Welcome to my Haka Tour Review. Now, If you follow me on Instagram (Insert shameless social media plug here), then you are aware that for the last 16 days I’ve been romping around backpacking New Zealand small group tour with Haka.
The last 16 epic days have been through the rolling hills of North Island, and the vast mountain landscapes of the South Island of New Zealand. Visiting National Parks, and having incredible adventures. The landscape is almost rivals Camping in Yosemite.
While the tour was amazing (brace yourself for a cliché) all good things, even New Zealand guided tours must come to an end.
Over the last few days, I have been reflecting on the highlights of the tour and what made Haka Tours an incredible experience.
For the next few hundred, excellently written words ( cough) let’s talk about what stood out about Haka Tours, and what made my travels with them so incredible.
Why Visit New Zealand
New Zealand is an incredibly scenic country, and its landscape varies from snow-capped mountains and glaciers in the south to rolling green hills and stunning coastlines in the north.
There are also plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities in New Zealand, from skiing and snowboarding in the winter to hiking, biking, and kayaking in the summer. And, of course, the locals are known for being warm and welcoming, making it easy to feel at home in New Zealand. Plus, the country’s Maori culture is rich and fascinating, offering visitors a unique glimpse into New Zealand’s history and traditions.
There are many reasons to visit New Zealand, from its stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife, to its world-class wine and food scene. New Zealand is also a great place to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and skiing.
Who Are Haka Tours New Zealand
Haka Tours is a specialist in Maori culture and adventure tours when backpacking New Zealand. We offer an extensive range of tour options, including small group and private tours, that will take you off the beaten track and show you the real New Zealand. Our team of local experts have an intimate knowledge of the country and its culture, and will ensure that your New Zealand holiday is truly memorable.
Our most popular tours include:
– The Best of New Zealand Tour: This comprehensive tour takes in all the highlights of New Zealand, from the towering peaks of the Southern Alps to the sandy beaches of the North Island.
– The Kiwi Experience: If you’re looking for a fun and action-packed tour, the Kiwi Experience is perfect for you. From bungy jumping to jet boating, this tour has it all!
– The Maori Experience: Discover the unique Maori culture on this tour, which includes a visit to a traditional Maori village and a performance by the world-famous Haka warriors.
Best Group Tour in New Zealand
Haka Tour Review
So what Haka tours the best group tours in New Zealand. Let’s break down why this company is so special.
The Haka Tour Guides
Have you ever done a tour?
If you have then, you know that a guide makes or breaks the tour experience. I’ve done my fair share of trips and have had both good and bad guides.
I’ve had guides that didn’t care if the group was having fun.
They rushed us to every site as if they were dying to get to the hotel to melt into their bed for the next twelve hours and binge-watch Netflix.
I’ve had one guide, in Jordan, on the opposite spectrum. He was a blur, running around randomly jumping off rocks while striking poses, jumping in everyone’s photos, and running in all directions doing – who knows. (I wish I were making this up, but I’m not)
The point is he was having so much fun being the center of attention, and trying to make everyone laugh that he forgot to guide.
Andy, my guide on Haka was perfect.
Why?
Andy, my Haka guide cared more than any other guide I’ve ever had on a tour. ( And I’ve traveled with more than one New Zealand escorted tour)
With Andy we never felt rushed; he took a bunch of secret spots (We watched the other tour buses pass), and genuinely wanted us to have an awesome time.
You could tell he was having as much fun guiding us around his country as we were having in it.
If all Haka guides are like Andy, it is easy to see how this company has become #1 ranked New Zealand tour.
The New Zealand Landscape
Personally, what draws me to New Zealand is the landscape.
Almost daily my head was whipping back in forth taking in the crystal blue lakes, the rolling hills, epic vistas, and craggy mountain ranges. New Zealand encapsulates a sense of grandeur.
I have flown around New Zealand and also driven, and let me tell you, it is a country that was made for driving and it is the best way to see the unbeatable landscape.
Wait! Let me rephrase that statement.
Being a passenger in a car is the best way to see the country. That way you can focus on all the surrounding beauty and landscape.
My Haka tour took me to some of the most amazing landscapes I’ve ever seen.
The People
One thing I have to cover in this Haka Tour Review is how they run their tours. Haka focuses on small group tours. Haka only has a max of 16 people per tour! (Which is a perfect number in my opinion!)
Sitting on a bus with 40-50 people having the same conversation for days while getting to know everyone is not for me.
I like small tours because you bond with everyone and they tend to be less clicky. The people on our tour were awesome. The good thing about a small group tour is that age doesn’t matter. When you are on bigger tours people around the same age tend to form a group together.
We had people from all corners of the globe. We had a young couple from Singapore, a police officer from Scotland, and people from Europe, America, and Australia.
We had a little international family as we headed to the best points of interest in New Zealand.
We all cooked together, hiked together, and shopped together. No one was excluded.
Instant Access to the Best Adventures
There are a lot of adventures to have in New Zealand. The perk of traveling with Haka is that you the guide will manage all your adventures on the bus.
This means you pick and choose your adventures on the go! You just let tell the guide and he books everything for you. Talk about stress-free!
Haka is the only company in New Zealand that lets you book adventures on the fly! Which makes it the ultimate coach tour!
Also when you order the tour can already book the activities you are sure you want to do and Haka guarantees the availability of activities pre-booked.
I had a ton of epic adventures on my Haka Tour!
Some of my highlights were.
Lord of the Rings Fans will love wandering Middle Earth and seeing Hobbiton.
Tongariro Crossing with Tongariro Expeditions.
Swimming with Dolphins with Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura.
Bungee Jumping with Aj Hackett.
A Scenic Flight and Cruise over Milford Sound with Air Milford and Southern Discoveries let me see the Fiordland national parks, at Milford Sound, from the air.
(I’ll be writing about all of these so make sure you sign up for my newsletter, so you don’t miss a thing)
However, Haka also had some activities included that I have not seen another company give.
First the Maori cultural night. I have done these before on a tour of New Zealand, but it was an added price.
With Haka, it was included.
One of the highlights of the cultural night was the Hangi. This is the traditional way Maori cooked food. They bury the food with heated stones in the ground, and over time it cooks. Cooking the food on the ground kept in the flavor, and I spent gorged on chicken and potatoes until my pants dug into my sides. Yes. It was that good!
The Alpine Express is a stunning train journey to Christchurch.
Haka Tour Customer Service is Outstanding!
To start finishing up my New Zealand escorted coach tour review is that Haka is a great company that cares about customers.
On the first day of our New Zealand tour, a girl fractured her ankle.
She wanted to continue the tour but knowing it wasn’t practical decided to leave. ( She had such a good attitude about the whole thing)
What did Haka do?
They put her up in a private room in one of their hostels for a few nights,
Haka cares about the people who trust them with their New Zealand experience.
The Verdict on this New Zealand Coach Tour
Would I do a Haka Tour again?
For sure, the guide, people, activities, and trust I have in the company made Haka a fantastic tour.
In fact, I am planning exciting stuff when them later this year It’s all hush-hush for now, but make sure to stay tuned.
All opinions in this post are my own. If you are interested in taking the Haka tours and experiencing New Zealand guided tours book through this link. There’s no doubt in my mind that you will love backpacking in New Zealand.
You pay the same price and I get a small commission that keeps the travel blog afloat and allows me to help other travelers for free!
I hope you enjoyed this Haka Tour review, and if you are going to New Zealand make sure to check them out.