First Choice
Internal-vacation flights included
Internal-vacation flights included

Contrasts of New Zealand

10 Day Guided Vacation | Auckland to Christchurch

New Zealand will set your heart racing, while you take the country’s pulse. From its unexpected city sights – who knew you could construct a church from cardboard? – to its culinary delights, this voyage is as thrilling as it is tasty. And then there are the natural wonders: gem-like glaciers, soaring fiords, snow-dusted mountains, and bubbling geysers among them. On this NZ holiday, drop in on Christchurch, soak your limbs in Rotorua, eat your way around Queenstown and feel the full force of nature at Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Trips to New Zealand don’t get much better than this.   

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Prices From CODE: IZANB

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$4369

Adult Twin i A person 16 years and over (note a person 16–17 years must be accompanied by a person 18 years and over). All prices are per person, land only unless otherwise indicated.
Above lowest price is based on 2023-07-07 departure

$5875

Single i A person, who must be 18 years and over, travelling alone, must pay the single room price. All prices are per person, land only unless otherwise indicated.
Above lowest price is based on 2023-07-07 departure
Prices above are per person in USD
Child prices are available on request

*Internal-vacation flights: Please note that the price includes land and internal-vacation airfares, which are required to be booked in order to fulfil the vacation itinerary.

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Trip Details

trip-details-whats-includedWhat's included

  • • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
  • • Be My Guest Experience with Isabelle and Tim Weston at Britten Stables
  • • Centrally located premium 4- & 5-star hotels

trip-details-diningDining

  • • 9 Full Breakfasts
  • • 1 Be My Guest Morning Tea
  • • 1 Lunch
  • • 2 Dinners with Wine
  • • 2 Highlight Dinners
  • • 1 Farewell Dinner
  • • 1 Be My Guest Lunch

trip-details-flight-infoFlight Information

  • • Day 1: Flights to arrive by 4:00pm into Auckland Airport
  • • Day 4: Auckland to Queenstown NZ623 (*Required Internal Flights)
  • • Day 10: Flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
  • • Airline Schedules may change at short notice. Please consider possible flight disruptions when booking your flights.

trip-details-what-to-bringWhat to Bring

  • • Camera
  • • Comfortable walking shoes
  • • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat
  • • Water bottle
  • • Warm layers in cooler months

trip-details-fitness-level-requirementsFitness Requirements

  • • Low level of fitness required

Itinerary

image map

New Zealand’s largest city is also one of its prettiest, as you’ll discover exploring at your leisure. Arrive early to linger in its hip harbourside precincts, where galleries and design-driven stores await. You’ll have worked up an appetite by the time you meet your fellow travel companions for a few local tipples at a Welcome Reception and dinner. Start your Auckland tour on a high, we say.  

  Hotel: The Grand by SkyCity, 2 Nights

  Included Meals: Dinner with Wine

If you didn’t get your city bearings yesterday, you will on an Auckland tour today. Have your camera poised as you reach Mission Bay, a dreamy waterside suburb where the blues patchwork to the horizon. Click! Then get snap happy once again at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, offering epic vistas over Auckland and its harbours. Click, click, click! Want some tips on how to spend your free afternoon in New Zealand’s largest city? How about going behind the scenes of the All Blacks, arguably the world’s most legendary rugby team? Or cruising to Waiheke Island to sip more wine at forward-thinking cellar doors? This evening’s Auckland tour is at your leisure. 

  Included Meals: Breakfast

You could be forgiven for thinking Rotorua’s landscapes are a sci-fi movie set. Mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. The surrounding forest is a fertile habitat for New Zealand’s national bird, being protected and bred at the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa. The cute-as-a-button, cotton-ball kiwi is under threat in the wild; at the hatchery, passionate conservationists reveal how they are saving the population, one incubated egg at a time. Tonight, dive deep into Indigenous culture and traditions  at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience. Enjoy a forest kai horotai (summer season canape) and chef choice aperitif, followed by a seasonal three-course dinner. This is a meal you won’t forget in a hurry.      

  Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Lord of the Rings fanatics, prepare for a day of goosebumps. Your Rotorua tour begins with breakfast served in the very spot that Frodo and Bilbo once lived. The Hobbiton Movie Set is all rolling hills and emerald pastures, a storybook landscape for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. The feel-good vibes that ensure will follow you all the way to Queenstown, the self-proclaimed adventure capital of New Zealand. It makes perfect sense – there are ski fields, white-water river and bridges strapped with bungy cords wherever you turn. And then there’s the dining scene; Queenstown is home to some of the country’s most awarded restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for bulging burgers or lakeside tapas, ask us for recommendations on this leg of your Queenstown New Zealand tour.   

  Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown, 3 Nights

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Bring your stamina and sense of adventure – things get a little wild today. Nature rules as you skirt Queenstown’s gleaming Lake Wakatipu, and traverse the Devil’s Staircase to Te Anau, the alpine gateway to World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. Once you’ve paused to admire the drama at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, Hollyford Valley lookout, Cleddau Valley and the Chasm, you’ll begin to understand why Rudyard Kipling called this the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. You haven’t even seen Bowen Falls or Milford Sound/Piopiotahi yet… The best Milford Sound/Piopiotahi cruise sees you in the company of eagle-eyed guide, who not only knows the immense geological history of the region, but can also point out sun-baking fur seals and playful dolphins.  

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Take today’s Queenstown New Zealand tour at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane Shotover Jet, perhaps, your high-octane chariot churning over the Shotover River’s white-water rapids. Prefer to be able to talk (and drink wine) while you cruise? Glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue lunch in a dreamy alpine setting. Wherever you wander, be sure to save space for tonight’s Highlight Dinner at Postmasters Café, a historic Arrowtown cottage replete with picket fence and Instagrammable gardens.    

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Whether pinot noir grapes or cherries, things grow well in the fertile Central Otago region of the South Island. Get a taste for the area’s plump stone fruit at a stall, adjoining the local orchard of Mrs. Jones. Mountain drama – including views of Aoraki/Mt. Cook – is your backdrop en route to Lake Tekapo, with water so turquoise it looks like a Renaissance painting. This part of the country is ravishing and remote; the lack of light pollution means dazzling Southern Hemisphere stargazing at UNESCO World Heritage listed Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. It’s handy to have an astronomer in your company to decode the constellations of the Milky Way. If there was ever a NZ experience that put life in perspective, this is it.   

  Hotel: Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine

The Canterbury region of the west coast is a bucolic union of grassy plains, mirror-like lakes and snow-capped mountains, the kind of landscape that you might see on postcards. Arrive in the beautiful English city of Christchurch for a guided tour. 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.

 

  Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel, 2 Nights

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Travel north through rolling countryside to Hurunui Hills, a hill country farm in North Canterbury. Enjoy warm Kiwi hospitality from the Bamford Family, who have been farming at Hurunui since 1884 with six generations focused on producing premium Merino sheep, wool and Angus cattle. Enjoy stunning scenery, meet the farm animals & discover what it is like to live off the land, on this unique By My Guest experience. Continue to local Waipara Springs Winery where you will enjoy a platter-style lunch among the vines.  A big day leads to a big evening joining your Travel Director and travel mates for a celebratory Farewell Dinner featuring produce from the Canterbury region.

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest Morning Tea, Lunch, Farewell Dinner

You’ve travelled hundreds of kilometers across two islands, likely taken thousands of photos, and made countless memories and new friends. The only thing left to do is plan your next trip to New Zealand.

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.


Contrasts of New Zealand

First Choice

10 Day Guided Vacation

Auckland to Christchurch

New Zealand will set your heart racing, while you take the country’s pulse. From its unexpected city sights – who knew you could construct a church from cardboard? – to its culinary delights, this voyage is as thrilling as it is tasty. And then there are the natural wonders: gem-like glaciers, soaring fiords, snow-dusted mountains, and bubbling geysers among them. On this NZ holiday, drop in on Christchurch, soak your limbs in Rotorua, eat your way around Queenstown and feel the full force of nature at Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Trips to New Zealand don’t get much better than this.   

Highlights

Insider Knowledge

World Heritage listed Milford Sound/Piopiotahi is remarkable to look at; it’s even more thrilling when its flora and fauna is decoded by your oh-so-knowledgeable cruise guide.

Local Connection

Ever wondered about Southern Alps life on the land? Enjoy lunch with farmers and go behind the scenes.

Cultural Immersion

Discover just how strong Māori culture is at Te Pa Tu Maori Experience, celebrating art, tradition and cuisine. Bring your appetite for a hangi meal, cooked underground.

Sustainable Footprints

Operation Nest Egg may sound James Bond-esque, but it’s actually a National Kiwi Hatchery project to care for the country’s kiwi population. You can be involved.

Wildlife and Nature

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d be transported to Mars when you arrive at Rotorua, a place where steam and mud pop, fizz and swoosh at every turn.

Accommodation

Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort.
The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes:

 Accommodation Hotel
 Accommodation Hotel

Discover an oasis of luxury in the heart of Auckland's vibrant city. The modern and spacious SKYCITY Grand Hotel allows you to relax in style while enjoying our world-class casino, more than 20 restaurants, cafes and bars, a theatre, free live entertainment on selected nights and the iconic Sky Tower.

    Features

  • Plasma television
  • Bathrobe
  • Luxury bathroom products
  • Mini Bar
  • Refrigerator
  • Air Conditioning
  • In-house movies
  • Coffee/tea making facilities
  • Work Desk
  • Iron / Ironing Board
  • Hair Dryer
  • In-room safe
 Accommodation Hotel
 Accommodation Hotel

Centrally located in the city beside mystical Lake Rotorua, this hotel is just a brief stroll from the Rotorua Museum, Convention Centres and adjacent to a Polynesian Spa.

    Features

  • Air Conditioning
  • Mini Bar
  • Coffee/tea making facilities
  • Internet Access
  • Sky TV
  • Personalised message and wakeup service
  • Work Desk
  • Radio
  • Hair Dryer
  • In-room safe
  • Iron / Ironing Board
 Accommodation Hotel
 Accommodation Hotel

Millennium Hotel Queenstown is only minutes from Queenstown shopping, entertainment and outdoor activities such as bungee jumping, white water rafting and jet boating.

    Features

  • Air Conditioning
  • Colour TV
  • Refrigerator
  • Mini Bar
  • Phone
  • In-room safe
  • Iron / Ironing Board
  • Hair Dryer
  • Electric blankets
  • Broadband Internet access
 Accommodation Hotel
 Accommodation Hotel

Near the shores of Lake Tekapo, in the heart of Mackenzie Country in New Zealand’s central South Island, is Peppers Bluewater Resort. Overlooking Lake Tekapo this resort is located in an intensely beautiful part of the world. Peppers Bluewater Resort is set amongst the purest natural landscape.

Your accommodation in Lake Tekapo reflects the beautiful landscape surrounding you. You can explore the natural wonders of Mount Cook and the Mackenzie region from here. Marvel at an International Dark Sky Reserve with millions of stars. Ride horses through the mountains, catch a scenic flight to Franz Josef glacier, go skiing, or immerse yourself in the Tekapo Springs Day Spa and Hot Pools.

 Accommodation Hotel
 Accommodation Hotel

The newly renovated Distinction Christchurch Hotel is an urban escape combining sophisticated smarts and familiar warmth whilst standing proud amongst the buzz of the rejuvenation of Cathedral Square.

Ideally positioned in the heart of the city only a few minutes' walk from the Avon River, Botanical Gardens, Christchurch Casino, Cashel Mall and future Christchurch Convention Centre.

    Features

  • Wi-Fi
  • Sauna
  • Gym facilities
  • TV
Need accommodation before or after your tour?

Our special discounted rates make booking accommodation with us during your holiday both easy and affordable at selected AAT Kings hotels and resorts. Ask our friendly reservations at the time of booking.

Optional Experiences

To ensure your holiday is filled with memorable experiences, we have included a range of quality Optional Excursions for you to choose from and partake in, if you wish, during your holiday. The excursions can be booked on tour through your Travel Director.

NZ$445 Adult NZ$275 Child

A scenic flight from Milford Sound to return back to Queenstown. During the 35 minute flight take in panoramic views of spectacular scenery including glaciers, rivers, lakes and rainforest. Returrn transport to Queenstown accommodation is included.

Air Safaris - Grand Traverse Scenic Flight

NZ$425 Adult NZ$325 Child

Explore the alpine wonderland of the Southern Alps’ highest peaks and glacial lakes on this 45-minute scenic flight, including Murchison Glacier, Tasman Glacier, Main Divide, Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier, westland coastal rainforests and Mount Cook.

Adult: $50 NZD

Child: $30 NZD

The All Blacks Experience is an introduction to “kiwi culture” through the lens of our national sport. An immersive and emotive state-of-the-art guided journey that showcases the All Blacks and our national teams in Black, through exceptional innovation and technology. Celebrate New Zealand’s heritage and culture then stand up to one of the most powerful All Blacks Haka’s that you will ever see! At the conclusion of the guided tour, you have the option of testing your skills in our interactive zones - try out your kicking, catching, line-out and accuracy skills against legendary All Blacks.

Appellation Central Wine Tours - Boutique Wine Tour

NZ$219 Adult NZ$139 Child

An afternoon amongst the boutique vineyards and splendid alpine scenery of Central Otago. Taste wines at 4 premium vineyards over two contrasting wine regions, learn about the wine and pioneering history and visit the Historic Precinct of Old Cromwell. Includes a delightful platter lunch and a glass of wine with lunch.

Pure Glenorchy - Lord of the Rings Scenic Tour

NZ$180 Adult NZ$90 Child

Lord of The Rings Scenic Tour: Visit the stunning locations from Lord of The Rings. Encounter lsengard, Lothlorien Forest, The Misty Mountains, Ithilien and many more. Experience the absolute beauty of the Dart River Valley and our closest world heritage area. Learn about the remarkable history and unique culture of Glenorchy. Our tour feature’s some of the world’s most spectacular scenery visiting Mt Aspiring World Heritage Area, Glenorchy, The Dart River Valley and Paradise. Encounter ancient beech forest, braided rivers and glacier carved valleys.

Adult: $53 NZD
Child: $27 NZD

Set sail on our heritage scow, TED ASHBY, for an hour-long cruise in Auckland's Harbour. See the city skyline, Sky Tower and Auckland Harbour Bridge from the sea.

Dart River Jet

NZ$299 Adult NZ$205 Child

A stimulating not-to-be missed journey into the Dart River Valley where mythology, heritage & fantasy meet reality. our Jet trip is an exhilarating and spectacular journey deep into the heart of the world-renowned Mt Aspiring National Park, with the only jet boat operator allowed on the Dart River.

Kiwi Birdlife Park

Adult: $52.00 NZD
Child: $26.00 NZD

The Kiwi Birdlife Park is a wildlife sanctuary found in the heart of Queenstown. They hold and display over 20 species of native NZ wildlife in our 5 acre Park, all of which are part of nationally managed programmes. Your entry fee supports their conservation work. They offer guaranteed kiwi viewing in our specially constructed nocturnal houses, audio tours (available in English and Japanese; allow 45min), Conservation Shows (11am, 3pm; allow 30min) and Kiwi Feedings (10am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 4.30pm; allow 15min). They offer an all-day pass and the park can be enjoyed in all weather. Experience conservation in action!

NZ$99 Adult NZ$59 Child

Firstly, your twin engine Jet boat roars across crystal clear Lake Wakatipu at breath-taking speed. You’ll be surrounded by majestic mountains and mesmerising scenery. Then you zoom under the Kawarau Dam onto the deep green waters of The Kawarau River where we’ll take you for lots of 360° spins. Next the adventure heightens as your driver navigates the fast –moving currents of the narrow braided Shotover River. Your Big Yellow will race up the shallow channels at speeds of up to 95km/h. All the while skimming across water that’s less than 5cm deep in places.Finally, you return to the Pier for a complimentary view from Queenstown’s Underwater Observatory. Here you can view and purchase photos and videos from your trip. Then get up close and personal with our fascinating rainbow trout and lake-life.

Real Journeys - TSS Earnslaw (Cruise Only)

NZ$80 Adult NZ$40 Child

A cruise on Lake Wakatipu aboard the iconic steamship the TSS Earnslaw is undoubtedly one of the best ways to experience Queenstown’s famed scenic beauty. The leisurely 90 minute cruise across the lake showcases some of Queenstown’s spectacular alpine scenery while offering you plenty of time to explore a piece of Queenstown’s living history – the 104 year old TSS Earnslaw. You can visit the engine room and see its giant steam engines at work, view the collection of historical photos in our mini-museum, check out the bridge or even join a sing-along with the pianist. Or if you’d much rather, kick back and enjoy a wine or beer or some café-style food at our on-board Promenade Café and Bar.

NZ$130 Adult NZ$55 Child

Get a taste of New Zealand’s farming lifestyle at Walter Peak High Country Farm. Situated on picturesque Lake Wakatipu’s south-western shores, the farm is the perfect place to spend a relaxing few hours. The Farm Tour itself is a wonderful, interactive experience for the whole family, with something to keep everyone entertained and happy. Our rural host will meet you after you disembark from the TSS Earnslaw and take you for a walking tour of the farmyard. The first stop is the holding pens, where you can help feed the sheep and deer, and even get up close to the Scottish Highland Cattle. Then stroll through the lakeside gardens to the charming Colonel’s Homestead for morning or afternoon tea. Afterwards the farmer will lead you over to the shearing shed where you can watch the farm dogs rounding up sheep from the hill paddocks, and see the farmer shear a sheep. You will then board the TSS Earnslaw for your cruise back to Queenstown.

NZ$159 Adult NZ$89 Child

Enjoy a 30-minute jet boat ride down the mighty Shotover River and through Shotover Canyon with the only company permitted to operate in this area. A major highlight is experiencing the famous “Shotover Jet Turn” where your boat spins through a full 360 degrees turn. Includes return transfers from Queenstown. (Duration: 1.5 hours in total)

Skippers Canyon Scenic Tour (Land Only)

TNZ$155 Adult NZ$95 Child

 

Skippers Canyon Jet are the only company to offer a complete 4WD tour of Skippers Canyon and access to the unique mining relics available in the Sainsbury gold claim museum. Following the winding, yet majestic Skippers road, which carves its way down from the Coronet Peak ski road, over the saddle and down “Long gully” through to Skippers Canyon; your guide will detail the history of the road, hardships of the miners and how many miners were killed building the road over a century ago.

NZ$1999 Adult NZ$149 Child

The Kea tour is faster and longer than the Moa tour, and finishes with a zipline ride that descends 30 storeys at speeds of up to 70kph! The Kea tour is a truly unique way to get down the mountain. This stunningly beautiful guided journey through ancient native beech forest comprises six breathtaking, tree to tree ziplines with outstanding alpine vistas and returns you to the bottom of the gondola hill on a total high. This tour is perfect for families with older children, honeymooners, outdoor and nature enthusiasts or those seeking a higher adrenalin factor. Price does not include the gondola ticket and are subject to change at any time.

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