I mainly wanted this glowworm tour because they allow pictures to be taken while in the cave. The…read moretour date I was looking at was fully booked but you can email them to be added to the waitlist. I asked to be added to the waitlist for 2 on October 12, and got off the waitlist on November 9, for a tour on December 28 so don't give up hope if it is originally fully booked! I did the spellbound explorer tour which included a walk through a cave as well as a boat ride through a cave for the glowworms. The tour guide was great and allowed pictures during the first back and forth on the boat ride and asked us to put away our phones during the second. This is because the first go-around allows for the eyes to adjust and see the glowworms better so the second go-around the glowworms are much brighter. The cave walk was also a nice add on for 20 NZD but if the tour with the cave walk is not available the regular boat ride is perfect on its own. I loved this tour as our tour guide took pictures for each group that wanted some with glowworms and also provided us with personal pictures of glowworms taken with a nicer camera with a longer shutter speed.

Oceane was an informative and friendly guide. We were able to see so many glow worms! It was like…read moreseeing the milky way! Ask her about Mama Mia if you like aquatic wildlife.

MUST DO on your first day! Highly recommend Liz's Aucky Walky Foodie tour in Auckland CBD. Debbie…read more(and Liz) met us right outside Sky City Tower sign/ticketing area which is right in front of the SkyCity Hotel entrance. You won't be disappointed... you end up with tummies full of delicious food, ton of information, and new found friends. I really liked the small group setting bcuz it's like you are on a private tour. Knowledgeable and they chose the perfect spread of foods while meandering the streets of Auckland CBD down to the wharf. Take the tour first before anything else... that way you can narrow down where to eat/see next. Debbie - you are the BEST! Thank you for being our guide. Special thanks to owner Byron at Cocoa Wilds Chocolates for personally coming out to greet us. We could just feel the good vibes and passion he has for his business. God bless you and much success to you and your team! Special MAHALO to Jed, SkyCity Tower Hotel OUTSTANDING concierge, for recommending us to Aucky Walky tours.

Great tour! Debbie customized the tour to accommodate our interests and she graciously answered our…read moremany, many questions about architecture, history, culture, restaurants, places to buy men's shoes and Auckland customs. We enjoyed our time with Debbie and wholeheartedly recommend Aucky Walky Tours. -Michael Florida, USA P.S. the mussels were incredible! Thanks for the recommendations.

Rangitoto was definitely a highlight of our visit to Auckland. We had a free day and wanted to get…read moresome exploring in, so we took the 10:30 ferry ride on over which was quick and beautiful. The range in microclimate hiking to the summit was fascinating. There were times where it was unbearably hot and then others when it was cool and wet. So interesting! The views, unsurprisingly, were magnificent.

We booked this tour through Fullers/360 Discovery Tours. They made it very simple to find the…read morecorrect dock, pick up our ferry tickets, and hop on board to the island. It was a fun little cruise to Rangitoto and then a very well organized tour and hike once there. We boarded an open-sided cart pulled by a truck/tractor, and it drove us all over the island - with our guide pointing out neat sights along the way, including volcanic fields, old dwellings where the WWII soldiers used to bunk, and some flora and fauna that we passed: birds and pōhutukawa trees (of which Rangitoto is the largest forest in the world). We stopped at the foot of the summit, and those who wanted to venture to the top hopped onto the boardwalk that runs alongside the mountain. It was an easy climb along the flat winding boardwalk, but the views do get a little daunting for those afraid of heights. There is a stop along the way called the crater summit track. Here you can walk around the edge/ring of this very large and very deep volcanic crater. There were lots of beautiful trees and scenic views to stop and see/snap photos of along the way. You can see Motutapu Island from the summit, where it connects to Rangitoto. Our guide said that some people hike from Rangitoto to Motutapu along the causeway connection, but we did not have time for that on this tour. Once we snagged our photos at the top of the summit, we headed back down and then boarded the vehicle again to meander back around the island to the dock and start our journey home. Overall, I would say this island (as part of a tour or a self guided hike with your own ferry pass) is a great way to spend a day. Hiking, beautiful views, and the sights of New Zealand that you don't get from just staying in Auckland!

Recently several family members and I chartered Haka Tours services on a two week tour across New…read moreZealand. Our tour guide and driver was Annie. Annie is a great guide and an incredible driver. She is very knowledgeable in all the places we visited. She waited at the Auckland airport when we arrived and took us to our hotel. She showed us around the city on the first day. Each evening before we retired to our hotel rooms, she would brief us on where we would be visiting the next day and what we would be doing. She would also provide a list of options for us to choose from whenever there are several attractions in one area. Some of the areas/attractions she brought us to are: 1. Sky Tower 2. Mount Eden 3. Maori Cultural Show and Dinner 4. Sheep Farm 5. Frank Josef Glacier 6. Geothermal Valley Te Puia 7. 5 hours TranzAlpine Scenic Train Ride 8. Taupo 9. Matamata 10. Wellington (Mount Victoria, Te Papa Tongarewa) 11. 3 hours Ferry Ride to South Island 12. Christchurch (City Tour via Tram, Earthquake Ruins, Christchurch Cathedral, Transitional Cathedral) 13. Queenstown (Gondola, Botanical Garden) 14. Aoraki 15. Restaurants The country overall is very lovely, and the local people are very friendly and helpful in general, with the exception of the Auckland airport. This trip is one memorable trip that I will treasure for a very long time. I would highly recommend Haka Tours and Annie to anyone visiting New Zealand (especially if this is your first trip there). Finally, thanks to Haka Tours for helping to set up the 2 weeks itinerary and Annie for executing every day of it. We also love her company.

Did a 16 day tour across both islands with this company, and our driver and guide Si was absolutely…read moreamazing. He brought us to many lovely places, including gems hidden away from the typical touristy areas. Some places were also quite challenging and adventurous, and he had a good ability to "read" people and understand what we would or would not be up for. In the various places we visited, he would recommend stuff to do based on who we were and what he thought we'd like. In my case, he was always right. He very gently inspired me to do something I never thought I'd ever dare to do: Bungee jump! That was a real thrill and I'm very proud of myself for actually doing it in the end. It was also very nice and practical that if we decided to do any of the optional activities that cost money, and we hadn't paid for in advance, he'd pay for us and we just made up at the end of the trip. Seeing beautiful New Zealand this way, with a small tour group of nice people from many different countries, and a friendly and professional tour guide, is something I'd absolutely recommend. It's one of my best holiday memories.

Damian was a fantastic tour guide…read more He gave us historical and cultural data all about New Zealand. He told fun stories and anecdotes about life here. For example, we had no idea about all of the free bush cabins! We took the Hobbiton & Glowworm Cave Tour. We never felt rushed, just enough time to see everything. After rewatching all of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies, it was very special to see the movie sets in real life. Such amazing detail. Be sure to ask for Damian as your tour guide!

During our trip to Auckland, high on our list of things to see was Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves. As…read morenone of us can drive, we can't just "rent a car" (as many people suggest) and drive out to Hobbiton or Waitomo Caves, so we had to find a tour company to take us. My sister researched tour companies and settled on Bush and Beach, as they offered a smaller tour group, as opposed to a large coach with 50 people. (In addition to my sister, husband, and I, there were two other people with us, a mother and son from New York, who were lovely people.) For $395NZ per person (the current price is now $450), the price included admission to Hobbiton (the tour and lunch combo) and Waitomo Caves. While $395 is not cheap, considering it included admission to the attractions (which is now $158 and $75, respectively -- it was probably cheaper last year), transportation (we spent several hours driving), and the driver's time (a full day -- we were picked up from our hotel at 6:45am and returned around 12 hours later), the price was very reasonable. It was a great day, but what made it such a memorable experience was Damian, our driver. Damian is honestly the highlight of my trip to Auckland. He was just so AMAZING. He was friendly and personable, and you could tell he really liked his job and meeting people. On our drive he told us interesting tidbits about the area and history of New Zealand and made the drive very interesting. He was so engaging. If that wasn't enough, he bought all of us "hokey pokey" ice cream, which is apparently a famous flavour of ice cream in New Zealand, and on our way to Waitomo Caves from Hobbiton, he took us to see Waipapa Dam and the surrounding area as we had some extra time. Seeing Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves is a great experience in itself, but Damian pushed it over the top. [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023]

My wife and I were on a week long vacation to Auckland and we saw many good reviews for this tour…read more We boarded and took a 40 minute trip to Waiheke Island for some scientific readings and then it was off to see some dolphins and birds and whales. They told us if you find these cool Gannett birds, it should tell you where the dolphins are. They divebomb the fish as the dolphins rile them up. We saw at least 400 dolphins on this trip and then we saw a whale, and they kept us out for an extra hour to check out a dolphin in the harbor. Great crew, that was very fun and you can order beer on the trip. Plus!

We had the most fabulous time today! We saw manta rays, wholes, dolphins and even a shark! Zara…read moretaught us a few things about phytoplankton, tiny plants living near the surface of the ocean, that are responsible for producing the oxygen we breathe for 3 of 5 breaths ! If we do Ty take care of our oceans, we'll have a hard time breathing! My 5 yo and 8 yo said it was a great day that they will never forget.

Thanks to our New Zealand friends (Geoffrey and Margaret), whom we met the year before during our…read morecruise through Southeast Asia, for planning a day of fun, exercise, and good eats in Auckland. We started with a hike up Mount Eden (Maungawhau), a dormant volcano and the highest natural point in Auckland, offering panoramic views of the city from its summit. As we hiked uphill along pathways and boardwalks to the summit, our friends explained that Mount Eden is a culturally significant Māori site, pointing out its historical Māori pā (fortified village) terraces and its sacred 160-ft-deep crater. It took us about 18 minutes to hike up from the parking lot to the summit while following the pathway to the boardwalks. The uphill hike was relatively easy with an elevation gain of nearly 240 feet, and I was sure glad that my osteoarthritic knee wasn't "acting up." We prepared for this hike by taking physically challenging shore excursions and actively exercising pre- and during our cruise. After all, we didn't want to reach the summit wheezing and out of breath, because we truly wanted to enjoy the panoramic views and take in the cultural and historical background from our younger friends. It was very windy atop and along the summit boardwalks, and I had to either hold on or lean into the handrails, otherwise be blown about like tumbleweed. At the summit, we were treated to a 360° panoramic view of Auckland city, its nearby neighborhoods, the iconic Sky Tower, Auckland Harbor Bridge, Rangitoto Island, and a glimpse of the South towards the Auckland Airport. Instead of returning to our vehicle the same way we had climbed up, our friends guided us downhill on a less steep, paved private roadway. Our round-trip hike took about an hour, and it was a beautiful day to spend with friends, enjoying iconic sights and learning about Māori history and culture.

At 196 meters high, Mount Eden, a dormant volcano, is the highest natural point in Auckland. It…read morewas named in honour of George Eden, the 1st Earl of Auckland (a white guy), by Governor William Hobson (another white guy). In the Māori language, Mount Eden is called Maungawhau, which means "mountain of the whau tree". At the top of Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a large, grassy crater 50 meters deep which is sacred to the Māori and must not be entered. Mount Eden/Maungawhau is a popular for hiking, and while it is not a long or difficult hike, there are steep sections. Around the crater are boardwalks that were installed in 2020 for people to take a stroll. Fortunately when we went hiking on Mount Eden/Maungawhau, the weather was nice, although it was quite windy at the top. I took a lot of photos to try and capture the beauty of the area, but it's something you just have to experience in person. If you like hiking and nature, don't miss Mount Eden/Maungawhau. [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023; Hiking]

Absolutely love to Seqway…read more Have near experiences in US and in several European nations... Yes - Do it Start with review lessons - there may be a person or two who just does "not get it....." Lovely tour with neat stories I still am not convinced that a Seqway is useful for my personal transportation

Oh, for goodness sake people! Just DO it!!…read more So much fun, and surprisingly a little bit of a workout, as you are forever conscious of your balance. You end up feeling like a determined demon as you lean in to make your segway go faster, and like a BOSS when you manage to stand on it, hands free to take photos. Yeah. Thoroughly recommend it, and, just a tip, if you are thinking about walking up to the summit of Mt Victoria. Don't..It's a killer hike. Get a segway instead! I wish we had!

The ONLY way to tour Auckland‼ My regret - I did not have…read morethis as my first ebike experience in New Zealand. Whether you're w first timer, as a solo or with friends or a family group- this ebike tour is a GREAT, extraordinary way to experience Auckland. Our tour guide was Carson- who is well versed with the history, customs and culture of New Zealand, Auckland and the Māori people. Power2Peddle provides headsets for the guides narrative. In addition, Carson offered several suggestions for activities and dining. The P2P people are pro's with a special passion for ebikes and their city. HIGHLY recommended- I plan BRING friends on my next visit with P2P being at the top of our to do list. Thank you Eddie and thank you Carson. - Don

Exceptional! Highly recommend. Small group ebike tour of Auckland. The ebikes and helmets were well…read moremaintained. Eddie had us wear headsets so he could give us directions, keep us safe, and share lots of info. Very informative and professional. He took lots of photos to share with us. Great overview of Auckland and New Zealand on our 2nd day. We are mid 60s and fit but sure needed that pedal assist and turbo climbing to the top of the dormant volcano. Plus enjoyed an iced coffee and yummy donut at the meeting place before. Sign up now!

Having decided to try visiting this bird sanctuary on a lark (thanks folks, I'll be here all…read morenight), I was impressed enough with it. One visits by boat either from downtown Auckland (which I imagine is a scenic ride) or from a more remote peninsula near the island where the boat stops just before reaching it (which is nice if you want somewhere free to park for the day). The boat ride is most of the cost; for a small additional fee you get a guided tour lead by one of a remarkably large number of local volunteers. Why not? The guide leads you through the middle of the island with some narration, before finishing at a lighthouse and leaving you the second half of the day to roam alone. There weren't that many visible birds during New Zealand "winter"; you'd here more than you see. The island was once a farm before being purposefully replanted as a forest. Things grow fast here; it looks quite wild. Up to the point of reaching the light house, I'd probably have written a four star review. However, they buried the lead. Exploring alone yielded vast panoramic views of the entire region. The island is centrally located between the city and a variety of other islands. New Zealand's indigenous people are of Polynesian descent, and while you walk around here you might confuse the volcanic landscapes, abundant greenery, and clear turquoise water for a more archetypically Polynesian vacation spot. There are a few swimmable spots. It is a big enough island that there were significant areas of track that I did not see even after hustling around the coastline. Always leave 'em wanting more, the saying goes. If I had occasion to, I wouldn't mine going again, which having paid $60 to see an island that had no trees at the time I was born is something. Tips: *There were a ton of local schoolkids, but the guides kindly separated out kids and adults for the tour, and once you're off the boat, it really isn't an issue. *Adults get free tea and coffee at the end of the tour, but no food. There is literally nothing even to buy. Bring decent food. *A truck loads any bags you might want to leave at the wharf, and carries them to the lighthouse and back, meaning you do not need to carry what you bring while walking the island. *They are very concerned about biosecurity, so wear clean shoes and bring only closed, zippable bags. *Apparently the name means that it's a really windy island. Which it really is. Be ready for wild temperature differences based on wind and shade.

Seriously one of Auckland's greatest outdoor treasures. This pest-free island is a magical place…read morethat harkens back to the days before massive deforestation for farming, hunting, and introduction of pests shrank the population of New Zealand's birds. The bird songs you'll hear here are incredible! Amazing work has been done to reforest native plants and trees, and reintroduce rare birds on this island. You can see hihi (stitchbirds), saddlebacks, kakariki (red crowned parakeets), bellbirds, north island robin, heaps and heaps of tui, wood pigeon, little blue penguins, kokako (if you're lucky) and of course, my favorite - the takahē (a population of less than 300 exist in the world, and this is one of the few places you can see them in the wild - plus BABIES!) So worth paying the $70 to take the ferry out there. Pack your lunch and your sunscreen, bring your swimsuit and good hiking shoes, and get ready for an amazing day. The extra $5 for the guided tour is worth doing at least once. The guides are very knowledgable and will point out the birds and interesting plants and give you a history of the island. However, when we went the second time without the group, we saw heaps more birds, I think as we were separate from many of the larger (noisier) groups. I'm dying to stay overnight at the DOC hut and try to spot a kiwi! The huts are booked well in advance so you're gonna have to troll the website for an opening. Also be sure to book your trip well in advance as the ferry can book up during peak season, and you don't want to miss out!!