Places our New Zealand tours go
Every place at least eight of our itineraries reach, with a guide to each: what there is to do, how to get there, how long the tours stay and where they sleep. The counts come from the day by day of every tour and refresh weekly.
South Island
Alps, glaciers, fiords and lakes: where most itineraries spend most of their nights.
The Southern Alps run the length of the island, so the tours here are shaped by a few mountain crossings: Arthur's Pass on the TranzAlpine, the Haast Pass between the glaciers and Wānaka, and the road into Fiordland for Milford Sound. Queenstown is the busiest base, with Christchurch the usual arrival point. Drives are scenic and slower than the distance suggests, which is why the best itineraries stay two or three nights in the key places rather than moving on every morning.
All South Island tours
North Island
Geothermal valleys, Māori culture, film sets and subtropical coast.
Most North Island itineraries start in Auckland and run a loop or a line south: Waitomo's glowworm caves and the Hobbiton Movie Set on the way to Rotorua, then Taupō and the volcanic plateau of Tongariro, and on to Wellington for the ferry across Cook Strait. North of Auckland, the Bay of Islands is sailing and Waitangi history. Distances are shorter than in the south, so it suits a week, or the first half of a trip that ends in Queenstown.
All North Island tours
