Global Journeys
Tours, Cruises & River Cruises
Tours, Cruises & River Cruises
Choose from 11 Kirra tours and read 17 in-depth Kirra tour reviews from past clients of Global Journeys. When you book your Kirra tour with us you'll enjoy exclusive online savings, a dedicated travel consultant to look after your booking and the best price guaranteed!
We were fortunate to be travelling with an international group of people, who although differing in personalities were always polite, easy going and respectful of each other. Furthermore, our driver/ guide Paul was very forthcoming with his wealth of knowledge of his country. By eating with the group he was able to get to know each member and convey his passion for NZ.
Our accommodation was of an exceptional standard, we often had choice at the evening meals and a hot breakfast was available each morning. We found the NZ scenery absolutely wonderful and such a contrast to the Australian outback. I personally would like to return to NZ perhaps on an agricultural tour as agriculture plays such an important part in its economy and appears so well developed.
Well organised tour with high quality accommodation and great meals. Only 9 people on the tour which left plenty of space on the coach. Our driver Chris was very knowledgeable and helpful. Our 3rd visit to NZ and we had been to many places previously but there's always plenty of new sights to see and things to do. Only downside was the cancellation of our trip to Doubtful Sound (we went to Milford instead). Whilst this was disappointing the overnight stay on the Milford Mariner was enjoyable.
Let me first say that I have booked previous tours with Global Journeys and they are brilliant! ‘Hannah’ cannot be more helpful and attentive. Even when I had issues with holiday documentation not arriving (Kirra Tours) had given delivery company wrong number, Hannah was quick to make enquiries on our behalf. Kirra Tours provided a really good itinerary which covered all the key places in New Zealand and the hotel accommodation and meals were fine.
What let them down was a lack of tour director! The coach driver ‘Andrew’ did a good job of driving, however he was no Tour Director! Yes, that’s right, all there was was a coach driver, no Tour Director on board. We received no pre-tour documentation listing optional extras. There was merely an iPad passed around on the day and we were told to write down what we wanted. There were a few elderly ladies on the tour who didn’t even know what an iPad was! There was no Tour Director on board to explain. Each day there was a simple piece of paper placed on the bus door telling checkout times etc, these were not explained very well and often times were changed without notice.
Our driver was knowledgeable about NZ however often drifted into conversation about truck/bus (mechanics!) Some of the elderly ladies had not been on a tour before and had no idea what was going on, as nothing was explained clearly! They had to rely on us (not our job). I did ask about dinner time one night and the driver asked me “what’s the point of putting the information on the door if no one reads it”.
Even the small issues of having no one on hand, (usually a job of the driver) helping people off the bus! The driver would just sit and watch them struggle down the steps. In a competitive tourism business Kirra Tours need to pick up their ball game. I will continue to book through Global Journeys but never again with Kirra Tours.
Reply from Kirra:
Thank you for your feedback following your recent tour of the North Island with Kirra. We were very disappointed to read your comments regarding the attitude of the Coach Captain who guided your tour. Although it is common practice in New Zealand for tours to be escorted by a Coach Captain only, we are introducing on-board Tour Concierges on our Classic Plus tour series in the 18/19 tour season who will work alongside the Coach Captain to ensure the smooth operation of our larger tour groups.
We have looked into the tour you mentioned in your feedback and it would appear that this Coach Captain was assigned to this trip at the last minute following a sudden illness to the original driver guide. Due to this tour departing at a busy time of year, our coach company had no option but to engage the services of a Coach Captain who was not fully familiar with Kirra’s procedures. It would appear that the service he provided fell short of both your as well as our expectations and for this we must apologise.
We recognise the importance of the driver guide to the overall enjoyment of our coach holidays and this is generally an area in which we excel. Please accept our apologies for the problems encountered as a result of the above. We hope that we may have the opportunity to prove ourselves to you again, should you choose to travel to New Zealand again in the future. Regards. The Kirra Management Team
I can’t fault the trip. It was my first time travelling alone and the travellers made me very welcome and included me. The accommodation was superb, except the first night at Wellington did not have an aircon. I managed with a fan but the coach driver didn’t even have a fan. It was a pity because the hotel was excellent otherwise with lovely food.
People do need to be aware that most of Hobbiton is uphill. There was a couple of people who struggled with the walk.
I went with my mum and sister for a Southern Panorama tour of New Zealand with Kirra. Overall experience was good but the driver / tour guide was the biggest let down. I had the unfortunate situation where my mum forgot one of her medication. You would have thought the tour guide driver would have compassion in trying to help me with finding a doctor or advising me where to go to look for help in his country. No! Instead of any of the above he meant to do he was mean and simply don't want to know. He was not helpful at all. Mind you my mishap would not have caused him any interruption with his schedules, so not sure why the treatment I received. There was no compassion, no cheerfulness at all. I did not see him once offered his hand to anyone in our group who are elderly and not too agile when getting in and out of the coach. While he is very knowledgeable about the places and good with his driving, I reckon he is in the wrong job of being a tour guide.
Fortunately for my family, the other tour members and the other New Zealander's I met on the trip were very kind, friendly and helpful. I actually burst into tears when a pharmacist I went to at Dunedin was so kind, reassuring and supportive of my predicament. She helped me to sort out mum's medication and I am exceedingly grateful. The Scenic Hotel chains in this tour is the best both quality of their food and accommodation. The one in Queenstown is the least impressive. NZ is a magical place and I will return, just hoping to have the good fortune to have someone nice as our tour guide next time. Not sure if it's only tours in NZ, in Europe and Asia their tours normally have the tour guide and driver as separate persons not combined duties like this one, it could be the tiredness hence the attitude of this driver but if that's the case he is in the wrong job.
Reply from Kirra:
Thank you for your feedback following your South Island tour with Kirra. We were very disappointed to read your comments regarding the attitude of the Coach Captain who guided your tour. It would appear that the service he provided fell well short of both your and our expectations and for this we must apologise. Please be assured that this matter has been addressed directly with the Coach Captain concerned.
Unlike Asia & Europe where Tour Directors are the norm due to the various languages encountered whilst on tour, it is common practice in New Zealand for tours to be escorted by a Coach Captain only. Having said that, Kirra are introducing on-board Tour Concierges on our Classic Plus tour series in the 18/19 tour season who will work alongside our Coach Captains to ensure the smooth operation of our larger tour groups.
We recognise the importance of the driver guide to the overall enjoyment of our coach holidays and this is generally an area in which we excel. Please accept our apologies for the problems encountered in this instance. We hope that we may have the opportunity to prove ourselves to you once more should you choose to travel to New Zealand again in the future. Regards, The Kirra Management Team
NZ is a wonderful country, every day we saw beautiful landscape. The fellow travelers are nice people and the coach captain, Dennis, is great. We enjoy the trip so much, from the booking with Global Journeys till the end of the trip. (GJ: This itinerary has been amended in 2017)
From start to finish Global Journeys were extremely professional and efficient. All of our group were friendly, mixed races such as Australia, Wales, Germany, Singapore, England, India and America, ages 23 to about 70. Our bus driver/ tour director was very diligent ensuring we were all back on the coach after each stop. He was extremely informative about every aspect of the South Island of New Zealand. Throughout the trip he kept the coach clean inside and out. The meals were superb accounting for every taste and dietetic needs and all accommodation was excellent. I would recommend Global Journeys to everyone and Kirra Tours for their wonderful tour. Look at the photo of where we took a steam boat ride to dinner!
The journey was a very smooth booking, Yvonne is very helpful and provided quick responses. The trip was good except included dinner in Hamilton, the restaurant only focus on beer brewery tour, the meal was very late, customer service was not good at all. Also not enough time during stay in Bay of Islands, we could join only one optional tour, if stay longer would be wonderful. (Ed: Review based on slightly different itinerary. Trip name and itinerary updated this season)
Offering both premium small group touring and classic coach touring means that you can see all New Zealand has to offer at a pace and budget that suits. Kirra Tours include all the must see experiences and with many varied sightseeing options ranging from cultural experiences to unique kiwi adventures included in their coach tours.
Kirra also make sure you have free time to explore and choose optional expereiences that suit you. The team at Kirra look forward to sharing with you a New Zealand experience of a lifetime.
At Kirra, we want you to get the best touring experience. Therefore each of our coaches offer large panoramic windows for easy viewing, dual entry for easy access, onboard restroom and daily seat rotation, giving you the chance to mix with your fellow travellers.
The Platinum tour collection with Kirra accommodates just 24 guests in the 32-seater coach, meaning that there are at least 8 spare seats on each departure. Read more here.
All Kirra Coach Tours are fully hosted by a friendly & experienced Coach Captain, who will not only provide kirraful commentary to give you a better understanding of New Zealand, but will also make certain that you are taken care of at all times whilst on the road, ensuring that your time with us is completely stress free and memorable.
All of our Coach Captains are handpicked to represent Kirra, based on their road safety record and passion for New Zealand. Every year our drivers go through an extensive training program to ensure their knowledge of the latest attractions is up to date. Our drivers look forward to sharing a piece of their New Zealand with you.
We have a large selection of tours tailored to budgets, durations and destinations, and all of our tours ensure you see all the iconic sights and attractions throughout New Zealand. You won't get stuck in queues or miss out on any of the attractions as everything is prebooked for you. On arrival you simply jump the queue with your Coach Captain and enjoy the experience.
Let us take care of you every step of the way, we take care of everything so you can enjoy a relaxed and worry free holiday and start enjoying yourself the moment you arrive. Kirra offers a complete package which includes all of your New Zealand travel arrangements, including transfers, meals, comprehensive sightseeing and speciality activities.
Kirra Tours have added two new coaches to their fleet which will be used on their Platinum Tours of New Zealand. These are the first of their kind and offer a new level of comfort to guests taking one of Kirra’s small group tour itineraries. Natasha was lucky enough to join the maiden voyage..
Kirra’s Platinum Tours are a collection of small group journeys that offer more leisure time, exclusive sightseeing and dining, handpicked accommodation, and luxury coaches for genuine comfort. With a maximum of 24 guests these carefully crafted itineraries showcase the iconic highlights and..
Planning your tour to New Zealand can be overwhelming. Not sure what to look for? Kirra Tours have been tailoring New Zealand experiences since 1968 and have a handy guide to help you choose your perfect trip. Choose your travel style With Kirra Tours, you can choose the travel style that..
Each of our coaches offer large panoramic windows for easy viewing, dual entry for easy access, onboard restroom and daily seat rotation provides everyone a chance to mix with fellow travellers. Safety is also a huge priority for us and this is why we can assure you that all of our vehicles are no older than 5 years old. Our personalised fleet of Kirra Coaches will have you travelling in Enviro 4 & 5 star vehicles all fitted with individual seat belts.
Kirra Tours uses a range of hotels on our coach tours, with the standard varying depending on the style of tour.
Your travelling companions are likely to be from any parts of the globe. Whilst predominantly Australian, they are likely to also be from the UK, Western Europe, the USA, Canada and many New Zealanders as well. Each year Kirra Tours identifies guests from between 35 and 40 countries which further enhance everyone's holiday experience and the establishment of friendships around the world.
Depending on the tour you choose and the time of year you are travelling our group sizes can vary from fewer than 21 people up to 48 people, so there is a great opportunity to mingle and make new friends.
We encourage those travelling solo to join us and the many other travellers on our tours as we showcase New Zealand. We offer all single travellers 2 options. Guarantee a single room by paying a single supplement. This will provide you with sole occupancy of a room with a queen or double bed each night; or we will match you with another traveller of the same gender on a twin share basis. If there are no other single guests on the tour, you will have a room to yourself at no extra cost
Triple share rooms are only available on Classics & Highlights tours. These rooms will have either a double & a single bed, or 3 single beds. Please note: In some locations, the third person may need to use a rollaway bed..
Yes, Kirra will take care of the whole family when travelling with children 2-15 years of age.There is a reduction in the tour price depending on how many adults are travelling. We will outline the costs in your quote.
Once your tour is fully paid for, we will email your tour itinerary to you so you that have a copy on hand including your arrival instructions. This generally happens around 30-40 days out from your tour start date. On arrival in New Zealand you'll be met at the airport and you'll then receive a receive your travel kit including travel bag, ticket wallet, maps and itinerary.
Tipping is not normally expected in New Zealand. If you have been given exceptional service, tipping is certainly acceptable and the amount discretionary. Some restaurants may add a surcharge for weekends and/or public holidays, which will most likely be displayed on their menu.
New Zealand generally follows an informal dress standard in bars and restaurants on most occasions. We would suggest smart casual clothes, which will be acceptable in most restaurants and nightclubs. If you are planning on eating at fine dining establishments you will need to dress accordingly. You should always pack clothes, which allow you to layer in the event of the weather turning cooler, even in summer. We would suggest packing a light raincoat or poncho for travel all year round. If you are traveling during the cooler winter months then take a warmer jacket layer and consider an under layer for warmth.
Kirra Tours offer a hotel or airport transfer at the start and end of your tour, or in-conjunction with pre or post accommodation booked with Global Journeys. All flight information must be given to Global Journeys at least 6 weeks prior to departure so that transfers can be booked. If you book your own pre or post accommodation then transfers cannot be included.
