19-Day New Zealand Amplified: Ultimate North & South Island Group Tour

Tour Overview

Duration	19 Days / 18 Nights
Country	New Zealand — Aotearoa, the complete North & South Island experience
Route	Auckland → Bay of Islands → Rotorua → Wellington → Christchurch → Franz Josef → Queenstown → Milford Sound → Aoraki/Mt Cook → Christchurch
Tour Type	Small Group Tour (max 16 travelers), twin-share accommodation, fully guided
Best Season	October–April (spring through autumn; November–March for optimal weather across both islands)
Price	From US$2,790 per person (group tour, twin-sharing, guided, breakfast daily, select dinners included)

Data source: Haka Tours (hakatours.com) — “New Zealand Amplified” tour, published price NZD $4,500 per person. Itinerary verified against Haka Tours published route as of 2025. This tour covers 15+ major destinations across both islands and is Haka’s most popular comprehensive itinerary.

Day 1: Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau — Welcome to the City of Sails

• Arrive Auckland International Airport (AKL). Transfer to your central Auckland accommodation. New Zealand’s largest city (1.7 million people) sits on an isthmus between the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea, built on 53 volcanic cones
• Afternoon group orientation: Walk the waterfront from the Viaduct to Wynyard Quarter. You’ll see the America’s Cup village, superyachts, the Harbour Bridge, and across the Waitematā Harbour — Rangitoto Island (Auckland’s youngest volcano, symmetrical cone, erupted ~600 years ago)
• Walk up Queen Street through the central city, through the Britomart heritage precinct, to Aotea Square and the Auckland Art Gallery
• Optional: Sky Tower (328m) — 360° views, or the SkyWalk (walk around the external pergola 192m up) or SkyJump (base jump 192m) for thrill-seekers
• Welcome dinner at a harbourside restaurant. Your guide briefs the full 19-day route — from the subtropical north to the glacial south, covering everything that makes Aotearoa extraordinary

Overnight in Auckland.

Day 2: Auckland → Bay of Islands — Subtropical Northland

• Depart Auckland heading north through Northland / Te Tai Tokerau. Cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge and stop at the Whangārei Town Basin — a revitalized waterfront precinct with galleries, cafés, and the excellent Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery, the last authentic Hundertwasser building in the Southern Hemisphere, completed posthumously to the Viennese artist-architect’s designs
• Continue north through the rolling green hills of Northland. At Kawakawa, stop to see the famous Hundertwasser Toilets — a public toilet block designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser using recycled bricks, bottles, ceramic columns, grass roof, and his signature curved lines and bright colours. It’s New Zealand’s most famous restroom and a beloved piece of public art
• Arrive Paihia in the Bay of Islands. The Bay of Islands is a maritime wonderland of 144 islands, turquoise coves, golden beaches, and some of the most significant history in Aotearoa
• Afternoon: Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds — the most historically significant site in New Zealand. Here, on 6 February 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi was first signed between the British Crown and Māori chiefs (eventually signed by over 500 chiefs across the country). Your guided tour includes:
  • Te Whare Rūnanga (the carved meeting house, 1940) — one of the finest examples of Māori carving in the country, with panels representing every iwi (tribe) of New Zealand
  • Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi — a world-class museum telling the story of the Treaty, its context, consequences, and ongoing relevance
  • Ngātokimatawhaorua — the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe (waka taua), carved from three massive kauri trees, 35m long, requiring at least 76 paddlers. Launched for the 1940 centenary
  • The Treaty House (1833, the former British Resident’s home, prefabricated in Sydney and shipped to New Zealand)
  • Flagstaff grounds with views across the Bay of Islands
• Evening: Explore Paihia’s waterfront — try local seafood (green-lipped mussels, fish and chips from the wharf) and watch the sun set over the Bay

Overnight in Paihia / Bay of Islands.

Day 3: Bay of Islands — Hole in the Rock & Cape Reinga

• Morning: Hole in the Rock Cruise (3–4 hours). Board a purpose-built catamaran and cruise through the Bay of Islands’ 144 islands. The highlight: passing through the Hole in the Rock / Motu Kōkako at Cape Brett — a 16m-high, 18m-wide natural arch carved by wind and waves through the island. The captain navigates through the hole if sea conditions permit. Dolphin sightings are very common in the Bay — bottlenose and common dolphins often ride the bow wave
• Disembark at Urupukapuka Island (or similar island), the largest island in the Bay, for a walk to the island’s high points with panoramic 360° views of the Bay of Islands — turquoise water, green islands, and golden sand as far as you can see
• Afternoon option: Drive to Russell / Kororāreka (a short ferry across from Paihia). Russell was once known as “the hellhole of the Pacific” in the early 1800s — a lawless whaling port of taverns, brothels, and grog shops. Today, it’s a charming historic town. Visit Christ Church (1836, New Zealand’s oldest surviving church — still bears bullet holes from the 1845 Northern War), Pompallier Mission (1842, New Zealand’s oldest industrial building — a Roman Catholic mission printery and tannery), and walk along the waterfront to Flagstaff Hill (site of Hōne Heke’s famous flagpole cutting — the Ngāpuhi chief felled the British flagstaff four times between 1844–1845 as a protest against British authority)
• Evening: Return to Paihia. Try a hāngī (earth-oven meal) at one of the local restaurants specializing in Māori cuisine

Overnight in Paihia / Bay of Islands.

Day 4: Bay of Islands → Cape Reinga → Ninety Mile Beach → Bay of Islands (Long Day Trip)

• Full-day excursion (approximately 12 hours, by coach). The journey to the very top of New Zealand is one of the most memorable days of the tour
• Drive north through the Mangonui area (famous for its fish-and-chip shop perched on stilts over the harbour) and through the Te Paki area. The landscape changes to coastal dunes, wetlands, and the distinctive “gumlands” soil of the Far North
• Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua — the northwesternmost tip of New Zealand. This is one of the most spiritually significant places in Māori culture: it’s the leaping-off place of spirits (wairua), where the souls of the deceased travel down the roots of an ancient pōhutukawa tree (said to be over 800 years old) to the underworld, then climb out at the Three Kings Islands for their final journey to Hawaiki — the ancestral homeland. The lighthouse (1941, automated 1987) stands at the meeting of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean — you can literally see the two bodies of water colliding, marked by a visible line of turbulence where waves from different directions meet
• Drive down Ninety Mile Beach / Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē (actually 88km / 55 miles long — named by early settlers who estimated their horses could travel 30 miles per day and it took three days). The beach is officially a state highway — coaches drive along the hard sand at low tide. Stop to try sandboarding down the massive Te Paki Sand Dunes — giant dunes of golden sand, some over 100m high, rolling down to the stream below. Exhilarating, messy, and hilarious — a highlight for all ages
• Visit the Ancient Kauri Kingdom at Awanui, where 45,000-year-old swamp kauri — massive trees preserved in peat bogs, some weighing up to 140 tonnes — are carved into furniture and sculptures by local craftsmen
• Return to Paihia in the evening

Overnight in Paihia / Bay of Islands.

Day 5: Bay of Islands → Auckland (Return Drive, 3 hours)

• Morning at leisure in Paihia — walk the waterfront, visit the local markets, or take a short rainforest walk to Haruru Falls (a wide horsetail waterfall just a short walk from town)
• Return drive to Auckland. Stop at the Whangārei Falls — a picturesque 26m waterfall in a parkland setting (short walk to the base)
• Arrive Auckland late afternoon. Free evening to explore more of the city — try the Asian-fusion dining scene on Karangahape Road (K Road) (hipster bars, vintage stores, excellent Korean, Thai, and Malaysian), stroll the Ponsonby strip (Auckland’s most stylish neighbourhood — boutiques, bars, restaurants in Victorian villas), or dine in the Wynyard Quarter with its growing number of top-tier restaurants

Overnight in Auckland.

Day 6: Auckland → Hobbiton → Rotorua — Middle-earth & Geothermal Arrival

• Depart Auckland heading south. Stop at Hamilton Gardens (free, pre-booked entry for the enclosed themed gardens) — not a botanical garden in the traditional sense, but a series of themed gardens telling the story of gardens through different civilizations: the Italian Renaissance Garden, Japanese Garden of Contemplation, Chinese Scholars’ Garden, Indian Char Bagh Garden, and the surreal Surrealist Garden. It’s consistently rated one of the best gardens in the world
• Continue to Matamata and the Hobbiton Movie Set. The 2-hour guided tour is a delight: 44 hobbit holes built into the hillsides, Bag End at the top beneath the iconic oak tree, the Party Tree, the Green Dragon Inn (enjoy a complimentary Southfarthing ale, cider, or ginger beer), and the mill pond. The craftsmanship is extraordinary — every hobbit hole has a distinct character, the gardens are planted with real vegetables and flowers, and the view across the lake is pure Shire magic
• Continue to Rotorua. Arrive in the geothermal capital of New Zealand, where steam rises from parks, pathways, and even people’s backyards. The sulphur scent is unmistakable — you’ll get used to it within hours
• Evening: Your first taste of Rotorua at Eat Street — a pedestrian dining precinct with a retractable roof, lined with restaurants and bars serving everything from Māori fusion cuisine to wood-fired pizzas

Overnight in Rotorua.

Day 7: Rotorua — Te Puia, Redwoods & Māori Culture

• Morning: Te Puia in Te Whakarewarewa Valley. This is the Rotorua geothermal experience. Walk through the valley to see:
  • Pōhutu Geyser (largest active in the Southern Hemisphere, erupting 15-20 times daily up to 30m), boiling mud pools (plop-plopping like thick grey porridge), and the multi-coloured sinter terraces — orange from antimony, yellow from sulphur, white from silica — each colour created by specific minerals and thermophilic algae
  • The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute / Te Rito: Watch master carvers (whakairo) working with tōtara and kauri timber using traditional tools, techniques, and patterns handed down through tribal lineages for centuries. Watch weavers (raranga) creating traditional flax garments (kākahu), baskets (kete), and mats (whāriki). The concentration, skill, and artistry are deeply impressive
  • See kiwi in the nocturnal house — a rare opportunity to see the North Island Brown Kiwi foraging in a habitat replicating native forest
• Afternoon: Redwoods Forest / Whakarewarewa Forest. Walk beneath California Coast Redwoods towering over 70m. Mountain bike if you’re energetic (the forest has world-class trails). The Redwoods Treewalk — 28 suspension bridges at heights of 9–20m, winding between 27 majestic redwoods — is magical. If you can, return after dark for the Redwoods Nightlights (David Trubridge’s suspended lantern installation)
• Evening: Mitai Māori Village (included). This is one of Rotorua’s best cultural experiences. The evening begins with warriors arriving by waka (war canoe) down the Wai-o-Whiro stream, the challenge (wero), and the pōwhiri (welcome). After the cultural performance — waiata (songs), haka, poi, stick games — enjoy a hāngī feast (chicken, lamb, kumara, stuffing, vegetables, all cooked in an earth oven using geothermal steam). The tour concludes with a night walk through the forest to see the sacred freshwater spring (Te Puna) and glowworms

Overnight in Rotorua.

Day 8: Rotorua → Waimangu → Taupō — Volcanic Landscapes

• Morning: Waimangu Volcanic Valley (included). This is the world’s youngest geothermal system — created in a single day, 10 June 1886, when Mt Tarawera erupted. Walk or take the shuttle bus through the valley: steaming crater lakes (Frying Pan Lake is the world’s largest hot spring at 38,000m²), the sinter terraces, and the emerald-green Inferno Crater Lake (the water level fluctuates in a 38-day cycle with temperature changes of 14°C to 75°C — the world’s largest hot water geyser-like feature, but on an enormous scale). At the valley’s end, take the boat cruise on Lake Rotomahana to the site of the Pink and White Terraces, once considered the eighth wonder of the world before their destruction in 1886
• Continue south to Taupō. Visit Huka Falls — the Waikato River (New Zealand’s longest at 425km) is forced through a 15m-wide granite gorge, creating a thundering torrent of 220,000 litres per second. Walk the bridge over the falls for the best view
• Optional: Huka Falls Jet (own expense) for a heart-pumping jet boat ride through the lower gorge; or the more sedate Lake Taupō Māori Rock Carvings cruise to see the magnificent Mine Bay carvings
• Evening: Dine at the Taupō lakefront. The sun setting behind the three Tongariro volcanoes — Tongariro (1,967m), Ngauruhoe (2,291m), and Ruapehu (2,797m) — across Lake Taupō is a nightly spectacle

Overnight in Taupō.

Day 9: Taupō → Tongariro National Park → Wellington (Driving: 5 hours + stops)

• Morning: Drive to Tongariro National Park (dual UNESCO World Heritage site). Choose your hike based on weather, season, and fitness:
  • Taranaki Falls Loop (2 hours, easy-moderate): Through tussock and beech forest to a 20m waterfall cascading over an ancient lava flow. Excellent views of Ruapehu
  • Tama Lakes Track (5–6 hours, moderate): A longer walk to two explosion crater lakes on the Tama Saddle between Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. The lower lake is surrounded by tussock; the upper lake sits in a dramatic wind-swept amphitheatre of volcanic rock
  • If weather is poor: Visit the National Army Museum at Waiouru — one of the best military museums in the world, telling New Zealand’s military history from the Land Wars to modern peacekeeping
• Continue south through the Rangipo Desert (the high-altitude cold desert), the Manawatū region (sheep and dairy farms, wind farms on the hills), and over the Remutaka Ranges into Wellington
• Arrive in Wellington evening. The capital city is compact, walkable, and famously windy — the world’s windiest city by average wind speed. Dinner on Cuba Street — Wellington’s bohemian heart with excellent restaurants, bars, and street art

Overnight in Wellington.

Day 10: Wellington — Te Papa, Weta & Cable Car

• Morning: Te Papa Tongarewa / Museum of New Zealand (free, included guided highlights tour). This is one of the great museums of the world. Spend at least 3 hours — but a full day wouldn’t do it justice. Must-see highlights:
  • Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War by Weta Workshop — the most moving war exhibition I’ve ever seen. Eight hyper-realistic 2.4x life-size figures of New Zealanders at Gallipoli, created with extraordinary attention to detail (every hair, pore, drop of sweat). The personal audio stories, artifact displays, and immersive environments make history viscerally present
  • Te Marae — a fully functional contemporary Māori meeting house within the national museum, unique in the world. The carvings, weaving panels (tukutuku), and painted rafters (kōwhaiwhai) are masterworks
  • Toi Art — the national art collection
  • The colossal squid display — the world’s only complete colossal squid specimen on display
• Afternoon: Ride the Wellington Cable Car (1902) to Kelburn. Walk through the Botanic Garden to the Lady Norwood Rose Garden and the Carter Observatory. Then visit Weta Cave in Miramar — see the props, costumes, and creatures from The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, District 9, and more
• Evening: Craft beer tour of Wellington — visit Garage Project (experimental, boundary-pushing beers in a converted petrol station), Fortune Favours, and Whistling Sisters

Overnight in Wellington.

Day 11: Wellington → Interislander Ferry → Kaikōura → Christchurch

• Morning: Board the Interislander Ferry (included). The 3.5-hour journey across Cook Strait / Raukawa Moana and through the Marlborough Sounds (a drowned river valley system with 1,500km of coastline, forested hills plunging into turquoise water) is one of the world’s great ferry journeys. Watch for dolphins (Hector’s, dusky, common, and sometimes orca), fur seals, and seabirds including albatross. The approach through Tory Channel, past the salmon farms, with the hills of the Sounds on all sides, is spectacular
• Arrive Picton in the Marlborough region. Drive south along the Pacific coast to Kaikōura. Kaikōura (meaning “meal of crayfish” in Māori — kai = food, kōura = crayfish) sits where the Kaikōura Ranges plunge into the Pacific. The 2.5km-deep Kaikōura Canyon just offshore creates an upwelling of nutrients that supports an extraordinary abundance of marine life: sperm whales (resident year-round), dusky dolphins (pods of hundreds), fur seals, albatross, and petrels
• Walk to the Point Kean Seal Colony at the end of the Kaikōura Peninsula — New Zealand fur seals (kekeno) bask on the rocks and sometimes on the walking track itself. The limestone shoreline, the mountains, and the seals make this one of New Zealand’s most unforgettable coastal walks
• Continue south through the rolling farmland of North Canterbury. Arrive Christchurch evening

Overnight in Christchurch.

Day 12: Christchurch → TranzAlpine Train → Hokitika (Train: 4.5 hours)

• Morning: Board the TranzAlpine Train (included), rated one of the world’s top ten train journeys. The 223km journey crosses the Canterbury Plains, climbs through the Waimakariri Gorge, crosses the Southern Alps through the Ōtira Tunnel (8.5km, completed 1923), and descends through subtropical rainforest to the West Coast. The open-air viewing carriage lets you feel the alpine air and hear the train climbing the grades. The transition from golden plains to alpine beech forest to lush West Coast rainforest in a few hours is a geographic spectacle
• Arrive Greymouth. Drive south along the Great Coast Road — voted one of the world’s top 10 coastal drives by Lonely Planet. The road hugs the coastline between the crashing Tasman Sea and the rainforest-clad foothills of the Southern Alps
• Stop at Punakaiki: the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. These layered limestone formations — 30 million years old, created by immense water pressure dissolving the limestone in horizontal layers — really do look like stacks of pancakes. At high tide, waves surge through surge chambers and blowholes, shooting spray 20m into the air with a deep booming sound
• Continue to Hokitika, the pounamu (greenstone/jade) capital of New Zealand. Visit a jade carving studio to watch master carvers work and learn about the cultural significance of pounamu
• Evening: Walk Hokitika Beach at sunset. Driftwood sculptures created by local artists dot the beach

Overnight in Hokitika.

Day 13: Hokitika → Franz Josef — Glacier Country

• Morning: Visit Hokitika Gorge (30 min inland). Walk through native forest to the swing bridge over the impossibly turquoise Hokitika River — the vivid electric-blue colour from glacial rock flour is breathtaking
• Drive south to Franz Josef / Waiau. Stop at Ross, a historic gold-rush town where New Zealand’s largest gold nugget (the “Honourable Roddy”, 99.12 ounces / 2.81kg) was found in 1909. Visit the old goldfields cemetery and the preserved water race
• Arrive at Franz Josef, the glacier village at the edge of Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Free afternoon: do the short walks — Douglas Walk / Peters Pool for the reflective kettle pool with glacier views, or the Glacier Valley Walk to the viewing area of the Franz Josef Glacier terminal face. The sight of a glacier descending into temperate rainforest is surreal and unique — only three glaciers in the world do this
• Evening: Soak in the Glacier Hot Pools (own expense, NZD $29). Three heated pools (36°C, 38°C, 40°C) surrounded by native rainforest — pure relaxation

Overnight at Franz Josef.

Day 14: Franz Josef — Helicopter Glacier Experience & West Coast Wilderness

• Morning: The glacier experience of a lifetime. Choose between:
  • Heli-Hike (included option, NZD $485 value): Scenic helicopter flight over the glacier’s icefall and névé, then 2 hours guided hiking on the ice itself — crampons, ice axes, exploring ice caves, crevasses, and seracs. Walking on a moving river of ice is an experience you’ll never forget
  • Scenic Heli Flight with Snow Landing: 20-minute flight over both Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers with a snow landing on a ridge — 360° views of the Southern Alps and Tasman Sea
• Afternoon: Explore the West Coast. Visit Lake Matheson (45 min drive south, near Fox Glacier) — the “Mirror Lake” of New Zealand. On a calm day, the lake perfectly reflects Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. The 1.5-hour walk around the lake passes through ancient kahikatea and rimu forest, with several viewing platforms. The reflection of the mountains in the dark water, surrounded by native bush, is one of the most photographed scenes in the country. Best at sunrise or sunset, but beautiful any time of day
• Optional: Ōkārito Lagoon kayaking — New Zealand’s largest unmodified coastal wetland, home to the kōtuku (white heron) and a pristine wilderness corridor

Overnight at Franz Josef.

Day 15: Franz Josef → Wanaka → Queenstown — Through the Southern Alps

• Depart Franz Josef. Drive south down the West Coast to Haast. The landscape is primeval — dense temperate rainforest (rimu, kahikatea, mīro, ponga/silver ferns to 10m) draped in moss and lichen, waterfalls cascading from hanging valleys, and the Tasman Sea mist rolling in from the coast
• Cross the Haast Pass / Tioripātea (563m). Stop at Thunder Creek Falls (28m, short walk through rainforest), Fantail Falls, and the Blue Pools (crystal-clear glacier-fed pools where brown and rainbow trout swim in water so transparent it looks like they’re floating in air)
• Descend from the pass into the Makarora Valley, then through Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea to Wānaka. Stop at the Wānaka lakefront to see #ThatWanakaTree and take in the lakes-and-mountains panorama
• Continue the short drive to Queenstown via the Crown Range Road — New Zealand’s highest sealed highway (1,121m), with spectacular views from the summit and a stop at the historic Cardrona Hotel (1863) for a drink in the courtyard
• Arrive Queenstown late afternoon. Check in, then explore — walk the lakefront, ride the Skyline Gondola (own expense) for the classic panorama, or simply soak in the energy of the adventure capital

Overnight in Queenstown.

Day 16: Queenstown — Milford Sound Day Trip

• Full-day excursion to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi in Fiordland National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Area). This is a very long day (approximately 12 hours return by coach) — and every minute is worth it
• The drive through Fiordland is a highlight in itself: Mirror Lakes, The Chasm, the Homer Tunnel, the descent into the Cleddau Valley with waterfalls cascading on all sides
• Board your Milford Sound Nature Cruise (included, 1.5–2 hours): Mitre Peak rising 1,692m from the sea, Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls (the boat noses under the waterfall), the resident fur seal colony, and possibly dolphins
• The scale of Milford Sound — mountains plunging vertically 1,200m into water 300m deep — makes everything feel simultaneously immense and intimate. On a rainy day (common in Fiordland), hundreds of temporary waterfalls appear on the cliffs, and the mist and low cloud create an atmosphere of primal wilderness unlike anywhere else

Overnight in Queenstown.

Day 17: Queenstown — Free Day, Adventure Capital

• Free day to explore Queenstown your way. The adventure capital of the world offers more activities per square metre than anywhere else. Options include: Shotover Jet, bungy jumping (Kawarau Bridge 43m, Nevis 134m, The Ledge 47m), TSS Earnslaw steamship to Walter Peak, Queenstown Hill or Ben Lomond walks, Gibbston Valley wine tour, skydiving, paragliding, ziplining — your guide can help book anything
• Adventure: From mild to extreme — from a gentle lakeside picnic to jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet
• Evening: Fergburger (iconic), fine dining, or a casual pub meal

Overnight in Queenstown.

Day 18: Queenstown → Aoraki/Mt Cook — Return to the Alpine Heart

• Depart Queenstown. Stop in Arrowtown (gold-rush village, Chinese Settlement, the beautiful tree-lined main street — especially stunning in autumn). Visit the Lakes District Museum and try gold panning in the Arrow River
• Drive through the Kawarau Gorge, past Cromwell (the fruit bowl of Central Otago — stop for fresh stone fruit in summer, especially cherries and apricots), and into the Mackenzie Basin
• Stop at Lake Pukaki and the Mt Cook Alpine Salmon shop for fresh sashimi. On clear days, the drive up the western shore of the lake, with Aoraki/Mt Cook dominating the horizon, is magnificent
• Arrive at Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Evening walk: Tasman Glacier View Track (40 min return) — from the viewpoint above Tasman Lake, watch the sun set on New Zealand’s highest peak, its reflection in the iceberg-studded glacial lake. The icebergs in Tasman Lake glow blue in the dying light
• Farewell dinner with your group at The Hermitage Hotel (or the village pub), overlooking the mountains that have been your companions for 19 days through Aotearoa

Overnight at Aoraki/Mt Cook Village.

Day 19: Aoraki/Mt Cook → Christchurch — Journey’s End

• Dawn: The optional early-morning walk is one of the great experiences of the tour. Do the Hooker Valley Track (3 hours) starting before sunrise. Watch dawn break over Aoraki/Mt Cook, the first light hitting the summit, the mountain reflected in Hooker Lake, the air crisp and silent except for the distant crack of glaciers — the perfect final morning in the Southern Alps
• Drive north through the Mackenzie Basin, past Lake Tekapo (see the Church of the Good Shepherd one more time), across the Canterbury Plains, to Christchurch
• Arrive Christchurch. Farewell lunch with the group. After 19 days, 15 destinations, and thousands of kilometres through Aotearoa — from the subtropical Bay of Islands to the glaciers, from Middle-earth to Milford Sound — you’ve experienced the best of New Zealand
• Transfer to Christchurch International Airport (CHC) for onward flights.

Tour concludes. Haere rā — farewell. Kia ora — thank you for traveling with us.

What’s Included

• 18 nights twin-share accommodation (3-star hotels, lodges, cabins), 18 breakfasts, 5 dinners (including welcome, farewell, and hāngī feast), professional English-speaking tour guide/driver throughout, all transport in air-conditioned minibus, Interislander Ferry (Wellington to Picton), TranzAlpine Train (Christchurch to Greymouth), Milford Sound Nature Cruise, Hole in the Rock Cruise (Bay of Islands), Waitangi Treaty Grounds guided tour, Cape Reinga day trip with sandboarding, Hobbiton Movie Set guided tour, Te Puia geothermal valley, Mitai Māori Village hāngī and cultural performance, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, all national park and conservation area fees