which makes it more flavorful. The salad is Italian seasoning, light and delicious. It is a simple solution to Chinese food. This restaurant is just opposite the Dunedin train station. If you go to the train station, you can come here by the way🇳🇿🦭 #Local Tour #Parent-child Good Place #familytravel

The First Church Of Otago is arguably the most important church in Dunedin, situated on Octagon Square and is known as the most beautiful 19th century building in New Zealand, by Robert, a well-known 19th century New Zealand architect Lawson designed it and took six years to complete. The Gothic architecture, coupled with the distinctive colors, textures and appearance, walk into the breathtaking stained glass windows #Valentine's Day #Local Tour #FamilyTravel

Dunedin is close to the harbor, so it naturally has the advantage of fresh seafood. I got up early today and came to The Octagon. There were many people sitting indoors and outdoors. The staff was very friendly. This time I ordered seafood chowder and The one. The one had poached eggs and sourdough bread with bacon, which was also delicious. The whole thing was very filling. The seafood chowder was really super delicious. There were a lot of seafood, including mussels, fish, squid, and small octopus. The point was that it was very fragrant. Dipping it in toast really made people want to drink another sip. Friends who like seafood should remember to come and taste it💕💕😇😇 #Valentine's Day Good Place#Local Tour #Parent-Child Good Place #familytravel

This time when I came to Dunedin, I stayed at Baldwin Street, which once won the Guinness World Record. It is a residential area with a vertical climb of 70 meters, the steepest section reaches an angle of 19 degrees, and the height increases by 1 meter for every 2.86 meters. It is super cool, but there are no shops here. It is about five kilometers away from the city. It is quite nice to come here to take a visual effect photo. #Valentine's Day

A quaint small city with the Guinness World Record Baldwin Street. For every 2.86 meters walked, the height increases by 1 meter. Hope that next time, don't miss the charity event of "Chocolate Bean Race"!

Dunedin's famous check-in spot Baldwin Street The steepest street is not a name that is given for nothing. It is recommended that friends who drive by themselves park their cars on the roadside and then walk up In fact, I admire people who park their cars on the slope more than those who live here. This handbrake has been tested. #NewZealand #SouthIsland #LocalTours #BaldwinStreet #Dunedin

Otago Museum is located in Dunedin. There are many free museum collections. There are introductions to protected species, island history, Maori culture and cultural relics from various countries. You can spend some time browsing here. #NewZealand #SouthIsland #Dunedin #LocalTourism

Doing a self drive South Island trip in NZ, stopped at Dunedin for one night and we chose to stay in Larnach Castle. It’s the only castle in NZ that offers the castle experience, award winning gardens, luxury accommodation, event management and unique dining experiences. We came across a good deal on their website which included the self guided castle tour, special dinner only for guests stay in their rooms and a gourmet breakfast upon your order. We arrived early in the afternoon, was kindly greeted by the staff and explained clearly all the information you needed to know. Our room was spacious and very nice view of the ocean from our balcony. So nice to see both the sunrise and sunset there. We toured around this historic castle and it’s quite nicely kept. After a short rest, we headed to the ball room for our special dinner. We’re got settled in our seats by the staff and also served with a wine of your choice. It’s a chef inspired four course menu with all local produce. We’re able to meet other guests and have nice chats. The food we’re really delicious and we all enjoyed our dinner. After a nice good sleep, we had our breakfast which we could choose from the menu. My partner and I both had the salmon with bagels. It’s good! Only the coffee was just okay. It’s a nice place to explore, stay and enjoy the food too. Fair price for such a deal. Recommend! #must see #keep in good condition

If you are in Dunedin and are having sweet cravings, I highly recommend that you head down to Jooni’s and grab yourself a dessert of choice from their variety of options! I loved this place because for less than $10 you get a good amount of sugar you need to satisfy your cravings- I got the Jooni’s special crepes and it was amazing! You can even ask them to make minor adjustments for you and they would be happy to! #dessert #yummy #food

This is the coolest place for kids to learn how to ride their scooters and bicycles safely on the road. With this mini road map, it provides a safe, controlled and suitable environment for kids to learn road safety, road signs and the road rules they need to know in order to travel on the main roads safely and confidently. #roadtrackforkids #learnhowto #kidsplayground

Omg this was the coolest thing I have ever come across in a park! A road track for kids! It is a mini traffic area with mini traffic lights that are actually functional and work for both the vehicles and pedestrians. It even has all the right road signs in mini sizes, a roundabout, a zebra crossing, a tunnel, and even a parking area for bicycles or scooters! #fun #cool #playground

When I came across this park that’s literally right next to the St Clair beach, I was almost emotional. This park would have been the perfect place for younger-me and would have made my childhood because the air here just hits different and their fun games are well spaced out so that you each get to play in your own area and every space feels new and different to the last one. they have little caves in the massive rock, and a big shoe that you can climb on and slide down!! #park #fun #playground

If you are ever in Dunedin and wondering about Maori culture and people, head on down to Otago Museum, across the road from Otago university, and climb on up to the first floor where they have a massive room for display of Maori art- in the form of paintings, carvings, and even digital art as shown in the first picture, they showcase different clothing and tools from olden days and they even have a mini cinema where you can seat about 10+ people to enjoy a educational film on Maori people and New Zealand as a country. #museum #culture #history #art #people

At the Otago Museum, the whole building is divided up into various sections whereby they display certain articles based on different groups of culture, race, species, etc. This section of the building focuses on Maori culture and people and it shows the different types of artifacts they have from the olden days, different art that Maori people have created, and Maori traditional attire. #beautiful #culture #maori #museum

The Otago Museum shows the various Polynesian countries from Marquesas to Pitcairn to Easter Island and to Hawaii. I did not even know that some of these countries existed until I entered this museum and found it in the Polynesian section within the Pacific block. It was cool to see how pretty their jewelry was and their beautiful head pieces. #polynesia #culture #heritage

This dairy is just the best one I’ve ever come across in Dunedin. it’s only a few minutes walk from home and only a minute drive away. I love having this dairy so close by because it has all the goodies to satisfy those night cravings, their staff are just the friendliest people who really engage in convo and they’re always down to help you meet your mix and match needs when ordering your dessert✨ #shop #dairy #dessert #sweets

This botanic garden in dunedin is full of wonders! It not only has a wide range of flora and fauna but also provides many spots to sit and rest, many statues to admire, and even has birds and ducks!! They have a pond which hosts the ducks and some fishes and you can go up to their office/store next to the pond and grab bites not only for yourself but for the ducks and fishes too! isnt that amazing? you can sit and feed them and watch them crowd around you. #garden #animals #feeding

This botanic Garden in Dunedin is absolutely beautiful! it has so many varieties of herbs, flowers, trees, and all sorts of plants that you could only find there. It’s so cool because you can also walk up the hill and look at a path full of flowers. theres also quiet a few benches and seats for you to take a seat and enjoy the view and air, many pretty statues, and a stage for performances on special occasions. #garden #flowers #freshair

This place is highly recommended because it’s so peaceful and pretty!! You walk in through the main gate thats just by the main road so anyone driving by just wont miss it- it’s also VERY close to the uni, only a few minutes walk and is the perfect place to take a walk after a long day. Best of all, it’s free!! they showcase many different types of plants and flowers and it’s so interesting to see the range they have. #garden #plants #touristattraction

Here, you get to appreciate the monuments AND the amazinggg view of not just the town but of the water too!! it’s a great place to sit and have a drink, chat, or a bite. it’s clean, safe, and absolutely free! It’s only a few minutes drive from the Uni and the view is even better at night!! #view #hills

As you walk down Marina bay you come across quite a few cool finds: - not just the train tracks but a crossing for pedestrians through the tracks -this cool white bridge for pedestrians to climb and walk on to get to the road on the hill -amazing views along the way especially as the sun sets -and some old boats just parked on the side of the path #coolfinds #walks #marinabay #sunsset

Coming from the Islands im so used to small shops with very limited options but this new world shop is so amazing there’s a wide variety of everything and it’s all in reasonable prices!! the layout was so easy to follow and the labels made things so easy to find #shopping #groceries

This was my first ever trip to Dunedin and it was quite empty and not as busy as I expected it to be. I had an airport shuttle ride prepaid for and one the drive through to my accommodation you get to see so much greenery, many cows and so many nice old buildings!! #dunedin

There are many lighthouses in New Zealand which offers a amazing and beautiful sea view and this is one of them. Located at the Otago region of New Zealand, the nearest city to it will be the Catlins. Therefore if you are around this area, you should not miss this place! It is an easy 20mins return hike from the starting point of the carpark. Along the way, you may even see fur seal colony, the many seabirds and penguins if you are lucky! Once you reach the main view point, you will be rewarded with a dramatic coastal view and the “nuggets” which are the rocks sticking out of the water. It is a place to be enjoyed by all ages and I will recommend everyone to come here for a relaxing walk and just immerse yourself in the beautiful environment. #momentssg #newzealand #hiking #scenicspotguide #unforgettableexperiences

Founded in 1863, Dunedin Botanic Garden is New Zealand's oldest botanical garden. From formally laid out lower gardens to native forest in the hills, this 28-hectare park contains more than 6,800 plant species. The Dunedin Botanical Gardens have had various species of rhododendrons since ancient times. The beautiful Edwardian Winter Garden Greenhouse – containing tropical, subtropical plants, cacti, and water reservoirs – is the hallmark of a lower garden. For a hands-on experience, Herb Garden provides a variety of pleasant aromas and textures, as well as information on traditional uses of various herbs. A beautiful garden of roses and camellias completes the lower garden, which borders beautifully with the world's largest rock garden as water flows along the banks of Lindsay Creek. Crossing these tributaries, well-prepared trails lead to native plant sections, which include endangered plants, alpine and wetland plants, as well as native forest species. What's interesting about this area is woven hemp. Adjacent to the native plant section of the upper garden is the Geographic Collection with plants from Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The Dunedin Botanic Garden experience is enhanced by scenic hillside views, manicured lawns, birdhouses, shops and cafes. The park is located in North Dunedin, just two kilometers from the Octagon. Regular bus services run from the city center to the north end via the Botanical Gardens. #awesomepic #couplestrip #deliciousfood #summervacation#beachvacation#hikingtrails#hotelstay#urbanexplorer

I went to Dunedin New Zealand and was able to see the beautiful sky. when you see the three photos, you will be able to see the wonder of the nature which always shows hopes. The street lamp in the sunset sky, the rainbow over the tree, and lastly, the hopes from the cloud! I think they are all beautiful! Always hope for the best to come ! #happynewyear