Hilary Barry is currently hosting a safari tour in Africa. Photo / Viva Expeditions
Hilary Barry is currently offscreen, swapping Seven Sharp for a temporary new role – hosting a luxury rail safari tour group through southern Africa.
The TVNZ host has shared photos of stunning scenery and wildlife at Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa on social media.
“Our epic adventure on board Rovos Rail with Viva Expeditions has begun,” read Barry’s Facebook post on Saturday. “This stunning scenery will lead us to Kruger National Park, Kapama and Hwange National Park so stand by to be spammed with more pics.”
Organised through Auckland-based tour company Viva Expeditions, 56 guests have joined Barry for the 10-day journey that started last Thursday. Travellers, who will have spent at least $10,400 for their spot, will explore scenic landscapes in South Africa and Zimbabwe, including Kapama Reserve to search for the “big five” game animals and Victoria Falls.
While not always cheap, celebrity-run travel tours are gaining popularity among Kiwi travellers.
The same company running Barry’s African tour is advertising a 12-day women-only tour of Saudi Arabia hosted by another journalist, Wendy Petrie, in February 2026. The price tag for each spot is at least $13,400.
Petrie’s tour starts in Riyadh, the capital city that sits on a desert plateau and is often referred to as the birthplace of modern Saudi Arabia.
The itinerary includes a couple of nights in the metropolis, exploring the world’s largest camel market in Buraydah and a visit to a private, female-only beach in Jeddah.
Speaking to the Herald, Viva Expeditions’ marketing manager Melanie Wright said the company has had “really strong interest” in its hosted journeys as it brings together two things it says people love: the thrill of adventure and the chance to share it with someone they admire.
According to Wright, the allure is less about the stardom of the host. “It’s not about creating a celebrity spectacle – it’s about sharing an adventure together, with real conversations and genuine moments along the way,” she said.
“Our clients have told us it’s the stories shared, the laughs around the dinner table, and the unexpected moments of connection that make a trip like this so memorable. For us, these hosted trips capture exactly what travel should feel like: personal, exciting and full of unforgettable shared moments that stay with you long after you’re home.”
Food is a big drawcard for many of these types of personality-led tours, which are run by a number of companies that specialise in group travel.
Next month, Kiwi restaurateur Chand Sahrawat, wife of acclaimed chef Sid Sahrawat and co-owner of several iconic Auckland restaurants, including The French Cafe, will host a luxury culinary tour to India through Good Food Journeys. The trip will take place during Diwali, an annual Hindu celebration that means “row of lights” and creates a vibrant atmosphere throughout the nation. Over 11 days, up to 15 guests will taste their way through Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Mumbai.
While in Jaipur, known as the “Pink City” as many of its buildings are coated in that colour, guests will attend a special cooking class and learn about Indian spices, using recipes preserved in ancestral handwritten cookbooks.
While she has plans to reduce the number of food tours she runs, Kiwi chef and author Peta Mathias will take groups to India, Uzès in France and the Basque Country in parts of Spain and France for gastronomic adventures in 2026.
In November, Taranaki-based chef and MasterChef NZ winner Chelsea Winter is hosting a group trip to Vietnam, escorted by tour company Trafalgar, for eight days and seven nights. Priced from $5899 per person, travellers will experience highlights including walking through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, tasting local delicacies and getting an introduction to Vietnamese cooking through a hands-on, private cooking class.
And across the Tasman, celebrity chefs and former MasterChef Australia judges Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston have led numerous foodie tours for travel platform Luxury Escapes, visiting the likes of Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.
Even lovers of the All Blacks are catered for. For every fixture this season, All Blacks Travel & Hospitality (an independent company contracted by New Zealand Rugby) provides fans with experiences directly involving current or former All Blacks players, as well as sorting out matchday tickets and flights.
“At every fixture, at home or abroad, guests are hosted by a stellar line-up of personalities who know the game inside and out. From former All Blacks sharing first-hand stories from their time in the jersey to TV commentators and Kiwi icons adding energy and polish, these hosts make every lounge and travel experience unforgettable,” head of commercial Nick Rowland told the Herald.
“This year’s hosts have taken it up another gear with Richie McCaw, Aaron Smith, Dane Coles, Conrad Smith, Bob Skinstad, Stephen Donald and Israel Dagg all stepping in to give guests unrivalled access to the game’s biggest names.”
During the All Blacks’ end-of-year tour to Britain, the company has sold out a curated 17-night trip, that includes tickets to games against Scotland, England and Wales, as well as sightseeing opportunities and events with players. Tickets cost $23,999 per person.
This year, a similar offering for Warriors fans was launched, which was hosted by former players Awen Guttenbeil and Kevin Campion.
Former Prime Minister Sir John Key has also played tour guide, hosting a trip with Viva Expeditions in 2023. He and a small group of others went on a 12-day cruise around Antarctica.
“Everyone who has the opportunity to visit Antarctica should go. Its grandeur, beauty and grace are incomparable. In a hectic and polluted world, it remains one of the few places on Earth that feels not only genuinely tranquil but importantly unspoiled,” Key wrote in a Herald story.
Varsha Anjali is a journalist in the lifestyle team at the Herald. Based in Auckland, she covers travel, culture and more.