Reviews
Leonie G-September 2025
Communication prior to tour was good, John our guide was upbeat, gave us lots of information and facts about each area we passed through. Small group and John ensured everyone was included and felt welcomed. Te Puia was an amazing place to visit all guides and staff were very friendly and lots to see. The cultural show was awesome, we loved all of it. Seeing the two Kiwis was a highlight. Lunch was great, snacks on the bus were included and coffee stops and bathroom stops were catered for. Was a great day, tour felt relaxed and not rushed. Would highly recommend this tour.
Guide07392894296-September 2024
I just wanted to give a shoutout to my awesome tour guide, John! He made the trip to Rotorua unforgettable with his great knowledge and fun stories. The views were stunning, and the extra stops he added along the way to Wai-o-Tapu were a nice surprise. We even made it in time for the lady knox geyser show (not in the itinerary), which was perfect! Plus, those quick photo breaks were a blast. At the end of the day, John was super thoughtful and dropped us off wee bit away from our pick up location to keep us dry from the rain. Overall, this tour was definitely a highlight of my New Zealand trip—thanks, John!
Charlotte B-September 2024
Great trip. Lots of options available. Waitomo caves were very cool. The scenery along the way was beautiful. John, our driver, gave us lots of information about NZ and answered all our questions. John also gave me lots of tips for my stay in Rotorua. I would definitely recommend. Thank you for a wonderful day.
suziangyal-August 2024
Fun day trip spending the morning in Hobbiton (not a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings but the place is sooo cute) and then visiting the Wai O Tapu site was also very interesting. We had a long but very well spent day with John
Tayla D-Jul 2024
John was very knowledgeable and made the trip a really great experience for everyone! The tour itself was great and the day ran very smoothly!
Mel0927-August 2024
John and Joseph were stellar. Great personalities, wonderful banter. The scenery and stops are indescribable , you have to see to believe
Resort35268071015-July 2024
Waitimo caves and glow worms are spectacular! Te Puia was closed so we went to Wai-o-Tapu thermals which was also spectacular. John and Joseph were great guides, entertaining and educational. Wonderful day!
Maricel R
I appreciated our guide John because he drove safely and was nice to everyone whether he received a tip from them or not. I also appreciated the Te Puia part because the geyser erupted at the right time and our guide there was super funny. Wai-o-Tapu was photogenic and you can actually walk very close to sulfur infused water.
Katie – Jun 2023
The tour was well worth the money, the surrounding area of Hobbiton is beautiful. The set itself is great and the tour guide on set was friendly and offered to take photos for those going solo.
I was worried I would just be with families, but actually it was two other solo travelers and another pair of friends.
The tour guide John was very friendly and had a good sense of humor. He gave us lots of tips of things to do in Auckland and also gave me some additional info about Christchurch/Queenstown, which is where I am heading.
Overall it was a great day out and well worth the money. 🙂
Pioneer – May 2023
The group was great, John the driver / guide tour was super friendly and always willing to help with extra information about New Zealand attractions , history etc. I highly recommend doing the tour in a small group.
Camila – June 2023
The guide, John, knows a lot about the places and about New Zealand. He is a great storyteller.
The cave worth the tour. Te Puia is great also.
Go Places – May 2023
My Husband and I took this tour on our very first full day in New Zealand and it was such a great choice! The glow worm caves are fascinating and we learned A LOT at Te Puia (including getting to see both live Kiwi Birds and an active Geyser!).
I have been on other tours where the guide was lack luster. This was dedicated NOT the case with John. He is a beautiful gem of a human, knowledgeable and willing to interact with the traveling group. I was very impressed with his willingness to answer questions and how he managed to get everyone in the group to engage in a comfortable and easy manner.
10 out of 10 recommend this company, John as a guide, and this great day tour! You won’t be disappointed.
Sightseer – May 2023
Our tour guide John was friendly, funny, knowledgeable, and made sure everyone was safe and had a great experience. Hobbiton was fantastic, and the Waitomo Caves were beautiful! It was also great to learn about New Zealand and Auckland on the drive. Highly recommend!
Freedom – June 2023
It was amazing tour under the guidance of John and Nicholas.We learnt lots of behind the scenes information through them.
Mariano – Dec 2022
We are so happy we did this tour and had John as our tour leader. Not only he was so informative but also funny. He looked after us all very well. I can’t thank him enough for doing an extra mile. Thanks John!
Drake – Jan 2023
My wife and I booked 2 tours with Cheeky Kiwi. We took the Christchurch to Queenstown trip via Mt Cook and Lake Teakapo trip with Tony. In Auckland, we took the Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves trip with John. Both trips were phenomenal and had a blast with the group and guides! Thanks for the amazing experiences and for helping to make our NZ trip memorable!
AR – Feb 2023
WOW! Perfection on part of John our guide. He was humorous, shared his knowledge of the geography, the history of the country, and he was kind and respectful. Needless to say, our group of 16 had a fun time together.
Marie – Mar 2023
Had a great time with our guide John, he really went out of his way to make sure everyone got to where they needed to be! This tour is a bit of a juggling act with activities, so it’s best to book your two activities ahead of time. Really appreciated our guides knowledge and helping make the trip memorable, especially as a solo travler.
Eddy – Feb 2023
The tour of Hobbiton was amazing. It was an early start and a long journey but our driver (John) kept us amused throughout.
Cheeky – Feb 2023
Hobbiton and waitomo caves. Great way to meet others from around the world while enjoying scenic view drive to both tours while stopping for lunch and great way with stopping for ice cream on way back and everyone adding their favorite music song for playlist to listen. Thanks to our tour bus operator John Brown he was amazing and gave us a fantastic and enjoyable tour with taking our photos, sharing culture and lots information on NZ.
Recommend doing both tours in one day if you plan to do both as it’s 2 hour drive there each way (beautiful scenery on drive). Caves although neat to see, the boat ride in cave was very short and quick but worth to see as first time. Hobbiton highly recommend beautiful scenery, lots movie set info…need to watch again the movies again!
Hsiaochi – Mar 2023
Thanks for John give a great experience for Rotorua. But what makes me feel super friendly was he introduce the history by words and provide some information of good restaurant. That’s not his job, but he did more than I expected. Thanks for John give me a great day.
Elenor – Mar 2023
From our tour guide John, who was so funny and knowledgeable, to the absolutely incredible tour of Te Puia and my personal choice of the Redwood Forest tree top walks, to the sighting of the great Waikato River and a couple of interesting stops on the way, everything was just perfect and a fat I will always remember. Thanks so much John and Cheeky Kiwi
Magadalena – Mar 2023
John was a very friendly and helpful guide. I‘ve seen a lot of beautiful things and learned interesting things about New Zealands history and Culture. Our guide John did everything to help us and give us a great experience. Although I must admit that I think the price for the tour is to expensive.