Grand Pacific Tour Reviews
The 251 Grand Pacific Tour reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have traveled with Grand Pacific. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
We had a wonderful trip. The cruise was just lovely and relaxing. It was our first cruise and we will definitely be taking another one. NZ was terrific especially the South Island. So beautiful. Our guide was very good with so much information. All over a fantastic trip.
Our driver and guide [Linda] made this holiday. Both her knowledge and information was the highlight of the trip. The ratings speak for our enjoyment. I usually do not fill out feedback requests but I felt both Global Journeys and Linda especially deserved the appreciation.
A comprehensive, safe and enlightening short getaway 1
Signature North Island
John & Inara , VIC, Australia, Jan 2019
We chose the North Island of New Zealand to experience the places we were interested in. It did this and more.
Only regret was that the hangi seemed staged; because it wasn't in an authentic Maori village.
Only regret was that the hangi seemed staged; because it wasn't in an authentic Maori village.
Grand Pacific Tour of NZ 2
Signature Highlights
John, Rosemary, Peter & Julie, NSW, Australia, Jan 2019
On everything from the start to finish we found the personal touch from both Global Journeys and Grand Pacific. We would recommend this tour.
Great holiday with coach, boat and rail travel. Highlights included overnight stay on Milford Sound, Franz Josef Glacier, Skippers Canyon tour, Haast River Jet Boat and Glow Worms Cave. Optional tours were good value. All accommodation was of a very high standard as were the breakfasts and dinners they supplied. Lunches were at own expense but the guide read more was always knowledgeable about the choices/venues available.
The small group was convivial and there were great guides on all excursions. Wildflowers, snow capped mountains, pristine lakes and rivers made every turn spectacular. From initial booking enquiry to final transfer we experienced exceptional service and highly recommend these operators.
The small group was convivial and there were great guides on all excursions. Wildflowers, snow capped mountains, pristine lakes and rivers made every turn spectacular. From initial booking enquiry to final transfer we experienced exceptional service and highly recommend these operators.
Our recent tour of New Zealand's North and South Islands on a Grand Pacific small group tour exceeded our expectations. A significant highlight was a better understanding of the Maori culture and the history of the early settlers on North Island. Our visit and tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the location of the treaty between the Maori tribes and read more the British in the Bay of Islands was a memorable experience. The overall tour itinerary was well balanced and the scenery throughout both North and South Islands was stunning and ever changing.
Travelling in style in an Ultimate New Zealand small group coach made for comfortable travel throughout the tour. The overnight hotel accommodation and service provided was excellent without exception. The itinerary balanced travel, excursions and free-time to enjoy additional optional activities really well. Having good weather for most of our 19-day trip added to the enjoyment which included a pleasant transfer by sea through the Marlborough Sounds to Picton.
For those planning to tour New Zealand we recommend viewing the video "Shadowland" to wet your appetite with stunning views of Fiordland. My wife and I rated our New Zealand Holiday better than our trip to Canada a few years ago.
Travelling in style in an Ultimate New Zealand small group coach made for comfortable travel throughout the tour. The overnight hotel accommodation and service provided was excellent without exception. The itinerary balanced travel, excursions and free-time to enjoy additional optional activities really well. Having good weather for most of our 19-day trip added to the enjoyment which included a pleasant transfer by sea through the Marlborough Sounds to Picton.
For those planning to tour New Zealand we recommend viewing the video "Shadowland" to wet your appetite with stunning views of Fiordland. My wife and I rated our New Zealand Holiday better than our trip to Canada a few years ago.
Excellent Grand Pacific New Zealand Showcase Tour 2
Signature Showcase
Marjorie Blacklaw , QLD, Australia, Nov 2018
The trip was excellent, the people were from all parts of the world and were very pleasant, the tour guides were very helpful getting off the coach, the accommodation was over 4 stars, and the food was just too good... Hobbiton and Napier were well worth seeing and the optional tour to Cape Reinga was well worth taking... The South Island was good but read more colder than I expected and snowing around Queenstown.
This tour was well planned and executed. It included the major highlights/cities/towns incorporating stunning scenery at every turn which made the long coach trips between destinations more enjoyable. The tour activities were generally good with plenty of opportunity to take advantage of other excursions where possible. The Coach Driver, Chris Hannah read more was excellent - professional, interesting, informative and importantly fun. He incorporated plenty of photo ops and comfort stops along the way. He was never late and the coach was pristine at all times. Everything ran to time and everyone on our particular tour was respectful of the start/departure times.
Fantabulous tour - excellent and friendly tour guides and drivers with excellent commentary and a fount of knowledge of local history, geography, Maori culture and customs. Great accommodation, sumptuous meals and wonderful excursions and free time for a range of optional tours. Grand Pacific has a commendable system of collecting luggage from the coach read more to rooms and picking them up from rooms to the coach on travel days.
Recommend booking with Global Journeys, very reliable and helpful. Chris (tour guide) and Jeff (driver) were excellent. Very clean coach every day, plenty of comfort stops, good commentaries along the way. Hotel accommodation was comfortable with plenty of variety of breakfasts and dinners daily. Good company with fellow travellers, lots of fun read more and laughter. This trip was well worth doing.
New Zealand rail, cruise & coach tour 2
Signature Rail, Cruise and Coach
Carolyn & Graham, QLD, Australia, Sep 2018
We had an amazing trip. Our concern was that we were doing this trip so early in the season but our fears were groundless. Apart from the last few days when it became showery and Dunedin was cold and windy the weather was perfect. As this was the first tour of the season, there were only 28 on the coach and the snow covered alps were awesome. Derrick, read more our tour director, and Lindsay and Peter the coach captains, were exceptional. Last but not least, our thanks go to Jemma for organising the trip for us.
We had a wonderful time, were looked after perfectly from start to finish, and we barely had to lift a finger! Our Coach Captain Dave was always very helpful and an excellent photographer for us. We are going to book the North Island Ultimate tour for April 2019. The bus was so comfortable, we wouldn’t tour any other way now.
Great Holiday. Outstanding coach and driver/tour leader. 3
Ultimate Showcase
Tony & Melody, NSW, Australia, Apr 2018
Took us from Auckland to the top of North Island then down through the rest of the North Island, across the Cook Straight and a comprehensive adventure through the South Island ending back in Christchurch.
Highlights were The Hole in the Rock (Bay of Islands), Geysers (Rotorua), Art Deco buildings (Napier) and Te Papa Museum. Crossing the Cook Straight read more to South Island then experiencing the recovery work from earthquakes at Kaikoura coast through Christchurch. The Mountains, with Arthurs Pass and Haast Pass. Queenstown , Milford Sound (with waterfalls) and beautiful Dunedin. Capped off with Mount Cook scenery and a great farewell in Christchurch.
Small group concept in "Ultimate" coach works very well. Our group developed into a virtual "family" over the 19 days.
Highlights were The Hole in the Rock (Bay of Islands), Geysers (Rotorua), Art Deco buildings (Napier) and Te Papa Museum. Crossing the Cook Straight read more to South Island then experiencing the recovery work from earthquakes at Kaikoura coast through Christchurch. The Mountains, with Arthurs Pass and Haast Pass. Queenstown , Milford Sound (with waterfalls) and beautiful Dunedin. Capped off with Mount Cook scenery and a great farewell in Christchurch.
Small group concept in "Ultimate" coach works very well. Our group developed into a virtual "family" over the 19 days.
New Zealand Showcase was an amazing way to see both the North and South Islands. Grand Pacific was a great company to travel with and provided comfortable coaches with very experienced drivers, great accommodation, delicious meals and fantastic itineraries. There were only 15 passengers on the North Island section of our tour so we had lots of room read more on the coach and it took no time to load and unload the coach. We enjoyed the North Island and loved participating in the Maori culture.
The coach was almost full on the South Island leg of our journey but all passengers were friendly and easy going. We travelled in April and saw a fair amount of snow, with fresh falls between Te Anua and Milford Sound. We were fortunate to meet Peter Harding, the Managing Director of Grand Pacific Tours, and participate in some promotional filming whilst on this tour. This was lots of fun and added to our amazing experience in New Zealand. Hannah from Global Journeys has organised a number of tours for us over recent years and it has always been easy and problem-free.
The coach was almost full on the South Island leg of our journey but all passengers were friendly and easy going. We travelled in April and saw a fair amount of snow, with fresh falls between Te Anua and Milford Sound. We were fortunate to meet Peter Harding, the Managing Director of Grand Pacific Tours, and participate in some promotional filming whilst on this tour. This was lots of fun and added to our amazing experience in New Zealand. Hannah from Global Journeys has organised a number of tours for us over recent years and it has always been easy and problem-free.
Grand Pacific was an excellent tour company. Everything was so well organised and the itinerary always went to plan. The tour guides/drivers on both islands were so knowledgeable and nothing was ever too much trouble for them. There was such a friendly mix of people on the tour and everyone got along so well.
Both North and South Island had so many read more beautiful places and things to see and we had just the right amount of time to get a look at all the main places. Also enough time to do the optional extras. The meals and accommodation were usually very good. We could not complain about anything. I would not hesitate to plan a tour with Grand Pacific or book through Global Journeys again.
Both North and South Island had so many read more beautiful places and things to see and we had just the right amount of time to get a look at all the main places. Also enough time to do the optional extras. The meals and accommodation were usually very good. We could not complain about anything. I would not hesitate to plan a tour with Grand Pacific or book through Global Journeys again.
Had a good mix of people and all seemed to get on well together. We were especially lucky with the weather.
Well looked after, sometimes too much travelling time on bus versus tourist time at stopovers. Would love to have had Napier included. Some confusion with travellers over policy of tipping drivers which needs to be clarified.
The whole world all in one place. When it comes to natural geography New Zealand has it all. 4
Signature Highlights
Brian & Lorna, VIC, Australia, Mar 2018
We flew into poor old Christchurch, still rebuilding from the 2011 earthquake. We were amazed at the resilience of the locals and how they have coped. A visit will renew your faith for in the human spirit. The South Island of New Zealand is just a picture album which turns the page with virtually every corner you turn. If you are lucky to have read more good weather you see it at its best and it becomes a photographer's delight. With a national population of over 4 million and heading quickly to 5 million, I am glad we experienced it while it is still unhurried and relaxed. Tourist's are still welcomed as guests by the locals, still happy to help guide and advise you. Sadly the only drawback is that most tourist traps are a bit on the pricey side, especially for families - but on the other side, all seemed to be well maintained and generous in what they offer. There was enough free time in the larger towns and to visit many free museums, galleries and entertainments. The tour included activities were great and have laden us with many happy memories.
Our 16 day Grand Pacific tour of North and South Islands was particularly well run and organised. From the time we joined the tour to the last day at the airport we never handled our luggage. The hotels were as good as could be expected considering the areas explored, we never found cleanliness below par. The final hotel in Auckland, The Calthorpe gives the impression that it is due for a revamp although still clean and warm and extremely well placed at the edge of the CBD. Evening meals were usually buffets style and varied from place to place and occasionally showed a lack of imagination but once or twice surprised. Each island had its own bus and driver/guide and that seemed to work very well, with excellent commentary; although at times the driver had to labour on while our group was relaxing inside.
There are only two things that could be improved for me to reach total satisfaction. As an amateur photographer one of the buses had its windows cleaned only a couple of times on the tour and soon devalued the clarity of some pics. The other bus was immaculate all the time. The other point for me was that in the North Island, time spent travelling in the bus from Wellington to Rotorua was excessive and really needs another day to explore out to Napier and Wairoa. The Bay of Islands was the final area to be enjoyed - and it was. Excellent weather and the catamaran trip made it a great place to visit. The hotel was excellent. I would recommend this trip and consider it to be very reasonably value.
Our 16 day Grand Pacific tour of North and South Islands was particularly well run and organised. From the time we joined the tour to the last day at the airport we never handled our luggage. The hotels were as good as could be expected considering the areas explored, we never found cleanliness below par. The final hotel in Auckland, The Calthorpe gives the impression that it is due for a revamp although still clean and warm and extremely well placed at the edge of the CBD. Evening meals were usually buffets style and varied from place to place and occasionally showed a lack of imagination but once or twice surprised. Each island had its own bus and driver/guide and that seemed to work very well, with excellent commentary; although at times the driver had to labour on while our group was relaxing inside.
There are only two things that could be improved for me to reach total satisfaction. As an amateur photographer one of the buses had its windows cleaned only a couple of times on the tour and soon devalued the clarity of some pics. The other bus was immaculate all the time. The other point for me was that in the North Island, time spent travelling in the bus from Wellington to Rotorua was excessive and really needs another day to explore out to Napier and Wairoa. The Bay of Islands was the final area to be enjoyed - and it was. Excellent weather and the catamaran trip made it a great place to visit. The hotel was excellent. I would recommend this trip and consider it to be very reasonably value.
Great holiday with lots to see and do. Highlight Wanaka air show. 1
Classic Warbirds South Island
Susan & Paul, SA, Australia, Mar 2018
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. However we were not impressed with our airport pickup. The guy did not even hold up any sign, was not wearing a Grand Pacific shirt and in the end we only found him due to the help of another pickup person who asked us who we were looking for. To make matters worse he took off and we struggled to follow him.
We read more did find the extremely early starts and very late dinners a bit challenging and also, when we had to find our own dinners, there was not much help or information given. A 3am wakeup for the extremely early flight home was in our opinion unnecessary. A later flight would have been preferable. Arriving in Melbourne homeward bound with 2 and a half hours to spare, we only just caught our flight due to the utter chaos at the Virgin bag check. Signs pointing in the wrong direction and totally unhelpful Virgin staff.
The airshow was fantastic and New Zealand met all our expectations. The people on tour with us were all very friendly and we got on well. Queenstown was exceptional.
We read more did find the extremely early starts and very late dinners a bit challenging and also, when we had to find our own dinners, there was not much help or information given. A 3am wakeup for the extremely early flight home was in our opinion unnecessary. A later flight would have been preferable. Arriving in Melbourne homeward bound with 2 and a half hours to spare, we only just caught our flight due to the utter chaos at the Virgin bag check. Signs pointing in the wrong direction and totally unhelpful Virgin staff.
The airshow was fantastic and New Zealand met all our expectations. The people on tour with us were all very friendly and we got on well. Queenstown was exceptional.
Great holiday with great people on the tour. Coach captains, Chris and Riki, were great as was Paul our tour leader. Their combined knowledge and personalities were very suited to their work. The coach was comfortable and the accommodation was very good as well. New Zealand is a wonderful country and we had superb weather on both islands. Would highly recommend Grand Pacific.
