Okay. So it's not like the bus in London, Rome or Sydney, but it was a really great way to see the…read morecity especially when traveling with a couple of octogenarians. Stopped at almost all of the stops along the Red Route. Blue Route was less interesting to us. Stop 1- The heart of the city is at the Queens Wharf and the Central Business District. Loved the historic buildings, shops and restaurants. Saw the International Buskers Festival. Watched the boats come into harbor. Stop 2- The Sky Tower is pricy, but gives a great view of the city. A short uphill climb from our hotel apartment. Stop 3- The Art Museum and Albert Park. The Guo Pei exhibit was so interesting. A very eclectic museum. Stop 5- The Auckland War Memorial Museum and the switch to the blue line or red line depending on which way you came. Easy to walk from this stop to the Winter Garden. Stop 6- The Holy Trinity Cathedral. Closed on Auckland Day. Easy to walk from here to Parnell Village and then stop #7. Stop 7- Pick up a lamb or meat pie on the way to this stop. Stop 8- Bastion Point has stunning views of Auckland. The memorial is beautiful as well. Stop 9- The aquarium, because who doesn't love penguins? Happy Feet! Stop 10 - The Winter Garden has the most beautiful flowers in the glass greenhouses. The fernery is interesting, too. Pricy, but we got a great taste of Auckland.

Really good time. Professional helpful really enjoyed our day. I have said enough and think 85…read morecharacters is too much so I write this gibberish

This company is a scam. I had a tour booked with them and had to cancel and they refused to process…read moremy refund unless I gave them all of my banking information including account numbers which would have allowed them complete access to my account. No customer service whatsoever. They are fraudsters. Avoid at all costs.

Rafael was a wonderful driver! We rode with him on the way to the Waitomo Caves from Auckland and…read morehe told us a bunch of New Zealand history on our drive over. The drive to the Waitomo caves was longer than the glow worm tour there itself but I would still highly suggest it. We booked our tour online on the Intercity Bus website under the Day Tours. If you do not have a car, this seems to be the best way to check out the glow worms from Auckland. The bus left promptly at 730am from the Intercity Bus station at 102 Hobson Street and we arrived back in Auckland at around 215pm. The day tour from Auckland and back to Auckland did not include lunch. We packed our own lunch and were able to eat it on the bus ride back (the other people who booked a different tour were able to eat their included lunch on the bus as well). The Waitomo Caves were beautiful. Our tour guide Maria was so funny and personable and she even sang to our group in the cave (because there are some good acoustics in there!!)! She had such a pretty voice too. The caves were such a sight to see and there were tons of glow worms! I kept hoping that one would fall on me but no such luck. You do have to be VERRRRRRY quiet once you are in the boat to see the glow worms so if you have very young children or babies, this wouldn't be the time to take them. You also are not allowed to take pictures in the caves AT ALL which was a little bit of a bummer but you just have to remember to live in the moment and take a picture with your mind ;) It was very easy to book this day trip on the Intercity website and the tour was just what we were looking for. Def recommend going this route if you don't want to drive and just want to enjoy the scenery!

I was looking to find out what I can do in Auckland for a few hours with a friend visiting from…read moreabroad, and had heard about a company called Stray from a traveller friend. Conveniently located with a funky bright sales office on Fort street super friendly and helpful staff can book you a free day stray bus tour around Auckland showcasing our magnificent city. The Vintage orange bus takes you to highlights of Auckland such as a Bungy jump off the Auckland Harbour Bridge for a discounted fee, or at the Sky tower the Sky Jump where you free fall with security ropes off a ledge and down to the waiting platform in a matter of seconds, what a thrill! You also take in the sights and great view at Bastion Point near Mission Bay, go for a bush walk in the Auckland Domain, have a pub meal if you feel like it and a free beer at Speight's Ale house. Last but not least you even get to wander around the world class sailing village of the Viaduct and hop on a Whale and Dolphin Safari if weather and your wallet permits. The amazing sales staff at the office can also book you any activity In Auckland which is fabulous to have as a service.

When it comes to Stray, the old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I have…read morelearned a very expensive lesson and hope my bad experience with Stray will help you decide if this is the type of company you want to deal with. Before considering this supposed hop-on, hop-off bus service I would urge you to do a deep-dive of research. Start by sifting through all the Stray marketing surrogates who provide a glowing review (especially if it's the only/first review they've posted) or superlative photo-laden blogs since many have identified in the small print that they received their trip either free or deeply discounted. I desperately wish I had done so prior to enthusiastically falling for Stray's slick presentation. Unfortunately, I am not a travel blogger nor a social media "star" so I used my hard-earned money for a standard fare and am now paying the price in the form of a HUGE penalty for cancelling (20%) even though it was far in advance and I never stepped foot on a Stray bus. Stray's MINIMUM cancellation policy is 20% and they won't budge on it no matter the reason. You may eventually find, like I did, that there are some problems with Stray's model and not everyone has an over-the-top experience described with gleeful hyperbole. Those who have legitimate complaints like me are quickly drowned out by sarcastic on-line statements from company reps. I must stress this again - be fully aware that from the second you hit "book" Stray will immediately charge you for the total amount of the bus trip. From then on, there are no full refunds whatsoever - even if you haven't selected a start date (and maybe won't travel for months yet) and even if you haven't stepped foot on one of their buses. The policy states that there is a MINIMUM 20% penalty for ANY cancellation, no exceptions. The first problem I discovered is it isn't as easy to hop on and hop off as they portray. But you only find this out AFTER you've booked and get access to the app. They also obfuscate the fact that "Straymark" locales are MANDATORY. You MUST stay at these locations for the number of days/nights listed and you must pay the listed additional charges for doing so. There is no way around these mandatory stops without booking an alternate bus service other than Stray and you must pay out of pocket for it. If the Straymark location does not have activities that appeal to you or are too expensive, then you may find yourself sitting around a remote area for a couple of days while you twiddle your thumbs. While some people may thoroughly enjoy these stops and what they offer and are fine with spending their money at a place Stray dictates, there are others who would rather be free to do something else. Stray "guarantees" a bed for you for the first night on your stops which seems appealing. But I then learned it may be in a mixed dorm (meaning men and women sleeping in the same room and sharing a bathroom). While that may not be a problem for many it may not appeal to all and for some, it can present an extremely uncomfortable situation if their RELIGIOUS OR CULTURAL beliefs prohibit such arrangements. Also be aware there is an exclusive and COMPULSORY overnight stop at one of the Straymark locations where shooting "feral" animals is one of the optional ENTERTAINMENT activities. This may be fine for those who enjoy hunting in order to balance the natural environment but VEGANS and animal advocates may find it highly objectionable. This information should be identified very clearly and locations like these should not be "compulsory." If you do NOT want to spend a few days at a compulsory Straymark location then you must find another means of transportation (at your own cost) to meet up with the bus further down the line. Stray buses don't run every day to each location so that means finding your own lodging while you wait. BTW, trying to read Stray's bus schedule is like trying to break a cold war-era encryption code. IMO, all these issues may rise to the level of deceptive marketing practices and can be reported to the NZ government. I plan to do so and encourage others with bad experiences to do the same. I attempted to resolve my complaints by asking to deal with a member of Stray management but I was just directed to another glib staff member who abruptly blew me off. I trust the NZ government office of oversight won't. Be sure to read all - and I mean read ALL, every word - of Stray's policies! Be well aware that you will automatically lose AT LEAST 20% of what you paid should you cancel at ANY time for ANY reason!! While I certainly understand that companies may need to charge a small administrative fee for a cancellation, charging a minimum of 20% full cost when it's many months or weeks before travelling is far beyond the pale. In my experience, Stray's "fine-print" marketing maneuvers and cancellation polices are the most rapaciously egregious I've had in many years of travel.

Recently several family members and I chartered Haka Tours services on a two week tour across New…read moreZealand. Our tour guide and driver was Annie. Annie is a great guide and an incredible driver. She is very knowledgeable in all the places we visited. She waited at the Auckland airport when we arrived and took us to our hotel. She showed us around the city on the first day. Each evening before we retired to our hotel rooms, she would brief us on where we would be visiting the next day and what we would be doing. She would also provide a list of options for us to choose from whenever there are several attractions in one area. Some of the areas/attractions she brought us to are: 1. Sky Tower 2. Mount Eden 3. Maori Cultural Show and Dinner 4. Sheep Farm 5. Frank Josef Glacier 6. Geothermal Valley Te Puia 7. 5 hours TranzAlpine Scenic Train Ride 8. Taupo 9. Matamata 10. Wellington (Mount Victoria, Te Papa Tongarewa) 11. 3 hours Ferry Ride to South Island 12. Christchurch (City Tour via Tram, Earthquake Ruins, Christchurch Cathedral, Transitional Cathedral) 13. Queenstown (Gondola, Botanical Garden) 14. Aoraki 15. Restaurants The country overall is very lovely, and the local people are very friendly and helpful in general, with the exception of the Auckland airport. This trip is one memorable trip that I will treasure for a very long time. I would highly recommend Haka Tours and Annie to anyone visiting New Zealand (especially if this is your first trip there). Finally, thanks to Haka Tours for helping to set up the 2 weeks itinerary and Annie for executing every day of it. We also love her company.

Did a 16 day tour across both islands with this company, and our driver and guide Si was absolutely…read moreamazing. He brought us to many lovely places, including gems hidden away from the typical touristy areas. Some places were also quite challenging and adventurous, and he had a good ability to "read" people and understand what we would or would not be up for. In the various places we visited, he would recommend stuff to do based on who we were and what he thought we'd like. In my case, he was always right. He very gently inspired me to do something I never thought I'd ever dare to do: Bungee jump! That was a real thrill and I'm very proud of myself for actually doing it in the end. It was also very nice and practical that if we decided to do any of the optional activities that cost money, and we hadn't paid for in advance, he'd pay for us and we just made up at the end of the trip. Seeing beautiful New Zealand this way, with a small tour group of nice people from many different countries, and a friendly and professional tour guide, is something I'd absolutely recommend. It's one of my best holiday memories.

Lasting three hours on Sunday afternoon, the Auckland Big Foody Food tour walked our group of nine…read morethrough various eating establishments. With underground mass transit being further opened up in this area, it gave our guide plenty of opportunity to impart his knowledge. Cost was $107 USD (it had been prepaid through Viator) per participant. Because Auckland is so walkable, we didn't have to walk very far to get to the 5 food locations. We met outside the Britomart Train Station in Te Komititanga Square, very close to the cruise terminal where we had entered Auckland. Our guide was Jono, friend and sometimes co-worker of the owner. We finished the tour at the last stop, which was quite close to where we began. Stops in order (could definitely argue this isn't the ideal ordering): The Shuckers Brothers: had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, shared mussel dish, and a seafood croquette. Miann: one scoop of gourmet gelato. Hotel DeBrett: shared cheese plate in a beautifully restored interior bar-room Honest Chocolat: 3 gourmet bon-bons, along with cocoa shell 'tea' Gochu: Korean-inspired fried chicken slider, cabbage roll In terms of the value and new tastes compared to other food tours I've taken, this would probably rank near the bottom...tasted nothing I haven't had before (and no taste jumped out); you definitely need to eat before starting (it's smart for them to start at 2:30, after lunch but before dinner). But Jono's enthusiasm and knowledge really pumped up the entire tour. And I would definitely come back to the Hotel DeBrett for cocktails with good company, the next chance I get.

Took a 3 hour Big Foody Tour in Dunedin on the South Island New Zealand. What a great fun…read moreexperience. Jono was our tour guide and did an excellent tour. Visited a total of 5 different locations and each was prepared for us and the food and drink were exceptional. Great value for the price paid for the tour.

It is the ferry normally runs in all port of Auckland. We travelled to Waiheke Island through them…read more It was very comfortable ferry. Has food , coffee counter. Restroom available and the crew was really friendly. There were upper and covered decks. Nice to be above to see the view. The sail was kinda rough because it was windy and it rained. Tickets can be purchased through website or on the spot. Just go to the Auckland Ferry terminal. The brick booth house .

We bought round trip tickets in advance of our trip. Loading was only a short walk from our hotel…read more We were headed to Rangitoto. The shuttle took off exactly on time. We sat on the upper floor and it was very neat and clean. Seating was tables and we had nice views out the window. The ride was smooth. Staff was friendly. The shuttle arrived right on time to pick us up as well. The return trip was on a bigger boat. Again everything was clean inside with some comfy couches to lounge on after a day of hiking.

We opted for a cycle tour of Auckland. Bicycles and helmets were available and our experienced…read moreguide led us on an extensive, 4 hour cycling tour of Auckland. Not for the weak or witless, since even an e-bike requires strength, alertness, and agility when plugged-in pedestrians step in front of you! The tour was fabulous! Our guide led the way and at each stop she gave extensive history of the particular site. We saw so much of this fantastic, beautiful, and amazing city, much more than just walking or taking the tour bus. We will definitely do this again!

Went on a excursion through Royal Caribbean. Jackie and Andrew led the group and they were super! I…read morereally liked the bike ride from downtown to Mission Bay and just beyond that till the bike path along the water ends. She said it was 22 kilometers(whatever that is in miles). It was about a 3 hour trip. We made stops along the way. We stopped across from Rangitoto Volcano and we were treated to coffee or ice cream at Movenpick(Swiss ice cream). That was icing on the cake. It definitely wasn't raining, but it was a bit overcast. When the bike path ended along the water, we turned around and went back the same way we came in. The leaders led a small group of 6-8 people at a moderate speed. I was always sure to ride behind the leader because I wanted to go fast and not have to ride behind another group member. Maybe that's obnoxious. Oh well.

The ONLY way to tour Auckland‼ My regret - I did not have…read morethis as my first ebike experience in New Zealand. Whether you're w first timer, as a solo or with friends or a family group- this ebike tour is a GREAT, extraordinary way to experience Auckland. Our tour guide was Carson- who is well versed with the history, customs and culture of New Zealand, Auckland and the Māori people. Power2Peddle provides headsets for the guides narrative. In addition, Carson offered several suggestions for activities and dining. The P2P people are pro's with a special passion for ebikes and their city. HIGHLY recommended- I plan BRING friends on my next visit with P2P being at the top of our to do list. Thank you Eddie and thank you Carson. - Don

Exceptional! Highly recommend. Small group ebike tour of Auckland. The ebikes and helmets were well…read moremaintained. Eddie had us wear headsets so he could give us directions, keep us safe, and share lots of info. Very informative and professional. He took lots of photos to share with us. Great overview of Auckland and New Zealand on our 2nd day. We are mid 60s and fit but sure needed that pedal assist and turbo climbing to the top of the dormant volcano. Plus enjoyed an iced coffee and yummy donut at the meeting place before. Sign up now!

Great way to experience nature and learn from an experienced animal advocate. We did the night hike…read moreand it was thrilling to go thru the forest with Tristan. He provided a tasty picnic dinner near the beach. This was the last night of our 3 weeks in New Zealand and enabled us to end on a great non-touristy note. Highly recommend Tristan's tours.

Looking for a shore excursion off the beaten path in Auckland that would take me into nature and…read moreout of the city and after much research I settled on Habitat Tours. I am so glad I did. Tristan picked up my guest and I in the harbor downtown where our cruise ship was docked and off we went. We had opted for the Waitakere Half Day Tour which included a short hike through the beautiful sand dunes leading up to Lake Wainamu, a walk through the Cascade Kauri Park among the majestic and ancient Kauri trees, and some play time at Bethell's Beach to stroll the sands, wade into the waters, and take it all in (with tea and cookies waiting for us when we finished). It was just my guest and I on our tour so everything was tailored to us and very intimate. We loved chatting with our guide Tristan and we felt great about supporting a local small business. If we had more time we would have done a full day tour. Really just a fantastic day and would highly recommend Habitat Tours to anyone wanting to get out and explore nature around Auckland.