Highly recommend this tour and the company Nomad Tours we had a great trip.We were picked up in a Tesla not what we expected by Rachel our tour guide. This was because we were the only guests on the tour today. I was impressed that the company honoured our booking even though there was only the two of us going.
Rachel was extremely knowledgeable and friendly guide more like a friend than a guide which made the afternoon very enjoyable. The scenery was amazing and the track was not difficult. On the way back Rachel received a call from the company to assist another tour group as one of their guests was ill and needed extra help transporting the remaining guests back. This meant we returned in the company bus not the Tesla but it was fine. I was impressed with the professionalism and care the company provided. Well done
Terrific half day walk and introduction to the Routeburn track, making it as far as Bridal Veil Falls. Thank you to our very friendly guide Joshua who shared his knowledge about local flora and and Māori traditions. The drive to the track’s start is simply stunning. Highly recommend. 5 stars
This was a disappointing tour for our family - my husband, myself and our 21-year-old daughter. Our guide arrived on time, but when we went to collect the next group of 4, realized that the van was too small for 7 people (how does this happen?), and we had to go to Nomad to get a larger, vey dirty van. Our guide spoke broken English, and in fact, there were times when we could not understand him at all. He was very kind, and told us to let him know if we couldn't understand him, but seriously, we would have had to keep interrupting him. He was not that knowledgeable about the area, and this turned into a really expensive taxi ride. The trail was beautiful, but you do not need a guide for this, even if you are a rookie (I think there are buses, or rental cars - you'll save a ton!). The trail is very well marked, and I think it would have been more enjoyable without a group. The guide offered very little knowledge about the surroundings; they need better training. The ride back to Queenstown was absolutely horrible. He tailgated the cautious driver in front of us, and sped the rest of the way. I honestly felt unsafe, and I'm generally a passive passenger. I reached out to Nomad with feedback, and they passed it on to someone named Ed to "investigate the case", whom I've never heard from.
I don't understand why tour companies hire tour guides who speak English that cannot be understood. It makes no sense, is unfair to the guide, and honestly, puts the customers in very awkward and uncomfortable positions.
We had so many wonderful tours on this trip, but this was horrible, and a waste of a lot of money ($400-500). I regretted booking it, and as mentioned, reached out to Nomad with no response.
If I had to do it over, I would rent a car or check for public transportation because the hike was beautiful.