Wander leafy avenues and handsome shopfronts in Arrowtown, a gold-rush settlement where restored miners’ cottages line Buckingham Street. Follow paths to the evocative Chinese Settlement, where tiny huts recall the hardships of 1860s prospectors.

Interpretive panels illuminate a layered history—fortune, adversity and remarkable resilience—set against the clear waters of the Arrow River. Seasonal poplars and willows add vivid color, framing a compact village rich in character and craft.

Sample seasonal stone fruit at the renowned Jones Family Fruit Stall, where crates of cherries, apricots and peaches reflect Central Otago’s sun-kissed orchards. Savor fresh, dried and chocolate-dipped treats straight from the growers.

With hot summers, cold winters and schist soils, this region produces New Zealand’s finest fruit. Meet the team, pick up farm-gate tips, and appreciate how climate and craft deliver intense flavor in every bite.

Pause for photos and reflection at the stone Church of the Good Shepherd, perfectly poised above the turquoise Lake Tekapo. Alpine peaks and wide skies frame this beloved South Island scene.

Learn how finely ground “glacial flour” suspended in meltwater paints the lake its luminous hue. Built in 1935 to honor pioneer families, the church’s simple lines and picture window capture the Mackenzie Basin’s vast, contemplative beauty.

Board the TranzAlpine train for an epic traverse of the Southern Alps, rolling past braided rivers, tussock plains and beech forest. Picture windows frame the Waimakariri River gorges and soaring viaducts en route to Arthur’s Pass.

One of the world’s great rail journeys, the line stitches together Canterbury and the West Coast through engineering daring and spectacular geology. Commentary enriches the views, from glaciated valleys to steep greywacke slopes etched by time.

Follow coastal boardwalks through Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, where sea-layered limestone stacks resemble a giant’s griddle. Time your viewpoint for the surge of blowholes that thunder at high tide amid salt spray and seabird calls.

Set within Paparoa National Park, the formations were compressed and uplifted over millions of years, then sculpted by relentless Tasman Sea swells. Nikau palms and flax fringe the track, adding a lush West Coast flourish to the drama.

Cruise Queen Charlotte Sound, gliding past forested bays and secluded coves before navigating the Tory Channel and continuing to cross Cook Strait. Watch for seabirds and dolphins as the South and North Islands slip by.

These drowned river valleys—collectively the Marlborough Sounds—hold centuries of Polynesian and European seafaring stories. Your passage reveals the intricate coastline that once linked whaling stations and remote homesteads, today a haven for walkers and wildlife.

Explore compact, creative Wellington on a curated highlights tour. View the distinctive Beehive and Parliament Buildings, trace the waterfront’s sculpture-lined promenade, and take in sweeping harbor vistas from the Mount Victoria Lookout.

New Zealand’s capital blends politics, coffee culture and gusty harbor winds into a vivid urban character. Hear how Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s topography shaped cable cars and hillside suburbs, and why filmmakers and foodies alike gravitate to this cool little capital.

Join an Art Deco Trust guided walk through Napier’s Art Deco Quarter, where sunbursts, ziggurats and streamlined curves adorn pastel facades. Learn how the 1931 earthquake spurred a swift, stylish rebuild in Spanish Mission and Stripped Classical forms.

Stroll Marine Parade, admire the Daily Telegraph Building and hear tales of architects who brought Jazz Age optimism to Hawke’s Bay. Your guide decodes motifs—frozen fountains, waves, ferns—that lend this small city its glamorous, cohesive aesthetic.

Visit a traditional studio to explore Pounamu (jade) carving. Meet artisans, see tools and techniques up close, and learn the symbolism of hei tiki and manaia designs that carry stories of protection, ancestry and connection.

Hear how sourcing, shaping and polishing respect cultural protocols and the stone’s wairua (spirit). Discover the qualities—color, translucence, grain—that define prized pounamu, and appreciate why this taonga (treasure) holds a special place in Aotearoa’s identity.

Step inside the All Blacks Experience, an immersive journey through New Zealand’s rugby heritage. Engage with interactive exhibits, hear locker-room stories and feel the pulse of match day in a multi-sensory theater.

History and heart combine as great moments are replayed and values explained—whakapapa, humility, relentless drive. A spine-tingling haka showcases culture and sport in unison, celebrating the team that helped put Aotearoa on the global stage.

Explore the Waitangi Treaty Grounds with a knowledgeable guide. Visit the historic Treaty House and Whare Runanga (carved meeting house) and view the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe, the mighty Ngatokimatawhaorua.

Here in 1840, rangatira (chiefs) and Crown representatives signed the Treaty of Waitangi, Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document. Landscaped grounds overlooking the bay provide a reflective setting to consider partnership, identity and the nation’s evolving story.

Race through the Shotover River canyons on a high-octane jet boat ride, skimming past rock walls with jaw-dropping precision. Expect trademark 360-degree spins, spray in your face and heart-pounding fun in a spectacular alpine gorge.

Tailor-made for adrenaline seekers, this iconic Queenstown adventure showcases shallow-water maneuvering and speed. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour and subject to weather and river conditions.

Sample Central Otago wines at boutique cellar doors, savoring elegant pinot noir, vibrant riesling and expressive aromatics. Meet passionate vintners, learn about schist soils and cool-climate viticulture, and enjoy alpine-framed vineyard vistas.

Discover how hot days, cold nights and meticulous canopy work craft purity and finesse in the glass. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, with wineries selected for quality and seasonal availability.

Cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard the TSS Earnslaw, a 1912 vintage steamship, to Walter Peak High Country Farm. Stroll lakeside gardens before a gourmet barbecue dinner showcasing South Island produce, with crackling fires and lake views.

Peek into the engine room where stokers feed coal to the boilers, and enjoy optional farm demonstrations that bring station life to light. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour.

Cruise Abel Tasman National Park through sapphire bays to golden beaches edged by sculpted granite headlands. Disembark for an easy section of the famed coastal track, with birdsong and sea breeze as constant companions.

Swim, stroll or simply linger on warm sands while the boat connections make logistics effortless. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, with routes tailored to weather and tides.

Soak in Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa, where geothermal waters and contemporary wellness rituals draw on Ngati Whakaue traditions. Move between geothermal mineral pools, steam rooms and relaxation spaces overlooking the lakefront.

Guided by the elements—earth, water and steam—this restorative experience blends culture and comfort in equal measure. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, with therapies available to suit your pace.

Step into Middle-earth at the Hobbiton Movie Set among rolling Matamata hills. Wander past colorful hobbit holes, cross the double-arched bridge and toast at the Green Dragon Inn as your guide shares filming secrets.

Detailed set dressing—from vegetable patches to tiny mailboxes—creates an enchanting, photogenic world. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, with timed entry to ensure an unhurried visit.

Lift off for a scenic flight above Rotorua’s crater lakes and steaming valleys, where mineral terraces and sinter flats sketch patterns across the earth. Circle the dramatic rift of Mount Tarawera and trace the sinuous shoreline of Lake Rotorua.

Pilot commentary reveals the volcanic forces shaping this landscape and its living geothermal systems. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, weather permitting.

Journey to the sacred tip of Aotearoa at Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, where the meeting of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean creates swirling currents below the lighthouse. Travel via the sweeping sands of Ninety Mile Beach.

Hear stories of spirits’ final leap and the lone pohutukawa clinging to the cliffs. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, often including sand-boarding opportunities when conditions allow.

Set out across the islands to Motukokako for the famous Hole in the Rock, watching for common and bottlenose dolphins along the way. Sea cliffs, caves and sky-blue water frame classic Bay of Islands vistas.

Skippers share local lore and geology as you navigate channels once plied by whalers and traders. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, weather and sea conditions permitting.

Hoist lines and sail a historic tall ship across island-studded waters, learning traditional seamanship from a friendly crew. Feel the canvas fill and the deck heel gently as you thread between sheltered coves.

With time to swim or go ashore, this heritage voyage blends hands-on fun with maritime history. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, typically operated by a classic schooner based in Russell or Paihia.

Cross the bay to Russell historic township—once Kororareka—where stories of sailors, whalers and missionaries echo through shady streets. Visit New Zealand’s oldest church, Christ Church, and learn how this charming village became the nation’s first capital.

From waterfront cottages to flagstaff tales, guides reveal a colorful past that belies today’s tranquil vibe. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, ideal for history lovers and photographers alike.

Walk the character-filled lanes of the Clyde Historic Precinct, where schist-stone cottages, merchants’ stores and former hotels recount the Otago Gold Rush. Browse independent galleries and cafés as you admire gold-mining-era streets backed by rugged hills.

Once a bustling hub on the Dunstan goldfields, Clyde preserves 19th-century architecture with style. Hear how fortune-seekers transformed this bend of the Clutha/Mata-Au River, and spot landmarks like the old courthouse and Dunstan House that anchor the town’s lively heritage scene.

Explore Australasia’s largest private automotive museum on a guided tour of Bill Richardson Transport World. Wander galleries of gleaming classics and curios—over more than 300 vehicles—from rare vintage trucks to retro Kombis, complemented by nostalgic signage and petroliana.

Discover how a local collector’s passion became a world-class exhibition celebrating design, innovation and New Zealand’s motoring story. Insightful commentary reveals restoration feats and the social history behind the machines that once hauled wool, timber and everyday Kiwis across the country.

Visit the heritage Templeton Flax Mill with the curator and learn how hardy harakeke (flax) powered a once-vital rural industry. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience shares the mill’s working stories, from stripping and scutching to finishing the strong, lustrous fibre.

Hear how early processing shaped Southland’s economy and communities, and see preserved machinery that kept the operation humming. Your visit helps fund the living museum’s preservation, keeping a uniquely New Zealand craft and its ingenuity alive for future generations.

Cruise Milford Sound/Piopiotahi beneath sheer granite walls and forest-draped peaks, gliding past tumbling waterfalls that spill from hanging valleys. Watch for fur seals and playful dolphins as your vessel traces the fiord’s mirror-calm waters.

Sculpted by ancient glaciers and protected within Fiordland National Park, this is the wild heart of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. Mitre Peak’s iconic spire and perpetually misted cliffs create a theatrical landscape that reveals new moods with every turn of the bow.

Meet a local farmer and step into authentic high-country life at Real Country. Watch gentle horse communication in action and marvel as working sheep dogs muster with speed and precision across the paddocks.

Learn how weather, stock and land stewardship shape daily rhythms in the lower South. Your hosts share practical skills and down-to-earth stories, offering a window onto the traditions that underpin New Zealand’s rural identity.

Taste your way through South Canterbury at Barkers of Geraldine, a beloved foodstore showcasing the region’s flavors. Sample regional produce including small-batch preserves, fruit syrups and locally sourced cheeses, and chat with friendly staff about seasonal specialties.

Founded in the late 1960s, Barkers grew from orchard roots into a champion of artisan makers. Learn how fertile plains and alpine-fed rivers shape Geraldine’s larder, and pick up tips for pairing tangy chutneys with New Zealand cheese or drizzling berry compotes over morning yogurt.

Join a guided panoramic tour through central Christchurch to see the city’s rebirth in action, from riverside lawns to inventive architecture. Pause to view the innovative Transitional “Cardboard” Cathedral and stroll the serene Christchurch Botanic Gardens beside the Avon River, where heritage trees frame elegant bridges.

Discover how the 2010–11 earthquakes reshaped the Garden City and admire architect Shigeru Ban’s celebrated cardboard-tube design. In the Gardens, Victorian glasshouses and seasonal blooms reveal over 150 years of horticultural history, a living backdrop to Christchurch’s mix of tradition and creativity.

• 20 Breakfast (B)
• 7 Dinner (D)
• 1 Lunch (L)

AAT Kings

Visit Huka Falls to witness the thundering torrent of the Waikato River as it funnels through a narrow volcanic gorge. The azure surge and foaming cascades create a sensory rush of mist and roar.

Interpretive panels explain how hydro-geology and flow rates combine to push hundreds of thousands of liters per second over the falls. From safe lookouts, capture photos of the churning chasm etched into ancient ignimbrite rock.

Delve into Maori culture at Te Puia, joining the evening Te Po Indigenous Experience. Be welcomed into the carved meeting house Te Aronui a Rua for song and haka, then wander the geothermal valley where the Pohutu Geyser surges skyward.

Stories, carving and weaving traditions come alive before a generous hangi-inspired dinner rounds out the night. Steam, earth and performance entwine to illuminate manaakitanga (hospitality) in one of Rotorua’s most evocative settings.