Haka Tours

No. Haka don’t have a single supplement - around 70% of their guests are single travellers.

We recommend booking as soon as you know you can travel, and have decided on which tour you would like to go on. Some of their tours can be quite popular so it’s best to secure your spot as soon as possible.

More important than age is attitude – Haka have found over the years that if you have a thirst for adventure, then age is no barrier. On tour you’ll meet like-minded adventurous souls in their twenties, thirties, forties and even young-at-heart travellers in their seventies!

The majority of their adventure guests are aged around 25-40; about 40% of their Snow tour guests are between 18 and 30 years of age. Haka Plus tours are aimed at the 40+ market, but that doesn’t mean that a 28 year old wouldn’t feel at home in this smaller group.

The minimum age of joining a tour is 18 years old. Sometimes the group may head out to a bar and because New Zealand has strict alcohol policies, everyone needs to be 18 years old. If you’re 17 and about to turn 18, send us an email and we’ll see if we can help you get on tour. If you’re looking for a party bus vibe, their tours are probably not for you. Haka want to give you the best time seeing the best of New Zealand and making the most of this epic experience so you leave NZ with a bus-load of stories and some new-found friends.

All Haka tours include the following:

• Transport
• Passionate kiwi guide
• Accommodation
• Breakfast

Check each tour page as each tour has specific inclusions that are part of the price – a few examples are traditional carving, a trip up the Queenstown Gondola, a hāngī or ride on the famous TranzAlpine Express train.

We can offer a discount for 4 more, please enquire at the time of booking.

Haka's pricing is very competitive. Unlike a lot of their competitors, with us you get so much more than a bus pass. You get accommodation, transport, a unique guide and so much more. Each tour details what you get for your money!

If your travel dates don’t fit with the start date of the tour we may still be able to work out a way for you to meet with the tour. Just let us know your travel dates and if we can make it happen, we will.

Haka Tours is 100% Kiwi therefore your guide will be English speaking. Haka often have a number of nationalities on tour meaning the guides are used to tour members not being 100% fluent in English. Some basic English helps so you can understand the guide’s commentary and instructions. By the time you leave the tour you will be speaking Kiwi English – sweet as bro!

Haka strongly recommend taking out travel insurance once you have booked your tour.

Yes! Around 70% of their guests are solo travellers and they have a great time, meeting a bunch of like-minded people that quickly become great friends.

Yes, groups are most welcome on tour.

It depends on where you are flying from, major airlines flying to New Zealand are Air New Zealand, Virgin, Jetstar, Qantas and Emirates. We can organise these for you.

The tours finish at varying times, for most tours they will finish around 5-6pm on the last day so a flight later that evening will work. If your adventure tour finishes in Christchurch and includes the TranzAlpine train you won’t arrive until around 6:30pm so a flight from 9pm onwards would be suitable. Just take in to account check in times if you’re looking at international flights.

Snow Safaris arrive in to Christchurch around 10pm on day 7 so it’s best to book post tour accommodation for that night and fly out the following day. You can do this online at the same time you book your Snow Safari.

One of the great things about booking with Haka Tours is your trip advisor can make pre and post tour arrangements. Let us know what you would like to do and we can look in to options for you including additional transport, accommodation and activities.

We're happy to arrange door-to-door airport transfers for you. Prices range from around $20 NZD to $40 NZD depending on the city. If you email us your flight details 7 days or more before your tour starts, we'll book everything in for you. Public airport buses are also available in the cities where their tours start and finish - these usually cost around $8 - $20 NZD depending on the distance to the airport.

Yes, however some of them are weather dependent and Haka might not know until on the day if they are going to be cancelled.

Yes, but Haka cannot guarantee availability (especially during peak seasons) so if there is anything you definitely want to do, it’s best to pre-book. Your guide can book additional activities while on tour, just let him know a couple of days in advance and he can make arrangements.

Haka run a tour tab system where additional activities and add ons are added up at the end of the tour and payment is made to the guide either in cash or credit card (Haka accept Visa and Mastercard).

You will be refunded for any activity that is cancelled due to poor weather. Some activities may be available at a different location, so if you miss out, there will hopefully be another chance before your tour finishes.

Popular activities are bungy jumping, sky diving, cave tubing, white water rafting, dolphin swimming and jet boating. A day trip in to Milford Sound is also very popular, you can do this during your full day in Queenstown. Haka's advice, as always is to pick what suits you.

It depends on what you would like to see. The North Island has more volcanic landscapes, and access to Māori culture whereas the South Island has more dramatic landscapes with the Southern Alps and the rainforest on the West Coast.

If you are here for skiing, definitely come to the South Island as we have quite a few ski fields close to the main cities. Haka run their 7 day Snow Safari Tour that runs once a week from the end of June to the end of September.

Pricing for solo travel with your own room is on each itinerary page. Select the option from the dropdown above the pricing table.

If you would prefer to have your own room while on tour, it is a good idea to upgrade. Many private rooms will have an ensuite bathroom attached; however in some locations you will have a private room with shared bathroom facilities due to the hostel layout. Please note that some tours have shared 'cultural nights' where private room upgrades for that specific night may not be available.

It is best to let us know in advance, so Haka can let the hostel know. In Auckland and Wellington there are 24 hour reception desks, however at Haka Lodge Christchurch, the Lodge Manager will need to leave a late pack out for you.

Haka ask for tour groups to be put together in dorm accommodation, so you are sharing with people you are familiar with. You are able to request female-only dorms, but this may mean sharing with other girls outside of your tour group.

Most of the places Haka stay at will have laundry facilities, this will vary depending on the property. Some places will have machines which you can use for a couple dollars a wash, or a service wash will be offered where the hostel/lodge staff will do the washing for you for a charge.

Your guide will supply a continental breakfast each morning of your tour. This will consist of cereal, toast, spreads, yogurt, fruit, tea, coffee and juice.

Lunches and dinners are at your own expense. Hakas' guides know the best places in each town and city depending on your budget and what you are after, and they will point these out on the way into each location.

Some nights the tour group may choose to cook a meal together. You will head to a supermarket to get everything and then cook as a group at the hostel. Whoever joins in splits the cost, and it usually works out to be about $7 – $10 NZD per person. A fun, social and cheap dinner.

Likewise the tour group and guide often head out to a local pub for a beer and a meal. Meals can range from $15 upwards. In summer it’s not uncommon to have a BBQ washed down with a few drinks.

A hāngī is a traditional Māori way of cooking food in a hole in the ground using heated rocks. The food tastes amazing. Haka include a free hāngī as part of any Adventure or Haka Plus tour that travels to Rotorua.

Yes – Haka often have vegetarian/vegan guests and all cafes and restaurants in New Zealand offer these options. If you can’t see any on the menu just ask, as most places will happily prepare something for you.

Please let us know in the ‘Special Requirements’ section in the booking form if you have any food allergies. Haka can then arrange for your tour guide to have the right cereal, milk and bread available for breakfast on day one. Your tour guide can then purchase more supplies as you travel around. If you have a severe nut allergy, you will need to bring an Epi-Pen with you.

You can bring a suitcase or backpack up to 20kg. Haka will have a trailer where you can store this as you travel around. You can also bring a day pack which you can have in the van with you.

If you will have more luggage than this, send us an email and we can check if there will be room in the trailer for any extra bags. Alternatively if you are starting and finishing in the same location, you may be able to store your bag at the hostel while you are on tour.

Tipping is not compulsory in New Zealand, however is much appreciated. If you feel you have received excellent service and would like to show your gratitude a tip will be accepted by your guide who will be very grateful. There are no set amounts or guidelines on tipping in New Zealand so what you feel comfortable with will be just fine.

Wi-Fi is available where Haka stay so you can keep your family and friends up to date with your New Zealand adventures. Some places will offer a certain amount of free Wi-Fi and some places will have a charge, it all varies depending on the location and what the property is able to offer as internet is quite expensive in NZ. You may purchase a local SIM card from local provider – popular ones include 2Degrees, Spark and Vodafone.

At most, you may walk to a scenic lookout on a well maintained path. For the more adventurous there is sometimes the opportunity to do a bridge or rock jump into one of our rivers or lakes, however this is completely optional of course!

The North Island is typically warmer than the South Island; however at any time of year we can expect rain and cold winds. We are known to have 4 seasons in one day, but fingers crossed we will have nice weather while you are here!

In summer, you can expect the highest temperatures to be around 20 – 25˚C on average, and about 10 – 15˚C on average in winter.

The best thing you can do is bring layers, so you can add or remove clothing depending on the weather – and don’t forget sunscreen and sun glasses, as the sun in New Zealand can be harsh.

Haka have flexibility with the tours. Hakas' guides will make stops along the way at places of interest that aren't weather dependent such as wineries, so you will still see some awesome places in the rain!

Aside from food, you might want to budget for drinks if you choose to head out at night, or additional activities. The cost of the activities depends on what you are wanting to do, prices for our most popular activities can be found on our website and we can check the cost of anything else that is not there.

Drinks in New Zealand can range from $5 to $12 NZD depending on what you are drinking – ie: a tap beer will be cheaper than a spirit or glass of wine.

Haka have three Toyota Coasters that have 22 seats, and a Ford Transit that has 12 seats. One of the reasons Haka only have small group sizes is to have plenty of room left in the buses as you travel around to stretch out!

The tour guide is a multi-skilled ball of energy. From introducing the group members at the start of the tour, to sharing their knowledge of NZ, they are so much more than a bus driver.

As an experienced guide, they also have the flexibility to take the group to different stops depending on the mood of the day. If Haka have a bunch of Gelato lovers, you can bet your guide will find a great spot to pull over for a stop.

They can also suggest places to eat and drink in the evening, and can even help get a BBQ going.

There will be times when your tour guide will need to spend time on paper work, reconfirming activity/accommodation bookings and making sure the vehicle is clean and maintained so if you don’t see them around they’ll most likely be off doing the ‘housekeeping’ side of things, however they will be around later in the day.

Generally they only speak English and some Māori. If you would like a guide that can speak a specific language, then a private tour option might suit you.

Yes – our tour guides go through certified First Aid Courses every two years which is the standard in New Zealand. They can assist until professional help can be reached if required.