It’s hard to pick a highlight of this New Zealand tour from north to south. 17 days through the North and South Islands, running Auckland to Christchurch. Along the way: Auckland, Bay Of Islands, Ninety Mile Beach. Every night is booked and the travelling is handled, so the itinerary below is what you actually do rather than a list of things you could arrange yourself.
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This itinerary can be customised: extra nights, different rooms, more activities or a different vehicle. Tell us what you would change.
Your journey:AucklandBay Of IslandsWaitomo CavesHuka FallsWellingtonKaikouraChristchurchClydeQueenstownHokitikaChristchurch
Auckland is hypnotic, the kind of place you could easily lose yourself in for a couple of days. Or weeks. Arrive at your leisure and explore waterfront precincts filled with yachts or just meet your Travel Director tonight who will brief you on your tour. Staying in: Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre (1 night)
Say goodbye to the ‘City of Sails’ as you journey north to New Zealand’s dramatic Bay of Islands, 140 islands ringed by turquoise sea. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical significance: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. You are welcomed to the grounds with a rousing cultural performance. Your guide, perhaps a descendent of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house. Staying in: Copthorne Hotel and Resort (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. Today, trip the light fantastic and head off in whatever direction you please. Choose from Optional Experiences*. Perhaps travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. or enjoy a scenic cruise among the 144 islands including lunch and a visit to the iconic hole in the rock. Or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. Staying in: Copthorne Hotel and Resort (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
Today, New Zealand’s most northerly city is well and truly on your radar. Whangarei is like the country in a tantalising snapshot, a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerizing commute back to Auckland. Staying in: Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
After viewing the city sights, set your GPS for the Waitomo Caves. Cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers. Explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience. It begins with an exhilarating cultural performance in a beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua, followed by views of the Pohutu Geyser, one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands, and ends with a delicious buffet dinner of locally sourced hāngī-inspired cuisine. Staying in: Ibis Rotorua Hotel (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Explore at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Consider an optional experience? Want a bit of down time? We wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of today’s opportunity to visit the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans but a gorgeous countryside getaway. Staying in: Ibis Rotorua Hotel (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
You’ll hear Huka Falls well before you see it, at this natural wonder, a staggering 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metre-high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, its waters so vivid and blue you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from, you’ll need a guidebook. Wait, you have an in-the-know Travel Director to talk to about your Wellington tour. Staying in: James Cook Grand Chancellor (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
Wellington is known for its uber-cool cafes, grab yourself a coffee to fuel you through your city sights tour. Onwards for a cruise across Cook Straight, from the North Island to the South, through a maze of arms and inlets. Staying in: Picton Beachcomber Inn, Picton Yacht Club (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the sands of Kaikoura. Bonus points if you spot a seal or sperm whale frolicking offshore, Kaikoura is the marine wildlife centre of New Zealand. Talk to your Travel Director for tips on the essential restaurants to dine in tonight, Christchurch has reinvented itself in more ways than one. Staying in: Ibis Hotel Christchurch (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
A Christchurch tour shows you that the city is not only rebuilding itself after the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes, but is changing the way architects think about design. Case in point the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. From here, your outlook is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience in Takapo, hosted by passionate local specialists, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You’ll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Staying in: Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Your visit to Clyde will have your camera clicking non-stop. This charming historic town may be small, but it’s full of character, with its town centre designated as a historic precinct, featuring buildings from its gold mining past now transformed into cafes and shops. Next, head to Gore, the Country Music capital of New Zealand, before continuing towards Fiordland National Park and stunning Te Anau, set on the shores of the South Island’s largest lake. Take in the serenity - this is as good as it gets. Staying in: Distinction Luxmore Hotel (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
From the moment you step outside today, nature rules. Your route through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and mirror-like lakes. Gin-clear rivers carve the countryside, with all roads leading to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Venture out into the pristine fiord on an included sightseeing cruise for awe-inspiring scenery with towering cliffs, tumbling waterfalls and abundant wildlife. Seals, penguins and the New Zealand alpine parrot, the Kea are a common sight. Staying in: Distinction Luxmore Hotel (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
Today, on your New Zealand tour, travel the aptly named Devil’s Staircase. Winding along the edge of Lake Wakatipu, the Devil’s Staircase from Kingston to Queenstown is a breathtaking stretch of road with a combination of lake and Mountain views. Visit the historic gold rush village of Arrowtown, where you can wander the streets, lined with trees and character-filled boutiques, then continue to Queenstown for your two-night stay in the adventure capital of New Zealand. Tonight, glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner and farm show. Staying in: Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Take today at your own pace; you won’t be lost for things to do in Queenstown. Like adventure? Fancy an optional experience? Feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. There’s a reason why Queenstown is known as the "Adventure Capital of the World". Nature lover? Discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at Kiwi Park. Staying in: Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast
Try and keep count of today’s lakes. Leaving Lake Wakatipu behind, journey past shimmering Lake Hawea and through Haast Pass with its powerful waterfalls and dramatic mountain backdrops to the pretty town of Franz Josef/Waiau. Get some perspective on an Optional Experience* scenic flight over Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere, if the weather behaves, you may even get to land on it. Staying in: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Swap snow for pounamu (native greenstone or jade) in Hokitika: the pounamu found here is the stuff jewellery dreams are made of. Just when you thought your adventure couldn’t get any better, you’ll board the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. Tonight enjoy dinner and drinks to toast your holiday. Staying in: Ibis Hotel Christchurch (1 night) Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Two New Zealand islands. Multiple glaciers. Endless lakes. Thermal springs. Black beaches, and white beaches. An endless parade of wildlife. We hope you find the words to describe this epic adventure to your family back home. Meals included: Breakfast
This itinerary departs on the dates that suit you, subject to availability. Peak season (December to February) books out early, so enquire well ahead for summer travel.
Add nights, upgrade rooms, swap activities or extend into the other island. Tell us what you would change and we will re-quote, no obligation.
Your whole itinerary lives in a smart travel app with live vouchers, maps and daily guidance, and your own travel specialist is reachable seven days a week while you are on the road. If plans change, we rearrange them in real time.
Watch: Hobbiton on this itinerary
Still deciding? Worth a read: How many days do you actually need in New Zealand? · The best time to visit New Zealand, from people who live here
Nothing to enquire, nothing until your quote is confirmed in writing, and never more than your deposit until the balance falls due 70 days before travel. Deposits can be paid by card, which keeps your card scheme’s protections in play.
How your money is protectedAvailability checked with our New Zealand operations team and confirmed in writing, not an automated estimate.
Quotes are free and carry no obligation. You pay a deposit only once the itinerary is right and you say go.
The same specialist plans your trip and is reachable while you are travelling, alongside in-country support seven days a week.
Insider status, Tourism New Zealand 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist Programme. IATA certified. Every itinerary is operated by a Qualmark Gold certified New Zealand tour operator.Questions before you enquire? Email hello@silverferntravel.com and ask. No form required.
7 days across both islands, Queenstown to Wellington, at your own pace behind the wheel. Strong on adventure.
9 days across both islands, from Auckland through to Christchurch, self drive, with every night booked ahead. Strong on classic driving tours.
9 days across both islands, Wellington away to Queenstown, driving yourself, with the route planned for you. Strong on classic driving tours.
