Highlights

• All inclusive
• 19 Days/18 Nights
• Fully escorted coach travel
• 4 star accommodations
• Hotel porterage (we’ll handle your luggage for you!)
• 4 cruises included
• 1 overnight cruise included
• 3 rail journeys included
• Personalized meet and greet on arrival

Inclusions

• Accommodation – Auckland – Sudima Auckland City (2 Nights), Bay of Islands – Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands (2), Auckland – Sudima Auckland City (1), Rotorua – Pullman Rotorua (City View Room) (2), Wellington – James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor (Executive Room) (2), Christchurch – Distinction Christchurch Hotel (2), Franz Josef – Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier (Douglas Wing) (1), Queenstown – Millennium Hotel Queenstown (2), Milford Mariner (1), Te Anau – Distinction Luxmore Hotel (Deluxe Room) (1), Dunedin – Scenic Hotel Southern Cross (2), Christchurch (1)
• Meals – 18 cooked breakfasts including a specialty breakfast: Stratosfare Restaurant, Rotorua; 14 sumptuous dinners including 4 specialty dinners: Maori Hangi & Concert – Rotorua, Walter Peak Homestead – Queenstown, Speights Ale House – Dunedin; Farewell Dinner – Christchurch; 2 delicious morning teas
• US Domestic Flights – (Not included, but can be added to your quote)
• International Flights – Los Angeles to Auckland, Christchurch to Los Angeles (Not included, but can be added to your quote)
• Day Tours – Auckland: City Tour, Kauri Museum; Bay of Islands: Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Hole in the Rock Dolphin Cruise; Glenbrook Vintage Railway Journey; Rotorua: Skyline Rotorua Gondola & Luge Ride, Agrodome, Thermal mud pools and geysers, Maori Hangi & Concert; Wellington: City Sights Tour, Te Papa National Museum; Cruise on the Interislander Ferry; Coastal Pacific Rail Journey; Christchurch: City Sights Tour, International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch Tram; TranzAlpine Rail Journey; Queenstown: TSS Earnslaw Cruise on Lake Wakatipu, Walter Peak Homestead Farm Tour; Arrowtown: Lakes District Museum; Milford Sound Mariner Overnight Cruise; Dunedin: City Sights Tour, Speight’s Brewery Tour, Larnach Castle, Olveston Historic Sights
• Transfers – Airport to Hotel and Hotel to Airport
• All Taxes and Fuel Levies (Except where noted)

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Auckland

On arrival into Auckland, you will be met by a Grand Pacific Tours representative and transferred to your hotel. This evening enjoy a complimentary pre-dinner drink when you meet your Tour Leader and travelling companions for dinner.

Hotel Sudima Auckland City

Dinner included

Day 2: Auckland – Bay of Islands

Enjoy a city tour of Auckland, dubbed the ‘City of Sails’, before traveling to Matakohe to enjoy a visit and informative talk at the Kauri Museum. Travel via Whangarei to Paihia, situated in the heart of the beautiful Bay of Islands. Enjoy a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the location of the signing of the treaty between the Mãori tribes and the British.

Hotel Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands (2 nights)

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 3: Bay of Islands

Today is a free day. Choose from the many optional activities available, including the Cape Reinga coach trip via Ninety Mile Beach or a spectacular scenic flight. This evening is also free and you may like to enjoy a relaxing dinner cruise (optional).

Breakfast included

Day 4: Bay of Islands – Auckland

This morning cruise through the beautiful Bay of Islands aboard a luxury catamaran to Cape Brett, where a historic lighthouse keeps watch over Piercy Island, or as it is popularly known, the ‘Hole in the Rock’. Upon return to Paihia, travel south via Whangarei, call into the Parry Kauri Park to see a magnificent example of a Kauri Tree before returning to Auckland.

Hotel Sudima Auckland City

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 5: Auckland – Rotorua

This morning travel to Glenbrook Vintage Railway for a nostalgic 15 kilometer trip back in time on a beautifully restored vintage steam train. Visit the restoration workshop and on return to Glenbrook Station, morning tea will be served. Depart Glenbrook and travel through magnificent countryside of rolling hills and green pastures famous for dairying. Continue to Rotorua renowned for its geothermal activity and Māori culture.

Hotel Pullman Rotorua (City View Room) (2 nights)

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 6: Rotorua

Today begins with a gondola ride and breakfast at Skyline Rotorua. There is also time for a thrilling luge ride! Next stop is the Agrodome for an action-packed hour of farming entertainment and education that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before. Enjoy some free time this afternoon before traveling to Te Puia to see the boiling mud pools and awesome geysers that Rotorua is famous for. This evening experience an entertaining Mãori Hãngi and Concert.

Breakfast & Specialty Dinner included

Day 7: Rotorua – Wellington

Travel along the Thermal Explorer Highway to the spectacular Huka Falls. Continue to Lake Taupo for some free time to enjoy this scenic lakeside town. Travel via the Tongariro National Park and continue south to New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington.

Hotel James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor (Executive Room) (2 nights)

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 8: Wellington

A highlight this morning will be time to explore Gallipoli: A Scale of War exhibition at Te Papa, New Zealand’s National Museum. Cutting edge technology brings these stories to life through the eyes of New Zealanders who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Reboard your coach for an extensive city tour. Enjoy time at leisure this afternoon and this evening is also free to explore Wellington’s lively food scene.

Breakfast included

Day 9: Wellington – Christchurch

This morning board the Interislander Ferry, cross the Cook Strait and enjoy the scenery as you travel through the Marlborough Sounds to Picton. Join the Coastal Pacific, a truly spectacular rail journey that follows a thin wedge of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikōura Ranges. Meet your coach in the fishing village of Kaikōura for the journey to the garden city of Christchurch.

Hotel Distinction Christchurch Hotel (2 nights)

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 10: Christchurch

Today visit the International Antarctic Centre, designed to provide an informative account of life in Antarctica. This is followed by an introductory city tour of Christchurch. This afternoon includes a journey on board the Christchurch Tram at leisure. This evening is free to explore the local cuisine.

Breakfast included

Day 11: Christchurch – Arthur’s Pass – Franz Josef

This morning board the TranzAlpine, renowned as one of the great train journeys of the world. Travel over massive viaducts, river valleys and spectacular gorges as you ascend to Arthur’s Pass located in the center of the Southern Alps. Board your coach and travel to Hokitika, famous for its Greenstone before continuing via Franz Josef to the township of Fox Glacier where time is available to experience a scenic flight (optional, weather permitting) over the spectacular glaciers.

Hotel Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier (Douglas Wing)

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 12: Franz Josef – Queenstown

See the snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps as you travel south along the West Coast. Continue via the Haast Pass, an area of stunning beauty before arriving into picturesque Queenstown, a year round resort situated on the shores of magical Lake Wakatipu. This evening is free and you may choose to dine out at one of the many fine restaurants.

Hotel Millennium Hotel Queenstown (2 nights)

Breakfast included

Day 13: Queenstown

Today is a free day and there are plenty of sightseeing options available. You may wish to enjoy the thrill of a jet boat ride, a heritage tour of the scenic Skippers Canyon or get up close to a Kiwi bird. This evening board the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw and cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station. Sit back, relax and enjoy a gourmet barbecue dinner which the chef will prepare in front of you at the Colonel’s Homestead. After dinner enjoy a short farm tour then reboard the TSS Earnslaw for a sing along by the piano as you cruise back to Queenstown.

Breakfast & Specialty Dinner included

Day 14: Queenstown – Milford Sound

This morning travel to Arrowtown and visit the Lakes District Museum. Continue via Te Anau to Milford Sound and board the Milford Mariner for your amazing overnight cruise. There is plenty of time to view the fiord’s spectacular waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife – you’re bound to encounter seals and if you’re lucky maybe dolphins and penguins. As evening falls enjoy a delicious carvery buffet prepared freshly by the onboard chef.

Overnight Milford Mariner

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 15: Milford Sound – Te Anau

Start the day with a hearty breakfast before heading back out to the Tasman Sea (weather permitting) to explore more of the fiord. Return to the wharf to meet your coach and enjoy the scenic drive to Te Anau where you will enjoy an afternoon at leisure. You may like to visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves (optional).

Hotel Distinction Luxmore Hotel (Deluxe Room)

Breakfast & Dinner included

Day 16: Te Anau – Dunedin

Travel via Gore and Balclutha to Dunedin, famous for its stunning Edwardian and Victorian architecture dating back to the gold rush of the 1800s. Today Dunedin is New Zealand’s oldest university city. This afternoon visit Speight’s Brewery, a Dunedin icon, for an informative and interactive tour through this working brewery. The tasting session will be followed by a delicious dinner at the Ale House restaurant.

Hotel Scenic Hotel Southern Cross (2 nights)

Breakfast & Specialty Dinner included

Day 17: Dunedin

This morning travel along the Otago Peninsula to Larnach Castle where you hear of the tragic and scandalous history on a guided tour. Enjoy time to wander around this Garden of International Significance followed by a delicious Devonshire Tea. Return to Dunedin for a city tour followed by some free time. Optional activities you might be interested in, include the chance to see wildlife in their natural habitat.

Breakfast & Specialty Dinner included

Day 18: Dunedin – Christchurch

This morning visit Olveston Historic Home, a prosperous merchants’ home from the turn of the century before travelling to Oamaru, famous for its limestone. This evening enjoy a pre-dinner drink and reminisce on memories shared with your new friends at the farewell dinner.

Hotel Distinction Christchurch Hotel

Breakfast & Specialty Dinner included

Day 19: Depart Christchurch

Time to say goodbye. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight home after a memorable New Zealand holiday.

Breakfast included