New Zealand: Highlights with a Twist

Discover Auckland on this day trip around town. After an early breakfast at your hotel in Central Auckland, make use of the available transport to reach the meeting point. Hit the city’s iconic Harbour Bridge for some perfect photo ops to remember your Auckland vacation. Check out the city’s popular beaches and other landmarks, including views of several ancient volcanoes that overlook Auckland. Wrap up the excursion with a visit to the popular Sky Tower. Enjoy panoramic sights of the city from your aerial perch. After, make your way back to your hotel. (Duration: half day; Time: 0900 hrs daily; Shared activity; Group size: max 15 ppl; Shared transfer only for hotels in Central Auckland; Meals included: snacks & water; Please inform us of any food allergies in advance; Entry fees included; Fitness level: easy; Please wear comfortable walking shoes, bring sunglasses, sun hat & sunscreen, and dress for the weather; Not available on Christmas Day; Entry to Sky Tower is NOT included.)

Experience the best of Waiheke Island on this memorable excursion from Auckland. Meet your local guide at the wharf and set off on a tour of the charming local vineyards. Stop by some of the best wineries of Waiheke and sample the delicious local vintage as you learn more about life on the island from your friendly guide. Learn all about the local communities, the island’s seasonal produce, its culture and the lay of the land. Enjoy a leisurely one course lunch in one of the charming vineyard restaurants. After the sumptuous affair, take the boat back to the mainland and return to your hotel in Auckland. (Duration: 7 hrs approx; Time of Day: 1000 hrs; Shared Activity; Fitness level: Easy; Wine tasting at 3 of Waiheke’s top vineyards plus one course lunch and a glass of Waiheke wine or beer included; Please bring sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen & comfortable walking shoes).

Journey through the heart of North Island, visiting two iconic attractions – Waitomo Caves and Hobbiton, en route from Auckland to Rotorua. You will be picked up from your hotel in Auckland and driven through the picturesque Waikato countryside to Waitomo Caves. Enter the caves to see myriad stalactites and stalagmites. Walk down some steps into an area called the Cathedral, an acoustically superior underground venue, surrounded by a 50-foot-tall limestone formation. Then, take a boat ride through tunnels lit up by constellations of glow worms. While gliding on the inky underground lake, your guide will tell you all about the creatures adorning the ceiling and walls. Next, head to the Hobbiton Movie Set for a guided tour through The Shire. Explore the gardens and proceed to Bagshot Row for a glimpse of the interiors of a hobbit dwelling. Stroll past orchards and vegetable patches, while the guide recounts anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories about the trilogy. Finally, continue on your scenic drive to your hotel in Rotorua.(En route activity; Duration: full day; Private activity & transfers; Entry fees are not included)

Set off from your hotel to explore the crater formed by Mount Tarawera during its historic explosion in 1886. Accompany your expert guide across the scenic landscape of Waimangu, the world’s youngest geothermal valley, created by this massive volcanic upheaval. Walk along as you listen to your guide narrate how the volcanic activity led to the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces, a set of geothermal springs in a staircase formation. Savor panoramic vistas of the multi-hued landscape in this rugged region and capture stunning images of this natural wonder. Get your adrenaline rush by signing up for the optional run into the heart of the volcanic crater. (Half Day; Shared Activity; Time of Day: 0815/1015 hrs depending on the season; Fitness Level: Moderate. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and warm, comfortable clothes and bring along rain jackets.)

Immerse yourself in the rich traditions of the Maori people on this tour. Get picked up from your hotel in the city and drive to Mitai Maori village for an indigenous cultural experience. Set off on a guided bush walk with your knowledgeable guide and get a closer look at the flora and fauna including glow worms. Watch as fierce warriors dressed in traditional attire paddle a waka or battle canoe down the Wai-o-whiro stream. As you walk around the village, learn about ancient Maori customs that are still in practice. Enjoy a captivating performance of songs, games, and the Haka Maori war dance. Watch as the story of the migration of the Te Arawa people to Aotearoa and their way of life is told through dance. Afterwards, sit down to a hearty hangi meal cooked the traditional way in an umu or earth oven. Feast on succulent Polynesian meat, poultry, and vegetarian delicacies. There will also be delicious drinks and desserts available. After dinner, return to your hotel with memories of a fun evening. (Duration: half day; Time: 1745 hrs; Not available on Christmas Day; shared/ guided evening event & transfers; Group size: max 160 ppl; Entry fees included; Meals included: dinner; Please inform us of any allergies in advance; Fitness level: easy)

Discover the urban architecture and heritage of this lovely city by the Avon River at your own leisurely pace. Go punting on the Avon on a romantic tour that revisits the elegant Edwardian era, past the city’s beautiful Botanic Gardens. Explore the famous Christchurch Botanic Gardens and take advantage of the many walking and hiking trails around town. Enjoy a ride on the Christchurch Gondola, for stunning panoramic views of the city and valley. More aerial views await you on chopper flights over Christchurch City, the Lyttelton harbor and stunning bays. Don’t leave town without touring the city aboard the heritage Christchurch Tram, and enjoy the region’s delicious local cuisine at the Tramway Restaurant. Savor freshly caught salmon and groper at the many local seafood restaurants and cafés, washed down with craft beer and local wine from the city’s popular micro-breweries and wineries. (Duration: full day; Self-explore activity; No guide; No transfers; Entrance fees & meals are not included; Fitness level: easy; Please wear comfortable walking shoes)

Explore South Island’s stunning natural landscape on this full-day guided group tour to Arthurs Pass National Park by TranzAlpine, one of the world’s great scenic train routes. From Christchurch, the train crosses the Canterbury Plains, winds its way to the spectacular Waimakariri Gorge along rugged mountain ranges and into the heart of the Southern Alps. At Arthurs Pass, accompanied by your guide, proceed by minivan into Arthurs Pass National Park. Drive on an old stagecoach route through dense beech forests, taking in breathtaking views of Otira Gorge. En route, stop for short bushwalks to splendid waterfalls and alpine lookouts. Along the way, you might spot New Zealand’s comical alpine parrot, the kea. Continue onward to the hamlet of Arthurs Pass, stopping to view the craggy cliffs at Cave Stream and weatherworn limestone outcrops of Castle Hill Rocks. After lunch at a historic country hotel, return to Christchurch by road via the sub-alpine Porter’s Pass and the Canterbury Plains. (Duration: Full Day; Time: 0730 hrs; Shared Activity & Transfers; Shared Guide; Fitness Level: Moderate; Included: Train Tickets, Entrance Fees, Lunch; Please wear sturdy walking shoes. Carry water. Please inform us of any food allergies in advance).

Visit Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook on this day trip from Christchurch to Queenstown. Meet your driver-guide at your hotel and head out across the Canterbury Plains. Situated between the Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean, this picturesque area features braided rivers and neatly laid out farms. Your first stop is Lake Tekapo, notable for its turquoise waters and mountain panorama. Stroll to the Church of the Good Shepherd, before driving beside the Tasman River to Mount Cook National Park. Explore New Zealand’s premier alpine destination, surrounded by towering mountains punctuated by glacial valleys. Continue to Lake Pukaki, passing by farms and orchards. Drive on the scenic Lindis Pass to reach the historic Kuwarau Suspension Bridge, an engineering marvel. Finally, go past Arrowtown, Dalefield and Arthurs Point to arrive at your Queenstown hotel.(En route activity; Duration: full day; Private activity & transfers)

Enjoy an exciting fly-cruise-fly excursion to Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most stunning natural attractions. Start with a 35-minute flight from Queensland, during which your guide will point out lakes, canyons and pretty towns. Soar above the dense beech forests of the Routeburn and Hollyford valleys. Fly over the Southern Alps and into Fiordland National Park. View the landscape dotted with glacial lakes and spot Mount Tutoko, the park’s highest peak. Pass over Donne Glacier and glide across the length of Milford Sound, before landing. Next, board the launch for a cruise on the fjord. Sail beside the iconic Mitre Peak that rises 5,551 feet above the water. Get up close to Lady Bowen Falls and keep an eye out for penguins, seals and dolphins. Disembark and take the return flight to Queenstown via Sutherland Falls. (Duration: 4 hrs; Shared activity; No transfers; Fitness level: moderate, please note that people with physical limitations can participate as long as they have someone to provide assistance)

Set out on the world famous Routeburn Track, which is one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks. Spanning Fiordland and Mount Aspiring national parks, this hike takes you past forest, rivers and lakes, and along Alpine peaks and glaciers. From Routeburn Shelter, cross a swing bridge over the Routeburn River. Go uphill through the narrow forest path that leads up to Routeburn Flats. At stops along the way, your guide will explain about Maori history and the area’s diverse ecology. Pass by Sugarloaf Stream and climb to Bridal Veil Falls, which is part of the Waireinga Scenic Reserve. It cascades over a basalt cliff, which was formed due to volcanic activity around two million years ago. Then, climb upward along the gorge and traverse a beech forest. Walk across a suspension bridge and go above the bush line. Upon entering a plateau, soak in views of the Humboldt Mountains. Trek ahead and you’ll arrive at the Routeburn Falls Hut, which lies close to the Routeburn Falls. (Duration: full day; Private activity & transfers)