Whether by boat, coach, train, helicopter or on foot, the wonders of New Zealand unfold as you traverse both North and South islands on this full New Zealand tour. Those wonders are often natural – Franz Josef Glacier, Milford Sound, Mount Cook, Huka Falls, Lake Taupo. But they also come in the form of inspiring cities and sacred Maori sites revealing the soul-stirring history of the country.
(B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner (SD) Specialty Dinner Tour Code: LCBA
The hotel features 155 contemporary rooms. Located directly opposite the new BNZ shopping precinct and within walking distance of The Terrace and Riverside hospitality precinct, making it an ideal base for foodies and culture-lovers exploring the city. Take a short stroll to the beautiful Botanic Gardens, enjoy local shopping, or explore rich culture at Canterbury Museum. Centrally located, with laneways and courtyards brimming with designer retail and delicious food, this hotel is surrounded by all the vibrancy of the refreshed centre city.
The Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier is close to the edge of one of New Zealand’s most spectacular natural attractions. In the heart of Franz Josef village and on the edge of the Westland World Heritage Park, the Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier is very close to the spectacular Franz Josef Glacier. The hotel offers everything you need to be able to explore this dramatic region in style and comfort. With an exceptional restaurant, serving hearty, West Coast fare, and the Moa Bar with its open fireplace, you are never without choice. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel.
This hotel is nestled within a garden-inspired property with 240 guest rooms, including 6 Suites and over 80 rooms that have views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range. Select rooms also feature private balconies or courtyards. There are meetings facilities with Wi-Fi access in public areas, as well as in Impressions Restaurant and Cocktail Bar.
Conveniently located in the heart of Te Anau’s town shopping centre, a short stroll from Lake Te Anau, the Distinction Luxmore offers 2 on-site restaurants. Enjoy views of the township looking towards Lake Te Anau from Hilights Restaurant which is known for its excellent breakfasts and delicious carvery buffet dinners. Bailiez’s legendary café style menu and bar is popular among Te Anau locals and a great choice for relaxing after exploring Fiordland.
This stylish hotel has a fresh contemporary design, with clean lines and dramatic features softened by natural elements such as timber and neutral tones. Located in the heart of the city and just blocks from the Octagon, this hotel is within walking distance of many of the city’s main attractions, great restaurants and shopping centres.
Close to lakes, mountains and rivers, with dazzling starry skies by night, the hotel near to the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, the Clay Cliffs and the Ahuriri Conservation Area, Ōhau Snow Fields, and nearby lakes. The hotel offers modern and comfortable rooms. Many have a balcony to view the great mountain scenery and all have tea and coffee making facilities and en-suite bathrooms. Set amongst landscaped gardens, dine in the al fresco restaurant or relax at the bar while enjoying the views of the surrounding mountains.
With spectacular vistas over Marlborough Sounds, you’re just a short stroll to the Waikawa Bay Marina, ferry terminal and the picturesque Picton township. Enjoy relaxed and comfortable accommodation, an on-site restaurant and bar. Contemporary and relaxed, the Picton Yacht Club Hotel is designed around its alluring swimming pool and its spectacular vistas of Marlborough Sounds, putting you at the heart of this charming waterfront town.
There are 48 guest rooms, most featuring beautiful views with coffee and tea making facilities and unlimited complimentary wifi.
The hotel offers 132 spacious rooms, equipped with important comforts like cosy beds, microwaves, cable TV and free WiFi. There is a restaurant and bar where you can relax and enjoy a hearty meal. There is a hotel gym and the hotel is nearby to Wellington Train Station.
The hotel’s central location provides easy access to cafés, restaurants, and the Energy Events Convention Centre and just 15-minutes from the airport. Conveniently positioned within the heart of Rotorua, you’ll have easy access to local attractions, including Te Puia’s geothermal valley and Maori Pa and cultural experience, Skyline Luge, rejuvenating day spas, historic Blue Baths and Rotorua Museum.
The hotel is in close proximity to popular Auckland attractions including the Viaduct precinct, SkyCity and Aotea Centre. The hotel delivers complimentary fast and uncapped WiFi, a hot and cold buffet breakfast. The 294 rooms are equipped with a walk-in power shower, black-out blinds, a work station and high-quality bedding with a choice of firm or soft pillows so you always wake up recharged and ready for the day ahead.
This four star hotel offers uninterrupted Bay views surrounded by 60 acres of subtropical gardens and the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It features a spectacular, lagoon style swimming pool and rock pools of cascading water. The hotel’s 180 guest rooms have individual patios or balconies from which to enjoy the water or garden views. Taking inspiration from nature, rooms have been designed to blend into the natural environment whilst offering a serene escape.
The Bay of Islands is a subtropical micro-region in the north of the North Island. It is known for its beauty, stunning beaches, deep sea fishing & importance to New Zealand history. And it is paradise for those that love beaches and water activities with a little colonial history thrown in.
The Bay of Islands includes 144 islands between Cape Brett and the Purerua Peninsula. The boutique towns of Opua, Paihia, Russell, Kerikeri and Waitangi, which played a very special part in Aotearoa’s history, populate its coastline.
There are a number of excellent ways to experience the region. One of the most popular activities is a trip to Cape Brett and the ‘Hole in the Rock’ on Piercy Island. A passenger ferry service runs between Paihia and Russell. And a vehicle ferry provides a link between Opua and Russell.
On land, you’ll enjoy beautiful river and seaside walking tracks or encounter the mighty kauri tree in pristine subtropical rainforest. This is a very beautiful and popular part of the country and a favourite with visitors and Kiwis alike.
Auckland, or Tāmaki Makaurau in Maori, is New Zealand’s largest city. It is based around 2 large and picturesque harbours. ‘The City of Sails’ is known as such because of the many yachts often seen on those harbours.
Tāmaki Makaurau is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two major bodies of water. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitematā Harbour on the Pacific Ocean.
The Auckland landscape is also dotted with 53 volcanic centres that make up the Auckland Volcanic Field. And the many volcanic cones are a feature of the city.
In the centre of the city, the iconic Sky Tower dominates the skyline and has views across the city and harbours.
There is lots to see and do close to the CBD. Bustling precincts include Wynyard Quarter and Viaduct Harbour, full of superyachts and lined with bars and cafes. Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park, covers an extinct volcano and is home to the formal Wintergardens. A short harbour-side drive takes you to Mission Bay Beach, which offers a relaxed beachside vibe and a seaside promenade — a wonderful place for a stroll.
A slightly longer drive will take you to the Waitakere Ranges, which surrounding the city to the west, and pristine sub-tropical rainforest.
Rotorua is an inland city that is famous for its geothermal activity, Maori culture experiences, 18 lakes, and three major rivers in a beautiful natural environment.
Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists. Its geothermal activity, featuring geysers and hot mud pools, are world renowned. This thermal activity is created by the Rotorua Caldera, over which the town is built.
In Te Puia’s Whakarewarewa Valley, there are bubbling mud pools and the 30m-tall Pohutu Geyser, which erupts many times daily. Its also home to a living Maori village and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, with traditional wood carving and weaving schools.
Rotorua was one of the first places in the country to host tourists who came to experience the healing properties of the geothermal waters.
Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city and the location of our parliament. Located at the bottom of the North Island it sits on the Cook Strait, which divides the North and South Islands. Strong winds through the Cook Strait give it the nickname “Windy Wellington”.
It is a vibrant and compact city, with a beautiful waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and some lovely turn of the century, timber houses on the steep hills it features. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington Cable Car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens.
Wellington is home to New Zealand’s National Museum, Te Papa, and bespoke art and creative pursuits thrive in this city. Couple this with a strong café and restaurant culture and you have an interesting and unique little city to explore.
Christchurch is an fascinating city to explore. It was once a historic garden city. Since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes it has turned into a fascinating city of regeneration and growth.
The central city is filled with cutting-edge architecture alongside some of the oldest buildings in New Zealand. But Christchurch is constantly evolving, always giving locals and visitors something new to explore. Expect street art and innovative projects, a bustling hospitality scene and established green spaces.
The Avon River runs through the city, bringing a natural landscape to the urban environment. Cruise along the picturesque river on a flat bottomed punt. Take a ride on a historic tram through the city. With wonderful parks and botanic gardens to explore Christchurch is a great place to visit.
Sitting in a broad basin between mountain ranges, Omarama is a small town at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83. Near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin, in the South Island it attracts glider pilots and anglers. They come for open skies and fish-filled rivers respectively.
The gliding fellowship come here to soar in the wide-open skies. While anglers chase plentiful fish in fast-flowing rivers. Omarama is in the Waitaki District, near its namesake river, and the Ahuriri River is a short distance to the north.
Omarama means the place of light. And you will understand why when you look to the skies. The crystal clear air is so pure and the nights so black that the star-gazing opportunities here are a once in a lifetime experience.
Known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South’, Dunedin is a city that wears its Scottish heritage with pride. The small city boasts some eye-catching architecture and is one of the best-preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the Southern Hemisphere.
A gaelic language namesake of ‘Edinburgh’, Dunedin sits at the end of a long picturesque harbour surrounded by dramatic hills. There is so much to see and do here. Stroll through the city and its heritage buildings. Visit intriguing museums and historic homes like Olveston. Experience the rare wildlife found in the spectacular landscapes that surround the city.
The nearby Otago Peninsula offers endless views and beautifully rugged beaches. Nestled at the foot of Taiaroa Head is the Royal Albatross Centre — the only place in the world on the mainland where you can view Northern Royal Albatross in their natural habitat.
You will also find other wildlife including colonies of the world’s rarest penguin on the Peninsula. On the beaches, you will find fur seals and sea lions just lazing around and enjoying their natural habitat.
Dunedin’s heritage even extends to a real castle, high on the hills of the Otago Peninsula. Larnach Castle is New Zealand’s only castle and a much-loved piece of Dunedin history.
Queenstown is a stunning resort town, renowned for its beauty and wealth of adventure activities, it sits on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakatipu. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Southern Alps mountains, Queenstown is also a base for exploring the region’s vineyards and historic mining towns.
Iconic adventure activities include bungee jumping off Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge and jet-boating on the Shotover and Dart rivers. And in winter, there’s skiing on the slopes of The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and Cardrona ski resorts.
Queenstown is a hub of adventure, thrumming with adrenaline and an buzzing with a carefree sense of fun. But extreme activities aren’t the only options here. This world-famous resort town and its surrounding area boast many things to see, do, eat, drink and explore. Something for everyone at any time of year.
A two hour drive from Queenstown, Te Anau is a Southland town. A pretty lakeside town, it’s known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park.
Te Anau offers great views of the lake and mountains beyond and a good range of cafes and restaurants. The awe-inspiring natural beauty of the park’s wilderness, including Milford and Doubtful Sounds is within easy reach.
The region is home to many of NZ’s Great Walks, endangered flightless takahē birds and abundant trout in Lake Te Anau. Te Anau Caves feature a limestone grotto of glowworms and an underground waterfall. To the southwest, the Kepler Track winds through beech forests, glacial valleys and mountains.
Famously described by Rudyard Kipling as the “eighth wonder of the world”, Milford Sound is a stunning fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island.
The “sound” was carved out by glaciers during the ice age like all modern fiords. But it’s majesty and the drama of its surrounding mountains is hard to match. It is known for the towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides.
When it rains in Milford Sound — and it often does — those waterfalls multiply with magnificent effect. Whatever the weather it really is a breath-taking sight.
Boat tours are a popular way to explore the inky waters of this pristine natural wonder. 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.
Franz Josef is the name of both the glacier and the nearby village. The small but lively Franz Josef Waiau village is surrounded by lush rainforest with the high snow-capped Alps rising above it.
There are many ways to take in the natural attractions within a short distance of the village. Your options include a cycleway, walks of varying lengths, guided walks, kayaking, and action adventures like rafting or skydiving. You can also visit the white heron colony or see the world’s rarest kiwi.
A short distance from neighbouring Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier is one of the steepest glaciers in New Zealand. It descends from its origins high in the Southern Alps deep into the lush native rainforest of Westland’s National Park.
The glacier moves faster than your average glacier so no two days are the same. The main ice fall moves an average of 50cm per day, but steep sections can move as much as 10 metres in a single day. This creates some truly incredible features in the glacier such as ice caves, tunnels, seracs and crevasses; and all features are constantly changing and evolving.
Right in the heart of the Marlborough Sounds you will find Picton. This picturesque port town is home to great cafés, restaurants, galleries and specialty shops. It is the heart of the beautiful Marlborough Sounds.
The town is built around a very sheltered harbour, full of moored yachts. The attractive seafront is dotted with cafés, restaurants, various types of galleries and a pleasant place to wander.
There’s a floating maritime museum and an aquarium. The Marlborough Sounds offer cruising, fishing, dolphin watching, sea kayaking or mountain biking. And the iconic Queen Charlotte Track, running almost the length of the Queen Charlotte Sound, is a must-do for keen hikers.
Picton is also the South Island port for the Bluebridge and Interislander ferries that link the main islands of New Zealand.
The Waitangi Treaty Grounds in the Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand’s most important historic sites.
Here, Aotearoa’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840. Today there is lots to see and do that connects visitors to that history. And it all comes with stunning views over the Bay of Islands
There are two contemporary museums. An authentic Whare Nui (Meeting House) hosts powerful Māori cultural performances. There are informative guided tours and an engaging visitor centre. Lush native forest and gardens. The inspiring art gallery and carving studio shouldn’t be missed. And the site also boasts, traditional Māori waka (canoe) and hāngi, a tranquil café and so much more. And all with stunning views over the Bay of Islands.
In 1989, brothers, Doug and Mike Tamaki created a turning point for tourism in Rotorua and forever changed the way people from around the world experienced cultural storytelling. Today Tamaki is an iconic brand in tourism. You will journey back to a time of proud warriors and ancient traditions with the Tamaki Māori Village Evening Experience.
This is a 3.5-hour Māori cultural experience. Beginning at the gathering place, you travel to to Tamaki’s ancient forest village at Tawa-ngāhere-pā. Here their land, people, and spirit come to life.
It takes you from a traditional Māori welcome ceremony, through to an interactive tour of a reconstructed pre-European village where you will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on cultural activities, followed by a delicious traditional dinner and dessert buffet feast.
The TSS Earnslaw offers one of the best ways to see Queenstown’s surrounding landscape. Cruise across Lake Whakatipu aboard the iconic century-old coal-fired steamship taking in the views at a leisurely pace.
An iconic piece of Queenstown’s history, The Earsnlaw has been lovingly maintained since 1912. Take time to explore the vessel, view the engine room, and study the historic displays of the steamship’s former life.
Your trip will take you across the lake, past the Remarkables mountain range and Cecil Peak to Walter Peak for a high country farm experience. Then you’ll cruise back to Queenstown Bay with plenty of time to take in that world-famous alpine scenery.
Enjoy a very special view of the South Island’s striking natural landscape. Take the Tranz Alpine train between Christchurch and Greymouth. See epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.
You’ll cross the remarkabley flat Canterbury Plains overlooked by the majestic Southern Alps before eventually crossing the aqua-blue Waimakariri River. Tunnels, viaducts and feats of railway engineering take you across alpine passes where you’ll then travel through lush lake valleys towards the West Coast of the South Island. This iconic train trip is the journey of a lifetime.
The TranzAlpine is acknowledged as one of the world’s great train journeys. The 223 kilometre (139 mile) one-way trip takes just under 5 hours and connects Christchurch and Greymouth on the West Coast via Arthurs Pass through the Southern Alps.
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