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DISCOVER NEW ZEALAND

13 days for $3650 per person, double occupancy, land only starting from Auckland and ending in Queenstown
 

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Includes:

  • 1 night at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland with breakfast, transfer from airport

  • 2 nights at the Millennium Hotel in Rotorua with breakfast daily

  • 3 nights at the Rydges Latimer in Christchurch with daily breakfast

  • 2 nights at the Scenic Hotel Dunedin with daily breakfast

  • 2 nights at the Distinction Hotel & Villas in Te Anau with daily breakfast

  • 2 nights at the QT Queenstown Hotel with daily breakfast

  • Flight from Rotorua to Christchurch included with separate purchase of international airfare through Escapes Unlimited

  • Coach transportation with a private driver/guide for the entire trip

  • Sightseeing & additional services as listed in the itinerary below

Double occupancy: $3650 per person
Single occupancy: $4860

Pricing based on a group of 15-20 passengers

ITINERARY

Image by Partha Narasimhan

Day 1 - October 24, 2023

Arrive in Auckland

Upon arrival, meet with your guide and transfer to the Grand Millennium Hotel. Day free to explore Auckland.

Image by Koon Chakhatrakan

Day Two - October 25, 2023

Auckland - Waitomo - Rotorua

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive south from Auckland into the rolling farmlands of the Waikato and Waitomo countryside, home to an extensive network of caves. Visit the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves to see these incredible 30 million year old caves, before sailing through the glow worm grotto to see this incredible natural phenomenon. Continue to Rotorua and check in to the Millennium Hotel.

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Day Three - October 26, 2023

Rotorua

Breakfast at the hotel. Start the day by visiting the Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Park where you can see incredible geysers that erupt daily, as well as colorful volcanic lakes.

Afterward, return to Rotorua to see the Farm Show at the Agrodome for a look into New Zealand's farming industry. Then take an open-air bus through the farm to meet many different animals up close! You'll be able to hand feed the animals and taste fruit from the orchard, farm-made honey, and more.

In the evening, head to the Mitai Maori Village for a cultural performance by the local Maori tribe, followed by a traditional hangi dinner and jungle walk.

Image by Will B

Day Four - October 27, 2023

Fly to Christchurch

Breakfast at the hotel. Fly from the North Island to Christchurch on the South Island. The city was almost entirely rebuilt after the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Take a tour of the city, including stops at the Riverside Market and the Botanical Gardens.

Image by Roselyn Cugliari

Day Five - October 28, 2023

Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula

Breakfast at the hotel. Head to Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula, a former volcano, that turned into rolling green hills and golden sand beaches after the collapse of the crater's rim. Here take a cruise to hopefully see the rare Hector's Dolphin, which is New Zealand's only native dolphin. You may also see the White Flippered Little Blue Penguin, fur seals, sea birds, and many other animals. Return to Christchurch.

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Day Six - October 29, 2023

Arthur's Pass

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit New Zealand's Southern Alps aboard the TranzAlpine Scenic Train, crossing the Canterbury Plains and the Waimakariri River. Enter Arthur's Pass National Park and enjoy some free time to explore some of the many walks and light hikes in the area, including the Devil's Punchbowl Waterfall. Keep an eye out for New Zealand's native parrot, the kea. Drive to Castle Rock on the way back to New Zealand, which offers spectacular vistas of the braided river valleys below. Return to Christchurch.

Image by Sulthan Auliya

Day Seven - October 30, 2023

Christchurch to Dunedin

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Dunedin and stop along the way in Oamauru, famous for its buildings in local white stone and an active steampunk community. While in Oamaru, enjoy a tour of the Whitestone Cheese Factory as well as a cheese and wine tasting.

Image by Martyn de Jong

Day Eight - October 31, 2023

Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula

Breakfast at the hotel. Start the morning with a visit to Larnach Castle, a stately manor with beautiful gardens that looks like it came straight from a period drama.  Then take a wildlife cruise in the Peninsula to see the local marine wildlife, including dolphins and whales if you're lucky! In the afternoon, visit the Penguin Place Conservation Center to learn about endangered Yellow Eye Penguins and penguin conservation efforts. Walk through the reserve at the Conservation Center, where you can see penguins in the wild without disturbing them. Return to Dunedin.

Image by Mike Swigunski

Day Nine - November 1, 2023

Dunedin to Te Anau

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Te Anau, the gateway to Fjordland National Park and Milford Sound. Take a cruise across Lake Te Anau and visit the Te Anau Glowworm caves, full of hidden whirlpools, sculpted rock formations, an underground waterfall, and tons of incredible glowworms.

Image by Sébastien Goldberg

Day Ten - November 2, 2023

Milford Sound

Breakfast at the hotel. Journey to Fjordland National Park to see the famous Milford Sound, which is the only sound accessible by road. Take a nature cruise in the sound and enjoy lunch on board. Then visit the Milford Underwater Observatory, which offers a look into the natural history, geology, and conservation efforts in the area. Return to Te Anau.

Image by Michael Amadeus

Day Eleven - November 3, 2023

Te Anau to Queenstown

Breakfast at the hotel. Head to Queenstown via Mossburn, the deer capital of New Zealand. Make a stop at Lake Manapouri for one last look at the Fjordland National Park. Afternoon free to explore Queenstown.

Image by Wenhao Ji

Day Twelve - November 4, 2023

Queenstown

Breakfast at the hotel. Explore the area around Queenstown, whose mountains were the locations of some of the scenes in the Lord of the Rings movies. Take a trip to Wanaka and Arrowtown, two charming towns with long histories. In the evening, board the TSS Earnslaw Steamship and head to Walter Peak Farm for a delicious gourmet BBQ dinner. Enjoy a show of the farm's animals and hearding dogs before returning to Queenstown.

Image by Hayley Shen

Day Thirteen - November 5, 2023

Return home

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flights home.

International airfare available upon request.

INCLUSIONS
Accommodations & daily breakfast

Transportation in air-conditioned vehicles

Private Guide/Driver

Meals as indicated in the itinerary

Other services as indicated in the itinerary

EXCLUSIONS

Personal expenses

Travel insurance

Gratuities for guides, drivers, waitstaff, bellhops, etc.

Services not listed on the itinerary
Optional Tours

International Flights

Small Group Vaccination Requirements

Due to the increased potential for the spread of COVID-19 within a small group,
we require all travelers who sign up for our small group trips to be
fully vaccinated and boosted
with the most recent booster.
We recommend getting your booster about one month before departure.

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