Tour
From north to south, east to west, Auckland to Christchurch, New Zealand is a country of contrasts. And that’s why we love it. One minute you’re drifting through World Heritage listed gorges on a Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) tour, then next you’re scaling ice on a Franz Josef/Waiau tour. Sometimes there’s a Maori-inspired feast on the menu; at others there’s award-winning wine. Spanning 17 days, two islands and countless things to do in New Zealand – both city and country – this trip is one for the record books.
Comfortable walking shoes
Warm layers
Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat
Water bottle
Camera
Return Airport to Hotel transfers are available to purchase on request.
Flights to and from your tour are not included in the tour price.
Pricing and availability are supplied by our partner network and can change. Your ohsotravel agent confirms every detail before you book — no surprises.
Auckland is the kind of place you could lose yourself in for a couple of weeks. Arrive at your leisure and explore hip new waterfront precincts, or just ready yourself to meet your fellow travel companions for drinks and dinner tonight. And so your NZ tour begins.
Accommodations: Horizon by SkyCity Auckland
Meals: Dinner
A little bit of leisure, a little bit of culture – today is one of those days. Peek behind the scenes of maritime racing history on the New Zealand Maritime Museum’s America’s Cup Tour, highlighting Auckland’s heritage of boat-building, and offering a glimpse of one of the world’s only replicas of the America’s Cup. Your Auckland tour guide then takes you around the city, pausing at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, and view Mission Bay for epic photo opportunities over the city’s dual harbour. By now you should have a few ideas for how to spend your afternoon exploring, but if not, ask us for recommendations. We have a little black book full of contacts.
Accommodations: Horizon by SkyCity Auckland
Meals: Breakfast
Leave Auckland behind and journey to Rotorua, a true hot spot on your NZ holiday. This afternoon, enjoy an exclusive Be My Guest experience at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand's most colourful and diverse geothermal valley. Visit for a private tour to see The Devils Bath and bubbling mud pools with fascinating insights from an expert guide, and enjoy a mocktail and canapés at the aptly named champagne pool. Tonight, dive deep into Maori culture at Te Pa Tu Maori Experience, an important hub keeping tradition, art and music alive. Oh, and exciting Maori cuisine. Enjoy forest kai horotai (seasonal canapés) and chef choice aperitif, followed by a three-course dinner - a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
Accommodations: Millennium Hotel Rotorua
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
A century ago, the Australian outback was but a twinkle in most travellers' eyes. But thanks to visionaries like the Pyke family and Bill King, the way we explore the Land Down Under was about to change in unimaginable ways. Over the coming decades, maps were unfolded, desert cruisers and coaches were customised, and guides were trained. From humble beginnings, the company now known as AAT Kings was going places few had gone before, pioneering new paths across Australia and New Zealand and taking intrepid domestic and international travellers on a wild and wonderful ride.
We've spent the last century perfecting a Holy Grail of life-changing moments around Australia and across New Zealand – ones you likely never knew even existed, and that you won't find in a guidebook or listed on any website. Our DNA has never changed – we are, and always have been pioneers committed to worry-free and sustainable travel, revealing these majestic countries in a way that you never imagined possible.
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and confirmed by your agent before booking.
Today, choose your own adventure. We have plenty of ideas for the paths you might follow. Optional experience Rotorua tour sightseeing experiences include relieving NZ holiday-weary limbs in the thermal waters of Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa. Or perhaps you’d prefer to zip across Rotorua’s three lakes in an amphibious WWII-era Duck. The decision is yours.
Accommodations: Millennium Hotel Rotorua
Meals: Breakfast
Say goodbye to Rotorua and hello to the raging rapids of Huka Falls, where 220,000 litres of water barrel over this massive waterfall every second. Your outlook then unfolds into the dreamy landscape of Lake Taupo, the largest of its kind in the country and with a twinkling, blue-eyed-boy charm. Traverse the volcanic Central Plateau to NZ’s cool little capital of Wellington, set on a pretty harbour.
Accommodations: Rydges Wellington
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your day in Wellington should – must – begin with a coffee. The city is known for its ubercool cafés. Head out on city sights tour to take in highlights such as its iconic cable car, parliament, and Mt. Victoria. Your tour ends at Te Papa, the national Museum of New Zealand, where you may choose to visit the groundbreaking exhibitions on offer (entrance fee applies). Later you may decide on an optional experience. Lord of the Rings fans will rejoice with a special tour and visit to Weta Workshop. Or choose to visit Zealandia's ecosanctuary restoring 225 hectares of forest. Tonight, there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. Ask us for recommendations or explore at your leisure.
Accommodations: Rydges Wellington
Meals: Breakfast
This morning cruise the Cook Strait into tranquil Queen Charlotte Sound and continue to Kaikoura, a marine life haven. On arrival be treated to a biodiversity talk from Sabrina Luecht, founder of Kaikoura Wildlife Centre Trust, and learn about the work the trust is doing towards wildlife rescue, and rehabilitation, at this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Tonight dine at Hiku, which celebrates what Kaikoura is all about - kai moana and dramatic sea and mountain scapes.
Accommodations: Sudima Kaikoura
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy a relaxed start this morning or sign up for one of several local wildlife optional experiences available. Choose from an optional scenic flight over dramatic beaches framed by turquoise ocean where whales are regularly spotted, or perhaps you’d prefer a cruise to site pods of dolphin which are prolific in the area, or a kayaking tour of the coast to get up close and personal with seals basking on the rocks. You won’t be disappointed. Follow the coast and Canterbury Plains to Christchurch, home to some of the country’s most innovative architecture, art institutions and restaurants. We can help you make a booking in any number of the latter.
Accommodations: Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Meals: Breakfast
From its eye-popping, cardboard-crafted Cathedral to its gold-clad central library, Christchurch has well and truly rebuilt itself since the 2010/11 earthquakes, setting the bar high for architecture and design across the country. On your Christchurch tour you’ll discover that despite this cosmopolitan culture, South Island locals still cherish a simple life. Prepare yourself for plenty of country swagger over a Be My Guest afternoon tea hosted by Lake Tekapo locals Stan and Angie Taylor at Morelea, their home overlooking the glistening emerald lake. Former farmers, Angie will give a demonstration of her famous pavlova dessert, and you will hear from Stan about a lifetime spent farming in New Zealand.
Accommodations: Distinction Mackenzie Country Hotel Twizel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Oamaru has a rich history and proud heritage, enriched by passionate and perhaps quirky locals. Explore the shops, galleries and traditional crafts within some of the Southern Hemisphere's most complete Victorian streetscapes, before landing in Dunedin. The afternoon is yours to discover the ‘Edinburgh of the Southern Hemisphere’, on optional experiences, whether wandering the manicured grounds of its stately castle, taking a wildlife cruise to spot little penguins, or sampling sustainable gin.
Accommodations: Scenic Hotel Southern Cross
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
From sheep farms to rugged mountains, today is one of diversity. Venture to the South Island's largest lake and the pretty lakeside town of Te Anau. You'll experience the thrill of jet boating on Lake Manapouri, home to Pomona Island where native birds are under threat - and this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience is helping to protect them through a community-based conservation project that is also helping to restore native flora. Stop in some quiet and tranquil spots, soak up the amazing surrounds, spot a few trout, and learn about the unique environment and fascinating history of this unique location among Fiordland National Park.
Accommodations: Distinction Te Anau Hotel and Villas
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
There aren’t many places in the world that remind you how precious the planet is. Fiordland National Park is one. Your journey towards Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) traverses native rainforest, alluvial flats and meadows, with mirrored lakes, thundering waterfalls, dramatic rocky ranges and millennia-old valleys. Now prepare yourself for your Piopiotahi boat tour, cruising through this wild expanse, provides enough drama for an entire travel year. You still have the streets of Queenstown, known as the ‘Adventure Capital of New Zealand’, to explore.
Accommodations: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast
The roll-call of Queenstown optional experiences you could sign-up for today is near endless. Maybe your Queenstown tour is dedicated to the gorges of Skippers Canyon. If you’re a gourmand at heart, sign up for a Central Otago wine tour, where your day involves sipping your way through award-winning cool-climate wines. Or visit Kiwi Birdlife Park, take on the Shotover River with KJet. The Lord of the Rings fans, there's the Glenorchy Scenic Tour. Your day ends on a dreamy TSS Earnslaw cruise across Lake Wakatipu, landing at Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner at the Colonel’s Homestead.
Accommodations: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
From Arrowtown’s tree-lined avenues (where you've been visiting a bygone time) to Central Otago’s gleaming lakes, nature rules today. Alpine scenery tiers into rainforest along the West Coast of New Zealand. Welcome to the town of Waiau (Franz Josef), home to Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere (Franz Josef Glacier), the massif ideally explored on an optional experience helicopter flight – conditions pending, you may even be able to land and walk across the ice-fall. The bird’s-eye view reveals the immensity of this gem-like mound of ice.
Accommodations: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy a relaxed morning in Waiau (Franz Josef), exploring the small but lively village. Pause at a scenic viewpoint for a glimpse of Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere (Franz Josef Glacier), a powerful river of ice carved deep into the landscape, before continuing to Hokitika, famed for its jade greenstone and creative artisan culture. This evening, arrive at Scenic Punakaiki and unwind over dinner with wine, set against the dramatic rhythm of the West Coast shoreline.
Accommodations: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Join us at Ponaumu Pathway. Delve into the history and culture of the local Maori (Poutini Ngai Tahu) and the Mawhera Pa settlement. Embark on a unique self-guided journey, as you make your way through this extraordinary storytelling experience born from a collaboration with the Weta Workshop. An inspiring and unforgettable cultural experience. We’ve got you sorted for lunch at legendary Monteith’s Brewery. You only live once, right? The best is yet to come – all aboard for the scenic TranzAlpine train from Arthur's Pass back to Christchurch. Travel through tunnels and over viaducts, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. Your NZ tour arrives in Christchurch just in time for dinner.
Accommodations: Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
How many travel highs can you pack into a holiday? This itinerary has certainly pushed the boundaries. Now all you have to do is go home and sort through all those photos.
Meals: Breakfast
We're captivated by the places we visit, from the rugged, crimson sands of Australia's outback deserts to the verdant forests and inky depths of New Zealand's fjords and valleys. Our passion for our lands, their people and wildlife is part of what makes each AAT Kings experience unique, and is why we work with partners who share our vision for making travel matter, now and in the future. When you travel with AAT Kings and any of our sister brands you can be assured that you are choosing to travel with a company that puts sustainability and the planet at the core of everything we do.
The TreadRight Foundation was founded over a decade ago as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's (TTC) family of brands with a mission to ensure our trips have a positive impact, and AAT Kings is proud to be a founding member.
Community support and cultural preservation by targeting overtourism through the inclusion of new MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences, the creation of a standalone strategy to encourage greater diversity and inclusion at AAT Kings, and our global give-back efforts.
Sustainability and conservation by targeting climate change, sustainable food production and responsible consumption through carbon management, renewable energy, the food cycle, waste reduction, and the elimination of single-use plastics.
Conservation and protection by targeting animal welfare and conservation, and ethical wildlife experiences through our Animal Welfare Policy.
In partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we have supported more than 55 sustainable tourism projects worldwide which seek to protect wildlife and marine life and have a positive impact on the people and communities we visit. Each tourism project we support is assessed based on its impact on each of the TreadRight pillars of people, planet and wildlife, underpinned by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Since 1995 Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island has provided vital support to vulnerable populations of the flightless Kiwi bird, a beloved national species. The species is under threat from predators and their ground nests lack adequate protection, causing their population to decline each year. To date the National Kiwi Hatchery at Rainbow Springs has hatched more than 2,000 eggs, providing a safe environment for birds to hatch, releasing them into ideal habitats in the wild so that they can continue to reproduce. You can visit the Hatchery to learn more about the vital work they are doing to ensure the survival of the species, with less than 70,000 kiwis left in the wild.
In some areas, more than 80% of the Tasmanian Devil population has been wiped out by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) which continue to spread through wild populations in Tasmania. In conjunction with the TreadRight Foundation, AAT Kings support the work done at the University of Tasmania to develop a vaccine to ensure the population of Tasmanian devils can thrive disease-free in the wild. Guests travelling on selected Tasmanian tours can spend time observing the nocturnal behaviour of the Tasmanian Devil and learn more about these fascinating creatures with our Devils After Dark experience.
AAT Kings is committed to only offering ethical wildlife experiences on our trips guided by TreadRight's Animal Welfare Policy to support a tourism industry free of animal cruelty. The policy is based on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare and you can read more about the policy here.
Our mission is to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®. In 2025, our 5-year sustainability strategy How We Tread Right came to a close. With 8 of our 11 goals achieved, and the rest ongoing, we are proud of our achievements, learnings, and progress. As a leader in sustainable travel across Australia and New Zealand, we remain committed to responsible tourism initiatives that reduce our environmental impact and support our journey toward net zero. Our efforts focus on protecting the beautiful planet we call home, supporting the people and communities who host us, and safeguarding the world's precious wildlife.
Reach net zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 baseline year
Source 50% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2025
Reduce food waste by 50% across
Increase use of local & organic food products by our supply chain by 2025
Reduce printed brochures by 50% by 2025
Eliminate as many unnecessary single-use plastics from our operations and itineraries
Include at least 1 Make Travel Matter Experience on 50% of TTC itineraries by 2025
Achieve a 20% increase of itineraries visiting developing regions for select specialist brands by 2025
Increase employee and market sentiment regarding diversity and inclusion across our brands
Complete 30,000 volunteer hours by 2025
Ensure all wildlife experiences across TTC brands adhere to our animal welfare policy
At AAT Kings we've assembled a range of fun, passionate, quirky, knowledgeable and talented people to help make your holiday great and one you'll remember forever. Our team will bring your holiday to life and they'll share their passion and knowledge for Australia and New Zealand in ways beyond expected.
At AAT Kings we pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced and insightful Travel Directors in the world. They'll provide the commentary, stories and local insights behind each destination to allow you to truly get a feel for the places you visit. They'll share advice, provide personal recommendations and reveal some 'Hidden Gems' along the way that you simply couldn't experience if travelling on your own.
We personally train all our Driver Guides to provide exceptional service every step of the way. Each and every Driver Guide has extensive on road experience and driver training with a safe driving track record. Along with passion and local insight these genuine Aussie characters will enhance your AAT Kings experience and make sure you have a holiday you won't forget. If you're travelling on a Short Break you may be joined by a different Driver Guide each day so you can benefit from the breadth of their combined knowledge and years of experience for a more independent style of travel.
We'll also be joined by a number of Local Guides at various destinations on selected Day Tours and Short Breaks. These Local Guides have specialist knowledge of their hometown and local traditions. They'll take your sightseeing experience to a whole new level as they share their passion and stories in an engaging and entertaining way.
Travelling solo doesn't mean that you have to travel alone. Travelling solo on an AAT Kings Guided Holiday connects you with other like-minded travellers to experience the best Australia and New Zealand have to offer on a worry-free adventure.
On nearly all of our itineraries you can choose to be matched with a same gender traveller and only pay the twin share price
We offer single room supplements across our tours if you want to enjoy a room all to yourself. Simply choose your tour and select your room preference in the booking process.
On an AAT Kings Guided Holiday you'll be joining a tour with travellers who have one thing in common. A desire to uncover the true beating heart of Australia and New Zealand in ways that you never imagined possible. Getting under the skin of a destination, learning from local experts, and travelling worry-free, you'll experience places more beautiful than any guidebook can describe.
Drink in the view, discover wild tastes to feed your soul and immerse yourself in stories that live and breathe, safe in the knowledge that every detail of your trip will be taken care of. You'll enjoy the benefits of travelling in a group, with all of the essentials like accommodation and exclusive experiences all seamlessly sorted 'behind the scenes'.
You don't need to be single to travel solo. Perhaps you want to travel to parts of Australia and New Zealand your partner is not keen to visit, or you want to challenge yourself to travel solo for the first time. Our First Choice and Best Buys Guided Holidays give you the flexibility to choose a fully curated experience with plenty of local connections or a flexible itinerary with more time for you.
Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discounts. Trip prices and discounts are subject to change. Airfare is additional. Tour prices, dates and itineraries are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Other restrictions may apply.
from $6,400
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