• 6 Breakfast (B)
• 3 Dinner (D)

• Medium level of fitness required.

• Day 1: Flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Queenstown AirportDay 7: 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.   Internal-holiday flight IncludedPlease note that prices include land and internal-holiday airfare, which AAT Kings will book in order to fulfil the holiday itinerary:  Day 4: Queenstown to Auckland

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

Share a farewell dinner at The Grill in Auckland with your Travel Director and travelling companions. The hosted meal provides an opportunity to exchange stories and enjoy a final evening together.

Celebrating Aotearoa’s culinary treasures, this dinner is more than a routine meal: it is a shared close to the journey in New Zealand’s largest city. The restaurant setting gives the group time to reflect on the landscapes and encounters experienced across both islands.

AAT Kings

Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers over welcome drinks in Queenstown. The hosted briefing introduces the journey and gives you a chance to ask questions and get to know the group.

Set beside Lake Wakatipu and framed by the Remarkables, Queenstown offers a distinctive setting for a first gathering. This is an informal social experience rather than a guided sightseeing tour.

Meet a local Southern farmer at Real Country and see rural skills in action, including horse communication and working sheepdog mustering. Try a stock-whip cracking lesson and spend time feeding and interacting with the farm animals.

This hands-on visit offers a closer look at the agricultural traditions that shape Southland life. It is a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, with a donation made for each guest to the Fairlight Foundation, which supports women in agriculture.

Explore the former gold-mining village of Arrowtown, where preserved buildings and tree-lined streets evoke the nineteenth-century Otago gold rush. Take in the small-town setting against the hills near Queenstown.

Arrowtown’s historic character reflects the prospectors and communities drawn to the Arrow River in search of gold. The visit provides a contrast to Queenstown’s lakeside bustle and a glimpse of the region’s earlier history.

Explore a purpose-built, bio-engineered eco-cave experience at Waitomo on a guided walk, and travel through darkened cavern waterways where thousands of glowworms illuminate the surroundings. The tiny points of light create a striking contrast with the cave’s shadowed interior.

Glowworms are among the natural sights for which the Waitomo area is known. Seeing them at close range offers a different perspective on New Zealand’s wildlife: quiet, sheltered and visible by its own light.

Opt for a wine-tasting experience near Queenstown and sample wines from a region known particularly for Pinot Noir. It is a chance to explore another side of Central Otago beyond its adventure activities and mountain scenery.

The area’s cool climate and varied terrain have helped establish its reputation for distinctive wines. The specific venue and tasting selection are not detailed in the itinerary. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose a jet-boating experience in the Queenstown area for a fast-paced way to enjoy the region’s waterways. Expect speed and close-up views of the surrounding landscape from the water.

Jet boating is closely associated with Queenstown’s outdoor-adventure culture, offering a more active alternative to conventional sightseeing. The itinerary does not specify the operator, route or duration, so details can be confirmed locally. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard the TSS Earnslaw, a historic steamship, with views towards the Remarkables and the mountains surrounding Queenstown. Across the lake, enjoy a gourmet barbecue dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm.

The crossing makes the journey part of the experience: steamship heritage, open water and mountain scenery accompany a relaxed evening at the Colonel’s Homestead. A farm show is also featured as part of the Walter Peak experience.

Tour the National Kiwi Hatchery with conservation guides to learn about efforts to protect New Zealand’s elusive national bird. Discover why raising kiwi chicks in a managed setting can help give them a better chance of survival.

This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience brings the realities of wildlife conservation into focus through the people doing the work. It offers insight into a bird that holds a special place in Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural and cultural identity.

Travel through Fiordland National Park to Piopiotahi / Milford Sound, passing rainforest and towering mountains, and board a cruise to see the fiord from the water. Look out for steep rock faces, waterfalls and New Zealand fur seals.

This World Heritage-listed landscape is shaped by ice and heavy rainfall, giving the cruise its dramatic scale and changing conditions. Kea may also be seen in the region, though wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Walk through Ohinemutu with a local kaitiaki, or guardian, to explore this living Maori village beside Lake Rotorua. See geothermal activity, sacred sites and St Faith’s Church while hearing ancestral stories and learning about local traditions.

Steam rising through the village makes Rotorua’s volcanic landscape part of everyday life here. This guided MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience centres local perspectives, connecting the area’s geothermal features with the people and heritage of Ohinemutu.

Experience Te Po at Te Puia in Rotorua, including a guided introduction to Maori history and culture. In the carved meeting house Te Aronui a Rua, witness a powhiri welcome and performances featuring waiata, traditional chant, poi and haka.

View the Pohutu Geyser within Te Puia’s geothermal landscape, where steam and erupting water reveal the forces beneath Rotorua. The evening also includes a buffet dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine, bringing food into this cultural experience.