Larnach Castle Reviews

Larnach Castle had a beautiful garden and a lot of ancient histories left behind from the heritage, it is worthwhile a visit.

Beautiful New Zealand castle built about 1850. Well maintained with a great story of owners and the eventual decay/restoration of the castle.

Very expensive ticket to enter, castle +garden $34. It is disappointing, I went there last week, no flowers in the garden as on the brochure, also the museum was closed. Should be discounted if they couldn't provide nice garden like Dunedin railway station and Botanic Garden.

A castle garden with a coffee, which invites you to linger. The tour through the castle and especially with the view from the small tower is definitely worth it.

A lovely place to visit and a must do in Dunedin. Feels like more of a large home than a castle per se, but it s a gorgeous look into the opulence of the past nonetheless. Definitely don t miss the panoramic view from the tower, take the narrow spiral staircase all the way to the top. The grounds and vegetation are all well kept and beautiful. Views over Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula are stunning. After your visit have a stop in to the elegant onsite cafe, which features old fashioned tea time and yummy pastries. I d encourage anyone to visit Larnach Castle.

Well worth the $28 entry fee. A lot of effort by the private owners and staff shows in both the gardens and house.

The gardens around the castle are worth the price of admission. They are second to none. You will not find a more breathtaking view of Dunedin NZ. Like other reviewers have said, it's quite a long distance away from Dunedin, and you will need to hire a ride. There are many tours available.

Wow, what an amazing part of NZ history! A wonderful tour and day out with a wonderful gift shop and very friendly staff. Absolutely loved it

We just visited the gardens - $30 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Was a nice visit but not sure it was great value for money.

Very pretty grounds and surroundings, and a lovely cafe!

Gardens are good. However castle itself does not meet expectations. I also felt some things allegedly belonging to the Lanarch were actually staged memories.
Don't feel bad if you miss it.

The Barkers have done a wonderful job on the house and grounds.

Beautiful and interesting place to visit. Great view from around the gardens and the castle lookouts.

The first impression when I first saw the castle was small compared with the castles in the scandinavia. However, when I walked closer and closer, I found the Larnach Castle has a much nicer garden. It's worth to pay the fee for the visit.!!! I somehow regret I didn't see the inside.

Great source of information about the times preceding n succeeding the Great Depression of 1880s. Its not exactly a castle in conventional sense but a huge mansion built by William Larnach over a period of 4 years 1871 -1875. The interiors have a distinct influence of Gothic, Roman , Scottish n Buddhist architecture. The wood carved ceilings are awesome !! Considering the resource crunch those days and the poor ways of transportation n communication, this place is no less than any piece of monument !

This is a beautiful place. I recommend it for anyone coming through. I didn't use the overnight accommodation but the tour guide said they have dinner in the actual room which sounds great. It's not an actual castle but was only called that by the locals because it was the grandest thing they had on the area. It's a beautiful and unique hoise. Igive it a 7/10 and compares well to European architecture.

Beautiful and kept very well. Although the furnishings are not the originals, the reconstruction is perfect. The garden is wonderful. To visit definitely!

It was ok but I went to pay and no one was there so I rang the bell no one so I just left a note saying I'll pay latter

I know, that we should judge each historical piece separately. I admire people who take care of this place and restored it by its own funds, and money from your tickets go to restoration of the castle. However, after seeing many different countries, I am not impressed, but loved its simlicity and originality as being a single castle in New Zealand.

Impressive! interesting to see how they lived in those days and how a families hard work can create such beauty.

Locals don't come here because they think it's expensive, but it's much cheaper than most European country houses. And for all that it isn't an actual castle, it is quite a special piece of architecture, it's been restored well, and the gardens and grounds are amazing. And in Europe, because such houses are older, they didn't have the ability to perch on top of a hill with such spectacular views. Absolutely recommend, though the cafe good choice is narrow. Excellent coffee though, plus Emerson's and various wine specials.

What an amazing place. Well worth a visit. Have a coffee in the Cafe and wander the grounds. Well worth the entrance fee.

Second time back, in winter this time ( not as nice as summer,) as day was cold and wet during garden walk. But finished off in the Lanarch Cafe, definatly a highlight, home cooking scones and a hot chocolate infront of the beautiful fireplace. Gorgeous way to finish off the day.

View from our room and just a snippet of the gorgeous gardens, even in the middle of Winter. Meals are Incredible and the bed was exquisite. WE WILL BE BACK.

The grounds are lush and gardens are beautiful even in the winter. There is also an area to look out over the island. However, the total area is small and isn't worth the cost.

Well worth a visit. Dont stop at the garden - take the full tour and see inside the amazing rooms of the castle and read all about its history. Incredible craftsmanship.

Beautiful place to visit. Some stairs inside but overall a great experience. High tea was wonderful. Gardens are beautiful and well laid out. Would definitely go again.

Wow. Such a great place and fantastic history. Shame we didn't have enough time to try the afternoon tea as it looked great.

Coffee shop closed early so no drinks, staff closed toilets while we were walking around.

Magnificent restoration and maintenance. The gardens are the results of love and care, to the utmost level.

a super garden to wander through & excellent views over queenstown - was a rainy day but still worth a visit - wlt

Beautifully restored historic home, with an interesting history.

Stunning Castle standinh on the top of a mountain looks to surroundings of Dunedin town. This is the only Castle in New Zealand, it tells us a great history of Larnach Family. Visit this place in Autumn time is great with the view of yellow trees around the castle.

Interesting and a privilege to visit this heritage site. Recommended.

An absolutely stunning place to visit and my daughter Willow was amazed at seeing a 'real life castle' for the first time. We only went around the gardens though as it is a tad pricey for me to warrent spending over $50 for the 2 of us to go inside the castle aswell. Hence the 4 star review.

Appreciative of the Barker family to restore and maintain the castle so future generations get to enjoy this!

Such a beautiful site to visit and very we restored!

Awesome place to visit, we spent an enjoyable day there, the views are spectacular and the restaurant is tops.
Hope to visit again one day.

Loved the gardens and especially the interior on the castle. Definitely worth a visit :)

Such a cool little castle and very well maintained! The views from the gardens are stunning, we spent a lot of time walking around the grounds. The cafe and staff there were also great!

I'd also recommend driving here or scheduling a taxi to pick you up as uber was unavailable for us when leaving.

We visited and stayed in this restored 1870s medieval castle overlooking the Otaga Harbor. Our refurbished room had a panoramic view with sunrise & sunsets from our balcony. Also had a private 3-course supper that was outstanding. Highly recommended.

Beautiful. Gardensand Castle. Guide was very knowledgeable and easy to listen to. Lunch in the ballroom was also great.

Situated on the peninsula overlooking Dunedin and the harbour. Amazingly restored inside and out with wonderful gardens, walks and views. Cafe and toilets and heaps of parking. Look for the family deals.

This has to be the best place to visit when in dunedin. Have a cup of tea and a cake on the front lawn. Brilliant. Gardens are amazing.

Amazing place with a fascinating history. You can stay here and enjoy a banquet!

Over priced for what it is but a good place to visit once

It's a really nice place but it's better to pay the ticket for the inside of the castle too. The gardens are beautiful but not enough for the long ride to get there

The annual midwinter Ball was a blast (from the past)!

Beautiful castle. It's nice that you can't just look at it from the outside. The view from the tower is amazing and should definitely be enjoyed. An extremely interesting variety of plants can be found in the garden. We also really liked seeing the old furniture there.

Beautiful gardens even in Winter & the castle is magnificent

Beautiful. If you are interested in a personalised small one on one history tour, go with the Castle Cruiser tour. If you want a self guided tour, you may miss out on some small details, but either way, you get to enjoy the beauty and history of the place.

Fantastic historical building. Beautiful gardens. Bit pricey $35 for an adult.

Beautiful! ! I would visit over and over again. ..Loved the castle

Very well maintained and the property is well looked after. Beautiful park area.

Stretched the imagination a bit to call it a 'castle' , essentially a private home built by a rich nutter.
The gardens are really well maintained and there's loads of info on the plants.
Cafe is great value too.

Staff at the castle is so rude especially the one in the castle souvenir shop who is called Patrick. He s so rude to steal my card to put on the machine and he even let two to three buyers to pay first even I was in the line first. I think it s the discrimination on Chinese but I m not from China! Definitely not recommend to this place! What the hell of the management is!

Staff were lovely, the grounds and castle are beautiful and the views are breathtaking. Entry is pricey and you re also herded toward the gift shop and the cafe but we were happy to part with (lots of) money to be in such gorgeous surrounds.

Was not expecting to see a Scottish style castle in New Zealand. Beautifully restored castle with a fascinating history. Enjoyed the gardens as well.

Fabulous gardens and house. The view from the tower of the peninsula is stunning.

A beautifully restored home with an interesting history

It was a great day and beautiful grounds. My lunch was salmon plus we had cookies and flat whites. We had such a great time!

The main building of the castle is not very large. One or two hundred tourists come at a time, and the fortress feels explosive. The outdoor garden is very beautiful and it is recommended to stroll around.

Lovely place to visit.
See the history of William Larnach.