Terms and Conditions
Payment & Costs
Full payment is due 30 days prior to the commencement of the tour. What is included in your itinerary is detailed on each tour page on our website. All other expenses such as refreshments, unspecified meals, excess luggage charges, optional extra activities, laundry, telephone & communications costs and taxi fares, are at your own expense.
Payment of your tour can be made by Credit Card (Mastercard or Visa with a flat 2% credit card fee) through our Secure Form or by electronic Bank Transfer with an additional bank charge of NZ$30 (details upon asking).
Price Variations
All prices are subject to change. In the event of alterations or fluctuations in fares, tariffs, taxes or other items forming part of your tour costs, we will advise of any changes as soon as possible.
Cancellations
If after full payment has been made, you need to cancel your booking, the following applies:
Your tour cost may be reimbursed, less the cost of hotels, transport, activities, flight charges and meals, if these have been prepaid by our company and are not refundable from the suppliers. The following fees will apply:
Up to 45 days prior to your travel departure date, a cancellation fee of $500 per person will apply.
Between 44 and 21 days prior to your travel departure date, 25% of the total Price will apply.
Between 20 and 11 days of your travel departure date, 50% of the total Price will apply.
Within 10 days of your travel departure date, 100% of the total Price will apply.
Itineraries
Finalised itineraries are confirmed and emailed 4 weeks prior to a tour. Details can vary from month to month according to availability of movie guests, access to locations due to weather conditions, accommodation and new information on the sites we visit. Any variations will be within the given tour dates.
Prices & Currency
All prices referred to on this website are in New Zealand dollars and are inclusive of GST (15% Goods & Services Tax).
Deposit
A non-refundable deposit of NZ$500 per person is required when confirming a booking. This covers the admin and processing required to secure your place on a tour. Please note although deposits are non-refundable they may be transferred to another tour month without penalty if you provide us with at least 2 months notice of the need to transfer.
COVID-19
Our COVID-19 policy and procedures:
Red Carpet Tours has taken precautions to ensure the safety of its passengers and earn its ‘COVID Ready’ badge from the Tourism Export Council. All passengers, guides and drivers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel on the tour.
You will be required to take a negative COVID-19 test 48 hours before boarding your flight to New Zealand and one on arrival in Auckland. Mask wearing on the coach and indoors (areas of close contact) will be required at all times throughout the tour. Hand sanitizer will be made available each day on the coach and we highly recommend you bring your own smaller hand sanitizer for your own personal daily use. Please bring plenty of additional disposable medical grade masks with you for the duration of your tour and time spent in New Zealand.
If you become unwell during your tour, you must advise your guide immediately. They will organize a medical appointment for you to be tested (at your own cost) and follow up with any assistance required.
If you should test positive for COVID-19 before or during the tour you may be required to self isolate (at your own cost) and arrangements will be made for you to join the tour once you are no longer infectious with the virus.
We highly recommend you purchase your Travel Insurance at the time you purchase your airfares and make sure it has COVID-19 related protection as part of the policy.
Wearing a face covering helps keep you and others safe. Face coverings are particularly useful in poorly ventilated indoor spaces and when physical distancing is hard. They stop droplets spreading when someone speaks, laughs, coughs or sneezes. This includes someone who has COVID-19 but feels well or has no obvious symptoms. Face coverings are one part of keeping yourself and others safe. Our strategy to protect New Zealand against COVID-19 is based on our border protections, testing, contact tracing, vaccination, and other healthy habits, like washing hands and physical distancing. Face coverings are an extra protective physical barrier to help keep people safe.
We expect everyone to be responsible for their own hygiene and health. Our goal is for everyone to have an enjoyable and happy tour experience in beautiful New Zealand.
Liability
Red Carpet Tours is not in any way liable for any loss or damage from alterations, delay, or changes arising from unusual or unforseen circumstances beyond our control, such as COVID-19 (and its variants), threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist act, industrial dispute, natural or man-made disaster, fire, adverse weather, technical problems with transport or congestion of airports.
Compensation will not be payable if we need to cancel or amend tour arrangements due to any of the above circumstances.
Itineraries can be subject to changes if new exciting opportunities arise or unexpected events occur.
Insurance
We strongly recommend you take out adequate travel insurance to cover personal accident, baggage, cancellation fees, delays or missed flights, sickness (including COVID-19 related illness and disruption) and medical expenses.
What people have said
My second tour through Middle Earth (New Zealand) was just as wonderful as the first, the locations you are taken to are just amazing. Best suited for people with interest in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, you make so many friends throughout your journey that you become your own...
Lisa S
This was a trip of a lifetime. I honestly couldn’t imagine seeing Middle Earth any other way. Julie is amazing and truly cultivated an experience that I will treasure forever. If you’re thinking about booking this trip—just do it. I promise that you will have the time of your life.
Brenna M
Traveling New Zealand with RCT and Julie was amazing. It was the trip of a lifetime (but I hope to do it again!). It was very well put together and we got to see such amazing sites and do so many awesome things. I can't even name what my favorite part of the whole tour was because it was...
Lynn S
Red Carpet Tours is a fabulous company - been with them 3 times. I agree with others posted here that it is the BEST way to see New Zealand, especially if you are a "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" fan - and even if you're not! From all the Magnificent New Zealand...
John N
There is a reason that this company is the premier in its field. I’ve been home for almost a week now and I’m still struggling to comprehend how incredible my experience with Red Carpet Tours was. This was hands down one of the best things I ever have, and likely ever will do in my...
Taylor K
This is the best and ONLY way for a LOtR/Hobbit fan to experience New Zealand. Julie and her team are fantastic, knowledgeable people who, you can tell, put so much time and effort into making sure your experience with them is an amazing one! You will not regret choosing them as your guides...
Stephanie B
From first contact with the James family, and the Lord of the Rings-Red Carpet Tours, you are in the best of hands. You expect so much on the tour but you receive so much more. I came back from my first tour believing I'd never have a better, truly satisfying experience, and they could...
Barbara S
Everything about this tour was amazing! Our tour guide Julie is a true LOTR fan, and made sure everybody was looked after. The locations were well researched and meaningful. Even after the tour ended, Julie has kept in touch as we all went our separate ways and travelled home to various parts of...
Jody R
With Julie James as our guide (Feb. 2018) on the 14 day tour... it was excellent! She always took every effort and opportunity to see to everyone's requests. The hotels we stayed in were wonderful. The meals were delicious. But the tour itself??? Awesome!!! We had big LOTR and the Hobbit...
Katherine C
Just concluded my third trip with Red Carpet Tours. 5 stars for the 3rd time running! Excellent planning and attention to detail by the James Family and fabulous guiding by Julie. Once again, a very lovely, friendly ‘Fellowship’ of travellers with a common interest. You might expect...
Sue B