AAT Kings - Iconic North Itinerary

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand

Relax you are now officially on holiday and everything has been taken care of! We will meet you at the airport and drive you directly to your hotel to freshen up and unwind. Tonight, enjoy a Welcome Reception and dinner with your Travel Director. 

Meals: Dinner with wine

Accommodation:  Auckland - 2 Nights

Enjoy a relaxed start to the day before heading to the New Zealand Maritime Museum for an exclusive America’s Cup tour. Afterwards, enjoy an extended city sights tour of Auckland. Travel around Auckland’s waterfront from central city out to Mission Bay. Prepare your camera for the stop at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, as you will get stunning shots of Auckland, the North Shore and the Waitemata. This afternoon is at leisure.

Some Activities and sightseeing options if you have time:

Meals: Breakfast

You’re invited to a Be My Guest lunch at the Red Barn on the Waikato farm of Lance and Bridgette O’Sullivan, New Zealand horse racing royalty.

Later, travel to Tauranga, in the Bay of Plenty. 

The Bay of Plenty aptly named by Captain James Cook for its abundance in food, lush soils, sheltered harbours and beauty. 'The Mount' rises abruptly at the entrance to Tauranga Harbour. It is an extinct volcanic cone that towers over the idyllic Ocean Beach, a summer mecca for thousands of sun, sea, surf and sand worshippers. Mt Maunganui is synonymous with New Zealand's love of long summer days and balmy evenings on beaches and barbecue areas. 

Accommodation: Tauranga - 1 Night

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with wine

Travel through Te Puke, known as the kiwifruit capital of New Zealand with around 80% of all kiwifruit grown in New Zealand, grown here. You’ll stop at Kiwifruit Country, a family owned business that is set amongst a 60-hectare orchard. Later, it’s on to Rotorua for an orientation tour that takes in views of Lake Rotorua. After reaching Rotorua, we visit Te Puia, the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, where students carry on age-old traditions of wood carving and weaving. A tour of Rotorua’s active geothermal fields follows.

After enjoying great views of Lake Rotorua settle down to enjoy a traditional Maori 'Hangi' Feast and Concert at the Tamaki Family Marae.

Meals: Breakfast & Highlight Dinner

Accommodation: Rotorua - 2 Nights

Today the choice is yours to explore the geothermal wonderland and the surrounding areas. You could take a trip to the Waitomo Glowworm Grotto, or an ancient forest zipline adventure with Canopy Tours, visit the Hobbiton Movie Set, or explore Rotorua and its lakes in an Amphibious WWll-era Duck.

Included Meals: Breakfast

The Thermal Explorer Highway guides you to the Central North Island and the largest body of fresh water in the Southern Hemisphere - Lake Taupo. follow its shores south and climb up to the spectacular Desert Road in to the Tongariro National Park where a dramatic alpine vista unfolds, crowned by the imposing volcanic peaks of Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngaruahoe. Continue along the Kapiti Coast to Wellington.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Wellington - 1 Night

Discover more of Wellington this morning. There’s time to explore the Parliament buildings and the ‘Beehive’, home to New Zealand’s politicians, as well as the many fascinating exhibits at Te Papa Museum of New Zealand. Say farewell to your fellow travellers before you are transferred by private car to Wellington Airport for your onward flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Tour Inclusion :

Sightseeing Highlights

• Join Bridgette and Lance O'Sullivan on their lush Waikato dairy farm for lunch.
• Learn about the delicious, fascinating kiwifruit when you visit a kiwifruit orchard in Te Puke.
• A first-hand encounter with Māori culture and cuisine, where guests get to experience the centuries-old traditions of New Zealand's Indigenous people.
• When you visit amazing Te Puia Thermal Reserve, you help contribute to the Reserve’s Māori Arts and Crafts institute.

Included Meals

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

Plus

• Welcome Reception
• Travel Wallet, Luggage Tags & Map of New Zealand
• Hotel Porterage Included