Travel Type
Escorted Tour
Duration
17 Days/16 Nights
Country
New Zealand
 

It’s hard to pick a highlight of this New Zealand tour from north to south. Is it the fiords and glaciers of Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, explored on a tour? The gem-like Bay of Islands from Auckland? The bubbling geysers and thermal springs of Rotorua? Or perhaps the mountain vistas of Queenstown? In between you have cosmopolitan cities, wineries, train rides, beaches… how does one country pack so much punch?

Inclusions

16-night accommodation in double occupancy
Travel by luxury coach
English speaking experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
Meals: 16 Breakfasts, 5 dinners, 2 highlight dinners and 1 farewell dinner
Visits and sightseeing as per itinerary

Exclusions

International flights and airport taxes – Transfers – Gratuities to hotel personnel, guides and drivers – Optional excursions – Beverages unless noted in the itinerary – Any other services not specified above

Additional Information

Note

Booking code: LABC
Itinerary available from Christchurch to Auckland: New Zealand Magic, booking code: LCBA

1

DAY 1 AUCKLAND

Explore waterfront precincts filled with yachts or just meet fellow travel companions for a Welcome Reception tonight. (Arrival transfer not included, make your own way to the hotel or ask us to arrange a transfer for you.)

Accommodation : Auckland for 1 night

2

DAY 2 AUCKLAND – BAY OF ISLANDS

Say goodbye to the ‘City of Sails’ as you journey north to the Bay of Islands – 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret; this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Your guide, perhaps a descendent of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial canoe and a carved meeting house.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation : Bay of Islands for 2 nights

3

DAY 3 BAY OF ISLANDS

Today, trip the light fantastic and head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, enjoy a cruise to the iconic Hole in the Rock or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands.

Meals : Breakfast

4

DAY 4 BAY OF ISLANDS – AUCKLAND

Whangarei is a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland.

Meals : Breakfast

Accommodation : Aukland for 1 night

5

DAY 5 AUCKLAND - ROTORUA

After a morning of sightseeing, set your GPS for the Waitomo Caves. Cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation : Rotorua for 2 nights

6

DAY 6 ROTORUA

Explore at your own pace today. Want a bit of down time? Bliss out at Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of today’s opportunity to visit the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton.

Meals : Breakfast

7

DAY 7 ROTORUA - WELLINGTON

At Huka Falls, 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metre-high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of mint-blue Lake Taupo. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from, you’ll need a guidebook. Wait, you have an in-the-know Travel Director to talk to.

Meals : Breakfast

Accommodation : Wellington for 1 night

8

DAY 8 WELLINGTON – PICTON

Wellington is known for its uber-cool cafés, designed to fuel you through a session at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Onwards to the Interislander for a cruise across Cook Strait, from the North Island to the South, through a maze of arms and inlets.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation : Picton for 1 night

9

DAY 9 PICTON – CHRISTCHURCH

There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the sands of Kaikoura. Bonus points if you spot a sea lion or sperm whale frolicking offshore, Kaikoura is the marine wildlife centre of New Zealand.

Meals : Breakfast

Accommodation : Christchurch for 1 night

10

DAY 10 CHRISTCHURCH – OMARAMA

On your city tour view the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. From here, your outlook is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience in Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You’ll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation : Omarama for 1 night

11

DAY 11 OMARAMA – DUNEDIN

Oamaru, with its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings, stands proud before you journey further south toward the ‘Edinburgh of the South’. Dunedin’s Scottish ancestry is everywhere you look, from the manicured grounds of Otago University to Larnach Castle. While away the afternoon in the city’s art-lined alleys, or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives here – fur seals and penguins among them.

Meals : Breakfast

Accommodation : Dunedin for 1 night

12

DAY 12 DUNEDIN – TE ANAU

Weave your way into Fiordland National Park and the South Island’s biggest lake and the town of Te Anau.

Meals : Breakfast

Accommodation : Te Anau for 1 night

13

DAY 13 TE ANAU – QUEENSTOWN

Your route through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and mirror-like lakes. All roads lead to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, where a string of waterfalls create a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Venture out into the Fiord on a sightseeing cruise, where dolphins and seals are a common sight.

Meals : Breakfast

Accommodation : Queenstown for 2 nights

14

DAY 14 QUEENSTOWN

Take Queenstown at your own pace today. Feel the wind in your hair on a high octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

15

JOUR 15 QUEENSTOWN – FRANZ JOSEF/WAIAU

Leaving Lake Wakatipu behind, Arrowtown and Lake Dunstan appear on the horizon. Then there’s Lake Hawea followed by Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Over the Haast Pass, the pretty town of Franz Josef/Waiau awaits.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation : Franz Josef/Waiau pour 1 nuit

16

DAY 16 FRANZ JOSEF/WAIAU – CHRISTCHURCH

Swap snow for pounamu (native greenstone or jade) in Hokitika: the pounamu found here is the stuff jewellery dreams are made of. Just when you thought your adventure couldn’t get any better, you’ll aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation : Christchurch for 1 night

17

DAY 17 CHRISTCHURCH

Two islands, glaciers, lakes, thermal springs and a parade of wildlife... We hope you find the words to describe this epic adventure. (Transfer to airport not included).

Meals : Breakfast

HOTEL OPTIONS OR SIMILAR

Aukland

Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre 4*

Bay of Islands

Copthorne Hotel and Resort 4*

Rotorua

Ibis Rotorua Hotel 3*

Wellington

Travelodge Wellington 4*

Picton

Picton Beachcomber Inn 3*

Christchurch

Wyndham Garden 4*

Omarama

Heritage Gateway Hotel 3*

Dunedin

Scenic Hotel Dunedin City 4*

Te Anau

Distinction Luxmore Hotel 4*

Queenstown

Copthorne Hotel and Resort 4*

Franz Josef/Waiau

Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier 4*

Rates in CA$, per person, starting from, in double occupancy 

Land Package
Departures 2024-2025-20263* and 4*
 
October 12, 20248660 7794
October 26, 20258660
January 11, Febraury 22, 20258920
March 8, 20258920 8028
March 22, 20258920
April 19, 20259790 8079
September 20, October 11, 25, November 8, 29, 20259530 7841
January 10, 24, February 7, 21, March 7, 21, 20269790 8079
April 11, 18, 20269965
May 23, June 20, July 18, August 1, 29, September 5, 19, 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7, 21, 28, December 5, 12, 19, 20269690
January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20, 20279965
  
Single room supplementOn request

**Prices in this document are for information only; they were issued at press time, for the current year. Please note that due to exchange rates and temporary promotions, they can increase or decrease at any time. Contact your travel agent for the price and promotion of the moment. Prices include the contribution of customers to the Compensation Fund for clients of Quebec travel agents.

*** PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR TERMS & CONDITIONS. ***

Kia ora New Zealand – Detailed itinerary
Kia ora New Zealand – Detailed itinerary