Ultimate New Zealand Highlights - 19 Days

On arrival in Auckland, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a complimentary pre-dinner drink as you meet your tour leader and fellow travellers before dinner.

Please note: For arrivals later than 8.00pm, dinner is not included.

We leave Auckland and travel to Matakohe for a visit and informative talk at the Kauri Museum. Continuing via Whangarei, we arrive in Paihia in the heart of the Bay of Islands. We then visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Treaty between Maori and the British Crown was signed in 1840.

Today is free for you to enjoy the Bay of Islands as you wish. Optional activities include a coach trip to Cape Reinga via Ninety Mile Beach or a scenic flight. This evening is also at leisure, with the option to join a relaxing dinner cruise.

This morning we cruise through the Bay of Islands to Cape Brett, where a historic lighthouse overlooks Piercy Island, better known as the Hole in the Rock. Keep watch for dolphins and other marine life along the way.

After returning to Paihia, we travel south via Whangarei to Auckland. This evening is free for you to explore the local dining options near your hotel.

This morning we see the sights of Auckland before travelling through the countryside to Hobbiton for a buffet lunch. A guided tour of the 12-acre movie set takes us past Hobbit Holes, the Mill and the Green Dragon Inn. You can also step inside an authentic Hobbit Hole interior for an immersive look into life in the Shire.

Our day begins with a gondola ride and breakfast at Skyline Rotorua, followed by time for an exciting luge ride. We then visit the Agrodome for a lively farm show that combines entertainment and insight into rural life.

Later, there is free time before we head to Te Puia to see Rotorua’s famous mud pools and geysers. This evening, we enjoy a traditional Maori Hangi and concert.

We travel along the Thermal Explorer Highway to Huka Falls and Lake Taupo, then continue to Napier, known as the Art Deco Capital. Rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake, the city is celebrated for its remarkable collection of Art Deco architecture. On arrival, we board the Hawke’s Bay Express and hear the story of the city’s fascinating past. There is free time later to explore at your own pace.

Travelling south through rolling farmland, we make our way to Wellington. On arrival, we enjoy a city sights tour of New Zealand’s capital, known for its harbour setting, culture and history.

After checking in to our centrally located hotel, the rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore, stroll along the waterfront or simply relax before dinner.

This morning we visit Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum, and see Gallipoli - A Scale of War, a powerful exhibition that brings wartime stories to life through the experiences of New Zealanders.

We then continue with a city tour of Wellington before boarding the Interislander Ferry. The crossing through Cook Strait and the Marlborough Sounds is one of New Zealand’s great scenic journeys. From Picton, we travel on to Blenheim.

We travel through Marlborough, a region renowned for its food and wine, before continuing to the coastal town of Kaikoura. From here, we head south to Christchurch, where we enjoy a city sights tour of the Garden City.

This morning we board the TranzAlpine, one of the world’s great rail journeys. Travelling through river valleys, deep gorges and over high viaducts, we make our way into the Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass.

Rejoining our coach, we continue to Hokitika, known for greenstone, then travel on to Franz Josef. Time is available to take an optional scenic flight over the glaciers, weather permitting.

We travel south along the West Coast, passing views of the Southern Alps and the Fox Glacier township. Continuing through the dramatic landscape of Haast Pass, we arrive in Queenstown, beautifully set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. This evening is free for you to dine at one of the town’s many restaurants.

Today is free for you to enjoy Queenstown. Optional activities include a jet boat ride or a heritage tour into Skippers Canyon.

This evening, we board the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw and cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station. Here we enjoy a gourmet barbecue dinner at the Colonel’s Homestead, followed by a short farm tour. On the return cruise, enjoy a singalong around the piano as we sail back to Queenstown.

After a relaxed start, we travel to Arrowtown, a former gold mining settlement, and visit the Lakes District Museum. We then continue to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland. This evening, you may choose to visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves.

Today we travel through Fiordland to Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most famous natural attractions. We board our cruise and take in the scale of this dramatic fiord, including Bowen Falls and Mitre Peak, while enjoying lunch onboard.

After returning to Te Anau, there is free time to relax. You may also choose to see Ata Whenua - Shadowland at the Fiordland Cinema.

We travel via Gore and Balclutha to Dunedin, often referred to as the Edinburgh of the South, and enjoy a city sights tour. Later, we drive out along the Otago Peninsula to Larnach Castle, where a guided tour reveals its colourful and often tragic history. We also enjoy Devonshire Tea and time to look around the gardens.

Leaving Dunedin behind, we travel to Oamaru, known for its limestone buildings, then follow the Waitaki River inland. As we continue, we are treated to views of Aoraki / Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak. There is an opportunity to take an optional scenic flight over the Southern Alps, weather permitting, before we continue to Twizel.

We begin the day at Lake Tekapo, where we see its striking turquoise waters, the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Sheepdog Statue. We then continue to Christchurch. This evening, enjoy a pre-dinner drink and share memories of the tour at our farewell dinner.

Your holiday comes to an end today. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight home after an unforgettable New Zealand journey.

Please note: If you depart the hotel before the restaurant opens, breakfast is not included.