Booking Activities in New Zealand.

Hiking is the most famous activity in New Zealand, but the country is also full of bike trails and rivers to explore in a kayak within fourteen National Parks. Even small towns like Queenstown, in the Otago Central region offers an incredible amount of adventure activities like bungee jumping, paragliding, rafting or skydiving (to name a few).

But extreme sports are not obligations, and the more traditional activities are equally interesting.

It is even possible to go skiing in the morning and to learn to surf in the afternoon because the mountain and the sea are never far away one from another in New Zealand.

Descending a river with a jet boat, swimming with dolphins or taking sunbathes on the beach, everything is possible in this country blessed by the gods. But for more relaxing holidays you might as well make the tour of wine cellars, or visit a geothermal spa in Rotorua.

Anyway, with 3,000 km of deserted beaches, New Zealand is a paradise so vast that you cannot imagine seeing everything in few weeks. While many outdoor attractions are free, others are paying and your budget may increase dramatically.

So I'll give you tips to book your activities online without paying any travel agency fees. But if this article is mainly devoted to the solutions to pay less, the main activities to practice in New Zealand are discussed in detail in an entire section of Kiwipal.

New Zealand is perhaps far away, but you can easily book any your activities on the Internet or directly on location like you would do in your own country.

Why should you pay more for a booking which you can do by yourself in just a few minutes? This is even more obvious when you realize that a travel agency won't give you access to any promotions! Of course, this implies for you to know which are the best activities in New Zealand and the websites' addresses to book online.

This is where Kiwipal intervenes and offers free guides for each type of activity recommended in New Zealand, with the list of the best organizers and their contact information.

You can also improvise on the spot depending on the weather.

The tourist offices called "iSite" in New Zealand are present throughout the country and the competent staff can book activities for free to help you.

Please note that Kiwipal do not denigrate the work of travel agents because they work like anyone else. But if you want to pay your trip at a more decent price, it is now possible to book directly without intermediaries to spare travel agencies' fees.

Therefore, if you want to experience an unforgettable paying activity such as skydiving, bungee jumping, scuba diving or paragliding, your budget can turn red in no time.

This is why you need to know some tricks to reduce your expenses, especially if you travel during the high season (December to February).

Of course, these tips are only available if you book your trip all by yourself, without the help of a travel agency.

You can almost always expect to get a better price by booking through the internet. This is the first golden rule to know. Another tip is to book morning activities because they are less crowded and therefore less expensive (usually 10% less expensive). Of course, this assumes you have the will to get up early during your holidays ...

And if you do not have the opportunity to connect to the Internet, I recommend getting the flyers available for free in hotels, campsites, or airports, because there are coupons to exchange against immediate reductions, including in restaurants.

By summing these few simple tips, you may earn 20% of discounts on all the activities of your stay.

And in a country where the best activities often cost over $100, all economies are good to take.

If several activities interest you within the same region, you should always consult the official websites of the closest cities, because they frequently offer some “combo activities”. But getting a lower price is not always a good thing, since one must be very motivated (or very young) to enjoy a Bungee jumping followed by a rafting tour and a jet boat excursion on the very same day...

Other companies consent to grant reductions if the number of participants is important. If you travel with a group of friends of at least five people, you should always ask for a group discount price, usually synonymous with a reduction from 5 to 10%.

For rentability purposes, some helicopter trips are cheaper if all the spaces on board are booked. Therefore, if you meet other travelers wishing to fly over the country, you should jump on the occasion and join them to save money.

The bookme.co.nz website (famous in New Zealand but not among tourists) is a must because it offers major reductions on many popular activities.

Thanks to Bookme, I booked several times the famous Queenstown's Shotover jet for half its regular price. But some stronger discounts even reach 80% when it comes to deals offered at the last minute or during the low season when companies cut off their prices.

Do not be mistaken, if the home page of the Bookme website gives the impression of being mainly devoted to the city of Queenstown, this is not the case and there are promotions for activities all across the country.

Promotions are often valid for 24 hours, and the Bookme website is to be checked regularly during your stay. But beware, because the most interesting offers are booked in the minute! If you find a paragliding activity for $50 instead of $150, I advise you not to miss your chance!

Bookme allows you to spice to your trip, giving you the opportunity to book great activities at the last minute and for an unbeatable price. You should take the time to visit the website to check if there are discounts on some activities you plan to do, including cruises on the famous Milford Sound.

For completeness, I must mention the discount cards that are sold or distributed as gifts by tour operators.

The number of activities available with these cards is far too limited, and if the announced rebates do exist, they cannot compete with the promotions of a site like bookme.co.nz

If you are offered a discount card for free, you can take it, of course, but I do not advise you to pay for it.

Booking by yourself on the Internet is a piece of cake, and it is even better to remain master of your itinerary to seize the best opportunities on the fly.

However, during the low season (March to November), one can book on the very same day or preferably the day before. Of course, the weather will be less hot than in summer, but you'll have the whole country for you alone with the cheapest rates. Butthis is a radical solution, probably too hard to take for a first stay in New Zealand.

But whatever the season, I advise you to always book through the Internet where competition play is in your favor. Because if professionals accept to give online promotions, they have no reason to lower their prices as soon as you pass the door of their establishment with your family and a full wallet in your hand!

Is it, however, absolutely necessary to book far in advance during the high season? I suggest not to book everything, but only the essential activities that are likely to be full. You can also keep a budget for some extra activities to be chosen on location, at the last minute.

Most activities canceled due to weather conditions are fully reimbursed by the majority of the organizers.

There are a few exceptions! Thus, a rafting tour will not be canceled due to rain because one gets wet anyway during the activity.

Rather than refunding you, some organizers may suggest a schedule change. For example, a paragliding instructor can offer you a different time slot if the fog lifts. But you can refuse and get your money back if you prefer...

Nevertheless, each company is free to define its own refund policy, and to avoid any unpleasant surprises, it is necessary to subscribe a good travel insurance that covers cancellation for any legitimate reason.

On could say that if the travel agencies only suggest paying activities, this is because they survive thanks to the commissions. After all, they must live like anyone else, but most of the activities of the country are free or charged only a few dollars on location.

You might even perfectly visit New Zealand without spending a single penny in activities but achieve a great trip anyway. The hikes are free, except for a few great walks over several days and for which you have to pay for access to the huts.

Of course, jet boat tours or kayak trips with a guide are not cheap. But these activities only represent a fraction of your budget. Many activities are cheap, like bike rentals which anyone can afford, no matter the global budget.

This is why, without planning your itinerary minute by minute, I recommend you organize your trip in New Zealand seriously.

Don't believe those who claim that a trip must be improvised to be great, because they will miss so many wonders and spend much more money than the organized people.

The summer is very pleasant, and the mild winters have maximum temperatures between 14 and 12 degree celsius from north to south.

Under these conditions, you shall not visit the country with just a t-shirt during the low season, but you won't dress like a South Pole explorator.

By superimposing three layers of light clothing, you should feel comfortable even during the coldest winter months.

Of course, I would not say that one must absolutely visit New Zealand in winter or even during early spring. But a trip during the low season (far less crowded) allows to lower the budget, with savings of at least 20% on hotel rooms, vehicle rentals and, of course, the activities!

Because tourism professionals always cut their prices when the waves of Australian and Asian tourists are leaving New Zealand.

Traffic on the road becomes almost non-existent and ski resorts open their doors.

Skiing in New Zealand is a must because if stations are smaller than in Europe or America, the magnificent scenery largely compensates. However, some great walks will be closed during the winter months and won't be available until spring.

Those that remain accessible may require the presence of an expert guide or a more appropriate equipment (like crampons at the Tongariro Alpine Crossing).

Of all water sports, only sea kayaking and surfing in combination are available during the low season.

However, you can always swim in the many hot springs of the country. Dig a natural spa in the sand of Hot Water Beach, and a spring water at 64° C will fill it and allows you to relax, even in the heart of winter.

In reality, it's not really the climate that is a problem in winter, because even if it is colder outside, the weather is even sunnier than in spring.

It is rather the low attendance which forces tour operators and many professionals of the tourism to stop their activities until customers return.

Fortunately, professionals who maintain their activities are more relaxed than during the high season when they are overstretched.

The contact will be warmer, and you will learn more about the country's history with a guide than during an old Maori dinner show repeated again and again.

Even in winter, New Zealand remains the country for outdoor activities and extreme sports. You can still go hiking in beautiful surroundings, because the majority of the countries' trees do not lose their leaves in winter. The animals do not take vacations, and you'll take the same number of pictures no matter the season.

A strenuous mountain hike is not the only way to admire the landscapes of dreams. There are endless short walks that offer spectacular views without the need to climb up steep paths.

Going around Lake Wanaka without hurry by bike creates some unforgettable memories, especially if you make a visit in a vineyard.

But you might as well opt for a tour of the wine cellars with a guide who drives the car for you...

Similarly, you can take surf lessons or enjoy a cocktail on the beach; swim with dolphins or simply admire them from the deck of a beautiful sailboat; going down the Auckland Sky Tower by jumping into the void hooked to a cable or via the elevator like most people ...

Each traveler can visit the country at his own pace and yet enjoy his vacation. Remember that each type of activity is covered in detail in an exhaustive guide, and we will be happy to advise you on Kiwipal.

If you have questions right now, I invite you to contact our friend Ben in his FAQ section below (and inside every article on Kiwipal). Have a nice trip to New Zealand!