Explore New Zealand’s North Island on the Pukeko Tour, traveling from Auckland to Wellington. Discover geothermal wonders, Māori culture, and stunning landscapes on this action-packed eight-day adventure.
Highlights include the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and Blue Duck Station. Enjoy unique cultural experiences at Lake Aniwhenua, explore Rotorua’s geysers, and cross the Cook Strait for a scenic finale. This tour blends nature, adventure, and culture, offering unforgettable memories and the best of the North Island.
Days
- 9 days, 8 nights
Group size
- Max 16
Start / finish
- Auckland / Wellington
- Wellington, day 9 after breakfast
Return
- Wellington, day 9 after breakfast
Accommodation
- 8 nights — two in a Rotorua hotel, one in lakefront cabins at Lake Aniwhenua, two at a country station lodge at Blue Duck Station, then hotels at National Park and Wellington. Named on the page as Distinction Rotorua, Powderhorn Chateau, The Park Hotel and Ibis Wellington, or similar.
Transport
- An air-conditioned mini bus with your driver-guide, plus a 4WD for the eco-safari at Blue Duck Station.
Meals
- Six breakfasts, one lunch and three dinners. One dinner is a full traditional hāngī with dessert at Lake Aniwhenua.
Route
Included experiences
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing — a 19km walk past volcanic craters and turquoise alpine lakes
- Lake Aniwhenua — a Māori cultural stay with storytelling, weaving, the haka and a hāngi feast
- Te Puia — the Geyser by Night tour, with bubbling mud pools and geysers under the stars
- Blue Duck Station — a 4WD eco-safari to the Top of the World for Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe
- Blue Duck Station — the Kaiwhakauka waterfall hike, the rare blue duck, and glow worms after dark
- Whakarewarewa Forest — a walk beneath the towering California redwoods
- Kerosene Creek — a soak in a natural hot river
- Taupō — Australasia's largest lake and the roaring Huka Falls
- Wellington — Te Papa, the climb up Mt Victoria and a walk along Oriental Parade
- Optional in Rotorua — rafting the Kaituna River, ziplining, or a geothermal spa
Reviews
4.9
Based on 27 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 27 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the knowledgeable and personable driver-guides, who handled logistics, booked accommodation and activities, shared local and Maori cultural insights, and kept groups entertained on long drives. Many highlight the tour as an easy way to see the North Island without driving or planning, and note the ease of meeting people of varied ages and nationalities, with several forming lasting friendships. Frequently mentioned highlights include the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Blue Duck Station, the Bay of Islands, sandboarding, surfing in Raglan, Mount Maunganui, and the Maori cultural experience and feast, with most meals and accommodation included. The most common caveat is confusion at the start of the tour, with mixed communication and differing itineraries because the trip combined travellers from other tours, and some reviewers suggested more options for those not joining included activities and more inclusion of solo travellers. A few noted cramped rooms in places and advised budgeting extra for optional activities and food.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
“Highly recommended”
The tour was a bit of drama which we could have done without. I didn't realise but this 9 day tour was a tack on to other tours so you you could be with people …
The 9-day Pukeko trip with guide Whaiea was amazing from start to finish, with great, comfortable accommodation and fantastic stops throughout. Only wish I'd travelled for longer -- highly recommend Stray for exploring NZ.
“Great Mix of Adventure & Culture – Thanks to an Incredible Guide”
Guide Nicole (Fire) went above and beyond throughout our Pukeko tour, keeping things organised and positive. Blue Duck Station, the Bush Safari and kayaking were highlights, plus relaxed campfire evenings. A few off-season activities weren't available and some extras added cost, but overall a fantastic trip.
“Amazing Journey”
Highlight would be the Bay of Islands. A bit regretful I didn’t brave the crossing however there will be other opportunities. The alternate walk was beautiful and the company great.
“Awesome way to see New Zealand”
I wanted to see both islands of New Zealand and had plenty of time, but I didn't want to deal with driving, finding places to stay, etc.
“8 Day 'Pukeko' North Island Select Tour”
Itinerary was OK but should include more options for people not participating in the included tours. The guide was very informative and helpful - highly recomm…
“Short North Pass (North Island)”
Amazing management of the tour from our energetic and charming tour guide. We were on time and she gave us all details of what to expect for the day, what time we get to the next destination, and what activities we would avail. She knows a lot of local haunts as well as great recommendations. This was our first time to join a backpacker tour group and sleep in dorm accommodations and we were pleasantly surprised on how easy it was. The tour was an excellent venue to meet great people. There was this one guy in our tour group though, Peter, who was by himself, though I could tell he would have wanted to be included in group huddles. I hoped we reached out and did more in being more inclusive.
“Batten (North Island)”
I had an incredible time on the north island tour. We had 2 guides, who swapped after 3 days, both were incredibly knowledgable about the areas visited and the culture relative to New Zealand and specific areas. I travelled alone and met some incredible people, whom I now call friends, and couldn’t recommend this tour more! Great value for money and fantastic opportunities! Thank you!
“Big North Pass (North Island)”
What an awesome trip, route and choice of activities! It was the most exciting trip ever. Lightning is a highly skilled driver and made the road to Blue Duck farm a piece of cake! I thoroughly enjoyed his riddles, sense of humour, jokes, cooking skills, fascinating facts and nothing was too much trouble. Thanks!
“Big North Pass (North Island)”
What an awesome trip, route and choice of activities! It was the most exciting trip ever. Lightning is a highly skilled driver and made the road to Blue Duck farm a piece of cake! I thoroughly enjoyed his riddles, sense of humour, jokes, cooking skills, fascinating facts and nothing was too much trouble. Thanks!
“Beetham (North Island)”
It's a unforgettable trip! I got to enjoy so many places in 8 days with other 19 fun-driven travelers, age from 18-75. Honestly I didn't really know what I signed up initially and doubted if this was the right tour for me when sharing room with a bunch of young backpackers, after all it's the very first time I've ever taken such trip. However as the tour unrolled I became to enjoy it exponentially, we had so much fun together everyday, the 9 hour Tongriro Alpine Crossing brought it to the climx. In the end we formed such comradery that we tried to meet up after the tour. This tour wouldn't be the same without our driver/guide Moose, he is very friendly and fun. He drove us around, kept us well informed and entertained on the long bus rides, coordinated everything, cooked for us and hang out with us, he became part of us. Thank you Moose! It's a life changing experience to me, I'm so glad I booked this tour! It made me fall in love with beautiful New Zealand and the nature-loving adventure-driven Kiwis.
“I found the tour to be great”
I found the tour to be great, good bunch of people that I met and helpful information provided by the drivers. For what I wanted the bus about was perfect
“Amazing Journey”
Highlight would be the Bay of Islands. A bit regretful I didn’t brave the crossing however there will be other opportunities. The alternate walk was beautiful and the company great.
“ I'll recommend this tour!”
Overall the tour was wonderful! Met a lot of great people and was really lucky with the weather. The tour started off a little rough, with everyone seemingly having a different itinary and mix communication. But our guide/driver, did her best to sort things out for us and was a delight to have. We switched guide/driver midway through the tour, and she was equally a pleasant to have giving us a lot of her opinion if what to do and what to avoid. I'll recommend this tour, and other Stray guided tours. It's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun and a great way to meet new friends and see New Zealand.
“Short North Pass (North Island)”
Amazing way to travel around New Zealand and meeting new travel minded people in the same time. Highly recommended!
“Excellent!”
Excellent. Husky, our driver and guide, was the best.
“Beach Hopper (North Island)”
I recently travelled on the new Beach Hopper .We started in Rotorua and visited Waitomo, Raglan and Mt Maunganui. I had a blast! Heemi was an awesome driver and all of us loved being on board the 'no stress express'. We took a surf lesson in Raglan, went caving in Waitomo and hiked up the Mount for sunrise - all totally unforgettable experiences! I want to do it all over again!
“Best Time and Good Vibes”
What a great way to see both the west & east coasts of the North Island. The pass is a great mixture of adventure and culture with breathtaking views along the way. Our Driver Guide, Hemdawg was very friendly and made sure all our activities and accommodation were booked and reserved for us. He had valuable knowledge of the local Maori culture and of all the destinations we visited. The highlights of my trip were surfing in Raglan in the west coast, and walking up Mount Maunganui in the east coast to watch the sunrise and sunset...absolutely stunning.
“Journeys Winter - Beetham (North Island)”
I loved the experience I had on this trip. I strongly recommend Stray for your trip, having a local guide is a plus.
“Short North Pass (North Island)”
Loved the tour with Socks, got everyone included and was so much fun !
“I loved every bit of the tour.”
I loved every bit of the tour. I usually plan my trips alone, so I took a leap by doing a group tour. It was the perfect size (there were around 19 of us) and sharing a room with 3-4 people was fine. Most of the rooms were excellent - some were a little more cramped than others, which can be hard work with 4 bags to stow. Our driver, Whaea, was fantastic fun. She made the tour even more special. The group ranged from around 18 to 40 year olds and it wasn't crazy partying all the time. The occasional drink but everyone was quiet come bed time. I made some great friends and did things I probably wouldn't have done on my own.
“Batten (North Island)”
I absolutely loved the journey and would do it all over again! It was definetely worth the money. Most of the accomadations were nice and it´s great that it´s not only hostels. I only really didn´t like the one in Auckland. Most of the meals are included and if not they always make sure you get a chance to buy snacks so you really don´t have to worry about being hungry. I really enjoyed the activities included, especially the sandboarding and Maori cultural experience. But you should definetley save some extra money for the optional activities and food of course! I´d say I did most of them and spent about 400 $ on activities and 200 $ on food. But it was absolutely worth it. I loved the whole vibe of the tour and that it was still relaxed eventhough you were always on the move. Loved meeting all those people of different ages, nationalities and with different stories and made some really good friends. Both our bus drivers were cool dudes and nice to hang out with. I can definetely recommend this tour. In my opinion the best way to get around the country when you´re travelling alone!
“Far & Wide Pass (National)”
Such a fine way to travel...you se so many things in a short time...and ones the app is up running is pretty easy to plan your trip. The drivers er doing a really good job...we had for some time: one guy called "Lightning" and he was a perfect mix of history knowing, jokes, and practical solutions. Steen J denmark
“Great way to experience NZ”
Absolutely loved the two Tours i did in NZ. I did the North Island tour Hihi with Brittany and the South Island tour with Jack and Cody.
Both Tours were amazing! I loved the mix between hikes, activities and nature.
It was a great joy to have Brittany as a Tourguide and her enthusiasm was contagious. The boat with her in it definitely had the most fun at the Tongariro Whitewater Rafting ;)
Jack and Cody are both very personable and always made us laugh with the weirdest podcasts! They took great care of us, and I had a lot of fun with them.
“Journeys Winter - Beetham (North Island)”
I really enjoyed this tour. Got to see most of the highlights of the North Island. Nat is an excellent guide/driver, lots of interesting stories to tell and jokes. I made a lot of friends and really enjoyed staying at Blue Duck Station - its so beautiful and remote. Wouldn't have minded spending an extra day in Wellington but oh well.
“8 Day 'Pukeko' North Island Select Tour”
It was an incredible tour! Our guide was amazing & supportive & showed us the local spots & told us how to make the most of our trip. We stayed in incredible locations & were comfortable the whole time. Definitely the best trip I’ve ever been on!
“Incredible tour”
This was an incredible tour and we enjoyed every minute of it. We were looked after really well by our tour guide, kept very well fed and learnt so much about New Zealand. I would recommend Stray to yours to anyone going to New Zealand. I can’t name my favourite part of the tour, it was all wonderful. We visited Cathedral Cove which was beautiful. Extra activities we added on included a glow worm cave tour and Hobbiton. Somehow we managed to the Tongariro crossing, the scenery was breath taking.....and so was the walk! The visit to the Maori village taught us about their culture and the feast was delicious. Blue Duck station turned into an amazing adventure, I don’t think my boyfriend wanted to leave after a day there. There are also lots of stops on long drives to amazing places, but I can’t give away the details, they seem to be a secret. Stray are a great company and put up with my many, many questions about the tour. Thank you so much for a wonderful tour!
