New Zealand tour reviews

We loved the service provided by Thrifty Tours. Particularly, - Continuous communication with Emma. - The perfect scheduling and coordination of each activity. - Very well located accommodations. - That the conditions were clear at all times. It was our first time booking a tour online, and it worked perfectly. We like to travel at our own pace, and travelling with a group was not an option. On the other hand, it was not possible for us to coordinate all the accommodations, trains, coaches, etc. by ourselves. Thanks to Emma Shaw and Thrifty Tours to give us this great experience. We are looking forward to travelling to New Zealand again.

The coach trips were comfortable and informative. It was delayed, to begin with, but I suppose this happens. The hotel was superb. A lovely room and close to everything. The receptionists and waiting staff were very helpful. We had one meal at the hotel. Lovely views from the dining room and the meal was excellent. The buffet breakfast that was included couldn't be bettered. There were lots of choices. The bus driver told us about a very good curry restaurant at Franz Josef that we went to. The shuttle bus to the glaciers was good and we could go back when we wanted. Lovely bush walks near the glacier. Not much to see of the glacier but I had read up about this. I loved the hot pools and stayed there for about two hours. The trip to Greymouth was good and time to walk around Hokitika. The TranzAlpine train was delayed by at least one and a half to two hours. We weren't sure why. It would have been good to be told when it was leaving approx. so we could have had lunch in a relaxed way. Instead, we had to get a take out and sit at the station. The journey on the train was great once it got going. Also, a varied buffet service. That was helpful as we didn't want to be looking around Christchurch for food in the dark after we arrived at our motel. Overall, an excellent tour and obviously the delays couldn't be pre-planned. Thank you Chelsea for arranging it all and for answering my many questions so that I could have a clear idea of what to expect and also to receive the pdf and information on my phone was helpful.

I have to thank you for organizing such a wonderful tour for two of us. It would not have been possible for us to accomplish without your help. I had given up hope of touring alone with my wife at the age of 76 without the support of my friends or family. But everybody is busy in their own activities & limited to their own family holidays. My daughter is in London and we were alone for the past 15 years. After seeing your website I had a sigh of relief. Finally, our dream has come true. We could enjoy the stunning scenery of South Island especially Queenstown and Milford sound (including a cruise) and return to Auckland safely after 7 days of hectic activity. We never felt difficulty either with the transportation or accommodation, it was well tied up. All the credit goes to you. My sincere thanks to you and your organization.

I was very pleased with all your bookings and arrangements. - the accommodation in Queenstown was excellent - very nice room with kitchen facilities and well set up. Was even given complimentary milk on 2 days which I really appreciated. - The room in Franz Josef was said to be the best room there was. It was quite luxurious, but not very practical! - all the guides were well informed. However, I do have a complaint with the guide for the Milford sound trip on 25th Jan. I was picked me up 25 mins. late, when I said "I thought you'd forgotten me" he simply sneered and said 'here are your tickets for the ship and lunch'. Even though his commentaries were good, his 'attitude' (to other people was quite rude I thought). And then he was supposed to deliver me back to my hotel. Instead, he let me off elsewhere and when I asked how to get to my hotel he just said 'it's around the corner' and pointed to a street corner. Well, it wasn't, it was around 2 street corners, and not having walked in that street before, I was 'lost' for awhile; I felt that he could've been a bit more accurate. Altogether he was the only 'blip' in an otherwise well-organised trip!

We enjoyed our trip to Northland. Staff were very helpful, efficient and knowledgeable.

We were so impressed from start to finish on your personal help booking our trip from Christchurch to Queenstown and back to Auckland including the TranzAlpine, you made it a memorable experience. With ease and confidence, I’d deal with you and Thrifty Tours again at the drop of a hat convenient, cost-effective, professional. Thank you, Liz, we really appreciated the whole experience. Well done.

I rate this tour over 100% - I had the best time, everything was so well organised. A huge shout out to Victoria who made the trip as stress-free as possible. Very professional, great communication, and I really enjoyed using the app. I highly recommend using Thrifty Tours. Thank you so much. New Zealand was amazing!

One of my best ever NZ holidays! It was great being based in Paihia and there was something interesting - and different - to do every day. Highlights would be boogie boarding down the sand dunes near 90 mile beach, the dolphin cruise, and snorkelling.

Great coach tours with knowledgeable and entertaining guides/chauffeurs. For the most part they were on time or early and we easily made all of tour stops. Lots of great information about the things we were looking at and history of the land. The train ride would have been a lot better if we could have actually have heard the A/V presentation. Unfortunately we were given seat assignments near a very loud Indian or Pakistani family that were shouting so loud you couldn't hear anything but them. The stewards instructed us to stay in our seats but never talked to them until I complained near the end of the trip, when we were permitted to move to another car.

Thanks to you a very well organised tour; it was beyond our expectations. The scenery was very beautiful. Hopefully one day I can repeat the trip in Winter.

Hello, Rommy Fisher was our Agent and she did a fantastic job. Rommy managed to get the same itinerary I was hoping to do 2 years before and got it with 1 month's notice in the peak high season (Christmas and new year) for an excellent price. We really appreciated the brilliant work she did and will definitely recommend her to friends and family who want to go to NZ in future. Thanks again Rommy - you did a great job for us :)

Hi Rommy! Kia Ora Firstly a big thank you for organising such a lovely tour! While booking I was apprehensive about the stay, the travel etc but all that was banished with every place I visited! Although I enjoyed every bit of my journey, my favourites were Milford Sound and the Trans-Alpine journey. The accomodations I was put up in were fabulous both in Franz Josef -Punga Grove and Blue Peak Lodge , Queenstown.Such lovely staff in both the places and such warmly , cozy places. The lunches organised at hotels as well as the packed picnic lunches were great! The coach drivers were humourous, knowledgeable and so helpful. Although I would have liked to make a few more stopovers in between while travelling for instance by the Tussock lands, or by some river valleys etc. To travel so far and not to savour some more of nature was a bit sad. Also, it would have been nice to add a stay at Mount Cook as we hardly got to go outside the Hermitage Hotel...it was a brief lunch stopover so a tad bit disappointed on that one. Altogether a great tour, met some lovely folks in New Zealand , so friendly and helpful.! So thank you for that great tour and for helping me chalk out a plan to make the most of my journey all the way from Dubai to New Zealand ! Noho ora mai 😊 Hopefully that is correct! Love New Zealand !

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to the South Island. All reservation logistics were perfectly coordinated so I could travel worry-free and support was always on standby if needed. Thank you to you and Thrifty Tours for making this a memorable experience. I would personally like to thank you for taking the time to answer to talk to me on the phone to address detail queries on my itinerary.

Smooth and really slick all the connections with great sights, taxi pick ups events etc were amazing! truly slick and made the entire experience easy and fun. The only thing i would mention is that the app needs updating regarding the suggested things todo in areas under restaurants etc especially in Chch where not only were recommended places for food not open but had not been ther for 9 years due to the earthquake. so spend the money go and see then all check they are still there, i appreciate an advertising fee for places to be listed - lone star everywhere - but make it unique and check they all still exist. Overall fantastic holiday.

Our trip to New Zealand was beautiful. We love New Zealand for the friendly people, beautiful scenery and food. It was an adventure with the disruptions because of the weather. We like to thank Christina Brockie for her assistance and patience dealing with our emails, phone calls, etc. We already recommended Thrifty Tour to our friend who is keen on visiting New Zealand this year. Thank you and have an awesome 2020.

Everything went well. The day trip on the Dune rider on 90 mile beach was the best day.

Hi - While we are happy with the planning and services provided by Thrifty Tours and its Sales Rep, we are absolutely unhappy with this tour experience. In our opinion this is not a country to be visited by spending so much money with the risk of investments due to its unpredictable weather. Thanks. Ravi.

All went well as planned. No problems at all. The Garden Court in Queenstown was well worth the extra cost. Milford overnight was great.

LOVED my trip to New Zealand. Nicole was amazing and put together the most amazing itinerary for my Mom and myself. Everything was planned and taken care of including an easy to follow itinerary App I downloaded on my phone. Great big thanks to Nicole and Thrifty Tours for making our vacation in New Zealand so easy and wonderful. Will definitely use you again when I come back. Cheers, Kimberley Young

Our first visit to New Zealand was greatly enhanced by Thriftytours and in particular Nichole. Whenever we asked questions a reply was quickly returned, even on days off. The tour was extremely well organised. We were collected from our hotel on day one and driven to Queenstown via some amazing scenery. All the drivers we met over the five days were very knowledgeable of the surroundings with humoured comments added. We would like to thank Paul who drove us around on the last two days. The trip to Milford Sound was absolutely outstanding with waterfalls and scenery we will never forget. The day four trip was to Franz Josef to see the glacier, yet another outstanding memory to take home. The final day trip included a train journey from Greymouth back to Christchurch once again passing through the wonderful Scenery that is New Zealand. Cannot thank Nichole enough for arranging the tour, and would highly recommend to anybody considering visiting New Zealand

Dear Jo, We would love to leave a five star review for you. The tour was extraordinary, planned and executed flawlessly to the smallest detail. My wife an I had a great time and will definitely visit New Zealand again, and will pick up a tour with your company again. Please extend our thanks to all people involved in making this tour happen. Although it is taken by many people, it felt very personal to us, with the level of attention at all steps. Great job, thank you again.

Great trip - thank you for organising it so well. The hiccup we had was our Transalpine seats were double booked! It appears to be the train company's mistake. We saw all we had time for and were satisfied with the transport, accommodation and tour choices. I would like to thank the bus and transfer drivers, all of whom treated us well and very helpful, if sometimes, very talkative (when we were the sole passengers). When I recover from this URTI I got from the windy, cold weather I will send notes to the drivers I have cards for. We were very impressed that all our bookings were upheld with no fuss or bother as we only had the app and NO documents to prove our bookings (which were promised). All went well and we hope to return someday when we can. Perhaps the North Island down to CHC? Thank you again for organising our tour so successfully. Cheers, John and Kelly.

Milford sound was cancelled due to an avalanche. Part of the alpine rail trip was moved to a bus because of slippage. But otherwise the trip was good.

My wife and I wanted to tour the south island of New Zealand over 10 to 12 days with our 'must do' list being Doubful/Milford Sounds and a heli hike on the Franz Joseph glacier. After much intrrnet research comparing 'do it yourself' veruses tour packages, Thrifty Tours NZ hit the mark on all accounts. We we'er able to pick a base tour package and modify it to suit our needs. The cost was spuer competittve. Our experience with Thrifty Tours NZ from the get-go to after tour follow up has been excellent. My wife has already recommended Thrifty Tours NZ tours to some of her work colleagues. Thanks, Adam

Excellent trip Relaxing train to Aurthurs Pass and then coach to Franz Josef Glacier. Our driver was informative and stopped at many points of interest. Franz Josef was good and for a small village, had good facilities. Great Tour

Very well organized but some of the trips were inevitably rather long. The driver/guide on Day 1 (? Stewart Young of Ritchies) was brilliant.

Nisse and her team were with us from the time of BOOKING till the tour ended. weather was the unpredictable part... should have an extended holiday..The motels chosen were excellent and very supportive staff. Great team work and excellent communication at all times.

Hi, NIcole was great in arranging my tour, she understood my requirements and when I chose my own hotels , incorporated helpful details into my itinerary/details. She kept me informed and up to date with reminders etc. My whole experience was wonderful and everything I imagined. Very happy. Thanks

My first solo travel went smoothly, thanks to Chelsea. She did a really amazing job in organizing my trip and she processed everything fast. She even gave me recommendations on what to do after the tour. They also made sure that my tours included meals, so all I had to do was just enjoy everything. The whole trip was stress-free! I didn't have any problems at all. I will definitely recommend ThriftyTours to my family and friends who are planning to visit New Zealand. Thank you so much, Chelsea!

An absolutely well planned & organised tour by you. We managed to pack in most of the north island attractions in such a short time. The only hiccup was the 45min transit out in the cold at Matamata waiting for a bus connection. Besides that there was very little to complain about. Thanks....

A wonderful experience of New Zealand was had by both of us. Pity it was so short and rushed, and it was sad not go to Milford Sound due to the weather but overall we saw snow and had a great time. Thank you for arranging all the acco

Hi Katie, well we are finally back in Australia. Thank you so much for the time you put into planning our trip. It was amazing and we loved everything.  It was all the little details that we appreciated. Our night at Franz Josef at Punga Grove was upgraded to an executive suite which was lovely.  We have lots of friends and family keen to see our itinerary. Do you mind if I pass on your email address as a contact for them to plan their holidays. Once again thanks for everything. We will definitely get back in contact when we make our return visit to New Zealand.

A great trip. Everything was well organized and went according to plan. We really enjoyed the entire period of stay in New Zealand. I am much happy to recommend Thrifty Tours to others that would like to travel to New Zealand. Finally, our thanks to Vickie for all the efforts put in to get this tour organized in such a manner and making our holiday more enjoyable and stress free.

The Glacier Wonder Tour was fabulous. There was only one hiccup and that was that the access road to the Fox Glacier was blocked which meant an hour and a half walk to get there. Outside of that, the itinerary was well planned the drivers were all excellent and the arrangements provided by Laura were first class. I would not hesitate to recommend Thrifty Tours.

Louise Barrett was very accommodating with all my enquiries. She answered my enquiries in detail. Email of the final itinerary was prompt. Tour is arranged well even though it is a combination of different operating companies. I particularly liked the Dune Rider to Cape Reinga with Explore Tour. Our driver/tour guide was very helpful and courteous. It was a small group so we enjoyed it well without the rush of a big group. The accommodation included in this tour is walking distance to the meeting points of the tour companies. Only downside with the hotel is that you have to bring your own toiletries (they only provide tooth brush and shampoo). Also, they don't lend you an adapter and the hotel does not have a USB plug. All in all this tour was well thought out. A great tour for first timers in the Bay of the Islands.

I'm writing to say how great my journey prepared by Nichole was. I paid my money before I went and got picked up and delivered on time every time. The weather got in the way of going to Milford Sound but Real Journeys kept me informed and put me on the Doubtful Sound trip instead. I injured my knee before I went which caused some issues getting on and off buses . I really appreciated all the assistance I got along the way. I had some very memorable moments along the way. .....the first snow fall at Fox Glacier, the lunch at Walter Peak Station, listening to the Sound of Silence in Doubtful Sound and seeing the rare White Heron. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get on the gondola. So Nichole next time the wanderlust in me needs another trip I will be in touch.

We had a fabulous trip, thank you so very much! It was all wonderful, and very well organised...many many thanks!!!

Laura Davidson did a magnificent job helping us plan our trip, and in amazing time! When our travel agent in the United States didn't plan anything for our trip, I only had one month to get a trip organized. I was panicking. I contacted Laura at Thrifty Travel and after only 15 minutes she was customizing a trip for us built around my conference in Auckland and the flights I had all ready purchased. She emailed us within an hour with a complete trip for the North and South island that was customized from the Majestic New Zealand package at a very fair price. The trip was spectacular! We were able to see many of the key sights of New Zealand without feeling like we were overextended. The country is beautiful with very friendly people. I would highly recommend Laura Davidson and Thrifty Travel when traveling to New Zealand!

Katie, just a quick email to say thank-you for organising this travel itinerary for my visit to NZ. My trip concluded yesterday and I arrived home in Australia last night. The whole package was excellent and all the timely hotel transfers, bus transfer, hotel accommodation link ups all worked without any problems and were all spot on. All the tour drivers and hotels staff were superb and offered all services wonderfully. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in NZ and these travel plans complimented my time whilst visiting the beautiful and wonderful locations. Many thanks once again.

Overall we were very pleased with the tour. Everything ran smoothly, all check-ins, bus pickup times, and the accommodations were exactly what we were looking for. We were particularly pleased when we discovered a washer/dryer in our Queenstown "Garden Courts", which was a complete surprise and much needed for our laundry. The foggy weather in Milford Sound was abysmal and put a damper on things, as that was the #1 most important place on our entire list, but everything else was nice, and we would love to go back one day. Thank you for your prompt responses to emails. I would recommend others to use Thrifty Tours.

All went very well. I enjoyed the trip. Thanks again for your valuable guidance. Thanks!

We appreciate the assistance given by Christina in making the tour for our family smooth and successful. My family enjoyed the trip very much. We would definitely recommend it to our friends and family if they were to choose to travel into Christchurch and Queenstown. Thank you.

We had just a fabulous time on our South Island adventure. So very grateful to Kasmira at Thrifty for connecting us to the perfect plan of attack for our trip. She gave great advice and we appreciated her thoughtfulness on not biting off more than we could chew and on the specific places we hoped to visit. Highly recommend Thrifty for your NZ travels!!!

Great! The arrangement of our accommodation was easy, locations were good and was easy to find local eateries plus the kitchenettes were well equipped for cooking.

Thank you for organising my tour Rommy. The itinerary was exactly what I was looking for and the views for all of the long journeys was worth it. All transport was on time and of good quality, the accommodation was in a good location where I could reach a variety of different establishments and the tours suggested very good. It was a shame about a few things being cancelled but who are we to argue with the weather?! I shall definitely recommend you to all of my friends and family who are considering New Zealand - I know one family who are looking to go in 2021 and whilst it is a while away, I will forward your details so that they can save them for the future. Thanks for your help! Jennifer

Jane is very good at her job! She took great care of us and replied to all our emails on time.  It was a lovely tour, we loved it and we love New Zealand! We will visit new Zealand again next year in January, so we will looking for you to arrange our tour again, see you then!

Trip was good and everything went very well. Only exception was Hotel Sudima accommodation in Rotorua. We had to change the room 4 times due to door lock not working, lift not working, room Heater not working and finally their AC was not working properly.

Well organised! All the pick up times and sites of pick up were very accurate. We were never left wondering or lost. The bus driver Marcel from Great sights was happy to drive back to get my Grandma's bag that was left in his bus. Super Shuttle driver Rob was great he dropped me and waited for me to see the chemist for some emergency medication then took our heavy bags upstairs at our accommodation all without being asked to do so. It was all great experience and Abby managed to organise it the way we want it to be without a ditch, thanks Abby!

Our tour went really smoothly. Everything went perfectly smooth as scheduled and on time. We had a great time!

Wonderful Tour. Highly recommended. Great planning by Nicole White. Can't wait for the next adventure & will most certainly be using Thrifty Tours.

Nichole and the team at Thrifty planned for us the most memorable trip of the South Island. Loved every aspect of it and wouldn't change anything. From the outset Nichole set about learning from me what my guests and I would enjoy doing and honestly speaking, the schedule was set up perfectly to our taste and liking and more importantly our budget. Thanks guys. The biggest blessing was having someone to talk to and sort out our future travels on finding out that the bridge at Franz Josef had blown away. Really appreciate the efficient manner in which you came back with couple options to ensure we still had a lovely holiday. Thanks Team!

I have no hesitation in recommending Thrifty Tours. My contact, Christina, guided me through the booking process and held my hand, giving expert guidance and reassurance from start to finish. A true professional. Travelling on my own, I was anxious about arrangements but everything worked like clockwork. I had only to follow the detailed and explicit instructions and the rest slipped into place seamlessly. I chose the hotel package and was booked with the Scenic Hotel chain in both Queenstown and Franz Joseph. The hotels were comfortable and well located. I would, however, caution against the upgrade to the Te Waonui in Franz Joseph. This 5 star hotel is luxuriously appointed but has its inconveniences. Firstly it is located 5-10 minutes walk down the road from the Scenic. Although the Scenic will chauffeur you between hotels this in itself is inconvenient. All the pick-ups are from the Scenic so you have to make the journey for both the coach and the glacier shuttle service. The restaurant in the Te Waonui served an excellent breakfast offering eggs in various forms but refused to make an omelette. The evening meal was a 7 course menu at 150NZ$. The only alternative was a pizza in the bar, fine for drinks and nibbles but so dark it was impossible to read the menu and the tables too low to eat off. Given fine weather this is no problem as the local restaurants are close by but after a long drive in the coach it would be nice to have the option of falling into the hotel restaurant and grabbing a reasonably priced main course. The coach journeys were good with frequent breaks for views, food and loos. The commentary depended very much on the driver. That in itself was interesting to see different approaches. My highlight was the TranzAlpine train journey. The scenery was simply breath taking. A must do experience Very many thanks.

Great trip, enjoyed the freedom of doing our own thing. Accommodation was excellent. We expected a group bus tour, but it worked out well. Beautiful country, very different from our part of the world which is dry (250mm rain) and flat. Thanks for a great trip.

We arranged a trip on the trans alpine railway and a coach tour down to Queenstown through Thrifty tours and were impressed by their administration and helpful assistance. Amanda in particular answered all our queries quickly and arranged at short notice our hotel transfer. Consequently we had a very enjoyable trip and would certainly use them again.

Thank you Jane for a well organised holiday and that too at such short notice. We all had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend Thrifty Tours to anyone considering a organised tour. Thank you once again for all your help.

Fantastic tour totally magic not one hitch the whole 9 days. Cheap in price but not cheap in quality .

New Zealand, especially the alpine area of Queenstown, Wanaka, Franz Josef etc was "another world" experience for us from the tropical scene we live in. Thanks for guiding us all the way through the booking process, attending to the silliest requirements from our side. Thanks Thrifty.

Very well organised tour with excellent accommodation at the Sea Spray Suites. Thrifty Tours are so easy to contact with an 0800 number direct to Auckland from the UK. Alarna Dwyer, our Thrifty contact was very efficient, knowledgeable and helpful when dealing with our booking. On each leg of the tour the drivers gave relevant information with humorous and interesting anecdotes throughout the journeys. They also dealt very effectively with late changes to the itineraries that were imposed on them due to circumstances beyond their control. The fact that we stayed close to the treaty grounds at Waitangi was an extra bonus especially as we were there for Waitangi Day. I would happily recommend both Alarna and Thrifty Tours for any tours in New Zealand.

the tour was excellent.i really enjoyed it all the best james

Great tour, included all the iconic sites even more spectacular than the brochure. Very well organised and our tour went without a hitch. Thanks to all the team for a great trip. Sending love to Christchurch.

The tour was great and we did get to see a lot of stuff, all the stops were awesome and didn’t disappoint at all. Mitai Maori village and the Hangi feast was amazing, glow caves, agridome, hobbiton and Te Puia were all fabulous and very enjoyable. There were just a few negatives... Princess Gate hotel was a bit dated and our room was right over the kitchen so noisy. .. disappointing since we paid to upgrade the hotel. Packing a lot in on the tour meant not much time to or in some cases no time to check out the gift shops or just even look around during the stop.

Very easy web site ( and great colours too ) good itinerary with lots of details ( a bit of a hiccup on the last page though ) very quick response to any enquiries excellent travel insurance price excellent coach drivers who gave lots of info and stories and advised us of good cafes etc. Plenty of rest stops. Excellent motels wonderful train trip with excellent food at reasonable prices I wish I had taken better rain wear and shoes ( of course it rains at Milford Sound and Fiordland !! ). Airport Shuttle let me down (waited an hour and a half and I had pre-booked, so did the other 50 people waiting). Very busy trip with early starts and late evenings but I knew that, as it was clear in the itinerary.

My daughter and I worked with Brigett to schedule a "Lord of the Rings" tour. Everything was perfect... the accommodations, the day trips, the food. We had a marvelous time! I would highly recommend Thrifty Tours - they are professional, accommodating and reasonable.

Had a great time. Only problem was taxi pick ups as these were scheduled according to bus timetable and buses were 30 minutes late. We also needed an extra day in Christchurch and Wellington, it was all a bit rushed and we didn't have time to see everything, but you learn with hindsight.. Thank you for all your help especially with the road slip, so disappointed I didn't get to see a glacier but it was great to fly over one. Thank you for all your help. Also accommodation in Queenstown was great, although it cost more it had a washing machine and tumble dryer!

Louise, you did everything I asked of you at very short notice. I was extremely pleased with it all and impressed at how well the whole trip was coordinated, with not a hitch in the arrangements. The only thing I was sorry for was that I did not do was ask for a winery tour in the Marlborough region......next time! Once again, thanks for organising a great trip, age appropriate and well coordinated. Best wishes.

We found NZ very green, clean and appreciated the multi cultural mix of the residents. Most people were quite friendly and the tour drivers were wonderful. One of them allowed me to sit in the front and take photos as well. Thanks for squeezing in the Franz Josef bus ride and walk in a tight shedule :) Laura Davidson was great to work with!

Overall is great and we enjoyed our trip. However, we found the Māori cultural performance at Te Puia and Maori performance at Mitai Maoti Village are very similar. Will be great if we can skip either one activity and allocate the time to some other activities.

My husband and I recently returned from our trip to New Zealand. We wanted to see as much of the south island as possible in a two week period without having to self-drive, but we wanted the security of having all accommodations and door-to-door transportation booked ahead of time. Thrifty Tours was mentioned in Fodor’s Travel: Essential New Zealand, so I visited their website and requested a phone call from a tour specialist. Abby Alexander scheduled a phone conference with us, we discussed our preferences and interests, and she put together an itinerary within a few days for our review and approval.

A wonderful trip for our family in New Zealand with Thrifty Tours! The whole journey was very smooth, everything went according to plan. All the services were provided on time, that made us very comfortable during the tour. The only suggestion from me it is that it would be great if we could have more options in the package to pick hotels.

Very well organised tour with all the key sights included. Brigett listened to what we wanted and was very flexible and accommodating. Great commentary on coaches, comfortable travel. So much to see in NZ. Loved loved our holiday!

I was very happy with the overall tour, the staff and the sites.

The tour was overall good, but the one day we were taken by public bus was essentially a waste. Whereas the tour buses had a guide who explained things along the way and pointed out things to see, the public bus did not have this, and we passed by things (like "Mount Doom") that our itinerary said we would see, but the bus driver did not point them out. Also, the bus (a) had no toilet (or the driver said it was only for emergencies), so not to drink on the bus. This made for an uncomfortable and unproductive day.

Overall good but there are areas that need attention and improvements. Hence the following for your consideration. 1. Transport from Christchurch rail station to the Bella Vista Motel should have been included. Extra paid for the taxi travel. That is a missing piece of the link of the tour. Not happy. 2. The time given to see some of scenic beauties such as Lake Tekapo and Mt Cook National Park not enough. More time needed. Asian lady who was working with the driver in the bus for the first part of the trip from Christchurh to Lake Tekapo was in a hurry most of the time. 3. Return luxury coach transfer from Milford Sound to Queenstown. We were not dropped at the motel. Separately taxi has to be organised by us to get ourselves dropped back though little distance from the Queenstown hotel. Driver should have alerted us to get down or should have organised the taxi but ran away. 4. Driver from Queenstown to Fox Glacier and to Greymouth Station was very jovial and considerate. 5. Heartland Hotel Queenstown rated high among other stays.

Visiting New Zealand was a dream of a lifetime and Thrifty Tours, New Zealand helped make those dreams come true! We did the 3 day tour through Waitomo, Rotorua and Hobbiton - wth Hobbiton being my absolute FAVORITE!!!! I would absolutely recommend taking the tour. It was a great way to get to see NZ without a car. The tour guides were very nice, though the bus driver was a little salty. We did not care for his humor. Other than Hobbiton, the Mitai Moari experience was FANTASTIC! The show and food were both excellent. The day one Maori experience was a bit redundant and not as good as the Mitai Moari village. I would absolutely encourage friends to take the tours. If I had one issue, it was that there was not enough time to shop! I would have bought so much more if I had more than 5 minutes at the end of each tour in the shops. I wanted to shop in the glow worm cave and Hobbiton, but there was absolutely NO TIME! That was quite disappointing. Otherwise, when I return to New Zealand with my daughter I would ABSOLUTELY use Thrifty Tours, NZ again!! Thank you for the great experience!!!

The tour I did discovering New Zealand from North to South was indeed well planned and action packed.It gave me the opportunity to discover the best of New Zealand in a short amount of time.I would recommend anyone keen to visit New Zealand for a short period to take this tour. All the best for your traveling adventures.

The whole week is full of excitement and activities and the arrangements are all very well set

Thank you Laura for being so helpful in arranging our itinerary and providing help when plans had to change. No problems with responsiveness at all. The only thing that could've been better was the Christchurch accommodation which is quite a walk from the city centre. But all in all, we enjoyed our stay and we look forward to visiting again to do the activities we missed.

A very comprehensive tour of the south island taking in various modes of transport. Highlights were the TranzAlpine train and the Intercity coaches from Greymouth to Queenstown with excellent commentary from the drivers.  We were both lucky to have front seats thus affording wonderful panoramic views of the spectacular environment. I have to say that all our pick ups were spot on.  Another highlight was the morning tour on the Otago peninsula where the driver was extremely knowledgeable.  Disappointment in the afternoon as did not see penguins, in fact that was the only disappointment for me, as 18 years ago I had seen several close up. In closing hotels were fine some a few more pluses, and all had my favourite Earl Grey tea. A wonderful holiday.

You were very helpful all through the whole process, Jane. The locations and hotel accommodations were good. I would recommend your company to others, based on our generally good experience with you. Thanks

We undertook a five day tour of the upper South Island and the rail trip ex Greymouth organized by a very helpful Sarah of Thrifty Tours. The choice of hotels was excellent, staff, very helpful & cheerful, as were the staff of the Bus & Train trips, Whale watch staff, while weathered out, were helpful and organized. The shuttles, with the exception of Akaroa whose service was excellent, were a bit disorganized, late on pick up a couple of times, but they made up for it with their cheerfulness and helpfulness. All in all, a very pleasant trip, thank you Sarah.

We had a wonderful tour with great accommodations. The connections to and from our hotels were very smooth and we would recommend your company highly to other customers.

My family and I would like to thank Ms Brigett for making the necessary arrangements for our trip. We are very happy with the itinerary, accommodation and transport arranged for the entire trip and it exceeded our expectation. We enjoyed our stay in New Zealand. I had recommended Thrifty Tours to a few of my colleagues.

The holiday was indeed a full itinerary. The Quest and the M Social were really in great positions and we got a free upgrade at the Quest. We managed to clock-up about 16 hours of walking around Auckland over the 2 'rest' days which was good for our stamina and by the end knew a lot about Auckland city. We really enjoyed the bus tours including the Hangi and the drivers were very informative and friendly. The beautiful green countryside we traveled through was so different to our drought stricken land here in Queensland. On whole the itinerary was great. Thanks Ben on the whole it was most enjoyable and we definitely learnt and saw a lot that we wouldn't have seen if we'd done it ourselves.

Returned  from our 3 day tour to the Bay Of Islands on 19 Sept-had a wonderful time, had a bit of wet weather, but it was still just the best little break ever! Our Driver from Auckland (Rachael) was absolutely great and a fountain of knowledge, the Motel-Averill court Motel, was just perfect for my friend and I,and they were very helpful, enjoyed the Dune Buggy, and The Hole in the Rock another great experience-although it was a bit rough that day.  And if you ever get there, the fish and chips  from Vinnies at Paihia were pretty good too! Thanks for all your help Louise

I really have to write to you to convey our sincere thanks for all of your help during our trip in July. Our tour was a focal point, and YOU saved it from being a self-inflicted disaster. Instead, thanks to your help, it was a part of our trip that was even better than we could have anticipated. You may recall that I got my dates turned around and we arrived for the pick-up in Christchurch on the day after we were supposed to depart.  As I stood there gob-smacked, your tour representative and bus driver urged us to board the coach - and we were comforted by that wonderful Kiwi spirit that always finds a way where "We can sort it all out later".

You managed to find the way to fix everything, and by wonderful coincidence, having an extra day in Queenstown was just perfect! We fell in love with the area and I still find my thoughts drifting back to a most enjoyable experience. Through your assistance, what seemed like a disaster turned into a resounding success. If there is any way that we could recommend you for some official recognition, please let us know how to do so.

Our trip comes up in conversation several times per day, and every time that we describe the great tour that we took, we always include the tale of how you saved the day(s). It is part of the story of our wonderful experience in New Zealand, and the extraordinarily pleasant and ingeniously helpful people we were fortunate enough to encounter.

We both really enjoyed the trip that you organised Ben. Was great to see a part of NZ that we hadn't been too. The bus trips were very informative and relaxing. Good to enjoy the scenery and not have to drive. The accommodation was great too. Would highly recommend Thrifty Tours NZ to organise your next trip for you. Many thanks Mandy and Garry

My siblings enjoyed their tour in Queenstown - the accommodation was excellent, food was good and the Milford Sound was a fabulous experience. Overall they gave an 'A' to Thrifty Tours New Zealand. Thank you for your service from our first contact. All the BEST!!!

I enjoyed the tour very much!

Our re-discovery trip to New Zealand ran very smoothly and will always be unforgettable to us for a long time. The overall tour arrangements and service was excellent.

All of the day tours were great. In particular the Shotover jet was one of the most exciting things I've ever done and the coach trip from Queenstown to Christchurch was so scenic and well worth doing. I would like to express my thanks to the Thrifty team who put together the wonderful itinerary for us. Thank you for everything. 

I would like to thank Heather for her great assistance in getting our tour all arranged accordingly from hotels to coaches as well as all private pick up. We really enjoyed our trip here in New Zealand. I will definitely recommend Thrifty Tours to others that would like to travel to New Zealand. Thanks again to Heather and her team for creating a wonderful and stress free holiday for us.

Just passing on a big thank you to you and your team for putting together a lovely holiday. Both my wife Lee and I were VERY impressed with all the buses drivers and guides. The accommodation in both Queenstown and Franz Josef was both warm and comfortable with everything we needed. I was also very impressed with how well everyone stuck to timetables - buses arrived when they should've and departed the same. We have already been recommending your company to our family and friends. As Kiwis we felt very proud of the high level of service that was provided along the way. Once again thank you for support and recommendations.

On the whole I had a fun time and had great weather. Going it alone for the holiday was ok too. Hawke’s Bay and wedding was fab - cant beat friends and family. Thanks for your help, prompt responses and constant reassurance. 

I had a great time on my excursions to the places you fixed up for me. Thanks so much! The coach driver who took us to Hobbiton was amazing. I have never heard such an funny, informative and useful commentary, ever. His name is Damian Peters. I just loved it all except for Wai o tapa thermal park but that was only because it just hammered it down with rain all morning. The evening at Mitai Maori village was fabulous and the food was very yummy! Thanks so much for sorting it all out for me. I love NZ and very much wish to return - but next time in the summer. When I do I will phone you to arrange some more trips in the South Island. Thanks again Ben for arranging such a fabulous tour!

Hello Everyone, I am normally not a “tour” kind of traveler but I only had a week in NZ and wanted to see both islands. Narissa from Thrifty Tours made that happen and it was everything I had hoped for. From the beginning Narissa was so helpful. She customized my trip to include everything I wanted to see and do. The transitions she planned from airports to hotels and experiences were flawless. The hotels she picked were great and Great Sights bus tours that Thrifty uses were awesome! And when weather cancelled our plans one day, Narissa was on it, contacted me immediately, shuffled things around, and made it all still work out. I can’t thank Narissa enough for planning the trip of a lifetime. The ease of using this company is fantastic. This is the company to use to see all that NZ has to offer! Thanks again Narissa! You were amazing!

It was really great holiday! Best service by Narissa.

Chris from Newcastle England 5th April to 12th April 2018 All the Motels were of a good standard, especially Blue Peaks Queenstown which seemed a newish apartment, and all pickups,whether private or tours, were well organised and on time which took all the stress out of the holiday break Everyone we met that was part of the organisation involved with the trip were very friendly and helpful which also made some of the long days pass a bit easier (special mention to Kim at Dunedin, who gave us a quick tour of Dunedin before dropping us at the motel, which meant later that day we didn't wander aimlessly around (and knew where Ed Sheeran’s mural was, and Bob who picked us up from the train to Queenstown and went out of his way to explain a lot on the way back). We all had a great time and even the weather was good for every tour we were on(even the dolphins came out to see us at Milford Sound).All in all well worth the experiance of seeing all the places visited and made a visit to the South Island a must. Finally I must give a really big thank you to Narissa Phillips who arranged all the tour online with me and even managed to put up with my geordie humour! Thanks so much to you all.

Hi Laura The tour you put together for me was great. The timings and hotel bookings worked like clockwork. The sights I saw were all that I imagined and more. It did rain at Milford Sound but that added to the drama and the wonderful waterfalls that it caused were spectacular. The drivers on the buses varied from calm and informative to outrageously amusing which added to the fun. It was a packed schedule and maybe I would suggest to others that if they have more time use it to spread things out but otherwise it was a trip well worth the effort of the miles covered. So well done to you and your team and I hope to be back next year and will be in touch. Cheers John

Hi Natalie, Thanks all your arrangements for the 8-day tour. My husband and I feel very thankful and grateful that Thrifty Tours helped us arrange all the hotels and transportation. We appreciated very much. Great Sights tour is great. The tour to Cape Reinga and sandboard gave us a valuable experience. We will be sure to join Thrifty Tours next time when we go to the South Island. Thanks again all your help and arrangement. Miranda and Cliff

I wanted to share what a fabulous time we had during our time in New Zealand and to thank you for your help both before and during our travels. All the activities you recommended were entertaining and your help in customizing our schedule allowed us to see everything we had hoped (although we quickly realized we could have spent months at each stop and not seen everything). While we felt like we packed in as many sights and activities as we could during our travels, we also had enough down time to take breath once in a while and just absorb the landscape and beauty of the country. 

Hi, my name is Jeff Skelton and I have recently done one of your tours of the South Island with my wife Jane. Just a little note to ask you to say thank you from both of us, to one of your colleagues Emma Bradley. Emma has been superb from the start to finish of our holiday. She has been polite, efficient and professional throughout all my dealings with her and I would appreciate it, if you would pass on my thanks to her, for a job well done. I know, that if I do return for another visit I will certainly put your company and Emma at the top of my list. Even when the tour went a little awry at the end, due to the awful weather, Emma was still excellent at sorting out re-routes etc. Furthermore, she assisted me in sorting out my claim for travel disruption once we were back in the UK. Many thanks Jeff and Jane SKELTON Cheshire UK

Thanks to this nice young lady Kelly Hughes, my wife and I had a terrific tour of South Island from 7th to 11th March. The accommodations she found for us at Queenstown (in spite of a holiday rush) were lovely and comfortable. A good attention to detail was the feature of the entire bus tour. Thanks for a stress-free holiday Kelly. - Kedar and Pratima Vartak, Sharjah, UAE

Hi Natalie Just a quick email to say what a wonderful time we had on our short 4 day tour. Motels were wonderful and staff lovely. An adventure going to Franz Josef, the bus broke down for 2 hours on the side of the road. We obviously missed our connection for the Glacier but the motel organised for the lady to pick us up later. I must say a big thank you to Anne from Glacier Shuttles. Once again thank you for organising. Regards Sheryl Kind Regards Sheryl Musgrove

What an awesome holiday! NZ is fabulous to start with, but having Annelise book all the transfers and the pickups/dropoffs at airports made my life so much easier. Top 3 (this time): Rotorua, Napier and Wellington. You must see the glowworm caves and go to a hangi in Rotorua!

Hi Lauren, Thanks so much for your efforts in arranging my 7 day trip of the South Island. I had a blast! From the first enquiry I made to Thrifty, I was able to enjoy the trip without worrying over logistics. Connections were prompt and all accommodation of a high standard and well located. The itinerary was clear with no surprises or hidden costs. I found there was a great balance of packing in lots of wonderful sights and experiences without feeling rushed. 

I found Thrifty Tours in a web search and within minutes of me sending a message, Joanna called and helped turn my dream trip into reality! I have been so impressed by the guidance, flexibility, responsiveness, knowledge, friendly manner and how focused Joanna was in considering all my needs and to opening the door to so many experiences that I had not even considered. I could not be happier with my trip of a life time and THANK YOU SO MUCH for being so fantastic and helpful. I loved my trip and cannot recommend Thrifty Tours more. And if you are lucky enough to build your trip with Joanna, you will not only have someone taking care of all the details but also someone who will care about you and make your NZ dreams come true!

Hello Erynn, We were delighted with the tour package that you put together for us to the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga. Everything worked exactly to plan. The coach drivers were all very good and informative. The Kingsgate Hotel was very well placed and met all our requirements although it can get a little bit busy at breakfast if you arrive at the same time as a large tour group! I was also very impressed with the personal service given by yourself, Erynn, from the initial phone call which you made to me in England right through to the final emails containing our tour documents. I am more than happy for you to publish any of the above. Thank you very much and Happy New Year. Dave

Thrifty Tours provided us with a wonderful holiday. It was very well planned and any variations in itinerary we requested were made. At every arrival we were met as arranged, even if we had been delayed. At every stop we were always met with a friendly welcome. We stayed in motels that had been recommended by Thrifty Tours and they were all of very good quality. Three places we stayed were exceptional: Regal Palms, Rotorua; Picton Waterfront Apartments, Picton; and ‘858’ on George Street in Dunedin. 

Hey Shelley, we have been meaning to get back to you on the fantastic trip that you planned for us. We couldn't have asked for a more perfectly paced adventure. All the arrangements were right on the money. We especially appreciated your prompt attention when the bus failed to pick us up at Mt Cook. It is difficult to pick out one activity that was our favorite but I must say that from now on when I think of your beautiful country, I will remember how wonderful everyone was to us. That certainly adds to the picturesque nature of your island. We would really like to thank you for your attention to detail and consideration when arranging our trip. We will definitely recommend your services to anyone we know who plans on going to New Zealand. We give you 5 stars!! Thanks again and hoping you have a happy and healthy New Year. Jan and Barry Johnson

Hi Alarna, We had a wonderful time in NZ. Everything was well done. Probably only one little thing, the hotel in Rotorua do not offer free Wi-Fi in the room, and only 30 minutes free Wi-Fi in the lobby. Other than that, everything else was perfect. I will absolutely give you a star rating on Google. I don't have Facebook. I will also send some photos to Tracey. Thank you for your help in making our vacation a memorable one. Best wishes to you too, and Merry Christmas! Mimie

An unbelievable trip around an amazing country - so many memories that we will remember for many years. The arrangements made by Annelise and Thrifty were absolutely perfect. The various accommodation on our travels were lovely and perfectly located. The coach travel was ideal, regular breaks and, more often than not, we were both informed and suitably entertained by the drivers. We were so impressed that each time we arrived at a new location someone was waiting to deliver us to our next accomation. It would have been impossible to have made theses arrangements without the benefit of Thrify Tours - Many thanks indeed.

Dear Dionne, On behalf of my friends ,, I would like to extend our thanks and gratitude towards yourself, Sara and to your management. Your company has honoured our request and we found it worthy and honest in its dealings with customers. My friends are also pleased. We will recommend your tours to anyone we know who are keen on New Zealand touring. Thank You and best regards. From Clara Saminathan

Dear Christina, Just a note to thank you for the wonderful holiday you arranged for me in New Zealand. I was thrilled with all you had been able to bring together for my trip and feel I know a lot more about New Zealand and it's history now and have seen the beauty also. I particularly loved Queenstown for is beauty with the lake and the Remarkable mountains, and also Dunedin and as my ancestors are from Scotland, I was able to progress my research through various places I visited there and bought a few books also which will be wonderful. 

Firstly great great thanks to Annelise for all the patience she has had with me. I remember starting to talk to her somewhere in Jul but by the time i literally finalized the trip it was Oct. Hats of to Annelise for hand holding me all throughout. Also for responding promptly to all my stupid questions. 

Joanna It was all too short, was most amazing time and I am now a Hobbit convert. Starting to watch the dvd’s. I meet some amazing people, some were with same group and we crossed paths a few times. Weather was grand and finished with 5days in Wellington or just up the beach from. You could not have arranged anything to suit me better I will be back Thanks again for such a great trip planned to perfection Accommodation and the bus drivers were so grand and went out of way to show us extra things and even recommended things to do at night (local knowledge) Thanks again Barb

Hi Laura, The holiday was great with exceptions of a few minor things. Our first heartland accomodation was two single beds instead of the queen bed stated. No one picked us up to Clearbook service apartment. It was alright though, as it was a short walk from where the bus dropped us off. We got there by asking a few friendly people. But otherwise, all is great! It was well plan and very beautiful!!! Thank you Laura and we will be sure to recommend you if anyone is going to New Zealand! Warmest Regards, Sharifa & Wanyi

Hi Louise I am now safely back in Auckland after the most fantastic trip ever! I can't thank you enough for arranging such a great trip and everything worked like clockwork. I even got upgraded at the Wellington hotel to an executive suite with my own lounge/diner, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, complete with washing machine and tumble dryer - shame I couldn't stay longer! 

Hi Heather, Thank you so much for arranging such amazing tour for us in New Zealand. We enjoyed our 1 week stay there and most of the transfers to activities planned were all smooth.

Hi ladies I just want to thank you for arranging my fabulous tour of NZ. It was truly wonderful. I will certainly recommend your company to my friends and family and would not hesitate to book with you again. Kindest regards Kaye Scinocco

Hello Erynn, Thank you very much :) Also thank you for your fast and uncomplicated help at all times! We enjoyed our tour a lot, my personal highlight was The cruise on Milford sound where we got to see dolphins :) Kindly, Georgina and Felix

Hi Alarna, Thank you for arranging my tour. I really appreciated that all the connections were seamless. On the whole there was little time to be and do things when we got to our destinations. We were twice in Queenstown but always in the dark. I guess I could have figured that out, if I had studied the itenary beforehand. 

The Best of the North tour was everything I was hoping for. I had some really amazing experiences, and my tour agent - Alarna Dwyer - was very responsive and easy to work with. Would definitely recommend to others!

Hi Annelise, Sorry for the delay in reply! We absolutely loved our time touring the South Island. We got into Franz Josef about half an hour before dark so we got to do about 10 minutes of the walk, we still enjoyed the view. Then when we got back to our hotel there was a complimentary hummer to take us out for dinner! Queenstown was a huge highlight of our trip, it is up there on our list of favourite places in the world and we can't wait to go back and spend more time exploring. We caught a helicopter up to the snow which was amazing! We couldn't fault our journey and it's all thanks to you for organising it all and squeezing so much into the short time frame. Thanks Gemma