Our Customer Reviews

I bought my pass 3 weeks after arriving in NZ on a working holiday visa and spent 5 weeks touring both islands. I can honestly say that it's been the best experience of my life and I've met so many incredible new friends from around the world who've made the trip as amazing as it was! They're a really great company who do a sick job of taking care of you and advising you on all the best spots and activities to do around the islands! Hopping on and off the bus couldn't be any easier and I loved that the bus stopped at every great photo opportunity along the way without rushing to destinations! I'm gutted that my trip has come to an end but looking forward to hopping back on when my friends from home come across!

I had such a good time on Kiwi Ex & met so many new people including friends who I hope to have for life! If it's your first time in NZ it takes some of the worry away of how you will get around & more importantly, where you'll even go. It's not the cheapest but it's a convenient way to get around the country and gives you the safety of being in a group with a reputable travel company, if you're worried about that (i.e. Females travelling alone). They should explain better that "minimum time" really means MINIMUM time. You don't arrive in some destinations until after 5pm & then get back on the bus the following morning (Wellington) leaving you no time to see or do anything. Fortunately I wasn't on minimum time but felt bad for those who were & didn't realise how little time they had in several places. I also didn't know about the optional stops on the route until half way through my trip & the fact that the Northbound bus only stops in places you had already seen when going south. In hindsight I would have ended my route in Christchurch instead of heading back up to Auckland. The drivers are (usually) hilarious & super knowledgable. They've done most of the activities themselves so give good advice. Martin & Diesel were my faves! Don't expect luxury at the hostels Kiwi Ex chooses for you, they cost more than they're worth.

Best life changing experience of my ptherwise utterly senseless existense

Had a great 5 weeks doing the Kiwi Experience with the whole kit and caboodle pass. Most of our drivers seemed very knowledgeable on the places and routes and activities we did were all great. Particular favourites were the helihike in Franz Josef and the Deep South trip. Accommodation was mostly good however there is a lack of wifi in most hostels and wish we didn't stay in so many Bases!! Trip is not as flexible as it seems as you need to have your buses worked out in advance to avoid being on standby... also it is not always possible to book extra nights in accommodation if you don't do it a long way in advance - Wellington was particularly difficult for this!! My only big negative was the rigidity in the places you go- for instance both my boyfriend and I felt river valley and lake manihipua were a waste of time for us. Also in lake manihipua we were given an awful room which was really really loud across the hall from the pub... not what you expect for $55!!! All in all though a great trip and would recommend Kiwi Experience to anyone.

Been on the kiwi bus for a month and it's without a doubt the best way to see New Zealand, they pack so many cool activities in and I've met loads of incredible people. Honestly the best time of my life. Only downside is there are so many people so lots of queuing and waiting at hostels etc. Bus drivers are awesome and really make the trip!

I started my Kiwi Experience a month ago and can't believe how many great people I met and how beautiful NZ is.

Kiwi is a really nice way to get around in New Zealand if you want to meet a lot of new people! It is very easy to make new friends since you travel and live together with all on the bus. You need to be flexible and be able to accept that kiwi kind of deciedes a lot for your. Some drives are kind of rude. Other than that I lived travelling with kiwi and I do not regret it.

This ticket has enabled me to tick so many things off my bucket list, such as swimming with dolphins, whale watching, numerous hikes, bungeejumping, skydiving, lord of the rings tours (7 in total!!) and making international friends. As a bonus I even got sort of a tan!! :)

Great Drivers and easy travelling , good Organised

I am working an travelling in NZ since August and I've only got a bus pass from Kiwi Experience (no car). It's really awesome to travel with Kiwi Experience, because all the busdriver are super friendly, they are always well informed and of course you can meet new people on the bus. It's great that you can see the whole country, even if you only have limited time here in NZ, but when you're longer in NZ, I would buy a car. But still I always enjoyed my time and it was definetely a Kiwi Experience!