The below itinerary is only a suggestion, we offer tailor-made personal service and solutions to help you plan your perfect vacation. This itinerary is also available in the reverse direction.
Day 1 Arrive Auckland
Welcome to New Zealand! Upon arrival in Auckland, enjoy a private transfer to your hotel in the
in the heart of the city, between the vibrant Viaduct Harbour and the new Wynyard Quarter. A guaranteed early check-in time has been organized for this morning. Venture into town to explore designer shopping and fabulous restaurants or enjoy fine dining at the hotel’s sleek Lava Dining restaurant.
Day 2 Auckland – Today you have the choice of one of five tours
Today you can personalize your Auckland experience by choosing one of these five tours, all sure to leave you with lifelong memories:
1. Full Day Private Waiheke Island Gourmet Food & Wine Tour
Travel by ferry to beautiful Waiheke Island, Auckland’s food and wine neighbor just 12 miles away. Sample succulent New Zealand oysters, award-winning olive oil and other locally produced foods, all accompanied by wines from some of Waiheke’s top vineyards. Your private guide will provide an entertaining and informative commentary as you go, and treats may include wild honey, the famous local green herb spread and artisan cheeses. A lunch platter at one of the area's top vineyard restaurants is included.
2. Half Day Private Art, Food & Fashion Downtown Walking Tour
Discover the more cultured, creative and indulgent side of Auckland with a private walking tour of Auckland Art Gallery, leading dealer galleries, artisan food producers and top fashion labels. Cameras are welcome, but please respect the privacy of the property owners and the copyright of the artist. Food and wine tastings will be provided during the tour, but full meals are not included. You are welcome to purchase additional food and beverages at your own cost.
3. Half Day Private Gourmet Tasting Tour
Discover some of Auckland’s best eateries and artisan food producers on this short – and very easy – downtown walking and tasting tour. The route takes in Britomart, one of the city’s coolest new entertainment precincts filled with bars, restaurants and boutiques that you can explore once the tour concludes. Tour highlights include a local artisan bakery, an award-winning cheese producer, a hand-crafted gelato factory, a chocolatier and desert restaurant, plus a leading New Zealand coffee house.
4. Full Day Private Tawharanui Nature and Kiwi Tour with Picnic Dinner
Much of New Zealand's insect, marine and bird life is nocturnal, and this tour through native forest offers a great opportunity to experience what goes on in the dark. Tawharanui Regional Park is home to the New Zealand brown kiwi, the morepork (New Zealand owl) and Weta, all of which are nocturnal animals. Experience how the bush environment changes after sunset as your private guide takes you on a search for nocturnal wildlife.
5. Full Day Private Auckland’s City Sights & Maori Cultural Performance Tour
Experience Auckland’s fascinating Maori culture on a very personal tour to important historic sites. Learn how this unique living culture is an integral part of what Auckland and New Zealand has to offer, from its well-known cityscapes to its numerous volcanoes and the amazing West Coast. Finish with a visit to the Auckland Museum with its Maori and Polynesian Gallery. You can enjoy the Museum's Maori Cultural Performance to see a postural war dance (the haka) first-hand.
Day 3 Auckland to Lake Taupo with a stop at the Glowworm Caves
Leaving Auckland this morning, enjoy your private driver guide's commentary as you travel through lush farmland of the Waikato to the King Country region. On arrival in Waitomo, meet your private Guide and take a short walk through breath taking New Zealand native bush to the cave entrance. Your guide will light candles setting the scene for an intimate cave experience. See glowworms and cave formations up close and appreciate the beauty of Footwhistle Cave (also known to local Maori as Te Anaroa Cave). Around a corner lie the bones of one of New Zealand's lost treasures, the ancient Moa bird. As the lights cast a warm glow over the stunning cave formations, your guide will speak a bit on the insects that live here - titiwai, the glow worm and tuna, the eel. After enjoying a relaxed stroll through the cave, take a seat in Footwhistle's Cathedral to see it lit up by a dazzling magnesium torch.
After the caves, continue through the beautiful King Country region to Lake Taupo and your accommodation for the next 3 nights, the acclaimed Huka Lodge.
Day 4 Tongariro National Park and Lake Taupo Cruise
Fly south down the eastern side of Great Lake Taupo and into the wilderness of the Kaimanawa ranges. Search for the famous Kaimanawa wild horses and you may even spot wild deer. Land next to the world-renowned Rangitikei River to enjoy the crystal clear water and solitude this location has to offer. Continue west towards the World Heritage volcanoes; Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. Take in close up views of the Tongariro Crossing, colourful Emerald Lakes and thermal activity of the newly formed Te Maari Crater, a great photo opportunity. Travel a little further to a beautiful remote bay in Lake Taupo, to join your crew and boat.
Day 5 Day at Leisure Taupo
Stay in at Huka Lodge today to enjoy a day of leisure. After yesterday’s excitement, relaxing in your luxurious suite with gourmet cuisine and a bottle of local wine will be just the ticket.
Day 6 Huka Lodge – Cape Kidnappers
Enjoy a private tour to the Hawke’s Bay and its many delights. Of course, you’ll visit local wineries and sample local foods, but you’ll also have a chance to discover the Art Deco architecture and history of Napier, meet with a Maori elder to learn about their traditions and modern-day culture, take in scenic vistas, and much more. The activities of the day are completely tailored to you!
Your accommodation for the next 2 nights is at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, a luxury lodge set atop 6,000 rolling acres of stunning pasture land in Napier. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers encompasses terrain which is reminiscent of Montana but plunges 800 feet into the sea. The cluster of lodge buildings are suggestive of a working farm. A combination of stone and weathered wood, the buildings combine rustic materials with comfortable up-to-date furniture. 180-degree panoramic views of the farm, golf course and Pacific Ocean are enjoyed from each suite’s private balcony. Your stay includes pre-dinner drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a la carte dinners, and a complimentary mini bar.
Day 7 Farm at Cape Kidnappers Free Day
Spend the day at leisure today, enjoying the facilities of the lodge or playing a round of golf at the course. Cape Kidnappers is home to plenty of outdoor pursuits, so you can go hiking across the farmland, view a Gannet colony amid spectacular coastal cliffs, enjoy a picnic at Black Reef or embark on a Can-Am Adventure tour. For families staying at the lodge, shepherding shows and a Kiwi Discovery Walk are fantastic ways to while away the hours.
Day 8 Cape Kidnappers to Wharekauhau
This morning a local Guide will meet you at the lodge for a scenic drive to the Martinborough region and Wharekauhau in the remote Palliser Bay. A stop at a boutique Martinborough winery for lunch and tasting is included before arriving at the lodge. Located between the two beautiful regions of Wellington and Wairarapa, Wharekauhau Country Estate is arguably the grandest 5,500-acre working sheep station of its kind in New Zealand. Designed and built to capture the elegance of a bygone era, a stay here allows guests to experience life on a working farm, but with all the comforts that come with an extraordinary lodge.
Day 9 Wharekauhau
Enjoy the sights of Wharekauhau Country Estate on a working sheep station tour today. Loading into a comfortable 4-wheel drive vehicle, you’ll see all the activities that have created New Zealand’s legendary farming heritage including sheep shearing demonstrations, sheep dogs in action and daily farm events.
Day 10 Wharekauhau – Christchurch and Otahuna Lodge
Today, transfer by private vehicle from Wharekauhau to Wellington, visit Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand with your Guide for a one-hour tour before exploring the beautiful and rugged Wellington coastline en-route to the airport. Flying over to Christchurch, you’ll be met for a private transfer to Otahuna Lodge.
Day 11 Private Tour of Akaroa & Cruise
Get ready for plenty of sightseeing! Your private local guide will pick you up from your accommodation in the morning and drive you around the base of the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula where from the hilltop you’ll have wonderful views overlooking Akaroa Harbour. Driving down from the crater of this extinct volcano, you’ll follow the shores around to the French-influenced village of Akaroa where you’ll board your two-hour harbor cruise. Enjoy the views as your skipper keeps a watchful eye out for rare Hector Dolphins, New Zealand Fur Seals and Little Blue Penguins. On return to the dock you’ll have time to explore the quaint village and enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch before being driven back to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 12 Otahuna Lodge and Christchurch – Queenstown
This morning we provide a transfer to the airport and fly to Queenstown, your final destination. Enjoy a scenic transfer into the bustling alpine town and ready yourself for breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu and the snow-capped Remarkables mountain range. Your home for the next 3 nights is an elegant boutique hotel with an enviable location at Lake Wakatipu’s edge.
Day 13 Milford Sound Scenic Helicopter Flight and Cruise
Discover the Milford Sound from two very different perspectives: soaring high above waterfalls and rainforests by air, and then cruising through vast fjords and mountainous peaks by boat. Lift off from Queenstown and fly over the breath-taking snow-capped Southern Alps before landing at Milford Sound Airport. You will then be escorted to board a scheduled small cruise boat for an informative trip through the sound. On completion of the cruise, board the helicopter again for more amazing scenery from the air – this time taking a moment to land on top of an age-old glacier. We shut down the helicopter to enjoy the peace and quiet for a bit before continuing back to Queenstown.
Day 14 Queenstown – Today you have the choice of one of three excursions
Today you can personalize your Queenstown experience by choosing one of these three tours, all sure to leave you with lifelong memories:
1. Full Day Private Gourmet Food & Wine Tour
On this private tour of Central Otago’s vineyards, enjoy tastings at four wineries in the Gibbston Valley/Queenstown and Bannockburn/Cromwell regions. See New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave, stop for a cheese tasting and enjoy a delightful platter-style lunch with a glass of premium wine (varietal or vineyard preferences can be included to suit your interests if advised in advance). Stroll through historic Old Cromwell Town (time and weather permitting) then take a drive through the Kawarau Gorge to see the historic Kawarau Bridge and the original AJ Hackett Bungy.
2. Full Day Private Famous Routeburn Track Hike
Follow your private guide through Mount Aspiring National Park to experience one of New Zealand’s Great Walks. Journey for approximately 2.5 hours through a 130 million-year old world of ferns, mosses, lichens and beech forest, then watch as the woodland parts to reveal the rich grassland of Routeburn Flats. Stop here for a delicious Kiwi style picnic lunch, then head back to explore forgotten paths of the Maori as you travel along their old greenstone trails.
3. Half Day Wilderness Safari - Jetboat & Forest Walk / Evening Gondola, Dinner & Stargazing
Surrounded by breathtaking snow-covered peaks, hidden valleys, waterfalls and glacial valleys, take a thrilling jet boat through the ever-changing shallow channels of the Dart River’s braided system. Enjoy a guided walk through ancient native Beech forest, then journey back by bus with stops to view some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery. This evening you’ll be whisked up to Bob’s Peak for dinner with panoramic views, then taken stargazing with a guide to view constellations through telescopes.
Day 15 Depart Queenstown
Today marks the end of your journey as a private transfer takes you to Queenstown Airport.
