The reasons why Private Guided Tours beat Self-Drive trips
View the comparisons and advantages of our exclusive, private guided tours to self-drive trips of the South Island of New Zealand.
The key advantage of a Guided Tour v Self-Drive
If you consider only one reason to take a guided tour with Wildsouth Discovery over a self-drive vacation in South Island, it is this…
We guarantee you’ll see MORE on our tours than you would driving a rental car with a pile of maps!
We will take you off the beaten track to places that you would never discover on a self-drive vacation.
We’ve been refining our itineraries since 1994 when it all started with my original tour company, we know the best places to stay, places to visit, the most fun activities to do, and the most delicious cafes and restaurants.
There is no need for you to do long hours of research!
All of our tour itineraries have flexibility so that no two tours are ever the same. While our tours follow set itineraries, the routes and attractions are by no means written in stone.
We can design an itinerary specifically for you, to best suit your timeframe and specific interests so that you can make the most of your time in South Island.
South Island may not look like a big place but navigating around the countryside can be deceptively tricky. What’s the alternative? Simple! Take one of our guided tours. But don’t take it from us…
“We enjoyed 8 action-packed days, visiting places on the South Island’s West Coast that we’d previously either driven past, or simply not realised, were available to explore. Because of Brian & Paula’s knowledge of the area, no highlights were missed. With their explanations of the history, Maori legends, and botanical information, we were able to fully understand and appreciate what we were experiencing. Their choices for accommodation and meals was top notch, without costing a fortune, and really showed how much effort they put into exploring all the aspects, prior to our trip. All of these features, together with not having to drive, mean we can highly recommend traveling with Wildsouth Discovery. Wonderful Hosts & Guides”.
As our tour guest, you will receive an authentic Kiwi experience and get a feel for what life is really like in South Island.
How different is driving in New Zealand?
Kiwi roads can be nerve wracking to drive. Our roads are predominantly narrow, windy and in many places, mountainous, even our “highways” but with beautiful vistas on either side making for picture postcard images. On a guided tour with Wildsouth Discovery, you will be able to look at and appreciate the dramatic scenery instead of concentrating on the task of driving on demanding roads.
Driving on the left
We drive on the left in New Zealand. That means NZ cars are right hand drive (steering wheel and controls on the right). No hassle of driving, dealing with roundabouts or remembering to drive on the left on a guided tour. No refuelling. No hidden car insurance costs. No fiddling with maps or GPS. Road layouts are different in New Zealand as well. Where you might find a crossroads in North America, you’ll find roundabouts in New Zealand. When entering a roundabout, you give way to traffic from the right. We love roundabouts!
