Grand Pacific Tour Reviews
The 255 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.
The 255 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.
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.
Wonderful trip North and South Island. 2
Signature Showcase
Robert & Marion, VIC, Australia, Mar 2018
A value for money adventure travelling North and South Island in the last half of March-early April 2018.
Autumn starting to creep through the land of the long white cloud. I would recommend Grand Pacific Tours and
booking through Global Journeys with an online tick off system as you proceed through your booking process.
Juliet thank you for organizing read more a hassle free trip to New Zealand.
Autumn starting to creep through the land of the long white cloud. I would recommend Grand Pacific Tours and
booking through Global Journeys with an online tick off system as you proceed through your booking process.
Juliet thank you for organizing read more a hassle free trip to New Zealand.
I had a great time on this Grand Pacific tour. Milford Sound with the wild wind and zillions of waterfalls was a fantastic and exciting experience and my personal favourite. Also the Te Anau glow worms but New Zealand was amazing with all the mountains, rivers and lakes. I learned heaps about farming from the knowledgeable driver guides.
The whole read more tour was great and all the people on the bus were friendly and easy to get along with so we had a fun and enjoyable time. The Grand Pacific tour was well run. I was nervous about booking online but Juliet at Global journeys was so patient and helpful and got me through it so I won't hesitate next time. This tour was excellent and New Zealand is a great destination.
The whole read more tour was great and all the people on the bus were friendly and easy to get along with so we had a fun and enjoyable time. The Grand Pacific tour was well run. I was nervous about booking online but Juliet at Global journeys was so patient and helpful and got me through it so I won't hesitate next time. This tour was excellent and New Zealand is a great destination.
It was an easy booking process with our agent Juliette from Global Journeys - from the tour itself to the flight arrangements.
We did the 16 day Affordable Highlights Tour. Spectacular scenery everywhere! Great bus drivers with a wealth of knowledge. We had a couple of days of rain, which didn’t dampen our spirits. I was glad we did the South Island read more first as it was a lot more hectic than the North Island. Got used to the 6am wake up calls. We were on “tour” not holidays.
Accommodation was good, meals great. Plenty of attractions were included. The highlight of the tour was The Bay of Islands. We were taken through the hole in the rock and saw dolphins up close. All in all, highly recommended.
We did the 16 day Affordable Highlights Tour. Spectacular scenery everywhere! Great bus drivers with a wealth of knowledge. We had a couple of days of rain, which didn’t dampen our spirits. I was glad we did the South Island read more first as it was a lot more hectic than the North Island. Got used to the 6am wake up calls. We were on “tour” not holidays.
Accommodation was good, meals great. Plenty of attractions were included. The highlight of the tour was The Bay of Islands. We were taken through the hole in the rock and saw dolphins up close. All in all, highly recommended.
From go to whoa everything went smoothly, not a hitch. Would highly recommend everyone. Wonderful New Zealand a trip not to be missed. Easy planning and booking, and great driver and tour guide with an excellent company.
Thanks to Madeline at Global Journeys for arranging our travel. All went very smoothly. The tour with Grand Pacific was very enjoyable with knowledgeable and informative coach drivers. I was happy they were driving on some of the roads and not myself.
Excellent service by Global Journeys & Grand Pacific. The whole experience exceeded my expectations, from documentation, the travel pack, transfers, meals, accommodation, optional tours, and the knowledge and skills of the coach driver/guide. Highly recommended!
There were lots of trip highlights - the jet boat ride, steamship TSS Earnslaw, Colonel's Homestead BBQ Dinner, and the Gondola ride and Breakfast at the Skyline Rotorua (with luge rides!).
We had a wonderful time on our 10 day trip through the South Island. It was a large group - 48
people from all over the world. Everyone was always on time and on the whole the group was
very pleasant and easy to talk to and to have fun with.
The accommodation was very good and at Franz Josef was absolutely fantastic. The rooms at Twizel could read more certainly do with some updating, but the beds were very comfortable in all hotels. Food on the whole was very good, just got a bit tired of buffets. Some of the meals were excellent.
The South Island exceeded our expectation. It was just so scenic, green and beautiful. We would recommend Grand Pacific as a great Tour Operator and Global Journeys was fantastic to deal with. We would certainly book with Global Journeys again.
people from all over the world. Everyone was always on time and on the whole the group was
very pleasant and easy to talk to and to have fun with.
The accommodation was very good and at Franz Josef was absolutely fantastic. The rooms at Twizel could read more certainly do with some updating, but the beds were very comfortable in all hotels. Food on the whole was very good, just got a bit tired of buffets. Some of the meals were excellent.
The South Island exceeded our expectation. It was just so scenic, green and beautiful. We would recommend Grand Pacific as a great Tour Operator and Global Journeys was fantastic to deal with. We would certainly book with Global Journeys again.
Jemma at Global Journeys was very patient and accommodating in assisting with our booking. Grand Pacific was well organised and ensured we saw the best in our 10 days. Our only concern would be that a couple of times the fact that we were a three share group was an oversight in provisions in our hotel rooms.
We really enjoyed our trip around New Zealand's North Island. It is definitely a good time to see the north. It was quite warm and enjoyable. We travelled with different age groups and the people were very nice. The accommodation was varied and we really appreciated staying in the same place for two nights twice.
We would highly recommend touring read more with Grand Pacific. Their staff were very courteous and informative and their good sense of humour made the trip more enjoyable.
We were very satisfied with Jemma Rosen's handling of our booking also. Well done Global Journeys.
We would highly recommend touring read more with Grand Pacific. Their staff were very courteous and informative and their good sense of humour made the trip more enjoyable.
We were very satisfied with Jemma Rosen's handling of our booking also. Well done Global Journeys.
We had a wonderful time with Grand Pacific's 16 day tour of both islands. Our coach captains Alec (South) and Kevin (North) were excellent value. The knowledge that they passed on to us was fantastic, without such commentary our holiday would have been less enjoyable.
The pace was pretty much full on, but none the less very worthwhile. Airport pick read more up in Christchurch by Vicki was excellent and she was very helpful with escorting us to our hotel. Overall the hotels were good and there was enough food for everyone.
The pace was pretty much full on, but none the less very worthwhile. Airport pick read more up in Christchurch by Vicki was excellent and she was very helpful with escorting us to our hotel. Overall the hotels were good and there was enough food for everyone.
Wonderful trip to New Zealand South Island 3
Signature South Island
Judith, QLD, Australia, Feb 2018
From day one everything went like clockwork. Global Journeys were very helpful and well organised. I loved their website for its efficiency and helpfulness prior to the trip.
On landing in Christchurch we were met by a representative of our tour company even though it was after midnight and were delivered to our hotel with a smile. Our coach driver read more was very knowledgeable about the history and destinations of the South Island. The accommodation was good and the food well presented and of a good quality. I would definitely travel with this tour again.
On landing in Christchurch we were met by a representative of our tour company even though it was after midnight and were delivered to our hotel with a smile. Our coach driver read more was very knowledgeable about the history and destinations of the South Island. The accommodation was good and the food well presented and of a good quality. I would definitely travel with this tour again.
An amazing coach tour, beautiful country , not to be missed! 2
Signature South Island Solo Travellers
Evelyn, WA, Australia, Feb 2018
Grand Pacific tour guide Tony, and driver Andrew, were excellent. So entertaining and knowledgeable. The
coach was very comfortable as was the hotel accommodation. Global Journeys were very efficient with the booking. It was an awesome holiday.
coach was very comfortable as was the hotel accommodation. Global Journeys were very efficient with the booking. It was an awesome holiday.
Overall, excellent. Our first visit to the South Island and we loved all the natural beauty. The accommodation was very good to excellent, as was the food they provided (with one exception: our 2nd dinner in Christchurch seemed to be all their leftovers!).
This was an unescorted tour, meaning that our driver needed to do double-duty - but it WAS read more promoted as an economy tour! Our driver was Maori so we learnt a LOT about Maori history and customs. On the whole, the stories were good but several travellers felt it was too much!
This was also a 9-day tour AND a 16-day tour: those who booked the 16-day version shared their first 9 days with us, then went on to Picton for several days on the North Island. We weren't told about this upfront and found out only after we joined the tour. Would it have made a difference? No, but it would have been nice to know in advance.
The one thing that we would have liked more of was photo stops. We did have them but, due to time constraints, we also missed many, many opportunities to create photo memories and had to content ourselves with a quick snap through the coach windows.
The other thing worth mentioning is that we only had the one 2-night stop on this tour (Queenstown). We understand that it was deliberately a short tour with a lot of ground to cover but it made us think that next time we'll book a slightly longer tour that includes more than the one 2-night stop.
This was an unescorted tour, meaning that our driver needed to do double-duty - but it WAS read more promoted as an economy tour! Our driver was Maori so we learnt a LOT about Maori history and customs. On the whole, the stories were good but several travellers felt it was too much!
This was also a 9-day tour AND a 16-day tour: those who booked the 16-day version shared their first 9 days with us, then went on to Picton for several days on the North Island. We weren't told about this upfront and found out only after we joined the tour. Would it have made a difference? No, but it would have been nice to know in advance.
The one thing that we would have liked more of was photo stops. We did have them but, due to time constraints, we also missed many, many opportunities to create photo memories and had to content ourselves with a quick snap through the coach windows.
The other thing worth mentioning is that we only had the one 2-night stop on this tour (Queenstown). We understand that it was deliberately a short tour with a lot of ground to cover but it made us think that next time we'll book a slightly longer tour that includes more than the one 2-night stop.
We really enjoyed our trip. The two bus drivers were excellent. Capable and informative, good natured and friendly. The accommodation was very good and the food excellent in all cases.
Apart from being a bit rushed on the South Island leg I cannot fault the trip. I would like to have had more two night stops, particularly in Christchurch. Beautiful place.
Apart from being a bit rushed on the South Island leg I cannot fault the trip. I would like to have had more two night stops, particularly in Christchurch. Beautiful place.
New Zealand is certainly a beautiful country, and a great way to see it is with Grand Pacific. The accommodation and food were all excellent and so much of the countryside we travelled was quite spectacular.
The mornings were a little early (6am), sometimes after late dinners. This made things a bit difficult when many on the coach became sick, read more including our guide, who carried on regardless and did her best for all of us. Some of us found the coach on the north island too cold, particularly if we were sitting towards the back. Overall, a good trip.
We found booking with Global Journeys very easy, and Juliet was a delight to deal with. She answered any queries immediately and making the process worry free, as well as saving quite a lot of money. Thank you to Global Journeys.
The mornings were a little early (6am), sometimes after late dinners. This made things a bit difficult when many on the coach became sick, read more including our guide, who carried on regardless and did her best for all of us. Some of us found the coach on the north island too cold, particularly if we were sitting towards the back. Overall, a good trip.
We found booking with Global Journeys very easy, and Juliet was a delight to deal with. She answered any queries immediately and making the process worry free, as well as saving quite a lot of money. Thank you to Global Journeys.
