How do day trips with Daytrip work?

Day trips offer travelers private round-trip transportation to popular sightseeing locations. One of our professional drivers will pick you up in a luxurious, climate-controlled car, take you to the site of interest, and wait for you while you explore before driving you back to your hotel.

Will I have to wait around for the driver to return?

Your Daytrip driver will wait for you nearby for the duration of your exploration, meaning you’ll never have to wait for your return trip transportation to arrive. Your comfort and convenience are our top priorities, and we aim to close out your day trip with a return on your schedule.

Can I customize the pickup and drop-off times?

Yes! You’re free to choose the pickup and drop-off times that work best for you. However, the time spent at the destination is fixed and cannot be changed.

Are entrance tickets and tours included in the price?

The price of a day trip does not include any entrance tickets, guided tours, or meals you may partake in at your destination. The price covers round-trip transportation in a luxury vehicle with a professional driver who can provide local insights en route.

How long will I have to explore?

Each sightseeing stop has a recommended duration that includes plenty of time to explore. However, it is possible to customize the time spent at each sightseeing stop at a later stage in the booking process to best fit your unique schedule.

If my plans change, is the booking flexible?

Day trip bookings can be canceled up to 24 hours before your trip for a full refund, no strings attached. While the destination and stops are predetermined, it is possible to change your pick-up point, whether it is at your hotel or some other location within the city.

Can I take a large group?

Yes! Day trips are fully customizable to suit the needs of any private group. From solo travelers to large families with children and even corporate groups, we are ready to create a bespoke itinerary that accommodates parties of all sizes. The price is dependent on the number of vehicles required to serve your group, and we also provide child seats.

Will my driver speak English?

Your friendly, professional, local driver will speak English. Our drivers are happy to provide any local insight they can on the way to your destination and may be able to answer questions and provide tips for the best possible experience on your day trip.

Can I request children’s car seats for the journey?

Yes, we provide car seats for children of all ages, which meet stringent safety standards and local legal requirements. You can even bring your own car seat. We also have handicapped-accessible vehicles available for a wide range of needs for our passengers. When booking your day trip, please specify the accommodations you will need.

Can I pay securely online?

Yes, Daytrip offers flexible payment options. We accept Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Ali Pay. You also can pay securely online with any major credit card, such as Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.

Booking your day trip is as easy as our one-way and return trips! On the landing page of the day trip you’d like to take, simply select the date, pick up time, and how many adults and children will be on the trip. On the second page, you’ll fill in personal details, including any special requests, disability accommodations, and children’s car seats you may need. We are flexible too! You can change your exact pick-up location (hotel address, etc) up to 24 hours before your day trip.

Day trips Countries New Zealand AucklandAuckland to Matamata and Volcanic Hills: Private day trip

Auckland to Matamata and Volcanic Hills: Private day trip

Scenic view of Auckland - private day trip from Auckland - photo 1

Scenic view of Auckland - private day trip from Auckland - photo 2

Scenic view of Auckland - private day trip from Auckland - photo 3

Scenic view of Auckland - private day trip from Auckland - photo 4

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Private ride with a local driver

11h

Round trip

Private driver

Trusted by 2+ million happy travelers across 130 countries

4.9

5314
Reviews

About your trip

Live out your hobbit dreams, then swirl local vintages against a magnificent volcanic backdrop. This is an epic Kiwi combo for the senses!

Exclusively yours: private vehicle and professional driver

Discover local insights you won't find in guidebooks

Experience the freedom to explore at your own speed

Perfectly planned for families, friends, or solo travelers

From US$254

Private group ride

per person

Select date and travelers

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your pickup time.

For a group of 1-3 travelersTotalUS$762

What to expect

Your day trip begins wherever you are

Meet our professional driver right where you prefer in Auckland whenever suits you best. No time wasted getting to the pickup point, grab your bag and start your trip right away.

Discover more with local expertise

Your driver’s local insights will set the tone for your day trip. A hidden café here, a must-try restaurant there; insider tips you’ll love sharing later. This isn’t a guided tour but your ride will be rich with stories and discoveries along the way. And throughout the day, your driver will be available for you as needed, ready to assist, happy to help, making your trip stress-free.

Explore at your own pace

After arriving in Matamata, you'll have the freedom to explore the Hobbiton Movie Set before continuing on to Volcanic Hills Winery, where you can enjoy lakeside wine tasting, all at your leisure. Meanwhile your driver will wait for you nearby, ensuring a stress-free return trip.

Perfect for any private group

Whether you're traveling solo, as a family with kids, or as a large group, this service is tailored for your comfort and flexibility. It's the ideal option especially if you have limited time or a busy schedule.

Good to know

Two-way private car transfer
Air-conditioned vehicle
Personalized pickup and drop-off
Professional English-speaking driver
Complimentary bottled water
Free cancellation 24 hours before departure
Entry/Admission tickets to paid attractions Matamata and Volcanic Hills Winery should be purchased separately unless specified otherwise
Meals, snacks, and gratuity are not included

From US$254

Private group ride

per person

Select date and travelers

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your pickup time.

For a group of 1-3 travelersTotalUS$762

Your trip at a glance

Start in Auckland

You choose the pickup spot.

Matamata

Feel free to explore at your own pace and discover

Stop: 3 hours - admission not included

Itinerary stop at Matamata on private day trip from Auckland

In 1998, Peter Jackson spotted the Alexander Farm just outside the town of Matamata during an aerial search for film locations for The Lord of the Rings. Saying the area was "like a slice of ancient England", the pastoral farmland was transformed into the Shire, and appeared in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy as well as the Hobbit. Today, a guided tour of the set transports visitors to the Shire and the magic of Middle Earth. While walking past (and into) you’ll see Hobbit Holes™ you’ll learn about how the movie magic was made - like making the hobbit holes in different sizes depending on the perspective needed. After seeing the most famous locations, you’ll end your tour at the Green Dragon™ Inn and an exclusive Hobbit™ Southfarthing™ beverage. On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, you can also sign up for an evening banquet tour to see Hobbiton at sunset, before feasting on traditional Hobbit fayre. Bookings must be made well in advance at www.hobbitontours.com

Volcanic Hills Winery

Feel free to explore at your own pace and discover

Stop: 2 h 30 min - admission not included

Itinerary stop at Volcanic Hills Winery on private day trip from Auckland

Opened in 2009, Volcanic Hills is known as one of the most famous wine regions in New Zealand. The great thing about this winery is that it consolidates grapes from the country's other regions in one place. Using their French oak barrels, the grapes are fermented to perfection, combining the flavors of the oak with the grapes. Moreover, this winery is known for its commitment to sustainability in protecting the environments that produce these delectable juices. Whether you are a sommelier or first timer, this tasting room is designed to help one discover their favorite wines.The tasting room is set on the hilltop overlooking the winery, and accessible by gondola, meaning you can ride up to enjoy the views, or partake in a guided tasting while appreciating the panorama. Fees vary. For more information, please visit https://www.volcanichills.co.nz/rotorua-tasting-room/

Back to Auckland

We’ll take you back to your starting point.

Duration of the stops can be changed upon request after booking

Have questions or need help?

Contact our Customer Support. We are available 24/7

Daytrip is loved all around the world. Here's why.

5.0

5314 reviewson Tripadvisor

4.9

1079 reviewson Trustpilot

Amazing driver experience

Our driver, Ibrahim, was wonderful. He drove us from Amman airport to Petra. Our flight was one hour early and he was already waiting for us when we got to the exit of the airport. He was helpful, professional and friendly. We would definitely love to have Ibrahim again and highly recommend him!

Heidi IFebruary 27, 2026

Awesome experience! Highly recommend!

So, so happy I stumbled upon this website to book two private transports while visiting Lima, Peru. They were both one-way trips approximately 3 hours in length. Great communication as soon as everything was booked via email and I then downloaded their app. I had a few issues with the app and the customer service was awesome trying to assist me in getting it corrected. Honestly impressive customer service which gave you a positive feeling that you made the right choice. Both drivers were right on time - No issues whatsoever! Can't say enough about the service and ease of everything when travelling so far away. Great job to the daytrip team! Would strongly recommend.

okopFebruary 19, 2026

Touring through Tuscany

We had the same driver for our 2 day trip in tuscany. I was able to develop my own itinerary so I could go where we wanted and see the things we wanted. Marco was fantastic!! He opened doors for us and made sure my mother was able to get in and out of the car easily. He had water in the car for us. He was early picking us up both days and brought us as close to the towns as he could. He told us which way to go to enter the cities and then sent me his location so we knew how to get back to him after traveling the streets. Im so happy I decided to get a driver to take us through Tuscany. It took all the worry and anxiety of driving through this region I had never been to and didnt know where to park. Money well spent!

Melissa FFebruary 10, 2026

Great transfer option.

I used this service for a transfer from Split in Croatia to Perast Montenegro. My experience was exceptional. My driver Bojan was helpful, informative and ensured my journey was comfortable and enjoyable. I highly recommend the service.

Robyn COctober 2, 2025

It was a fantastic trip.

We were extremely satisfied with the quality of service we received from Day Trip. We had two Day Trip rides on August 31 from Athens to Lefkada and September 7 from Lefkada back to Athens. Both trips included stops at scenic sites in Greece. Both drivers were excellent and accommodating. However, we’d especially like to recognize Panos Peppas, who was our driver from Lefkada to Athens. Panos was incredibly nice & pleasant and delivered outstanding customer service, which included handling all of luggage, providing us with cold waters throughout the trip, providing us protein bars, providing us with printed materials on the Corinth Canal (one of scenic stops), looking up and providing us with terminal & gate info for our flight back home and providing us with a recipe for tzatziki.

Daydream20046758137September 20, 2025

Best transport company anywhere

We absolutely love this company and have used it many times over the years to get from A to B without the hassle of hiring a car ourselves. Excellent drivers every time. Efficient and professional. It’s worth every penny and we can honestly recommend Day Trip to everyone. It’s 5 star rating is well deserved.

Mary LSeptember 15, 2025

Excellent experience in traveling

We traveled from Nuremberg to Munich in a beautiful Audi. Driver picked us at our hotel at the exact time requested. Got us to Munich in plenty of time for our next tour. Driver made sure we were comfortable

Steve NAugust 20, 2025

Reasonably Priced and Safe Transportation

Gonzalo from daytrip was our driver and he was absolutely amazing. He went over and beyond trying to locate us as our service wasn't so good on our phones. He patiently awaited our arrival to the lobby so he could take us from Tulum Dreams Resort to our other hotel in cancun an hour and a half away near the airport prior to our departure flight home. He was polite, respectful and kind. Made sure we were comfortable during our long ride. Fast and to the point. I recommend this company as finding a one way ride from Tulum to Cancun isn't easy or cheap and this company provides a great service for a great price. I will definitely be using them again whenever I'm in the Cancun/Tulum area. Thank you DayTrip and Gonzola.

COCOApril 22, 2025

Daytrip never disappoints

We were picked up by Marianna to drive us from Heraklion to Chania. The weather was terrible & due to this Marianna arrived a few minutes late. She contacted me to advise of this. Marianna lives in Chana and she made our trip very interesting by informing us of local things to do and see in Chania. Marianna is a safe driver and we all felt comfortable with the speed she drove at and how good her driving was in heavy rain. She is a lovely person with fluent English. We highly recommend Daytrips and if you are in Heraklion or Chania please make sure you ask for Marianna.

5-star customer review for Daytrip private driver and tour services

Julie MApril 2, 2025

Great driver in Egypt

Used the service to go from Luxor to Hurghada, Egypt. Ahmed H was our driver and he was perfect. The car was new, clean, he had water and snacks for us, and accommodated our stops. Great service from him and would recommend it.

Maps315861February 28, 2025

See more reviews

Know more about your day trip

The full round-trip journey takes approximately 11 hours, including about 3 hours in Matamata and 2.5 hours at Volcanic Hills Winery. The drive from Auckland to Matamata typically takes around 2 hours, and from Matamata to the winery in Rotorua is about 1 hour. The return trip from Rotorua to Auckland takes approximately 3 hours.

Matamata is best known for the Hobbiton Movie Set, where you can take a guided tour of the iconic filming location from "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies. The tour includes exploring the Shire, visiting hobbit holes, and enjoying a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. It's advisable to book your Hobbiton tour in advance, as it is not included in the Daytrip service.

Volcanic Hills Winery, located in Rotorua, offers wine tastings with panoramic views of Lake Rotorua. You can sample a variety of New Zealand wines while enjoying the scenic backdrop. The winery is situated at the top of the Skyline Rotorua gondola, so you can also experience a gondola ride as part of your visit.

No, entry tickets to the Hobbiton Movie Set and wine tastings at Volcanic Hills Winery are not included in the Daytrip service. It's recommended to purchase these tickets separately and in advance to ensure availability and avoid disappointment.

Yes, this private day trip is suitable for families. Children often enjoy the Hobbiton Movie Set tour, and the winery offers a relaxed atmosphere. However, please note that wine tastings are for adults, and children should be supervised during the winery visit.

It's advisable to bring comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and a camera to capture the scenic views. Since meals are not included, consider bringing snacks or planning meal stops along the way. Also, ensure you have your pre-purchased tickets for Hobbiton and the winery.

Yes! One of the best parts of wine tastings is selecting the bottle that will become your new favorite. Ask your driver and consider the space in the car before purchasing more than a few bottles of wine. For large cases, Volcanic Hills also offers shipping to your home country.