Craft unforgettable memories in New Zealand with the Grand Kiwi Experience Small Group Tour! Explore hidden gems, delve into stunning natural beauty, and connect with like-minded adventurers on this epic journey through North and South Islands. From geothermal wonders to glacial landscapes, this adventure awaits!
Craft unforgettable memories in New Zealand with the Grand Kiwi Experience Small Group Tour! Explore hidden gems, delve into stunning natural beauty, and connect with like-minded adventurers on this epic journey through North and South Islands. From geothermal wonders to glacial landscapes, this adventure awaits!
From the secluded beaches and volcanic craters of the north to the glaciers, mountains and fjords in the south, this tour has it all. Adventure activities are aplenty throughout the trip, with accommodation and some activities included (see below); our tours are hassle-free, authentic experiences for those short on time.
Days
- 21 days, 20 nights
Group size
- Max 24
Start / finish
- Auckland / Christchurch
Return
- See itinerary for details
Accommodation
- 20 nights — Auckland, Hahei on the Coromandel, Waitomo, Rotorua, one night at Te Pā Tū Māori Village, two at Taupō, one at River Valley Lodge, two in Wellington, Kaikōura, Christchurch, two at Lake Tekapo, three in Queenstown, one at Lake Hawea or Wanaka, and two at Rainforest Retreat in Franz Josef. Rooms are dorm share.
Transport
- An air-conditioned mini bus with a driver guide, the Interislander ferry across Cook Strait, and the Tranzalpine train over the Southern Alps on the final day.
Meals
- Meals are included, starting with a welcome evening on day 1 and taking in a farm to table dinner cooked by the chef at River Valley Lodge.
Route
Included experiences
- Milford Sound — a day trip from Queenstown with a two hour boat cruise
- Tranzalpine train — coast to coast over the Southern Alps on the final day
- Te Pā Tū — an overnight stay at a Māori village, with kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga
- National Kiwi Hatchery — the kiwi, its habitat, and why it matters here
- Hell's Gate — a geothermal soak and mud bath in Rotorua
- Ruakuri Cave — a 90 minute walking tour of the Waitomo underground
- Cook Strait — the Interislander crossing into the South Island
- Marlborough — wine tasting at a cellar door, with a cheese pairing
- Kaikōura — the peninsula walkway for seals and seabirds
- Tawanui Farm — a working sheep and beef farm on the way to Christchurch
- Mount Cook National Park — the Kea Point track and the Tasman Glacier lookout
- Lake Tekapo — the Church of the Good Shepherd and the hot springs
- River Valley — a night beside the Rangitikei River with a farm to table dinner
- Taupō — Huka Falls and Waiotapu Thermal Park
- Hot Water Beach and the Coromandel coast on day 2
- Kawarau Bridge — where bungy jumping began
- Franz Josef — a free day at the glacier, with Lake Matheson and Thunder Creek Falls
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.9
Based on 36 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 36 reviews
Travellers consistently praise this tour as a way to see both the North and South Islands, with many highlighting it as well suited to solo travellers and good value for money, particularly the flexibility of the hop-on-hop-off format and the discounts on extra activities. The most frequently mentioned strength is the drivers and guides, who are repeatedly described as knowledgeable, energetic and willing to go beyond their role to keep the trip running smoothly and help travellers make lasting friendships. Reviewers also point to the mix of nature, city stops and activities, with several naming the Franz Josef and Tasman experience, the Māori village and Rotorua rafting as standout inclusions. The most common criticism concerns some of the recommended accommodation, with several travellers suggesting they would choose different hostels in certain towns, while others found the website and trip planner tricky to navigate. A few also noted the amount of driving involved and repetitive included breakfasts.
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.
I took the Sheepdog trip, which is a great pick if you want to cover the country quickly. Accommodation was good throughout, and drivers Cowboy and Lightning were fantastic, offering support and local knowledge while keeping everyone comfortable. Highly recommend Kiwi Experience for exploring New Zealand.
“Definite recommendation!”
In my opinion the best way to discover New-Zealand as a solo traveler! The Kiwi Experence gives you exactly what you would hope looking at the name. Especially the bus driver Reuben made the bus rides way more interesting with his stories and energy.
“Grand Kiwi Experience - Amazing”
The Grand Kiwi small group tour was fantastic - an incredible experience from start to finish. Our guide Terence, also known as Teo, was full of knowledge about New Zealand's history, which made long drives feel shorter. We started on the North Island and finished on the South, and nearly every stop felt like a postcard. Booking some activities directly elsewhere was sometimes cheaper, the only minor frustration. An amazing trip I'd happily repeat.
“Amazing”
I had a great Grand Kiwi tour with a small group and loved the country, especially the walks. Guide Theo (Terence) made the trip even better with his stories. The bus needs replacing, but keep Theo on board!
“Thanks Ricky for a fab few weeks!”
To anyone thinking of booking a small group tour with kiwi experience: Do it!! I’ve just finished the Chilled Kiwi tour. I’ve had the best 3 weeks of my life It was so nice as a first time solo traveller to know that all my accommodation and travel was sorted for the next few weeks. The extra activities were so easy to book via the trip planner - our tour guide Ricky was amazing at explaining what the activities were for each stop and when to book them by.
“Very enjoyable!!”
My time on Kiwi Experience was the best 3 weeks of my life. I went into it thinking it would just be buses that take you from A to B, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The friendships I made and memories I have will last a lifetime. The glue of the trip however, was our driver, Kelvin. Kelvin was engaging, knowledgable and worked incredibly hard to ensure we all had the most stress-free, enjoyable time, as well as being so much fun! I could not recommend this tour enough… i loved the flexibility of booking a hop-on-hop-off tour, as many of us changed our dates so we could stay together! If you are wanting to meet like-minded individuals and share an experience in the most beautiful country, this is the trip for you.
“Best experience ever!!”
Booking the kiwi experience hop - on - hop - off bus tour was one of the best decisions for my solo travel! I met so many great people and made amazing friendships! I traveled all throughout the North and South Island and got to see and experience so many great things. I loved the different stops we did along the way, the scenery while driving on the bus and all the informations we got told by our bus driver Kelvin! I truly have nothing to complain about! It was an amazing experience and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Thank you so much!!!
“I loved every Minute of it!!!!”
Great 3 weeks with Kiwi Experience. Highlights were River Valley, Milford Sounds and Māori Village. Our tour guide, “Lightning”, was exceptional and made the trip even more enjoyable. He was extremely organised and responsive - if I ever had a question on timings i.e for breakfast in the morning he would immediately answer. He also took candid pics/vids along the way which is such an underrated job for a tour guide but makes such a difference. Would really recommend this tour especially if you’re a solo traveller in NZ - you get some really decent breakfasts included and a fair amount of activities.
“Great 21 Day Experience”
I was very happy with the 21-day small group tour and enjoyed the whole itinerary, including a stop at the River Valley retreat, plus Milford Sound, which is optional on some other tours. Younger travellers had adventure options like ziplining and bungy, while I chose boat cruises and a helicopter ride. Guide Tina handled the pace and group dynamics brilliantly, even when weather forced some activities to be cancelled.
“Excellent!!”
This is my first time choosing a group tour and I have to say I am so so so glad I went with Kiwi Experience. I did the Chilled Kiwi and it was brilliant from start to finish. A very special mention to our tour guide Ricky, for making the trip legendary and run so smoothly. I would recommend their small group tours to everyone coming to New Zealand.
“10/10 would recommend”
Was really amazing way to see the north island, great way to meet people and make some amazing connections. My tour guide Jason was very knowledgeable and helpful
“Fantastic Experience!”
This is the first time I’ve done a group tour for as long as 3 weeks in New Zealand and it was an unforgettable experience and made even better with an awesome tour Guide in Terence and I don’t think I’ll ever get a better tour guide Thanks for the incredible memories
“This is the right choice!”
If you're young and travelling solo, this is the best option! Is exactly as all the other tours but way cheaper, considering that kiwi has discount on all the extra activities.
“Again overall very highly recommended. :)”
The overall trip was excellent, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to travel NZ. Our guide Hamish was very passionate, funny and knowledgable, who went above and beyond which really added to the amazing experience. Some improvements could be made to the breakfasts though, cold milk with cereal and jam toast nearly everyday gets tiring very fast.
“Fantastic Experience”
When you are looking for an small group tour to discover whole of New Zealand, dont look further ! I was on the 21 days small group tour for the northern and southern island. Everything was perfectly organised , from accomodaties untill activities. Every day we had a lot of activities that were included in the tour , and you are able to buy extra activities when you are in for it (like skydive or helicopter). I travelled for the first time alone, but 90% of my group travelled, so you make very fast new friends . I really liked the mix of the tour : from nature untill the city and from bar crawl untill hiking. Our tourguide Tina was the best tour guide ever. She organised everything in detail and so perfect and looked really well after us. She is also an very skilled driver and has a lot of knowledge about the nature, the country and the Maori culture . This tour really will show you the beauty of New Zealand at his best. Regards, Roel from Netherlands
“Fantastic Experience”
When you are looking for an small group tour to discover whole of New Zealand, dont look further ! I was on the 21 days small group tour for the northern and southern island. Everything was perfectly organised , from accomodaties untill activities. Every day we had a lot of activities that were included in the tour , and you are able to buy extra activities when you are in for it (like skydive or helicopter). I travelled for the first time alone, but 90% of my group travelled, so you make very fast new friends . I really liked the mix of the tour : from nature untill the city and from bar crawl untill hiking. Our tourguide Tina was the best tour guide ever. She organised everything in detail and so perfect and looked really well after us. She is also an very skilled driver and has a lot of knowledge about the nature, the country and the Maori culture . This tour really will show you the beauty of New Zealand at his best. Regards, Roel from Netherlands
“Amazing experience.”
Dylan is a great chauffeur, very kind and fun. Thank you !
“Kiwi experience is absolutely incredible! ”
100% the best way to travel New Zealand, I met so many incredible people on the buses and Frosty my main bus driver was a legend! He made the trip so special for us all and helped us connect and have fun!
“Enchanting!!”
A lot of driving but worth it with the right weather and people. It's a great company that does all the heavy lifting for you so you can just relax and sleep
“Thanks Kiwi :)”
Did a full 21 day loop and it’s been an amazing experience, would highly recommend. Think it’s the easiest way to travel around for solo travellers or pairs and the bus pass is really good value for money. Have met so many amazing people and made lifelong friends, but it’s fully up to you how much to get involved so you have a lot of freedom to your own thing too. Majority of the recommended activites and accommodations are fantastic and good value, would just recommend checking the hostel reviews so you know what to expect (would stay in different ones to Based by the lake in Taupo, Rocksolid in Rotorua and Nomads in Wellington if I went back - several other options close to the pick up points which were much better and similar price). In terms of activites, the Franz Joseph Tasman experience, Rotorua rafting and Maori experience are stand out! I had Dylan for the full loop who was an unreal driver, he went above and beyond in terms of providing information and recommendations as well as sorting any problems with the trip planner (can be a bit confusing!) and just set a great vibe for the bus. I did the loop on minimum days (21 for Fat Kiwi) and would recommend adding nights in Wanaka, Abel Tasman and Queenstown as a bonus, but it definitely didn’t feel too rushed. The schedule provided is a rough estimate so would recommend checking timings with the driver before booking any external activites. It doesn’t show all the stops so it does appear that you would be driving for hours straight but in reality we never went more than 2hrs without stops.
“Great Tour!!”
Amazing trip to travel New Zealand and to meet new friends
“Thank you so much we loved our trip!”
I would highly recommend the kiwi experience! It’s such a brilliant way to see New Zealand and meet new people. All the bus drivers are so friendly and helpful and have a really nice chilled vibe which just makes the experience more enjoyable. The booking of buses and experiences is really simple.
“Definnitely going again!”
Fantastic drivers and fun group of people to travel with. Accomodation was clean and comfortable.
“I have had the best 21 days exploring New Zealand”
. Kiwi experience has been the most affordable and relaxed way to travel around both the North and South Island. I have made lifelong friendships and the activities I chose have all been amazing experiences and good value for money (highly recommend Franz Joseph Tasman Experience and Mauri Village Experience). I had Dylan as a driver the whole trip and cannot recommend him enough. He was really informative, always high energy and would go above and beyond to rectify any problems and make the trip that much better. In terms of what could be improved, the website was really tricky to navigate and I would have chosen to stay in different accommodation to some of the kiwi recommended ones (Taupo and Rotorua), but these are small critiques compared to the whole experience. WiFi and cupholders on the bus would have been 10/10.
“ The trip itself was well planned and executed well but mainly t”
We have just finished the grand kiwi experience tour and the whole trip from start to finish was exceptional and was ran so smoothly. Mainly this was due to our tour guide Tina. She went above and beyond her role at every available opportunity to ensure everyone on our tour got to do what they wanted and that the trip ran without issues. She works so tirelessly and is so humble about the extra effort she puts in and deserves the upmost recognition. Tina also was very knowledgable about Maori culture and was always keen and happy to answer our questions and during the trip give running commentary about the history and culture of New Zealand.
“Grand Kiwi Experience. Most amazing tour!”
I recently completed the Grand Kiwi tour of both islands and it was an incredible experience. Being a small group meant everything was arranged, so all we had to decide was which activities to book next. Guide Teo was extremely knowledgeable about the places we visited and Maori culture, always with a story to share, and went above and beyond for us. I'd definitely recommend Kiwi Experience.
“Great Tour to see New Zealand”
I booked the 21-day trip covering both islands, travelling with a group of 23 on a small bus. Our guide Terence, known as Teo, made the experience really enjoyable and worked hard to give us the best possible trip. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to get to know New Zealand.
“21 days North and Southisland tour”
I did the 21-day tour covering both the North and South Islands and loved it - a great way to see the whole country in a short time. We took part in plenty of activities and cool hikes, and the accommodation was good value. Our guide Teo looked after everyone, was always happy to answer questions, and shared lots of interesting stories about New Zealand and Maori culture.
“The grand kiwi express aka the best 3 weeks of my life”
This was an amazing three-week tour - genuinely some of the best weeks of my life. I met so many great people, and our guide Teo organised everything while leaving room for our own ideas. Kaikoura was gorgeous, though one night there wasn't enough time. The Rotorua Haka house rooms were cramped, but the group made up for it. The Shotover canyon swing was a highlight, and the whole trip felt like great value.
“Grand Tour with the best tour guide Terrence 🤩”
I booked the 21-day Grand Tour, a small group with ages ranging from 22 to 35. Terrence was a fantastic guide with deep knowledge of New Zealand and kept us laughing throughout. Great for solo travellers wanting to meet people. Everything was well organised by Kiwi Experience, so I only had to book activities myself. I separately added a 3-day Bay of Islands hop-on hop-off tour, which was excellent too.
“Incredible, unbelievable scenery, different planet”
Amazing tour on the Grand Kiwi Experience - guide Terence was fantastic showing me around both islands of New Zealand. Highly recommend this operator, five stars.
“Kiwi Experience - The Grand”
Terence was a brilliant guide and made this trip - we covered both the North and South Islands and had a wonderful time throughout. I'd book it again without hesitation; the only thing missing was a photographer to capture it all.
“21 day north & south island review”
Having just finished the Grand small group tour, I can't recommend it enough - once-in-a-lifetime activities, stunning scenery, plenty of history and lots of laughs. As a solo traveller it was a great way to make lasting friends. Our guide Terence was punctual, knowledgeable, safe and went out of his way to look after everyone. A truly memorable trip I'd happily repeat.
“Tina, the best tour guide!!!”
I took the 21-day Grand Kiwi tour and it was the best three weeks of my life. Tina, our guide, made everything so much better with great commentary on the history and places we saw. The inclusions were fantastic - my only complaint was the bus struggling on hills and needing to stop to cool down. Still an unforgettable trip.
I did the Sheepdog tour with an added stop at Milford Sound, and it was easily the best four weeks of my life. I made amazing new friends, saw some of the most beautiful scenery I'll ever see, and tried loads of wild activities with helpful, knowledgeable drivers. A huge shoutout to Giggles, who was with me for the longest stretch and made every minute brilliant - I never wanted the trip to end.
“Great trip!”
We booked the Sheepdog pass since we only had three weeks. Our trip started roughly, missing our bus and getting bumped to standby, which tightened an already packed schedule. Even so, we had a wonderful time with a great group and a fantastic driver, Muzza, though bad weather cost us the Tongariro crossing and we only got one night in Queenstown. It's not cheap, but overall a fantastic three weeks.
