New Zealand: Land of the Long White Cloud

Depart gateway city/ Cross the international date line

Arrive in Auckland and transfer to hotel

Arrive at Auckland Airport and meet your Travel representative who will take you to the hotel. Spread across a narrow isthmus, Auckland sits between two sparkling harbors. It’s also home to roughly one-third of all Kiwis, as New Zealanders are affectionately known. After settling in and having lunch, set off on a guided walk to get acquainted with the city. Later, gather for an intriguing talk about Māori legends before tonight’s Welcome Reception and Dinner.

Auckland

Head today to the Auckland Museum for a special curator’s tour. Here, you’ll find one of the world’s premier collections of Māori taonga, or treasures. Take in intricately woven textiles, carved stone and wooden artifacts, a full-size traditional meeting house and much more. Afterward, enjoy a relaxing lunch in charming Parnell, Auckland’s oldest suburb. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Auckland on your own.

Auckland | Wellington

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to Auckland’s domestic airport. Fly to Wellington, and upon arrival, stop for lunch by the waterfront. Check in to the hotel in Wellington. Spend the afternoon at leisure and make your own plans for dinner. This evening, gather with your group for an outing to Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary, a tranquil urban conservation center in Wellington. As darkness falls, follow your guide along the trails in search of protected rare and endangered native wildlife species. You may spy the little spotted Kiwi, the national bird, or unique creatures like the Tuatara, a reptile found only in New Zealand.

Wellington

Get to know New Zealand’s capital city on a panoramic/walking tour that features expansive views over Wellington Harbor from Mount Victoria. See the Parliament buildings, including the iconic Beehive, which houses the Executive Wing offices. After checking out Oriental Bay’s splendid scenery and other highlights, step inside Old St. Paul’s Church, adorned with native hardwood timber and fine stained-glass windows. After lunch on your own, rejoin your fellow travelers for a guided walk near the harbor that sheds light on the region’s fascinating Māori heritage.

Wellington | Ferry to South Island | Picton | Blenheim

This morning, check out of the hotel and depart for a picturesque ferry ride to the South Island that transports you across Cook’s Strait and through Queen Charlotte Sound. After disembarking in Picton, travel by motor coach to Blenheim in the world-famous Marlborough wine region.Savor lunch and a tasting at a winery, then check in to the hotel in Blenheim and spend the evening at leisure.

Blenheim

Create your own agenda today! Try some of Blenheim’s top-notch eateries, browse in its independent boutiques or perhaps take a cruise through the Marlborough Sounds. You can also choose to join one of today’s two optional activities available at an additional cost: a guided wine tour by bike through the Marlborough countryside or a visit to the renowned Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum, home to vintage World War I and II aircraft and memorabilia.

Kaikoura/Christchurch

Check out today and depart for Christchurch. Along the way, stop in Kaikoura, known for the abundance of marine mammals that live in the waters off the Kaikoura Peninsula. Embark on a whale-watching cruise and keep an eye out for giant sperm whales and other species, orcas, dusky dolphins, fur seals and seabirds! Continue to Christchurch afterward and check in to the hotel.

Christchurch

Start your day in the South Island’s largest city with a scenic tour. Make your way through the city center by the Avon River and see Cathedral Square and other top sites. Next, stroll through Christchurch Botanic Gardens, founded in 1863, and admire the coastal suburbs of Sumner and Redcliffs on Pegasus Bay. Later, delve into Christchurch’s Māori treasures, traditions and ancestral creation stories on a guided walk. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to pursue your own interests.

TranzAlpine train | Arthur’s Pass | Hokitika | Franz Josef

After breakfast, check out and travel to the Christchurch Railway Station for your ride aboard the celebrated TranzAlpine Train. Traverse golden farm fields on the Canterbury Plains and then enter the snowcapped Southern Alps. Glide next to the ice-fed Waimakariri River and across viaducts through spectacular landscapes before alighting amid the mountains of Arthur’s Pass National Park. Board a motor coach there and drive to Hokitika on the western coast. Enjoy lunch on your own and then rejoin the group. Continue to Franz Josef Glacier and check in to the hotel.

Franz Josef Glacier

Delight in the area’s magnificent, unspoiled natural beauty on an informative guided walk to the Franz Josef Glacier lookout point. Learn about the low-lying glacier’s geological features, the West Coast’s temperature rain forest, and the native plants and wildlife, all while surrounded by the cheery sounds of birds and waterfalls. Afterward, there will be an opportunity to walk to Lake Matheson’s jetty viewpoint. It’s a wonderful spot to appreciate Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, New Zealand’s highest peaks, across the lake’s mirror-like waters.

Scenic transfer to Queenstown

Check out this morning and set off for Queenstownalong a route filled with lovely scenery of steep mountains, lush forests, streams and secluded lakes. In Mount Aspiring National Park, walk down a trail through kamahi and silver beech trees to see pretty Thunder Creek Falls. After going through Haast Pass, pause to admire the crystal-clear Blue Pools. Your journey continues past the sparkling glacial lakes of Wanaka and Hawea and the breathtaking expanse of Central Otago’s sheep and cattle country. Arrive in Queenstown and check in to the hotel.

Queenstown | Arrowtown

Known as the “Adventure Capital of the World,” beautiful Queenstown attracts thrill-seekers with its range of outdoor activities, including bungee jumping, white-water rafting, jet boating and sky diving. Take a panoramic tour of the city before heading to nearby Arrowtown, a former goldmining town packed with historic charm. After free time there for lunch and exploring, visit a bungee site to learn more about the history of extreme sports in the region from a local expert. Then, climb aboard the Skyline Gondola for a gentle cable car ride up Bob’s Peak, where you’ll be rewarded with sweeping vistas of Queenstown and its environs!

Doubtful Sound

Today, explore the jaw-dropping natural beauty of Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Impressive panoramas abound, from verdant forests of red mountain and silver beech carpeted in moss and ferns to gorgeous waterfalls, placid lakes and glacier-carved fiords. Cruise across shimmering Lake Manapouri framed by the Cathedral Peaks and see Fiordland’s rain forest. Then, on a three-hour catamaran cruise, sail through the pristine stillness of Doubtful Sound, the deepest of New Zealand’s fiords. Return to Queenstown and enjoy dinner at leisure.

Queenstown

Craft your own plans today during your free day! If you’re feeling adventurous, your Travel Director can arrange several optional activities for you on site, including a Shotover Jet Boat ride or a river safari down the Dart River. For something more leisurely, consider taking a cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard a Queenstown icon, the TSS Earnslaw. This coal-fired steamship made its first voyage in 1912 and connected isolated farming communities with the outside world for many decades. Tonight, raise a toast to your marvelous Kiwi adventure at a Farewell Reception and Dinner with your fellow travelers.

Transfer to airport and depart for gateway city