New Zealand · GUIDED
This is the shortlist to send a friend: 15 guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Official Hobbiton Movie Set guided tour near Matamata, 150 minutes on the 12-acre set with a Green Dragon Inn included drink.
“Our guide Sam was amazing and despite the heavy rain we had a fantastic experience.”
Boat through Waitomo Glowworm Caves on a guided 1-hour tour, with Cathedral Cave acoustics and glowworms lighting the dark.
“We loved this trip. The guide was interesting and informative. The boat with glow worms was incredible.”
Guided Hobbiton and Waitomo glowworm caves from Auckland with hotel pickup, lunch, and a Green Dragon drink, all in one long day.
“Great day led by Martin our tour guide. Who was very informative. Hobiton tour was exceptional and Glowworm Caves very interesting”
Cruise Lake Te Anau, walk through Murchison Mountain caves, then ride into a silent glowworm grotto on a guided 135-minute tour.
“Very interesting and informative tour. Learned a lot about these unique creatures.”
Ruakuri Glowworm Cave guided walking tour in Waitomo. See stalactites, rivers, and thousands of glowworms in 90 minutes.
“It was a good tour with nice tour guide. This tour allows you to take photo and video.”
Hell’s Gate combo in Rotorua: geothermal walk plus mud bath, sulfur spa, Māori carving, and a cool plunge pool. 3 hours, map included.
“Had a great time here! You can do the geothermal walk first. We skipped the guided tour and explored ourselves by the time we got back the guided tour had been on for 20mins but only at the fist sign post so make sure you have plenty of time if you want to do that! Mud baths were amazing and felt quite private plus the mud helped get rid of most blackheads on my nose! 20 mins doesn’t seem like much but once you are in it’s the perfect amount of time!”
Guided Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour with a Cathedral Cave walk, a silent underground river boat cruise, and millions of glowworms in 45 minutes.
“Long drive. Noone answers the phone before 9 so if you're running late there's noone you can inform. On arrival friendly staff, friendly designated tour guide. Be careful of steps inside, can be slippery. Also quite dark. Not recommended for people with knee or leg issues”
Wellington’s 90-minute Wētā Workshop guided tour. See film props and costumes made, meet artists, and learn the tricks behind the effects.
“My daughter’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store The guide was very good and it was interesting doing a bit of aluminium sculpturing”
Guided day trip from Auckland to Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Hobbiton Movie Set, with picnic lunch and a Green Dragon drink.
“The driver is humorous and knowledgeable about kiwi culture. The caves were interesting and quite unexpected. Alex our guide was knowledgeable (n.z. Robert Irwin ) and again had a great sense of humour. Our tour guide at hobbiton was great too. She was really knowledgeable and interesting to listen to.”
Lake Tekapo stargazing at a dark-sky farm, small group, 14-inch telescope, and a free digital group photo delivered within 48 hours.
“Our stargazing experience at Lake Tekapo was absolutely breathtaking and the highlight of our trip so far. The night sky here is like nothing we’ve ever seen, unbelievably clear and full of stars. A huge thank you to our excursion guide, Nicole, who was fantastic! She was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about the cosmos. She explained the constellations and celestial features so clearly and made the whole experience both educational and fun. Her enthusiasm was infectious and she went out of her way to make sure everyone in the group had a memorable time. If you are in Tekapo, this is a must-do. Ask for Nicole if you can,…”
Ride a WWII duck across Rotorua lakes Tikitapu and Okareka, with live city stories, views of Mt Tarawera, and easy 1.5-hour timing.
“We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and along the way we learnt a lot about the history and geology of the region as well as the provenance of the Duk.”
Wellington in 3 hours with a local guide, four photo stops, and a cable car ticket. See Te Papa, Mt Victoria, and more.
“Good orientation tour or, if like us, we’re on limited time as e tour gave you a good overview of the city. Jenna our guide was very informative and stopped at key lookout points to enable us to take photos. Due to an issue with the cable car a trip was not possible but Jenna took us to the top so we still saw the views. Very accommodating with pick up / drop off which made it easy for people who don’t know the area.”
Guided Hobbiton from Matamata with bus transfers, a 12-acre Shire walk, filming secrets, and an included Green Dragon Inn drink. 3 hours.
“It was and excellent tour and very well organized. We had a lovely day and a great guide - can highly recommend”
Private Kapiti Island day tour from Paraparaumu Beach with a guided bird walk, chef lunch at the Lodge, and a return ferry.
“Seeing the Takahe was amazing, that was just taking a stroll with the guide after lunch. We enjoyed the walk to the lookout as well and spotted Kaka, Kereru, North Island Robin and Whitehead. We saw several birds we are not familiar wiRead more”
Small-group Speight’s Brewery tour in Dunedin, NZ. Learn NZ beer history and get guided tastings plus beer pouring tips for $16.
“Interesting overview about how beer was brewed "back in the day". Annika was a great tour guide. She told some fun stories about the original owners of the brewery.”
From the fiords to the geothermal belt, sorted by what you want to do with the day.
