21 Day Spirit of New Zealand

Visit the city this morning, then travel over the Canterbury Plains to Lake Tekapo and view the Church of the Good Shepherd before continuing to Mt. Cook National Park.

Stay: Heritage Gateway Hotel, Ōmarama (B, D)

Travel via Oamaru, with its famous white limestone buildings, to Dunedin, a region of unique landscapes and
fascinating cultural history. Take an orientation tour, then enjoy quiet time to explore the city or relax at your hotel.

Stay: Kingsgate Hotel, Dunedin (B)

Today is a feast for the senses. Travel along the Devil’s Staircase and the shores of Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau. You’ll be awestruck by the World Heritage Fiordland National Park, New Zealand’s largest national park. See rainforest, ancient glaciers and mountain ranges, and drive through the Homer Tunnel. Pass Lake Matheson, Pop’s Lookout, Cleddau Valley and The Chasm, before arriving in Milford Sound for your overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner.

Overnight Cruise: Milford Mariner, Milford Sound (B, D)

Note: Milford Mariner does not operate 21 May – 15 September. During this period there will be a day cruise on Milford Sound and accommodation in Queenstown.

Depart this morning for Lake Te Anau. Explore the famous Te Anau Glowworm Caves by boat, drifting in silent darkness beneath the luminous shimmer of hundreds of glowworms. Later, travel to Queenstown.

Stay: Copthorne Hotel and Resort, Queenstown (3 nights) (B)

Today is free for you to explore Queenstown at your own pace. This evening, consider a cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw. (B)

Today, take time to either relax or tailor your own action-packed agenda. (B)

Your first destination today is the old goldmining settlement of Arrowtown. Travel on to witness the serenity of the region’s vivid blue lakes, the most famous of which is pristine Lake Wanaka. Drive over the spectacular Haast Pass and take a rainforest walk to Thunder Creek Falls on your way to the extraordinary Franz Josef Glacier.

Stay: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier (Douglas Wing) (B, D)

This morning, why not choose an optional experience and see Franz Josef Glacier from the air or take a glacier hike. Travel on to Hokitika, home of New Zealand’s famous greenstone, for a factory visit and demonstration.
Continue to Punakaiki to view the Pancake Rocks.

Stay: Punakaiki Resort (B, D)

The Heritage Highway leads you to the Buller Gorge and Kahurangi National Park before arriving in Nelson.

Stay: Rutherford Hotel, Nelson (2 nights) (B)

You’ll have the option to journey to the top of the South Island and enjoy a relaxing cruise in the Abel Tasman National Park or perhaps take a short bush walk, relax in sunny Nelson, or explore the many arts and craft shops. (B)

Visit the seaside village of Picton and cruise on tranquil Queen Charlotte Sound then you head across Cook Strait to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city. Enjoy a city sights tour before you visit Te Papa, where you’ll explore New Zealand’s nature, art, history and cultural heritage.

Stay: Travelodge, Wellington (2 nights) (B)

Explore Wellington at your own pace today. You might like to take an optional experience tour of Parliament, or a behind-the-scenes guided tour through the Weta Workshop, creators of special effects for The Lord of Rings and The Hobbit films. (B)

Your special packed lunch today won’t only be wholesome, it will also feed a Kiwi child who may otherwise go without, through the charity ‘Eat My Lunch’. Travel through the vineyards of the Wairarapa region and Hawke’s Bay, and take a walking tour of Art Deco Napier.

Stay: Scenic Hotel Te Pania , Napier (B, L)

Today journey to Lake Taupo, then visit Huka Falls on your way to Rotorua. Visit Te Puia, the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. A tour of Rotorua’s active geothermal fields follows. Gain a further insight into traditional Māori culture at a concert and Hangi Highlight Dinner at the Tamaki Māori Village.

Stay: Hotel Ibis Rotorua (2 nights) (B, D)

Today is free for you to explore at leisure. (B)

Travel through the dairy-farming land of Waikato en route to Auckland.

Stay: VR Queen Street, Auckland (B)

Depart Auckland over the Harbour Bridge through Orewa and along the scenic Hibiscus Coast. Walk among the kauri trees at Parry Kauri Park. Explore Whangarei, the northernmost city in New Zealand, and then it’s off to Paihia in the beautiful Bay of Islands. Enjoy a scenic cruise to Cape Brett and the famous Hole in the Rock formation.

Stay: Copthorne Hotel and Resort (Garden View) (2 nights) (B, D)

Today is free for you to experience the beauty of the Bay of Islands at your own pace – perhaps go dolphin watching, take a coach trip to Cape Reinga via idyllic 90 Mile Beach, a day of sailing, or even a guided sea-kayaking trip. Tonight is at leisure so why not dine at a local restaurant. (B)

Visit the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds where New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed. Later return to Auckland. Celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner with your Tour Director and newfound friends.

Stay: VR Queen Street, Auckland (B, D)

Your holiday concludes this morning after breakfast. You will be transferred to Auckland Airport for your onward flight. (B)