First Choice

Iconic North

7 Day Guided Vacation | Auckland to Wellington

You could spend eons exploring New Zealand’s two islands. If you only have time to do the North, this NZ holiday is for you. Discover cosmopolitan cities on an Auckland tour and Wellington tour. Revel in geothermal wonders on a steamy Rotorua tour. Drop in on Lord of the Rings movie sets and glow-worm caves. And be moved by Maori culture, whether in galleries or traditional villages. The Indigenous heartbeat is strong, wherever you venture on this epic NZ tour.   

Prices From CODE: ZAAW

$2985

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 2023-09-19 departure

$3925

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 2023-09-19 departure
Prices above are per person in USD
Child prices are available on request

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Trip Details

trip-details-whats-includedWhat's included

  • • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver
  • • Centrally located premium 4- & 5-star hotels
  • • National Park entrance fees

trip-details-diningDining

  • • 6 Full Breakfasts
  • • 2 Dinners with Wine
  • • 1 Highlight Dinner
  • • 1 Be My Guest Lunch

trip-details-flight-infoFlight Information

  • • Day 1: Flights to arrive by 4:00pm into Auckland Airport
  • • Day 7: Flights to depart after 2:00pm from Wellington Airport
  • • Airline schedules may change at short notice. Please consider possible flight disruption 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 blessed when it comes to water views – on one side of the isthmus is Manukau Harbour; on the other, Waitemata. Exploring pretty precincts at your leisure, gazing out over a flurry of yachts, you’ll begin to understand why Auckland is fondly known as the ‘City of Sails’. Come evening, meet your fellow NZ holiday travel companions for dinner and a few local tipples, and share stories of your day-one wanderings.  

  Hotel: The Cordis, 2 Nights

  Included Meals: Dinner with Wine

Remember all those sails you spotted on Auckland’s harbour yesterday? They come from a long and fascinating history of boat-building and sailing, as you’ll discover on an America’s Cup tour at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. This is a story of migration, innovation, team-building and skill. Plus, you get to glimpse one of the few existing replicas of the America’s Cup. The water is your backdrop as your skirt the harbour toward dreamy Mission Bay, onward to Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial. This is the place to get some perspective. Yes of Auckland and its improbable location, but also of life in general. There’s nothing like an epic view to set your soul soaring. If you want tips on how to spend your afternoon post Auckland tour, we have a few ideas, whether you’re a sports fanatic or a budding gourmand. Perhaps a behind-the-scenes All Blacks experience, revealing insights into this record-breaking rugby team. Or a cruise out to Waiheke Island for a tasting of local wines. If you have a sweet tooth, you might prefer to meet the makers at one of New Zealand’s most innovative ice-creameries. A NZ holiday high.    

  Included Meals: Breakfast

If you hadn’t noticed already, Kiwis are a friendly bunch. None more so than Lance and Bridgette O’Sullivan, who welcome you to their bucolic Waikato farm for a country-style lunch in the aptly-named Red Barn. Expect plenty of stories about horses – the couple are racing royalty, after all. Fuel up on this Be My Guest lunch, as there’s an afternoon of activity ahead of you in the Bay of Plenty region, should you wish to lace up your hiking shoes. Work up a sweat on a Bay of Plenty tour exploring the trails of Mount Maunganui, an extinct volcano set on a peninsula. It’s an extremely spiritual place among the traditional Maori landowners, and hiking here is a humbling experience. You may prefer to kick off your boots and wander barefoot along a golden stretch of sand by the same name. There’s a reason why many consider it the prettiest beach in the country.    

  Hotel: Trinity Wharf Tauranga

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Be My Guest Lunch, Dinner with Wine

Te Puke takes home the great honour of being the kiwifruit capital of New Zealand. And these sweet treats don’t get much tastier than when freshly picked straight from the orchard, handed to you by a farmer. Expect an explosion of flavour when you take your first bite. The zingy sensation will linger with you all the way to Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. The natural drama of this NZ tour reaches boiling point at Whakarewarewa, a geothermal reserve and the country’s only living Māori village. Indigenous heritage is also celebrated at Te Puia cultural centre, where you can witness Māori  artisans at work. Your visit here supports up-and-coming creatives. Your Rotorua tour culminates at to Te Pā Tū  Māori  Experience, an important hub keeping tradition, art and music alive. Oh, and nurturing Maori cuisine. Sit down to a lavish hangi meal, cooked in underground ovens.

  Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua, 2 Nights

  Included Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Tour Rotorua at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Nature lover? We might point you in the direction of the sparkling Waitomo Caves, where a galaxy of glow worms twinkle above your head while you cruise an underground cave system, replete with waterfalls and staggering limestone formations. Add on a visit to Hobbiton, if you’re a Lord of the Rings fanatic, to see where Bilbo and Frodo lived, amid rolling green meadows blanketed with wildflowers. Or sign up to tour Rotorua and its three lakes in an amphibious WWII era Duck. Yes, it’s a thing that history buffs won’t want to miss. But at the end of the day, we wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at in the steamy thermal springs at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa. This is the ultimate antidote to NZ holiday weary limbs.  

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-meter-high waterfall every second. Photos just don’t do it justice; this is an every-sense-heightened experience. 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. The surrounding countryside is one of ridiculous contrast: snow-blanketed mountains and alpine deserts, ancient forests and trout-filled rivers. 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 guide book. Wait, you have an in-the-know Travel Director to talk to…

  Hotel: James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor

  Included Meals: Breakfast

New Zealand’s harbour-hugging capital leaves you wanting more. It’s a good thing we’re ready to show you around on a Wellington tour, taking in distinctive architecture, monuments, hip precincts and cultural icons, not in the least waterside Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand – don’t miss a visit to the establishment’s Maori wharenui (meeting house). It’s an eye-opening ending to an equally eye-opening trip to New Zealand.   

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.


Iconic North

First Choice

7 Day Guided Vacation

Auckland to Wellington

You could spend eons exploring New Zealand’s two islands. If you only have time to do the North, this NZ holiday is for you. Discover cosmopolitan cities on an Auckland tour and Wellington tour. Revel in geothermal wonders on a steamy Rotorua tour. Drop in on Lord of the Rings movie sets and glow-worm caves. And be moved by Maori culture, whether in galleries or traditional villages. The Indigenous heartbeat is strong, wherever you venture on this epic NZ tour.   

Highlights

Insider Knowledge

You may have tasted kiwifruit before. But you’ve probably never savoured one plucked fresh and handed to you by the farmer. Get set for a flavour explosion.

Local Connection

The dairy industry is big business in New Zealand, as you’ll discover in the company of Bridgette and Lance O’Sullivan on their Waikato farm. The stories they’ll tell you about life on the land…

Cultural Immersion

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

Sustainable Footprints

Your visit to the Te Puia Geothermal Reserve not only reveals Rotorua’s steamy history, but also supports up-and-coming Maori creatives.

Wildlife and Nature

If you want to be blown away by nature, Huka Falls is the place to go. This mighty waterfall sees 220,000 litres of water per second thunder over an 11-metre ridge. Prepare to get wet.

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

The Cordis Auckland exudes a timeless elegance that celebrates the past, yet embraces the future. As a luxury Auckland hotel, we will enchant you with our tradition of graceful living.

 

    Features

  • LCD TV
  • Work Desk
  • Tea & Coffee Facilities
  • Shower Over Bath
  • Deluxe Marble Bathroom
  • In-room Movies (fee applies)
  • Manual temperature control
  • Blackout drapes/curtains
  • Iron / Ironing Board
  • In-room safe
  • Room service
  • Business Facilities
  • Mini-bar (surcharge)
  • Satellite TV
  • Broadband Internet access
  • Phone
 Accommodation Hotel
 Accommodation Hotel

Trinity Wharf Hotel Tauranga offers 4.5 star luxury Tauranga hotel accommodation and apartments with a stunning waterfront location, flexible conference facilities and a waterfront restaurant and bar, just minutes from the Tauranga city centre and Mount Maunganui beach. A leading accommodation and event venue in the Western Bay Of Plenty, Trinity Wharf Tauranga is an urban retreat that captures the very essence of New Zealand hospitality.

    Features

  • Shower - separate
  • Bath
  • Tea/Coffee facilities
  • Minibar & Fridge
  • Air conditioning
  • Bathrobes
  • Bathroom amenities
  • Free Wifi
  • Hairdryer
  • In-room safes
  • Iron & ironing board
  • TV with Sky TV (cable)
 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

Noted for friendly, professional service and well-appointed accommodation, James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor is the destination of choice for today’s discerning business and holiday traveller.

    Features

  • Work Desk
  • Room service
  • Broadband Internet access
  • Sky TV
  • In-room Movies (fee applies)
  • Mini-bar (surcharge)
  • Tea & Coffee Facilities
  • Iron / Ironing Board
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.

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.

Canopy Tours - The Original Canopy Tour

NZ$159 Adult

Canopy tours zipline adventure activity is an experience of a lifetime. You’ll be transported to a long forgotten ancient forest just like the whole of New Zealand once was. Experience a low impact mode of transport to get you high in the ancient canopy! In total there are 6 ziplines totalling more than 650 metres, the highlight for most being the jawdropping 220 metre tui song zipline that departs from 22 metres up a 1000 year old tree. Beat that for a setting! There are numerous treetop platforms at varying heights above the forest floor where you can observe and take in the magic of the environment around you.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

NZ$179 Adult NZ$179 Child

Travel from Rotorua to Matamata then onto Hobbiton for your tour of the move set with Hobbiton Tours. Experience the real Middle-earth at the Hobbiton Movie Set, where, in the heart of the Waikato region, you can step into the lush pastures of the Shire, as seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.  You will be fully guided around the 12-acre set; past Hobbit Holes, the Mill and into the world-famous Green Dragon Inn, where you will be presented with a complimentary, exclusive Hobbit South-farthing beverage to conclude your own Middle-earth adventure.

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.

Rotorua Duck - Rotorua City and Lakes Tour

Rotorua City and Lakes Tour - NZ$85 Adult NZ$50 Child

Our Rotorua City and Lakes tour is a fantastic sightseeing experience. Combine learning about a historically significant area with the thrill of riding in New Zealand’s only genuine operating WW2 landing crafts. Beginning in the heart of Rotorua, you’ll see historic buildings, hot springs, geothermal wonders and more. Then, head out to Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake), our most recreational lake, and Lake Okareka – nestled in the heart of a vibrant community – for two fun Splashdowns.

Adult: $105.00 NZD
Child: $60.00 NZD

Discover Rotorua’s spectacular lakes area from the comfort of a fully restored World War II amphibious vehicle, able to travel on land and water. A 90 minute fun-filled and scenic journey that ventures onto the three Rotorua lakes, and is accompanied by an entertaining and informative commentary.

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