New Zealand Hiking Tours

Working with Zicasso's travel agent and his team was a pleasure from beginning to end. I shared my interests and what I wanted to include in the itinerary. My agent helped me choose options that delivered on my expectations and we created the trip of a lifetime for my family.

Communication was clear and consistent. Questions were always answered professionally and promptly. Having an expert handle the logistics required to travel between the North and South Islands lifted so much weight off my shoulders – planes, private transfers, trains, ferries, seven hotels, and tours every day. The team was available 24/7 and when one tour was canceled due to weather, they quickly arranged for a replacement activity within an hour.

The hotels chosen for us exceeded all expectations. They were beautifully designed and clean, with helpful staff, great amenities, wonderful hot breakfasts, and convenient locations within walking distance to attractions and restaurants. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but we were always in a hotel with a self-laundry service at the times we needed it most.

All the private transfers, whether short rides from the airport to hotel or long rides to the next town, were in spacious and clean vehicles with wonderful drivers.

I would not hesitate to recommend this company to others and would definitely use them to plan another trip.

I can't even begin to describe what a good experience we had with Zicasso’s travel company and our Australia/New Zealand trip planning. This was a bucket-list trip for us and our agent took into consideration every one of our wishes for the vacation. It was extremely customized and well thought out. The pacing, the experiences, the memories; all of it was exactly what we wanted. If you're looking for a curated vacation fit for you, work with this travel company.

The itinerary was awesome! We had a few snafus with hotel reservations, but they were quickly resolved. The tours were perfect and all private, with excellent guides. The pace made good use of the time we had and maximized seeing the most locations in our time frame. The hotels were beautiful (especially the one in Queenstown, WOW!) and the rooms were perfect for our needs (kitchens and laundry). It was so great having everything pre-booked and guided, as it allowed us to relax and enjoy the trip and not worry about logistics. It was a trip of a lifetime.

I would highly recommend this Zicasso travel agency! When traveling so far away, it made such a difference to have everything coordinated by a professional. I have had many people ask how we managed to do so much with the time we had. Now, I don't think I can travel any other way.

If I could rate Zicasso’s tour company higher, I would. This trip was totally awesome and the agent did a fantastic job. He was there for us when we needed some help. He was also receptive to all the suggestions and information we found.

Thank you Zicasso, thank you to the team who organized this super discovery journey on the South Island. Top organization, exchanges, documentation, advice, and responsiveness. Our agent's kindness and availability convinced us to go with you in the preparation of our two-week stay, self-drive holiday. Thank you again and I wish you all the best for the future.

Overall, we had a great time on our six-plus-week trip. Zicasso's travel agent put together a great itinerary. Except for a few glitches, the trip went very smoothly.

A couple of minor complaints:

Although our Auckland hotel was nice and the staff were excellent, the room was very small, it was too far from the pier (two miles), and the breakfasts were too cumbersome. We had to schedule them and the menu never deviated.

I was confused by the multiple layers of companies I dealt with. First, Zicasso, then the travel agency. So far OK, but then I was supposed to deal with two different individuals at another partner. The Australia contact seemed to be a bit more on top of things than the New Zealand agent. At one point, when our tour guide was a no show, one of the partners told me I had to file an insurance claim. What?!? I called my travel agent and he gave me the correct answer.

Along those same lines, I thought I would hear from either of our agents at some point during the trip, perhaps at the beginning. Instead, I got handed off to their partner, whom I had never dealt with. It was rather confusing and impersonal considering the cost of the trip. Three layers of agents seemed excessive.