Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest offers and discounts for your next New Zealand holiday.
Stay up to date on all things New Zealand
Subscribe to our newsletter and get a copy of our latest New Zealand holiday brochure.
This site uses cookies to provide you with a more responsive and personalized service. We use technologies, such as cookies, to customise content and advertising, to provide social media features and to analyse traffic to the site. We also share information about your use of our site with our trusted social media, advertising and analytics partners. Please read our cookie policy for more information on the cookies we use and how to delete or block them.
Eight day low-cost AAT Kings escorted tour of the North Island. Discover the highlights of the North Island including Bay of Islands, Auckland, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Wellington and more.
EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS! – Save up to 5%
Book an AAT Kings tour with Relaxing Journeys this month and SAVE!
Settle into your hotel and then enjoy a city tour. Stop at the Parliament buildings, home to New Zealand’s politicians. Visit Te Papa Museum of New Zealand and explore the fascinating exhibits. This evening, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Reception.
Stay: Travelodge Wellington
Day2
Wellington - Rotorua
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’. From the Kapiti Coast head inland for views of Mt. Ruapehu and the plains of Tongariro National Park. Drive along the shore of Lake Taupo, and stop to view Huka Falls before
continuing to Rotorua. A very entertaining cultural experience awaits you at the Tamaki Māori Village. Experience a powerful Haka challenge, witness a concert showcasing Māori culture, and dine at a traditional Māori Hangi feast Highlight Dinner.
Stay: Hotel Ibis Rotorua (2 nights) (B, L D)
Day3
Rotorua Free Time
Enjoy a day at leisure. Perhaps visit Te Puia and view the geothermal mud pools and geysers. (B)
Day4
Rotorua - Auckland
Explore the amazing Waitomo Caves. Tour through the magical caves and then glide silently through the starry Glowworm Grotto. Travel to Auckland for a city sights tour on arrival.
Stay: VR Queen Street (B)
Day5
Auckland - Bay of Islands
Depart Auckland via its impressive Harbour Bridge, travelling to Orewa and on to the scenic Hibiscus Coast, and then it’s off to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Cruise through game fishing waters to Cape Brett and, weather permitting, through the famous ‘Hole in the Rock’ formation.
Stay: Copthorne Hotel and Resort (Garden View) (2 nights) (B, D)
Day6
Bay of Islands - Free Time
Today you can experience the beauty of the Bay of Islands at your own pace. Take a coach trip to Cape Reinga via idyllic 90 Mile Beach, enjoy a day of sailing on a tall ship, or tour the historic town of Russell. (B)
Day7
Bay of Islands - Auckland
After time at leisure this morning, depart the Bay of Islands. Then, walk among the Kauri trees at Parry Kauri Park. Relax as you make your way down Northland’s lush farmland scenery into Auckland. Take an orientation tour of the city before joining your Travel Director for a Farewell Dinner.
Stay: VR Queen Street (B, D)
Day8
Depart Auckland
Your holiday concludes this morning after breakfast. You will be transferred to Auckland Airport for your onward flight. (B)
4.6/5.0
There are 16 reviews of this tour from past clients of Relaxing Journeys, averaging 4.6 out of 5.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
Tour Reviews
5
Richard Stevens (United Kingdom)
13/02/2019
From our first contact with Relaxing Journeys, everything was handled very professionally,every query was answered quickly,and the entire holiday went like clockwork. We would not hesitate to travel with them again,and would highly recommend them. Thanks for a great holiday and a lot of special memories.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
4
Sarah Mort (Australia)
18/04/2018
Enjoyed most of it, especially Rotorua. Fabulous countryside. Vale and Monica were great - love that NZ dry sense of humour! Hotels were mainly great (Travelodge Wellington room was minuscule, but fine for one).
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
5
Catherine Owen (Australia)
06/09/2017
We had an awesome tour guide and driver. The guide had excellent local knowledge.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
5
Toni Lanphier (Australia)
30/12/2015
Great tour - we saw all the key attractions of the North Island at a comfortable pace. Good balance of included and optional excursions, with enough free time to feel relaxed and able to do our own thing. Only down-side was joining a group of 35 travellers who had been together for 9 days doing the South Island, so it was difficult to become part of the group, and we missed out on some useful information.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
4
Joanne Swanwick (Hong Kong)
23/12/2015
I had a very good time on the tour overall. I got to see so much during my 8 days, although there were times when I would have liked more free time. For example, on a few occasions we arrived at the hotel after 5.30pm and there was a dinner at 7pm. Personally, I would have preferred to have my evenings free to explore. I feel like I hardly saw Auckland. Another small point, but the hotel in Rotorua (Ibis) doesn't have wifi. A lot of the guests were surprised by this. We were there over Christmas and therefore couldn't easily contact family and friends. In addition, Hobbiton was closed for the holiday, which was a real shame. All in all though, I had a very good time and look forward to visiting the South Island one day. Thanks!
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
5
Marion Woolfall (United Kingdom)
12/02/2014
A very good tour of the North Island, extremely well organised and lovely variety of sights and adventures. Excellent Tour Manager and driver, good standard of hotels and excursions, all in all very enjoyable.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
4
Jonathan & Sybil Smith (United Kingdom)
16/10/2013
Accommodation was very good apart from the Auckland hotel and its noisy location, service etc at hotel was good however. The continual changeover of persons on the tour was not something we had experienced before but seemed to work OK. One of the days on the tour was devoted to going in caves to look at glow worms and then 4 hours on the coach seemed a waste of a day. The drivers and tour staff were helpful courteous and did a good job. Thank you for your assistance. The Bay of Islands accommodation was exceptional by the way!
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
5
Stewart & Heather Stonehewer (United Kingdom)
27/03/2013
The tour could not have been better. Everything went perfectly. Ngaire was a fantastic guide & Monica was a fantastic coach driver. We saw so much, but at the same time we were given the opportunity to do our own thing & to relax. We really felt that we did the North Island as thoroughly as was possible in the 7 days. We particularly liked the way we were allocated different seats each day on the coach so that over the course of the week we felt that we had seen something of everything. There was never a problem. We were kept fully informed & fully entertained. The accommodation & food could not have been better & the service was always first class. The friendliness of everyone involved was a real pleasure. The highlight of the week was the Maori evening at Rotorua. Very many thanks.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
5
Patricia Daniels (United Kingdom)
28/11/2012
This was a wonderful way to see the North Island from Wellington to Auckland with some optional extra's. I took the Hobbit Village tour,very good value, and the Cape Reinga/Ninety Mile Beach which was good apart from the mist but that was not the tours fault. The driver and tour good were very good. I joined the tour at Wellington (there were six others who joined here) which I thought was the start but this was a continuation of a tour from South Island and it was difficult at first being a single traveler to join in. Also it was a shame that there was no last night meal as this would have been a good time to say gooidbye to the others.
Overall Tour Rating
Value For Money
Accommodation
Tour Pace
Relaxing Journeys Experience
5
Sharon Coleman (Australia)
14/03/2012
The group that I traveled with on the AAT Kings bus were great and able to mix with easily. The Tour Director and the Coach Driver were friendly and helpful. Unfortunately the weather was not kind and unable to do extra activities that were provided. When the weather was fine, New Zealand was just a beautiful place. I even joined in at the Tamaki Village activities and had a wonderful time doing so. Everything was just soo good.
Eight day low-cost AAT Kings escorted tour of the North Island. Discover the highlights of the North Island including Bay of Islands, Auckland, Waitom...
Read More