On arrival into Auckland you will be transferred to your hotel and after checking in, enjoy the rest of your day at leisure to explore this gateway city.

We have included a day at leisure to allow time to wander through the shops of Queen Street, take in the views at the top of the Sky Tower or maybe an excursion to the local beauty spot of Waiheke Island.

The following evening meet the rest of your fellow travellers at a Welcome reception with your Travel Director.

Auckland hotel

Auckland is known as the ‘City of Sails’. And you’ll discover why when exploring its two harbours at your leisure. Pick a waterfront precinct and find a perch to while away the afternoon over a Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Meet your fellow travel companions at a Welcome reception tonight.

Holiday Inn Express, Auckland

Your journey north to New Zealand’s Bay of Islands is not short of drama – discover 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea at the top of the country. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your guide, likely an ancestor of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house.

Copthorne Hotel and Resort

Breakfast, Dinner

If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. And today, you can do just that. At your leisure, venture up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, cruise to the famous Hole in the Rock or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. The choice is yours.

Copthorne Hotel and Resort

Breakfast

Northern exposure is a thing today, when you journey toward the top of the country to visit Whangarei – NZ’s northernmost city, and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland.

Holiday Inn Express, Auckland

Breakfast

There’s no bad day in Auckland – today, yours starts with a city sights tour before you set your GPS for the Waikato River and Waitomo Caves. This place is radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands.

Ibis Rotorua Hotel

Breakfast, Dinner

Explore at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Want a bit of down time? We wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at in the steamy thermal springs at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa. Animal lover? Go behind the scenes on a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. Culture vulture? Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway.

Ibis Rotorua Hotel

Breakfast

You’ll hear Huka Falls well before you see it – at this natural wonder, a staggering 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metre-high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, its waters so vivid and blue you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. Ask your Travel Director for tips on where to eat.

Travelodge Wellington

Breakfast

Your New Zealand holiday continues as you are transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to the South Island’s adventure capital, Queenstown. Your four night stay here will allow time for you to explore the stunning South Lakes region with its dramatic mountain ranges and expansive glistening lakes. A full day tour to the Fiordland National Park and the iconic Milford Sound is included.

Depart Queenstown as you fly over the Remarkable Mountains towards Auckland and your onward flight home.