12 Day National Geographic New Zealand Itinerary

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand!

Welcome to Auckland ‘The City of Sails’. On arrival into Auckland make your way to your accommodation for this evening. You may have time to explore New Zealand’s largest city before joining your travel companions early evening for a pre-dinner drink and a preview of your National Geographic Journey of New Zealand itinerary.

Some Activities and sightseeing options if you have time:

Accommodation: Auckland - 2 Nights (or similar)

Catch the ferry to picturesque Waiheke Island to learn about New Zealand’s highly celebrated wine industry in its founding region. Tour a boutique vineyard and learn from our host about the process of making the syrahs, merlots, and chardonnays that the region is so well-known for. Enjoy a taste of the vineyard’s estate-grown olive and avocado oils. After, continue to one of Waiheke’s original wineries for a tour and tasting – while learning about the evolution of wine production in New Zealand. Return to Auckland this evening via a scenic ferry ride.

Meals: Breakfast 

Heading towards Rotorua we stop at Waitomo Caves where we will take a boat ride through the caves and see thousands of flickering glowworms lighting up the walls.

Rotorua sits over an active geothermal zone with bubbling mud pits and multi-coloured pools in different areas around the town. This is a fascinating region with Maori history and culture tied directly to the geothermal aspects of the land.

Waitomo Cave Excursion 
Enjoy a peaceful boat ride through 30 million year old caverns covered with magical glowworms that are unique to New Zealand. Hundreds of thousands of these tiny creatures radiate luminescent light in underground caves carved by rivers and time. Take in more than 136 years of cultural and natural history on this unique excursion.

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Rotorua  - 2 Nights (or similar)

On a full-day excursion, head to the Maori-owned Kohutapu Lodge, our base for exploring New Zealand's indigenous culture. See ancient rock carvings and learn about their spiritual significance to the Maori people, both past and present. Watch as a hangi lunch is prepared the traditional way--buried in an underground pit—and enjoy the resulting feast with your Maori hosts. After lunch, take a walk through the 800-year-old podocarp trees in Whirinaki Rainforest, learning the history of the forest and spotting endemic birds and medicinal plants. Return to Rotorua for an optional evening meal or a well-deserved soak in the hot springs.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy time at leisure this morning before catching a flight to Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island. Take some time to explore this small city on your own or join an optional guided tour (extra cost) and see how the people of Christchurch are transforming the community of Christchurch after the devastating earthquake in 2011.

With free time in Rotorua this morning, opt to relax in one of the hot pools fed by water coming directly from the natural springs.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:  Christchurch​  - 1 Night (or similar)

Travelling by train still remains one of travels most exciting experiences. This morning we board Tranz Alpine Train that journeys between Christchurch and Greymouth. We leave Christchurch crossing the Canterbury Plains before following the Waimakariri River and traversing the spectacular Southern Alps. before finally descending through native beech forest into Greymouth. From Greymouth we transfer to a private vehicle and continue down the west coast to the township of Franz Josef.

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Franz Josef  - 2 Nights (or similar)

**Please be aware that if you are traveling over the Christmas and New Year period the TranzAlpine train may not be operational. Instead your CEO will drive the group through the Southern Alps on a similar route. An additional group holiday dinner will be provided as a substitute for missing the train experience.

Today is a free day to explore the region around Franz Josef. You are in the heart of the Westland National Park, considered to be the most diverse and beautiful areas in New Zealand and the home of the Kea, a protected native parrot that thrives in the chilly environment and is infamous for its inquisitive and often destructive behaviour! If you are feeling adventurous take a Glacier Heli Hike and land on the glacier with an experienced guide to explore the towering peaks and ice formations.

Excursions available in and around the Franz Josef area:

Meals: Breakfast 

Today is a travelling day. We travel south along the rugged West Coast this morning stopping at Lake Matheson to view the stunning snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps reflected in the lake’s dark waters. We then continue through the Haast Pass, one of only three passes through the Southern Alps and pausing for short walks through the rainforest and visits to picturesque waterfalls to Queenstown ’The Adventure Capital’ of New Zealand.
 
Surrounded by majestic mountains and nestled on the shores of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu the scenery in Queenstown is incomparable. 

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Queenstown - 1 Night (or similar)

From Queenstown we drive the scenic route to the lakeside town of Manapouri in Fiordland National Park a World Heritage Area.
 
From Manapouri we embark on an amazing cruise through the moody and mysterious Doubtful Sound. Onboard the Fiordland Navigator experienced nature guides will provide commentary on the wildlife sightings ensuring you don’t miss any of the highlights. Watch out for bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, and the Fiordland yellow eyebrow crested penguin.  After anchoring for the evening you will have the opportunity to explore the shoreline by kayak or tender boat.

Dinner will be prepared by an onboard chef and served in the dining saloon. Before retiring to your private cabin (with ensuite bathroom) take time to gaze at the stars and listen to the sound of ‘silence’. 

**Please Note: This tour will go to either Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound (The itinerary for this day varies in the winter: 18 May – 20 September)

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound - 1 Night (or similar)

After a hearty breakfast, we spend the morning cruising Doubtful Sound back to Deep Cove. In particular, we are on the hunt to view the resident bottlenose dolphins that patrol the fiord or the New Zealand fur seal seen basking as the sun rises warming the rocks they occupy and when in the season the rare Fiordland crested penguin. Then navigate back to Queenstown and spend the rest of the day at leisure in this fun-loving lakeside town, known as the adventure capital of the world.

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Queenstown - 2 Nights (or similar)

The day is yours to relax or explore Queenstown. Choose to cruise lake Wakatipu on a historic steamer; experience a thrilling jet boat ride; or visit a local winery to sample the region’s award-winning vintages.There's plenty to see and do in Queenstown, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!

This evening, enjoy a cable car ride to the top of Bob’s Peak for panoramic  220º views of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables mountain range, and Lake Wakatipu below.

Recommended excursions in and around Queenstown:

Meals: Breakfast 

​Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before departing from Queenstown Airport to connect with your flight home.

Haere rā and Bon Voyage!

Haere rā (goodbye) we hope you enjoyed our National Geographic Australian & New Zealand Journey and our promise to make your travels through New Zealand as hassle-free and hospitable as possible. We hope you leave with a huge smile on your face when recalling your time in New Zealand.

Have a great homeward journey and we hope to see you again soon.

You may also be interested in the 23 Day Australian and New Zealand National Geographic Journey...

Solo Travellers
No extra fee for Solo Travelers—same gender roommate will be provided or pay extra for your own room. Please note that if you have booked the "My Own Room" option for this tour, you will receive your own single accommodation for all night stops, with the following exceptions: Night 9 (Doubtful Sound Cruise)

Itinerary Variations:
The provider strives to improve trip itineraries. If improvements can be made, or if circumstances beyond their control make changes necessary, the provider reserves the right to vary itineraries and to make substitutions.