Why do a New Zealand guided hiking tour?
Making the decision to book a guided tour can be big for some people, but oftentimes it can lead to one of the best trips you’ve ever taken!
Group travel has so much to offer including stress-free planning, in-depth local knowledge and opportunities to meet some really interesting people.
And, if you’re booked on one of our New Zealand hiking tours, we can assure you that we’ll go that extra mile to make sure you’re getting the experience you want. From your first booking enquiry, through your entire trip and even until you step off the van, wave goodbye to your super-guides and head on into the airport to go home, our goal is to ensure you have the trip of a lifetime.
Still on the fence about group travel? Read on, and you’ll soon find out if it’s right for you.
Our awesome guests on the Routeburn Track.
Stress-free travel
A big drawcard for group travel is that it eliminates stress!
Aside from your initial “yes!” to booking your New Zealand group tour, you don’t have to lift a finger.
Our amazing office and operations teams will book the best accommodation and restaurants for you - which are all tried and true recommendations by our people.
They’ll book all activities for you - based on the type of trip you choose - this could be dolphin swimming, kayaking, overnight hiking, bike riding, glacier boat tours or heli-hikes! Your guides will even be able to give you epic recommendations for your day off if you want to keep the adventures rolling or simply want a good place to chow down.
You can also forget about maps and the endless amount of research it takes to plan out the best and safest hikes in a foreign country. Our tour guides have got you covered! We’ve hand-picked the best trails around, from our most famous Great Walks to hidden gems only the locals know. You’ll see the best of New Zealand hiking, from the ancient beach forests of Fiordland to cliff-top coastal walks and breathtaking alpine vistas.
Our guests' safety is our top priority. All our guides carry personal location devices, comprehensive first-aid kits and are specially trained in outdoor first-aid for hiking scenarios. Safety is number one and something you’ll never need to worry about!
So, instead of getting buried in a pile of logistics, you can spend your time sharing unreal travel pics with friends back home, or sharing a gorgeous grazing platter lakeside with your new friends!
Two of our wonderful guests enjoying a stress-free day in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.
Personalised experiences
We pride ourselves on our authentic, dedicated New Zealand guides and our ability to deliver personalised small group travel - there are no cookie-cutter tours here!
Our groups are capped at 14 people per trip, which means your guides are able to make genuine connections with you. On the first day for example, your guide makes a real effort to find out your likes, dislikes, favourite hobbies, special interests and anything else that might help them make the trip extra special for you - a birthday or anniversary perhaps?
We have some incredibly kind and empathetic guides, who love learning about you, where you’re from and what makes you tick! It’s one of the things that makes our guides so special and what we get the most positive feedback on!
Our super-guide Cass at Key Summit.
That magic number 14 also means that our guides can adapt activity levels based on the wants and needs of the group - you never have to worry about holding the group up or being too fast - our guides are flexible! If you like to power through your hikes, but your friend or spouse likes to stop for photos or study the flora and fauna… sweet as! One guide will tail end the group and share tidbits of interesting local info, while the other guide challenges you to set the pace up the mountain - it’s really down to how you want to play it!
Lastly, keeping the group small also means you get a chance to get to know your fellow travellers, who really do become whanau (family) by the end of the trip. These are people who have booked on the same trip as you, most likely with similar interests and will have shared these life-changing experiences with you. It’s not uncommon that our guests end up connecting back home for further hiking or skiing adventures!
Outstanding local knowledge
Dare we say it, but we reckon our guides have local knowledge that well surpasses what you might be able to find on Google!
Whether it be knowing the best place to spot a particular bird or knowing which rural town sells the best meat pie, we’ve got you covered. We’re constantly upskilling our guides who love to share their knowledge and favourite new finds among themselves.
When you book one of our group travel experiences, you’re also travelling with our very own brand of storytellers - we have bird, plant, historical and cultural experts, who each bring their own flavour to the trip. Not only do our guides know the ins and outs of Aotearoa (New Zealand), but they’re excited about it and it shows.
We go out of our way to hire 100% New Zealand guides whose knowledge of the country is second to none. If you’re curious about day-to-day life in New Zealand, who better to tell you than the people who live it? A lot of our guides have grown up hiking the exact trails they’re showing you and are more often than not checking out new tracks outside of work!
Guides are also able to draw upon that pool of knowledge and experience should they need to troubleshoot anything in the fastest possible way, using a network of Kiwi contacts - another reason why group travel is so stress-free!
Super-guide Emily with her guests hiking to Mueller Ridge.
What are you waiting for?
If you enjoy being outdoors then you’ll love our trips. We have a range of trips to suit different tastes so no matter what you’re after you’re in good hands!
Want more info on the ultimate way to see New Zealand? Check out our New Zealand hiking guide.
To find out more about our trips grab a copy of your FREE BROCHURE HERE, give us a call or get in touch with your new friends on the ground!
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