Kiwi Experience – Everything You Need to Know
At RatPack we love abit of New Zealand and absolutely everything it has to offer, it’s THE home of adrenalin, beaut scenery – we’re talking lakes, mountains, glaciers and it’s THE spot for the adventurous and the explorers! Sammy boy spent 2 years bouncing around NZ and has seen so much of both the North & South Island and lived in the epic Raglan…. {epic little chill surf town make sure you get it on the list – yewww}
If you’re thinking of travelling New Zealand, you’ve may have heard of the Kiwi Experience. It’s a popular option for backpackers who want to hit up the many unreal spots in NZ and the epic activities it has to offer with an epic group of travellers and a driver/guide.
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Ready for an adventure?
The Kiwi Experience is an experience like NO other and we love that >>> The Kiwi Experience is New Zealand’s most popular backpacker bus company, it’s a combination of transport, trips and destinations and a really EASY way to travel. With so much to see & do in NZ they have a range of different passes to suit everyone and hit different spots & routes. You can even choose your start and end point to suit your itinerary and budget > we can even get all RatPackers 10% off all passes.. EVEN if they are on sale, saving you $ every step of the way.
How do the passes work?
The buses are ‘hop on hop off’ which means you can hop on and off as much as you like along the route, the kiwi experience is not a group tour with a set itinerary, its a bus pass which allows you to hit up the best spots and do any activity you feel like with a group of fellow travellers. You can stay in places for as long or as little as you like, the beauty of the Kiwi Exp is that it’s YOUR trip and you can be flexible if you fall in love with a place {trust us… you will}.
You have a year to use your pass, so if you get stuck in a spot, it’s all good! With all of the passes there are minimum times – so bear this in mind when checking out the passes. The buses are super comfy, modern and you’ll have informative, entertaining commentary, plus heaps of activity discounts, walks and awesome photo opportunities!
Before you go...
- Decide when you want to go to NZ {FYI – Autumn/Winter runs from March – September & Spring/Summer runs from October – February}
- Work out how long you want to spend in NZ – we recommend spending at LEAST a month if you want to properly explore both islands
- Check out all the different passes here, there are SO many different options to suit each explorer and to tick off those bucketlist experiences AKA skydiving, bungy jumping, white water rafting and more.
- Not sure which pass? Hit us UP and we can help you for sure, don’t forget that we can also get all RatPackers 10% off any pass even if it’s on sale {all about that money saving… UNO}
- Once you’ve decided which pass you want, how long you’ll travel for and your start and end point, we’ll get it all sorted for you! The Kiwi Experience will book you on to all your buses and guarantee your first night accommodation in each place. We’ll send you your itinerary and you are G to G {Good to go in RatPack speak}
with RatPack Travel?
When you are in NZ...
- Now all you need to do is arrive in your starting location in one of the pickup hostels and begin the adventure.
- Your bus driver will be your tour guide, activity organiser and banter provider {what a job title!} whilst you are on the bus this is your GO to person and is there to answer any questions & change your buses.
- Whilst on the bus, your driver will tell you what epic activities are available at each location, they’ll pass around a clipboard and you’ll be able to sign up – E A S Y.
- Kick back… enjoy it and make those memories!
Our favourite spots in NZ
- Queenstown
- Franz Josef Glacier
- Taupo
- Milford Sound
- Paihia
- Lake Tekapo
- Raglan
From our RatPackers
Ratpack is the best. I made super late travel plans for driving from Sydney to Brisbane and they were able to to find me a van and under my budget! Request to have Greg as your agent, guys is a legend!
Amazing, fast, stress free service 😊
With thanks to Jenna from RatPack Travel, I have booked our self-drive NZ road trip. Jenna was very helpful and friendly. Just one more thing....GO PIES!
I never had so much fun booking an adventure. Jenna was an absolute treat to talk with and she found with some effort, exactly what we were looking for. We were half way around the world from you but it never felt that way Cheers!!
Reuben was a huge help in getting a campervan booked for both NZ and Aus. Process was incredibly easy for us, he did all the work. Would highly recommend
Ben was super friendly and helpful securing/ booking a campervan for my friends and I!! Made the process very easy and quick. Definitely recommend this company!
Just booked a 6 berth camper through RatPack Travel. Ben was great to deal with, answered all my queries and got me sorted for my upcoming trip with no hassle. 100% would recommend using RatPack Travel!
Jenna is class!
Jenna helped me sort a camper van for a great price for my trip to New Zealand stress free. She also give me plenty of information to help plan my trip. Couldn’t recommend Ratpack enough. Thanks again.
Mikey was so knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and helped me find the perfect camper for a trip to WA with my partner over Christmas! Literally within minutes after sending a message to these guys via Whatsapp Mikey rang me and was so friendly and instantly knew that I could trust him to find what we were looking for!! So brill how he constantly kept me informed of what was happening with research on his hand- sooo great to not have to be on the phone to different companies myself. I couldn't recommend Mikey and his team more highly. They know what people want and need they get it done!! Absolute legend Mikey!😀
RatPack were amazing and helped us find the perfect van for our very last minute roadtrip. Even after a first unexpected hiccup with a van company, Mikey went above and beyond to find us something in our budget and for our timeframe. Would recommend 100%!
Friendly staff who also works efficiently by taking me through all the options I have according to my preferences! Will definitely book with them in the future!
Jenna has been so helpful getting our tassie trip organized with unreal discounts!!
Ben! What can we say, we gave you the run around with dates and requirements and you pulled through for us on a last minute booking in NZ. Couldn’t have asked for better service! Quick, efficient, friendly. You’re a legend. Thanks Ben and thanks RatPack - NZ here we come! Alex, Andrew, Max, Henry and Will Carter :)
I got helped by Reuben. The first contact was late in the evening and the next morning Reuben got us a great camper. I got quick reaction and proper answers to my question.
