Guy, our tour guide was fantastic.
I was supposed to take this trip multiple times before and during COVID but due to government restrictions in Australia and New Zealand I wasn't able to take the trip straught away. Topdeck was very helpful with this and made it hastle free even with the confusion and cancellations.
The Topdeck app needs serious improvement but served its purpose to get us in touch until we were able to make group chats on other platforms.
The itinerary was not up to date so my budget was thrown off, there was no wifi or charging ports on the bus, and some of the accommodation was questionable. Nomads in Wellington in particularđ€ą
But the group, guide and sights mafe up for it.
Our guide/driver Guy was extremely welcoming, funny, knowledgeable and kindhearted. Alongside him were some amazing people I got to meet and experience the beauty of New Zealand with. The freedom and ability to do certain activities or have free time while having accomodation and transport sorted made the trip so much more enjoyable.
The trip was awesome! Beautiful scenery and the tour guide/ bus driver knew so much information, was friendly and made everyone feel comfortable (thanks Guy!) The trip felt slightly rushed and unorganised. Our guide also told us that the trip itinerary we were given when we booked was over 7 years old and we shouldn't read it!! TopDeck could have at least updated this, especially when some of the activities were $200 different from the expected to actual pricing. Also stated in the itinerary we were meant to have many orientation walks and other included activities, however, we only had one walk the entire trip, and it was very short and unnecessary as we arrived at 4 pm and were leaving the town at 8 am the next morning. Would be much more appreciated in the towns we had full days in. Also, the app is outdated and barely worked. Travellers tried to contact topdeck or the trip leader but turned out the trip leader didn't even have access to the chat! The app also logged out almost every time which was very annoying when trying to organise dinner or meet-ups with the other people in the group. Also wasn't a fan of how they organised payment for the additional activities on the trip... It would've been much better if we got told at the start how they went about it, as many of us took out copious amounts of cash to pay for them but then turned out we could just transfer.
More prior planning from TopDeck would've made this trip perfect! But highly recommend this trip!
Trip was exceptionally organised, social for sure and all round fun! It would be appreciated though to have the downloadable trip notes updated so there was a better/ more certain idea of what we were getting up to on the trip each day, and more group dinner bookings would have been fun. Hands down have had the trip of a lifetime with no regrets and since day 1 was already keen to do this again!
it was good value for money
This was my first top deck tour and to sum it up it was amazing! Lots of things were ticked off my bucket list during this trip. The trip leader was wonder very knowledgeable about the places we went to and they also knew how to have a good time and have a laugh with the group. The trip is very fast paced and there's always something to do, though you can choose to have some downtime which is also nice. The only downside for me personally is I wish we had more group dinners so we could all sit-down together and get to know everyone throughout the trip and not just at the end. However I have come away with so many great memories and friends from around the world. Such a wonderful experience for my first tour! Definitely doing another
Great trip, canât fault it at all - just wish it was 20 nights and wasnât as rushed. Stuffy hostels (but not Topdecks fault) AMAZING TRIP
My only recommendation would be to stay a few extra nights in a few places like, Franz Josef Glacier as we got bad weather the 1 day we were there and lots of people missed out on activities. The dive to Milford sound was also really long, it would have been nice to stay in the town before hand so we werenât travelling so much. Although they didnât change my amazing experience it might be cool to extend the trip. 17 days wasnât enough, it was just so much fun :)
trĂšs bien dans l'ensemble, dommage que tous les participants n'aient pas payĂ© le mĂȘme prix et qu'une remise est faite Ă l'approche de la date donc les gens qui ont rĂ©servĂ© longtemps Ă l'avance paient le prix fort.
Not having enough spots for everyone to do an optional activity is not good enough. I went on this trip for three activites, none of which I was able to do. There were many things in the itinerary that we didn't do? Most of the walking tours didn't happen and we didn't visit Arrowtown which I was very much looking forward to. The accommodation was appalling in some locations. The tour leader was a fantastic driver but very unprofessional. I wouldn't travel with Top Deck again after this experience.
Simply the travel costs and accommodations would have made this trip worth the price. On top of that there was expert knowledge provided and several activities offered.
Perfect amount of time overall and in each place.
I swam with dolphins one day, then flew in a helicopter to a mountain top the next! AMAZING!
Sick as bruh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely amazing tour with an exceptional guide. He was full of knowledge about all the places we visited, and when weather got in the way of our plans, he came up with alternatives. Made so many new friends and nothing felt rushed but we got to see so much of the country. The places we saw were beautiful, but the people was what made the trip. Amazing first solo travel experience and I'm already keen for more. Cannot thank Guy (our guide) enough for all that he did for us. Had so much fun, and never once felt stressed - just like it should be on holiday!
It was a great place to visit , New Zealand is a place to go if you're want to do action and adrenaline sports , the weather on the other hand is almost unbearable , it can sunny one and the next raining and snowing
The north and South Island was done really well. Lots of fun
The itinerary was great, we visited so many of New Zealand's greatest attractions (the scenery has to be seen to be believed), our guide had an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of his country, and most of our accommodation was comfortable. The trip started off on an incredibly high note with blackwater rafting through the Waitomo Caves and our stay at a traditional MÄori village, and each subsequent destination made me wish I hadn't waited so long to visit New Zealand.
This is my second Toodeck trip, however, this trip was run by Kiwi Experience and it was not what I expected. I still had a great time but the trip was not as seamless as my previous trip. My understanding is that New Zealand is just starting tourism again and Topdeck has a temporary agreement with KE to manage the New Zealand trips. Additionally, I felt that that 17 days was not enough time! Some locations felt very rushed and it would have been better as a 21 day trip.