Our Customer Reviews

Overall the Kiwi bus was great, however when I booked I was told it's very flexible and on the first ride I was told it's the busiest month of the year and I had a few hours to figure out my trip. I just wish the girl who I booked through had been a little forthcoming on the phone. Besides that I wish the bus would've stopped in Mt. Cook. I paid Mt. Cook excursions to take me there and it was the highlight of my trip. All of the bus drivers were fantastic and really funny. Definitely would recommend for ages 18-30.

The best way to get the perfect expierience around New Zealand! Met some amazing people from around the world and had the greatest busdriver you could ever imagine, Cowboy!

Drivers were funny and professional. Everything worked well, only few things to improve: Nelson Hostel was not that great and Wanaka puzzle park or something was a bit waste of time. But still 5 star trip, thank you!

Overall pretty good experience, some awful places stayed in that should be taken off Kiwi's accommodation list as it sets a bad representation of the company. More free sightseeing stops and trips to vineyards would have been appreciated. Not many activities in South Island to do on the way back up to North.

Travelled from Queenstown to Auckland

This was a brilliant and easy way to travel around NZ. Our bus driver Hamish was great and made sure all the bus was involved and having a good time. Would highly recommend to anyone going to NZ ago travel with Kiwi Experience.

Although initially disappointed that we were unable to book our activities in Queenstown via KE (as this was where our tour started) we enjoyed our trip; the people we met and the places we visited. The different drivers have very different approaches and styles. If you're lucky enough to be on Cowboy's bus you're in for a treat. His stories are great, and his approached relaxed and friendly. Emily's - less so - she made us sit on the floor for one journey, which felt pretty unsafe. She seemed annoyed at answering various typical questions generally. Dylan had some "interesting" chat and stories, and Quentin barely spoke at all on our journey to Auckland from Rotorua. It must be a nightmare to organise so many people on so many routes all wanting do do different activities, so as a travellor, you need to ensure the office knows your requirements at all times. It would be great if you could do this via the app instead of having to call all the time. I would also suggest that when an itinerary is issued, it gives an arrival time to the destination as well as a pick up time. We were constantly guessing what time we would arrive somewhere to then work out if we had time to complete the activities we wanted to do. For example, we reached Wellington at approx 6pm which only left enough time for dinner and drinks. For those on a short tour like Queen Bee, this information is more essential.

A very cost effective way of seeing what New Zealand has to offer. We stuck to the South Island and being able to have the hostels reserved for us took a lot of stress off where we needed to stay each night. Also took detours along the way to see some great sights we wouldn't have seen otherwise. Jacob was by far our favourite bus driver, I wish we had him longer! We had him for Milford Sound, and he made it incredible.

The bus was a great way to explore New Zealand, especially if you've never been before. The pass definitely allows you to see all the countries highlights, and the activities organised through the bus means there is something for everyone while taking away the stress of organizing what you should do next. One of the major highlights for me was the drivers. Cowboy was an absolute legend, while also being extremely helpful if you needed anything (from activities to accommodation or if you just want a chat!) Dylan was also brilliant, very helpful and knowledgeable, and probably more passionate about New Zealand than anyone, ever. The only negative about the bus for me was there was, at times, a bit of a party environment. This may be a positive for some, but drinking etc on the bus can be a little intimidating for more conservative travelers (such as myself). All in all, a seriously brilliant experience I would highly recommend.

Bought 6 months in advance, my partner and I were going to hire car but glad we didnt as this was a fantastic way to meet other people from a variety of backgrounds as well as getting local insight from the bus drivers!