- Discover Tongariro National Park, the oldest national park in New Zealand
- Gain an insight into Māori culture, join in a hāngi (Māori feast) and cultural performance
- Enjoy a half-day coastal walk and sailing trip in Abel Tasman National Park
- Cruise the stunning Milford Sound with one night on board the Milford Mariner
- Discover Queenstown and enjoy the scenic delights of this world-famous destination
- Visit Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park: home to the highest mountains and longest glaciers in New Zealand
![Trails of New Zealand](https://res.cloudinary.com/enchanting/q_80,f_auto,c_lfill,x_w_mul_0.39,y_h_mul_0.56,g_xy_center,w_360,h_270/exodus-web/2021/12/32716.jpg)
Trails of New Zealand
- Home
- Oceania
- New Zealand
- Culture
- Trails of New Zealand
Reviews
Add your own reviewUnforgettable trip
I enjoyed every moment of the trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
Hiking in the Tongariro Crossing was fantastic. Landscapes throughout the trip was simply breathtaking.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent . The trip was extremely well organized. We were lucky to have a Maori origin guide/leader who gave us insights to the history of New Zealand. He adjusted itinerary flexibly according to the weather forecast so that we could enjoy key activities in good weather. He is knowledgeable in wild life and nature. He was an excellent driver and knew best restaurants in all destinations.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you are looking for some serious hiking, this may not be suitable as most of hikes were very easy except for the Tongariro Crossing.
ALN 240120
Great insight into an amazing country . We covered so much and saw some amazing sights. Some of the days were understandably quite long but unfortunately the transport ( i.e. the minibus) was not the most comfortable, my husband at 6foot 1inch was unable to fit his knees in between the seats and had to travel with his legs in the isle ( not the most comfortable of positions) also the air conditioning was not very efficient.
Most Inspirational Moment
Doing the Tongeriro crossing
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jeff was a great group leader. His knowledge and enthusiasm for New Zealand were second to none. He told us so much of the local culture and history, always making it really interesting. He also managed to try and plan the itinerary around a varied range of peoples abilities, requirements and the changeable weather conditions.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for long tiring days and changeable weather, but it is definitely a trip not to be missed
NZ24
This was a really good trip to a stunningly beautiful country.
Most Inspirational Moment
Difficult to choose, but probably the Mount Cook glacier walk.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jeff was a good leader. Adaptable and resourceful with problems, knowledgeable and entertaining about the country and its culture.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take insect protection. NZ's only predator is the sand fly. Think midges on steroids.
Trails of NZ
This was an excellent holiday. There were some physically demanding elements but this was balanced by time to rest and relax. We saw lots of the regions of NZ. Jef, our guide, was excellent adapting the programme to meet our needs and the weather. He has a great deal of knowledge about NZ and Maori culture which he shared willingly.
Most Inspirational Moment
Hike in foothills of Mt Cook.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jef was excellent. He readily shared his extensive knowledge of the history and culture of NZ. He shared many aspects of Maori culture. At all times he was good humoured and patient.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be aware that there are some demanding hikes. These are optional but worth it.
Did not meet my expectations at all!
Trip notes are totally out of order: too much driving in bus to do the proposed activities.
Most Inspirational Moment
Not really any; New Zealand is a very beautiful country, but it misses culture, fine dining and good accommodation. Trip is far to expensive of what it actually had to offer. Some accommodations were below standard and really dirty.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Bad; only interested in what he wanted to do, not following the trip notes at all
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do not go there!!!
We would like to thank you for taking the time to review your Exodus trip to New Zealand, Els, although we were incredibly regretful to learn that it didn’t meet your expectations in several areas. You will be aware, having travelled with us many times, of the role our leaders play in elevating our groups’ experiences in destination, so we are sorry you found yours to be so poor. Exodus requires all tour leaders to complete our online induction module and read our leader manual to ensure they understand the expectations of both Exodus and our customers, and our local operators supplement this with their own extensive training programmes. We can assure you that your leader completed all the relevant training ahead of your tour and we had every confidence in him to deliver your tour to a high standard. We are pleased to observe in other reviews that he was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and organised, although we remain apologetic that this is not reflective of your experience. We are further regretful that you felt your tour failed to capture New Zealand’s culture, food and quality accommodation, as this is not the type of feedback we expect to receive. As you may be aware, New Zealand is a particularly expensive country, with high operational costs, although we still feel our tour represents value for money due to the variety of activities it incorporates. In terms of fine dining, whilst this is available in the major cities, the hospitality industry in rural areas has been much slower to bounce back after the pandemic, which means that restaurant options are very limited. Though we recognise that not all the hotels will suit all our customers’ preferences, we are not aware of previous feedback regarding properties being unclean, so we were surprised to hear this. Nevertheless, we have shared your comments with the hotels directly to ensure any issues are rectified immediately. We realise this response cannot change the disappointing experience you had, but we do hope it shows that we have listened to your concerns.
Kelly Reid, Product Manager
Spectacular scenery
We had a friendly group and a hard working, knowledgeable guide. It was a great holiday. The distances travelled caused some tiring days but the places we visited were worth it every time.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking long the coast in the Abel Tasman National Park then sailing back on the catamaran. Stopping off for a swim and then being accompanied by a school of dolphins too. Perfect.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jef was hard working and knowledgeable. He dealt with any problems promptly and efficiently to give us the best of times. He broke up the long journeys with plenty of short stops at places of interest or of great beauty. He amended schedules to take into account the weather to ensure we had optimum conditions for the activities planned. He sharedhis knowledge of Maori history and culture which was most interesting.
Advice for Potential Travellers
In areas where sandflies are endemic ensure you use an effect insect repellent or be prepared to cope with intense itching from the bites that can last for a week or so.
Great overview
This was an amazing trip to see the highlights of new Zealand. It is full on with long driving days staying in a different hotel every 1-2 days. The walks are mostly short but there a few days of longer walks but these are optional (just don’t miss Hooker valley ) Unfortunately due to the weather we weren’t able to do Tongariro alpine crossing but instead walked to waterfall and lakes which was great
Most Inspirational Moment
It’s hard to choose but I think I would refine to 3: seeing a purple sunrise in Milford sound, hand gliding in Queenstown and the Hooker valley walk- but I don’t want to spoil your surprise.
Thoughts on Group Leader
We had 2. Our first guide Duli, covered the North island. He was a great driver but left to feel self- guided at stops. A few of us wrote to exodus and we promptly had a change of guide. Peter was great, improving our experience. He appeared to know the South Island in great depth, choosing interesting stops en route. Whilst also not a hiker, he joined in with the group including for walks and appeared to enjoy himself.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don’t overpack! You really do not need shampoo/ conditioner (or maybe just a tiny bottle) as available in most the hotels. Laundry facilities (water/ dryer) are available in several of the hotels but limited by time to use them if you arrive late/ leave early. 5 days worth of clothing would be adequate including waterproofs! There are a number of very long drive days of 4-5 hours but this is interspersed with stops at interesting sites / beautiful scenery so really doesn’t feel arduous (except for driver)
Full on trip
This was a fantastic trip where we saw so much . Not for anyone wanting to take it easy. Some fantastic sights great tour manager and lovely accommodation
Most Inspirational Moment
Difficult to pick one but my favourite day has to be the walk in Abel Tasman National Park and then the afternoon spent on a catqnaran sailing around Anchorage Bay. Lovely walk and beautiful weather for a sail.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Summer was a good tour leader. She was enthusiastic ,helpful, knowledgeable about the culture especially the maori culture. She was always fun to be around
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't do this trip if you want plenty of rest. There is a lot of walking involved and a lot of it uphill. There are some long days getting in not much before 7pm so be prepared for not having much time before dinner Otherwise just enjoy the amazing sights you will see and some great accommodation
A great summery of what New Zealand has to offer.
A packed trip including most of the scenery and activities you can get in New Zealand.Although we covered a lot of kilometers, there was time to walk, take a boat and just take it all in. We had a great tour leader who also drove the van, even the men in the group noticed she is a very good driver.Everything was well planned for, including stops for buying food in supermarkets, and of course the toilet stops. We were lucky with the weather, although the only rainy day was when we were in Tongariro so the crossing was cancelled.But later in the afternoon it was still possible to walk around a bit. Most of the group, if not all thought that another night in Rotorua and especially in Mount Cook would add to the trip.The hotels were very good, most of one hotel group,but the hotel in Mount Cook stood out and even had a complete kitchen, and the views… with clear skies just amazing.,
Most Inspirational Moment
For me the hike to Key Summit, as 15 years ago I walked the other end of the Routeburn trek in heavy rain and got then wet to the skin. This time the rain was a little drizzle slowing down, and at the top clouds were playing around the tops of the mountains.The same gave a magical touch when we woke up in Milford Sound that same morning. Another moment was when Summer saw the rare white Heron flying just in front of the car. We stopped ,and could see it and even take pictures when if flew alongside the road for several minutes. The opposite was true for Christchurch, which I remember from 15 years ago and looks now so different and cold with new high modern buildings and lost all the charm it had before.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Summer is the right person for this work: passionate about her country and its culture, has broad knowledge of every aspect of nature and life in New Zealand, is interested in her guests and devides her time between all in the group.Always on time, drives good and very careful,efficient when dealing with hotels and other service providers.I think she found the right balance between giving alone time and initiating reservations for dinner.The goodies bag was a welcome surprise and greatly appreciated.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take good raingear, and layered clothing.Be ready for some long drives but with stops ,sometimes some early mornings. Everything could be paid for by credit card, although some places had a surcharge for that from 0,8-2,95%. So you can decide if that's for you or pay cash. Most of the group came 1-2 days before the trip to New Zealand , so were over the jet lag when we started, and some also planned some extra days after the trip.If you fly to the other side of the world, that might be a good thing to consider.
A wonderful trip.
This trip covers a lot of ground, with a packed itinerary and with plenty of walking in beautiful scenery. The weather was very kind to us – we even saw Milford Sound with clear blue skies!
Most Inspirational Moment
I couldn't single out just one - there were too many. The North Island volcanoes and geothermal activity were amazing but the South Island scenery was spectacular. The ' Abel Tasman' day was one highlight - a beautiful walk followed by a swim and beach picnic then a return journey by sail - perfect. Sunrise at Lake Matheson, the boat trip on Milford Sound and walk to Key Summit were other highlights, as were the unexpected extras arranged by Sean and Merisha.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Joint leaders Sean and Merisha were great!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Travel as light as you can - there are chances to wash clothes at lots of the motels. I brought far too much luggage and regretted it! Do bring layers, even though we had fantastic weather the temperature ranges were big. We didn't use our waterproofs much but I don't think our weather was typical. If you can, add an extra day or two in NZ at the start and end of the trip.
Start
Finish
Availability
Land Only Trip Price
Optional Single Supplement
Saturday Saturday
30 Nov 2024 30 Nov 2024
Tuesday Tuesday
17 Dec 2024 17 Dec 2024
Availability
Guaranteed (On Request)
Land Only Trip Price Usually USD 10,798Now USD 10,275Saving USD 523 Usually USD 10,798Now Saving USD 523
Optional Single Supplement +USD 2,745
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead but there are only 3 spaces left. Do not delay your booking!
View Trip NotesThursday Thursday
23 Jan 2025 23 Jan 2025
Sunday Sunday
09 Feb 2025 09 Feb 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 10,800 Book with USD 2,700 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 2,745
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesSaturday Saturday
15 Feb 2025 15 Feb 2025
Tuesday Tuesday
04 Mar 2025 04 Mar 2025
Availability
Sold Out
Land Only Trip Price USD 11,100
Optional Single Supplement
+USD 2,745
Available upon Request
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and is now fully booked, although we may have people holding spaces without payment. Please contact our Sales team for further information.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
07 Mar 2025 07 Mar 2025
Monday Monday
24 Mar 2025 24 Mar 2025
Availability
Available
Land Only Trip Price USD 10,800 Book with USD 2,700 deposit
Optional Single Supplement +USD 2,745
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
You may also like
The Adventure Begins Here
Get regular inspiration straight to your inbox from Exodus' experts.