Bush and Beach help you make the most of your time in Auckland. We are leaders in sustainable tourism and offer enjoyable, innovative small group guided tours in and around Auckland. We will help you find out about Auckland city or explore the stunning rainforest and beaches of Auckland’s west coast. From Auckland we have daily tours to Hobbiton movie set, Waitomo caves, beautiful Coromandel or a range of vineyards. From hotel pick up to drop off our guides will keep you entertained and informed while our fleet of modern vehicles makes sure you are comfortable throughout your tour. With over 35 years of experience we can help make your time in New Zealand unique and unforgettable
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Truly awesome tour. Did it on my last day in NZ and really wish I had done it sooner. Everything was well organized and Damien was an absolute gem - not only provided transportation but was so eager to share kiwi culture with us. Couldn’t have asked for a better guide!
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 had a great time on our Hobbiton and glow worm cave tour. Seamless pick up from our hotel and on time. Our tour guide Damian was very informative, passionate and knowledgeable about all things Hobbiton and New Zealand and made the trip extra immersive and enjoyable. He went above and beyond for each member of the group and my partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our day.
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.
Over the top service and tour! As a Canadian not familiar with Auckland, I was unaware that there were two Sudima hotels in the city! So right from the beginning of this tour, my day was crazy! But wonderful! They don’t pick up from the Airport Sudima but they came and got me anyway! I forgot my wallet at Hobbiton and didn’t notice till halfway back to Auckland. Ben and his staff made sure I got my wallet back to. E the next morning before I left New Zealand the following day! On top of that, the tour was amazing, the scenery was gorgeous and the driver and tour guide Ben was outstanding! Kio Oro!
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.
Early pickup at the hotel in Auckland to get to Hobbiton by 930. The drive is seemingly made shorter by the knowledgeable driver who talked about New Zealand and gave a back story for the set of Hobbiton (Thank you Damian!). The tour itself seemed rushed but that's the nature of the area. Alot of people they have to push through so have your cameras ready to go. Decent amount of time after the tour to wonder around and take photos. The lunch was amazing and seemed to hit many/all dietary concerns. After a few minutes allowed in the gift shop it was back to Auckland via the back roads. The green/mountainous region was gorgeous to view as we headed back to the city. Back by 4pm and missed the bulk of the rush hour traffic. Great Tour, would do it like this again for sure.
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.
Had a fun and informative tour with well organized and knowledgeable guide and driver. We covered a lot of territory, saw high country and beaches with stops to get out and experience nature. Enjoyed a tea, coffee and biscuit recap before heading back to our drop off hotels.
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.
Wayne lead our small group tour from Auckland to Hobbiton and Waitomo. He was so informative, well organized and funny too! This is a great tour which allowed us to relax after a lot of long days touring on our own. It was great the Bush & Beach handled buying tickets at Hobbito and Waitomo, reserved lunch buffet at Hobbiton (which was unusually good), and also gave us a voucher for the gift store.
Written 30 November 2023
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 had heard that the film set tour was fabulous, and it was. But even more so, we enjoyed the ride out to the studio and back. Damian, our driver/guide, was a wealth of history, local lore, tourist info, etc. He made us feel extremely well taken-care of throughout the day. What a great bonus to an already great day!
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.
Lovely walk through NZ natural rainforest. Very informative guides, learnt lots about natural species and pest control. Lovely carvings with explanation of their meaning .Piha beach is a dream.
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 went to Hobbiton with Bush and Beach tours. It was amazing, Damian was a special highlight for me. The way he told stories on the bus there and back was so interesting. Amazing company with even more amazing people working for them.
Written 25 November 2023
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.
Michelle was great host while touring Auckland. Very informative with fun entertaining stories. Erin and Kelly took over and just kept the information and fun coming for the afternoon nature portion. Absolutely beautiful views and a nice easy trail walk completed the day. It was a nice blend and I wouldn't hesitate to book with Bush and Beach again.
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 will be in Auckland on November 9 staying at the Rydges Auckland Hotel and I am totally blind. I am interested in taking the Auckland Shore Excursion: Small group coast and rainforest tour. Since I am traveling alone, I would need to be picked up and dropped off at my hotel.
I would need guidance getting to and from the bus/van, but otherwise I would be no trouble. Before I sign up online, I would like to make sure you would be willing to allow me to be a part of your tour. I’m sure the narration would be very interesting.
Thank you for your consideration.
Good Morning,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Unfortunately this tour includes three hours of walking through the rainforest, along the top of cliffs etc with numerous natural hazards. For the health and safety reasons, we would have to allocate a personal guide and we do not have the resources on 09 November.
I apologise that we cannot assist.
Kind regards
Ben
Bush and Beach
Hi, I'm interested in your blackwater rafting and kiwi tour. I noticed that it returns back in Auckland at 6:30pm. Is that enough time to get back to the airport for an international flight at 11:55pm or does that cut it too close? Thanks for your help!
Hi there,
Im on Auckland from 11th of july for a couple of nights.
Ive read you pick up from some hotels. Im not staying in a hotel, im a 15-20minute walk using air b and b, from auckland central. Am i still able to come to the tour? Wheres the nearest pick up and drop off for myself?
Thank you.
Hi.....We pick up from all the major accommodations within the inner Auckland city area. We can advise you of a suitable pickup point when you book.
Thanks .
Hello. We will be in Auckland only on January 22 and 23 and my husband and I would love to take your small group tour to Hobbiton. I do not see availability for those days. Is there a possibility of a cancellation?
Hi there,
We are fully booked for these dates but if you wanted to email us with your contact details we can let you know if seats become available. Sorry I am unable to share an email address through this portal but you can possibly visit our website for more information Bush and Beach
Thanks
Krystle
Bush and Beach
Thanks
Krystle
Hallo, we are keen to go for a Hobbition movie set tour, and wondering whether the pick up can be arranged from St. Martins Waldorf Apartment Hotel (6-12 St. Martns Lane, Auckland)? Also just to confirm the tour would be only Hobbiton set, no glowworm cave, etc. (since we have already done that). Many thanks.
Good Morning Jennifer,
Yes our tour just visits Hobbiton. We cannot pick up from the Waldorf St Martins as access is quite tight for our vehicles but we can pick you up from the lower lobby of the Langham Hotel which is 100m away.
Kind regards
Ben
Hello,
I fly into Auckland at 7am and I must be back at my hotel by 6pm to check into my tour group. I can't miss the 6pm timeline. Is it possible for me to tour Hobbiton, or am I out of luck? Thank you.
Hi, thank you for your query. As the tour departs Auckland City at 7.00am and you conceivably won't be through Immigration and Customs until 8.00am, you wont be able to join the tour.
If however your flights gets in earlier (a lot of flights come in at approx. 5.00am), you should be able to take a cab to the Rainbows End Fun Park on Clist Cres. which is the closest pick up to the airport. Pick up time there is 7.10am.
The tour will be back in the city by 3.30pm, depending on traffic.
Please accept our apologies as I thought we had answered this query. We only pick up from the Spencer on Byron for private tours. Otherwise we ask that you wait at either Global Culture, 164 Quay St or the SKYCITY Grand Hotel, Federal St.
What kind of transportation did they arrange to Hobbiton? And are there any stops along the way or is it direct to Hobbiton/could you give an estimate of how long it took? Thanks!
Thanks for your inquiry.
We have a range a vehicles - from a luxury 8-seater people mover to a 17-seater Mercedes Sprinter. We also have a 33-seat mid-coach for busy days (but only put a maximum of 25 passengers in it). We stop for coffee enroute. Travel time from Auckland to Hobbiton is 2 hours 35 minutes including the coffee break.