First Choice
Internal-vacation flights included
New Zealand Panorama
7 Day Guided Vacation | Queenstown to Rotorua
Travel Period
You don’t need to do everything to appreciate a destination – sometimes the best journeys are those when you have time to immerse yourself in a city. This Queenstown to Auckland tour will have you wandering the streets of Auckland on the hunt for a great restaurant, soaking in Rotorua’s thermal springs, stopping to appreciate Maori culture and enjoying adventure with a side of wine in Queenstown.
Prices From Code: RPACA
$3002
$3812
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.
Secure your trip with a deposit
New Zealand Panorama
First Choice
7 Day Guided Vacation
Queenstown to Rotorua
You don’t need to do everything to appreciate a destination – sometimes the best journeys are those when you have time to immerse yourself in a city. This Queenstown to Auckland tour will have you wandering the streets of Auckland on the hunt for a great restaurant, soaking in Rotorua’s thermal springs, stopping to appreciate Maori culture and enjoying adventure with a side of wine in Queenstown.
Highlights
Insider Knowledge
Your guide to the Ruakuri Cave at Waitomo will light up your life – and if they don’t, the glowworms surely will.
Local Connection
If you’ve ever wanted to know what life on the land was like, South Island farmer Laura will reveal all. She’s been here her whole life – there’s not much she doesn’t know.
Cultural Immersion
Kiwis celebrate their heritage at every chance possible, as you’ll discover at Mitai Māori Village, where your hangi dinner is accompanied by a cultural performance.
Sustainable Footprints
The national symbol of New Zealand, kiwi birds are as adorable as they are endangered. Your visit to a hatchery supports breeding programs to ensure their future.
Wildlife and Nature
Blessed with snow-capped peaks and vast mirror-like lakes, Queenstown is the kind of place that makes you want to instantly become a New Zealand resident.
Itinerary
New Zealand Panorama (Travel Period: 01 Apr 2023 – 31 Mar 2024)
Queenstown deserves its destination crown. And you’ll have plenty of time to explore. But first stop is Arrowtown, a former mining town so dreamy it looks like it has slipped straight from a movie set. Drop in on bijou boutiques, cafés and bars along the tree-lined promenade before an afternoon at your leisure in Queenstown. Hit us up for dining recommendations.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown, 3 Nights
Arriving in New Zealand, the first thing you probably noticed is that there’s a lot of farmland. It’s fitting, then, that one of the first people you’ll meet is southern girl Laura, who will introduce you to the sheep farm she was born and raised on. Come dusk, cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the TSS Earnslaw; the only thing more inspiring than the peaks of the Remarkables that surround is the festive atmosphere welcoming you to Walter Peak High Country Farm, where a gourmet barbecue at the Colonel’s Homestead awaits.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner
You clearly need more than one day to appreciate Queenstown and its surrounds. And when we say surrounds, we mean Milford Sound. Today, sign up to dive deep into this yawning gorge within World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park – it’s within easy reach of your base, and is best explored on an optional South Island tour that sees you jumping aboard boat to cruise the mirror-like waterway. Don’t be surprised if you see dolphins and seals playing in the wake of waterfalls. If you like things fast-paced, opt for bungy jumping, jet-boating or sip-lining. You are in the adventure capital of New Zealand, after all
Included Meals: Breakfast
Touching down in Auckland, you’ll immediately understand why it’s known as the ‘City of Sails’ – New Zealand’s largest city has two lovely yacht-filled harbours, which you can explore at our leisure this afternoon.
Hotel: The Grand by SkyCity
Included Meals: Breakfast
Today is set to sparkle – quite literally – as thousands of bright green and blue glowworms light up your next destination: the cavernous Ruakuri Cave at Waitomo. From overhead attractions to those below the ground… this evening your dinner is prepared in an earthen hangi at the Mitai Māori Village. It’s an eye-opening (and tasty) introduction to Māori culture, with musical and dance performances revealing stories passed down through generations.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua, 2 Nights
Included Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner
Cute and cuddly, NZ’s national bird, the kiwi, is also endangered. Go behind the scenes on a working kiwi nursery and hatchery to learn how breeding programs are helping the population thrive. The natural drama reaches boiling point at Whakarewarewa, a geothermal reserve and the country’s only living Māori village, home to famous Pohutu Geyser (the country’s largest) and the bubbling beauty of mud pools.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Short, sweet and packed with highlights – how else to describe this wonderful week?
Included Meals: Breakfast
Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.
Accommodation
Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort.
The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes:
Millennium Hotel Queenstown is only minutes from Queenstown shopping, entertainment and outdoor activities such as bungee jumping, white water rafting and jet boating.
- Air Conditioning
- Colour TV
- Refrigerator
- Mini Bar
- Phone
- In-room safe
- Iron / Ironing Board
- Hair Dryer
- Electric blankets
- Broadband Internet access
Features
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.
- 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
Features
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.
- 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
Features
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.
Trip Details
What's included
- • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
- • 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site – Fiordland National Park
- • Be My Guest Experience - Laura Douglas Farm Experience
- • Centrally located premium 4- & 5-star hotels
- • 5 included attractions/experiences
- • Arrival and departure airport transfers
What to Bring
- • Warm layers in cooler months
- • Camera
- • Comfortable walking shoes
- • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat
- • Water bottle
Fitness Requirements
- • Low level of fitness required
Dining
- • 6 Full Breakfasts
- • 2 Highlight Dinners
- • 1 Farewell Dinner
Flight Information
- • Day 1: Flights to arrive by 4:00pm into Queenstown airport
- • Day 4: Queenstown to Auckland NZ614 (*Required Internal Flights)
- • Day 7: Flights to depart after 2:00pm from Auckland Airport
New Zealand Panorama
First Choice
7 Day Guided Vacation
Queenstown to Rotorua
You don’t need to do everything to appreciate a destination – sometimes the best journeys are those when you have time to immerse yourself in a city. This Queenstown to Auckland tour will have you wandering the streets of Auckland on the hunt for a great restaurant, soaking in Rotorua’s thermal springs, stopping to appreciate Maori culture and enjoying adventure with a side of wine in Queenstown.
Highlights
Local Connection
Sheep farming is a thing in the South Island. Learn about life on the land through the eyes of local Laura Douglas.
Insider Knowledge
There’s little your guide doesn’t know about the insect world shimmering around you as you explore the Ruakuri Glowworm Caves.
Cultural Immersion
Your hosts at Whakarewarewa Living Village share intimate stories and Indigenous traditions during your visit to this important cultural site.
Sustainable Footprints
The kiwi bird may be NZ’s national icon, but it’s as elusive as it’s cute. Spot them and contribute to protection, visiting a hatchery.
Itinerary
New Zealand Panorama (Travel Period: 01 Apr 2022 – 31 Mar 2023)
Welcome to Queenstown, New Zealand. Upon arrival into Queenstown, we travel to the faithfully restored gold mining settlement of Arrowtown. As you amble down the beautiful tree-lined avenues, past the 19th century wooden buildings, you will feel like you have stepped into a movie set. Later, you will have free time to explore Queenstown.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown, 3 nights
Get a feel for real country life this morning when we meet our host Laura for a Be my Guest Experience. Born and raised on a sheep and deer farm in the deep south of New Zealand, Laura will share her story of her life growing up in the country. Try your hand at sheep mustering, whip cracking as well as the chance to feed and pet the farm animals. You'll leave feeling more like a local than a visitor. Early evening, enjoy a peaceful evening cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue highlight dinner at the Colonel’s Homestead. Then enjoy an entertaining after-dinner farm show providing a glimpse into high-country farm life.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
While Queenstown wears its Global Adventure badge proudly, it’s also the perfect place to relax and explore. The town boasts great shopping with luxury brands, iconic New Zealand design stores and boutique fashion. If bungy jumping or tree-to-tree ziplining aren't your cup of tea, consider an Optional Experience to spectacular Milford Sound, travel to the UNESCO World Heritage Fiordland National Park. Experience magnificent scenery and many photo opportunities afforded by the Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, Hollyford Valley lookout (Pop’s view), Cleddau Valley and the Chasm, drive through the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel towards the iconic Mitre Peak and the Bowen Falls before reaching Milford Sound for your cruise.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Today we depart the adventure capital of New Zealand Queenstown and head north to the City of Sails, Auckland. Tonight, why not dine at one of the many eateries on Federal Street, a hotspot for food lovers right on your doorstep. With an impressive accolade of awards between them, there is something to suit every taste at Federal Street.
Hotel: The Grand by SkyCity
Included Meals: Breakfast
Today we journey south through the King Country region which was at the centre of the New Zealand Wars in the 1860’s. Join our 'Local Specialist' in a starry wonderland - a cavernous galaxy of twinkling bright green and blue glow-worms that light up the Ruakuri Caves, Waitomo. This evening, we join our hosts at the Mitai Maori Village for an authentic introduction to Maori culture, experience a delicious Hangi feast and cultural performance.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua, 2 nights
Included Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner
Visit Rainbow Springs Nature Park for a guided tour of the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa, the national leader in kiwi husbandry. Learn about the work being done to save New Zealand’s national bird, see kiwi eggs being incubated, the hatching process and newly hatched kiwi chicks. Continue to the Living Maori Village Whakarewarewa and gain in-depth insights into the lives of the Māori people and the special bond they share with this ancient land. See New Zealand's biggest geyser, bubbling mud pools and thermal springs. Later we'll join our Travel Director and new-found friends for a Farewell Dinner at Terrace Kitchen on the Lakefront.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Bid farewell to your epic Antipodean adventure as you are transferred to Auckland Airport for your onward flight.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.
Accommodation
Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort.
The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes:
Millennium Hotel Queenstown is only minutes from Queenstown shopping, entertainment and outdoor activities such as bungee jumping, white water rafting and jet boating.
- Air Conditioning
- Colour TV
- Refrigerator
- Mini Bar
- Phone
- In-room safe
- Iron / Ironing Board
- Hair Dryer
- Electric blankets
- Broadband Internet access
Features
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.
- 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
Features
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.
- 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
Features
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$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.
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.
Coach/Cruise/Coach: NZ$219 Adult NZ$119 Child
Fly/Cruise/Fly : NZ$541 Adult NZ$352 Child
Coach/Cruise/Fly: NZ$663 Adult NZ$379 Child
Enjoy Milford Sound’s awe-inspiring scenery from the comfort of our modern, spacious vessels. Our Scenic Cruise vessels have purpose-built observation lounges and large decks, so you can be sure you’ll get some great viewing opportunities. You’ll see the geological drama of sheer cliffs, massive waterfalls, glaciers and rainforest. Keep a look out for wildlife like seals basking on the rocks or dolphins. During the cruise, our friendly crew provide commentaries in several languages and point out the sights such as Mitre Peak and the Pembroke Glacier.
Optional Experiences indicated are Australian or New Zealand dollars. Please note that occasionally weather or seasonal conditions may not permit their operation. Some also depend on a minimum number of participants and suitable time being available. Please see your Travel Director for a full list of experiences.
Trip Details
What's included
- • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
- • 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site – Fiordland National Park
- • Be My Guest Experience - Laura Douglas Farm Experience
- • Centrally located premium 4- & 5-star hotels
- • 5 included attractions/experiences
- • Arrival and departure airport transfers
What to Bring
- • Warm layers in cooler months
- • Camera
- • Comfortable walking shoes
- • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat
- • Water bottle
Fitness Requirements
- • Low level of fitness required
Dining
- • Breakfast (6)
- • Dinner (2)
- • Farewell Dinner (1)
Flight Information
- • Day 1: Flights to arrive by 4:00pm into Queenstown airport
- • Day 4: Queenstown to Auckland NZ614 (*Required Internal Flights)
- • Day 7: Flights to depart after 2:00pm from Auckland Airport
