New Zealand North Island Tours & Trips

What people love about New Zealand North Island Tours

• TaraTraveled in May

  4

  Going into my first big trip alone I was nervous, but felt at ease once I met the amazing people in my group. The group leader was an even bigger Lord of the Rings fan than me! Going to Hobbiton (a life long dream of mine), learning about Māori culture and seeing stunning scenery like Huka Falls will always stick with me. Rain or shine, New Zealand is beautiful!

  Show moreShow less
  
  NZ Intro North
• jeanetteTraveled in October

  5

  I think it's sad that I only had the option to do the north Island of New-Zealand, while the rest of the people on my tour were continuing. But I did have the best experience of my life because Panda, our tourguide, is the best. Not only as a guide but also as a person.

  Show moreShow less
  New Zealand: Best of the North Island
• BradTraveled in June

  5

  This tour was absolutely amazing. For so many reasons. And all those reasons have one common denominator; our truly brilliant tour leader Isobel. How did she make this tour so fantastic? Read on to find out!! Firstly, the location. New Zealand is a truly beautiful place. The scenery, among the most breathtaking in the world. The activities, a thrill-seekers paradise. The country's history, intriguing. But Isobel made it so much more than that. We could be driving down a pretty standard stretch of highway, an opportunity that most other tour leaders from my experiences have taken to just chat to the bus driver. Not Isobel. She's a Kiwi, and she takes obvious pride in this. She would grab our attention and tell us a fun fact about the area we were driving through, whether it be a piece of history, or a personal experience of hers. She had us all involved and wanted us to be as in touch and as informed about as many areas of her country as possible. Isobel would constantly encourage others to step out of their comfort zones and try something that they usually wouldn't. For example, there were a few people a little apprehensive about trying white water rafting. Instead of just dismissing them as not wanting to do the activity, she would try to ascertain what was truly stopping them from having a go, and encourage they reconsider. She shared a story about how she was afraid of skydiving but got talked into doing it, and had one of the best times of her life. She also prompted everyone that YOLO - You Only Live Once (something she has been telling people for years - before the phrase became mainstream and overdone!) and reminded us that we were never going to be back here, with this group, and where else in the world would we get a chance to try this. That little extra nudge from her to put people out of their comfort zones saw many of us terrified beforehand, but with a feeling of accomplishment and pleased that we gave it a go afterwards, and had Isobel not cared about us having the time of our lives, many of us would have never felt this great feeling. I've been on tours where the group can feel quite segregated. Clicks of people form and only hang out with each other. Isobel wouldn't have a bar of this. From day 1 she got the whole group involved with getting to know each other and before long we all knew each others names, where everyone was from, everyone got along. She wouldn't just point us in the direction of a nice place for dinner or a nice little bar, she'd come out with us, shout us drinks, make sure we were all having a great time and getting along. Which we did, we got along like a house on fire. She was able to harmonize the whole group. Except our tour didn't feel like a group, it felt like a family. So profound was Isobel's impact on all in our newly formed family, that some of us (this reviewer included) got a permanent reminder of the amazing time we had inked onto our wrists - Our tour motto with NZ13 underneath it. Whenever I'm having a bad day at work, or just feeling a bit down, I pull up my sleeve and it instantly puts a smile on my face. I'm immediately back there, in NZ, with my tour mates reliving it all. But her impact doesn't stop there. She shared quite a personal story of hers on the bus, and then shared a book that helped her get through that time. Both her story and the book she shared had an unimaginable impact on me. I could relate to her story and it had honestly been holding me back from seeing the world. And the book she shared.. It's called Oh The Places You'll Go, and it struck such a deep meaning with me. It changed my perspective on the world and travel completely. So much so that I also got it inked onto my arm - the name of the book with a flag for every country visited thus far. Why you might ask? Because if I ever find myself falling back into the place I was on pre-NZ Contiki, I look at my arm and am reminded of her story and that book. She didn't have to share that story with us, or the book. Most tour leaders wouldn't. But I'm so glad she did. I've gone on some travels I otherwise wouldn't have done had she not given me such inspiration. I'd also like to point out I'm not a tattoo addict - my first ink was actually the tour motto!! Isobel is responsible for being influential with two of my pieces, and I only have three in total. This tour would have been good with any tour leader, but Isobel made it great. I've been on several tours in my time, and none of the tour leaders even come close to the all-round fabulous package that Isobel provides. Isobel has actually made me want to become a tour leader so that I can give others the memorable times that she gave us. She makes it more than a simple holiday; she makes it a life experience. New Zealand is amazing, I've been back three times since my Contiki finished, I recommend everyone check it out and I sincerely hope you get a tour leader even half as brilliant as what Isobel is.

  Show moreShow less
  New Zealand: Northern Choice (Southbound)