Our Customer Reviews

Perfect if you have no idea what you're doing

I was so overwhelmed by New Zealand, so many places to go and had no idea what was actually worth visiting in my short amount of time. Kiwi Experience was recommended to me by my housemate and I'm glad she did. Made some awesome friends along the way and really have the feeling I saw the best New Zealand had to offer. Bus drivers are knowledgeable and helped me with my super tight budget to still make the most of my trip.

Amazing!!!!!

I got told about this kiwi experience and I'm so I booked it up it made my life so much easier

Best Holiday Ever!

My daughter organised this trip for us and although quite different than I expected, we had the best time together. It was really fantastic not having to find public toilets along the way and the fridge meant we could save money on essentials rather than having to make daily purchases. For me, being able to make a cup of tea anywhere I wanted to was a big plus. I felt like a snail carrying my home on my back, as I was the driver and not used to a long wheel base vehicle. You do need to be aware of the difference, especially when turning and negotiating the many bends in the road. We saw one guy who had just rolled his car in the mountains by over anticipating his driving abilities. Slower than usual is best. There are so many passing lanes and pulling over spots it works out ok. However, we sat on 80km most of the time and I felt safe and comfortable as the diesel engine is perfect for these roads. It is powerful enough for even the steepest mountain road and the brakes are effective. I think the company could have explained the features of the vehicle better at the beginning, such as how to find low range (which you will need for the downhill sections) and for the first night I could not find how to turn on my high beam lights which was annoying. One word of warning is that the scenery is spectacular and can be quite distracting for the driver! Plan to pull over regularly so that you can really enjoy the view! There are a lot of roadworks so sometimes you have to stop as well. My advice: plan in more time for driving than you think. Overall, the experience was really great. We liked not having to waste time checking in and checking out of accommodation each day and that we had more flexibility and freedom to choose our own location to stay. There were extra blankets supplied, which are necessary in winter as the inside does get quite cold overnight. Having table and chairs meant we could relax outside and we did not need snowchains at all, although we paid for them. We chose the express checkout which made the last day more enjoyable as we had enough to worry about without having to fill the gas bottle and clean the loo. One downside was stated this way by my daughter, who said, “It’s ‘fake news’ that there’s a shower”. Haha, we did not use it at all as that would not have been enjoyable but we managed well enough with the campground facilities and hot pools. One tank of fuel cost around $100 and we only filled up twice, driving over 1500km. Don’t forget there is an extra tax for diesel at the end, and have a wonderful, safe trip! We certainly did. Watch out for stray sheep on the road, or maybe even kiwis. Perhaps the best thing was arriving to our destination in the dark and waking up to the most glorious view, every single day! Just amazing. Just go...

best trip ever

kiwi experience is so much fun, almost all the bus drivers were the best people ive ever met and so helpful!! its so much fun to meet new people on the bus all the time. S/O to COWBOY you were the best driver, you really made us feel like a family.

Sweet as

I needed a way to get from Auckland to Christchurch that was more interesting than a plane ride and this tour was perfect! I got to see places and do things I never would have done had I been traveling on my own. The people I met on the tour were fabulous. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! I didn’t want it to end!

Travelling with our Maui campervan completed the experience for us.

Didn’t want to leave!

Did the whole kit & caboodle as a solo traveller for a month. Best experience ever. Highly recommend. Hamish the driver was an absolute star, he made the experience even better.

Best thing I’ve ever done

I literally loved every single second of the trip. Met the most amazing people, went to the most incredible places. Devastated it’s all over.

Awsome experience!

I booked it through a travel agency and I’m so happy she told me about it. The time I spend with the kiwi bus is some of the best weeks ever.

Experience it was!!

Last minute decision to do kiwi experience & so glad we did it!! Saw the most of NZ we could in the 15 days we had and met amazing friends.