New Zealand Self Drive Tour Reviews

This trip allowed us to experience so much of NZ at a pace that worked for our family. Just being able to turn up and know everything is taken care of was incredible. Would absolutely use First Light Travel again. We loved the glowworm caves tour, Hobbiton, the gondola ride and kiwi bird park in Queenstown as well as the flight over Franz Josef Glacier.
 

All communications with First Light Travel were very quick despite the big time difference. The team were always on point and thorough. Natalie was exceptionally helpful the whole way through the process. Responsive, professional and personable. She really made organising at our end so simple. Hobbiton was tremendous and impressive buffet (Bilbo would be proud). The train to Arthurs Pass was also a lot of fun with great scenery.

Our family’s trip to New Zealand wouldn’t have been the same without First Light Travel. From the very beginning, they helped us design an itinerary that matched all the places we wanted to visit and the activities we hoped to experience. They made the entire planning process so easy by taking care of everything—flights, attraction tickets, and hotel bookings. Activities we loved included Wild Wire Wanaka, Rotorua Canopy Tours Ziplining and Hobbiton. Every stop was manageable, enjoyable, and perfectly paced. The hotels they selected were comfortable, conveniently located, and contributed to the smoothness of our journey. It was a truly memorable trip for me and my family, and we are extremely grateful for the seamless experience First Light Travel provided. Highly recommended for anyone planning a stress-free and unforgettable New Zealand adventure!
 

With their first-hand knowledge of the South Island First Light Travel recommended an itinerary for our self-drive holiday in a direction of travel that provided the best views of the spectacular scenery, took into consideration the distance to travel each day road conditions. There is no way we would have planned an itinerary in the order recommended ourselves. The TranzAlpine train enabled my hubby (the driver) to enjoy the spectacular scenery, braided rivers and, especially as we came out of the tunnels, looking down incredibly steep gorges. We appreciated that accommodation locations minimised driving to activities/attractions and provided cooking facilities. Our three weeks on South Island was a most enjoyable, interesting, and virtually stressless holiday. Many, many thanks to Heidi and the team.

Highlights we loved: the glacier helicopter ride and hike, and hiking in so many national parks. Trains were awesome! Having someone meet us and take us to different places—like from the hotel to the airport—was such a luxury. They were always at least 15 minutes early, so we learned to plan for that. Most were very chatty, which we loved. All the accommodations were much more luxurious than we’d normally book for ourselves. The hosts were awesome—personable and helpful.

Heidi impressed us with her complete knowledge and professionalism. Everything she said was true and she really helped us make smart choices. Another aspect we truly appreciated was that all price quotes stayed the same (one actually went down) so we had no surprises. That everything was prepaid and all reservations joyfully honored when we arrived at each site made it all quite stress free. Getting the logistics right is a genuine skill and we are most appreciative of her efforts on our behalf.
Touring NZ with First Light is the way to go! We loved our trip! We usually plan our own independent vacations but a little research showed folks are well advised to work with a local company. We chose First Light and we are so glad we did. We had an idea of what we wanted to do and the types of places we wanted to stay. After a couple calls with Heidi she created a personalized itinerary for us. Her suggestions for our 24 day, 1,500 mile adventure were spot-on. She had drivers meet us at airports to shuttle us to our hotels, arranged for our cars, booked wonderful accommodations, picked amazing excursions, provided vouchers for anywhere that required them, and put together a thorough itinerary with an overview of each and every place we’d visit. Her attention to detail arranging all the logistics was perfect and every reservation went smoothly. We would highly recommend going to New Zealand – it is an unforgettable experience. And be sure to call Heidi at First Light when you do!

This was the perfect trip. Fantastic accommodation and great timing. Saw so much but never felt pressure to move on. Would highly recommend and will be certainly using again next time.

We had what can only be described as, a perfect holiday! Your detailed itinerary, choice of accommodation, recommended routes and suggestions for sight seeing, were absolutely first class! We have no doubt they made our holiday as perfect as what it was. It felt totally effortless for us. We used your itinerary and all the suggestions on it, allowing us to maximise the amount we got to see and do in such a short space of time! Your service was beyond our expectation and our intention is to return to this beautiful country. When we do, we will most certainly be using your service again A huge thank you as you made our holiday perfect!

First Light Travel delivered exceptional value and service from start to finish. The planning process was easy, and every detail of our itinerary was spot-on. We were initially unsure about the jet boat ride, but it ended up being a highlight—even for us at 80! All activities were well chosen, and accommodations exceeded expectations. The trip was seamless, enjoyable, and perfectly suited to our interests. Highly recommended!

First Light Travel made planning our New Zealand adventure seamless with outstanding service, prompt responses, and a well-crafted itinerary. The activities were wonderful and varied—hiking, exploring botanical gardens, and dinner at Larnach Castle were highlights. Most accommodations were excellent, especially The Hermitage. We truly felt cared for throughout, and the experience exceeded our expectations. Special thanks to Gina and the team for creating such a memorable holiday!