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.

Activity 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

This morning, spend some time learning about New Zealand's most iconic species-the kiwi. Enjoy a private tour at the National Kiwi Hatchery with an expert guide and learn how the chicks are reared and cared for in this incredible conservation effort protecting the endangered kiwi. In the afternoon, catch a flight to Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island. Take some time to explore this small city on your own.

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​  - 2 Nights (or similar)

Board the TranzAlpine train—one of the world’s most scenic rail routes—for a breathtaking journey through verdant plains, beech forests, and majestic, misty mountains. Disembark at Arthur’s Pass—the highest pass in the Southern Alps - and choose to grab a coffee and spend some time exploring this alpine area. Descend into the Canterbury Plains to visit a working sheep farm. On arrival, dig into a bbq lunch prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Then spend the afternoon with the sheepdogs learning about how the dogs work in tandem with their human owners to care for the farm. Watch a sheep shearing demonstration and hear from the farmers about the their life and work in this fascinating industry. Return to Christchurch later in the afternoon, with time to explore on your own and take dinner at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

**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.

Enjoy a morning at leisure in Christchurch. Choose to ride the Gondola for incredible sweeping views, or stroll the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. In the afternoon, head west to Tekapo at the base of Aoraki/Mt Cook. This evening after dinner, join local experts for an exclusive astronomy experience in one of the worlds official Dark Sky Parks in Tekapo. Expect breathtaking perspectives of the stars, planets, and distant galaxies. You'll have the rare opportunity to capture stunning celestial images with expert guidance, while experienced guides take you on a journey through the Southern Skies.

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Tekapo​ - 2 Nights (or similar)

Set off this morning for the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand's most famous explorer, made some of his very first ascents here at the south face of Aoraki/Mt Cook which set the foundation for his world-changing summit of Everest with Tenzing Norgay in 1953. In a July 1954 issue of National Geographic Hillary was quoted as saying “We are there. Nothing above us, a world below.” Spend time at the visitor centre that honors Sir Edmund Hillary and his achievements in the exploration of so many fascinating parts of the planet. Later in the afternoon, embark on your own explorations with a guided trek along the Kea Point track. This 1.8 mile trail offers views to Mount Sefton, Hooker Valley, Mueller Glacier Lake and Aoraki/Mt Cook.

Meals: Breakfast 

Set off this morning heading further west towards Wanaka. Enjoy some free exploration time in Wanaka and grab some lunch at leisure. This afternoon, join your Chief Experience Officer (CEO) for a brief orientation of Arrowtown before enjoying some time to explore this historic mining town. Choose to go on a walking tour starting at the Lakes District Museum. Then stroll around the historic miner's cottages, old churches, and explore the Chinese Settlement to learn about the gold mining past that shaped Arrowtown. In late afternoon, head to Queenstown and enjoy dinner at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Queenstown - 3 Nights (or similar)

Discover the glacially carved wilderness of Fiordland National Park on a cruise. Depending on the departure, the cruise will be in either Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound – two of the most stunning regions within the park. Marvel at the steep cliff walls and cascading waterfalls, and keep an eye out for area wildlife: dolphins, penguins, seals, and a variety of birds. Travel back to shore, head to Queenstown for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

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. Choose to join your CEO and fellow travelers for a delicious farewell dinner on this final evening in New Zealand.

Recommended excursions in and around Queenstown:

Meals: Breakfast 

Haere rā and Bon Voyage!

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

For more time to explore Queenstown, we recommend booking post nights with your agent if you are interested in the countless adrenaline-packed activities in the town known as the "adventure capital of the world." Jet boating and mountain biking are some of the activities available.

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 realling 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 overnight stops.

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.