Essence of New Zealand
Essence of New Zealand
Essence of New Zealand
18 Days Starting in Christchurch and ending in Auckland
Visiting: Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Omarama, Dunedin, Invercargill, Stewart Island, Queenstown, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, Fiordland National Park, Lake Dunstan, Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka, Franz Josef/Waiau, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, Hokitika, Punakaiki, Buller Gorge, Kahurangi National Park, Nelson, Abel Tasman National Park, Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui, Wellington, Napier, Te Puia, Rotorua, Hobbiton, Polynesian Spa, Auckland
Tour operator:
Tour code:
LCQAZ24
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Cultural, Eco Conscious, Foodie and Wine Tours, History, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Tour Overview
Culture and nature unite in this inter-island New Zealand tour. Oh, and there’s a good dose of food and wine on the side to deliver a well-rounded taste of North and South. Whether you’re into wide, open spaces – Milford Sound, we’re looking at you – bubbling geysers, gem-like glaciers or windswept coasts. Whether you’re a history, sport, architecture or culture buff. This New Zealand guided tour is for you.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Welcome To Christchurch
Location: Christchurch
Accommodation Name: Wyndham Garden
Arrive early to see just how Christchurch has transformed itself since the 2010/11 earthquakes. The best way to do this? Aboard the city’s tram. It loops past historic attractions as well as some new ones. Meet your fellow travellers this evening for a Welcome Reception.
Day 2 : Christchurch - Omarama
Location: Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Omarama
Accommodation Name: Heritage Gateway Hotel
Step out with your guide for a deeper dive into ‘The City of Gardens’ before traversing the colourful Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo and snow-capped mountains. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe.
Day 3 : Omarama - Dunedin
Location: Dunedin
Accommodation Name: Dunedin Leisure Lodge
Architectural drama awaits in Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution).
Day 4 : Dunedin - Invercargill
Location: Invercargill
Accommodation Name: Kelvin Hotel
If you’ve got an odd urge to hear Slim Dusty while traversing rolling green pastures en route to Gore, you’re not alone, it's the country music capital of NZ. Invercargill is obsessed with something else: motor vehicles. Tributes to speed legends colour the city. So it's only fitting that you visit Classic Motorcycle Mecca for a tour and Highlight Dinner.
Day 5 : Stewart Island
Location: Stewart Island
Accommodation Name: Kelvin Hotel
The ferry ride to Stewart Island is wild and wonderful. When you arrive, you’re welcomed by the country’s southernmost community. It’s largely untouched, which means endemic flora and fauna thrive here. But don’t take our word for it. Meet the locals on a Village & Bays tour.
Day 6 : Invercargill - Queenstown
Location: Invercargill, Queenstown
Accommodation Name: Copthorne Hotel and Resort
You’ve probably already noticed that there’s a lot of farmland here in New Zealand. It’s fitting, then, that you meet southern girl Laura, who will introduce you to the sheep farm where she was born and raised. The Real Country Farm Show, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, offers an authentic taste of what rural New Zealand is like. For every guest, we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture. Continue to Queenstown and take the afternoon at your own pace.
Day 7 : Queenstown Free Time
Location: Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, Fiordland National Park
Accommodation Name: Copthorne Hotel and Resort
Today, sign up to dive deep into Milford Sound/Piopiotahi within World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park, best explored on an optional tour cruising the waterway. Don’t be surprised if you see dolphins and seals.
Day 8 : Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau
Location: Lake Dunstan, Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka, Franz Josef/Waiau, Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Accommodation Name: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier
Around the next bend is the Alpine countryside of the Southern Lakes, from Lake Dunstan to oh-so-blue Lake Hawea and lovely Lake Wanaka. Over the Haast Pass, the town of Franz Josef/Waiau at the edge of the Westland World Heritage Park, awaits.
Day 9 : Franz Josef/Waiau - Punakaiki
Location: Hokitika, Punakaiki
Accommodation Name: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Wandering Hokitika’s windswept shore on the West Coast feels a bit like you’ve discovered the end of the Earth. The town’s other natural beauty is pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Prepare yourself for Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and blowholes; they owe their existence to the thundering surf that will lull you to sleep.
Day 10 : Punakaiki - Nelson
Location: Punakaiki, Buller Gorge, Kahurangi National Park, Nelson
Accommodation Name: The Rutherford Hotel
Ease along the Heritage Highway toward Nelson. Press your nose against the glass as your coach weaves through Buller Gorge and Kahurangi National Park, a place of wild rivers, high plateaus, alpine herb fields and coastal forests.
Day 11 : Nelson Free Time
Location: Abel Tasman National Park
Accommodation Name: The Rutherford Hotel
Today is at your leisure. Lace up your hiking shoes, or sit back on a boat and soak up the silence of Abel Tasman National Park. This wilderness inspires calm, its golden beaches framed by sculpted granite cliffs that all unite to create one of the country’s most legendary coastal tracks.
Day 12 : Nelson - Wellington
Location: Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui, Wellington
Accommodation Name: Travelodge Wellington
You’ll want a window seat for the cruise from the South Island to the North aboard the Interislander. This spectacle unfolds as you glide through Queen Charlotte Sound to NZ’s cool little capital of Wellington.
Day 13 : Wellington - Napier
Location: Wellington, Napier
Accommodation Name: Scenic Hotel Te Pania
Your morning city sights tour will end at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. After the opportunity to visit, travel to the Art Deco mecca, Napier.
Day 14 : Napier
Location: Napier
Accommodation Name: Scenic Hotel Te Pania
After a devastating earthquake in 1931, Napier completely rebuilt itself in just two years. The end result is architectural Nirvana, a city home to the world’s greatest concentration of Art Deco, Spanish Mission and Striped Classical buildings. This morning get the lowdown from your in-the-know local guide on a Napier tour. Your afternoon is at leisure.
Day 15 : Napier - Rotorua
Location: Napier, Te Puia, Rotorua
Accommodation Name: Sudima Lake Rotorua
This evening, explore Te Puia's geothermal valley, and learn about Maori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes 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.
Day 16 : Rotorua Free Time
Location: Hobbiton, Polynesian Spa, Rotorua
Accommodation Name: Sudima Lake Rotorua
Today, it’s your choice. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. Want a bit of down time? Bliss out at the Polynesian Spa.
Day 17 : Rotorua - Auckland
Location: Rotorua, Auckland
Accommodation Name: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland
Welcome to Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’. You’ll understand how it got its moniker when you glimpse yachts gliding around its two harbours. But today your sights are firmly set on the city’s other love: rugby. The interactive All Blacks Experience explores an introduction to the game as a part of New Zealand culture.
Day 18 : Farewell From Auckland
Location: Auckland
It’s amazing how much of two islands you can see in 18 days. Provided you have the right people at the helm, and like-minded company, that is.
What's Included
Mode of Transport
Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 18 – flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price
Accommodation
Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort. The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes: Wyndham Garden, Heritage Gateway Hotel, Dunedin Leisure Lodge, Kelvin Hotel, Copthorne Hotel and Resort, Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier, Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, The Rutherford Hotel, Travelodge Wellington, Scenic Hotel Te Pania, Sudima Lake Rotorua, Holiday Inn Express, Auckland.
Check out our Q&As
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
The beauty of taking a holiday with us is you’ll have the opportunity to meet and travel with people from all over the globe.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
It is important to adhere to departure times while on tour for the comfort of everyone on-board, and to make sure no one misses out on the planned experiences. The coach will not be able to wait for you, and in some instances, if you miss a departure time you will need to make your own way to the next destination to re-join the tour.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
AAT Kings operated Guided Holidays have competitive single supplement rates available if you prefer to confirm your own room. Or we can match you to share with a guest of the same gender at no extra cost. If we fail to match you, we will accommodate you in a single room at no extra cost.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Over 100 years
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
We will email your documents to you approximately four weeks before your departure date provided you have completed your pre trip registration using the My Travel Portal. If you’ve booked through a travel agent, your documents will be emailed directly to your agent.
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Thursday - Sunday
Jan 30, 2025 - Feb 16, 2025Thursday - Sunday
Feb 20, 2025 - Mar 09, 2025Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
AAT Kings requires a minimum deposit of 100 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of aat kings charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.