Things to do in  North Island

This was an awesome tour provided by the awesome folks at FlexiTours! We got to see a huge part of the North Island, all in one day! If you want to see the greatness of New Zealand's North Island and the famous sites all in one tour and day with good value, sign up on this tour! I would do it again! Thanks FlexiTours!

Fran and a Rick were amazing guides and very entertaining! If you are in Auckland, you will want to see a lot of the country side. The drive showed us the beauty of the North island and we were able to hear about the history and culture along the way. Thank you for an amazing tour!!! A must do!!!!!

We had a great time. Everything worked exactly as it was supposed to. The itinerary was challenging but very enjoyable. We were able to see a lot of the best of the North Island over a limited duration. EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE.

We had a wonderful tour, thanks in large part to our incredible driver and guide, Tom Stuart of The Road Trip! Tom was expert at helping us to see and appreciate the spectacular natural beauty of New Zealnd and we are so glad we were able to travel the country with him. North Island has a lot to offer and we loved every minute of it!

Great Package. I could not have coordinated a better trip for a two day period. Everyone was nice and the connections between attractions and vehicles were well organized. I would highly recommend this tour package to anyone who love to enjoy the North Island of New Zealand.

A very informative and well organised tour that fitted in what we wanted to do. All elements of the tour were excellent value for money and I would highly recommend this tour as a way to see all of the northern part of North Island.

Our trip to Hobbiton exceeded my expectations! Having only ever seen one of the LOTR movies, I expected to be underwhelmed by this tour, but I was so wrong. Hobbiton was a magical experience and there was so much to see. We were the first tour of the day in Hobbiton which made for the best pictures. Our driver for the day, David, was so funny, knowledgeable, and kind.. He looked out for our safety all day and left no questions unanswered, even pointing out specific attractions along the drive that he thought we would each enjoy based on our interests. The glowworm caves were also spectacular. I was so happy to have found a combined tour since these were the two things I wanted to do while we were in the North Island. It was one of our best days in NZ! The van was comfortable and spacious too which isn't always the case for these types of tours. Thank you!!

Great trip! Covered a range of activities on the North Island, all appealing to different tastes and interests. Tour guide was excellent and we were kept safe and confortable throughout the day. Timely return after a big, worthwhile day.

First, great and accommodating tour company Bush and Beach. Informative guides. Waterfall was great. Beach views are stunning though we were not on the beach for the sunset picture as seen on the tour pic. A great compliment to seeing the western side of the North island and still so close to Auckland. Felt a tiny bit of time underutilized at park center, but otherwise all great good. Trees are indeed magical.

Nice way to get out of the city, to the western shore! We met our driver/guide Rob right across from the cruise port. He had already picked up 4 American women from hotels. We drove in a very comfortable, clean van.         We left the city of Auckland and headed towards the west coast, the Tasman Sea. We stopped first at the visitors center for the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. From here we could see both coasts, the Pacific and the Tasman Sea. There were very nice displays about the local flora and fauna as well as showing / explaining the lumbering business that denuded the rainforest that is now regrown. Then we continued on to Karekare, taking a short hike to a very high cascading waterfall. From there we walked on a sandy path to the beach where scenes from The Piano wer shot in 1993. The black sand is from the volcano and the sparkles in the sand are titanium. Rob said the steel used to make Hyundai cars comes from the North Island of NZ. Back to the van, there were picnic tables and we had lunch: delicious sandwiches Rob had picked up at a small local store, juice or water, and a Danish. There were about a dozen ducks looking for handouts of bread and providing some entertainment.         After lunch we drove to a high viewpoint of Piha, the famous surfing beach. Homes were tucked into/onto the very steep mountainside below us. We continued on a ways before stopping for a very nice hike through the rainforest seeing 1000 year old trees, the Kauri, and other interesting trees and plants. We finished with a beverage break and then headed back to the city to drop us off at the ship. Highly recommended way to spend a single day in Auckland!

Excellent guide, well informed, it's great to see the other side of the north island

This is a semi-independent tour. The travel agency arranges for hotel, buses between cities, transfers to and from hotel and excursions. You will not be traveling with the same people nor on the same bus all the time. We were very impressed with the logistics! Seriously, considering that we took different buses with different drivers each way between cities, excursions and multiple transfers, we were surprised that everything went without a single issue. All the buses and transfers were on-time except the last bus from Mata Mata to Auckland which the Agency reps mentioned that regularly 15 min late. They offered to pick us up at the hotel in downtown Auckland but because our hotel coming back was by the airport, they weren’t unable to accommodate that transfer and we ended up taking a taxi. The communication with the agency was good. I had called before the trip to let them know that I wanted to see the itinerary a bit before the 1 week mark and they complied by sending it two weeks prior. Please ensure to check your emails sent from Viator as they do not send the itinerary directly to your email. We read everything on the itinerary and made hard copies of it. During the trip I only called them to make a reservation to the Tamaki Maori Village dinner and cultural experience and on our last day as we were waiting for the bus to Auckland and were concerned because it was a few minutes late. I guess we had been spoiled with getting every single driver on time. The hotel in Paihia was ok, well situated in town’s center, close to everything. We absolutely loved our hotel in Rotorua, the Sudima hotel by the lake. This tour covers a lot of attractions in a very short time, therefore there will be a couple of days where everything will be jam-packed and there will be a lot of driving, but to be fair, unless you plan to drive yourself and stay on each location you visit, I don’t see how you can cover all these attractions in such a short time. This tour is perfect for people like us, that do not like driving abroad and have little vacation time. The third day, it is mostly spent on two intercity buses from Paihia to Auckland and Auckland to Rotorua. They do make a few stops where you can go to the restroom and a 45 min transfer at Auckland. We were worried about this mainly to reading other people’s review but we were pleasantly surprised as it wasn’t as bad as depicted. All you have to do is make sure is to take advantage of the scheduled stops and bring some snacks for the road. You can always buy lunch at the bus station in Auckland. We arrived Rotorua a bit early in the evening, the bar tender at the Sudima recommended to visit the Town’s center and check out the market(on Thursdays only) then we headed to the Polynesian Spa next door to unwind in their hot baths. Most drivers were very knowledgeable and extremely personable, only a couple were a bit weird. Most of them seem to be local therefore they provide good information while going sight seeing. The only thing I would recommend to the agency is to ensure to specify on the itinerary that there are any bus changes for certain excursions or if the lunches will be provided by a different bus driver than the one that you leave for during the excursions. On our way to Waitomo cave, the driver began by saying that the bus was going to Auckland instead of specifying that some people will be returning to Rotorua on a different bus. We got a nervous and began asking questions, and then he let us know that some of us will be returning on a different bus and that lunch was going to be served on that other bus. Overall an Excellent experience, this is a good way to see the main sights of the North Island is a very short time. Grey Sights and Gray line did a fantastic job coordinating this tour, we really enjoyed it.

This was our favorite tour during our stay in North Island Museum. We had a very informative guide who made us feel very comfortable and relaxed. We got to see many lambs, green pastures, and views of the rugged coastline. My wife and I especially enjoyed Cathedral Cove and the adjoining beach--the scenery is absolutely stunning. We stopped by the forest for an antique train ride, which was interesting but not the best use of our time. Another great spot was Hot Water Beach. Mini tubes of lava lie beneath the sand, and mini pools of hot water collect on the beach, giving many families and couples their own private jacuzzis. I would say the highlights were the hike down to Cathedral Cove and the free time we had to swim in the Tasman Sea/Pacific Ocean.

If you're a fan of the LoTR films, and you find yourself on the North Island, it would be regrettable to not visit The Shire! The only down point was the weather, but we did go in their winter, so while it was wet and rainy it wasn't cold, and didn't detract from the joy of just being there! The Green Dragon was the highlight - being able to see so much film memorabilia and to enjoy a drink from the bar was fab. And then there was the shop - full of wonderful Hobbit related mementos to bring home. The glowworm caves were beautiful - a perfect end to a day of must-do sightseeing! The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly, and took us through some of the most amazing scenery on our way to Hobbiton.

Worth Every penny! We went on a drive through the beautiful landscape of New Zealand's North Island, with our bus driver as our tour guide. He was so funny and informative. Hobbiton was absolutely a sight to see. The lunch buffet was alright, I'm a bit of a food snob so I'm not the best person to talk about that. And the Waitomo caves were indescribable, something you have to see in your life time! 100 worth it, Don't do Hobbiton without going to see the Waitomo Caves!

Great for those with limited time in the North Island, packs a lot of activities in a short amount of time. However, I felt a little rushed - not much time to buy souvenirs. Couldn't fully enjoy some of the activities as much as if I'd driven myself and organised my own similar trip over an extra day. Stay an extra day in Rotorua if possible to enjoy more. Nice to not have to worry about getting lost or driving in a foreign country. They don't pick up at the hotel we stayed in prior to tour Ascotia off Queen, Auckland, but picked us up in the next street instead at 6:45am so make sure you organise brekky by then. Itinerary is delivered to hotel the night prior email, and each day you have the same bus for about 6 hours of activities/travel, toilet onboard tiny but functional then local transfers by each attraction. Transfers were well organised, friendly drivers, tours ran smoothly and on time, except for the last bus from Matamata to Auckland about 1/2 hour later. They forgot to put us on the list for transfer from auckland bus depot to near our hotel, but driver took us anyway. The bus boxed lunch was filling - chicken/cheese/jam/lettuce roll, apple, small juice box, blueberry muffin and a cheesecake tub. After the caves and arriving in Rotorua, the free time to explore Rotorua described was only an hour and a half to check in, and not enough time to do anything else but walk to the water and have a snack/photos, seeing as you have to be prepared to be picked up for your next activities 15 minutes before the stated pick up time. All activities are quality attractions. Liked the Mitai Maori Village concert/dinner better than I thought I would, nice dinner. Hobbiton tour lasts only 1.5 hours for a group of 30 to all have pics and a free drink in the green dragon, no time to appreciate the detail. Couldn't see the geyser erupt as we had only an hour at Te Puia, just missed it. Ibis hotel stay average, view of carpark, clean and tidy, hot brekky included.

Had a wonderful time on this tour - Ramon with Flexi Tours was very informative and gave us great insights into North Island as we traveled down to each of the spots. We were the first tour of 2018! It rained at Hobbiton but it was still a beautiful landscape to see. The glowworms was also fascinating to see. Loved the geysers and the bubbling mud pools at Rotorua. Wish we had an opportunity to see Maori cultural song/dance but we missed the timing. All in all, a fantastic trip and would highly recommend it!

Our family thoroughly enjoyed this action packed holiday and especially recommend it to those who have a limited time to see highlights of the North Island. We were so impressed by the exquisite scenery, the kindness of the countrys people and the richness of the Maori culture. Our only issue with the 5-day tour was that we would have preferred more detail about our itinerary and how to coordinate with the tour operators. Although Viator organised the bus transportation, hotel accommodations, and individual tours, we were left to coordinate when/where for pickups etc. for tours and transportation to the next locations.

Wonderful day trip covering a few of the highlights of the North Island. We only had a few days so this was a great taster into the beauty of New Zealand. It is an early start at 6:30 but well worth it. We stopped off for a quick coffee on the roadside after an hour so you get to stretch your legs. We had taken along some muffins which was good to go with the coffee. Hobbiton was the first stop and is an amazing place....so well designed for the movie. After the guided tour you get a free beer or cider or coffee at the Dragon Inn. There is a souvenir shop at both the entrance and at the exit but check with your driver so you dont miss out..we got ours at the start and put them in the bus. It is a fairly long haul to Rotorua so Some napped while others watched the beautiful scenery go by while learning facts about New Zealand from our friendly driver John. You receive a lunch which is deliscious, we opted for the hungy style chicken and vegetables. You are then given time to stroll down to see the geyser, mud pools and kiwi exhibit. We were lucky to see the geyser gushing but the kiwis were in the nesting boxes. Next stop was the gloworm cave. This also has a guided tour down into the cave and you exit out below in a boat. The gloworms put on an awsome display but as you are not allowed to take photos you can buy photos that they superimpose you into various cave scenes. They are well done so we purchased these. It is then the trip back to Auckland for drop off at your hotel. A long day but very well worth it.

Fantastic tour! This was a great way to see 3 defining sites of the North Island in just 1 day. It was not exhausting at all because the driving time in between each location allows time for rest. Along with the sites we got a lot of detailed information about New Zealand's history, culture, and industries from our awesome tour guide, Mike. Amazing tour if you have limited time!