New Zealand Wine Tours

I did not generally think this tour agent was as good as others I have used through your services. They did not seem as willing to arrange a first-class trip, particularly designed for me and my partner. Our favorite part of the trip was our overnight in Doubtful Sound, which I felt I had to arrange. Several of the views of the city (Queenstown and the Needle in Auckland ) were fine, but just the usual tourist deal and expensive. I would have preferred a half-day private tour of Auckland, for example. We wanted a half- or full-day fishing trip, which was kind of an add-on.

Zicasso’s travel company did a phenomenal job with stays, tours, and activities. In particular, we loved our room at our hotel in Tasmania, our villa on Waiheke Island in NZ, and our room at our hotel in Melbourne. Our itinerary was well thought out and exposed us to exactly what we'd hope to see in Australia and New Zealand.

Zicasso’s trip planner did an excellent job. Communication and the quality of the experiences were everything we'd expected and more, especially in New Zealand. The accommodations were first rate; the highlight was the lodge in Queenstown. The guides and drivers were professional and knowledgeable, especially those in Queenstown and Auckland. We loved the dedicated website for reference, as well as the detailed booklet and maps for both countries. 

For future itineraries, I would add another day in Queenstown and a full day in Christchurch. If days were limited, I would recommend one less day in Auckland and/or skipping the drive/train from Franz Josef. 

The only complication was the day we spent 10 hours going to and coming from Milford Sound.  I recommend doing Milford Sound by plane/helicopter from Queenstown, which would also permit seeing the glaciers/southern alps from the air. The only things we missed were the zoo in Auckland and the Blue Mountain day tour in Sydney. Next trip!

What an absolute trip of a lifetime! Still can't believe I got to swim along the Great Barrier Reef and also see Milford Sound only weeks apart. Although I tried to pack a lot in, transfers were seamless, hotels were next level, and my wife and I were able to relax through the trip (which included two massages). Plus, all of our private tour guides were genuinely fun to hang out with.

Planning the trip with Zicasso's travel specialist was easy. He provided a lot of options and allowed us to tweak things to our hearts' delight. He also catered to our love for good food, spas, and wine to set up some memorable excursions.

Our travel company also uses an app that kept our itinerary, tickets, and phone numbers in one place with no worries. We literally just had to wake up, show up in the lobby of our hotel, and the rest of the day was taken care of.

Can't say enough great things! Australia and New Zealand may be a world away from the US, but they have the warmest and kindest people in the world, with some of the most spectacular landscapes to enjoy!

This was a great trip. We enjoyed many of the activities, especially the Māori experiences, the garden tours, the glowworm cave, the first wine tour on Waiheke Island, the kiwi hatchery, and Arthur’s Pass. The guides were excellent. All were courteous, prompt, and knowledgeable, and showed a high degree of enthusiasm. The reasons we give this travel company four instead of five stars is due to the poor hotel room we had in Queenstown, the slow response from the company concerning the hotel room, and the fact that they gave us no help in choosing restaurants or making reservations. One change I would have made in the itinerary would be to have just one wine-tasting day instead of two. The other activities were wonderful… fine choices.

We had a great experience with Zicasso’s travel company. They connected us with first-rate activities and knowledgeable guides who shared so much about the wildlife, beauty, and history of New Zealand’s South Island.

We especially loved Abel Tasman, the overnight in Doubtful Sound, and traveling off the beaten path to Stewart Island.

The travel company was responsive to our needs for pacing our activities and accommodations.

A big shout-out to the travel specialist, who worked with us every step of the way and was even available in real time during our travels! The travel company helped make our journey a trip of a lifetime!