Reviews and travel ratings on Red Carpet Tours in New Zealand (94% from 16 reviews)

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16 written reviews:

Red Carpet Tours
Colin007's avatar

Colin007

from Australia

Ranking: 10/10

What a fantastic tour!!! The experience of Vic & Raewyn made sure we visited some great locations that you would never s…

What a fantastic tour!!! The experience of Vic & Raewyn made sure we visited some great locations that you would never see on a normal bus tour, and together with their background of each beautiful spot made you feel like you were part of the movies. The special guests at some of the locations just raised it to a new level.

With the excellent choices of hotels, restaurants and shops along the way makes it a complete package tour, for the young & old.

A special mention to Daniel Reeve for his brilliant work and patience with some "beginners" just made it a once in a life time experience.

If you are thinking about booking a tour, don't think about it, just do it. You will not regret it.

Reviewed 12 June 2010 and experienced in April 2010

Red Carpet Tours
perchikb's avatar

Ben Perchik

from United States

Ranking: 10/10

The tour guides, Vic and Raewyn James, are the best I've encountered in my 45 years of touring. They make their tours t…

The tour guides, Vic and Raewyn James, are the best I've encountered in my 45 years of touring. They make their tours the most memorable I've experienced.

Reviewed 18 September 2009

Red Carpet Tours
Bradley's avatar

Bradley

from Australia

Ranking: 10/10

Absolutely WONDERFUL!!! Vic and Raewyn have put together something very special that NO LOTR fan should pass up. Add t…

Absolutely WONDERFUL!!! Vic and Raewyn have put together something very special that NO LOTR fan should pass up. Add to the unique movie locations and the wonderful production people you will meet just the sheer beauty of NZ and its warm and welcoming people and you have a tour that is world class and worth every cent! Thank you Vic and Raewyn for an experience Shane and I will never forget. Remember we are still booked for the second film premiere tour!

Reviewed 23 August 2009 and experienced in March 2009

Red Carpet Tours
jen's avatar

jen nolan

from Canada

Ranking: 10/10

What an absolutely perfect way to get a good taste of New Zealand! Being able to see gorgeous country on both the North …

What an absolutely perfect way to get a good taste of New Zealand! Being able to see gorgeous country on both the North and South island was absolutely amazing. Vic and Raewyn were fantastic, so welcoming and helpful; if you needed anything they were there to assist and set up any excursion you might want to do. The trip ran so smoothly, the accommodations were marvellous, the food was incredible, and the way everything was planned out was unparallel. I cannot wait to go back! As soon as I have the money I will be on the first plane over because it is most certainly worth every dime spent! For all those LOTR fans out there RCT is an amazing way to see the country and to see all your favourite movie locations. Standing on top of Edoras surrounded by mountains, is just absolutely breathtaking. Not to mention all the fun adventurous things you can do like Zorbing and the Flying Fox! I would recommend this tour a hundred times over!

Reviewed 22 April 2009 and experienced in March 2006

Red Carpet Tours
thewagband's avatar

Brian Ostering

from United States

Ranking: 10/10

Vic & Raewyn created a wonderful tour! It included many of the sites that you see in the Lord of the Rings films and mo…

Vic & Raewyn created a wonderful tour! It included many of the sites that you see in the Lord of the Rings films and more. My wife and I truly enjoyed ourselves and would recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in seeing New Zealand and the Lord of the Rings sites!

Reviewed 25 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
amanda w's avatar

Amanda Williams

from United States

Ranking: 10/10

I'll basically just re-iterate everything everyone has already said - RCT is THE best experience in New Zealand, even mo…

I'll basically just re-iterate everything everyone has already said - RCT is THE best experience in New Zealand, even more so if you are a "Lord of the Rings" fan. Vic and Raewyn seem to be superhuman, but yet so friendly that you automatically feel like part of the family. They are really the ones who deserve all the credit. Red Carpet Tours hold a very special place in my heart, and, if I could afford it, I would go back again and again. Everything from the accommodation to the side trips to even the surprises along the way are handled brilliantly. When you embark on a Red Carpet Tour, you can rest assured that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the incredible ride. And Red Carpet tourists are some of the most diverse, fun people I have ever met. You become like family on a Red Carpet Tour, and nothing is too crazy or too silly. I can't wait for my return journey!

Reviewed 19 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
honeybunny's avatar

honeybunny

from United Kingdom

Ranking: 10/10

A great holiday, whether you're a Lord Of The Rings fan or just want to see NZ outside the usual tourist routes. In our …

A great holiday, whether you're a Lord Of The Rings fan or just want to see NZ outside the usual tourist routes. In our case we had one of each. We saw parts of NZ we would never have seen if we'd gone on our own, with all the hassle taken care of for us.
Unlike other tour groups we have gone round with it very quickly felt as if we were going round with a group of old friends, including Vic and Raewyn - our fantastic hosts.
All the provisions made for us couldn't be faulted, and the care taken of us was superb. Especially in my case. In my mid 60s, with bad knees and hips, I had been worried about how I would cope. Needn't have worried, everyone was very patient and there was always a hand there to help my husband get me up hills, down hills, through streams etc. And I loved it all.I would recommend it to anyone who loves the book, the movie, or just wants to see a fabulous country in a unique way, leap onto the Red Carpet as soon as you can.And get Vic and Raewyn to introduce you to Hokey Pokey icecream - I think I've got the name right.
And look for the place that seels Chilli Chocolate - sounds crazy, but is FANTASTIC! Just like the RC.

Reviewed 11 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
Susi's avatar

Susi

from Italy

Ranking: 10/10

Simply the best.
With Red Carpet Tours middle earth is truly laid out before you in a vast tapestry of New Zealand land…

Simply the best.
With Red Carpet Tours middle earth is truly laid out before you in a vast tapestry of New Zealand landscapes. Be you a dyed in the wool LOTR fan or just want to throw yourself into the many primeval beauties of the country itself this is the only way to go. There is truly something for everyone at all times…all the way through the tour.
Vic and Raewyn are wonderful guides with a great and loving knowledge not only of their country but of all things LOTR and have some great behind the scenes stories that trickle through the tour. Needless to say they have thought of everything. First rate hotels, restaurants (the food along the tour is incredible – from the mom and pop bakeries to the vast array of restaurants through N and S Island) The days are full of adventure and discovery, the evenings are full of fabulous dinners and Vic will even point out the Southern Cross way up in the night sky. Needless to say it is thrilling to see the locations in all their natural glory but at times even more moving are the new discoveries you make along the way - the discovery of New Zealand itself. There is a magical progression from middle earth to New Zealand to Aotearoa, the Maori ‘land of the long white cloud’. Another wee bit of magic happens when the tour group transforms into a Fellowship. Lasting friendships and a feeling of family have grown and plans are already being made for that return trip. I’ve toured with Vic and Raewyn three times now and find there is always something new on the program
together with a very happy surprise or two…or three! When I see Vic at the airport to meet me I feel like I am coming home.
So whether you are looking for middle earth, or a unique way to really tour New Zealand, Vic and Raewyn and Red Carpet Tours are THE way to take you there…and back again!

Reviewed 08 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
fangornlady's avatar

fangornlady

from Germany

Ranking: 10/10

Unfortunately there was no tour the time I visited NZ, but thanks to Vic & Raewyn I was well prepared for that wonderful…

Unfortunately there was no tour the time I visited NZ, but thanks to Vic & Raewyn I was well prepared for that wonderful country!!!
THANK YOU for every kind e-mail I received in advance!
THANK YOU for each recommendation you gave!
A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU for you extra warm welome at the airport and the "vulcano-special" on our way to Auckland central !!!
And an EXTRA SPECIAL THANK YOU for my magic second day in NZ at MATAMATA with RCT - I´ll never forget that very first step into LotR-location experience you gave to me, Vic!

People around the world - choose RCT!!! It`s worth every second and every NZ dollar you spend!!!

Reviewed 08 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
rachel b's avatar

rachel b

from Australia

Ranking: 10/10

I wholeheartedly agree with the other comments written here, about how wonderful Red Carpet Tours are. I would also add…

I wholeheartedly agree with the other comments written here, about how wonderful Red Carpet Tours are. I would also add that the accommodation was fantastic, at some of the hotels you're almost treated as a movie star, the food was absolutely brilliant and you are taken to some of the best eateries around, and the organisation of the tour was unrivalled. I have done other group tours and there's normally some hitch in the tour planning, but my Red Carpet Tour ran so smoothly and it was never a problem to fit in any optional activity that you wanted to do, Vic and Raewyn took care of everything. The experience was just perfect!

Reviewed 07 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
micheledear's avatar

Michele Ray

from United States

Ranking: 10/10

I've been a fan of LoTR since I was a little girl - in fact, my father couldn't decide whether to name me after Arwen or…

I've been a fan of LoTR since I was a little girl - in fact, my father couldn't decide whether to name me after Arwen or Eowyn, and made up a hybrid of the two names as my middle name. When my husband and I went on this tour for our honeymoon, we had high expectations - and were braced for the inevitable disappointment that high expectations usually bring. Imagine our delight when our highest expectations were far exceeded by our experience! Vic and Raewyn were consumate hosts and made us feel like family from the moment they met us at the airport. All the others on the tour were excited, too, and by the second day we were all fast friends - it's been three years and we're all still in touch, visiting eachother when we can and feeling like your favorite relatives. Each night we would comment to eachother over dinner that that day had been the best experience ever, and each morning Vic and Raewyn topped the previous day! By the fifth day we absolutely could not believe it could possibly get better and yet each day it DID.

I'm sure this seems like very high praise indeed and quite improbable, but it's only the truth. We encountered other people on other tours and were able to compare notes with some of them. We found that Red Carpet Tours was the best - and I'm sad to say that many of those other people were a little disappointed in their experiences by contrast after what we shared about our tour. We have recommended RCT to everyone we know and can't sing their praises highly enough!

We shall never forget our first time with Red Carpet Tours, and we are eagerly awaiting our next journey into Middle Earth with them!

Reviewed 07 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
mike rush's avatar

Michael Rush

from England

Ranking: 10/10

Like many others, my wife and I came to Red Carpet because we liked Lord of the Rings. You could spend months researchin…

Like many others, my wife and I came to Red Carpet because we liked Lord of the Rings. You could spend months researching where all the locations are, and then driving yourself around New Zealand - but why bother when Red Carpet do it all for you? We're quite shy people and were apprehensive about joining a 'tour group', but we had nothing to worry about. By the second day everyone is like a big family out on a road trip.

You travel there not really sure of what you're going to see or do... and then you see and do wondrous things you never could have imagined. Make no mistake - even if you aren't into LotR, this is an incredible tour of NZ, taking in both islands and all their environments, from volcanic mudpools to lofty mountains.

Vic and Raewyn must be some of the best tour guides anywhere. They think of everything. They have every day planned out so that there's never a dull moment.

And much later, after you come home, you realise that this was no ordinary holiday, and that some part of yourself was left behind in New Zealand, calling you to return.

Reviewed 06 February 2009

Red Carpet Tours
Arthanyel's avatar

Jason Ray

from United States

Ranking: 10/10

My wife and I took our honeymoon to New Zealand and chose Red Carper Tours for the experience - and it was our best trip…

My wife and I took our honeymoon to New Zealand and chose Red Carper Tours for the experience - and it was our best trip EVER. Vic and Raewyn are wonderful, deeply knowledgeable about both New Zealand and the Lord of the Rings, and the nicest people you could ever expect to meet. The tour itself is a can't-miss for L.O.T.R. fans, especially as Vic and Raewyn will take you to see people and places you can't get to on ANY other tour.

Everything about Red Carpet was perfect, and we are headed back as soon as possible. We recommend Red Carpet to EVERYONE that asks, and to the reader of this review as well.

Reviewed 06 February 2009

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