If seeing penguins in the wild is on your bucket list, New Zealand is one of the best places in the world to do it!

When I was researching where to see penguins in New Zealand for my South Island wildlife road trip — 6 weeks total, 2 of which I spent in a campervan so I could zigzag around searching for cool wildlife — I wanted the real experience: standing quietly on a windy beach while a tiny penguin waddles out of the ocean at sunset, having just spent the full day at fishing sea.

New Zealand is home to several penguin species, including the world’s smallest penguin and one of the rarest penguins on Earth. And surprisingly, there are tons of accessible viewing spots if you know where to go!

Here are the best places to see penguins in New Zealand, plus my best tips for doing it responsibly (because nothing ruins wildlife encounters faster than tourists behaving like idiots).

This guide is part of my New Zealand Wildlife series, where I unpack the must-see wildlife experiences! We’re talking about exactly where to go, tips and tricks, prices, & timing for seeing some of the most incredible wildlife on Earth. If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand’s South Island, explore the series!

Penguin Species in New Zealand

New Zealand is one of the best countries in the world to see penguins because 3 different species live there: the little blue penguin, yellow-eyed penguin, and the fiordland crested penguin. While you can’t spot all of these penguins in the same spot, you can find them all on New Zealand’s South Island!

Little blue penguin (kororā)

This little guys are the smallest penguin species in the world at about 25 cm tall and 1 kg in weight. Little blues are the penguin species that most people see when they visit in New Zealand.

Little blue penguins live along much of the New Zealand coastline and return to shore at night to nest in burrows. If you’re parked near the beach in the evening (especially in Oamaru), be sure to check under your car before you pull out to make sure there aren’t any wayward penguins hiding underneath!

Yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho)

One of the rarest penguins on Earth, the yellow-eyed penguin is found mainly in the Otago Peninsula and parts of the South Island. Just how rare is the yellow-eyed penguin? There are only 1700 pairs remaining. They’re extremely shy and difficult to spot in the wild, but can be seen in a few reserves if you’re lucky, especially near Roaring Bay at Nugget Point Lighthouse at dusk.

Fiordland crested penguin (tawaki)

The fiordland crested penguin lives in remote rainforest areas along the southwest coast of the South Island, including Fiordland and Milford Sound.

Each species lives in slightly different habitats, which is why knowing where to see penguins in New Zealand is important if seeing them is a priority in your trip like it was mine!

Best Places to See Penguins in New Zealand

If you’re traveling around the South Island, you have so many awesome opportunities to see penguins in the wild. Some are organized viewing areas, while others are simply remote beaches where the penguins come ashore at night. I even got lucky and spotted a white-flippered penguin in Akaroa while I was there to swim with the smallest dolphin species in the world, the Hector’s dolphin!

But if you don’t want to leave it up to chance, here are the most reliable places to add to your list for where to see penguins in New Zealand.

Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

If you want the highest chance of seeing penguins, head to Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island.

This town is home to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, one of the most famous penguin viewing sites in the country. Every evening at sunset, little blue penguins return from the ocean after a day of fishing. You sit in viewing stands with a barrier between you and the penguins and watch them come ashore and climb up the rocks toward their nests.

When I visited, a few things surprised me that are worth knowing ahead of time.

• Book your tickets in advance, especially if you want the better seats. The premium seating area fills up quickly during busy travel months and I wish I’d booked sooner!
• Photography isn’t allowed. No phones, no cameras, no flash. It protects the penguins from disturbance and getting confused by the nights when they try to find their nests.

If you want the full story of what the experience was like, what seats are worth booking, and exactly how the penguin arrival works, read my full guide to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony!

Yellow-Eyed Penguins in Dunedin

If you’re wondering where to see penguins in New Zealand and have zeroed in on one of the rarest penguins in the world, head south to Dunedin.

The yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho) is native to New Zealand and is considered endangered, with only a few thousand individuals remaining in the wild.

Unlike the social little blue penguins, yellow-eyed penguins are extremely shy and solitary, which makes them harder to see. Unfortunately, I wasn’t lucky enough to see one on my trip! But since that failure and talking to locals, I learned that your best chances of spotting one are along the Otago Peninsula, particularly at:

• Sandfly Bay
• Penguin Place Conservation Reserve
• Remote Otago Peninsula beaches

Even if you don’t see one, the Otago Peninsula is packed with wildlife including albatross, seals, and sea lions, so the trip is still 100% worth it.

Fiordland Penguins in Milford Sound

Milford Sound is famous for its waterfalls and dramatic fjords (and I highly recommend taking a half day cruise there with a naturalist to properly enjoy the sound!), but it’s also home to another penguin species — the Fiordland crested penguin.

They’re instantly recognizable by the bright yellow eyebrow feathers that run along their heads, but they’re also much harder to see than blue penguins because they nest in remote rainforest areas along the fiord.

Your best chance of spotting one is during a Milford Sound cruise or kayak trip from June to November when it’s breeding season. Some people also say you can see them from January to March, but I was there for all of January and February and had no luck. Next time I go, it will be between June and November!

But even if you don’t see fiordland penguins, the wildlife in Milford Sound is crazy and includes:

• fur seals (when I was there we saw so with their pups!)
• dolphins
• rare seabirds
• occasionally whales

So it’s still one of the best wildlife destinations in New Zealand and even without the wildlife, it’s an unbelievable, must-see place on your trip. I honestly hate when people say something is a must-see, but Milford Sound broke my brain and I’d never seen anywhere like it before. Be sure to plan ahead and check out my experience (including the exact cruise I booked, pricing, and tips & tricks) here!

Stewart Island

If you want a more off-the-beaten-path penguin encounter, Stewart Island is one of the best places in the country. It’s remote, but you’ll be rewarded with the wildlife that only comes with hard-to-reach places!

Penguins regularly come ashore along the island’s quiet beaches, particularly little blues and yellow-eyed penguins. It’s way less crowded than other top penguin viewing places in New Zealand, and is also one of the best places to see kiwi birds in the wild, which makes the trip even more special!

Where to See Blue Penguins in New Zealand

The little blue penguin (also called the kororā) is the most commonly seen penguin in New Zealand.

You can find them in several locations around the country, but the most reliable places include:

• Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony
• Banks Peninsula near Akaroa
• Stewart Island
• parts of the Otago Peninsula

They typically come ashore after sunset, returning from the ocean to their burrows.

Which means penguin viewing often involves standing quietly in the cold while waiting for tiny birds to appear out of the dark.

But honestly, when they finally show up, it’s worth it.

Best Time to See Penguins in New Zealand

Penguins can technically be seen year-round in New Zealand, but the best viewing months are generally September through February. During these months penguins are breeding and nesting and adults return frequently with food for chicks!

However, penguins still come ashore outside of breeding season — just in smaller numbers. Really, the most important timing tip is this that the penguins almost always return around sunset. So if you’re planning to see penguins in New Zealand, plan to visit in the evening.

Tips for Responsible Penguin Viewing

You can’t talk about where to see penguins in New Zealand without mentioned that penguins are incredibly vulnerable to human disturbance. As much as we love them and want to see them, it’s important to follow a few basic rules to help protect them while you’re watching them in the wild.

• Leave penguins alone. If you see a scruffy bird, they’re probably just moulting and don’t need you to chase them around or call someone.
• Put your dog on a leash and keep them away from nests. Give other dog walkers a heads up if you see a nest so they can avoid it, too.
• Be quiet
• Never use flash photography. You could interfere with their ability to find their nest.
• Follow local wildlife guidelines