Reviews

Maria D – June 2024

This is a perfect full-day experience of Hobbiton and Waitomo caves. We started our journey at 6:45 am, when our giude and driver John picked us from the location we have selected. There were 8 pick up location options for that tour. The trip to Hobbiton took us 2.5 hours and we had one stop for about 15min to grab coffee and snacks. It didn’t felt like a long trip though, as John was doing great job sharing intresting facts, information on the locations we were passing by, and some really funny stories. Everything was well balanced, so it was not overwhelming, but at the same time we learned a lot and we laughed a lot. At Hobbiton we had around 20min to do some gifts shopping, before we started our guided tour to the Movie Set. This place is really magical and I took lots of pictures. They even have two fully furnished houses were you can get inside and enjoy these tiny, cosy rooms. It felt like the Hobbits were about to get back home at any time. Our Hobbiton tour took us 2.5 hours and we headed off for lunch afterwards. The next part of the trip was the Waitomo caves where we observed the fascinating glowworms. We first went through a couple of galleries through the cave and then we got on a boat to watch the beautiful light these creatures produce. It looks like a night sky with stars. Taking pictures is not allowed. At least not before you get close to the exit. The whole cave experience took us about 45min. Shout out to John who made our experience more than just a trip!

Gaurav – June 2024

We had wonderful trip of Waitomo caves and Rotorua including Te Puia with family. Enjoyed long drive from Auckland including wittiness of our guide and pilot of the trip – John from cheeky kiwi travels, Auckland. He was great and took great care of us.

Tamar B – June 2024

Great trip, service and the guide, highly recommended! The itinerary is super interesting and reasonably packed, our guide John had an amazing sense of humor, wealth of knowledge about NZ, great driving and guiding skills and was accommodative to the group’s needs. Would definitely use Cheeky Kiwi and John’s services again.

LawrenceJr – June 2024

Even though it was dark and then foggy as we started the tour, John had plenty of info to share with us about Auckland, New Zealand, and the culture. John was friendly, caring, and professional, relating to the different nationalities on our tour bus. It was a 13 hour tour to Hobbiton and the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves but it went quickly with John keeping us engaged and entertained.

Daniel – May 2024

My girlfriend and I had so much fun. John our tour guide was amazing told us stories about NZ and the culture he gave us advice where to do sightseeing and which amazing restaurants to go to. He made everyone in the bus laugh so much great tour guide John you’re a legend 5 stars highly recommended

Quest – May 2024

I’m glad to join the group to visit the place, its very beautiful, and our guide John is very kind and funny

GolferBryant – May 2024

The views were outstanding. The whole family found the tours to be engrossing and enlightening. John our driver certainly added to the experience. This certainly is a do not miss moment.

thequeenej – May 2024

Great tour led by a great guide. John made the tour enjoyable with his jokes, trivias and fun facts. He is easy to approach and talk to. He also took photos for us (which I appreciate as a solo traveler) Apart from a good vehicle with comfy seats, we were provided snacks as well throughout the trip. Glad to have booked this tour via Cheeky Kiwi!

Leslie D – April 2024

My friends and I did the “Waitomo Caves & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia” with Cheeky Kiwi Travel a few weeks ago, and were happy with our experience. From the moment we stepped onto the tour bus and met our fellow passengers, we knew we were in for a great time. Our guide, John, made the journey enjoyable with his knowledge, humor, and enthusiasm for the region. His mix of trivia and interesting factoids kept us engaged and entertained throughout the trip. And sorry John — I guess the chili candy is an acquired taste, but hope you enjoyed the mac nuts! We also appreciated John’s recommendations for restaurants in Auckland (dinner at Dr Rudi’s was great). And let’s not forget about the Hokey-Pokey! We finally tried this iconic treat and even took some Hokey-Pokey chocolate by Whitakers home with us 🙂 Overall, our experience left us with fond memories, new knowledge, and a deeper appreciation for the beauty and culture of New Zealand. Thank you, John & Cheeky Kiwi Travel, for a great tour – we’ll definitely recommend you to others.

Emilo L – Apr 2024

Awesome to able to see so much in a small amount of time. John is an incredible guide who made everyone comfortable and made the tour memorable and fun!

Nathalia F – Apr 2024

I’ve booked the tour departing from Auckland, and I gotta say, my partner and I had the best time! Our driver John was the BEST, so funny and made the whole tour super enjoyable. The tours were amazing, the tour guides had so much knowledge, respect for local culture, making it such a memorable experience for us! Can’t recommend it enough!

Jenn N Mar 2024

An unforgettable experience with Cheeky Kiwi Travel! Our guide John made the day trip to Hobbiton and Glow Worm Caves truly exceptional. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and attention to detail made the journey not only informative but also incredibly fun. From sharing fascinating facts about the locations to ensuring everyone’s comfort throughout the trip, John’s professionalism shone through. The seamless organization of the tour by Cheeky Kiwi Travel, coupled with John’s friendly demeanor and expertise, made this excursion one for the books. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore the wonders of New Zealand with a touch of Kiwi charm!

Myra S – Mar 2024

Myra S – Mar 2024 First time in New Zealand & we wanted to see something unique. We certainly did! The glowworms can only be seen in 3 locations around the world. Our guide (I can not remember his name but he joked that he looked like Danny DeVito!) was absolutely fabulous & very informative of the area. The geothermal springs were incredible. Even got to see one erupt! Again, Mimi (I think that was her name.😬 She joked that she was the guide that talked the most!) was so amazing when talking about her home. I loved her final blessing for our group! Then there was John from Cheeky Kiwi tours! He made us laugh, shared interesting facts about New Zealand & facts of our own countries! He went the extra mile by making a group WhatsApp to share his photo & links from our excursion. Even shared his Spotify playlist! Overall a great guide!! Would highly recommend this trip!

Phuong N – Mar 2004

john was our tour guide and he has a huge sense of humor! We enjoyed the day trip with a lot of information shared by John. He was so kind to drop us off at our hotel at the end of the tour, instead of at the pick-up location. One of the big plus is that the pickup was right on time and our tour guide also gave us some snacks during the trip. Overall, we’re really satisfied with the trip organized by Cheeky Kiwi Travel!

Genanthecoolone – Feb 2024

An incredible experience (i visited hobbiton and Rotorua). John, i e., the person that drove us through new Zealand was funny and made the trip even more interesting.

Dominic – Jan 2024

I went for the Hobbiton and Waitomo Cave Tour. Bus was clean, water and snacks were provided and the most important thing: John, our Tour Guide was really good. He kept the mood up in the group, as well as provided us with really interesting background information around NZ overall, as well as the different stops we had at the tour.

Monica – Oct 2023

Absolutely worth it!! We did the day trip from Auckland to Hobbiton. It’s about a two hour drive one way. John, our guide, was great and told us anecdotal stories about Hobbiton + history of NZ. Once we arrived in Hobbiton, we ate lunch (the Shire’s Rest has great gluten free and dairy free options!) and then hopped on the Hobbiton Movie Tour bus. The walking tour was about 1.5 hours and it was phenomenal.
On the way back, we stopped in Pokeno for some ice cream. We were gone from about 9:40a till 6:15p. Absolutely great!! Would highly recommend. The van was clean and very comfortable.

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.

Eleanor – 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

Magdalena – 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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Mariono – 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!

Meitei – Dec 2022

Great host and a full day of memorable activities! Pickup was about 20-25 minutes behind scheduled time but otherwise everything was as described! Guide John was wonderful, lots of information to share throughout the day and tips for our travels after. Would definitely recommend!

Moataz – Dec 2022

Absolutely amazing John was the best tour guide ever. Really went above and beyond in every way! 🙂 🙂 Extremely knowledgeable and experienced tour guide and driver. Entertained us the whole way, gave us great recommendations, and even sent us pictures. Highly recommend.

Madelin – Nov 2022

Thoroughly enjoyed our tour with John today to Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves. John was very knowledgeable and entertaining and couldn’t recommend this tour enough! A memorable day, we had a marvellous time 🙂 Hobbiton is a must!

Lachlan B – Nov 2022

John was great and made the tour so much fun. He loves a chat and got everyone socialising early on which made the experience great

Kristen – Oct 2022

My sister & I went on the Hobbiton & Te Puia tour with tour guides John & Michael who were absolutely lovely, knowledgeable, very kind, and witty. As someone who has never seen LOTR or the Hobbit, I had no idea what to expect from Hobbiton but it’s a must-see. It feels like another world and is worth every second. Make sure to get the meat pie at the end — it’s bloody delicious.

Te Puia was beautiful and learning about Māori culture from Māori descendants was very special. Thank you to Paul for giving us such a well-rounded, informational and entertaining tour.

We are headed to the south to Queenstown to do two more tours with Cheeky Kiwi & are very excited for what’s to come!

Zayid89 – Oct 2022

It was awesome and greatest to be in this trip specially which is a wonderful experience for us and especially thankful to John that the information you provided us in this journey was has been instrumental in understanding the true essence of the wonderful locations we visited

Lachlan – Oct 2022

The experience was amazing!!!! John made it the best experience possible! He was funny, welcoming, knowledgable and kind!

Kate – Oct 2022

The tour to Rotorua with John was fantastic.
He is funny and knows a lot of interesting facts about New Zealand.
He even treated us with pineapple 🍍 chocolate chunks.
I highly recommend them.

E Tay – Oct 2022

Super awesome experience with knowledgeable guide John! The Waitomo cave is amazing and it is like watching galaxy in the cave. A surprise experience to see the elegant Ostrict and a sweet time with a big ice cream! Hobbiton trip brought a impressive view and the movie set brings back the memories of the show! Beautiful weather and wonderful trip with the group. Will definitely recommend to friends!

Millsymooo – Oct 2022

Had a great travel to Hobbiton today with Cheeky Kiwi with our host and driver, John. John was very knowledge, kind and had great banter/comedy. I would highly recommend John to anyone and hope to have him again on my next booking when I return to NZ.

Bella – Oct 2022

Our family, especially my dad who is a fan of the movie, enjoyed the trip a lot, not only because of the beautiful places but also our tour guide John. He arrived on time, driving safely, and telling us the stories of Auckland and the places we went. Thanks John again. We will definitely use his service again next time when we visity Auckland again!

Jo C – Oct 2022

What A Beautiful Day With Our Witty Guide. John! He’s Punctual, Knowledgeable And Helpful Whenever We Need Him. We Experienced The Famous Hobbiton And Glowworm Cave With Reasonable Timings. John Threw Us A Few Suprices (Which I Won’t Spoil You Here) Throughout The Day. Can’t Wait To Come Back Again With My Husband And Son! Katie – Jun 2023

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.