
-
Liz Wilson
1068 messages · active 1 min ago -
Chelsea Lodge
1398 messages · active 32 mins ago -
Louise Barrett
228 messages · active 1 day ago -
Christina Brockie
379 messages · active 2 days ago -
Shelley Ryder
231 messages · active 1 day ago -
Sabina Din
3805 messages · active 19 hours ago -
Nichole White
479 messages · active 5 days ago -
Janette Bagley
64 messages · active 6 days ago -
Lydia Ford
336 messages · active 22 mins ago -
Vickie Parrack
1118 messages · active 17 hours ago -
Laurel Thachuk
180 messages · active 1 day ago -
Harriet McGregor
86 messages · active 27 mins ago -
Marissa Cuadero
29 messages -
C
Carly Baker
32 messages · active 37 mins ago -
Louise Hodge
58 messages · active 2 mins ago
New Zealand Self Drive Tours
Since 2004 we have used our experience and knowledge of New Zealand to design and create a truly memorable New Zealand Self Drive tours.
With New Zealand Self Drive Tours we don’t simply resell you other companies itineraries and tours relabeled as our own. While we do indeed have the largest choice of tour routes and accommodation/car/activity combinations we spend all of our time customising itineraries to suit our customers needs perfectly. In over 15 years and across more than 100,000 happy customers we haven’t sold exactly the same itinerary twice.
Right from your first contact with us the same New Zealand tour expert will handle your enquiry, planning process, reservation and documentation to ensure consistent quality. We have built our reputation on honest, accurate, relevant advice combined with an absolute no compromise approach to providing you with the best possible service.
Our dedicated team based amongst the lakes and mountains of Wanaka are all New Zealand enthusiasts and have visited or experienced virtually every property, activity and location we offer you.
We believe passionately that we live in, love and sell the most extraordinary country in the world. We are often reminded of how truly lucky we are to live here and that continues to motivate us to see that as much of the world as possible experiences the beauty of New Zealand for themselves.
Featured trips & expertise
Top itineraries and travel advice

Experience the wilderness and wildlife of New Zealand's South Island on this 15-day self-drive itinerary. By day you'll drive through breathtaking landscapes and embark on...

This 21-day road trip carves a figure-eight through New Zealand's South Island. From Christchurch, travel through the Mackenzie Country to Aoraki / Mount Cook, then on to Otago...

Explore New Zealand's South Island in style on this unforgettable 12-day road trip. Starting and finishing in the alpine adventure capital of Queenstown, this route...
Recent Trip Reviews for New Zealand Self Drive Tours
We can't wait to go back to New Zealand!!
New Zealand
|
Apr 1 - Apr 17, 2023

Vickie did a great job of helping us the few times things didn't go according to plan, which was very reassuring. When we got Covid at the end of the trip, her colleague helped us figure out a change of plans to allow us time to recuperate before getting on a plane.
The hotels that we needed to work from had excellent wifi quality and breakfasts with good varieties of food. We especially liked Rydges in Queenstown for its beautiful view.
We loved our canyoning trip in Queenstown and our... read more

Hi both,
What a lovely review. I am so pleased you had such a wonderful trip and a great birthday. I hope the surprise champagne went down well!
I had so much fun working with you and if you ever are over this side of the world in the future please let me know.
Take care
Vickie
New Zealand honeymoon - April 2023
New Zealand
|
Apr 6 - Apr 19, 2023
My now-wife and I gave Sabina a very short lead time of less than a month to plan a 2-week honeymoon in New Zealand in April 2023. Sabina exceeded our expectations, putting together a fantastic trip and working with us to make sure that we didn't go over our budget. She was very responsive to our communications both in the planning stage and also when we were on the trip. For example, when one of our domestic flights from the North Island to the South Island was slightly delayed, Sabina... read more
Accommodations: 1) April 5-8: Pros: The Wat...
New Zealand
|
Apr 5 - Apr 19, 2023
Accommodations:
1) April 5-8: Pros: The Waters B & B: Excellent; private, comfortable, fantastic views, well appointed, romantic, amazing in unit breakfast, quiet. Cons: Had to drive to restaurants but small price to pay for this very special B&B. Would highly recommend.
2) April 8-10: Pros: The Peppertree B&B: Quaint, beautiful grounds, quiet, amazing communal breakfast. We had fun conversations, Heidi, the owner was terrific and helpful. Cons: Had to drive into town for any... read more

Hi Gary and Mary,
Thank you so much for your very thorough feedback on all the accommodation and on elements of your New Zealand Holiday.
I am sorry there was confusion around the Air New Zealand flight, I was just going with what Air New Zealand had informed me but obviously there was some misinformation sent in their emails so I am pleased you were able to get this sorted as the original flight times fitted in much better with the itinerary.
I was never informed that you had chosen to... read more
Self-driving tour of the South Island, NZ, for Chuck Wilson
New Zealand
|
Apr 5 - Apr 25, 2023

Kimkim (Sabina) did an excellent job in planning my 24-day self-driving tour of the South Island of New Zealand. Other than a few days of rain and wind, that resulted in me missing the Whale Watching cruise in Kaikoura and the glacier cruise at Mt. Cook, everything went as planned and exceeded my expectations!
The car was perfect for me, all of the driving instructions and maps were very valuable, and all of the booked motels were very nice and were expecting me :-)
I hiked most of the... read more

Thank you Chuck, it has been wonderful working with you! I'm so glad you had a great trip, another country ticked off your never ending bucket list! It was a pleasure and I look forward to seeing your pictures of beautiful Aotearoa!
Family in New Zealand
New Zealand
|
Mar 31 - Apr 12, 2023

Chelsea and I started planning our family trip last July and it was a total success. My young grandson would say everyday that this is the best excursion in NZ and I would remind him he said that the day before. The trip entertained the 4 adults and the 2 kids. From Hanmer Springs to the whale watching to Huka Falls jet ride to Hobbiton to the glow worm caves it was all entertaining.
What Chelsea did best was the timing- we would get up in the am drive to our excursion view it and get to our... read more

Walt, I am so pleased that you all had a wonderful time in New Zealand and I'm excited to hear that your Grandson had the best excursion every single day! I am sorry that Susan was unable to make the trip but how wonderful that your son could join you instead. Also, great feedback on the Redwoods and we will let people know about wait times and perhaps enjoying the Redwoods in the daylight to avoid the crowds.
Thank you
Chelsea
I recently returned from a trip to New Zealan...
New Zealand
|
Mar 10 - Mar 30, 2023
I recently returned from a trip to New Zealand that was, overall, a great experience. However, there were a couple of unexpected factors that left us feeling slightly disappointed.
One of the biggest challenges we faced was the unpredictable weather. We had planned to do several excursions, such as a zodiac trip at Mt Cook a helicopter ride to the Franz Joseph glacier, and a couple of others but unfortunately, the weather didn't always cooperate. We had to cancel some of our planned... read more

Hi Andy and Namrata, thank you for taking the time to leave a review for me. As I truly strive for 5 star reviews and for my clients to have the best possible experience, it was disappointing to read that the trip was given a less than desirable review for factors beyond my control such as the weather. I am sorry to hear that some of the activities were cancelled due to this. I am sorry to hear that you found some of the locations remote, New Zealand is a natural and low density country which... read more
New Zealand Experience
New Zealand
|
Mar 24 - Apr 9, 2023

All the hotels, transportation , tour activities and car rental were as described by Nichole. Overall I was very pleased by the whole experience.
A true taste of New Zealand
New Zealand
|
Mar 21 - Apr 1, 2023

Our first trip abroad was nothing short of amazing thanks to the excellent planning of our local specialist, Vickie. She called us ahead of our trip to ask questions and help us through some details as this was our first time traveling abroad. Once we arrived in Auckland and throughout our visit everything went smoothly. Our accommodations were perfect. When we arrived at 6:30 AM our first day, we were given complimentary early check-in at the reception. Throughout our 12 day stay we truly... read more

Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for your review. I know traveling abroad for the first time can be a daunting experience so I am so happy you felt comfortable and cared for. I certainly had a blast working with you. And your photo's WOW! Really reminds me why I love my job so much.
Wishing you all the best
Vickie
KimKim did an excellent job planning our 1-month NZ trip
New Zealand
|
Feb 22 - Mar 23, 2023
KimKim did an excellent job planning our 1-month NZ trip. Lydia organized our days with a variety of activities, such as biking, hiking and tours. When we had questions or concerns about our agenda Lydia was very prompt with responses and resolutions. The trip was well planned and we won’t hesitate to use KimKim in the future. We LOVED our trip, thank you! read more
Vacation New Zealand First International Trip
New Zealand
|
Mar 21 - Apr 1, 2023
We had a wonderful and fun New Zealand Holiday. Tried to see and experience as much as we could in 12 days. Our guides for cruising Aukland Harbor, visiting Hobbiton, ziplining Rotorua , kayaking Franz Josef , biking Lake Wanaka, bus touring Milford Sound were all competent helpful and friendly. The Māori culture and the Queenstown cruise / dinner events were excellent . Thank you to KimKim everything went smoothly. read more
Chelsea called me before the trip and tailore...
New Zealand
|
Mar 16 - Mar 29, 2023
Chelsea called me before the trip and tailored it to capture exactly what I wanted! She was very knowledgeable about how long to stay at certain places and limited long driving days (mostly less than 4 hours)!
Our favorite spot on the itinerary was the Wilderness Lodge—getting time to hang with the NZ local owners Jerry & Anne was so special. read more

Hi Jessica,
I am so pleased that you and Walter had a great time in New Zealand. The Wilderness Lodge is a great spot and its nice to spend a night in a remote location, I love it too!
It was unfortunate about your TranzAlpine train cancellation but I am pleased we were able to come up with an alternative and I hope you enjoyed the drive over Arthur's Pass.
All the best,
Chelsea
Give yourselves time to relax!
New Zealand
|
Mar 3 - Mar 17, 2023

We really enjoyed our 17-day trip to New Zealand. If we have one regret it is that we packed our itinerary so full that we rarely got time to relax and just enjoy being there. While we were there (I'm told it's typical of the late summer period) there were road works on almost every route we travelled, so published driving times were always optimistic, which added to the pressure. Though we enjoyed many wonderful experiences, it would be hard to beat the cruise on Medford Sound. We almost... read more
Vickie was very kind, patient, helpful and r...
Australia
|
Feb 16 - Mar 9, 2023

Vickie was very kind, patient, helpful and responsive. She catered to our requests regarding accommodations and physical activity levels during excursions very well. Other members of the agency were responsive and helpful when Vickie was unavailable. During our trip we had an activity cancelled that caused disruption with our hotel accommodation and Vickie corrected it quickly within 24 hours.
The New Zealand Touring app was a helpful tool but sometimes contained typos, omissions, or... read more
Great Trip!!!
New Zealand
|
Mar 3 - Mar 12, 2023

My Trip Was Amazing.
Sabina understood my requirements and tailor made an itinerary. My Itinerary had some tourist stuff, some road trip, some urban hikes and all.
Overall it was a great adventure and can't wait to come back to New Zeland Again.
If I plan it again, I would consult Sabina for a tailor Made itinerary.
Regards
Venkat Abhishek Davuluri read more

Thank you Venkat! I appreciate your kind words. I'm glad we managed to work your trip so you could complete all the bucket list activities you wanted to do! :)
Hi Christina , we all had such an amazing tim...
New Zealand
|
Feb 4 - Feb 23, 2023
Hi Christina , we all had such an amazing time , so lucky with the weather, we saw some pretty fantastic sights , with a few off beat ones . The guides were equally knowledgeable , a lifetime of memories made. Thank you for your help.
Just have to sort the hundreds of photos and videos taken of all the breathtaking sites seen.
What separates the excellent from the merely ...
New Zealand
|
Feb 18 - Feb 26, 2023

What separates the excellent from the merely very good is how they deal with problems. Sabina came through in spades.
Cyclone Gabrielle arrived the week before our arrival and disrupted our itinerary.
She worked overtime to ensure our trip was still wonderful.
While others were struggling with reservations and ferry crossings, everything went smoothly for us.
In addition, the hotels Sabina booked were great. As we had asked, she booked at various price points from moderate to... read more

Hi James,
I appreciate your lovely words. I'm happy knowing you both had a great trip, and that we were able to eradicate any issues ahead of time and keep your trip as smooth as possible :)
Very easy website, excellent specialist
New Zealand
|
Dec 19 - Jan 21, 2023
I was initially set up with a specialist who wasn't listening to my preferences and became increasingly more difficult to communicate with. Once I voiced my concerns though, I was matched with Sabina who was such a pleasure to work with! She was always quick to respond, worked with me on a good balance between budget and activities, and made my trip such an incredible experience. I'd love to work with her in the future when I go back to visit New Zealand and Australia!

Thank you Yi Yi. It was a pleasure to organise your dream trip :)
Phoebe and her team at Zip Line were amazing....
New Zealand
|
Jan 2 - Jan 17, 2023
Phoebe and her team at Zip Line were amazing. Phil on the jet boat at Lake Taupo was particularly good with the younger children. The bus trip to the north of the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga were enjoyable but too long a day. Accommodation was all good. read more

Hi Karen,
Thank you very much for your feedback and I am so pleased that you and the family had a wonderful time in New Zealand.
Thank you
Chelsea
This was a trip of a lifetime for my husband ...
New Zealand
|
Dec 14 - Jan 5, 2023

This was a trip of a lifetime for my husband and I. Sabina developed the most action-packed 23 days in New Zealand's south island. We did all of the helicopter items, mountain biking, hiking, canyoning, jet boating, kayaking, and stargazing. Our cups were full by the end of the trip. In fact we didn't want to leave!

Thanks for the lovely reply, I'm so glad you and your husband had the best time here! :D
Just fabulous!
New Zealand
|
Dec 18 - Jan 1, 2023
Lydia and her team at New Zealand Self Drive Tours were fantastic! They were quick to respond when there was a minor issue at one of the wine cellars and the issue was resolved immediately. And this was on Christmas eve!! The app was extremely helpful throughout our drive. Just one suggestion for the folks at the New Zealand Fine Touring-- The Milford Fly Cruise Fly website is inaccurate about the pick up times from the hotels in Queensland for the 10 am trip. Please let them know that people... read more