Our Customer Reviews

I've travelled in other countries using organised bus tours so that I have more energy to do activities rather than being tired from driving. The difference with Kiwi Experience is that pretty much everyone has a different schedule. I had limited time from work so had to try do a bus with the "minimum days" which meant I had the same driver every day (except to Milford Sound which was an add-on trip). My driver Lisa was amazing, from her little quizes, catchy phrases ("Cruising for a non-bruising" + "Wakey wakey eggs + bakey" + "Jingle bells" spring to mind immediately) and insightful commentary on the places we visited as well as tips for good food and activities based on my individual needs. I am 31 so felt perhaps I was too old for this tour and a rival firm was recommended to me by friends, however they were more expensive and the dates didn't work for what I wanted to see. I am glad I chose Kiwi Ex because the age difference wasn't too noticable and there were others older than me too. I hung out with an 18 year old most of the trip and a 53 year old, age doesn't matter when travelling, personalities do. I am pretty open to having fun and so joined in most of the nights entertainment for at least a few beers, but didn't go at it as I perhaps would have done when I was 18-25 but still had a laugh, including dressing up for the famous dress up night in Lake Mahinapua. Using Kiwi Ex meant we got cheaper prices at several places, overall I would guess it saved me about $100-150 vs. if I had booked it myself. I also enjoyed I could just sign up and the driver booked the accomodation which made things slightly easier. The only negatives I can think of compared to other trips were: 1) If you join the bus 'late' often groups have already formed which can be difficult to bond with, this is purely down to the people you get on the bus and how 'out there' you put yourself. On other trips you are lumped together for the entire duration so this doesn't really exist there. The plus side to this negative is that if you do have time, you can just skip that bus and join the next one, though I understand in peak season it can be difficult to guarantee you make the next bus! 2) There's a lot of food stops etc. this is great if you are on a tight budget as you can save some money but if you are on a limited timescale, it's actually eating into your time seeing places. e.g. the drives themselves are a maximum of 3 hours a time between stops, if those stops were just toilet breaks then you'd end up with probably 1-2 hours extra per place. 3) Lots of people all getting off the bus at the same place meant lots of varied checkin processes. I feel Kiwi Ex could work with the hostels they pair with to streamline this process. The world is going digital, feels like Kiwi Ex and the hostels hasn't twigged to that yet and writing your name and passport number on bits of paper becomes a daily time consuming ritual before you can actually dump your bags in a room.

We bought the Sheep Dog pass and it was amazing!! Kiwi Experience is the best way to explore New Zealand...whether you are traveling solo, with your special one, with friends...whether you are extra young (20s), super young (20-40s) or just young (50+) is awesome! Most stops are highly recommended, the crew is awesome, tons of flexibility and on top of it...amazing travel mates!

I booked my kiwi experience bus pass 2 days before I landed in the most beautiful, serene landscape called New Zealand. From word of mouth I heard this was a great way to experience the best parts of New Zealand and I couldn't agree more, the guides organise everything for you from accomodation to activities and even reminding you to stock up on food before coming into more remote towns, I've had the most wonderful and relaxing tour around this wonderful country and couldn't recommend it enough!

I'm pretty pleased with the tour package. The train ride was amazing and no other bus tours covers the scenic train ride from Auckland to Wellington. The drivers were mostly pretty friendly. Special shoutout to the driver who took us from Taupo to Rotorua (on route to Auckland), I forgot his name but I took the bus on 6 October. He was really knowledgeable and shared good details about the things we were driving past. I had a good time with Kiwi experience and look forward to coming back to visit more of NZ with you guys!

I finished my trip about 2 weeks ago now and can’t stop thinking about it and already planning my trip back to New Zealand. The people I met on Kiwi Experience were exactly like me and just wanted to experience NZ in the exact ways that I did. The bus drivers were all very helpful and the accommodation choices by Kiwi Ex were also amazing. I’d highly recommend Kiwi Ex for young solo travellers, who want to meet new people whilst experiencing the amazing, beautiful country of New Zealand.

Great sights to see and meat great people.........

the Kiwi experience bus takes the hassle out of organizing hostels, places to visit and also gives great opurtuinity to make new friends

I purchased the Might Moa pass, with extended stop overs, 6 weeks in advance, on line. I had numerous changes, Roisin and Awatea were the absolute best at accommodating my requests. My driver, Jared, was very knowledgeable, professional, safe and entertaining. Can't say enough about how helpful he was. Have recommended Kiwi to everyone I meet, and all my friends back home in the States.

Got to tour with Kiwi Experience for 2.5 weeks and it wasn't enough. Going to finish up school and head back as soon as I can to finish touring the country. Kiwi Experience really made my trip easy, fun and affordable. Can't wait to join them again soon!

I had such an amazing time these last 2 weeks. I got to know so many people and places! I loved it! Can't wait for the north island in january