Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Auckland

   • Connect with your tour representative and transfer to your hotel. 
   • Stay overnight.

2. Day 2: Auckland City Tour

   • After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to various places of interest. 
   • Discover the historic district of Parnell with its beautifully restored colonial houses, Mount Eden and the "War Memorial Museum" with its impressive collection of Maori art and artifacts.
   • See the Sky Tower and Orbit Restaurant with panoramic views, which also houses the "Sky Jump".
   • Walk on the Viaduct, then Mission Bay and finally Queen Street. 
   • After lunch (not included), we will continue to tour AKL and return in the afternoon to your accommodation.

3. Day 3: Auckland - Rotorua

   • Rotorua via Matamata and Hobbiton Movie Set.
   • After breakfast, check out from your accommodation and depart for the Rotorua geothermal center of the north. 
   • Pass through Hobbiton, Matamata, where you can take a village tour, made famous by the film- The Lord of the Rings.
   • After Hobbiton, leave for Rotorua. 
   • Arrive in Rotorua and tour the main attractions: Prince's Archway, Bath House and Museum, and Rotorua Gardens. 
   • Check-in at your accommodation, have dinner and watch a traditional Maori Welcome at Te Puia.

4. Day 4: Rotorua - Tongariro National Park

   • After breakfast, leave for Waimangu to discover the youngest geothermal system in the world. A self-guided walk is included in the activities. 
   • Stop at Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand and Huka Falls. 
   • Arrive in the afternoon at National Park Tongariro, where you can walk about 1 hour and 30 minutes to see Taranaki Falls, Tawhai Falls and a view of Mt Ruapehu volcano. 
   • Check-in at your accommodation.

5. Day 5: Wellington City Tour

   • After breakfast, depart for the capital of New Zealand and the second-most populous urban area. Wellington showcases a variety of architectural styles from the past 150 years: 19th-century log cottages, streamlined Art Deco structures, and the curves and vibrant colours of postmodern architecture. 
   • Arrive in Wellington and take a small walk around the main structures: Bee Hive, Parliament, Te Papa, and Cuba Street.
   • Explore the iconic Bucket Fountain and Zephyrometer, which moves like the needle on the dial of a nautical instrument, measuring the speed of the sea or the wind.

6. Day 6: Wellington - Picton

   • Enjoy a free morning. 
   • Then, board the Interislander ferry to Picton and Malborough Sounds in the afternoon.
   • Check-in at the accommodation.

7. Day 7: Picton - Nelson

   • After breakfast, depart for Queen Charlotte Track with the Water Taxi, which will take you to the beginning of this famous hike to "Ship Cove".
   • Take the water taxi back to Picton, and we leave for Nelson. 
   • Arrive in Nelson late afternoon and check in at your accommodation with breakfast included.

8. Day 8: Leisure Day

   • Enjoy a free day, as New Zealand laws do not allow you to exceed specific numbers of days/hours where your guide/driver can work. Your guide will help with any activities you wish to book: Abel Tasman National Park has varied walks and short excursions.

9. Day 9: Nelson - Punakaiki - Hokitika

   • Depart after breakfast. 
   • Ride for approximately 5 hours from Nelson to Hokitika, but there will be stops to stretch your legs, such as the Truman Track walk on the west coast, and photo stops, such as Punakaiki, the so-called "Pancake Rocks". The west coast road is mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide and offers rugged and wild scenery. 
   • Arrive in Hokitika in the afternoon. The village is the place of origin of Pounamu: the Green Stone sacred to the Maori.
   • Check-in at your accommodation.

10. Day 10: Hokitika - Franz Josef Glacier - Wanaka - Queenstown

    • After breakfast, leave for the Franz Josef Glacier. 
    • Pass through the small villages of Ross and Hari Hari to reach the town of Franz J. Here, your guide will take you to the glacier base, which is about 45 min of walking. 
    • Then, continue to Wanaka with various stops and opportunities to photograph waterfalls, forests and beaches. 
    • Cross the Crown Range with photo stops. 
    • Descend to arrive at Arrowtown - a small village with remnants of the golden age. 
    • Arrive in Queenstown. 
    • Take a short drive to find your way around, then check in at your accommodation.

11. Day 11: Queenstown - Te Anau

    • Check-out from your hotel at 10 am. Free morning or extra activity (extra cost)
    • Then, leave by car for Te Anau. 
    • Arrive in Te Anau and check in for the Glow Worm Caves activity - a mysterious underground world with a guided cave tour beyond the rushing water of an underground stream before drifting into silent darkness under the glowing shimmer of hundreds of fireflies.
    • Check-in at your accommodation after the activity.

12. Day 12: Te Anau - Milford Sounds - Queenstown

    • Today, leave early as your guide will take you to Milford Sounds (approximately a 2-hour drive into the national park with photo stops) for a fjord cruise. This cruise lasts about 1 hour and 30 minutes on a boat that carries around 75 passengers.
    • Return to Queenstown after your cruise. (journey back is approx. 5hrs)
    • Check-in at your accommodation.

13. Day 13: Leisure Day

    • Enjoy a free day. For any activities that you wish to partake in, your guide will be able to assist in making reservations. Example: TSS Earnslaw and Walter Peak Farm with the collies' mustering show, jetboat Ride the Shotover River

14. Day 14: Queenstown - Tekapo

    • After breakfast, head to Lake Tekapo. 
    • Take a halt at Lake Pukaki, savour the Alpine salmon (extra cost)  and a drive to Mt Cook if time permits.
    • Reach Tekapo and admire its turquoise waters. Church of Good Shepard and the Collie Statue
    • Check-in at your accommodation (additional activity possible with the Observatory Night Sky Summit- reservation needed).

15. Day 15: Tekapo - Christchurch

    • Leave for Mt Cook after breakfast (if not done the day before). 
    • Reach Mt Cook and hike in the Hooker Valley (3 hrs walk). 
    • Take photo stops in the Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park. If the mountain is obscured, we will leave for Christchurch with an excursion of the city.

16. Day 16: Departure

    • After breakfast, transfer to Christchurch Airport for your return flight.