New Zealand South Island Tour & Travel Companies

ZERO stars if i could. I have booked a trip with this company as i met some people in Central America seemingly enjoying their time. Wow - how things changed fast with COVID. After i find out our country closes borders i immediately contacted Gadventures to let them know im cancelling 10 days ahead and take the cost of cancellation fee as i know for fact i wont be able to make it for the trip. I hang on the chat for endless hours only to be cut off every 3-4 hours (every single time being 1 hour "next to chat to the agent"). So i emailed them. Automatic reply they will get back in 4-6 weeks. OK, no problem i get you are busy with all the COVID stuff i cant wait some time. But since no one was available on the phone imagine you exchange emails: i write - reply in 4 weeks - i reply the same day - reply in 4 weeks and so on. "we are sorry you are frustrated" in every email, but surely you undestand our situation. So are you stealing from me or are making me your free money lender?? There are institutions for this called BANKS, you arrogants! Funnily enough after I cancelled and took the loss - they sent out their email they are "suspending". They asked me to file a claim with insurance company - isnt it you business to refund since you cancelled in the end (not suspended! never opted for this!!)?. They still refuse to refund anything! ZERO. Totally self-oriented and dont care about their customers at all (wont be able to travel to NZ anymore and do not wish to travel with them EVER again after this). Once you hand them the money its lost FOREVER. Such rude and unethical behaviour - which i believe is also completely illegal - it completely unacceptable. As i have seen on trustpilot i am one of many customers they cheated and mistreated like this. I have already started the legal efforts. Wishing we were suing? Alright. Im sure more people will. Awful. Never, ever, again. Be smart, don't lose your money with this "100% departures guaranteed" company which is rather "never see you money again". Wish you good luck Gadventures with all the suing ahead of you. You surely deserve it for how you treat your customers that spend their hard-earned money with you just to get cheated on and laughed in their face in the end!

Breathtaking sights, great people and a well put together tour. I felt like I saw the best of what the South has to offer. Although it’s an amazing area of the world, I’m sure I’ll be back one day. I met some lovely people. CEO Robyn was an amazing organiser and was the best!

We've got good guide and van! The attractions were amazing! Met many nice persons from different countries. Good experiences!

Overall, a really good tour that I would recommend! I really enjoyed the small group size. It made traveling around more fun because it was small enough that you could get to know everyone and make friends to go on adventures with. It’s so fun meeting people from all over the world! All of the stops were basically everywhere I wanted to go in the South Island, and the route is well thought through. Having been in the South Island for about two months now after my tour, I can say that this Wild Kiwi tour stops at all the main must-see tourist locations in South Island (besides Abel Tasman). Stops at each place are just the right length. I would recommend researching some of the hikes/activities you want to do in each area beforehand. It definitely makes sure you make the most of your time everywhere! My guide didn’t really make too many suggestions other than the paid activities, but since I did the research beforehand, I was able to fit a lot into each day. There are grocery stores in pretty much every town, so you can buy ingredients to make lunch/dinner if you want to save some money. There were about two organized group dinners, and one free dinner at the end that the guide organizes. I’d also recommend bringing a towel in case the hostel doesn’t have any.

Poor experience, wouldn't recommend Dec. 2022 • I was a part of the PREMIUM NEW ZEALAND GUIDED TOUR- SOUTHERN PIONEER from December 23, 2022 to Jan 1 2023, paying $NZ 3,599. Advertised: You’ll stay in trendy hotels, boutique motels, lodges, and rainforest retreats - no backpackers and no dorm rooms". Unfortunately, this certainly was not the case. We were to be provided “A Night of Glamping Under Southern Stars: Luxury camping experience on a historic farm surrounded by . We were advised by email a week beforehand by Haka tours, that instead of staying at Premium accommodation at the Oasis Yurts for two nights, “Unfortunately, we have recently been informed that our main glamping accommodation provider has had to decline some of our groups due to unforeseen maintenance needs to the property. We have tried to find an alternative Glamping solution but sadly were unable to get space during this peak season with other providers. The alternative accommodation provided was completely unacceptable. Instead of twin share accommodation in a comfortable, hygienic setting with a private bathroom, we were presented with a rooms in the YHA Backpackers hostel with unclean shared bathrooms- toothpaste had been left in the sink; odorous dorm rooms with old and worn furnishings, and wifi unavailable in the rooms. Feeling unsafe being in this unhygienic Backpackers accommodation setting with no privacy or cleanliness, we paid $450 out of our own pocket for these two nights for accommodation in Wanaka of the standard that was promised- NOT BACKPACKERS & DORM ROOMS- as stated on the website regarding Haka Plus Tours. We were promised Twin-share hotel style accommodation and this was not provided. This is unacceptable, underhanded and dishonest behaviour on behalf of the tour guide and shows a complete lack of responsibility or care for the wellbeing of the tour group participants. As stated on the Haka tours website: “ All these New Zealand escorted tours come with an experienced and knowledgeable driver guide who is extremely passionate about showing off New Zealand. In their safe hands you will be sure to fall in love with the gorgeous country that we at Haka Tours call our home.” On the whole, the behaviour of our tour group leader was very flippant and juvenile; and he seemed disorganised and disinterested in giving us information or providing tour participants an educational as well as enjoyable experience. For example, when asked if the tour group members were staying at the YHA Backpackers Hostel Accommodation at Wanaka, he refused to answer the question and said that he would talk about that issue later, constantly deferring and deflecting when asked for information. He also repeatedly used expletives when speaking, spoke about getting ‘sh*tfaced’ and drinking- where his favourite drinking holes were and listened to heavy metal rock music in the bus where swearing was featured constantly. There were mature ladies in their 50s and 60s as part of the tour group. Vaping was a constant activity on his part and care was not taken to avoid exposure of the tour participants to the nicotine vapours. He certainly did not present as a “Passionate and knowledgeable local Kiwi guide” as stated on the Haka tours website. We had Adventure activities booked for Christmas Day but apparently Haka Tours was unaware of the fact that none of the Adventure Activity Companies were open and available for the Public Holiday. All these activities had to be cancelled. Continental breakfasts were supposedly provided as part of the tour but with a number of people with Coeliac Disease and Gluten intolerance, the breakfasts at Queenstown Blue Peaks accommodation consisted of 2 pieces of bread (non gluten-free) with 2 boxes of cereal (non gluten-free), milk, yoghurt and a serving of diced fruit in juice. There was no real attempt at Queenstown at catering for the guests who were unable to tolerate Gluten. “Comfortable and air-conditioned bus transport” was to be provided but our tour group was given a standard van with basic amenities and were told that the usual more luxurious bus for Haka Plus Tours was unavailable. I was very disappointed by the standard of care, consideration and planning that were shown as part of this Haka Plus Tour of New Zealand and would not recommend using this company. Sadly, this has been the worst experience of using Holiday Tours and Guides over the past decade and although understandably there have been many Covid- related difficulties in the industry, there was not enough done by the company to ensure tour participants were safe, comfortable and satisfied- especially as an experience sold as a ‘premium’ product. Yours sincerely, Dr C

I was disappointed with the quality of experience in comparison to how it was described by the provider. The accommodation and the comfort of the bus experience was not at the standard I was expecting or as advertised. The included activities were not well coordinated with add-on activities, along with Christmas cancelations made for disappointments.

Greg Bray, our CEO, was knowledgeable fun to be with and skilled at making necessary adjustments when needed. We had a great experience all the way around.

The tour itself was excellent. I was very frustrated however by the minimal communication. It was very difficult to get information prior to the tour, and the response time did not meet your commitments. Even during the tour, we were often in the dark about what to expect.

My tour was wonderful, awesome scenic views and fantastic tour guides and driver! Everywhere we stopped was spectacular! The towns and villages all had their own special charm! The hotels were very nice and amenities good! The food was very good! I especially enjoyed Angie and Stan’s cooking afternoon! My photographs are extraordinarily memorable! I was so happy to meet the other people on the tour and we all had a great time together! I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see the South Island!

Great tour host, great driver. No name tags that made it a little more difficult to get to know people. Great scenery and hotels excellent 👏👏

I actually did not travel with Trafalgar but wanted to share what little experience I did have. I signed up for a tour coming up this summer. I was quoted a price for the tour including a single supplement. I paid my deposit and independently booked my Business class air travel to Europe. Then I convinced someone else to join the tour. After all this I was told they would not honor my single supplement. Now I am left with air travel to Europe and no tour. The single supplement is a deal breaker. I have traveled to every continent except Antarctica. I have never felt as fleeced by any company as I do with Trafalgar. Needless to say, Trafalgar is on my "no-fly" list.

I found that I paid higher as compared to others, discard their earlier bird book8ng, probably the exchange rate half a year earlier?

Do it! The South tour is incredible - packed with lots and lots of beautiful scenery and fun activities. Had a great time!

James was unreal! So was the trip! Best time with the best people EVER! Would recommend everyone to do these tours, as you meet people from all over the world.

The problem with the tour was how it was setup there were times where it would be 10 hours driving. Or franz josef to queenstown at 9 hours so the heli hikers were rushed. Also the tour mistakenly said that food was included in one instance however it was not and instead of sacrificing another paid for meal we had to pay for it. As this was the tour operators fault not a mistake on our part. Lunch breaks and dinner are extremely short at times sometmes with 20 mins it is not enough time for a sit down meal so you end up always eating fast food or bakery items which is unhealthy and boring. However some stopovers are not so scenic locations can drag to 45 to 1.5 hours. Accomodations were fine however our queenstown accomodation was next to a nightclub so music was blaring from 9pm to 4am every night. Alot of prices for optional activities are outdated by 50 to 150$ so it needs to be updated. And it was required to be booked personally by yourself not the tour guide like other tour companies. Yet they still require the booking number to claim commission. Overall not a good experience due to the poor scheduling between towns, outdated information and food being an after thought. Will be using different tour operators due to the experience had with topdeck.

The tour was awesome, I really enjoyed the crew and the beautiful landscapes. John and Michelle were our guides, very friendly and helpful. We had bad weather to go to Milford Sound so it was cancelled. We tried to find other activities to do but sometimes it's hard to satisfy the whole group. We went to Wanaka for a few hours to do a short hike which was lovely. In my case, I had only 2 extra activities (bungy and skydive) so spending 2 full days in Queenstown without anything more to do is maybe a bit too long. Maybe organising little trips (Glenorchy, etc..) on these days for interested people can be a good solution.

The guides were excellent and the trip was fun. Accommodations were lovely. Restaurant choices were mixed- some good and a few not so good. I don't think the description of the cycling represented the ride as well as it should. There were quite a few stretches along busy roads and some steep, albeit short, hills.

Great tour! We got to see so many places in such a short amount of time, and I had a great time. Made some friends during the whole time! Will be heading to see the North Island next year! I’m already looking forward to exploring! 😄👍

Our guide James took great care of us..Seen great sights!

I haven’t been able to stop raving about my trip and recommending this company to my friends and family. New Zealand is so beautiful and I think CharlieTheTraveler did a splendid job highlighting its beauty in the many activities planned. The gorge cruise was my favorite part of the trip. The steamship was very cool and I loved learning about the history of the ship. I’m a history buff, so the educational part of this tour along with the beautiful views made for the perfect day trip!

CharlieTheTraveler has a great price for the amount of amenities included for the New Zealand trip. I was impressed with the meals that were provided as they were authentic and delicious. It is evident the company knew the country well. I felt truly immersed. The ice grottoes in Mount Cook National Park was breathtaking! It was such a great, active tour. The ice looked impeccable and untouched!

It was an awesome trip. We had wonderful guides. The itineraries represented all the top places in the South Island.

This was amazing trip run by seasoned guides through some of the most beautiful places to see in New Zealand.

I loved the South Island, I was able to discover so much on this tour. Thanks Ben for driving safely, being punctual and caring. I’d definitely recommend backyard roadies to my friends !

As I’m 65 years so a lot older than the rest of the group I was nervous at the start. But I was made welcome and fitted into the group well. I avoided the adrenaline trips but was able to be myself and really enjoyed the trip. I was given bottom bunks and would definitely be recommending this group to my peers. Thank you

An absolutely brilliant three weeks in the most wonderful country. Everything as described in the trip notes, and more.  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Difficult to decide, but some of the highlights were the trip up to Abel Tasman NP, including camping on the beach - watching the sun set across the water, then seeing the southern night sky in all its glory; the helicopter flight in Mt Aspiring NP and the next day a very welcome lift back down the final stretch of river by jet boat, after a 7 hour hike; the stupendous scenery around Mt Cook; and paragliding from 1400m up in Queenstown. And not forgetting rainforests, thermal springs, kiwis, active volcanoes, glaciers and fjords...  What did you think of your group leader? On North Island leader Kath - what a character! Really knowledgeable and upbeat even in the face of 50mph winds, hail, sleet and snow on the Tongariro crossing.Chris - great guy too. Arranged for the sun to shine the entire two weeks on South Island and even managed to produce home made scones when we arrived!  Do you have any advice for potential travellers? UK citizens need an ESTA visa if transitting via the US (return flight was via Los Angeles) - the Exodus office didn't know this for sure. Anyway it's easy to obtain online - I did it while in NZ.The weather in NZ (see earlier comment above) really can be "all four seasons in a day" - temperatures we encountered varied from freezing to 30 degrees - pack accordingly but try to travel as light as possible as you'll constantly be packing and repacking. Is there anything else you would like to add? Despite the long walks I don't think I lost weight - the Kiwis like to serve generous portions of food. Great bunch of people in our group - we even won the Mt Cook pub quiz! At the beginning, I did wonder what I'd got myself into when I found out I was sharing with a guy who'd bagged all the Monros in Scotland and been up Everest (hi Pete!) but, as a not particularly fit 54 year old, I had a blast.In conclusion, if you are at all considering this trip, just go for it!

This was the trip of a lifetime for me. If you love walking and the great outdoors but want to challenge yourself with some other activities you may not have tried before and see the wildlife and landscape of this fascinating  country with a bunch of like minded people book this trip you will not be disappointed. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were so many great times it was difficult to pick out one.  Walking the Tongariro Crossing to the Crater Lakes and climbing Mount Tongariro through amazing volcanic scenery Taking a helicopter ride to the saddle below Ben Lomand above Queenstown and after tea brewed by our guides climbing to the summit on a beautiful day with fantastic views and then a leisurely hike down to the gondolaA Maoiri evening cultural performance and feast followed by sunset walk by hot springs  and a wallow  in thermal pools, Walking in a landscape of bubbling mud pools, yellow sulphur lakes Seeing glow worms in a cave and native birds on Tiritiri Matangi Nature reserve  and on a night nature hike at Zealandia and shooting stars in the Southern night sky Loads of water based activities: jet boating , kayaking, wild water rafting, wild swimming  and boat trips in superb and varied scenery    What did you think of your group leader? We were blessed with two group leaders from Adventure South: Stephan and Clark. They really communicates their knowledge of the county, their enthusiasm for their country and their job to our group . They had a lovely rapport between them and they on so many occasions went the extra mile to make our holiday enjoyable for example  sourcing food for my daughter's special gluten free diet, to finding excellent cafes and restaurants  lunches, bathing spots, hikes with freshly brewed tea stops and it was done with humour and professionalism. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If you have the time take a few days at either end of the trip to see more of the Auckland area,and North Island and Christchurch.The temperature can be quite varied so take a variety of clothing.Overtrousers would be useful. Several  of the hotels/motels we stayed in had laundry facilities for a small fee.Most of the hotel/motel rooms had a fridge and some had limited cooking facilities so you don't have to eat out every night. There are long drives on some days but with breaks but there are activities every day.   Is there anything else you would like to add? I would definately want to go back to New Zealand and see more of this amazing counrty. I hope Exodus will consider introducing some other NZ trips with a different intinery and to add some Australian trips  with a similar variety of activities combining  trecking with other activities. I was glad that so many activities were included such as caving, jet boating that I would not have got round to trying on an independent holiday. I think the trip represents good value as all the activities except on our free day and most of the meals were included. It would be good to have a holiday  including the trecks around Milford  Sound and to include north of Auckland  such as the Bay of Islands

Our trip manager started our tour by saying, "This is not an old person tour. If you want history and facts you're in the wrong place." We paid thousands of dollars, if we didn't want to know about the country, we would have done a solo tour. Our driver was more helpful then she was. Most days we didn't get the next days schedule until late in the afternoon, and often that was because we asked. We were booked on incorrect experiences and then when asked about them she acted like it wasn't her fault.

Amazing experience with Contiki to do the Sweet as tour. Can not believe this beautiful country exists! Highly recommend for any traveller to check out! You will 100% fall in love!