AAT Kings New Zealand Marvel Itinerary

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand!

There are plenty of reasons to arrive in New Zealand’s ‘Garden City’ early, among them the astonishing transformation that has reinvigorated streets since the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes. Meet your Travel Director and travelling companions at a Welcome Reception tonight.

Flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night

Jump aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, gorges and river valleys. Visit the small town of Hokitika, the heritage and cultural centre of the West Coast well-known for its jade. Around the corner is the town of Franz Josef, gateway to Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. Get some perspective on an optional scenic flight.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Franz Josef - 1 Night

Over the Haast Pass, alpine scenery of the Southern Lakes spreads before you. First up there’s lovely Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Then Lake Hawea – the colour of an Ice Mint – and Lake Dunstan, where you’ll pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruits. As tempting as it is to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables await in Queenstown.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Queenstown - 2 Nights

Today, choose your own adventure – there are plenty to be had. Feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Or discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at a wildlife centre. Wine aficionado? Sip your way through surrounding vineyards. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw, to Walter Peak StationHigh Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Highlights Dinner

Today you will travel to Milford Sound. On your way you will stop at Mirror Lake, famous for its reflective views of Mount Cook, and past Pop's Lookout where you'll see stunning peaks, valley's and falls. You'll be awestruck by the stunning sights of Fiordland National Park as you cruise Milford Sound, considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world. Later you drive to Te Anau where you will spend the night

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Te Anau - 1 Night

Swap the forested slopes of Fiordland for the rolling green hills of the Edinburgh of the South. Welcome to Dunedin, a beguiling union of both Māori and Scottish heritage. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution), or visit grand Larnach Castle, the only one of its kind in the country. You could venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals, anyone?

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Dunedin - 1 night

This morning you are free to relax, perhaps visit Larnach Castle New Zealand's only castle. In the afternoon travel to Oamaru, a unique mix of Victorian – ornately decorated grand limestone buildings that once housed upstanding banks, hotels and restaurants – and bohemian artisans, creative’s and antiquarians. Take in a photo stop at the visually impressive Waitaki Hydro Power Scheme and Benmore Dam. The Waitaki River marks the boundary between the regions of Canterbury and Otago. From here it's on to Twizel and Omarama the heart of the Mackenzie Country.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Omarama - 1 Night

Your outlook this morning is the Canterbury Plains. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Back on earth, it’s time to become reacquainted with Christchurch, your in-the-know guide pointing out the city’s miraculous transformation.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night

There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the sands of Kaikoura. Bonus points if you spot a sea lion or sperm whale frolicking offshore, Kaikoura is the marine wildlife centre of New Zealand. Pass the Grassmere Salt Works then travel through the Marlborough region, world-famous for its Sauvignon Blancs amongst other quality wines and on to the pretty seaside fishing village of Picton for an orientation tour.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Picton - 1 Night

Cruising through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait is a journey as scenic as it is serene. Today’s chariot, the Interislander, transports you from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into Wellington. Bring your stamina to explore Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Ask your Travel Director for tips on where to sip wine and coffee tonight – this city is known for its uber-cool cafés, restaurants and bars.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Wellington - 1 Night

The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, the largest of its kind in the country. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands.  

Meals: Breakfast, Highlight Dinner

Accommodation: Rotorua - 2 Nights

Sometimes, the best adventures are those that you have when you least expect them. Like wandering into Rotorua’s Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa and falling into a few hours of bliss while soaking in steamy thermal springs. And then there’s Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway.

Meals: Breakfast

Before you reach your final destination, get set to glow through the Waitomo Caves. While cruising cavernous limestone waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, appears on the horizon, dazzling with not one, but two harbours.

Meals: Breakfast and Farewell Dinner

Accommodation: Auckland - 1 Night

Haere rā and Bon Voyage!

Today we say farewell to newfound friends, leaving you with the magical memories of a truly exceptional New Zealand holiday.

Meals: Breakfast

Flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport

Itinerary Variations
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