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Viva Expeditions Reviews 504

TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 92 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for their helpfulness, knowledge, and positive attitude, making their holidays truly enjoyable. The service provided is frequently highlighted as exceptional, with many people appreciating the seamless organization of tours, transfers, and accommodations. Reviewers also loved the excellent locations of hotels and the overall user experience, noting that everything was perfectly planned and allowed them to relax and enjoy their trips. However, some customers mentioned minor issues such as a bit of confusion regarding trips, a desire for more detailed tour information prior to departure, and occasional instances where guides did not hold their names upon arrival. A few also felt that the expectation for tips seemed higher than what the company's guides suggested, and some noted that travel days in safari vehicles were unexpectedly long.

What people talk about most

Staff

Users describe positive interactions with staff. Customers consistently praise the staff for being helpful,... See more

Holidays

Reviewers consistently express high satisfaction with their holidays, often describing them as faultless,... See more

Service

Reviewers mention positive feedback about service. Customers consistently praise the comprehensive and... See more

Location

Consumers consistently express satisfaction with the locations provided. Many reviewers highlight that... See more

User experience

People report positive experiences with the user experience. Customers found that everything went smoothly... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everything is organised for you. English speaking guides and luxury transport which is ready and waiting to whisk you to the next activity or sight. Great way to maximise your tour without waiting in... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We had many questions during the booking process. Pia answered every one in a timely manner and thoroughly. Then the arranged connections and accommodations themselves were fabulous. We couldn’t have... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was the a superb trip! Pia had all the details including the small ones like transfers all taken care of. We just had to show up. The itinerary was comprehensive showing us the best of New... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Guides were good - often amazing - remember Vanessa, Luis, Leo, Melanie Sonia gave good information at start of tour. Would have liked detailed tour prior to leaving our home country. Loved Zocalo... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Travel Agency

Written by the company

A passionate team of travel specialists, sending clients on amazing adventures to Latin America, Africa, Antarctica and New Zealand. Offering independent itineraries as well as small group tours, every journey is inspired by a passion for fun, adventure and authentic connection. With extensive first-hand destination knowledge and years of experience, Viva's friendly travel experts make planning your perfect adventure easy. Founded in 2008. Opening Hours: 8:30am - 5pm NZT Monday to Friday.

Why Viva?

Written by the company

We believe that true inspiration and growth comes from real experiences and immersion in the world around us. When you travel with Viva, we take you beyond the sights in the guidebooks, for an authentic connection to the places you visit.

Travel with confidence!

Knowing everything is taken care of and your arrangements are guaranteed.

Knowing everything is taken care of and your arrangements are guaranteed.
* We have our own local operations at key locations * We are with you 24 hours a day, and our team are just a phone call or whatsapp message away at any time. * We are adventure travel specialists, we have been there, we have lived and breathed Latin America, Africa, NZ and the polar regions and we LOVE THEM! And above all we want you to love these places as much as we do!

Contact info

4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

504 reviews

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Replied to 100% of negative reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Chilean Adventure with Viva Expeditions

We had the most amazing holiday and all arrangements were perfect. All transfers were on time, all accommodation just what we were looking for and every single guide was outstanding. Couldn't fault anything and we got to see so much of what Chile has to offer. Thank you Bryony and Viva Auckland for your care and attention in putting this holiday together for us.

March 9, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Wonderful to hear you had an amazing holiday in Chile! Thanks for your kind feedback, we look forward to helping you plan future adventures.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Ex tour guides

Ex tour guides. Prompt pick up. Guides had very good English. Nice vans. Great tour of important historical sites and fantastic handpicked exciting places (the hummingbirds in Mindo)

April 26, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thank very much for your feedback Nicola, great to hear you enjoyed your trip to Ecuador and Galapagos with us. We hope to have you travel with us again soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our Signature Peru package with Viva…

Our Signature Peru package with Viva Holidays was faultless.
On arrival met by Viva representative, Lizet. Very comprehensive run through all arrangements. Impressed as she stayed in contact via whatsapp right through our journey.
All arrangements on time. Drivers' good, guides better than good - interesting informative excellent English. Vehicles were excellent standard, comfortable and clean and modern

The private tours included in the itinerary we highly recommend - having our own personal guide, Jessica and Lizbeth exceptional. Moved at our pace, happy to spend as much time as we needed anywhere. Adapted to our interests in what we saw on each tour.

Overall the trip was incredibly well planned and instrumented For first drop into sacred valley for acclimatisation to having a free day at end in sacred valley we never felt rushed and got a great overall experience of the Incan culture, the amazing experience of Machu Picchu and the incredible sights Peru has to offer From being greeted from arrival by lizet giving clear information on the plans for the week …. Sacred valley

All accommodation was value for money the standard hotels great locations clean comfortable Premium well worth it, offering extra comforts and amenities. The premium in sacred value perfect for 2 nights. Beautiful property and the setting meant for a tranquil break in the busy schedule. Train to Machu pichu was so much fun and the wow factor definitely worth doing the upgrade to the Prime Train 41

Viva delivered a perfect introduction for us on first time to Peru all we could have achieved in the short time we had.
Thank you to Pia, viva consultant, for all the help and info leading up to this trip could not have been more helpful and knowledgeable.

April 7, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thank you so much for your wonderful review!

We’re absolutely delighted to hear that your Signature Peru journey was such a seamless and memorable experience. It’s especially great to know that Lizet’s support on arrival and throughout your trip made you feel well looked after, and that our drivers and guides – particularly Jessica and Lizbeth – helped bring the destinations to life in a way that suited your pace and interests.

We’re thrilled you enjoyed the itinerary design, from acclimatising in the Sacred Valley to experiencing Machu Picchu and the highlights of Peru without feeling rushed. It’s also fantastic to hear that the accommodation upgrades and the train added those extra special touches to your trip.

We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to Pia as well – she’ll be so pleased to know her guidance helped make your experience even better.

Thank you again for travelling with Viva Expeditions and for trusting us with your first visit to Peru. We hope to help you plan your next adventure soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

So many questions

We had many questions during the booking process. Pia answered every one in a timely manner and thoroughly. Then the arranged connections and accommodations themselves were fabulous. We couldn’t have had a better trip!

April 11, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thank you so much for your kind review!

We’re delighted to hear your Ecuador and Galápagos journey exceeded expectations and that Pia was able to support you throughout the booking process with timely and thorough answers to all your questions. It’s also wonderful to know the connections and accommodations we arranged helped make your trip so seamless and memorable.

We’ll be sure to pass your feedback on to Pia and the wider team — it will mean a lot to them. We hope to help you plan another adventure in the future

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A well organised

A well organised, superb trip. Everything was as planned. Viva did a great job!

April 7, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks for travelling to Stewart Island, New Zealand with Viva and your lovely feedback. We look forward to helping you with future travels!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Seeing Norway and Finland by land and sea.

Seeing Norway, Lapland and Finland from many different perspectives - train, coach, boat. Getting information about various sites, history, peoples, animals. The Hurtigruten travel (6 nights) was particularly interesting and enjoyable.

April 4, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much for your feedback, glad to hear you enjoyed the variety!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

wonderful recommendations and everything worked seamlessly

We had a fabulous time visiting Stewart Island. It's a remote and beautiful part of NZ with stunning scenery, loads of walking tracks plus predator free locations where you can enjoy plenty of birdsong.
Pia at Viva Expeditions made some wonderful recommendations and pulled everything together for us so that everything worked seamlessly and we got the most out of our time.

March 31, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks very much Penny. We love Stewart Island too! Isn't it magical. We look forward to helping you with future adventures!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing Antarctic and more.

Fantastic trip to the South Shetland Islands, Antarctic peninsula, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. The wildlife and scenery was absolutely stunning. The experienced travel consultant (Pia Knarston) was available to discuss travel options and any concerns. We received prompt personalised responses to queries even while we were travelling. Thank you.

March 29, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks for your wonderful feedback Mary!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I responded to a radio ad Viva .com

I responded to a radio ad Viva .com, explained clearly what I was looking for and given multiple choices of cruise ships and pretty soon I was on my way.
Any queries were just a phone call away and always a friendly chat followed. Flights to and from South America linked up very well and hotel accommodation was close to airports.

March 27, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Glad you had a great time in South Georgia and Antarctica. Thanks for the fantastic feedback, we hope we can help you with future adventures!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Booking was grand and easy

Booking was grand and easy, Flo was a wonderful understanding agent.
Understanding my novice travel experience.
And went out of her way to me .
Accommodation
Traveling in Buenos Aires
Thank you Flo and team

March 28, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much for your lovely review! We’re so glad booking was easy and that Flor took great care of you—she’ll be thrilled to hear this.
Hope you had an amazing time in Buenos Aires, and we’d love to help with your next trip!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was the a superb trip

This was the a superb trip! Pia had all the details including the small ones like transfers all taken care of. We just had to show up.

The itinerary was comprehensive showing us the best of New Zealand without being exhausting. There is so much to see in New Zealand but Pia did an excellent job of selecting the top ones.

We will definitely be working with Viva Expeditions and Pia for future travels.

March 26, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Great to hear you enjoyed your time in New Zealand. It was a pleasure to help you. We look forward to assisting you with future adventures!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Our wonderful South America Trip

Our recent trip to South America was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, filled with breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture, and unforgettable moments.
The highlights of the journey were simply extraordinary. Visiting Iguazu Falls was awe-inspiring—the sheer power and beauty of the cascading water left us speechless. The energy and excitement of the Rio Carnival in Rio de Janeiro was beyond anything we could have imagined—colorful, lively, and full of life. Exploring Machu Picchu was equally magical, with its rich history and stunning mountain setting creating an unforgettable atmosphere. The surreal landscapes of the Salt Flat Uyuni in Bolivia were like stepping into another world, with endless white horizons and mirror-like reflections. Finally, Easter Island fascinated us with its mysterious Moai statues and unique cultural heritage.
Most importantly, the local travel agents provided top-notch service, ensuring everything ran smoothly and stress-free.
This journey has been an unforgettable and wonderful experience, filled with incredible memories that we will cherish forever.
Huge thanks to Viva Expeditions Team, especially Pia, you made this incredible journey possible. You are the best 👍 👍

March 19, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Wow! What a trip you had Stella. Thanks for all your comments and for travelling with Viva Expeditions.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/10 experience

10/10 experience. Beautiful lodge on the river front, incredible food and service. The safari was incredible, saw all of the big 5 and the guides were great quality.

March 24, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Fantastic, thanks so much for your feedback. Glad to hear you loved your South African safari experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Adventure made easy with Viva

Travelling with Viva made everything so easy. My itinerary was clear and concise and easy to follow with all the relevant instructions as to where to meet pick up drivers and what was available in the hotels we stayed at.
Antarctica is an unusual place to visit and Tara was generous with her advice and guidance as to packing and even how to change money in Argentina. Ocean Albatross was a fantastic boat, well resourced with incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff who could not do enough to make your trip more enjoyable and educative.

March 25, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much Victoria...glad to hear you had a fab time in Antarctica onboard the Ocean Albatros. Happy to have helped make it happen! All the best.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Viva make it easy

Pia made booking my Trip to Antarctica and my side trip to Iguazu really easy, she was responsive and provided clear options so I could personalise my experience. On the trip everything worked like clockwork, including transfers and airline changes. It's clear Viva have a great relationship with their partner operators.

March 20, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks Alison, we appreciate your feedback. Thanks for travelling to Argentina and Antarctica with us.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Remarkable expertise in South America destinations.

This is the second trip (Boliva, Chile & Argentina) I have booked with Viva Expeditions, the first being to Antarctica.
Both trips were well organized and truly bucket list destinations.
A big shout-out to Pia Knarston for helping us coordinate a very challenging itinerary, a demanding 22-day adventure covering 3 countries, visiting a multitude of remote sites. From issuing advice on the itinerary to consistent follow ups during the trip, her attention to details is spot on.

March 8, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks for travelling with us again Juliana, we appreciate it. Thanks for your acknowledgement of Pia, she really works hard for our travellers! We hope to hear from you again, all the best.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Antarctica Expedition!!!!

Antarctica Expedition!!!!
I had an absolutely incredible experience booking my Antarctica Expedition, the dream journey of my life through Viva Expeditions.
A huge shout-out to Pia Knarston. Planning a journey to such a remote and unique destination can be overwhelming, but Pia made it so simple and stress-free. She took care of every things inluding every single little thing, from cruise booking to hotel and flight booking.
The trip itself exceeded all expectations, an unforgettable adventure with breathtaking landscapes, incredible wildlife encounters, and experiences I will cherish for a lifetime. None of this would have been possible without Pia.
If you are planning a trip of a lifetime, Viva Expeditions is highly recommended; you’ll be in excellent hands.

February 25, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback Ankit. We are always happy helping plan dream trips! We hope we can be of help again soon!!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Good for multi-tour itinaries

Was great at organising multiple tours into a single itinary and making sure transfers etc where all taken care of.

Beke our Destination Specialist was an absolute rockstar.

One thing to keep in mind was Viva was booking these tours through other tour providers, where some of them also then booked with a seperate provider. Between them, our travel agent and the other two agencies... there are a lot of people clipping the ticket on what you pay.

We had a great time and thought the value was there, but I think Viva needs to build more direct relationships with the end tour operators.

February 19, 2026
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Reply from Viva Expeditions

Hi Ben, thanks for your feedback and glad to hear Beke was great!
We do have a team in each country that looks after all the local guides etc so this enables us to have a 24/7 support team in each country should you need it, that are aware of all services booked, to help with logistics and communication. Also if say one guide happens to be sick, then we have another one available at short notice, rather than if we book individual guides direct. Hope this makes sense. Thanks again for travelling with us.

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