New Zealand Magic
From bubbling geysers to yawning gorges; gem-like glaciers to mirrored lakes; snow-tipped mountains to subtropical islands; it’s hard to believe that such a small country packs so much natural punch into its two islands. And then there are New Zealand’s cosmopolitan cities and towns, and celebration of Māori culture wherever you turn. Make no mistake – this journey from south to north is the ultimate New Zealand tour. Magic is an understatement.
- 28 Sep 2026 – 14 Oct 2026
from $9,746 pp twin share * - 12 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 19 Oct 2026 – 04 Nov 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 26 Oct 2026 – 11 Nov 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 02 Nov 2026 – 18 Nov 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 16 Nov 2026 – 02 Dec 2026
from $9,077 pp twin share * - 23 Nov 2026 – 09 Dec 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 30 Nov 2026 – 16 Dec 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 07 Dec 2026 – 23 Dec 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 14 Dec 2026 – 30 Dec 2026
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 21 Dec 2026 – 06 Jan 2027
from $9,555 pp twin share * - 28 Dec 2026 – 13 Jan 2027
from $9,077 pp twin share * - 04 Jan 2027 – 20 Jan 2027
from $9,845 pp twin share * - 11 Jan 2027 – 27 Jan 2027
from $10,042 pp twin share * - 18 Jan 2027 – 03 Feb 2027
from $9,845 pp twin share * - 25 Jan 2027 – 10 Feb 2027
from $10,042 pp twin share * - 01 Feb 2027 – 17 Feb 2027
from $9,845 pp twin share * - 08 Feb 2027 – 24 Feb 2027
from $10,042 pp twin share * - 15 Feb 2027 – 03 Mar 2027
from $9,845 pp twin share * - 22 Feb 2027 – 10 Mar 2027
from $10,042 pp twin share * - 01 Mar 2027 – 17 Mar 2027
from $9,845 pp twin share * - 08 Mar 2027 – 24 Mar 2027
from $10,042 pp twin share * - 15 Mar 2027 – 31 Mar 2027
from $9,845 pp twin share * - 22 Mar 2027 – 07 Apr 2027
from $10,042 pp twin share * - 29 Mar 2027 – 14 Apr 2027
from $10,042 pp twin share * - 05 Apr 2027 – 21 Apr 2027
from $9,288 pp twin share * - 27 Sep 2027 – 13 Oct 2027
from $10,035 pp twin share * - 11 Oct 2027 – 27 Oct 2027
from $9,032 pp twin share * - 18 Oct 2027 – 03 Nov 2027
from $9,032 pp twin share * - 25 Oct 2027 – 10 Nov 2027
from $9,032 pp twin share *
* Prices and category availability are subject to change without notice.
Itinerary
- Day 1 – Welcome to Christchurch:
On arrival in the ‘Garden City’ you’ll have time at leisure to explore or relax. Tonight, meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a tour briefing and drinks. - Day 2 – Christchurch – Franz Josef/Waiau:
Your New Zealand tour starts on a high as you jump aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Arthur’s Pass, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. From Arthur’s Pass, visit the small town of Hokitika, the heritage and cultural centre of the West Coast well-known for its jade. Things are about to get cool again as you arrive in the town of Franz Josef/Waiau, gateway to Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere, a white-out of snow and ice that shimmers like a gem. Get some perspective on an Optional Experience* scenic helicopter flight over this natural wonder – if the weather behaves, you may even get to land on it. - Day 3 – Franz Josef/Waiau – Queenstown:
Over the Haast Pass, the alpine scenery of the Southern Lakes spreads before you. First up there’s lovely Lake Hawea and Lake Dunstan, where you’ll pause at the Jones Family fruit stall to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruit. We know you’ll want to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, lined with trees and character-filled boutiques. But Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables await on your Queenstown tour. - Day 4 – Queenstown Free Time:
Take today at your own pace. Fancy an Optional Experience*? Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. There’s a reason why Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the country. Nature lover? Discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at Kiwi Park. Wine aficionado? Sip your way through surrounding vineyards. 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. - Day 5 – Queenstown – Te Anau:
From the moment you step outside today, nature rules. Your route from the Mirror Lakes through the Cleddau Valley is the entrée to your Milford Sound/Piopiotahi tour. Cruising this World Heritage listed expanse will give you goosebumps, a string of waterfalls creating a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Look out for dolphins – they’re a common sight here. Journey back through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and gin-clear rivers, carving up the countryside en route to Te Anau. - Day 6 – Te Anau – Dunedin:
Soak up the serenity of the South Island’s biggest lake on an early morning walk, perhaps, before leaving the forested slopes of Fiordland behind. Rolling green hills dotted with doe-eyed sheep are your new backdrop as you ease into the Edinburgh of the South: Dunedin. While away the afternoon with an Optional Experience*, in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two on a visit to Dunedin Craft Distillers, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience, or visit grand Larnach Castle, the only one of its kind in the country. You could venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals and penguins among them. - Day 7 – Dunedin – Omarama:
Time is on your side this morning. Sleep in or take a stroll around the manicured grounds of Otago University to the city’s main George Street. If you’ve ever wanted to see New Zealand’s oldest public gardens, today you’re in luck with a visit to Oamaru, known for its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings. - Day 8 – Omarama – Christchurch:
Your outlook this morning is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate local specialists, 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. Back on earth, you’re becoming reacquainted with Christchurch on a city tour, your in-the-know Travel Director pointing out the city’s miraculous transformation over the last decade. You’ll view the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. - Day 9 – Christchurch – Picton:
There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the sands of Kaikoura. Bonus points if you spot a seal or sperm whale frolicking offshore, Kaikoura is the marine wildlife centre of New Zealand. Your onward route skirts the pink tinged crystallisation ponds of the Lake Grassmere Salt Works, before arriving in the pretty seaside fishing village of Picton. - Day 10 – Picton – Wellington:
Swap wheels for water aboard the ferry for a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait, from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into New Zealand’s cool little capital of Wellington. On arrival, enjoy a city sights tour. - Day 11 – Wellington – Rotorua:
The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupō, the largest of its kind in the country. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. Tonight, delve deep into Maori culture and traditions at Te Puia. The Te Pō Indigenous Experience begins with an exhilarating cultural performance in a beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua, followed by views of the Pohutu Geyser, one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands, and ends with a delicious buffet dinner of locally sourced hāngī-inspired cuisine. - Day 12 – Rotorua Free Time:
Explore at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Choose an Optional Experience? Want a bit of down time? We wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. The setting for one of the world’s most famous film locations where guests can step inside Middle-earth and hear the stories behind the making of the films. - Day 13 – Rotorua – Auckland:
Set your internal GPS to cross the Waikato River and head towards the Waitomo Caves. This place is radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous limestone waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. The next thing that glows on your horizon is Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city with not one, but two harbours. And plenty of yachts to decorate both, as you’ll see from the lookout at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. - Day 14 – Auckland – Bay of Islands:
Say goodbye to the ‘City of Sails’ as you journey north to New Zealand’s dramatic Bay of Islands – 140 islands ringed by turquoise sea. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical significance: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your local specialist, likely a descendant of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house. - Day 15 – Bay of Islands Free Time:
If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. Today, head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps choose an Optional Experience*. Travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. 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. - Day 16 – Bay of Islands – Auckland:
Today, New Zealand’s most northerly city is well and truly on your radar. Whangarei is like the country in a tantalizing snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Take a brief stroll before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerizing commute back to Auckland. Tonight enjoy dinner and drinks to toast your adventure. - Day 17 – Farewell from Auckland:
It’s hard to say goodbye to Auckland – this city is hypnotic. But you have a camera full of New Zealand tour photos to categorise before you get home.
Highlights
- Explore bubbling geysers, yawning gorges, and gem-like glaciers.
- Experience cosmopolitan cities and the celebration of Māori culture.
- Journey through snow-tipped mountains and subtropical islands.
From bubbling geysers to yawning gorges; gem-like glaciers to mirrored lakes; snow-tipped mountains to subtropical islands; it’s hard to believe that such a small country packs so much natural punch into its two islands. And then there are New Zealand’s cosmopolitan cities and towns, and celebration of Māori culture wherever you turn. Make no mistake – this journey from south to north is the ultimate New Zealand tour. Magic is an understatement.
Inclusions
- Journey on the TranzAlpine Train through the Southern Alps See Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere from a panoramic viewpoint Visit historic Arrowtown Relish a gourmet BBQ dinner and farm show at Walter Peak High Country Farm Cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak on TSS Earnslaw Steamship Milford Sound/Piopiotahi Nature Cruise View the Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience – Guided indoor Dark Sky &.
- Astronomy Experience in Tekapo Spot marine wildlife from Kaikōura Beach Cruise the Cook Strait from Picton to Wellington Guided Tour of Waitomo Caves including Glowworm Cruise Te Pō Indigenous Experience at Te Puia Explore the Geothermal Wonders of Rotorua Explore the Bay of Islands, a stunning coastal paradise with golden beaches, and lush islands MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience – Guided tour and Cultural Performance at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
- Day 1 highlights Welcome to Christchurch: On arrival in the ‘Garden City’ you’ll have time at leisure to explore or relax. Tonight, meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a tour briefing and drinks.
FAQs
- Copthorne Hotel and Resort
- Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront
- Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel
- Distinction Luxmore Hotel
- Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre
- Ibis Hotel Christchurch
- Ibis Rotorua Hotel
- James Cook Grand Chancellor
- Picton Beachcomber Inn, Picton Yacht Club
- Scenic Hotel Dunedin City
- Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier
How long is this journey?
This itinerary runs for 17 days and 16 nights.
When can I travel?
Departures are currently scheduled between 28 Sep 2026 and 12 Apr 2028, subject to live availability.
Are there different departure options?
Yes, multiple departures may be available depending on your preferred travel period.
Are discounts available?
Seasonal or loyalty discounts may be available on selected departures at the time of enquiry.
What is generally included?
Inclusions typically cover guided touring and selected experiences, with exact details listed in the itinerary.
Provided by: AAT KingsFine Print
Terms and conditions apply. Click here for more details.