Trip Highlights

TranzAlpine Train
Enjoy the views on one of the world’s greatest rail journeys as you travel across New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

Sparkling Waters
Captivating Lake Tekapo will astound you with its beauty. While here, visit the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd.

Wonderful Wellington
With a two-night stay in the New Zealand capital, you have plenty of opportunities to explore its best-loved landmarks.
Inclusions
- All-inclusive sightseeing and enriching Signature Experiences
- APT’s Freedom of Choice Inclusions in three locations
- 11 breakfasts and 6 dinners
- APT Tour Director, plus expert local guides
- Arrival and departure airport transfers in New Zealand
- Luggage porterage for your convenience
- Day 1
Arrive Auckland
FREEDOM OF CHOICE™ – Sightseeing
Perhaps cruise on Waitemata Harbour; head off on a Waiheke Island wine and olive tasting tour; explore the Auckland Museum; get up close to marine life at Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium; or set off into the Waitakere Rainforest.
On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy your selected sightseeing experience. Tonight, enjoy a delicious Welcome Dinner.
Stay: Grand Millennium Auckland
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Day 2Auckland, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE
This evening you’ll be treated to a traditional Māori Hāngī Feast and a cultural performance of song and dance.
Travel to Waitomo, home to the famous glowworm caves. Take a silent boat ride through a mystical grotto before continuing to Rotorua.
Stay: Two Nights, Rotorua, Holiday Inn
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Day 3Rotorua
FREEDOM OF CHOICE™ – Sightseeing
Perhaps enjoy a sheep show at the Agrodome followed by a kiwi encounter at Rainbow Springs Nature Park and a visit to Te Puia Thermal Reserve. Choose to visit Wai-O-Tapu; experience Middle-earth during a tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set, or embark on a relaxing Redwood Treewalk with a Māori guide.
In Rotorua, choose your sightseeing experience. Ask about our country homestay option.
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Day 4Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington
Follow the Thermal Explorer Highway through the heart of the North Island. See Huka Falls and Lake Taupo, then cross Tongariro National Park to Wellington. This evening, savour a tantalising dinner.
Stay: Two Nights, InterContinental Wellington
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Day 5Wellington
Discover the city’s beloved landmarks on a guided sightseeing tour. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to gain a fresh perspective on this coastal city.
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Day 6Wellington, Kaikoura, Christchurch
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE
Step aboard the Interislander ferry to cruise across Cook Strait through to Picton.
After riding the Interislander ferry, rejoin your coach and travel to Kaikoura, then continue to beautiful Christchurch through the Marlborough region.
Stay: Christchurch, Commodore Hotel
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Day 7TranzAlpine Train, Franz Josef Glacier
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE
Board the TranzAlpine train for New Zealand’s greatest rail adventure. Disembark at Arthur’s Pass and journey to Hokitika.
Travel into Westland National Park and take in the dramatic scenery of Franz Josef Glacier. Later, check in to your luxury eco-resort and savour a four-course dinner.
Stay: Franz Josef Glacier, Te Waonui Forest Retreat
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Day 8Franz Josef Glacier, Queenstown
FREEDOM OF CHOICE™ – Dining
Tonight, choose to dine at a Queenstown brewery, or take a scenic gondola ride to the Skyline Restaurant for stunning panoramic views. You may prefer a cruise aboard the TSS Earnslaw, or dine at Elements Restaurant.
Travel alongside the Haast River Valley on your way to Queenstown.
Stay: Three Nights, Novotel Queenstown Lakeside
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Day 9Queenstown
FREEDOM OF CHOICE™ – Sightseeing
Perhaps embark on a Safari of the Scenes tour and visit several local sites where The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. Alternatively, thrillseekers may enjoy an exhilarating ride on the Shotover Jet Boat, a Skippers Canyon adventure, or a river safari along the beautiful Dart River. New Zealand is rightly famous for its fine wines, and a tour of the country’s premier wine-producing region is a tempting option. Other activities you may choose from include a Station 2 Station Cycle Trail bike ride along the tranquil country roads at Lake Wakatipu or a leisurely cruise over the waters of the lake.
Choose your sightseeing in Queenstown.
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Day 10Milford Sound, Queenstown
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE
Cruise the full length of pristine Milford Sound.
Follow The Remarkables mountain range to Fiordland National Park. Return to Queenstown this evening.
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Day 11Queenstown, Christchurch
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE
Enter Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and admire Mt Cook.
Travel to Lake Tekapo and pay a visit to the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd. This church was erected as a tribute to the early pioneers of the region.
Stay: Christchurch, Commodore Hotel
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Day 12Depart Christchurch
Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
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