Holidays | Australia & New Zealand | New Zealand | Discover New Zealand
Overview
Itinerary
In New Zealand, epic landscapes brim with geological drama and harbor the rich cultural heritage of the Māori, who have inhabited the islands for hundreds of years. Venture from the bucolic North Island to the Southern Alps, where soaring peaks unfurl into majestic fjords, and witness age-old Māori traditions in the midst of a volcanic wonderland. Encounter a wealth of unusual creatures in subtropical wildlife sanctuaries and discover vibrant lakeside cities that tell the stories of the diverse peoples that call this Pacific nation home.Day 1
Auckland
Arrive at the Auckland Airport (AKL) and transfer to your downtown hotel. Discover the highlights of this multicultural city on a guided walking tour and enjoy a welcome dinner near the waterfront this evening.
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner (based on the arrivals)
Accommodations: Preferred Hotel
Day 2
Tiritiri Matangi Island
Board a ferry to Tiritiri Matangi Island, home to one of New Zealand’s most important wildlife sanctuaries. Learn about the island’s remarkable conservation efforts, including a volunteer-led reforestation program and the eradication of invasive species; and seek out some of the country’s fascinating birds and reptiles, such as the red-crowned parakeet and Duvaucel’s gecko. With luck, you might even spot the rare flightless takahe and the tuatara—an ancient creature dubbed a “living fossil” by scientists. Savor a picnic lunch on the island before returning to the mainland. This evening, enjoy free time to discover Auckland, known as the “city of sails” for the many sailboats that teem in its harbor.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 3
Waitomo Caves | Rotorua
Depart for Rotorua, known for its dramatic geothermal landscapes and thriving Māori community. Stop en-route at the spectacular glowworm caves of Waitomo, and float through this otherworldly subterranean realm on a private boat, enveloped in the turquoise light of thousands of tiny glowworms. After lunch, continue to Rotorua. Settle into your comfortable lakeside hotel, then gather for dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 4
Rotorua
Join a local guide for an exploration of Te Puia—the ancestral homeland of the Te Arawa tribe and a geothermal park. Tread past boiling springs and bubbling mud pools and encounter the massive Pohutu Geyser, which erupts approximately every hour. Visit the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, dedicated to preserving traditional Māori art forms; and observe master carvers teaching their craft at the National Wood Carving School. Then immerse yourself in Māori culture in Ohinemutu village. Our hosts will greet us with a mihi whakatau (welcome speech), then give us a tour of the village as they share captivating tales of their ancestors’ journey to New Zealand from Polynesia more than 6 centuries ago.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 5
Wellington
After breakfast, fly to Wellington, New Zealand’s charming capital city. On arrival, visit the Alexander Turnbull Library, with its permanent display housing New Zealand’s Declaration of Independence, Women’s Suffrage Petition, and the Treaty of Waitangi. Continue to “the Beehive,” the innovatively designed executive wing of New Zealand’s parliament. Learn about the country’s system of governance as you explore the parliamentary complex and perhaps get a chance to meet with local politicians.
Please note: On the New Year’s departure, due to New Zealand’s parliament not being in session, “the Beehive” tour will be replaced with a scenic cable car ride through Wellington’s hillside neighbourhoods, followed by a visit to the Botanic Garden.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 6
Wellington
Visit the famous Weta Workshop, the special effects group that worked on Avatar and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, for a behind-the-scenes tour of their design studio. After lunch, continue to the impressive Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum for an exclusive tour. Spend the remainder of the afternoon at leisure or continue exploring the many exhibits of Te Papa Tongarewa, including an exquisitely carved wharenui, the oldest surviving Māori meeting house in the country or Bush City, the museum’s unique outdoor exhibit, for a look at specimens of New Zealand’s diverse foliage and fascinating geological features.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 7
Queenstown | Te Anau
In the morning, fly to Queenstown, set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and ringed by the Southern Alps. Continue to Te Anau, the gateway to rugged Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. Upon arrival, board the historic wooden motor yacht Faith for a mountain-framed cruise on the South Island’s largest lake.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 8
Flordland National Park | Milford Sound
Discover Fiordland National Park, home to nearly three million acres of verdant, glacially carved wilderness. Walk through the beech forest of remote Hollyford Valley, then embark on a cruise through Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most breathtaking natural wonders. Glide past cascading waterfalls and sharply hewn cliffs, while keeping watch for bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and little blue penguins.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 9
Queenstown | Arrowtown
Return to Queenstown and drive into the idyllic, tussock-covered countryside of Central Otago. Enjoy lunch and sample the region’s award-winning wines at a local winery; then explore the quaint streets of Arrowtown, a historic mining settlement where thousands of Chinese immigrants worked during the late 19th-century Otago Gold Rush.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 10
Loch Lennhe Station | Queenstown
Begin the day with a stunning drive alongside the turquoise shores of Lake Wakatipu, past The Remarkables mountain range and up the Devil’s Staircase Road. Disembark at a secluded alpine farm and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of a working sheep and cattle ranch. Sit down to a traditional Kiwi barbequed lunch and a hike along Staircase Creek before heading back to Queenstown.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 11
Queenstown
Visit the Kiwi Birdlife Park, a family-run sanctuary in the heart of the city, that is the home to more than 20 species of native wildlife. Join a zoologist for a private tour of the park, encountering brightly colored parakeets, majestic falcons and the kiwi—an emblematic icon of New Zealand. Enjoy an afternoon to explore Queenstown at leisure, then gather for a farewell dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Preferred Hotel
Day 12
Queenstown
After breakfast, transfer to the Queenstown Airport (ZQN) and catch your flight home.
Meals Included: Breakfast
What’s Included
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Transfers upon arrival and departure
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Transportation provided on-trip
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Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
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Meals as indicated in the itinerary
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Daily activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
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All gratuities except for the trip Leader
What’s not included
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Airfare to and from destination, as well as internal airfare
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Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
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Visas when applicable
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Expenses of personal nature such as tips, telephone calls, laundry, liquor, etc.
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Peak / Festival Period Surcharge to be paid extra. Will be notified at time of booking confirmation.