Scenic Tours | New Zealand
Q. What is the difference between Scenic and Evergreen Tours?
A. Scenic Tours provides the ultimate touring experience with fabulous inclusions, the finest hotels and resorts, exclusive Scenic FreeChoice activities and “must-do” sightseeing - all included in the cost of your tour.
Evergreen Tours provides exceptional value, quality and service packaged up in the most affordable touring programs in New Zealand. While still featuring many inclusions, it also has numerous optional tour offerings for you to choose from, depending on your interests and budget.
Q. What is Scenic FreeChoice and how does it work with your tours?
A. Scenic FreeChoice inclusions offer the freedom to individualize your touring experiences to suit your individual taste with no extra cost to you. We understand that guests interests differ from one person to the next, so in select locations we offer a range of different Scenic FreeChoice activities or dining options. Your Tour Director will provide more details about each activity, and you simply select the one Scenic FreeChoice activity or dining experience per location that you would like, and we take care of the rest - it's all part of our fully inclusive touring, at no extra cost to you. You must select the Scenic FreeChoice option in Auckland at the time of booking. All other choices will be made while on tour.
Q. What kind of Scenic FreeChoice touring activities do you offer?
A. Scenic Tours offers the most comprehensive range of sightseeing activities of any tour operator, ranging from relaxed to moderate to active. For detailed information, see our Scenic FreeChoice descriptions.
Q. What is the star rating of the hotels that Scenic Tours uses in New Zealand?
A. Scenic Tours uses the finest hotels in all of the best locations but we tend not to specify a star rating as the star ratings in New Zealand are not the same as in North America but they are the absolute best hotels that New Zealand has to offer.
Q. What is Scenic FreeChoice dining?
A. Scenic FreeChoice dining allows clients the same kind of flexibility with their dining options in select cities that our Scenic FreeChoice does with our touring activities. We want clients to be able to experience the amazing cuisine of this great country and offer a selection of restaurants in Auckland, Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Queenstown and Te Anua from which you will choose. Scenic FreeChoice dining is also offered in Nelson on our Ultimate New Zealand (ULI) tour only.
Q. How many people are on a Scenic or Evergreen coach tour in New Zealand?
A. Our coaches seat a maximum of 48 passengers.
Q. What kind of coaches do you use on a Scenic or Evergreen Tour?
A. We use a modern fleet of luxury coaches specifically designed for touring comfort with ergonomically designed seats and plenty of legroom.
Q. Do I have to be the first on the coach every day to get a good seat?
A. We use a seat rotation system on all of our coach tours to ensure that all passengers experience their coach travelling journey from a different view on the coach each time they board while also ensuring no need to rush and panic about getting a seat.
Q. How much am I expected to tip the tour director and coach captain?
A. Scenic Tours prides itself on our fully inclusive touring concept and this includes tipping therefore nothing further is expected from you once on board.
Q. Are transfers included to and from the airport with my tour?
A. Airport transfers are included to and from the airport on the day the tour begins and the day the tour finishes. If you book any pre or post tour accommodation with Scenic Tours, then airport transfers are also included on those days.
Q. How much luggage can I bring on my tour?
A. Clients are permitted to take one suitcase and one carry on item per person on their coach tour, with sizes similar to those accepted by the major airlines.
Q. Can I share a room on tour and not pay the single supplement?
A. With Scenic Tours we are proud to offer a sharing program on our tours where clients willing to share a room will be paired up with another passenger of the same gender who also is willing to share. If we aren’t able to find another share passenger, you will get a single room at no additional cost. If you wish to guarantee a single room, the single supplement will apply. With Evergreen Tours we do offer the same share program but if we are not able to find someone else willing to share you must still pay the single supplement.
Q. What is the deposit to book a tour with Scenic Tours?
A. Scenic Tours requires a deposit of $400 per person within 7 days of making the booking in order to guarantee you a spot on the tour.
Q. How do you book a tour with Scenic or Evergreen Tours?
A. We recommend the use of a local travel professional but are always happy to offer our assistance when needed, in order to aid with your booking.
Q. How much time do we spend travelling on the coach each day?
A. The time spent on the coach will vary from day to day. We do include many 2 and 3 night stays, to extend your enjoyment of particular areas, but even on those days with only a one night stay, most days on the coach are relatively relaxed. In some instances we may be travelling all day, but will usually have sightseeing stops or alternate transportation (rail, ferry, etc.) on those days, so that actual time on the coach will not usually be more than approximately 4 to 5 hours.
Q. How much free time is there on your tours and can I extend my stay?
A. Scenic Tours strives to include as many 2 and 3 night stays as possible, which allow for a great mix of touring inclusions and independant exploration. We also balance our itineraries on travelling days to include as much free time as possible, while still enjoying the convenience of guided group travel. We are also pleased to partner with excellent hotels in our tour commencement and conclusion cities, so that you can easily extend your stay before or after your tour by booking pre or post tour accommodation through Scenic Tours.
Q. What is the average age of passengers on board your tours?
A. We welcome adults of all ages on our tours. With Scenic Tours, due to the flexible touring style of our programs our demographic generally ranges from age 45 up, while Evergreen Tours passengers tend to be 60 plus.
Q. Do you offer tours to Australia as well since I’m down here? Do you offer tours anywhere else?
A. We offer some tours in Australia that you could combine with your tour of New Zealand. Please ask for more details when you contact us. We also feature extensive touring options on every other continent in the world, including our exclusive private balcony equipped Scenic Tours European River Cruising ships ... just ask us and we’ll be thrilled to provide you with more information.