Tour Reviews

—This was an incredible tour for our first time to New Zealand

“This was an incredible tour for our first time to New Zealand. There was so much more that we wanted to see, but we just didn't have the time. The small towns were the best places to stay for us.”

—Marc & Rhonda Poston, USA

—Both the Milford and the Abel Tasman were incredible!

“Shelley thanks very much for all the organizing. We had a great time. Both the Milford and the Abel Tasman were incredible, each in its own way. The weather on the Milford was great except going over the pass, when it was raining hard, so no views at all, except of many many waterfalls. No views actually made it easier for Valerie. We have thousands of photos we are sorting through. Having drivers helped a lot. If I were to add one thing in retrospect, it would have been to add a helicopter flight to hike in the sort of terrain I was hoping to find, because we didn't really find it anywhere but we probably could have via helicopter or an extended backpacking trip. Maybe we'll do that sometime in the future.”

—Jordan & Valerie Kreidberg, USA

—The tour overall was fantastic

“The tour overall was fantastic with great accommodations. We particularly recommend the overnight on the Doubtful Sound and the wine tour. The glowworm cave is definitely worth doing, although the electronic pictures that they provide for $20 are of such low resolution that they are not worth it (and I followed up with them to check). This is a shame, because they don't allow you to take your own pictures inside the cave either (for good reason I allow). Thank you Fine Tours for helping us have such a nice week with our family.”

—Jeff & Charlotte, Adam & Victoria and Banks & Sara, USA

—We just wanted to thank you for making our adventure in New Zealand so successful!

“As we try to get over lingering jet lag, we just wanted to thank you for making our adventure in New Zealand so successful. We had a ball, in no small part, to all the customizing you did. Your picks on hotels were all perfect. We wanted to stay an extra day for every one of them. The real treat and help for us was the comprehensive packet of information that you provided. The directions, explanations of what to expect to see on each leg of the trip, and the very good atlas all came in handy repeatedly.”

—Dennis & Amanda Ritchie and Stephen & Hannah Stinger, USA

—The tour was wonderful. Very professional and no surprises.

“The tour was wonderful. Very professional and no surprises. Our Tour representative changed multiple times during the reservation process however our trip was planned perfectly. The inns and hotels were just as described and no surprises. Mt. Cook and Milford Sound was the highlight of our 2 week journey. So sad for our Christchurch new friends... The city has so much to offer and did not deserve the problems they have endured. Best place to eat in Christchurch is Fiddlesticks....we went there 3 times. Great food and great service. Hope to return again...Oh, and by the way......you will LOVE Air New Zealand..we love Zealand!”

—Shelia and Bill Atkins & Nancy and Dean Mowrey, USA

—Would recommend the experience to anyone curious about New Zealand.

“Six women took on this trip as a challenge. We all took turns driving but it was truly a joint project and I can proudly say we returned the rentals with no dents or scratches. The accommodations were adequate and located close to most activities. The trip provided a very nice variety of city and country exploring opportunities. Three weeks would seem like enough time but turned out to be not quite adequate. Would recommend the experience to anyone curious about New Zealand.”

—Lois Boschee & Friends, USA

—This whole trip was very well organized and planned perfectly.

“Hi Amanda We just got home after two weeks in the South Pacific and time in Hawaii. You were right on with the accommodations you provided. We were not disappointed with any of your selections. Travelers we met along the way were complaining about some of the places they were staying. 30 days was perfect giving us time and never feeling pressure to move on. We enjoyed doing our own side trips and excursions. We never had plans till we arrived and were able to figure it out as we went along. We liked the freedom. It always worked out. We did a lot of walking and hiking doing 4 to 7 miles most days. Only one thing we did differently in the 30 days was turning our car in a day early in Wellington. We do not want a car in cities as we prefer Uber. It was much easier to take Uber to the boat terminal than drive,turn the car in, and haul luggage a 100 meters. Our favorite hotels were peppers, boutique hotel in Queenstown, and the Heritage in Christchurch. We had booked one nite at the distinction which we did not like. Forgot to mention how much we liked the the accommodation at lake Tekapo. Sab and Anne Marie we amazing hosts. This was a fabulous trip and you did a amazing job putting it together and meeting our needs. Not sure I submitted this in the right place let me know. Again this whole trip was very well organized and planned perfectly. Thank you. ”

—Cal Karr & Jayne Mohr, USA

—The most remarkable and beautiful vacation of our lifetime

“Thank you for giving my husband and me the most remarkable and beautiful vacation of our lifetime. From the great cities like Auckland and Queenstown, to the beauty of mountains, vineyards and stargazing, to adventures like Hobbiton, Whale-watching and the Kiwi Encounter, it was the most enjoyable vacation we've ever had. The people (Kiwi) and the place are beautiful!”

—Jean Radtke & Erik Madisen, USA

—Very much enjoyed the trip and your follow up

“Very much enjoyed the trip and your follow up. Couple of thoughts: 1. Would have stayed at least two nights at each location, one nighters are tough. 2. Ratings by us of lodgings: Top to bottom.. Peppers on Point, Q'Town, Peppertree, Bolton, Sofitel, Montreal, Wanaka Home, Hermitage, McHardy, Beaufort. 3. After Christchurch should have gone to Dunedin area. 4. Wine was great!”

—Dirk & Marian Edmiston, USA

—All in all, it was a great trip for us!

“We were promptly greeted by the driver who took us to and from Auckland. He was very polite and prompt. There seemed to big a mix-up on the departure time back to the airport on 19Feb, his manager apparently contacted him and told him to be at the M Social at 5 AM. Our 5:45 AM pick up got us there with plenty of time to spare. This also happened in Queenstown when the driver picked us up for the "Funyaks safari" trip and dropped us off downtown, he wasn't happy...Regarding the M Social, you were right, it was in a great location. The concierge was excellent and steered us to 2 very good restaurants and we found the 3rd and he concurred. The hotel housekeeping was just okay, basically they just made the bed each day. Tirtiri Matangi was fabulous and another great day in nature. I was also glad that you told us to book in advance. The ferry was sold out. Cycling in the Catlins was so much fun and probably our favorite part of the trip. Snow from Trail Journeys and his wife Jude were wonderful and we had a lot of fun together. They had not cycled here before and neither did anyone from their company. It was up and down big hills with views of the coastline and the countryside. He also took us to other places in the area. It was breathtakingly beautiful and we saw a lot of birds and other wildlife along the way. We all agreed that the accommodations were nice. In Curio Bay the hotel was clean but there are some cottages along the beach as well that were very quaint and inexpensive. The Whistling Frog was very nice but the 4 of us agreed that restaurant food was not up to par. This is the only place to eat! And Happy Hour was 4-5! One note about the cycling--we were heading west into strong winds everyday and we all agreed that it makes sense to try the trip going east. Jim and I were riding regular bikes but they had electric bikes and Jude was able to climb the steep hill easily! Te Anau was lovely and so was the drive to get there. The B&B was perfect. The Milford Sound was beautiful and we wondered about all the other fiords along this coast and whether they were accessible. We did not care for Southern Discoveries, it was rather touristy and the kayaking was a very short trip and not worth it. Queenstown was fun and we enjoyed the Kiwi Birdlife Park. The trip down the Dart River was very worth it despite all the gear we had to wear! It was a beautiful day. The Queenstown House Boutique Hotel was nice but we did not have a room in the main building. Our room part of another building and it was very small room with no view although the hotel was up on a hill and had a great view! We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Rata and was in fact our best meal on the trip. We visited a winery and spent some shopping time in Arrowtown. All in all, it was a great trip for us and thank you for your help in putting it together Shelley!”

—Jim Malter & Elaine Gadzicki, USA