Haka Tours Review

I would highly recommend Haka tours to anyone who wants to maximize their time in New Zealand. Haka is streamlined and efficient, allowing you to really enjoy your trip without worrying about logistics.

My guide Willow was one of a kind- brilliant at her job and a joy to be around. She is so knowledgeable about her country, able to provide us with fantastic alternatives when weather made activities or locations unavailable, and giving us a glimpse into authentic NZ wherever we went.

Haka Tours provides an incredible, unique tour experience. As a beginning skier, I greatly appreciated how organised the tour was. I didn't have to worry about the gear or any of the logistics. Haka took care of everything so that I could focus on enjoying the skiing, scenery and people!

I was on the trip with Willow in late NZ summer - she was amazing and sincere. The trip itself was not only incredibly affordable for the experience it was amazing on so many other levels. Willow was incredible, to be on a trip with a guide who could be present with the group everyday and also taking care of all guide responsibility is outstanding and so hard to find. I would recommend Haka to anyone looking for a sincere NZ experience.

Haka tours is an absolutely amazing experience. It is one of the only companies in NZ with a small size tour (max 16 people). Andy was my tour guide and he was so positive, fun, and adventurous. He made sure that every person on tour had an amazing experience that was in line with their individual goals for their tour. The tour for me was a soul searching, life changing, amazingly positive experience. I would absolutely do this tour again and I plan to go back to NZ. Thank you Haka!

Sam was my tour guide for the 7 day South Island Lick tour and he was great. He's very accommodating to your requests and also very knowledgeable about many different facets of New Zealand. The tour itself was fantastic and the people in my tour group also elevated the experience.

I did the Bay of Island 3 day's tour. Tyrone was our guide. I am writing this feedback because I feel there is lots of to improve. I think he just must get more experiences in this field. There was lack of information given about day program,accommodation...etc..
Our group was nice bunch of people easy going...I have expected from the guide to make the group working...suggestion of eating together even if the meal wasn't included...etc.
My personal expectation for this tour was higher than the final product.
But I am not saying it was bad I have enjoyed it.!!!
Everything is about experiences..

Seven day lick tour was amazing and the surprise stops between destinations added an extra level of fun and interest! The whole tour was hassle free and a lot of fun.
Willow was a fantastic guide - I felt very safe and comfortable in her clearly capable hands.

Did the 7 day South Island Lick tour and had a great time. Will return in the future to do a North Island tour

Amazing 24 day Epic NZ tour, best trip of my life! The small group definitely made the trip, and visiting lots of different places off the beaten track made the trip one I'll never forget. Thanks Burto for an awesome time, will be back for sure!

Hygi and Hakatours did a fabulous job of showing me the South Island. The tour was well organized, Hygi was a great guide, my fellow travelers were amazing and overall couldn't have asked for a better experience. Highly recommend traveling with HakaTours!

Great way to see New Zealand! Had and awesome guide (Sam) and a fun crew for our trip. Highly recommend this!

Lovely tour with nice activities and some really fun people. No worries, just book their tour, sit back and enjoy the best of New Zealand. I took their 16 day tour of North and South island in New Zealand and I had a lot of fun with viewing some amazing landscape throughout the whole country and experiencing some adrenaline with breathtaking activities. The places they make you stay are wonderful hostels with all the basic amenities like kitchen, laundry, washroom and showers. The breakfast they provide is free and plentiful. The tour guides are enthusiastic and kind, they have a lot of surprises for you along the way

You can't go wrong choosing Haka Tours to introduce you to New Zealand (or show you things you've never seen, if you've been there before). Well organized from the first click on their website months before the tour until the last moment I spent in their company. Fun and friendly staffers both at the office and on the tour (and running their lodges dotted throughout NZ). Had many amazing experiences on my 24 day "epic" adventure with them - a bunch were included in the tour price. Their optional add-ons are all the ones you'd want to do, and they work with great vendors to make these a lot of fun and to get the most for your money. Saw firsthand how by maintaining good relationships with these 3rd party vendors sometimes gave Haka tour guests priority over others at the same venue (and sometimes even our own private adventures!) There was a lot of flexibility built into the tour, as well as time to do things on your own. If you are fortunate enough to be on a tour with Daz as your guide, you are in for the time of your life! A native Kiwi (the whole operation is NZ owned and operated), Daz knew things and took us places that I imagine other tours would miss, and these were some of the most memorable times on the tour. And he's delightful as hell, and juggled all of the personalities on the bus like a master. I'm sure all of their guides are great, but I am partial to this particular charmer. This tour far exceeded my gigantic expectations in every way. I'd give 25 stars if that were an option.

Excellent 7 day tour of South Island with the lovely guide 'Willow' in October 2016. Great value for the 7 days (about $1,800 I think) which covered all activities, accommodation & breakfast. Our guide ('Willow') was not only a local Kiwi who could give us the background story on all the places we visited, but she was also super friendly and encouraged a very pleasant vibe amongst our 12 person tour group.

The accommodation at various Haka Lodges across the South Island was also superb and for $30/night absolutely great value. Highlights included Lake Tekapo, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Lake Wanaka, Fox Glacier & the Tranz Alpine Railway. Would highly recommend Haka Tours to anyone wanting to tour NZ with a friendly, knowledgeable local as their guide!

Really great first-time experience of New Zealand on Haka's 16 day 'Amplified NZ' tour. Saw many of the highlights of both islands, with all the benefits of travelling with a fun group without having too many (think the buses can only take up to 16). Our guide/driver/chef Daz was brilliant: always enthusiastic, wanting us to make the most of his country both by day and in the evenings, plus lots of memorable catch-phrases! If you have time (I didn't) the Bay of Islands pre-tour extension looked and sounded well worth it from speaking to those on my tour who went. I was glad I paid for a private room upgrade as the trip uses hostels throughout and the shared dorm rooms can be a little crowded and noisy! Tour highlights: kayaking at Cathedral Cove, visiting the stunning Lake Tekapo, both for views from the adjacent mountain by day and the stars by night (it's a low light/dark-sky-reserve), also seeing Mount Doom and other stunning scenery by completing the challenging (and completely optional!) Tongariro Crossing 20km hike on Christmas Day! Oh and spending Christmas and NYs with lots of awesome people including Daz and Maz from Haka, thank you!

Haka is a more than an organized and well operated Tour group appealing to a mid market between the traditional backpacker and more mature traveller. Affordable compared to the more premium full service 4/5 star Hotel tours but likely considered expensive in the backpacking realm.
With that in mind, accommodations are Hostals, although very modern and clean, group rooms and shared washrooms/showers are not for everyone.
Transportation is by 16 seat mini bus, again basic but clean and efficient.
The real value and IMHO by far the most important component of any Tour is the Tour guide. Although I only experienced one Tour(North Island 7 day), I can tell you that Haka has at least one amazing Tour guide in Sam Grif. He was not only Professional, pleasant, accommodating and incredibly knowledgeable in ALL things New Zealand, but has a tremendous passion for the nature and culture that makes NZ the wonder that it is. I can t recommend Sam enough, as he opened my eyes to the hidden gems that most tourists never experience without an expert, passionate and communicative tour guide like Sam. His command of the indigenous culture and all things new & old are colourfully conveyed in entertaining tales paying homage to the Maori culture which all Kiwi s seem to respect and celebrate,
All in all a fantastic and efficient Tour of New Zealand thanks to Sam.

BEST TOUR COMPANY EVER! Andy & the team were brilliant. Hope to see you all again in the future.

Extremely organized and well planned. Our guide Ruth, knew her way around our itinerary and went above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable. Group size was perfect, close-knit and not crowded. Pacing was nice, whether you re an early bird or like to rest more. One thing to note would be, since you won t stay at the same hostel for more than 1-2 nights (I went on the South Island lick tour for 7 days), there s not much of a consistency in the quality of all hostels, but that s out of haka s control since they don t own these establishments. Our trip ended staying at the haka lodge though however, being the best hostel of all our stays during the trip easily, with an amazing host by the name of Andy who makes you feel at home. Make sure to bring locks for your lockers at the hostel in your rooms, battery packs/power banks, sunglasses, hats, sunscreen (although most other essentials provided and needed for you to bring will be emailed to you beforehand). In terms of pricing, I would say it is fair. The main selling point however would be the ease and comfort of letting go of any responsibility or stress of booking places to go, things to do and letting the agency work for you! During the South Island lick tour, Lake Tekapo was the most stunning place, invariably having the nicest view from its hostel as well.

A wonderful, life changing experience, an amazing adventure and a chance to challenge one's self and explore a beautiful country. Thank you Haka and Andy our guide , I'm never going to forget the very special 25 days I spent in NZ.

Loved the tour. we saw beautiful places, snow was awesome. Our tour guide, Daz was so much fun and a pleasure to be with, he's a real kiwi :). everything was so interesting. Had a great time!

Absolutely loved my Haka Tour, 10/10 would recommend to anyone. I went on the 7 day north adventure tour, and thoroughly enjoyed all of the locations and activities planned. Our guide, Jackson, was very knowledgeable, and the group was a ton of fun. Truly something to enjoy for everyone of all ages and walks of life! Plus the small group size was favorable.

Excellent tour, no regrets whatsoever. Our guide Burto was extremely well-versed with the ins and outs of all the activities and extremely accommodating in scheduling and rescheduling tour activities. He also gave good recommendations on what activities to do according to everyone's interests and fitness level. On top of that he was very chilled out and easy to get along with. He even made the extra effort to cook a few meals for us and build a bonfire by the beach. These little extras made all the difference in the tour.

The tour was great! Our guide Burto is very helpful, knows every place! I will definitely use Haka Tours again the next time I come to NEw Zealand.

NZ is just as beautiful as I expected, but Haka tour exceeded my expectation. Did south island this time, I'll definitely come back to do 7-day north island tour next year! Hope I can be on Andy's (baby jesus) tour again!

Amazing tour with a really great tour guide. Great value for money and great experience on the tour

We ( group of 3) joined the 7 day North Island Adventure Tour. Best decision ever! Haka tours is awesome. From pre tour, we had awesome tour advisors like Steph Smith, Nic Ross and Carl Eckersley guiding and advising us about the tour. On tour, we had an amazing guide, Burto. It was never a dull moment around Burto. He went out of his way to ensure that everyone was comfortable and was having a great time. We saw many beautiful sights and experienced beautiful things. Thank you Haka Tours for giving us a genuine New Zealand experience. Definitely recommending you guys to our friends and family. We'll be back for more!

I had the absolute time of my life on the 16 Day Amplified Tour. I went to New Zealand with pretty high expectations for the country, my adventure, and Haka Tours. Well my expectations were not only met, but BLOWN AWAY. This was my first time out of the US and I figured I'd go big. I spent Christmas and New Years in New Zealand with a group of amazing people from all over the world. We were under the care of the extremely knowledgeable (and funny) Daz. From cancelled activities, to a particular demand of orange juice in the breakfast box (ha! eyeroll), to minor mishaps along the way, Daz handled it all with patience and care. Inclement weather may cancel an event but Daz would always have backup plans on backup plans. Haka Tours is absolutely the way to go, I cannot imagine seeing New Zealand any other way. Their staff behind the scenes do amazing work and ensure you are prepared no matter how far in advance you might be booking your trip. I absolutely recommend Haka Tours and I recommend you do all the high adrenaline activities, bungy, hot air balloon, and paragliding... all were out of this world. Thank you Haka Tours, and New Zealand - I will be back.

What an amazing experience with Haka! I did the Bay of Islands tour earlier this month and had an absolutely phenomenal time. I saw Orcas for the first time, swam with the dolphins, ate fish and chips on one of NZ most gorgeous beaches while the sun set, chatting with new friends from all over the globe.

The accommodation at the Haka Lodge in Paihia is gorgeous. I had a private room which has a huge and comfortable super king bed with views of the sea. It even had Apple TV and a private bathroom. The view from the common room was absolutely stunning. I would say one of the best views in all of Paihia! It was above some amazing food places and 1 minute to the wharf for all the activities like Barefoot Sailing (highly recommend the sunset cruise!).

Thank you Haka tours for an AMAZING experience. As a NZ citizen I would not usually do a tour in my own country, but I learned so much, experienced more things than I would have done on my own and met some pretty amazing people.

Thank you so much for showing me my own backyard! I wish I could give you more than 5 stars.

The tour was awesome. All 3 guides we're not only extremely knowledgable about the different locations we visited, but also great people to be around. With out a doubt would recommend this tour group to someone who is looking to travel to NZ

Absolutely amazing company with exceptional staff who are all willing to go above and beyond in all aspects. The tour itself was brilliant and the guides knowledge was excellent. Never a dull moment and I'd do another tour with them in a heart beat. Thanks Haka Tours :)

My husband and I did the 7 day North Island tour with our guide, Ollie. It was fantastic and the best possible beginning of our 5 1/2 week trip to New Zealand and Tasmania. Ollie went above and beyond to make sure that we saw and did as much as our days would allow while still giving us appropriate down time. We loved the fact that we could choose the activities that appealed to us, thoroughly enjoyed our accommodations and found our common meals together both fun and informative.

Highlights for us were Hobiton, the Glowworm Caves, sea kayaking, Zorbing and watching our fellow travelers leap out of a plane!!! Thanks so much, Ollie. It was truly the trip of a lifetime.

Cindy and Tom

Our tour guide Katie was absolutely delightful!! Me and a few friends went on the 16 day amplified tour of both islands, and by the end, we were so sad to leave not only New Zealand but also Katie because she'd proven to be such a caring person and knowledgeable guide. It definitely added to the experience having someone show us around that had such a genuine love of NZ.

Best tour group ever! They do all the hard stuff for you (such as booking all the fun activities you want to do) and do everything to give you the experience of a lifetime!

I did a 24 day tour in September and have to say it was the best trip I have ever gone on. We had an amazing tour guide, Andy aka Baby Jesus, and 3 other guides in training. Everyone was so kind, helpful, intelligent and fun. There is no doubt New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries out there and I am glad to say that Haka tours showed me an amazing time. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to not only see but really experience Aotearoa. Kia Ora and thanks Haka tours!

I am going to start by saying it wasn't all bad and the weather had to do with some of our disappointments on the tour it's mother nature and you can't control it.

Aside from that I also poste this review on TripAdvisor and they didn't post it! They posted all my other review I have ever written exempt the one on Haka Tours.

I gave Haka Tours 2 stars because it was one disappointment after another.
I went on the 3 day Bay of Island and the 16 day Amplified NZ tour.

The first disappointment was the "providing breakfast" well I've taken about 8 "budget" tours with different companies and I usually come back happy and feeling like I got my money's worth we'll absolutely NOT this time!!
Back to the breakfast part it's actually a plastic box and you get some toast and some cereal and juice this box is hauled from hostel to hostel! WTH! all the other companies actually have always provided a nice breakfast it is laid out with plenty of variety and we're on holiday the last thing you want is to wash your dishes and put them away well this is what you have to do with them and if you want some eggs got to cook them yourself! Who does that on holiday??

The second disappointment we get on our so called bus (Murray) was the first bus the company started with 8 yrs ago. Ryan Sanders ( founder) became aware of our disappointment on the tour when a few of us e mailed while still on the tour about a variety of subject and nothing was resolved we only got a sorry email!
Back to the bus this bus had tears on every seat the seats were very uncomfortable and the worse part is NO SEAT BELTS!!!!...(isn't this a law in NZ??) Im pretty sure it is because any other day tour we took it didn't matter if we drove 5 min. The first thing they asked of us, is put on your seat belts!! Well we drove from Auckland to Bay of Island down to french Josef without a seat belt in sight! Well we get to Bay of Island and just by a miracle the bus breaks down as soon as we get to our destination! It was repaired and back to driving conditions.
After We leave Bay of Island a person on our group discovers that the only dinner included in our tour wasn't given to us! When we ask the tour guide why there's a simple response of oops we forgot no worries $10 will be refunded well that is not the point the point is if it's supposed to be part of our tour why wasn't it? So from that point on we lost faith and trust and continued to check our itinerary to make sure that what was in it was done and given to us btw there was so many discrepancies in the itinerary that way too many to touch on each!

Our guide where to start with him Vaughn well he started by telling us he was new so at the beginning we did cut him some slack as far as him not really telling us any history about the cities we were going too or showing is around it was more like " here is this good restaurant and this bar ok well free time" so there was nothing "guided tour" about our tour it was basically transportation from one town to the next!
He also was very unprofessional most of the nights he went out drinking with us or without us and he was usually the one that got drunk before anyone. Many times we were worried if he would be ok to drive us the next day! And that was not fun since most of the days we had long drives, since the weather wasn't great many of those days it was a downpour and very dangerous conditions. He also became very touchy feely and in our personal space when he drank nothing sexual but it did make a few of us very uncomfortable. After a few excuses about many things we simply decided that he just didnt care enough about his job and about us his customers so great dissatisfaction!

So many dissatisfactions on this tour I would need a book to write about every single one the late arrivals to towns and not having enough time to sight see the not being informed of what activities were available in each town b/c of inadequate knowledge of the towns by the "guide" since a lot of our activities were cancelled due to weather.

Hi, I am a 62 year old female, (outdoorsy type), used to doing things on my own but knew there was no way I could cover most of the country by arranging things myself. I just returned from the 24 Day Epic tour and it was the best. We had a small fun group that made it really personal. Josh was a great guide and we felt like he was one of the group. He made sure that we all had lots of choices for things to do and kept things lively and fun. It was so hard to part with each other after the tour-I am sure that some lifetime friends have been made. I am so glad we used Haka!

Travel with young children. Me and my family having a great and wonderful holiday in New Zealand. Thanks to Haka Tours. Especially to Robyn with so much patient on my issue and the itineary. And also our tour guide Annie. If next time when i travel to New Zealand ,I would surely look for them....:)

I did 24 days through the North and South Islands with Haka. Amazing company with a personal touch. One of the best trips I've ever been on (and I've been on a lot)

Perfect tour in New Zealand !
Better than what i had imagine before coming !
Thanks to all the members and Daz who did a really good job !
Estelle

Is Andy (Baby Jesus) the best tour guide ever? Based on my 24 day tour, probably. A brilliant tour with a relaxed, organised and fun guide made this an unforgettable experience.

Haka Tours and New Zealand changed my life! I did the 16-day Amplified (Reverse) Tour and I highly recommend it. You get to see the best of both islands! Katie was our tour guide and she was hands-down the coolest! Made everyone feel super welcome and was just fun to be around! Haka Tours does all the planning and really allows you to be in the moment, day to day. You just tell them what activities you want to do! And each little stop we made on our drives were epic in their own way. The small group was a perfect way to travel! We all became really close - I think we had 10 or so countries represented in our group. Can not recommend them enough!!! #adventureawaits

MTB Tour: Awesome experience worth its money and time. THe team of Morgan and Damian put together an amazing experience of the North Island MTB scene, dealt very well with the diversity of a mixed group of riders and coped well under pressure on difficult moments. We all appreciated their diligence in protecting us from our inexperience and stupidity . The Tour is well organised and could hardly be improved except for pre tour information (some more details or comments and videos form previous travellers would be helpful). Awesome cooking skills by Morgan just a bonus.
Can t recommend enough.

Andy (aka Baby Jesus) is not only awesome at doing his job, he also does a really great job of making the tour group feel like family, including himself.

Although I am a senior, I totally enjoyed this trip. The tour was well organized and our guide Ollie went above and beyond to ensure everyone was having a great time. I am recommending this tour company to all of my friends and family. (The only thing I would have liked to know in advance was that the dormitories were co-ed. I would have brought different pjs).

Highly Recommended! Thanks to Haka Tours, I will never forget my trip through New Zealand. I had magical days with great people and a great tour guide. The accommodations are beautiful. Maybe I'll do it again sometime

Tons of fun! The smaller 16 person group was a great size and our Haka Guide was the best (Jenny Jordan)!

The 7 Day South Island Lick tour with guide/driver Sam was brilliant fun. Very much like a road trip with friends, the countryside was stunning to watch and the towns we visited all offered a variety of interesting and fun activities. Sam went above and beyond to make sure everyone was catered for, no matter their tastes in travel activities. Would 100% recommend to anyone wanting a short, fully-packed, yet culturally and environmentally insightful taste of the South Island.

I did the epic NZ tour with haka tours and it was the best organised trip I've been on! The consultants were really nice and helpful before the trip and the actual trip was a blast. We had a wonderful guide who brought us closer to this amazing country and always helped when we needed him. Also the group was really cool and I made new friends. Definitely worth the money!

We had a wonderful experience with Haka Tours. We arranged a private tour for our group of 8 and were extremely pleased with the company and handling of all the details. We would highly recommend Haka Tours for anyone traveling to New Zealand. Robyn Braid was with us every step of the way as we began planning our trip (almost a year before we went) and we can't say enough about our guide, Geoff. He was a perfect match for us. We would, and have, recommend using Haka Tours.

Had an absolutely amazing time on the 16 day Haka Tour! The small group size was fantastic and allowed us to go off the beaten track. Probably the best part of the tour was our guide Burto. He went above and beyond to ensure that everyone was happy and could do the activities they wanted to. His enthusiasm and relaxed attitude was awesome. My only regret is that I didn't sign up for a longer tour! Thanks for an amazing tour guys!

HAKA tours does everything to make your holiday unforgettable! It was a great time on the North Island tour and we explored lots of beautiful locations. Lots of outdoor activities and many free activities to choose from. Great organisation, great atmosphere, even if you travel alone..you wont be alone long. Amazing!! Keep it up Haka tours!!

My husband and I are in our 50 s and were a little concerned about taking such an adventurous tour. But Haka is incredible! We loved every minute. There was more than enough to keep us occupied, and never felt as though we couldn t keep up. This was the best tour I ve ever been on!

Everything right from booking through to the end was just perfect!

Chris was a fantastic tour manager !!!! He made the trip so much better :)

Baby Jesus (Andy) provided a life changing and unforgettable experienced. 100% would recommend.

Absolutely fabulous North Island Haka tour with guide Katie. Locations and activities chosen were ideal and the group a perfect size of 14. Some of the accommodation could have been a little better (for the amount paid for the tour) but otherwise a fantastic experience. Katie was a superb guide with excellent knowledge, awesome bus driving skills and sensational social skills. Highly recommend Haka tours!!

Had an incredible experience doing the southern island 'lick' tour! Burto was an exceptional guide who was both a ton of fun and incredibly knowledgeable!

great tour of the bay, lovely place
lovely guides my children enjoyed themselves

Fantastic organisation, best tour operators for a trip around New Zealand!

If you wanna go crazey and be high on adrenalin, well NZ is the perfect spot. Mindblowing and breathtaking scenic views, amazing and kind people and a travel company to never forget. #hakatours - a big thanks for a epic, fun and amazing road trip with the best crew ever. And a big thanks to Daz, our tour guide for making sure we had a blast while traveling around, always with a smile :)

Best tour I've ever been on. The South Island was fantastic and Burto was a legendary guide. I laughed harder than I have in months and learned so much about New Zealand. Can't wait to go back again someday - hopefully, sooner rather than later. Don't hesitate - go with Haka Tours!

Haka tours south lick adventure. Had a fantastic time with Haka tours. Willow is a great guide! Would highly recommend this tour.

Fantastic tour, very well organised and structured to see and do as much as possible! We also had a great tour guide who was very informative and helpful