Kirra Tour Bus
349 New Zealand Independent Tour Reviews
4.7/5.0
4.7 out of 5 based on 349 user reviews.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
Reviews
5
Independent Coach Tour
Wan Dawoo (Malaysia)
02/02/2019
The best I could have got! Thanks for assisting me patiently throughout the trip. Everyone should just use this company to enjoy New Zealand
5
Coach & Fly Tour
Steve Hoover (United States)
01/02/2019
Overall, Relaxing Journeys assisted us in setting up a wonderful vacation in New Zealand. We would definitely recommend their services to others. hotel accommodations were top notch with great service and located centrally in each city, within convenient walking distances to eateries, downtown, and things to do. Travel arrangements gave just enough time to connect without wasting time waiting. Tours set up were very enjoyable and varied. Lots of options and ability to customize. We had 1 tour bus pickup issue on a weekend and it was difficult to reach RJ's in time for them to assist with alternate arrangements, but luckily the hotel concierge was very helpful and got us set up on a private tour to see the same things that day. However, RJ's was very responsive once they replied and took appropriate steps to make up for the issue, so we have no complaints about how the matter was handled. Very professional and good service once they got involved. Only "I wish" we had was that the tour for Mt. Cook gave you more time to explore the area. Spent about 4+ hours on the bus to have approximately 90 mins at Mt. Cook. If you chose to do the lunch there was not any time to really explore any of the walking trails or the area. Also, would have liked more time to swim at Piha Beach; just had enough time to get in the water for a few minutes. But, those are concerns for the operating tour companies and not RJ's. Very satisfied and happy with our interactions and vacation planning we received from Relaxing Journeys. We experienced none of the communication or other horror stories we heard from people we talked to utilizing other companies. Very pleased with RJ's and think anyone else would be, too.
4
Independent Coach Tour
Mary Ann Duffy (United States )
14/01/2019
We enjoyed the tour but there were a few things that we wished would have been different. Although Lake Taupe was beautiful our hotel was far away from the lake. If we had just gone on to Wellington we could have had an extra day there. Also although Blenheim was a nice town we would have rather gone to Christchurch and had an extra day. We would have rather had more train rides than bus. Super shuttle was great. We loved traveling in New Zealand.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Kerry Masciaga (United Kingdom)
12/01/2019
All thanks to Marie. The best holiday of our life.
5
5
Independent Coach Tour
Julie Dickson (Australia)
27/12/2018
We really enjoyed our holiday . The trip was well paced and the activities were varied and well structured . I would certainly use this company for our next trip to New Zealand and have already recommended them to friends who were looking to travel next year. Great Service all round thank you.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Chiara Ferlini (Singapore)
26/12/2018
The reason of my rating for the price is due to the fact that i think we paid a bit more than what was worth, but that is because we booked at the very last moment, and then We had to take what was left (especially for the accommodations), and probably that was quite more expensive than what we really needed. In any case, this is to say that this is because of our "fault", all the organization was wonderful for us! Thanks Relaxing Journeys and thanks Georgina for her kind and precise follow up! We will recommend you for sure!
4
Independent Coach Tour
Boris Sirota (Australia)
22/12/2018
Overall we are happy with the tour. What we liked: everything was booked as per our discussions, the hotels were of good standard and located well, the excursions were fun especially the Maori hangi and concert. What was not so good: the dolphin swim was not safe enough so we opted out; however, we did receive a part refund. The kayaking with coastal kayaks had a boring route. But the guides were good. We did not like the public buses to bring us from Paihia to Rotorua. Some people got sick on the bus from the way the bus was driven. What can be approved on: standartise vouchers pickup vs departure times as all vouchers were different. Big thanks to Jo Shanks for organising everything well. We are very happy with the service she has provided.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Carolyn Zammit-Maempel (United Kingdom)
10/12/2018
We had an excellent time. Everything went according to plan, no hiccups. We enjoyed all the tours booked for us too. Accommodation was mostly excellent. Our accommodation in Queenstown wasn't as good as the rest. The hotel is in an excellent location but is rather dated and the bed was not at all comfortable, the mattress was old and way too soft. We loved all our other accommodation especially the eco resort in Kaiteriteri.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Eli Winata (Indonesia )
16/10/2018
We are very happy and enjoying traveling to New Zealand with Relaxing Journeys. The team of Relaxing Journeys have very good attention so we are very much enjoying this holiday.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Jonathan Marquez (United States)
01/09/2018
Excellent independent tour with some activities included. Accommodations were comfortable, transportation around the South Island was prompt, comfortable, and informative . The included excursions such as the trip to Milford Sound and the TranzAlpine train ride were wonderful. I would highly recommend this tour if you want transport and accommodation around New Zealand but don't want a guided tour. This tour is pretty inclusive for the independent traveler such as myself.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Alan Boey (Singapore)
20/07/2018
Marie Sarmon did an excellent job in organising this custom tour for us. My wife and I really enjoyed ourselves. Everything was perfectly timed and never once did we have to call anyone for assistance (being free and easy). The view from our hotels was ... no words can describe. Some rides was cancelled due to weather but that we can understand. If we could do this again, we definitely will. Thanks so much for the great time.
5
Coach & Fly Tour
Karen Flenche (Australia)
25/06/2018
This was my first solo trip,and I was nervous about organising and traveling alone. Relaxing Journeys organised my trip swiftly and thoroughly. I had a wonderful time traveling independently on tour. Now that I have had a 'taste' I am looking forward to returning and spending more time in the places I enjoyed but didn't have enough time in due to the shortness of the trip. Would highly recommend using this tour company and visiting New Zealand.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Khang Li See Toh (Singapore)
19/05/2018
We definitely enjoy our trip with Relaxing Journeys. They provided a detailed itinerary for our trip. As long long as we read thru it, generally it will be a smooth sailing. We will definitely recommend Relaxing Journey to friends.
3
Independent Coach Tour
Nick Joyce (Australia)
14/05/2018
A good overall trip and feel like i saw quite a bit of NZ. It ran smoothly re shuttle connections etc.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Melissa Foo (Singapore )
09/05/2018
The trip went very smoothly, thanks to Relaxing Journeys who made all the arrangements. I had multiple transfers starting from Auckland to Rotorua to Taupo then Wellington, all pick-ups & transfers were on time, also the hotels arranged by Relaxing Journeys were v good & comfortable esp the Bolton Hotel in Wellington which had a kitchen & living room, plus 2 large double beds. I highly recommend using Relaxing Journeys when planning for NZ trip.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Alan Russian (United States)
22/04/2018
Hotels were outstanding. Eric was our favorite Great Sights tour guide. We didn't have any issues and appreciated how well put together the itinerary was.
4
Independent Coach Tour
Leng Gong (Singapore)
22/04/2018
We had such an wonderful time on our trip. Thank you, Relaxing Journeys, for making it possible. We are returning customers. This is our second tour with Relaxing Journeys, both times on Independent Coach tours and we loved every bit of it. Everything was so easy and smooth-going, and arranged right down to airport transfers. All we had to do was to show up on time to be picked up, and off we went for another great tour. I would definitely recommend Relaxing Journeys for you next trip to New Zealand. Their tour consultants (in our case it was Toni, for our earlier trip Marie, for this later trip) were always responsive, patient and helpful. Thanks, guys.
5
Independent Coach Tour
Fernando Araya (Costa Rica)
10/04/2018
I'm not a big fan of bus tours, have had some bad experiences in the past. I was not very convinced about this but me and my wife decided to take a tour over the South Island for a couple of reasons, one the time we had and two, we drive on a different side. What a nice surprise it turn out to be. The hotels they choose for us were nice and relaxing, the bus drivers were friendly and very informative and knowledgeable of every stop we were heading to. They were always right on time. The place we visited were amazing, Queensland, Christchurch, Milford Sounds were just breath taking. We which we had more time in New Zealand, but with the amount of day we had we are sure we took advantage of all that these places had to offer.
4
Independent Coach Tour
Caelen Schutzman (Thailand)
09/04/2018
It was a little more bus time than I originally expected. Wished there was a bit more time in Franz Josef. All in all it was a great trip though. Really enjoyed the train. Mt. Cook and accommodations were excellent.
4
Coach & Fly Tour
Lucy Chan (United States)
04/04/2018
The booking process is quite smooth, especially with the help of Toni Harris. There were 12 of us traveling as a group with different arrival and departure times from various part of the world. Toni worked with me to get everything organized. There was no "bad" surprises throughout the 14 days. All the arrangements are well through out and hotel accommodations met our expectations.
4
Coach & Fly Tour
Hugh Nierengarten (United States)
29/03/2018
Relaxing Journeys itself warrants the best possible rating for this tour. The number of connections for lodging, transportation, tours, etc. came off without a single missed, or even delayed, connection. So the planning and logistics were, in our view, flawless. Two factors contribute to an overall rating of less than excellent for the tour: (1) weather had a significant impact on the last four days of our tour and resulted in the cancellation of two of the most anticipated events: the helicopter ride at Franz Josef Glacier and the train ride over the Southern Alps; (2) The Air New Zealand folks in Auckland were impossibly unhelpful. Because of TSA computer issues with the US DHS, check-in was delayed even though we had arrived 3 hours early. A general announcement was made of an indefinite delay for the flight, but there was absolutely no communication about what was happening or going to happen from Air New Zealand. It took us the full three hours to check in, get boarding passes and then check luggage. Then, without warning, boarding for the flight was "closed". We had to rush through endless high end retail to get to the gate as they were closing the doors. Auckland airport's layout is a mess, and Air New Zealand's reputation in our eyes will be severely tarnished! I would never hesitate to use Relaxing Journeys in the future, though our travel "bucket list" has many other destinations before we return to New Zealand. I have, however, already recommended Relaxing Journeys to several prospective New Zealand visitors, one of whom is actively planning a Christmas 2018 tour.
4
Independent Coach Tour
Maryte Collard (Lithuania)
19/03/2018
We had this tour planned just for two of us and we were pleasantly surprised how well it was done and what an excellent service we received. Thank you, Marie!
5
Independent Coach Tour
Carol Goulden (United Kingdom)
19/03/2018
Everything was well organised and Marie was extremely helpful answering my questions immediately.
4
Coach & Fly Tour
Mark Godfrey (United States)
11/03/2018
We LOVED our trip! Marie did a fabulous job, and would HIGHLY recommend you all to others. The only recommendations would be, to warn travelers that in Greymouth the transfer to the Franz Josef bus was very confusing. It was an Intercity bus not marked Franz Josef (only Fox); and the bus driver was not helpful (unlike all other New Zealanders we met who were wonderful). Also, if we were to do it again. We would choose our day " off" between the two days of very long bus rides. We LOVED Milford Sound, had gorgeous weather, and our time in Queenstown was beautiful. All in all, we loved the South Island, and are hopeful to return one day.
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