Auckland Holidays & Short Breaks | Taste of Auckland

5 Day Taste of Auckland

Auckland is surrounded by wine regions, each distinctively different. Experience three of these wine regions along with their spectacular surroundings on this 5 day getaway.

Tour Info

Tour Name:	5 Day Taste of Auckland
From:	Auckland to Auckland
Valid:	May 18 - Mar 19
Price:	From (NZD) $1942 per person
Duration:	5 Days
Tour Code:	SBAKL5FW

Inclusions

4 nights boutique accommodation at Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour

Full breakfasts daily

Day trip to Waiheke Island with vineyard tour, tastings, lunch & return ferry travel

Full day Taste of Matakana Tour including cheese & wine tastings, lunch, afternoon tea, Morris & James pottery and Brick Bay Sculpture Park

Half day tour to Kumeu Wine Country including vineyard lunch with glass of wine and Muriwai Beach (with Gannet colony Aug-Apr)

Short Break Exclusions & Extras

Additional travel arrangements can be organised by Relaxing Journeys based on your requirements. Airport transfers are at your own expense, read our FAQ’s for more information. International & domestic flights within New Zealand are not included in this package price.

Conditions

Prices are per person based on twin-share, and are subject to availability. Prices are correct at the time of submission but are subject to change without notice. Valid for travel May 2018 – March 2019. Blackout periods may apply. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required at time of booking.

Click here for our full terms and conditions.

Day by Day Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Auckland

Welcome to Auckland! Once you’ve moved through customs and collected your baggage, make your way to the boutique centrally located Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour. You’ve landed on the doorstep of New Zealand’s largest city, an idyllic setting overlooking the forested Waitakere Ranges, the sheltered Manukau Harbour and the island-studded Hauraki Gulf to the north. No wonder over a million people choose to live here!

Beautiful beaches and dreamy offshore islands are just half an hour from the city. In fact, the sea is so much a part of the place that an unusually high number of people own their own boats, giving the city its moniker of the ‘City of Sails’.

Day 2

Waiheke Island

Today you will make your way to the Downtown Auckland Ferry Terminal (5 min walk) and board your ferry for a pleasant cruise through the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island. On arrival you’ll be greeted at the wharf by your tour driver and taken to Stonyridge Vineyard where you’ll enjoy a tour as well as tastings, plus a sumptuous light lunch.

On to Rangihoua Estate where you will be given an introduction to Waiheke’s olive growing industry and also be able to sample some local oils. A stop at Wild on Waiheke offers optional beer tasting as well as wine. You will have the chance to sample home grown preserves and chutneys. Your tour ends with wine tastings at the beautiful Mudbrick Vineyard before returning to the ferry terminal.

Day 3

Auckland Sightseeing

Leave behind the bustle of the city as you head north in your luxury air-conditioned vehicle. Travel through the rolling green hills and past beautiful coastline before arriving at The Honey Centre where you’ll find New Zealand’s largest display of live bees and a huge range of honeys available for tasting.

Next, visit a local vineyard and taste award-winning wine. Nearby, enjoy the relaxed ambience and timeless beauty of the Morris & James Collection which will delight you with its range of individually hand-crafted pots, wall art and sculptural pieces. Lunch is at Mahurangi River Winery with its contemporary New Zealand architecture and wide pastoral views.

At the Brick Bay winery, sample hand crafted wines in the unique Glass House building. The day is rounded off with a stop at Chocolate Brown where they hand-make outrageously fine chocolates.

Day 4

Auckland Sightseeing

After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be collected from your hotel and taken to the Kumeu Valley where the wineries date back to the 1930s when families of Croatian origin established winemaking in the area. These families are still living and working in the area today, making some of New Zealand’s most renowned wines.

These vineyards contrast with the spectacular coastal scenery of the area. Your tour will visit 3 award-winning wineries and you’ll have the opportunity to see one of the world’s largest seabirds in their natural environment (August to April). Your journey takes you to one of the few mainland gannet nesting sites in the world situated on the cliff-tops overlooking the Tasman Sea.

Day 5

Depart Auckland

Free time for some last minute sightseeing or shopping before you make your way out to the airport for your onward flight.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

If I want check availability on this short break what do I do?

Isn't it cheaper just to book it all ourselves?

You won’t pay more by booking your short break holiday with Relaxing Journeys. We have access to discounted industry rates and special deals, only available to those in the travel trade. So the amount we make on each short break, is the difference between these rates and retail rates that you would pay if you booked it all yourself. Of course, you also get peace of mind that all is organised professionally and you get our fantastic service thrown in! There will be occasions where a property may release a ‘walk in’ deal that may better our quote, however our prices are the best available at the time of booking.

What happens after I 'Check Availability'?

Your dedicated tour consultant will email you through a quote. If it looks good, then full payment is required to confirm the booking (within 45 days) or a deposit of $100 per person is required outside this period. This must be paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only). We do not charge credit card fees on our short break packages. If the properties listed in the holiday package are unavailable at this time, we will provide you with alternatives until you are happy.

Can I book this short break if I'm not in NZ, and how do I pay?

We welcome bookings from anywhere in the world. You can see how much each package is using our currency converter on this page. Only the New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) prices on this site are accurate. Prices in other currencies have been converted for your convenience, and are there to help you to compare to your own currency. All of our New Zealand tours are charged in New Zealand Dollars. Your credit card company will convert the amount paid from your currency into NZD automatically for you.

Can I book things like internal flights & car hire to go with my short break if it's not included?

Some short break packages do not include (or may not require) a hire car, or internal flights. Relaxing Journeys can organise these extras for you and include them in your quote if you wish – or you can just book the short break ‘as is’, and organise everything else yourself. These extras can be requested after choosing your date and clicking ‘Confirm Availability’ on the right of this page.

What about airport transfers? If not, what would you recommend we do on arrival?

The cost of getting to & from the airport to your accommodation is generally not included, although on some occasions it is, in which case we have specifcally mentioned it in the itinerary. There are always plenty of taxis or shuttles waiting at the airport. You also have the option in most cases to catch a bus into the city centres.

What happens once I have booked my short break?

Once your deposit has been paid and you have received your deposit confirmation, we will organise your short break and when completed (normally within 48 hours) we will email you confirmation. When you pay your balance (45 days before the start date) we will email you a ‘Short Break Voucher’ shortly after along with your arrival information and everything else you need. Print this off and take it with you to NZ.

What happens once I have booked my short break?

Your deposit is non-refundable. Relaxing Journeys would have already booked and confirmed all the components of your holiday and we will have to cancel everything and adhere to each suppliers cancellation policy. Should it become necessary for you to cancel your reservation 45 days or more prior to departure date, your deposit only shall be forfeited. Cancellations made within 45 days of departure date will incur the following charges: (Expressed as a percentage of the confirmed tour & holiday price plus your deposit).
44-22 days prior to departure – 25%
21-10 days prior to departure – 35%
9 days or less prior to departure – 50%

Why should I book this short break with Relaxing Journeys?

That’s a no-brainer! All of the short break holidays on our website are exclusive and unique to Relaxing Journeys. We are New Zealands’ leading inbound touring specialist, with an in-depth knowledge of New Zealand and it’s regions. Our expertise will ensure your New Zealand holiday is second to none, and we have locals on the ground in NZ in case anything needs attending to while you are here.

Enquire about our 5 Day Taste of Auckland

5 Day Taste of Auckland

Short Breaks

Tour Code: SBAKL5FW

From (NZD) $1942 per person

Enquire Now

Terms and conditions apply. Please see tour overview for more information.

Auckland is surrounded by wine regions, each distinctively different. Experience three of these wine regions along with their spectacular surroundings... Read More

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