NZ Tourguide Services
NZ Tourguide Services
5
About
Private Driver/Guiding Services in New Zealand. We are based in Christchurch in the South Island and our main business is actually Touring , anywhere in the country,be it 2 or 3 days or 2 or 3 weeks. We prefer touring in the South Island however, but often take tours also in the North Island as well. Our Tours suit small private groups or families from 1 to 10 people. Or larger groups being 10 to 15 people . (just ask) We offer : your Driver/Guide , plus a suitable size vehicle , then can help you to plan your Itinerary in your time frame and help arrange optional type activities and things you may wish to do on your trip . Costing wise all tours are costed including the driver/Guide their meals and accommodation plus a Vehicle & fuel. This leaves you free to book your own accommodation directly and also so optional type activities & entries ,with our help. We are very flexible how we plan & cost tours.
Christchurch, New Zealand

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

5.0
10 reviews
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Jessica F
Greenville, SC47 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
It's hard to know just what to say about Richard and Heather. We had an absolutely fantastic time with them over our 6 day tour. It was so nice to have a "local" doing the driving on the south island and their knowledge of the area, the wildlife, the communities, etc truly enhanced our trip. Richard was super easy to work with and very flexible with our group and our plans. We felt spoiled having both Heather and Richard with us every day, and learned so much from each of them! HIGHLY recommend them if looking for a great tour of the south island! Thank you, Richard and Heather, for truly making our trip wonderful!
Written July 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hey Jessica Heather & I are so pleased you & your family enjoyed your tour ,we really enjoyed your company as well . Thank you also for all your pretour help in the planning stages ,I think we made a pretty good team effort ! Perhaps you need to be our U.S planner , Lol ! Take care and many thanks Heather & Richard
Written August 3, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

37annabell
39 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
Four of us when on a road trip with Richard and he was nothing but amazing. We flew over from singapore to shoot the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand in Christchurch. The bride and groom along with me ( photographer) and makeup artist. Richard knew where to go and the routes to take easily. He made sure that our trip didn't end by just taking wedding photos and even brought us to his personal family farm to have a tour of the animals. His jokes were hilarious and entertaining yet always maintaining professionalism. We ended the trip with having dinner back in the city with his Wife and Daughter - started out as strangers but ended up as friends.

Thumbs up!
Written May 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hey Bell Was great to meet you and the rest of the team ,we all did have some fun together and I'm sure you will have some pretty amazing photo's for the Bride & Groom to show all their friends & family. I enjoyed watching what you were doing with your camera & creative eye capturing the various back drops. Let me know when you are ready for your wedding photo's I will keep practicing until then !! See you again one day .
Written May 21, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Richard S
Hong Kong, China15 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
New Zealand is already a great place to visit, but with Richard as our tour guide, he provided a level of service and flexibility that really made the trip more enjoyable. Whenever we think of going back to New Zealand, we always see if Richard is free to be our tour guide before we decide.
Written August 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I really did enjoy tripping you around it was a lot of fun , look forwards to seeing you when you return.
Written December 13, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

eraiden
Scottsdale, AZ1 contribution
Jan 2016 • Couples
We traveled around 5 days with Richard as our outstanding guide. He helped us plan a well thought out trip so that we saw the main highlights of the country. It was absolutely the best and friendliest tour we have ever taken - and we have been half-way around the world with many other private guides. Richard is the best. He is very knowledgeable about New Zealand so we received an education about the country as well as enjoying the beautiful sites. Our accommodations were excellent - everything was top quality.
Written July 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rose-Gul
Bucharest, Romania582 contributions
Jun 2016 • Solo
During my visit in New Zealand, in June 2016, I stopped also in Christchurch, in order to visit the city and surroundings. As It was more comfy for me to have a driver-guide with car for getting more about the area in short time, I've contacted Richard prior to my arrival in order to arrange my itinerary in the region. He gave me some good suggestions about what to do in the 3 days there and beside visiting the city (which, despite of being hard affected by the 2011 earthquake, I still consider it a city with personality) and made a tour to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, enjoying the unique Maori Show Ko Tane, then to Lyttleton, Little River and the Bay of Akaroa, for the beautiful landscapes there. Richard was very informative with lot of details about the area and most important, he is a very good and careful driver. Heather, his wife, whom I also met, is also a very experienced tour-guide (she came with me to Akaroa also). On the last day I visited talso he International Antarctic Center and I can only say, I had 3 great days in Christchurch area and I'm thanking Richard/ NZ Tour Guide Services for his great help knowledge, as well as for his kindness. For those, visiting in the area, I highly recommend Richard and Heather, two excellent tour-guides and yes, one can even arrange long tours around whole New Zealand with Richard, as he is very knowledgeable about his country. Plus, from my own long travel experience, it is always better to have you own driver-guide and not to depend on big bus tours offered by travel agencies, as everyone has own interests in a trip and privately one can better tailor all and everything as per their needs. So, just call Richard now to arrange your next trip in the beautiful Southland!
Written July 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Enjoyed looking after you very much Rose after contacting and chatting for several months prior to arriving in NZ. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels through out the country we know you would have.
Written July 11, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Fowlerbt
Greenville, SC1 contribution
Jun 2019 • Couples
Richard and Heather are absolutely brilliant! They are incredibly polite, punctual, knowledgeable, flexible, and friendly. It would be impossible to overstate the value they added to our overall experience during our trip. They worked with our planned itenerary and added in thoughtful advice and even included some stops only locals would know which added another layer of enjoyment. They go above and beyond in every way possible. If you are considering booking a private tour guide for your trip to NZ, you need not look any further.
Written June 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We just enjoyed looking after your family so much , what wonderful people and a joy to look after , thankyou ! (I know you still maybe abit upset about missing the hokeypokey icecream ,how ever ,what an excuse to come back !!) Richard & Heather
Written June 28, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

833tan
Penang, Malaysia3 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
We are a family of four and had a 10 days South Island tour with Richard. It could not have been more perfect with Richard being our guide. He is courteous, helpful, fun and knowledgeable. We will definitely come back in near future.
Thank you Richard for making our trip so wonderful and memorable.
Written January 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much it was a pleasure to look after you and your family ,we did have a fun time together. Look forward to seeing you on your next holiday this way !
Written January 5, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

hmk21
Dubai, United Arab Emirates12 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
I was a 22 year old girl traveling only with my 16 year old and 15 year old sister to a country 16 hours from our home. Planning the trip was a struggle from all the wonderful options New Zealand has to offer.

As soon as I came across Richard's website and contacted him, everything became easier. He helped us plan our whole trip through email, even though we could've backed out. He told us the best options, which routes would be most suitable, and what we had to see. He even helped us book a car and assisted us the day before our trip at the car rental.

The trip was amazing from the very start, he took us to the most beautiful places, even the hidden ones that only the locals would know. He'd tell us when to get our cameras ready, to get the perfect shot and even knows what time do the tour buses leave and arrive so we can go ahead of them and have the place to ourselves. His knowledge of his country was amazing, he'd explain everything to us and tell us wonderful stories to keep us entertained during the long rides.

Being 3 girls alone in a whole new country, we couldn't have felt any safer. It felt like home. The hospitality that him and his wife showed us made our trip.

Once we returned back home, everybody kept asking us how did you discover all these amazing places in New Zealand, our secret was Richard. We're dying to go back to New Zealand and discover the rest of the places we didn't get to explore, and we wouldn't do it again without him.

Written July 2, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It really was a pleasure looking after you girls ,you taught me a lot about modern tec and gadgets even drones ,we all had a lot of fun together and I very much enjoyed your company. I look forward to you returning to NZ one day to show the other parts of the country.
Written July 3, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Do not stay
Singapore, Singapore8 contributions
Dec 2015 • Family
Our family of 20 travelled with Richard in 2015 and had a wonderful time. Richard is very friendly and importantly always punctual. He is a local and very knowledgeable and essentially a tour guide for our route from Mount Cook-Twizel-Queenstown-Te Anua-Dunedin. During our planning process, he provided valuable input which helped our planning. He also helped to book the restaurants in advance for us.
Written June 26, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Jion ,I hope you and your family are all well ,I'm sure it is a little warmer in Singapore than here at the moment ! I really enjoyed looking after you all !
Written June 27, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

nithiyanandhanv
Tiruppur, India1 contribution
May 2016 • Family
This trip will always be a memorable one for me and my family. Richard was very friendly, from the day I enquired about the trip to the end of the trip, he was very patient in dealing things and very friendly with everyone. He personalises the trip to our needs. He was never in a hurry to do things, he always gave us time to do things. One thing I liked most about NZ Tourguide Service is that you can choose your accommodation, food and activities. Most of the tour agencies run on commission basis with the hotels and restaurants. Richard's driving was very good, he never drove rashly. He understands everyone individually in the tour and suggests activities for them. He stops in shops where you get the real taste and feel of New Zealand. He has very good knowledge. The cost was also not high compared to other agencies for a private trip. My family were very happy and were feeling very safe. At the end of the trip I got a good friend. If you are planning for a private family or small group tour around New Zealand, I would suggest you to do it with NZ Tourguide Services (Richard).
Written June 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your very kind report , it really was a pleasure looking after your family.
Written June 22, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

NZ Tourguide Services (Christchurch) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go