What our guests have said about us…

“Suzee is the BEST! This was our first foray into taking a tour not booked through the cruise, as we had been concerned about getting left behind if we were late back to the ship. After this experience with Suzee, we will likely not book through the cruise line again.

Suzee knew our scheduled departure time and got us to the dock in plenty of time. Although we had just met, Suzee treated us as though we were friends, and took us to places (a) that we wanted to see, and (b) were mostly off the well-worn tourist trails.

We took detours to the neighbourhoods where people live, and to the restaurants / coffee shops frequented by locals. We really got a sense of what it’s like to live in Wellington as well as how friendly the people are. We still managed to hit the important attractions of Wellington, but without the long load / unload times of a 50+ passenger bus, we had much more flexibility (not to mention comfort!). Suzee shared her vast knowledge of Wellington with us throughout the trip, so we learned much more than we would have on a large tour.

We were able to ask questions and carry on a conversation about life in Wellington, which is what we were looking for. Altogether, we were on our trip for 34 days, including 27 days on the ship, including 19 ports.

This was by far the BEST tour we had on the entire trip and was the best we ever experienced in all of our travels over the years!”

Tom, US

“Highest recommendation for a wonderful day!! I could not have been more pleased with this company from the moment I contacted them months before our trip. They were responsive, professional, and very accommodating. Jo was our guide for the day and she was amazing!! She was so such a great historian, conversationalist, photographer, and overall lovely person to spend the day with.

We saw amazing vistas, beaches, learned local history, had a great pre-arranged lunch on the beach that was amazing. She showed us all around her hometown like we were family friends and was a wealth of knowledge about any and all things Wellington. I highly recommend these ladies to anyone wanting a local personalized experience.” 

Marti, Australia

“Captivating Wellington Exploration. Traveling from Christchurch, NZ, we flew to Wellington during our son’s school holidays. Our desire was to explore and understand Wellington without the hassle of navigating the city on our own. Upon reaching out, we connected with Suzee from uTours, who impressed us with her prompt responses and even took the initiative to call us, seeking to understand our preferences and objectives.

Our 8-year-old son tends to be reserved with strangers, so we wanted to ensure that our day would revolve around his comfort. Suzee, with her vibrant personality and resourcefulness, immediately made a positive impression on our son.

During our tour of Wellington, we had the luxury of riding in a comfortable vehicle while absorbing fascinating insights about the city, all while engaging in delightful conversations with Suzee. What was particularly heartwarming was how our son gradually came out of his shell and started interacting with Suzee. Her patience and attentive approach were truly commendable.

For anyone visiting Wellington and seeking a personalized tour experience, Suzee from uTours is the go-to person. Our day with her was nothing short of fantastic and, in our opinion, worth every cent. Suzee’s exceptional service ensured our exploration of Wellington was not just informative but also incredibly enjoyable.”

Madhu, NZ

“Customised Great Day in Wellington! We’ve travelled the globe and worked with private guides in cities near and far, and Suzee is the absolute best! We had a great day visiting Wellington and Suzee’s energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and passion for the city and the experience she works to create is second to none.

From views on high of the amazing sites of Wellington to experiencing the city as the locals do – Suzee knows how to create the ever-lasting memory. We particularly appreciated how hard Suzee worked to customize the day to our interests – from her first call when we were still home to her flexibility when we were all together. We only wish that we had more time with her!”

Chuck, US

“To call what we did a “tour” diminishes it as an experience. Suzee was generous with her time, attention, and breadth of knowledge throughout everything from the booking to arrangements to the actual day. What we spent our day doing was only a “tour” in the sense you might use the word when you offer a day to a friend coming around your own hometown – it was far from a packaged, routine, pat talk-and-drive.

Instead of a tour, we had an experience. Suzee brought us not only her love of the region, but shared kiwi life, kiwi history, and a view of contemporary kiwi art and culture. We saw not only what it merely looks like to be Wellingtonian, but a little peek into what it actually feels like.

If you merely want to see the sights, Suzee knows every one of them and a few you’ll never get a crack at from anyone else. If you want more than that, though – if you want a deep, authentic experience of Wellington that digs into the root of what that means and feels like and how that affects who one is; if you want to actually meet Wellington rather than see it — this is where you go and what you do.”

Josh, US

“Best Tour Operator in New Zealand. This fantastic tour started even before we reached Wellington. I knew our tour operator was special and fantastic from my prior communication via WhatsApp. I felt confident and secure that our trip would unfold as planned given all the prior information and communications.

When we arrived, our guide Suzee was waiting for us with smiles and many fun greetings. She kept us well informed and laughing throughout our trip. We had a last-minute change and she hopped right on it and made sure our trip went smoothly. We really love her and would book with her again!”

Loree, US

“Like seeing Wellington with a good friend. We had a wonderful day with Jo. We felt like we were seeing Wellington with an old friend. Jo knows the city so well and shared so much of its history and of its people with us. In addition to Wellington’s must see sights, Jo included places and information specific to our interests. Lunch at the fish market and coffee at Fidel’s were great!

We felt like we really got to know the city of Wellington. We have already recommended uTours to friends. A shout out as well to Suzee who contacted us in Canada before our trip to confirm some details and came by to say hello when Jo picked us up.”

Joyce, Canada

“Best Tour on our Trip!!! Kudos to Suzee!!! This is a must do tour! We were fortunate enough to organize our tour ahead of time with Suzee and felt like we were family before arriving. She went out of her way to make sure that the van would accommodate us all and adapted our tour due to my mom’s mobility issue.

We started our day St. Paul’s Church and the surrounding government buildings. The architecture was breathtaking. We also were able to make a stop at the Wellington Botanical Gardens and the Begonia House. Suzee had also recommended that we have lunch at the Chocolate Fish. Not only was the food the best of the best but we had an amazing scenic view. After lunch we headed back toward town and we were able to get in a little shopping and find some souvenirs & chocolate (my mom’s sweet tooth).

Suzee was so friendly, knowledgeable and personable. She was my lifeline before and after we left Wellington and helped make our trip so much more memorable. Suzee was the best tour guide we had on our entire trip and we truly made a new friend. We miss New Zealand already and hope that our paths cross again. Until then, we will keep in touch. We highly recommend uTours as the premier tour company to book with while in Windy Wellington!!! Thank you again Suzee!”

Jennette, US

“Absolute perfection – a trusted, timely company – spend your day in Wellington with them! This day was perfect, from start to finish. Suzee was timely, thorough, knowledgeable, and flexible. We saw TONS in Wellington, coming off Ovation of the Sea. She was right there, waiting for us, structured the day around our preferences, gave us a taste of local food, and shared so much about Wellington with us.

She was absolutely perfect with her timing, had the credentials to get us right up to the ship, and was COMPLETELY timely in terms of ensuring there were no issues arriving back with ample time to embark. Do not hesitate to book your Cruise ship day with Suzee’s company.

You will absolutely be so happy you did! Highly recommended.”

Tammy, US

“Suzee would have to be the best tour guide we’ve ever had, nothing was too hard and she had several plans for the tour to adapt to weather, etc throughout the day. She was extremely knowledgeable and obviously loves the city of Wellington. 

We were travelling with our 8 yr old and Suzee even plans for fun kid things while the adults were talking / exploring. I can’t recommend uTours highly enough, if you want a great tour in Wellington, book uTours!!!”

Rebecca, Australia

 “Spectacular” is an accurate way to describe this tour! My wife and I had a truly wonderful tour of Wellington with Jo from uTours. After picking us up at our hotel, our first stop was along the waterfront where we decided on exactly what we wanted to see.

As we planned on doing the cable car and several museums the next day, we spent our time traveling to some of the magnificent vistas in and around the city, visited some of the government sites, and sampled some of terrific coffee Wellington has to offer.

Jo was a wonderful host and proved to be very knowledgeable about the city and its history. I should also add that our vehicle was extremely comfortable. If I could give six stars I would, and I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Wellington.”

Evan, US

“Be Blown Away in Windy Wellington. I had the best time touring the city and beaches with Suzee, owner of uTours. She tailored made our half day tour to our ideas and inputted a few of her own. She was knowledgeable, professional and fun to be with. She fielded all of our questions so we really got a great feel for the town of Wellington and the outskirts of the city, as well. The mixture of the old architecture and new buildings was much appreciated by our group of four.

It was quite windy the day we toured and we discovered Wellington is often called “Windy Wellington”. We were literally blown away by Suzee and lovely “Windy Wellington”. I highly suggest that you use uTours as Suzee will not disappoint! Her van was super clean and very comfortable, too.”

Lynn, US

“Booked tour but Port missed due to weather. From the moment I contacted Suzee the communication was fantastic. Initial communication, and then some weeks prior to our cruise Suzee contacted me to discuss what we wanted to see and ensure everything was on track as I had booked the tour some months out from our cruise.

Contact while we were on the cruise was made which had me confident that our tour would go ahead. Unfortunately the weather decided that we could not get to wellington on our cruise – the port closed due to a low pressure system. Suzee contacted me although the ship could no longer come and refunds were organised promptly.

I wanted to leave a review even though we did not have the tour as I always felt confident in my dealings with Suzee and communication was fantastic. We will get to Wellington one day and I will make sure that we have Suzee as our guide. Also shows with a private tour that you can confidently book this tour and if the ship misses the port, you will get your money back! Thanks Suzee.”

Margaret, Australia

What a great day we had! It started with an “on time” tour operator with a NEW CLEAN van. She ended up a friend and knowledgeable travel mate. It was a day filled with the perfect mix of facts humor and personal viewpoints that made us feel well taken care of, well informed and well respected of our time. Suzee was GREAT and you have a 50/50 chance of getting her because she and her partner own the company and it shows so book this tour for a great time.”

Michael, US

“Lovely tour with a lovely lady. Everything was very pleasant and easily understandable for us French Canadians. She was punctual and exactly where we suppose to meet. We appreciate her driving in these many turns in the hills and her relevant comments. We saw several very pleasant points of view. We wholeheartedly recommend this excursion.“

Christiane, Canada

“Excellent tour with an awesome guide. This tour was perfect for the time we had as this was a last-minute booking due to our cruise ship being rerouted to Wellington. Suzee made sure that we had all the pickup information beforehand and gave very clear instructions to avoid any delays at the cruise port.

Suzee is extremely knowledgeable about the area, was extremely flexible to our requests and tailored our tour to what we wanted to see and do. We saw not only all the regular highlights and beautiful sights but she also took us to one her favorite places for lunch and catered to all of our requests including stopping at a grocery store to pick up some extra snacks. We were extremely glad to have booked this tour as we saw and learned so much more than we could have on our own.

A small bonus was that we didn’t have to wait in the very long lineup to catch the bus to and from the cruise port as the pickup and drop off were right next to the ship. If you want the VIP treatment, I highly recommend this tour.”

Paul, US

“See everything wonderful Wellington has to offer. My dad (84, with mobility issues) and I had an absolutely magical day in Wellington with Suzee from uTours. She took us to see all the sights and was funny, friendly, knowledgeable, and engaging, both during the tour and in our extensive pre-tour conversations.

She listened to everything we had to say and really did a spectacular job of finding exactly the activities and sights that would match our interests. She promised a day that would be like having a friend show you around town, and she delivered. Highest recommendation.”

Tracey, US

“Great tour with Jo. The best aspect of our tour of Wellington was our guide Jo. She was absolutely fantastic, very knowledgeable and very friendly. She personalized our tour by including visits to sights we were interested and bypassing sights we weren’t interested in seeing. A personal tour from Jo is the only way to see Wellington.”

Dan, Canada

“Best of the best. You would have a hard time finding a better guide than Suzee to show you around the Wellington NZ area. She knows lots of local viewpoints and eating place you won’t get to see with the larger tour groups. We were often the only ones at the greatest sightseeing spots and had a delicious lunch at a local restaurant without the crowds. Suzee was funny and knows a lot about the area history, fauna and wildlife. We had a great time. Highly recommended. Gary, US”

Gary, US

“Wonderful companion. Thank you for a super interesting day in Wellington. We had no idea about the beautiful city, and Jo was such a wonderful companion and guide. We can only recommend this tour. Individual requests are also taken into account. All the best to you both. Greetings from Germany.”

Marcel, Germany

“Everyone needs a “Suzee”. When we pulled into the port at Wellington, we were disappointed because of the weather. That all changed when Suzee from uTours Wellington met us. Her personality and love for her home was infectious.

We started by going to a magnificent breakfast eatery and walked out with several unique items. Suzee walked with us around the streets of Wellington and took us to the exact places we wanted. Prior to our booking we communicated with uTours and told them what we wanted to see/buy.

Suzee did all the legwork beforehand so that we had targeted locations to visit. We were had a fantastic day despite the weather. We cannot say enough positive things about our tour. “

Frank, US

“Get out of the City is the best tour. Suzee was absolutely one of the best and friendliest tour guides we have ever had. She took us to places where we did not see other tourists. We saw the most beautiful views and had lunch at a fabulous local place.

It truly is like spending a day with a friend who moved out of town that was showing you around. She felt more like someone I have known for years instead of someone I just met this morning. I could not recommend Suzee and uTours any higher.

We had the greatest time as a family and this was a highlight of our trip. If you are ever thinking of coming to Wellington, don’t even bother looking at other companies. Save your time and just book with uTours and Suzee.”

Richard, US

“Jo picked us up at our designated location with a welcoming hello, we instantly felt her excitement and warmth. She gave us a brief overview of what she provided and what to expect from her tour and then offered to make any accommodations necessary.

She took us around various locations and we got to experience ‘windy’ Wellington as it lived up to its name while we were there. She answered all our questions and was very knowledgeable in the local history, architecture, economics and geography. We saw similar landscapes to our own off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, especially in the Bay Area.

It was a relaxing and enjoyable sightseeing tour and we loved being her guests for the day. Wishing Jo and Suzee all the best with their business and a happy, healthy life.”

Cheryl, Canada

“Highly recommended! Awesome photos taken for us to remember the day. A great experience! Suzee and her team really know Wellington and were able to make the day really special.

Our requirements were a little unusual and Suzee was brilliant at helping me finalise our timetable and really adaptable in working in changes to the schedule on the day. With Suzee taking group photos for us and helping keep the rabble under control, I could sit back and enjoy the day.

Extra treats of chocolates and drinks in the van were really appreciated.“

Kate, NZ

“So glad we chose uTours. From the moment we stepped off our ship we knew we had made the right choice of tour operators. We were met by a smiling woman holding a sign with our name on it. Suzee greeted us warmly and asked what we wanted to see and do.

We visited the “beehive” parliament building, saw the beautiful Pohutukawa trees ready to burst out in their red Christmas blooms, and the Gothic St. Paul’s church. A drive out to the rural area along the rocky shoreline and up to the top of a hill for a view overlooking the area, not to mention up close to a wind generator. We stopped for some local craft brew, meat pies and shopping. Filled the afternoon with conversations and solving all the world problems.

We were safely delivered back to our ship, given a warm, heartfelt goodbye and some delicious Whittaker’s chocolate. A comfortable electric-hybrid vehicle, and a friendly and informative guide, made this a 5-star tour.“

Lora, US

“++ personalized service. We had such a great time with Suzee and her communication with us from the beginning was A++! No sooner had I booked the excursion, and she immediately contacted us personally with exceptional follow up on the development of a customized day. A “real” experience with a local, does things off the beaten track, great food stops according to our requests, and a day full of oohs and ahhhs! We will be recommending to all our friends!! Dena, US“

Dena – US

“Take This Tour! Jo was fantastic! We spent half a day with her and feel like we saw it all. We started with a drive along the coast to the outskirts of Wellington to a marine reserve, stopping to buy chocolates in a neighbourhood grocery store and meat pies for lunch at a local pie shop (they were fabulous). We then headed back into Wellington to see the sites, including the government buildings and old Anglican Church and to ride the cable car and sample Kapiti ice cream (THE BEST).

Throughout it all, Jo was fun and very informative. She kept the conversation flowing, and by the end of it we felt like friends. LOVED her!! Linda, US
“

Linda, US

“Can’t recommend uTours enough! I chose a private tour as was travelling with my elderly Dad and we were definitely blessed with Suzee and uTours. The service was personalised and such care taken of him (and I) and the knowledge and history of Wellington as we drove around was shared with such authenticity and pride. Additionally, we never felt rushed. The tour was a real highlight of our holiday across North and South Island.“

Christine, Australia

“A must tour when you are in Wellington. Suzee makes this tour a great experience. This tour is a must do if you are in Wellington. Suzee asked us what we would like to do and, boy did she deliver on that! We went all over the City and seen the views from every vantage point from the mountain side to the wind turbines from the other side absolutely fabulous, spectacular fish and chips on beach front. Not forgetting the dolphins who were out in their masses unbelievable sight. On to the city and the beautiful buildings including Old Saint Paul’s Church, Botanical Gardens another must. Thank you Suzee.”

David, Australia