Category Tour Reviews

New Zealand · TOUR REVIEWS

The 15 Best Tours in New Zealand

532 reviewed

Two islands, about a thousand kilometres of driving, and one question that decides the trip: which days do you actually book? These 15 come out on top across the whole country, with what each costs, how long it takes and where it leaves from, and the full catalogue sits underneath if none of them fits your route.

Hobbiton Movie Set: Guided Tour Ticket

Hobbiton Movie Set: Guided Tour Ticket - The Shire walking route: 12 acres, Hobbit Holes, and the Mill

1.Hobbiton Movie Set: Guided Tour Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 8,167 reviews · 2h 30m · from $71Our pick

Step into Middle-earth on a 150-minute guided walk through Hobbiton, with a Green Dragon Inn drink and photo stops.

“A pity that children couldn’t get ordinary sodas in the green dragon. To expensive prices in the shop, og not good that the café was closed when we returned at 18.10. Everything else was mindblowing, fantastic and magical. An extraordinary experience!”

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Rotorua Canopy Tours: 2.5Hour Native Forest Zipline Adventure

Rotorua Canopy Tours: 2.5Hour Native Forest Zipline Adventure - Safety briefing first, then the fun actually starts

2.Rotorua Canopy Tours: 2.5Hour Native Forest Zipline Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,563 reviews · from $123Top rated

Zipline through Rotorua’s 1000-year-old native forest canopy on a small-group adventure with free digital photos and wet-weather gear.

“First time in attempting zip lining! Fantastic way to experience the tree canopy, the forest and the fun of the zip lines. Vincent and Lauren (aka Red and Elsa) were knowledgable guides who made us feel safe and comfortable. Thank you to Lauren for helping me reduce my anxiety in being so high and stepping off platforms. A must do experience for everyone!”

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Hobbiton™ Movie Set Walking Tour from Shires Rest

Hobbiton™ Movie Set Walking Tour from Shires Rest - The 12-acre Shire walk: Hobbit Holes, the Mill, and the photo moments that count

3.Hobbiton™ Movie Set Walking Tour from Shires Rest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,577 reviews · from $74

Guided Hobbiton walk in New Zealand’s North Island, with a Southfarthing drink at the Green Dragon, small groups, and ticket included.

“A lovely afternoon spent with Hobbit geeks and others like us that took lots of pictures for our grandchildren. The tour was very nice, with a nice beer at the end. The attention to detail throughout the Shire was incredible!”

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Mitai Maori Village: Cultural Experience and Dinner Buffet

Mitai Maori Village: Cultural Experience and Dinner Buffet - Pickup timing and the two ways to arrive

Waiheke Island: Ferry & Hop-On Hop-Off Explorer Bus Tickets

Waiheke Island: Ferry & Hop-On Hop-Off Explorer Bus Tickets - From Matiatia terminal to your first stop: getting your bearings fast

5.Waiheke Island: Ferry & Hop-On Hop-Off Explorer Bus Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,311 reviews · 1 day · from $59

Waiheke Island in one day: return ferry from Auckland plus a hop-on hop-off bus pass for 16 stops, wineries, beaches, villages.

“I loved the flexibility this offered. I did not feel pressured to be at ferry for 9 am. BTW I did not have to show my voucher ( as website said) to Fuller’s to exchange for ticket. I just showed the QR code on my phone and boarded.Best winery in my opinion was Batch on stop 12. The hop on hop off bus gives you a green wrist band which is how they monitor access to bus. No need to show voucher after arriving on Island and receiving the wristband.”

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Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown

Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown - Lake Wakatipu views and Devil’s Staircase photo energy

7.Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,001 reviews · from $216

Small-group Milford Sound day trip from Queenstown with hotel pickup, scenic stops, picnic lunch, and a 2-hour cruise to Mitre Peak.

“We recently went on this experience and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Queenstown, New Zealand. It exceeded our expectations in every way. Joe, our guide, drove us to Milford Fiord (learnt that it is geographically accurate name for Milford Sound) and went above and beyond to make the journey engaging and informative. His insightful commentary throughout the drive helped us truly appreciate the geographic, historical, and cultural significance of the scenic lookouts. Despite the heavy rain, the tour was conducted seamlessly and in fact, Milford Fiord was even more spectacular in the rain. The cruise itself was beyond words, making us feel as though we had stepped into another…”

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Cruise Milford NZ Small Boutique Cruise Experience

Cruise Milford NZ Small Boutique Cruise Experience - The 1 hour 45 minute Flow, What You’ll Do During the Cruise

8.Cruise Milford NZ Small Boutique Cruise Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,930 reviews · from $111

Small-boat Milford Sound cruise with half-capacity comfort, live skipper narration, hot drinks and biscuits, and close wildlife viewing near Mitre Peak.

“Great cruise! Much smaller than the others which was very enjoyable. The staff was so kind and the captain very funny and entertaining. Also, great views of waterfalls! Highly recommend.”

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Whale Watching in Kaikoura by Boat

Whale Watching in Kaikoura by Boat - Where you start: Whaleway Station Road and the marina transfer

9.Whale Watching in Kaikoura by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,906 reviews · from $111

Speedy catamaran whale watching in Kaikoura with live commentary. Spot sperm whales, dolphins, and seals, plus an 80% refund.

“Was well organized , saw 4 whales , 2 of them for 5-6 of minutes each , crowded a bit when whale come.”

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Queenstown: Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ & Lake Whakatipu Cruise

Queenstown: Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ & Lake Whakatipu Cruise - Choosing Spirit of Queenstown vs TSS Earnslaw

10.Queenstown: Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ & Lake Whakatipu Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,713 reviews · 3h 30m · from $95

Cruise Lake Whakatipu to Walter Peak for a wood-fired gourmet BBQ, lakeside farm dog show, and a relaxing return ride by ship.

“Had a great day out on the TSS Earnslaw. Arrived at 10.30am for 11am boarding and arrived back about 3pm. Onboard had plenty of areas to sit and was able to move around. Was able to see the steam room for the boat which was amazing! We arrived at the farm/station and debarked the boat. Absolutely beautiful spot, with flowers and buildings along the lake. Signage/instructions was poor: no clear area to head to or where to go so everyone just followed each other, but wasn’t a big deal! The food was a BBQ buffet, beautifully cooked with decent variety. We then were given a short period to explore the…”

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Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Day Trip from Auckland incl lunch

Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Day Trip from Auckland incl lunch - Hobbiton Movie Set: where the details do the talking

11.Hobbiton & Waitomo Caves Guided Day Trip from Auckland incl lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,677 reviews · from $229

Visit Hobbiton and Waitomo in one guided day from Auckland with hotel pickup, lunch, and a glowworm boat ride underground.

“We had a wonderful day visiting Hobbiton and the Glow Worm Caves with our two kids. The tour was very well structured and perfectly organized. Our guide and driver, Steven, was incredibly kind and attentive to our needs, making Read more”

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Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour - RealNZ Visitor Centre check-in and how the day starts

12.Te Anau: Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,611 reviews · 2h 15m · from $77

Te Anau Glowworm Caves guided tour with Lake Te Anau cruise, cave walk, and pitch-black glowworm boat ride. $77, 135 mins.

“I was reluctant to join this activity but my husband was keen! I was blown away. This was fantastic. The guide was so knowledgeable and shared her excitement which was infectious. A great trip!”

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Rotorua: Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park Entry Ticket

Rotorua: Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park Entry Ticket - Champagne Pool, Artist’s Palette, and Devil’s Bath: What the Hot-Pool Loop Is Really About

13.Rotorua: Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,601 reviews · 3 months · from $28Best value

Full-day Wai-O-Tapu entry near Rotorua, timed Lady Knox Geyser show, and three walking loops to see Champagne Pool, mud pools, and more.

“We arrived for the Lady Knox geyser and were directed to park efficiently and then walked to the viewing area. It was raining quite a bit so we were unable to sit and it was more difficult to see with umbrellas in the way however it was worth it to see the geyser. We then drove to the main park and luckily it stopped raining. The park was well worth the visit and well laid out with the 3 walks to suit everyone. The paths were good and not too slippery despite the rain. It was a fabulous experience.”

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Queenstown: Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Full-Day Trip

Queenstown: Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Full-Day Trip - The Queenstown to Te Anau road trip: the slow build to the fiord

14.Queenstown: Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,592 reviews · from $144

Full-day Milford Sound cruise from Queenstown with coach views, tea and lunch, 3 decks, and close-up Stirling Falls.

“Milford sound was BEAUTIFUL! Highly recommend this day trip and cruise. We had an amazing driver, Brandon (maybe spelled Brendan). Our driver was informative, kind, friendly, sociable and offered to take photos for his passengers at the stops. For a tourist not from AU, I would have loved WiFi on the coach bus.”

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Milford Sound: 2-Hour Small Boat Scenic Cruise

Milford Sound: 2-Hour Small Boat Scenic Cruise - From Milford Sound Wharf past Mitre Peak, the ride starts strong

15.Milford Sound: 2-Hour Small Boat Scenic Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,561 reviews · 2 hours · from $101

2-hour small boat Milford Sound cruise with close-up waterfalls, live skipper commentary, wildlife spotting, and hot drinks onboard.

“To answer the question which to choose between Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound, we did both. This tour with Mitre Peak was excellent. We were on a small boat that could get close enough to waterfalls for passengers to get wet. We were also able to cruise amongst a group of cheeky dolphins who playfully did jumps and flips in front of the boat and then in the boats wake as we accelerated across the mouth at the Tasman Sea. This lasted for 15 minutes. For Doubtful Sound we used a different operator who also did a very professional job. There isn't much to see in the two cruises across…”

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