Best of New Zealand Itinerary – 15 Days

DAY 1 - ARRIVE AUCKLAND

On arrival in Auckland, ‘The City of Sails’, seat in coach passengers will be met by our local representative and privately transferred to your hotel. Self drive clients will collect your rental car at the airport and drive to your hotel.

DAY 2 - AUCKLAND

Enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of Auckland city including a visit to Kelly Tarlton’sSealife Aquarium and Antarctic Encounter. The remainder of the day is free. (B)

DAY 3 - AUCKLAND - WAITOMO - ROTORUA

Travel south through the fertile Waikato region to arrive at Waitomo. Enjoy a guided tour of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. On completion continue over the Mamaku Ranges to reach the ‘Thermal City’ of Rotorua. (B)

DAY 4 - ROTORUA

Visit TePuia Thermal Reserve to see boiling mudpools and roaring geysers. Following this, visit Rainbow Springs to see New Zealand’s trout, birds and wildlife before continuing to the Agrodome for a New Zealand farm show featuring sheep dog demonstrations, cow milking and an introduction to the stars of our sheep industry. The afternoon is at leisure. This evening enjoy an authentic Maori Hangi (feast) and Concert. (B,D)

DAY 5 - ROTORUA - WELLINGTON

Travel south to reach the popular lake resort of Taupo before continuing on the Desert Road, dominated in the background by the three peaks of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. Continue south through farmland before arriving in the ‘Capital City’ of Wellington (B)

DAY 6 - WELLINGTON

Enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of Wellington and a short guided tour of Te Papa (the ‘Museum of New Zealand’) before enjoying a free afternoon to explore New Zealand’s capital city. (B)

DAY 7 - WELLINGTON - PICTON - KAIKOURA

Journey across Cook Strait and into the Marlborough Sounds before arriving in Picton. Travel south through the town of Blenheim, before reaching Kaikoura – here you might like to take an optional whalewatch cruise or scenic flight (optional activities not included in the tour price). (B)

DAY 8 - KAIKOURA - CHRISTCHURCH

Leave Kaikoura behind as you turn inland and travel through North Canterbury to reach the ‘Garden City’ of Christchurch. (B)

DAY 9 - CHRISTCHURCH - MT COOK - QUEENSTOWN

Travel across the fertile Canterbury Plains to Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd before continuing on to New Zealand’s highest mountain – Mt Cook. Depart Mt Cook and follow the shores of Lake Pukaki south through the historic Central Otago region to the ‘Alpine Resort’ of Queenstown. (B)

DAY 10 - MILFORD SOUND

Follow the southern arm of Lake Wakatipu to Lumsden, and onward to Lake TeAnau. Enter the Eglinton Valley and travel through the Homer Tunnel to reach Milford Sound. Enjoy a cruise on this world famous fiord. Return to Queenstown. (B)

DAY 11 - QUEENSTOWN

A free day to explore the endless optional attractions available. Queenstown offers bungy jumping, jetboating, gondola rides and much more. Optional activities not included in the tour price. (B)

DAY 12 - QUEENSTOWN - GLACIER REGION

Depart Queenstown and travel via Lake Wanaka and through the historic Haast Pass, gateway to the World Heritage Westland National Park. Continue up the West Coast past spectacular mountain ranges, native forests and lakes to the glacier region of Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. (B)

DAY 13 - GLACIER REGION

A full day at leisure to explore this magnificent glacier region. Optional activities include a scenic flight or guided walk on one of the glaciers. Optional activities not included in the tour price. For Self Drive clients, entry to the Glacier Hot Pools is included. (B)

DAY 14 - GLACIER REGION - GREYMOUTH - CHRISTCHURCH

Travel north to Greymouth and board the world famous Tranz Alpine train (seat in coach passengers only). Ascend through lush beech forests past the alpine village of Arthur’s Pass before crossing the spectacular Southern Alps. Travel over Canterbury Plains to Christchurch. (B)

DAY 15 - DEPARTURE DAY

Your arrangements conclude today with a departure transfer or the return of your rental car. We trust you enjoyed your Kiwiway Vacation! (B)

Hotels Accommodation
Mail as per Itinerary
Economy Air Ticket
Tourist VISA
Travel Insurance

There is no content

1) Auckland, based around 2 large harbours, is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. In the centre, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of superyachts and lined with bars and cafes. Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park, is based around an extinct volcano and home to the formal Wintergardens. Near Downtown, Mission Bay Beach has a seaside promenade.

2) Waitomo is a village on the North Island of New Zealand. It’s known for its extensive underground cave systems. Thousands of glow-worms light up the Glowworm Caves. The vast Ruakuri Cave features waterfalls and limestone formations. West, Mangapohue Natural Bridge is a high limestone arch over Mangapohue Stream. Northeast of the village, Otorohanga Kiwi House shelters several species of the rare native kiwi bird.

3) Rotorua, a town set on its namesake lake on New Zealand’s North Island, is renowned for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. In Te Puia’s Whakarewarewa Valley, there are bubbling mud pools and the 30m-tall Pohutu Geyser, which erupts many times daily. It’s also home to a living Maori village and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, with traditional wood carving and weaving schools.

4) Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island’s southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses on surrounding hills. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington Cable Car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Strong winds through the Cook Strait give it the nickname “Windy Wellington."

5) Picton is a town on the north coast of the South Island, in New Zealand. It’s known as a gateway to the islands and inlets of the Marlborough Sounds. The Edwin Fox Maritime Museum is a 19th-century former convict and cargo ship. EcoWorld Aquarium shelters and rehabilitates native animals such as tuatara reptiles and blue penguins. Nearby, the Queen Charlotte Track traverses coastal forest, skyline ridges and bays.

6) Kaikoura is a coastal town on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s known for its abundant wildlife and its sperm whale population. The Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway winds from the town centre to lookout points at Point Kean. Close by, the rock platforms are home to a colony of New Zealand fur seals. The 1800s Fyffe House is a cottage built on a foundation of whalebones, with displays on the town’s whaling past.

7) Christchurch, known for its English heritage, is located on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Flat-bottomed punts glide on the Avon River, which meanders through the city centre. On its banks are cycling paths, the green expanse of Hagley Park and Christchurch Botanic Gardens. In 2010 and 2011, earthquakes destroyed many of the historic centre’s stone-built buildings.

8) Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height since 2014 is listed as 3,724 metres, down from 3,764 m before December 1991, due to a rockslide and subsequent erosion.

9) Queenstown, New Zealand, sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu, set against the dramatic Southern Alps. Renowned for adventure sports, it’s also a base for exploring the region’s vineyards and historic mining towns. There’s bungee jumping off Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge and jet-boating on the Shotover and Dart rivers. In winter, there’s skiing on the slopes of The Remarkables and Coronet Peak.

10) Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life. Boat tours are a popular way to explore.

11) Greymouth is a town on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Its History House Museum has exhibits chronicling the town’s mining and jade-hunting past. To the south, Shantytown Heritage Park is a re-created gold rush town with a museum and steam train. North of Greymouth, the Point Elizabeth Walkway winds along coastal clifftops to the forests of Rapahoe Scenic Reserve, home to abundant birdlife.

Special Offers