• Medium level of fitness required.

• 16 Breakfast (B)
• 7 Dinner (D)

• Day 1: Flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch AirportDay 17: Flights to depart anytime from Auckland Airport Airport to Hotel transfers are available to purchase on request. Flights to and from your tour are not included in the tour price.

• Comfortable walking shoes Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat Water bottle Warm layers  Camera

Cruise Milford Sound/Piopiotahi beneath sheer cliffs and past waterfalls that spill into the fiord. Watch the water and shoreline for wildlife, including dolphins, while taking in the scale of Fiordland’s glacier-shaped landscape.

Part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage area, Milford Sound is known for its dramatic rainfall and shifting mist. The cruise offers a water-level perspective on the peaks and escarpments that make this place so distinctive.

AAT Kings

Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers over welcome drinks in Christchurch. The hosted briefing introduces the people and practical details behind your journey through New Zealand.

It is a relaxed chance to ask questions and get acquainted before exploring the South and North Islands together. Christchurch, known as the Garden City, provides the setting for this first shared occasion.

View Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere from a panoramic viewpoint near the West Coast township of Franz Josef/Waiau. Take in the glacier’s mountain setting and the steep valley carved by ice.

Few places bring temperate rainforest and alpine ice into such close proximity. The glacier’s Maori name recalls a traditional story of Hine Hukatere, adding cultural depth to this striking landscape.

Explore historic Arrowtown, a former gold-rush settlement near Queenstown. Wander its tree-lined streets and see the preserved buildings that give the town its distinctive nineteenth-century character.

Arrowtown grew beside the Arrow River following the discovery of gold in the 1860s. Today, its heritage streetscape and independent shops offer an inviting way to experience the Southern Lakes region beyond its mountain scenery.

Tour Christchurch with your Travel Director and see how the city has changed during its recovery from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. View the Transitional Cathedral and Turanga, the central library.

Designed using cardboard tubes among other materials, the cathedral became a symbol of resourcefulness and renewal. Turanga’s contemporary architecture reflects a city centre being reshaped around public spaces, culture and community life.

See Wellington on a city sights tour and get oriented in New Zealand’s compact capital. Take in its harbour setting and the hills that frame its streets.

Wellington’s position at the southern tip of the North Island has long made it a gateway between the islands. Its waterfront and closely packed neighbourhoods give the capital a different rhythm from the country’s larger cities, with landscape always close at hand.

Explore the Waitomo Caves with a guide and take a boat cruise through limestone waterways illuminated by glowworms. In the darkness, thousands of tiny lights appear overhead as the boat moves through the cavern.

Water shaped Waitomo’s limestone passages over immense spans of time. The glowworms, native to New Zealand, create the cave’s celebrated display; travelling quietly by boat lets you appreciate both the delicate light and the scale of the underground setting.

Explore the Waitangi Treaty Grounds with a local specialist and attend a Maori cultural performance. See the carved meeting house and the ceremonial waka while learning why this Bay of Islands site matters to New Zealand.

The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed here in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and Maori rangatira. Guided interpretation brings the site’s history and its continuing significance into focus.

Share a farewell dinner and drinks in Auckland with your fellow travellers. This hosted occasion brings the group together to celebrate the landscapes and experiences encountered across New Zealand.

It is a social close to the journey rather than a routine meal: a chance to exchange favourite moments, from alpine crossings to Maori cultural encounters, in the company of the people who shared them.

Fly by helicopter over Franz Josef Glacier for an aerial view of its ice formations and surrounding mountains. If weather and operating conditions allow, the experience may also include a glacier landing.

The flight reveals the scale of the Southern Alps and the glacier’s steep West Coast setting in a way that ground-level viewpoints cannot. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; flight conditions and any landing are subject to weather.

Take a jet boat ride in Queenstown for a fast-paced encounter with the region’s waterways. Feel the acceleration and spray as the boat manoeuvres through a landscape framed by mountains.

Jet boating has a strong New Zealand connection and suits travellers looking for an active alternative to quieter sightseeing. This optional adventure is at additional cost and bookable on tour; the precise route and operating conditions depend on the experience available.

Visit Kiwi Park in Queenstown to discover some of New Zealand’s native birds, including the elusive kiwi. Spend time learning about the wildlife that makes the country’s ecosystems distinctive.

Because kiwi are nocturnal and difficult to spot in the wild, a dedicated wildlife setting offers a different opportunity to encounter them. This optional visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, making it a choice for travellers especially interested in native species.

Visit Dunedin Craft Distillers for an optional introduction to a local drinks producer. Discover a different side of Dunedin’s contemporary food and drink scene and enjoy the opportunity to sample its craft spirits.

This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience highlights a business with a resource-conscious approach to production. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour, offering an alternative to conventional city sightseeing for travellers curious about local enterprise.

Visit Larnach Castle on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin and explore an unusual chapter of New Zealand’s colonial-era history. Its grand interiors and hilltop setting make it a marked contrast to the surrounding coastal landscape.

Built in the nineteenth century for businessman William Larnach, the property is often described as New Zealand’s only castle. This optional visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Unwind at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa in Rotorua, choosing a restorative experience in a city shaped by geothermal activity. Set aside time for warm waters and a gentler pace.

Rotorua’s steaming ground and mineral-rich waters have long been central to the area’s identity. This optional spa visit offers a relaxing way to experience that geothermal character. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour; available treatments or facilities depend on the option selected.

Tour the Hobbiton Movie Set near Matamata and step into the Shire setting created for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. See the film-set landscape and hear stories about how it was made.

Built among the Waikato’s green hills, Hobbiton combines working countryside with carefully crafted movie detail. This optional guided experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, appealing to film fans and anyone curious about the artistry behind Middle-earth.

Travel to Te Rerenga Wairua/Cape Reinga on an optional excursion from the Bay of Islands, with a route that includes Ninety Mile Beach. Experience the open coastal scenery of New Zealand’s far north.

Te Rerenga Wairua holds profound significance in Maori tradition as a place connected with the journey of spirits. The broad sweep of beach and headland makes this a landscape-focused outing. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise through the Bay of Islands towards the Hole in the Rock, a natural opening in the coastal rock formation at Motukokako/Piercy Island. Enjoy views of islands, headlands and open water along the way.

The bay’s sheltered channels and outer coast create varied scenery on a single boat trip. This optional cruise is at additional cost and bookable on tour; conditions determine the route and whether a vessel can pass through the opening.

Ride the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch towards Arthur’s Pass, crossing viaducts and passing through tunnels as the Canterbury landscape gives way to the Southern Alps.

Watch for braided rivers, deep gorges, beech forest and snow-capped peaks through the train’s panoramic windows. The railway’s mountain crossing turns a journey across the South Island into a close-up encounter with its changing terrain.

Visit Hokitika, a small West Coast town with a strong connection to the region’s gold-rush and craft heritage. Explore the town atmosphere and discover why it is especially known for pounamu, or New Zealand greenstone.

Hokitika’s setting between mountains and the Tasman Sea gives it a character distinct from the alpine towns inland. Pounamu holds deep significance in Maori culture and remains an important part of West Coast identity.

Cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm. From the water, take in Queenstown’s mountain backdrop and the Remarkables before enjoying a gourmet barbecue dinner at the farm.

A farm show adds a glimpse of high-country life to the evening. The steamship, launched in 1912, remains an enduring part of the lake’s heritage and makes the crossing an experience in its own right.

Visit Oamaru to see its stately streets and pale limestone buildings, reminders of the town’s prosperous nineteenth-century past. The visit also takes in the Oamaru Public Gardens, among New Zealand’s oldest public gardens.

Locally quarried limestone gives Oamaru’s historic architecture its distinctive colour. The gardens offer a quieter contrast, with established trees and landscaped grounds that have long been part of the town’s civic life.

Join a guided indoor Dark Sky & Astronomy Experience in Tekapo, hosted by local specialists. Discover the celestial features that make this part of the South Island renowned among stargazers.

Tekapo lies within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, where efforts to limit light pollution help protect views of the night sky. This indoor experience brings its astronomy to life through expert interpretation, whatever the conditions outside.

View the Church of the Good Shepherd beside the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo. Take in its stone exterior and the surrounding panorama of lake and mountains.

Built in 1935 as a memorial to the pioneers of the Mackenzie district, the small church has become one of the region’s best-known landmarks. Its simple form sits quietly within a landscape shaped by glacial waters and wide alpine skies.

Cross from Picton to Wellington by ferry, sailing through Queen Charlotte Sound and Tory Channel before crossing Cook Strait. From the deck, see wooded headlands, sheltered inlets and the changing coastline between New Zealand’s two main islands.

The Marlborough Sounds form an intricate maze of waterways shaped by drowned river valleys. This scenic crossing is more than a connection between islands: it offers expansive views of one of the country’s most distinctive coastal landscapes.

Take in Auckland’s harbour views from the lookout at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. From this elevated setting, see why the city is associated with sailing and known as the City of Sails.

Auckland occupies an isthmus between the Waitemata and Manukau harbours, giving water a defining place in its geography. This viewpoint offers a clear sense of the city’s setting without implying entry to the museum itself.

Sample wines from the Queenstown region on an optional vineyard experience. Explore the area’s wine-growing landscape and taste the styles produced in Central Otago’s cool climate.

Central Otago is particularly associated with Pinot Noir, grown amid striking ranges and valleys. A wine outing offers a flavour-led way to experience the region beyond its adventure activities. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour; the vineyards visited depend on the option available.

Seek out wildlife around Dunedin on an optional excursion beyond the city. Depending on the tour offered and conditions on the day, look for coastal species such as fur seals and penguins.

The nearby Otago Peninsula and its shores are known for marine wildlife, offering a nature-focused complement to Dunedin’s historic streets. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Tour Russell to learn about the early European settlement of the Bay of Islands. Explore the town’s historic setting and hear how this small coastal community figured in New Zealand’s early colonial history.

Known as Kororareka before being renamed Russell, the town was once a busy port and an important meeting place in the region’s changing story. This optional tour is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit Kaikoura’s dramatic coastline and look out across the water for marine wildlife. Seals may be visible along the shore, while whales are possible offshore sightings rather than guaranteed encounters.

Kaikoura is a notable marine wildlife destination because deep ocean waters lie unusually close to land. The meeting of coast, sea and mountains makes even a beachside pause a memorable introduction to this wildlife-rich stretch of the South Island.

Experience Te Po at Te Puia in Rotorua. Watch a Maori cultural performance in the carved meeting house Te Aronui a Rua, view the Pohutu Geyser, and enjoy a buffet dinner featuring locally sourced, hangi-inspired cuisine.

Te Puia brings together living Maori traditions and the geothermal activity for which Rotorua is known. Song, performance, carving and food offer different ways to engage with the culture of this place.