On Tour FAQs

TOUR PREPARATION
Do I need any vaccinations?
No vaccinations are required for New Zealand.

What should I bring with me?

Did you know that every person who carries more than $10000 in cash in or out of NZ is required to complete a Border Cash Report. See also Preparing for Your Tour.

Do I need a visa to visit New Zealand?

If you are a citizen of a country that has a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand, you will not need to apply for a visa to visit the country for three months or less. At the moment there are over 50 countries that don’t require visas to visit New Zealand. Check out :- New Zealand Visa Free Countries.

You need a passport that is valid for 3 months after you intend to leave, a return ticket, & sufficient money to stay (around $1,000 /month /person).

WHILST ON TOUR
What is your typical group size and age?

Generally a group will be made up of 20-40 people, although the previum tours have fewer numbers. Ages can range from 18-80 but normally average age is late 50s. Of course attitude is more important than age!  A large proportion of  tour members are solo travellers.

What will the accommodation be like? How many people choose to upgrade to a private room?

The accommodation on tour is based in a variety of hotels and motels. All are reviewed by our staff and if we feel that a particular place isn’t up to scratch, we will not include the tour. We always endeavour to use Qualmark endorsed accommodation providers which means is a stamp of approval for quality and health and safety by the New Zealand tourism regulating body.

What do I need to budget for apart from the tour and any additional activities?

Not too much! We suggest $30 – $50 for lunch and dinner per day per person. Some activity operators will offer you photo and/or DVD packages and prices for these will vary from $20 – $100. Other than this, take into consideration souvenirs, nights out (if you are the type!), and the occasional low cost entrance fee. We don’t ask for driver or guide gratuities.

Tipping in New Zealand?
Tipping in NZ is only at your discretion. Workers in the hospitality/service industries don’t rely on tips to make a living!

What happens about Meal Times?

Lunch is generally whilst you are out and about, and so your tour guide will find the group somewhere reasonable e.g. cafe/bakery. In the evening your guide will make suggestions for eating out. The majority of  of our tours include most dinners, and generally all breakfasts.

Tap water is fresh and safe to drink. It is best not to drink water from lakes, ponds or rivers to avoid stomach upsets (although the remote areas should be pristine!).

What is included in the basic tour price?

  • Accommodation
  • Transport
  • Services of an experienced and passionate tour guide and or driver
  • Breakfast every day on coach tours, where specified
  • Lunch and Dinner, where specified
  • Ferry crossings if applicable
  • Sightseeing, admission fees and activities as shown under “New Zealand Highlights” for each tour

What is NOT included in the basic tour price?

  • Flights, where specified
  • Accommodation before or after your Tour (including on the final day)
  • Some lunches and dinners
  • Optional activities
  • Personal expense money, personal insurance, medical fees and airport departure taxes. For insurance, we recommend Down Under Insurance.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

There is no rule to how much extra you do – some people will choose heaps, others will be content with the tour itself and the free or low cost activities that your tour guide will find for you along the road. The maximum amount of activities anyone should be would be 2 at every location. If it is possible to fit any more in, bear in mind that activities can still be booked whilst on tour (just at a slightly more expensive price than online).

Everyone has their own favourites, but in general we find that these are some of the most popular:

For the Thrill seekers:

Do you have eco-friendly policies?

New Zealanders love recycling! Rubbish onboard the tour bus will usually be allocated to one of three bags: 1)  Recyclables 2) Food, and 3) Anything else.

What about Hotel Check in/out ?
Check in at hotels is usually from 2:00pm and check out normally 10:00am – 11:00am.

Do you cater for children?

Whilst we are very flexible and endeavour to cater for everyone’s needs as much as possible, we would recommend looking elsewhere if travelling with a young family. The exception would be if you are looking to book a private tour, in which case we are happy to provide you with a quote for all ages.

Print This Page Print This Page
Convert e-commerce currencies