How to Book Tours & Experiences in Niue© NiuePocketGuide.com
How to Book Tours & Experiences in Niue

How to Book Tours & Experiences in Niue

© NiuePocketGuide.com

Booking Activities in Niue + How to Have a Better Tour Experience

Niue is a little old school. You won’t find activities available to book on TripAdvisor, you very rarely find activity providers with websites, and those that have email addresses don’t always check them. So how do you book tours and experiences in Niue?

Niue’s activities can be booked directly with tour operators over the phone. But with no international roaming in Niue, that poses another problem. Luckily, accommodations and the Visitor Information Centre are able to book tours for you or you could make use of landlines in some resort rooms (yes, that’s still a thing) or get yourself a Niue SIM card, which also means you can make use of messaging apps like Facebook Messenger which is very popular in Niue. Then, there are always the travel agents. We’ll go into detail on all those ways to book tours and experiences in Niue.

5 Quick Tips for Booking a Tour in Niue

Before we get into the details of how to book tours and experiences in Niue, here are just a few quick tips if you’re in a hurry:

  1. If booking a tour over the phone from overseas, make sure you check the Niue time zone to see if you are calling at a reasonable time
  2. It is not necessary to book tours super in advance, usually at least two to three days in advance is enough, but…
  3. If booking tours when you’re in Niue, make all of your bookings on your first day so you’re less likely to encounter tours that are fully booked
  4. No tours operate on Sunday, especially boat tours
  5. Most tour operators only accept cash as payment. However, you may be able to pay by card if booking through the Visitor Information Centre and certain accommodations.

For tips on how to make the most of your Niue tour once you’re booked onto the experience, scroll to the “10 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Guided Tour in Niue” section below.

How to Book Tours in Niue(c) niuepocketguide.com

Booking Tours and Experiences Over the Phone

In most cases, the only information tour operators in Niue provide for contacting them is a phone number. Yes, those four-digit numbers are phone numbers! This is often the only way to book direct with tour operators.

The Niue Dial Code

You might want to consider booking tours by calling overseas before you arrive in Niue. The reason is, Niue does not have international roaming, so if you don’t plan on getting a SIM card in Niue or just prefer to book in advance, then it’s best to call from overseas. The dialling code for Niue is +683, so put this dialling code before the phone number you wish to call. For more on how to use the dialling code, check out What is the Niue Country Code?

Getting a Niue SIM Card

So that you can make calls using your phone in Niue, get a Niue SIM card. Telecom Niue is the sole network in Niue, which has a kiosk at Hanan Airport on arrival and a store in the Commercial Centre in Alofi so you can purchase a SIM card and phone plan. See How to Get a Tourist SIM Card in Niue for more advice.

Using Landlines

Some of Niue’s accommodations have landline phones, such as the Scenic Matavai Resort and the Stone Villas, for instance. In this case, you can call local tour operators from a landline without using the Niue dialling code.

How to Book Tours in Niue(c) niuepocketguide.com

Booking Tours Through Your Accommodation

Accommodations are more than happy to book tours for you in Niue. The general rule is that accommodation with staff at reception will be able to book tours for you on your behalf. Holiday homes typically don’t offer this service, but it doesn’t hurt to ask when booking your accommodation.

Check out some of the accommodations in Niue in The 30 Best Accommodations in Niue and Where to Stay in Niue.

How to Book Tours in Niue(c) Niue Tourism

Booking Tours Through the Visitor Information Centre

The Niue Tourism Visitor Information Centre is located on the main road in Alofi next to the Niue Market. They can book tours for you on your behalf and can even take payment for you, as they have a card machine (EFTPOS) that some tour operators don’t have access to, giving you an alternative way to pay than cash. The visitor centre can give advice on a range of tours. They are a government organisation, so do not have a vested interest in promoting one tour over the other (in theory).

Their opening hours are from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.

How to Book Tours in Niue(c) Pexels

Websites and Facebook

Very few activity providers in Niue have their own website where you can make bookings, typically via email. Where they don’t have websites, some activity providers have Facebook Pages where you can send a direct message to the tour operator to enquire about bookings. This latter option is becoming increasingly popular in Niue! Facebook Messenger can be a great way to contact and organise a tour or experience before arriving in Niue. The only downside is usually finding the right contact on Facebook, but usually searching for the company name is the best way to go.

In short, for booking tours before arrival, it’s always worth a quick “Google” to see who is available to contact online, especially if wishing to book from overseas. If wanting to connect to the internet in Niue, see What is the Best Way to Get Internet in Niue?

How to Book Tours in Niue(c) niuepocketguide.com

Travel Agencies

Finally, for organising your trip hassle-free before you arrive in Niue, you can book tours with a travel agency. While travel agencies can organise bookings for your entire trip to Niue for you, note that you tend to pay a little extra for the privilege. Below is a list of travel agents selling travel products for Niue.

Travel Agents in Niue

Peleni’s Travel – Located just east of the Latter-Day Saints Church on the main road of Alofi.
Explore Niue – Located at Tuaga Lodge in Halamahaga, Alofi (behind the old Falala Fa Cafe).

Travel Agents in New Zealand

Flight Centre, Hello World Travel, House of Travel, Mondo Travel, Our Pacific, Travel&co., World Travellers, YOU Travel and Peleni’s Travel.

Travel Agents in Australia

Dive Adventures, Allways Dive Expeditions, Hideaway Holidays, Adventure World, Spacifica Travel and Omniche Holidays.

How to Book Tours & Experiences in Niue© NiuePocketGuide.com

10 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Guided Tour in Niue

Guided tours are a great way to educate yourself in Niue and immerse yourself in nature and culture. However, there are a few ways to prepare yourself for a guided tour in Niue so that you can really make the most of it. We go over some Niue tour tips in the list below!

Note that many of these tips mostly apply to land tours. You might also be interested in the 10 Amazing Water Activities in Niue, which is a good gateway to advice on water-based tours.

1. Book a Couple of Days in Advance at the Latest

Don’t worry about booking tours weeks and weeks in advance for Niue. With the small number of tourists visiting the island at a time, this often gives you enough time to play with dates when it comes to bookings. However, we still recommend booking tours two days ahead at the latest, which is usually a good time to avoid the disappointment of not getting onto the tour. Plus, some tours only take place on certain days of the week, so chances are that you will have to wait a couple of days for the next available tour anyway.

2. … But We Recommend Booking Your Tours on Your First Day in Niue

If you’re not planning on getting a Niue SIM card, we recommend booking all of the tours you want to do with your accommodation or the Visitor Information Centre, simply for ease! It will also give you peace of mind knowing the rest of your trip is sorted.

3. Wear Sturdy Shoes

Some of Niue’s land tours take you over rough terrain with a good pair of shoes is necessary. Kicking the ground on this rocky coral atoll in your flip-flops is never fun, so if you even have a doubt about what footwear to wear, we always recommend closed shoes like sneakers or walking shoes.

4. Apply Insect Repellent

Delving into rainforests and plantations is a common theme of Niue’s guided tours, especially nature tours. Forests are a mosquito’s favourite hangout, so make sure you start your tour prepared with some mosquito repellent already applied. Make sure your repellent is eco-friendly in order to not put a downer on your “nature” tour. See some of our recommendations in the 10 Best Natural Insect Repellents for Niue.

5. Don’t Like Spiders? Wear a Hat!

Don’t worry, Niue isn’t home to any poisonous spiders, but there are still a fair few spiders spinning their webs in the forest. If spiders make you feel a bit queasy, then wearing a hat on a forest tour is a good way to avoid cobwebs in your hair. And if you have a real phobia of spiders, then perhaps Niue’s nature tours are not for you…

6. Take Some Water

A tour in the sheltered forest can be stuffy, especially in the summer season. But no matter what time of year you do your tour, it’s always recommended to take some water with you so that you stay hydrated throughout. On the other hand, most tours provide refreshments, usually in the form of a drinking coconut.

7. Take Some Swimwear

Having some swimwear to change into for anywhere you go in Niue is always handy, as you often find yourself having the opportunity to do some impromptu swimming and snorkelling. Pack some swimwear in your day pack if you think you might want to swim. Niue’s sightseeing tours, in particular, give you the opportunity to swim, so you might want to have it already on under your clothing for some efficient changing!

8. Ask Questions if You’re Curious

While some of Niue’s tours have charismatic tour guides who will fill you with information for the entire tour, some tours are a lot more laidback. If you find yourself in the latter, then it’s good to ask questions in order to get the complete learning experience from your tour. Guides are happy to answer questions, so don’t be shy!

9. Most Tour Operators Only Accept Cash

If you haven’t prepaid for your tour, then you will be expected to pay the tour operator in person at the beginning or end of the tour. In almost all cases, cash is the only payment method accepted, so make sure you have enough with you. Land tours in Niue are anywhere between NZ$40-$120 each for adults, about half or sometimes free for children under 10 years old. Learn more about What is the Best Way to Pay in Niue?

10. Tours Don’t Operate on Sundays

Bear in mind when planning your trip that tours do not operate on Sundays, especially boat tours. Sunday is a sacred day in Niue and a day of rest so your activity choices are a little more limited. See the 10 Things to Do in Niue on a Sunday for inspiration on what to do.

More on How to Book Tours and Experiences in Niue

That’s it for our guide on how to book tours and experiences in Niue. Now for some tours to book, take a look a the following:

Finally, don’t miss a thing from your Niue bucket list by checking out everything on the 101 Things to Do in Niue: The Ultimate List.

Author

Laura S.

This article was reviewed and published by Laura, editor in chief and co-founder of Niue Pocket Guide. Since arriving solo in the South Pacific over 10 years ago with nothing but a backpack and a background in journalism, her mission has been to show the world how easy (and awesome) it is to explore a paradise such as Niue. She knows the island inside-out and loves sharing tips on how best to experience Niue’s must-dos and hidden gems. Laura is also editor of several other South Pacific travel guides.

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