New Zealand Uncovered

Welcome to the 'City of Sails', and a beautiful jumping off point for your New Zealand tour (flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm). You'll meet your Travel Director and travel mates over dinner at The Grill.

Your perfect start to your time in this this seafaring city, begin your day diving into Auckland’s maritime history over an exclusive America’s Cup tour at the New Zealand Maritime Museum with a Local Specialist before it opens to the public. Now that you’ve got your first taste, learn even more your beautiful surrounds on a city highlights tour from the heart of the city at the Auckland Waterfront. Continue to Mission Bay, historic Bastion Point, and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial keeping your camera at hand to capture the Auckland skyline, and Waitemata Harbour. Then spend the rest of the afternoon exploring on your own. Why not take a stroll down Queen Street to Viaduct Harbour’s main shopping precinct and enjoy a glass of New Zealand’s crisp Sauvignon Blanc? Or you may like to take a cruise to see Auckland like the locals do, by water.

Leave Auckland behind and journey to Rotorua, a true hot spot on your NZ holiday. This afternoon, enjoy an exclusive Be My Guest experience at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand's most colourful and diverse geothermal valley. Visit after it has closed to the public for a private tour to see The Devils Bath and bubbling mud pools with fascinating insights from an expert guide, and enjoy a mocktail and canapes at the aptly named champagne pool. Tonight, dive deep into Maori culture at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience, an important hub keeping tradition, art and music alive, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Oh, and exciting Māori cuisine. Enjoy forest kai horotai (seasonal canapés) and chef-choice aperitif, followed by a three-course dinner.

Today, choose your own adventure. We have plenty of ideas for the paths you might follow. Rotorua sightseeing Optional Experiences include zipping across Rotorua’s three lakes in an amphibious WWII-era Duck. There’s also the option of relieving NZ holiday-weary limbs in the thermal waters of the Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa. The decision is yours.

Say goodbye to Rotorua and hello to the raging rapids of Huka Falls, where 220,000 litres of water barrel over this massive waterfall every second. Your outlook then unfolds into the aquamarine waters of Lake Taupo. Traverse the volcanic Central Plateau to NZ’s cool little capital of Wellington, set on a pretty harbour.

Your day in Wellington should – must – begin with a coffee. The city is known for its uber-cool cafes and with coffee in hand you will head out on city sights tour to take in highlights such as its iconic cable car, parliament, and Mt. Victoria. This afternoon is yours to discover Wellington. Your tour ends at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, which you may choose to visit to explore the groundbreaking exhibitions on offer (an entrance fee applies). This afternoon is yours to discover Wellington. You may decide on an Optional Experience. Lord of the Rings fans will rejoice with a special tour and visit to Weta Workshop. Or, the first urban completely fenced ecosanctuary of Zealandia, where the biodiversity of 225 hectares of forest is being restored. Tonight, there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. Ask us for recommendations or explore at your leisure. Because every New Zealand holiday needs a little down time.

This morning cruise the Cook Strait into tranquil Queen Charlotte Sound from the North Island to the South, through a maze of arms and inlets into the sleepy seaside village of Picton. Relax in comfort in the premium Pōhutukawa Lounge onboard your Bluebridge ferry crossing, with all-inclusive food and beverages, spacious seating, and access to an exclusive viewing deck for panoramic views. Continue to Kaikoura, where Sperm Whales, dolphins and fur seals can often be seen not far from shore. On arrival you'll will be treated to a biodiversity talk from the founder of Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust, Sabrina Luecht, at a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Sabrina's ambitious goal is to implement a world-class wildlife hospital in this biodiversity hotspot. Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation is a critical conservation tool, providing treatment to injured and ill animals, ensuring at-risk native species have a chance at recovery and return to the wild. Tonight, you'll dine at Hiku. Hiku celebrates what Kaikōura is all about - kai moana, fresh produce, marine life, and dramatic sea and mountain scapes.