Discover New Zealand: Both Islands in 17 Days
Duration
17 Days 16 Nights
Destinations
Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Rotorua
Seventeen days is enough to move through both islands without rushing any of it. This itinerary runs the full length of New Zealand — from Auckland south through the geothermal North Island, across Cook Strait by ferry, along the Kaikoura coast to Christchurch, then through the Mackenzie Basin and Queenstown to Milford Sound, before turning south to Dunedin and the Catlins on the way back. The route is designed to cover more than the standard circuit. Most New Zealand tours stop at Queenstown and loop back. This one continues south: Dunedin is a university city with Victorian and Edwardian architecture built on gold rush money and a peninsula that puts you within walking distance of royal albatross and yellow-eyed penguins. The Catlins, south of Dunedin, is a stretch of coastline where sea lions haul out on the sand, Hector's dolphins work the surf breaks, and Purakaunui Falls drops through a three-tiered curtain of native bush. It is not on every New Zealand itinerary, and that is precisely the point. Eleven activities are included across the 17 days: the Hobbiton Movie Set Signature Tour with banquet lunch, Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu geothermal parks, Te Po at Te Puia, a vintage car tour of Napier's Art Deco district, the Wellington Cable Car and Te Papa, the Cook Strait ferry crossing, a Kaikoura peninsula sightseeing tour, the Milford Sound fiord cruise, and a private Catlins day tour. This is a tour for you if you want to see New Zealand properly — both islands, the well-known stops and the ones most people skip.
- ◆Hobbiton Movie Set — full Signature Tour with banquet lunch included
- ◆Rotorua — Wai-O-Tapu, Waimangu, and a Māori cultural evening at Te Puia
- ◆Napier — Art Deco architecture explored by vintage car
- ◆Cook Strait ferry — three hours through the Marlborough Sounds to Picton
- ◆Milford Sound — fiord cruise with lunch, 12-hour day from Queenstown
- ◆The Catlins — private day tour through New Zealand's least-visited coastline
Day-by-Day
Your arrival in Auckland is met with a private transfer to your hotel. The city sits on an isthmus between the Waitematā and Manukau harbours, a geography that becomes clear once you are moving through it. The volcanic cones dotting the city skyline are the remnants of 53 separate eruption points on a field that geologists consider dormant rather than extinct.
Auckland Waterfront — Viaduct Harbour and the Wynyard Quarter are within easy reach of central hotels. The ferry terminal connects to Devonport and Waiheke Island for those arriving early in the day.
Sky Tower — At 328 metres, the observation deck at 186 metres gives the clearest overhead view of Auckland's two-harbour layout. Entry own expense; the Orbit restaurant at the top completes one rotation per hour.
Overnight: Auckland
Meals: Independent.
Included
- check_boxMeet and greet arrival transfer in Auckland
- check_box16 nights accommodation
- check_boxBest of Both Worlds Auckland city and west coast half-day tour
- check_boxAuckland to Rotorua guided coach tour via Hobbiton Movie Set
- check_boxHobbiton Movie Set Signature Tour with banquet feast
- check_boxWai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland admission and guided tour
- check_boxWaimangu Volcanic Valley admission and guided tour
- check_boxTe Po Indigenous Evening Experience with buffet dinner at Te Puia
- check_boxNapier Vintage Car Highlights Tour
- check_boxWellington Cable Car return trip
- check_boxTe Papa Museum general admission
- check_boxCook Strait ferry crossing Wellington to Picton
- check_boxCoastal Pacific train Picton to Kaikoura (summer season only — coach transfer at other times)
- check_boxKaikoura Peninsula sightseeing tour (3 hours)
- check_boxMilford Sound day tour with fiord cruise and lunch
- check_boxCatlins Experience private day tour
- check_boxDeparture transfer to Christchurch Airport
Not Included
- disabled_by_defaultInternational flights
- disabled_by_defaultTravel insurance
- disabled_by_defaultMeals not specified in the itinerary
- disabled_by_defaultOptional activities and entrance fees
- disabled_by_defaultPersonal expenses, laundry and minibar
