Such an amazing experience in NZ! 18 days of pure beauty!!!
New Zealand | Dec 29 - Jan 14, 2026

Kelli
Kelli S.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Jan 18, 2026

Such an amazing experience in NZ! 18 days of complete beauty. We loved everything our agent booked for us, all the hotels & excursions were fantastic. Our Clearwater experience was beautiful , we even saw a penguin! We especially loved our small plane ride to Milford Sound, & the steamboat cruise ship dinner. We loved everything about Queenstown. Such a cool place. Mount Cook was beautiful, we did 4 different hikes, all amazing. Wellington is a beautiful city, do not miss the botanical garden. Breathtaking. Lake Tekapo is so blue, & a cute little town to visit. We especially loved the kayaking to the natural hot springs & then to the glow worm caves…. So fun. Our guides were phenomenal. Such cute guys! The night sky while we kayaked back was the prettiest I’ve ever seen. We also loved exploring waimangu volcanic valley with the cruise. So interesting, our boat guide was awesome. Hobbiton was fun, don’t miss even if you don’t love the LOTR movies, it’s really interesting to learn about. All in all we loved our vacation & would highly recommend working with Michelle.

Hotel Reviews
Distinction Dunedin Hotel
Dunedin

Beautiful hotel, very clean. Great location.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Close to the octagon
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean! Beautiful furnishings.
Ramada Suites Queenstown
Queenstown

Great location, clean & updated Just beware that parking can be tricky unless you pay for hotel parking. We parked on the roads but often times it was a few blocks away.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Great Ponsonby ArtHotel
Auckland

Very unique hotel if you are looking for something different. Clean & good location. Late 1800’s vibe.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Room was clean, but no AC in our room. It was very hot & humid.
Mt Cook Lodge & Motels
Canterbury

Super private, clean, all the amenities Restaurant was really good Easy to access washer & dryer Beauty at every turn

Authenticity & Character
Such cute little apartment style rooms!
Location
Staff
Staff was always so friendly.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Fable Christchurch
Christchurch

Beautiful hotel, spacious rooms

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Very friendly
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean & comfortable
The Gables
7220

Darling little cottage! We had amazing service & the cottage was perfect for our needs. Very spacious, charming & unique.

Authenticity & Character
Super charming!
Location
Easy to walk to everything in Picton
Staff
Amazing service, so friendly & helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean. Did not have AC though
Bolton Hotel
Wellington

Perfect location, beautiful hotel, super friendly staff, highly recommend Very spacious suites Our suite also had a washer & dryer which was awesome!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Walk to most things, super close to the botanical garden
Staff
So friendly!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean
Kaitahi Lodge
Palmerston North

Cannot recommend this hotel enough. Amazing owner, the accommodations are incredible. Beautiful, spacious, unforgettable

Authenticity & Character
So unique, beautiful in every way
Location
Close to the city, but far enough away to feel secluded
Staff
Jazz was INCREDIBLE
Cleanliness & Comfort
So clean, honestly seemed to be brand new
Millennium Rotorua
Rotorua 3040

Great hotel, clean & spacious, great location, beautiful private deck

Authenticity & Character
Very nice lobby, room was perfect & spacious
Location
Walkable to everything
Staff
Super friendly
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean
Activity Reviews
Queen Charlotte track (Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge walk)
Queen Charlotte track (Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge walk)
New Zealand

This was one of our very favorite days in NZ. Such an amazing & beautiful hike! We loved every second of the 10 mile track. Furneaux Lodge at the end of the hike… such a beautiful setting & delicious lunch. I could have sat there for hours. The boat ride there & back was easy & conveniently located in Picton. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Te  Pā Tū  - Maori Cultural Experience
Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience
Rotorua

We loved this Maori culture experience, from the ease of the bus pick up at our hotel, to the authentic Maori war dance upon arrival, & the small group activities & learning. It was awesome. The music & dance show was so entertaining. The food was ok… really small portions. But the experience was great.

Quality of Experience
Food
Portions
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Waimangu Valley Nature Walk & Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise
Waimangu Valley Nature Walk & Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise
Rotorua

This was AWESOME! We loved the hike down to the lake, very informative pamphlet & we learned a lot about the area. The boat ride was super interesting. Our boat captain was so great, explained what we were seeing & answered all our questions. Highly recommend! Great way to spend the morning!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Loved our boat driver!!!
Transport
Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves
Starlight Gourmet Kayak Tour - Glowworm Caves
Rotorua

I wish I could give this 6 stars. Our guides were awesome. Funny & easy to talk to. The kayaks & gear were great. The hot pools were great, so fun to explore the different pools & temperatures. Dinner was great, & the glow worm caves were amazing. Cooler than I expected. The kayaking back in the dark… phenomenal. The night sky was as beautiful as I’d ever seen. Loved every minute of this excursion.

Quality of Experience
So fun!!!
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Coolest guides
Transport
Historic Steamship Cruise to Walter Peak Farm + BBQ Dinner
Historic Steamship Cruise to Walter Peak Farm + BBQ Dinner
Queenstown (NZ)

Steamship ride was super fun, the boat is super unique. The sheep sheering & the sheep dog experience was awesome! Food was so so.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
New Zealand

Super awesome experience! I wasn’t a huge fan of LOTR, but honestly you don’t have to be to enjoy this experience. The guide we had was so great. Super knowledgeable about what scenes were in what areas, made the whole afternoon so fun. I highly recommend!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Great guide!
Transport
Loved the videos they showed in the bus on the way to the site.
Clearwater Wildlife Tours- 'Wild One' Tour
Clearwater Wildlife Tours- 'Wild One' Tour
Dunedin

Such an amazing afternoon! Loved our guide, super knowledgeable. We even saw a penguin!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Fly Cruise Fly – Queenstown to Milford Sound by scenic flight
Fly Cruise Fly – Queenstown to Milford Sound by scenic flight
Queenstown (NZ)

Cannot recommend this enough. The flight was amazing, our pilot was amazing, it was unforgettable.

Quality of Experience
So great to work with
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Everyone we worked with was fantastic
Transport
Big Sky Stargazing -outdoor stargazing tour
Big Sky Stargazing -outdoor stargazing tour
Aoraki / Mount Cook Village

Super knowledgeable guides Well worth staying up so late! The moon was bright so it wasn’t as spectacular as we’d hoped, but no fault of the company. Just the luck of the draw. Pick up was easy, the entire staff was awesome.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Michelle Srzich
Michelle
Michelle Srzich
Local specialist in Auckland, New Zealand | Replied on Jan 18, 2026

Thanks so much for your feedback, I am thrilled to see I really nailed it with planning the perfect trip for you and Ben. So glad it all went well and happy future travels with Kimkim! Michelle