Top North Island 4WD Tours

Enjoy one of New Zealand’s original tourist attractions: a tour of the magnificent Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Your guide—who may be descended from the Māori chief who first discovered the caves—leads you underground and tells you about the cultural significance of this site. Hop into a boat and glide on an underground river, enjoying the light show put on by millions of tiny bioluminescent insects hanging above.

Step into Peter Jackson's Middle-earth with this guided group tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set from 'The Lord of the Rings' film trilogy. Learn more about the movies than you ever would by exploring by yourself with the help of your local guide. And with a shuttle service at your disposal, you enjoy a truly seamless Matamata experience.

Experience the Rotorua Monster 4x4 Thrill Ride, an adventure inside an all-terrain vehicle, purpose-built with a roll cage. With an expert driver at the wheel, you’ll climb and descend nearly vertical slopes and tilt over to an angle guaranteed to get your heart racing. Safety briefing and gear are provided so you don’t need to worry about a thing.

Ride along dirt tracks and trails on a 30-minute or 1-hour 4WD adventure in Rotorua, and experience New Zealand off-roading. You’ll explore rolling farmland and scenic native forests with an professional guide who will drive you to a viewpoint overlooking Lake Rotorua and Mokoia Island. This small-group 4WD tour is limited to five participants per buggy.

Experience our beautiful motu in comfort as we take you on an unforgettable tour. Our spacious 4WD whisks you away to the stunning and less-accessible parts of the island that some tours don't go. The Waiheke Island Experience includes breathtaking vistas across the Hauraki Gulf, beautiful beaches and some of the best venues the island has to offer. We can discuss options with you to ensure you get to do what interests you most. Our 4WD vehicle is ideal for couples or small groups (max 4 people) and we happily take children if you can provide any vehicle safety equipment they may need. The tour starts at 10.45 am and ends at 3.45 pm unless otherwise arranged. Note: tours are customised for each group and venues are subject to availability. Please visit our website for special offers.

Embark on a thrilling Blackwater Rafting adventure in Ruakuri Cave. Choose between two exhilarating tours: the original Black Labyrinth, where you'll float under glowworms and jump off waterfalls, or the longer Black Abyss, which includes abseiling, ziplining, and cave exploration. Both experiences offer unforgettable encounters with the natural beauty of the cave and take you to places impossible to reach on your own.

The gannets at Cape Kidnappers are well known to conservationists and Hawkes Bay locals but, because their colony is situated on a private station, it can be difficult to get up close to say hello. With permits to cross the land, this tour offers an experience of the bay that most visitors to Napier miss out on. Cross Cape Kidnappers Station's riverbeds, gullies and pasture in comfort and style; your journey is operated using rugged, air-conditioned vehicles.

Visit two of New Zealand's must-see attractions on this combo tour from Auckland to the Hobbiton™ Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Peek into Hobbit holes, frolic in the Shire, and get a drink at the Green Dragon Inn on a guided tour of Middle-earth, followed by a café lunch. In the afternoon, explore Māori myths and history on an underground boat ride at Waitomo, surrounded by thousands of glowworms.

Get a true adrenaline rush with this Rotorua karting and monster 4x4 experience. Based at New Zealand’s newest and longest kart sport circuit, take the wheel of a go-kart and race around the track, reaching speeds of nearly 100km per hour. Next, jump in a monster 4x4 as your professional driver takes you on an exhilarating journey through native forest.

Journey out to Wellington’s south coast, looking out over the Cook Strait, and visit the region’s only fur seal colony. Journey out to Karori Rock’s "leaning lighthouse" to meet this thriving community of once-endangered critters. Tea, coffee, and snacks are provided so you can relax and watch the seals in this isolated area that even many Wellingtonians don't know about.

While in Rotorua, the North Island’s heartland of traditional culture, attend an evening event at Te Pā Tū featuring a Māori cultural performance and a 3-course seasonal fusion feast. Learn about Māori customs tied to the lunar calendar while enjoying song, drama, and tradition in a forest village setting. Hotel pickup and return transfers from Rotorua are included for convenience.

Enjoy the thrill of driving a 4-wheel drive through rugged New Zealand terrain with this experience. With a professional guide at your side, take the wheel and head though unique and challenging forest routes. Following this, get an adrenaline rush from riding in a massive monster 4x4, this time with your guide in the drivers’ seat.

Visit the Hobbiton Movie Set on a full-day tour from Auckland that explores New Zealand's "Middle-earth," where "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" films came to life. Travel through a landscape of lush farms, then take a guided tour of the 12-acre (4.8-ha) Hobbiton Movie Set, from hobbit holes to gardens and the Green Dragon Inn. With free time to shop and explore, this tour includes transportation from selected locations in Auckland for your convenience.

Explore Tahiti on a half-day exploration on the coast of your choice. Depending on your preferences, opt for the wilder, greener East Coast or the West Coast, famous for its beaches and spectacular sunsets. If you choose the East Coast, you will be immersed in a wilderness where the mountains flow into the ocean. You will discover the mythical Point Venus and its historic lighthouse, the impressive cliffs sculpted by wind and waves, and the peaceful waterfalls hidden in the heart of tropical vegetation. If you opt for the West Coast, the journey will take you along white sandy beaches and crystal clear lagoons. Stop at the Maraa Caves, mysterious cavities surrounded by greenery, at the Tahiti Museum (optional), then continue to the famous surf spots, where the waves come to embrace the reef with power. And finally, you will end up with the Vahipai Water Garden.

Tick off the top attractions of the Windy City on this private full-day tour of Wellington. Experience the myriad delights of New Zealand’s capital as you take in the views from Mt Victoria, spot seals at Red Rocks, then go behind-the-scenes with a short tour of the Weta Cave, where the special effects for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were created. After a scrumptious lunch at the Chocolate Fish Café (included), ride the cable car over Wellington and visit landmarks like the Botanical Gardens, the Parliament Buildings and the Beehive.

Visit two of the North Island’s most popular attractions in one day on this small-group tour from Auckland. First, hear behind-the-scenes stories from the making of "The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” films on a guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set. In the afternoon, continue to Rotorua to explore the city and visit the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland where highlights include geysers, volcanic mud pools, and geothermal craters.

This private tour ensures visitors their own dedicated driver/guide for the entirety of the experience. This tour captures the best of Wellington, including scenic drives of the bays; a visit to the famous Weta Cave and Workshop; a variety of memorials and monuments; the Parliament buildings; and Old St. Paul’s Cathedral. This tour is filled with history and culture.

Visit the “Lord of the Rings” movie set on this small-group Hobbiton tour from Auckland. At the Hobbiton Movie Set, visit the home of Bilbo Baggins and peer inside other hobbit holes of the Shire—filming site of “The Hobbit” and the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogies, with a break for an included lunch in the Green Dragon Marquee.

The Waitomo Caves and Rotorua rank among New Zealand’s top attractions, offering natural beauty, geothermal features, and Māori culture in equal measure. Ideal for travelers short on time, this adventurous small-group tour takes in both places in the same day, with entry fees plus round-trip transport and hotel pickup from Auckland included. Discover subterranean stalagmites and glowworms at Waitomo Caves and hit top Rotorua’s attractions, including Te Puia Geothermal Park.

The fictional, yet globally famous, village of Hobbiton™ and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves rank among New Zealand’s top attractions. Visit both sites in one day on a small-group tour that includes hotel pickup, a delicious lunch, and personal attention from your guide. Avoid the hassle of self-driving from Auckland and admire scenic views en route. A must-do tour for nature and movie lovers short on time in the North Island.

Enjoy a 7-hour private tour from Wellington to the South Wairarapa and Martinborough. Visit a chocolate factory, olive oil press and honey factory. Savor a platter lunch at one of the wineries we visit and local cheese and craft beer tastings. On the way back to Wellington, take in views from the Remutaka ranges.

Explore one of New Zealand’s finest forest trails on this 7-hour hiking tour in the Whirinaki Forest from Rotorua. Travel from your accommodation in Rotorua into the Whirinaki Forest, widely considered among the world’s greatest rainforests. Follow your guide along hiking trails beneath the leafy canopy and marvel at mighty native trees such as ‘kahikatea’, ‘matai’, ‘miro’, ‘rimu’ and ‘totara’. Along the way, discover rich flora and fauna for which the forest is famous, and hear birdsong from the many different species of birds flying among the branches above.

Get out of Wellington for the day and explore scenic wine-making country in South Wairarapa on a private tour. One benefit of going with a private guide and driver is you can sample local wines without worrying about driving home. Visit two wineries, scenic Cape Palliser Lighthouse, and a seal colony, and relax over lunch at a top restaurant in Martinborough.