24-Day Ultimate New Zealand: The Complete North & South Island Journey

Tour Overview

Duration	24 Days / 23 Nights
Country	New Zealand — Aotearoa, the complete premium journey across both islands
Route	Auckland → Bay of Islands → Rotorua → Taupō → Wellington → Picton → Kaikōura → Christchurch → TranzAlpine → Franz Josef → Wanaka → Queenstown → Milford Sound → Te Anau → Aoraki/Mt Cook → Lake Tekapo → Christchurch
Tour Type	Premium Small Group Tour (max 16 travelers), 4-star accommodation
Best Season	October–April (spring through autumn; January–March for long summer days and best weather)
Price	From US$7,585 per person (premium accommodation, twin-sharing, all meals included — 23 breakfasts, 23 lunches, 23 dinners)

Data source: Haka Plus Tours — “Ultimate New Zealand” itinerary, published price NZD $12,236 per person. This is Haka’s flagship premium tour — the definitive New Zealand experience, covering both islands in extensive detail with premium accommodation and all-inclusive dining.

Day 1: Auckland — Arrival in the City of Sails

• Arrive Auckland International Airport (AKL). Private premium transfer to your 4-star harbourside hotel. Welcome drink and refreshments on arrival
• Afternoon at leisure: The hotel’s location in the Viaduct Harbour precinct puts you at the heart of Auckland’s waterfront. Rest after your flight — tomorrow begins the ultimate 24-day journey
• Evening: Your guide meets the group for a welcome cocktail in the hotel bar overlooking the harbour. Orientation and route briefing over sparkling wine and canapés. You’ll meet your fellow travelers — 24 days together through Aotearoa will forge friendships that last long after the tour ends
• Welcome dinner at Soul Bar & Bistro (or similar) on the Viaduct — one of Auckland’s most iconic waterfront restaurants. The menu celebrates New Zealand’s finest: Cloudy Bay clams, Northland scampi, premium lamb, and a wine list spanning the country’s best regions

Overnight in Auckland.

Day 2: Auckland — Waiheke Island Wine & Food Experience

• Morning: Ferry from downtown Auckland to Waiheke Island (40 minutes across the Hauraki Gulf). Waiheke — “the island of wine” — is a microclimate paradise: warmer, drier, and sunnier than Auckland, producing some of New Zealand’s finest wines. The Gulf islands — Rangitoto, Motutapu, Motuihe — glide past the ferry windows. Watch for dolphins and little blue penguins
• Full-day Waiheke wine and food tour (included). Visit three award-winning vineyards:
  • Mudbrick Vineyard: The classic Waiheke experience. The garden setting, with lavender and roses framing the restaurant and the view across the Hauraki Gulf to Auckland’s skyline, is legendary. Taste their Bordeaux-style reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) and elegant Chardonnay
  • Cable Bay Vineyards: A contemporary architectural landmark with sweeping lawns and panoramic Gulf views. Their Syrah and Viognier are exceptional. Walk through the olive grove and sculpture garden
  • Stonyridge Vineery: Producer of one of New Zealand’s most famous wines — Stonyridge Larose, a Bordeaux-style blend that has been called the best in the Southern Hemisphere. The tasting room is in a beautiful Tuscan-style building. On Fridays and summer weekends, the vineyard hosts live music — if you’re here on the right day, it’s a wonderful experience
• Lunch at one of the vineyards (included) — a multi-course meal paired with estate wines. Fresh oysters from Waiheke’s Te Matuku Bay, line-caught snapper, locally grown produce, artisan cheeses
• Late afternoon: Walk to Oneroa Beach, Waiheke’s main swimming beach — golden sand, pohutukawa trees overhanging the shore, and gentle waves. In summer (December–February), the pohutukawa burst into crimson bloom
• Ferry return to Auckland. Evening at leisure

Overnight in Auckland.

Day 3: Auckland → Bay of Islands — Journey North to the Winterless North

• Depart Auckland. We drive north through Northland / Te Tai Tokerau, the traditional birthplace of the nation. Northland feels different — warmer, more tropical, with a pace of life that embodies the local expression “the winterless north”
• First stop: Whangārei Town Basin — a revitalized waterfront precinct. Visit the Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery — the last authentic Hundertwasser building in the Southern Hemisphere. The Viennese artist-architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser made New Zealand his home from the 1970s, and his organic, colourful, nature-integrated architecture finds its fullest expression here
• At Kawakawa, visit the famous Hundertwasser Toilets — a public toilet block transformed into a major work of art: recycled bricks, coloured bottles, ceramic columns, a grass roof, and Hundertwasser’s signature curved lines. It’s whimsical, beautiful, and surprisingly moving
• Arrive Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Check into your premium waterfront accommodation. The Bay of Islands — 144 islands scattered across turquoise water — is one of the most beautiful coastal environments in the Pacific
• Evening: Walk the Paihia waterfront. Dinner at a local seafood restaurant featuring Bay of Islands produce (included)

Overnight in Paihia / Bay of Islands.

Day 4: Bay of Islands — Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Russell & Dolphin Cruise

• Morning: Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds (included, guided tour). This is the most important historical site in New Zealand — the birthplace of the modern nation. Your guide (often a local kaumātua or cultural expert) walks you through:
  • Te Whare Rūnanga (the carved meeting house, 1940): Each carved panel, weaving panel (tukutuku), and painted rafter (kōwhaiwhai) represents a different iwi of New Zealand. The craftsmanship is extraordinary — every carving tells a story
  • Te Kōngahu Museum: World-class museum telling the story of the Treaty — its context, the complex negotiations, the misunderstandings (different versions in English and Māori), the consequences, and the ongoing journey of reconciliation and partnership
  • Ngātokimatawhaorua: The 35m ceremonial waka taua (war canoe) — the largest in the world, carved from three massive kauri trees, launched for the 1940 centenary. Standing beside it, you feel the weight of history
  • The Treaty House (1833) and flagstaff grounds with views across the Bay
  • Cultural performance: A powerful kapa haka performance inside Te Whare Rūnanga — haka, poi, waiata, and a spine-tingling pūkāea (wooden trumpet) call echoing across the grounds
• Afternoon: Ferry to Russell / Kororāreka. This charming village was once the “hellhole of the Pacific” — a lawless whaling port of 1,000 grog shops and brothels. Today, it’s one of the loveliest historic towns in New Zealand. Visit Christ Church (1836, New Zealand’s oldest church — still bears musket-ball holes from the Northern War of 1845), Pompallier Mission (1842, New Zealand’s oldest industrial building), and walk up Flagstaff Hill / Maiki Hill — site of Hōne Heke’s famous flagpole-cutting (four times, 1844–1845)
• Evening: Hole in the Rock sunset cruise (private charter, included). Cruise through the Bay’s 144 islands as the light turns golden. Pass through the Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett. Dolphins are common — a pod of bottlenose dolphins surfing the bow wave as the sun sets over the Pacific is unforgettable. Champagne and canapés on board

Overnight in Paihia / Bay of Islands.

Day 5: Bay of Islands → Cape Reinga → 90 Mile Beach — The Top of New Zealand

• Full-day premium excursion to Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua (included, approximately 12 hours. Private coach with onboard lunch). This is the journey to Aotearoa’s spiritual and geographic northernmost point
• Drive through the Far North, past Mangonui (the famous fish-and-chip shop on stilts), through the Te Paki area with its distinctive gumlands landscape, coastal dunes, and wetlands
• Cape Reinga: Stand at the northwesternmost tip of the country. The Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet below you — you can see the line where the two bodies of water collide, a visible clash of currents and colours. The 800+ year-old pōhutukawa tree clings to the cliff — in Māori tradition, this is the tree down which the spirits of the deceased descend to the underworld, beginning their journey to Hawaiki. The lighthouse (1941) marks this sacred place. The silence, the vastness, and the spiritual weight of Te Rerenga Wairua are profound
• Te Paki Sand Dunes: Giant golden dunes rising from the stream below. Included: sandboarding (bodyboards provided) down the 100m+ dunes. It’s exhilarating, messy (sand gets everywhere), and utterly joyful — the photos alone make it worthwhile. Climbing back up is the hard part; the ride down is pure adrenaline
• Drive down Ninety Mile Beach / Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē (88km). The coach travels on the hard sand at low tide — the beach is an official state highway. The scale is humbling: an endless curve of sand and surf, the Tasman Sea on one side, dunes on the other, seabirds wheeling overhead
• Return to Paihia in the evening. Dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant

Overnight in Paihia / Bay of Islands.

Day 6: Bay of Islands → Auckland → Matakana & Tāwharanui

• Morning: Farewell to the Bay of Islands. Drive south toward Auckland
• Detour to the Matakana Coast, one of Auckland’s most charming rural escapes. Visit the Matakana Village Farmers Market (Saturday mornings — if the timing aligns, this is one of New Zealand’s best farmers markets: artisan cheeses, organic produce, fresh oysters, wood-fired breads, local wines). Even if the market isn’t on, the village’s boutique shops, galleries, and cafés are delightful
• Visit Tāwharanui Regional Park — an open sanctuary protected by a predator-proof fence. Walk the ecology trail through native forest to Anchor Bay, one of the region’s most beautiful beaches. Tāwharanui is a conservation success story: North Island robins / toutouwai, saddlebacks / tīeke, whiteheads / pōpokotea, and bellbirds / korimako thrive here. Swim in the turquoise water (summer), or just enjoy the wild coastal beauty
• Arrive Auckland late afternoon. Evening at leisure

Overnight in Auckland.

Day 7: Auckland → Hamilton Gardens → Hobbiton → Rotorua

• Depart Auckland. Drive south toward the Waikato. Stop at Hamilton Gardens (free entry, included guided tour of the enclosed themed gardens) — 21 themed gardens representing garden styles from different civilizations: the Italian Renaissance Garden, Japanese Garden of Contemplation, Chinese Scholars’ Garden, Indian Char Bagh Garden, the Surrealist Garden, and many more. It’s consistently rated the best garden in New Zealand and among the best in the world
• Continue to Matamata and Hobbiton Movie Set (included, guided tour). The 2-hour tour of the 12-acre set is magical: 44 hobbit holes of different scales, Bag End at the summit, the Party Tree, the Mill and double-arched bridge, and a complimentary ale at the Green Dragon Inn. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are extraordinary. Even if you’re not a Lord of the Rings fan, the gardens, the setting, and the story of the Alexander family farm are captivating
• Arrive Rotorua. Check into your centrally located hotel. Evening: Dinner at a local restaurant (included), then a walk along the lakefront — steam rising from the shoreline, geothermal vents hissing in the dusk, the smell of sulphur in the air. You’ve arrived in the geothermal capital of New Zealand

Overnight in Rotorua.

Day 8: Rotorua — Te Puia, Redwoods & Mitai Hāngī

• Morning: Te Puia in Te Whakarewarewa Valley (included, guided). Walk the geothermal valley: Pōhutu Geyser erupting 15-20 times daily up to 30m; boiling mud pools; multi-coloured silica terraces (orange from antimony, yellow from sulphur, green from algae, white from silica). Visit the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute — watch master carvers and weavers at work. See kiwi in the nocturnal house
• Afternoon: Walk or bike the Whakarewarewa Forest (the Redwoods). The California Coast Redwoods — some over 75m tall — create a cathedral-like atmosphere. The Redwoods Treewalk (included): 28 bridges suspended 9-20m high, winding through 27 redwoods. Return after dark for the Nightlights installation (included) — 34 suspended lanterns by David Trubridge transform the forest into an enchanted dreamscape
• Evening: Mitai Māori Village (included). The full experience: waka (war canoe) arrival, pōwhiri (welcome ceremony), powerful cultural performance (haka, poi, waiata, stick games), spine-tingling wero (challenge), and a hāngī feast cooked in earth ovens using geothermal steam. The night concludes with a walk through native bush to see glowworms and the sacred Te Puna spring

Overnight in Rotorua.

Day 9: Rotorua → Waimangu → Taupō → Tongariro

• Morning: Waimangu Volcanic Valley (included). The world’s youngest geothermal system — created 10 June 1886 in the Mt Tarawera eruption. Walk or shuttle through the valley: Frying Pan Lake (world’s largest hot spring), Inferno Crater Lake (emerald green, water level fluctuates in a 38-day cycle, temperature oscillates 14°C–75°C), steaming cliffs, colourful sinter terraces. Boat cruise on Lake Rotomahana to the submerged site of the Pink and White Terraces
• Continue to Taupō. Visit Huka Falls — the Waikato River channeled into a 15m-wide granite chasm, 220,000 litres/second thundering through. Walk the bridge over the falls. The turquoise colour of the water from aeration and mineral content is dazzling
• Lunch at Huka Prawn Park (included) — unique geothermal prawn farm with a riverside restaurant. Or a café on the Taupō lakefront
• Continue south to Tongariro National Park (dual UNESCO World Heritage). Check into your alpine lodge at the base of the volcanoes. Evening: Walk to Tawhai Falls (20 min return) — “Gollum’s Pool” from The Lord of the Rings. The water cascading into a dark pool beneath beech trees, with Ruapehu in the background, is pure Middle-earth

Overnight near Tongariro National Park.

Day 10: Tongariro National Park — Alpine Walks & Lord of the Rings

• Day at Tongariro National Park (weather dependent — your guide selects the best hike/activity). Options include:
  • Tongariro Alpine Crossing (if fitness, weather, and season align): The full 19.4km crossing — Mangatepopo Valley, South Crater, Red Crater (1,886m, highest point), Emerald Lakes, Blue Lake, descent through beech forest. This is one of the world’s greatest day walks — volcanic moonscapes, emerald lakes, steaming vents, and 360° alpine panoramas
  • Taranaki Falls Loop (2 hours): Through tussock and beech to a waterfall cascading over an old lava flow
  • Tama Lakes Track (5-6 hours): To two crater lakes between Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe
  • Weather alternative: Visit the National Army Museum at Waiouru, then the Volcanic Activity Centre in Turangi for interactive volcano and earthquake exhibits
• Lunch provided as packed lunch for walkers. Return to the lodge in the afternoon. Soak tired legs in the lodge’s hot tub with views of Ruapehu

Overnight near Tongariro National Park.

Day 11: Tongariro → Wellington — Descent to the Capital

• Morning: Depart Tongariro. Drive south through the Rangipo Desert — a high-altitude cold desert where only tussock survives. The contrast of the volcanic plateau’s black rock, golden grass, and (in season) snow is stark and beautiful
• Stop at Taihape (the Gumboot Capital of the World) for morning tea and the famous giant corrugated iron gumboot. Try a classic Kiwi pie — steak and cheese, or mince and cheese
• Continue through the Manawatū region, the dairy farming heartland, wind farms on the hills, past Bulls (famous for its pun-based signage), and over the Remutaka Ranges into Wellington
• Arrive in the capital. Check into your premium CBD hotel. Evening: Dinner on Cuba Street (included) — Wellington’s bohemian heart. Street performers, vintage stores, excellent restaurants, craft beer bars. After dinner, walk the waterfront to see the illuminated city reflected in the harbour

Overnight in Wellington.

Day 12: Wellington — Te Papa, Wētā Workshop & Zealandia

• Full day in the world’s coolest little capital (as Lonely Planet once named it). Morning: Te Papa Tongarewa (free, included guided highlights tour). Spend the morning — at minimum — in this world-class museum. Must-see: Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War (Weta Workshop’s hyper-realistic 2.4x figures), Te Marae (working contemporary Māori meeting house), Toi Art (national collection), the Earthquake House, and the colossal squid
• Lunch at Nikau Cafe in the City Gallery courtyard (included) — one of Wellington’s best cafés, specializing in seasonal, local produce
• Afternoon: Visit Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne (included) — the 225-hectare urban ecosanctuary enclosed by an 8.6km predator-proof fence. This conservation project is genuinely world-class. Walk the trails through ancient forest: saddlebacks / tīeke, stitchbirds / hihi, kākā (large forest parrots), tuatara (225 million year-old reptile lineage), and if you’re extraordinarily lucky at dusk, the little spotted kiwi. The bird song in the valley — returned after decades of silence — is moving
• Continue to Weta Cave in Miramar (free). See props, costumes, and creatures from The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong, District 9. The behind-the-scenes documentary (20 min) is excellent
• Evening: Mount Victoria Lookout for sunset. 360° views of the city, harbour, and Cook Strait. The pine forest below was the filming location for the hobbits’ first Nazgûl encounter (“Get off the road!”)

Overnight in Wellington.

Day 13: Wellington → Interislander Ferry → Marlborough Sounds → Kaikōura

• Morning: Board the Interislander Ferry (included, premium lounge). The 3.5-hour journey across Cook Strait and through the Marlborough Sounds is one of the world’s great ferry crossings. From the open deck or premium lounge: the South Island’s Kaikōura Ranges emerging from the sea, dolphins (Hector’s, dusky, common — sometimes orca), fur seals, albatross. The approach through Tory Channel into the Marlborough Sounds — forest-clad hills plunging into turquoise water, isolated bays, mussel farms — is magnificent
• Arrive Picton. Lunch at a waterfront café before driving south
• Drive the spectacular coastal route to Kaikōura. Stop for photos where the Kaikōura Ranges meet the Pacific Ocean — snow-capped peaks rising behind a coastline of golden sand and rocky headlands, fur seals basking on the rocks
• Walk the Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway: Climb to the clifftop for 360° views — the Kaikōura Ranges behind you, the Pacific before you, and the peninsula’s limestone shoreline below. Fur seals / kekeno relax on the rocks at Point Kean — you can get remarkably close (maintain 10m minimum distance). Look for whales — sperm whales are resident year-round here
• Evening: Kaikōura seafood dinner (included). Kaikōura means “meal of crayfish” — try the local specialty, crayfish (rock lobster), fresh from the waters you’ve been watching all day

Overnight in Kaikōura.

Day 14: Kaikōura — Whale Watching & Coastal Wilderness

• Morning: Whale Watch Kaikōura (included, 3.5 hours by catamaran). Kaikōura’s 2.5km-deep underwater canyon creates an upwelling of nutrient-rich water that attracts an extraordinary abundance of marine life. The resident sperm whale population (males, 15-18m, up to 50 tonnes) is the star attraction — the boat uses hydrophones to locate whales by their clicking echolocation. Sperm whales dive for 40-50 minutes (to depths of 1,500m) and surface to breathe for 10-15 minutes. The moment the whale lifts its flukes — the 5m-wide tail rising vertically as it begins a deep dive — is one of the most dramatic wildlife encounters on Earth. Also seen: dusky dolphins (often in pods of 100+ surfing the bow wave), New Zealand fur seals, wandering albatross (3m wingspan — one of the largest flying birds), and on rare occasions, orca and blue whales
• Afternoon: Choice of activity:
  • Dolphin Encounter Kaikōura (own expense upgrade): Swim with dusky dolphins in the open ocean — an optional add-on for a genuinely extraordinary experience
  • Kaikōura Track walk: The Peninsula Walkway (2-3 hours loop) continues along the cliff tops with seal colonies and coastal views
  • Fyffe House (1842, NZD $10): Kaikōura’s oldest building, a whaler’s cottage built on whale vertebrae foundations — literally built on whales
• Evening at leisure in Kaikōura

Overnight in Kaikōura.

Day 15: Kaikōura → Waipara Wine Region → Christchurch

• Morning departure from Kaikōura. Drive south along the coast, then inland through the rolling hills of North Canterbury
• Midday: Waipara Valley Wine Region. Waipara is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing wine regions, known for excellent Riesling and Pinot Noir, with a warm, dry microclimate and limestone-rich soils. Wine tasting and lunch at two wineries (included):
  • Pegasus Bay: A family-owned winery with a beautiful garden setting, award-winning Riesling, and an excellent restaurant (lunch here, included). The riesling aged in old oak is a revelation — texture, complexity, and longevity that rivals the best in the world
  • Greystone Wines: Organic and biodynamic, with a dramatic hillside vineyard of pure limestone. Their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reflect the mineral complexity of the soil
• Continue to Christchurch. Check into your premium city hotel. Evening: Explore Riverside Market, Christchurch’s vibrant indoor food market, at your own pace

Overnight in Christchurch.

Day 16: Christchurch → TranzAlpine Train → Punakaiki → Hokitika

• Morning: Board the TranzAlpine (included, Scenic Plus carriage — upgraded seating, panoramic windows, at-seat dining, open-air viewing carriage). The 4.5-hour journey from Canterbury to the West Coast is one of Earth’s great train rides: Canterbury Plains, Waimakariri Gorge (vertical walls, steel viaducts), beech forest, Arthur’s Pass National Park, the 8.5km Ōtira Tunnel, then emerging into West Coast rainforest. The transition from golden plains to dripping green wilderness in a few hours is a masterclass in New Zealand geography. The open-air carriage lets you feel the temperature drop and smell the forest as you cross the divide
• Arrive Greymouth. Your minibus meets the station. Drive south to Punakaiki: the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes — walk the 20-minute loop among the layered limestone stacks. At high tide, the blowholes are at their best — spray shooting 20m into the air with a deep, resonant boom
• Continue to Hokitika, the greenstone capital. Visit a pounamu carving studio to watch master carvers transform raw jade into taonga (treasures). Hokitika Beach at sunset — driftwood sculptures, the “Hokitika” sign, the Tasman Sea stretching to Australia — is wild and beautiful

Overnight in Hokitika.

Day 17: Hokitika → Franz Josef — Glacier Country Deep Dive

• Morning: Hokitika Gorge — walk through ancient rainforest to the turquoise river and swing bridge. The vivid electric-blue colour from glacial rock flour is spectacular. Visit the National Kiwi Centre (included) to see rowi and tokoeka kiwi in nocturnal enclosures, plus giant longfin eels (tuna) — some over 100 years old — that you can hand-feed
• Drive south to Franz Josef / Waiau. Stop at Ross (the “Honourable Roddy” gold nugget town — visit the old cemetery and preserved gold-rush water race)
• Arrive Franz Josef. Check into your premium rainforest lodge. Afternoon: the Glacier Valley Walk to the terminal face viewing area. Then deeper into the valley: Douglas Walk and Peters Pool — the reflective kettle pool perfectly mirrors the glacier and mountains on a calm day
• Evening: Glacier Hot Pools (included) — three heated pools (36°C, 38°C, 40°C) in the rainforest. Steam rising from warm water into cool rainforest air, surrounded by native bush, with the mountains darkening above — it’s the perfect West Coast evening

Overnight at Franz Josef.

Day 18: Franz Josef — Heli-Hike & West Coast Wilderness

• Morning: Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike (included, NZD $485 value). This is the premium glacier experience:
  • Scenic helicopter flight over the glacier’s icefall, seracs, and crevasses, climbing to the névé (snowfield accumulation zone) at 2,700m. The view of ice, rock, snow, and rainforest from the helicopter is extraordinary
  • Land on a stable section of the glacier at 800–1,200m. Your certified guide provides crampons and ice axe and leads a 2-hour exploration: ice caves with walls of impossibly deep blue compressed ice (the blue comes from ice so dense it absorbs all light except blue wavelengths), crevasses you squeeze through, seracs like frozen waves, and ice formations that change daily
  • Return flight with views of the Tasman Sea, West Coast rainforest, and Southern Alps
• Afternoon at leisure. Optional: West Coast Wildlife Centre (home to the rowi — the rarest kiwi, only ~600 left in the wild. The breeding program here has been instrumental in saving the species). Visit Ōkārito Lagoon for kayaking (own expense) — New Zealand’s largest unmodified coastal wetland

Overnight at Franz Josef.

Day 19: Franz Josef → Lake Matheson → Haast Pass → Wanaka

• Depart Franz Josef. First stop: Lake Matheson (near Fox Glacier). The classic “Mirror Lake” walk (1.5 hours loop). On a calm morning, Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman are perfectly reflected in the dark, tannin-stained water. The reflections from the “View of Views” and “Reflection Island” platforms are among the most photographed in New Zealand. The ancient kahikatea and rimu forest surrounding the lake is cathedral-like — silent, green, moss-draped, and deeply old
• Continue south through Haast. Enter the Haast Pass / Tioripātea (563m) — Māori used this traditional greenstone trail for centuries. Stops: Thunder Creek Falls (28m), Fantail Falls, Blue Pools (glacial-blue water so clear the trout seem suspended in air). The transition from West Coast rainforest to the drier, golden landscapes of Otago as you descend from the pass is dramatic
• Drive the shores of Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea — twin glacial lakes in a dramatic valley. Arrive in Wānaka late afternoon. Walk the lakefront to #ThatWanakaTree at the golden hour. The lone willow growing in the lake, with the Southern Alps reflected behind it, is as beautiful as the photos promise

Overnight in Wanaka.

Day 20: Wanaka → Crown Range → Queenstown — Lakes to The Remarkables

• Morning: Rippon Vineyard (included, tasting). One of the most spectacular vineyard settings on Earth — biodynamic vines sloping to the lake shore. The Mills family’s story of four-generation stewardship, and their wines, are exceptional. Taste the Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Osteiner with the lake sparkling below and Mount Aspiring / Tititea (3,033m) on the horizon
• Optional: Warbirds & Wheels museum or Puzzling World in Wanaka
• Drive the Crown Range Road (1,121m). Stop at the summit for the Cardrona Valley panorama. Visit Cardrona Hotel (1863) — a drink in the courtyard garden is a highlight. Continue past the Kawarau Bridge Bungy (watch or jump — the world’s first, since 1988)
• Arrive Queenstown / Tāhuna. The view as Lake Wakatipu opens before you, the Remarkables rising behind — it never gets old. Check into your premium lakeside hotel
• Evening: Skyline Gondola and Stratosfare Restaurant (included). Take the gondola 450m to Bob’s Peak. Watch the sun set over Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables, Cecil Peak, and Walter Peak — the view is genuinely breathtaking. The buffet dinner features New Zealand specialties — seafood, lamb, venison, and dessert — paired with Central Otago wines and that view

Overnight in Queenstown.

Day 21: Queenstown — Milford Sound Day Trip (Premium)

• Full-day premium excursion to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. Choose journey: luxury glass-roof coach (panoramic views, reclining seats, included) or upgrade to fly-cruise-fly (scenic flight Queenstown → Milford Sound, cruise, scenic flight return — NZD $495 upgrade)
• The drive through Fiordland National Park: Mirror Lakes, Eglinton Valley (vast U-shaped glacial valley, Lord of the Rings filming location), The Chasm, Homer Tunnel, descent into the Cleddau Valley
• Board the Milford Sound Premium Nature Cruise (included, 2 hours, smaller vessel, naturalist guide). Sail the full length: Mitre Peak (1,692m), Bowen Falls, Stirling Falls (boat noses under the waterfall), Seal Rock (fur seal colony), and the open Tasman Sea. Lunch on board (included). The scale of the fjord — mountains rising vertically 1,200m from water 300m deep — makes everything feel simultaneously immense and intimate
• Return to Queenstown evening. Dinner at leisure

Overnight in Queenstown.

Day 22: Queenstown — Premium Free Day

• Free day to curate your ultimate Queenstown experience. Premium options (your guide arranges everything): TSS Earnslaw cruise to Walter Peak (gourmet barbecue, farm tour), Gibbston Valley wine tour (4–5 wineries, cave tour, lunch), Shotover Jet, bungy jumping, skydiving, helicopter alpine landing with champagne, Ben Lomond or Queenstown Hill walks, or a simple day of relaxation — lakefront walks, cafés, bookshops
• This day is yours to design
• Evening: Group dinner (included) at one of Queenstown’s top restaurants

Overnight in Queenstown.

Day 23: Queenstown → Arrowtown → Mt Cook — Central Otago to Alpine Heart

• Morning: Arrowtown. Walk Buckingham Street. Visit the Lakes District Museum. Walk through the Chinese Settlement — the stone huts, the interpretive panels, and Ah Lum’s store tell a story both moving and important about New Zealand’s multicultural gold-rush history. Try gold panning in the Arrow River with pans provided
• Wine tasting and lunch in the Gibbston Valley (included): Gibbston Valley Winery (cave tour), Peregrine (architectural masterpiece), local cheese platter
• Afternoon: Drive through Kawarau Gorge and Lindis Pass into the Mackenzie Basin. Stop at Lake Pukaki — the turquoise lake with Aoraki/Mt Cook dominating the horizon. Visit the Mt Cook Alpine Salmon shop for fresh sashimi
• Arrive at Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Check into The Hermitage Hotel (or similar premium lodge — included). Evening: Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre (included) — planetarium, 3D theatre, museum. Then the Tasman Glacier View walk at sunset — watch New Zealand’s highest peak turn gold, then pink, then fade to silhouette
• Farewell dinner at The Hermitage’s Panorama Room (included). Floor-to-ceiling windows frame Aoraki. After 23 days — from the Bay of Islands to glaciers, from Middle-earth to Milford Sound, through geothermal wonderlands and across the Southern Alps — this final dinner beneath New Zealand’s highest peak is fitting

Overnight at Aoraki/Mt Cook (The Hermitage Hotel).

Day 24: Aoraki/Mt Cook → Lake Tekapo → Christchurch — Homeward

• Dawn: Hooker Valley Track at sunrise (final walk, included). Start before dawn. Watch the first light hit Aoraki’s summit, reflected in Hooker Lake among floating icebergs. The alpine silence, broken only by the distant rumble of avalanches, and the spectacle of light transforming the mountains is a fitting finale to 24 days through Aotearoa
• Return to The Hermitage for a farewell breakfast. One last view of the mountain from the Panorama Room
• Depart Mt Cook. Stop at Lake Tekapo: Church of the Good Shepherd (one final look), Bronze Sheepdog Monument. Walk along the shore
• Cross the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch. Farewell lunch with the group at a restaurant in the city. Share contact details, photos, and memories before airport transfers
• Transfer to Christchurch International Airport (CHC). After 24 days through New Zealand — the most comprehensive premium tour of Aotearoa — you’ve experienced the Bay of Islands, Cape Reinga, Waiheke Island, Hobbiton, the geothermal wonderland, Tongariro’s volcanoes, Wellington’s culture, the Marlborough Sounds, Kaikōura’s whales, glaciers, rainforests, fjords, the world’s southernmost wine region, and the highest peak. You’ve paddled waka, walked on ice, swum with dolphins, tasted the finest wines, and connected with Māori culture. You’ve learned that Aotearoa is more than a destination — it’s a feeling. E kore e mimiti te aroha mō tēnei whenua — the love for this land will never diminish

Tour concludes. Haere rā — farewell. Kia ora rawa atu — our deepest gratitude for sharing this journey with us.

What’s Included

• 23 nights premium 4-star accommodation (including The Hermitage at Aoraki/Mt Cook), all meals: 23 breakfasts, 23 lunches, 23 dinners, professional tour guide/driver throughout, all transport in premium air-conditioned minibus, Waiheke Island wine tour (3 vineyards + lunch), Waitangi Treaty Grounds (guided tour + cultural performance), Bay of Islands sunset dolphin cruise (private charter), Cape Reinga & Ninety Mile Beach day trip (with sandboarding), Hamilton Gardens, Hobbiton Movie Set, Te Puia geothermal valley, Redwoods Treewalk & Nightlights, Mitai Māori Village hāngī, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Interislander Ferry (premium lounge), Kaikōura Whale Watch, Waipara wine tasting with lunch (2 wineries), TranzAlpine train (Scenic Plus), pounamu carving workshop, National Kiwi Centre, Hokitika Gorge, Franz Josef Heli-Hike, Glacier Hot Pools, Lake Matheson, Rippon Vineyard tasting, Skyline Gondola Queenstown with Stratosfare dinner, Milford Sound premium nature cruise with lunch, Gibbston Valley wine tasting, Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, all national park and conservation fees