Discover New Zealand

This is a lovely, varied trip for someone who wants to see as much of this wonderful country as possible in a short time - with someone else doing the many hours of driving required, and with someone who has invaluable local knowledge.

Trails of New Zealand is an excellent memorable trip. Wonderful scenery, great walks, very comfortable accommodation. Well-thought itinerary, good mix of driving interspersed with walks and other activities.

I enjoyed every moment of the trip.

Great insight into an amazing country . We covered so much and saw some amazing sights. Some of the days were understandably quite long but unfortunately the transport ( i.e. the minibus) was not the most comfortable, my husband at 6foot 1inch was unable to fit his knees in between the seats and had to travel with his legs in the isle ( not the most comfortable of positions) also the air conditioning was not very efficient.

This was a really good trip to a stunningly beautiful country.

This was an excellent holiday. There were some physically demanding elements but this was balanced by time to rest and relax. We saw lots of the regions of NZ. Jef, our guide, was excellent adapting the programme to meet our needs and the weather. He has a great deal of knowledge about NZ and Maori culture which he shared willingly.

We had a friendly group and a hard working, knowledgeable guide. It was a great holiday. The distances travelled caused some tiring days but the places we visited were worth it every time.

This was an amazing trip to see the highlights of new Zealand. It is full on with long driving days staying in a different hotel every 1-2 days. The walks are mostly short but there a few days of longer walks but these are optional (just don’t miss Hooker valley ) Unfortunately due to the weather we weren’t able to do Tongariro alpine crossing but instead walked to waterfall and lakes which was great

This was a fantastic trip where we saw so much . Not for anyone wanting to take it easy. Some fantastic sights great tour manager and lovely accommodation

A packed trip including most of the scenery and activities you can get in New Zealand.Although we covered a lot of kilometers, there was time to walk, take a boat and just take it all in. We had a great tour leader who also drove the van, even the men in the group noticed she is a very good driver.Everything was well planned for, including stops for buying food in supermarkets, and of course the toilet stops. We were lucky with the weather, although the only rainy day was when we were in Tongariro so the crossing was cancelled.But later in the afternoon it was still possible to walk around a bit. Most of the group, if not all thought that another night in Rotorua and especially in Mount Cook would add to the trip.The hotels were very good, most of one hotel group,but the hotel in Mount Cook stood out and even had a complete kitchen, and the views... with clear skies just amazing.,

Loved the tour. Great way to explore New Zealand in an active manner. Excellent guide.

This trip covers a lot of ground, with a packed itinerary and with plenty of walking in beautiful scenery. The weather was very kind to us - we even saw Milford Sound with clear blue skies!

It’s a very full an encompassing trip. It covers a great deal and involves a lot of hiking, which is really the only way to truly see and appreciate this spectacular country.

An excellent introduction to both islands. There is so much to see and do that the time we had just whizzed by. It is clear that this trip only just touches the surface but in saying that we had an unprecedented insight into the geography, geology, flora, fauna and cultural diversity, balancing the city explorations with the more exciting challenges provided by the spectacular scenery. To achieve this itinerary you have to withstand long travelling interspersed by the activities included. It would have been good to have extra days in certain areas to enhance the experience but you can only do so much in 19 days. However, in saying that, this trip cannot be faulted and certainly shows New Zealand at its best.

A wonderful itinerary and excellent guides/leaders with infectious enthusiasm for this amazing country!

This trip is one of the best we have experienced with Exodus. The varied walking, landscape and experiences on the trip make it an amazing adventure. Beware though there are many long distances to cover (we did over 3500 Km in the 19 days), but Ian and Sonya made it very interesting with their local knowledge and frequent rest stops at interesting places. The highlight of the walking was of course the Tongariro Alpine Crossing which on the day we did it was truly spectacular with the Emerald lake just like the Guide books. The Abel Tasman Coastal walk again like the guide book pictures. The Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain walk was tough but well worth it for the views. Other experiences met all our expectations – Sailing on Tasman sea, Jet boat on River Motukituki where at times we were in 5 inches of water, Helicopter to Fox Glacier (paid locally) and overnight on Milford Sound in Fiordland. Christchurch was sad to see but it is good to that they are beginning to get the city rebuilt. It is important to note that a few walks and experiences can be affected by weather. Although it was summer we dodged Storm Fehi – Tongariro was closed the day after we walked it, Windy Wellington was stormy Wellington, roads near Fox Glacier were closed due to landslides and they had had no electricity for 3 days before we arrived. However we managed all the planned itinerary except walking to Fox Glacier due to landslide. All in all an AWESOME trip

What an amazing trip! I cannot recommend it highly enough - it showcasts everything that New Zealand has to offer, and despite travelling for 3 weeks it is not enough. We wanted to stay longer, explore further, be stunned by the mindblowing views. From the rolling hills on the North Island to the majestic mountains and fields in Middle Earth and Milford Sounds on the South Island - it is impossible to choose a favourite spot, and certainly calls for another trip in the near future. I loved, loved, loved it, the country, the people and how happy it made me.

An excellent and varied itinerary through stunning scenery. Much travelling thoughtfully balanced by good walks. A good mix of group activities and free time.

The Trails of New Zealand tour was, in my opinion, a well planned itinerary as we saw the highlights of this beautiful country, both North and South Island.

A perfectly balanced blend of touristy sightseeing activities, incredibly beautiful, varied walks and exciting, unforgettable experiences. We were blessed with fantastic weather, too!

We had promised ourselves this trip for some time and had high expectations. We were looking for a good mix of activities to see and experience the country. Trails of New Zealand went way beyond our expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed the amazing places, the range of walks in different landscapes, the fun of jet-boating, sailing and cruising, and luging, and the unique birds and wildlife.

This was a wonderful walking holiday. We were fortunately blessed with extremely good weather, so the views were unforgettable.

An excellent and varied itinerary through stunning scenery. Much travelling thoughtfully balanced by good walks. A good mix of group activities and free time.

This trip encompassed everything I had wanted to experience in New Zealand and more - helped by excellent guiding by experienced leader Ian and supported by Pete - and perfect weather conditions. If you want to see the highlights of both islands at a reasonable price, then this is the trip for you! Just be prepared for long days on the minibus, which are unavoidable unfortunately.

A tour of both North and South Islands with numerous short walks included which aren't listed on the trip notes. The scenery is just breathtaking (sometimes literally with some of the hills we walked up....) and just needs to be seen.

This trip encompassed everything I had wanted to experience in New Zealand and more - helped by excellent guiding by experienced Exodus leader Ian and supported by Pete - and perfect weather conditions. If you want to see the highlights of both islands at a reasonable price, then this is the trip for you! Just be prepared for long days on the minibus, which are unavoidable unfortunately.

This was a great trip overall. You get to see a lot of NZ and can do some great walks and other activities. The range of places visited on both islands means that some days there is a lot of traveling but the guides work really hard to break the day up with short walks and stops.

The holiday exceeded our expectations and in the main the Trip Notes accurately reflected the details of the holiday (see below). A fantastic holiday.

Covered the highlights of the whole of New Zealand in a three week marathon trip! Hit all the major spots of the whole country which of course means many long hours of driving (3000 miles!) but worth it. Managed as well to fit in special things for us on free days so best of both worlds.

The Trails of New Zealand tour was, in my opinion, a well planned itinerary as we saw the highlights of this beautiful country, both North and South Island.