Itinerary Details
Day 1: Welcome to New Zealand
New Zealand's largest city is also one of its prettiest, as you'll discover exploring at your leisure. Arrive early to linger in its hip harbourside precincts, where galleries and design-driven stores await. You'll have worked up an appetite by the time you meet your fellow travel companions for a few local tipples at a Welcome Reception and dinner. Start your Auckland tour on a high, we say.
Hotel: Horizon by SkyCity (5 Star Rating)
Imagine a place where glass blends into the sky, where technology knows what you need before you need it, where staff welcome returning friends. A place where business and pleasure walk hand in hand, where one switch turns everything off, where tried and true meets novel and new. A comfortable place where you can be with friends for a night out... or just simply be.
Looking out, you’ll get lost in the views of Auckland city, where cityscapes turn to landscapes in seconds. Inside, hints of Aotearoa can be found in every corner of your spacious room, from locally crafted amenities, to New Zealand art throughout. Thoughtfully designed with horizon-like curves throughout the hotel, the rooms and suites offer everything you need, right when you need it.
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Meal(s): Dinner
Day 2: Auckland Sightseeing & Free TimeSet your sights firmly on New Zealand's national game: rugby. The interactive All Blacks Experience explores an introduction to the game as a part of New Zealand culture. Afterwards get the lay of the land on a city sightseeing tour including views of Mission Bay, and stopping at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial to New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minister. Admire the sunken pool and landscaped gardens as you’re treated to sweeping views of Waitemata Harbour and the North Shore.
Hotel: Horizon by SkyCity (5 Star Rating)
Imagine a place where glass blends into the sky, where technology knows what you need before you need it, where staff welcome returning friends. A place where business and pleasure walk hand in hand, where one switch turns everything off, where tried and true meets novel and new. A comfortable place where you can be with friends for a night out... or just simply be.
Looking out, you’ll get lost in the views of Auckland city, where cityscapes turn to landscapes in seconds. Inside, hints of Aotearoa can be found in every corner of your spacious room, from locally crafted amenities, to New Zealand art throughout. Thoughtfully designed with horizon-like curves throughout the hotel, the rooms and suites offer everything you need, right when you need it.
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Meal(s): Breakfast
Day 3: Auckland to RotoruaGet ready for a much-anticipated trip to the Hobbiton Movie Set. Upon arrival, set off on a guided walking tour through the 12-acre set. You’ll have plenty of time for photo opportunities on the interactive hobbit hole and the Mill. After a stop for lunch (own expense) continue to Rotorua. Tonight, delve deep into Maori culture with the Te Po Indigenous Experience at Te Puia, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience. It begins with an exhilarating cultural performance in a beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua, view the Pohutu Geyser, one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands, followed by a delicious buffet dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel Rotorua (4 Star Rating)
Next to mystical Lake Rotorua and just a short stroll from the city centre, Millennium Hotel Rotorua is an eco-friendly destination offering comfort and convenience in the heart of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderland. Perfect for leisure and business travellers, our hotel is within walking distance of Polynesian Spa, Rotorua’s vibrant dining scene, and local attractions.
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Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Rotorua to QueenstownYour visit to the National Kiwi Hatchery is guided by passionate conservationists and will give you fascinating insights into New Zealand's national bird on this rewarding MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience. The feel-good vibes that endure will follow you all the way to Queenstown, the self-proclaimed adventure capital of New Zealand. It makes perfect sense - there are ski fields, white-water river and bridges strapped with bungy cords wherever you turn. And then there’s the dining scene; Queenstown is home to some of the country’s most awarded restaurants. Whether you're in the mood for bulging burgers or lakeside tapas, ask us for recommendations on this leg of your Queenstown New Zealand tour.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel Queenstown (4 Star Rating)
Right in the heart of the action, Millennium Hotel Queenstown is just minutes from Queenstown central shopping, entertainment, and outdoor activities such as bungy jumping, white water rafting, and jet boating. The popular ski destinations of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Cardrona are also close by. Our 220 guest rooms and suites, meetings facilities, business center, gym, feature contemporary city-inspired design.
Our luxury hotel also offers accessible rooms for our special needs guests with our friendly staff on hand to assist you anytime. Most of our accommodation also offers scenic views of Queenstown city and mountains, providing the perfect backdrop to your trip. Millennium Hotel Queenstown is a 4-star plus and Enviro-Gold Qualmark rated hotel, with an Environmental Sustainability Plan for the future. We are firmly committed to sustainability best practices, constantly reviewing and improving operations to minimize the impact on the environment.
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Meal(s): Breakfast
Day 5: Full Day Milford Sound/Piopiotahi CruiseBring your stamina and sense of adventure - things get a little wild today. Nature rules as you skirt Queenstown's gleaming Lake Wakatipu, and traverse the Devil's Staircase to Te Anau, the alpine gateway to World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. Once you've paused to admire the drama at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, Hollyford Valley lookout, Cleddau Valley and the Chasm, you'll begin to understand why Rudyard Kipling called this the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. You haven't even seen Bowen Falls or Milford Sound/Piopiotahi yet. The best Milford Sound/Piopiotahi cruise sees you in the company of eagle-eyed guide, who not only knows the immense geological history of the region, but can also point out sun-baking fur seals and playful dolphins.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel Queenstown (4 Star Rating)
Right in the heart of the action, Millennium Hotel Queenstown is just minutes from Queenstown central shopping, entertainment, and outdoor activities such as bungy jumping, white water rafting, and jet boating. The popular ski destinations of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Cardrona are also close by. Our 220 guest rooms and suites, meetings facilities, business center, gym, feature contemporary city-inspired design.
Our luxury hotel also offers accessible rooms for our special needs guests with our friendly staff on hand to assist you anytime. Most of our accommodation also offers scenic views of Queenstown city and mountains, providing the perfect backdrop to your trip. Millennium Hotel Queenstown is a 4-star plus and Enviro-Gold Qualmark rated hotel, with an Environmental Sustainability Plan for the future. We are firmly committed to sustainability best practices, constantly reviewing and improving operations to minimize the impact on the environment.
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Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6: Queenstown Free TimeTake today's Queenstown New Zealand tour at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane Shotover Jet, perhaps, your high-octane chariot churning over the Shotover River's white-water rapids. Prefer to be able to talk (and drink wine) while you cruise? Glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue lunch in a dreamy alpine setting. Wherever you wander, be sure to save space for tonight's Highlight Dinner at Postmasters Cafe, a historic Arrowtown cottage replete with picket fence and Instagrammable gardens.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel Queenstown (4 Star Rating)
Right in the heart of the action, Millennium Hotel Queenstown is just minutes from Queenstown central shopping, entertainment, and outdoor activities such as bungy jumping, white water rafting, and jet boating. The popular ski destinations of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Cardrona are also close by. Our 220 guest rooms and suites, meetings facilities, business center, gym, feature contemporary city-inspired design.
Our luxury hotel also offers accessible rooms for our special needs guests with our friendly staff on hand to assist you anytime. Most of our accommodation also offers scenic views of Queenstown city and mountains, providing the perfect backdrop to your trip. Millennium Hotel Queenstown is a 4-star plus and Enviro-Gold Qualmark rated hotel, with an Environmental Sustainability Plan for the future. We are firmly committed to sustainability best practices, constantly reviewing and improving operations to minimize the impact on the environment.
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Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Queenstown to Lake TekapoWhether pinot noir grapes or cherries, things grow well in the fertile Central Otago region of the South Island. Get a taste for the area's plump stone fruit at a stall, adjoining the local orchard of Mrs. Jones. Mountain drama - including views of Aoraki/Mt. Cook - is your backdrop en route to Lake Tekapo, with water so turquoise it looks like a Renaissance painting. This part of the country is ravishing and remote; the lack of light pollution means dazzling Southern Hemisphere stargazing at UNESCO World Heritage listed Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. It's handy to have an astronomer in your company to decode the constellations of the Milky Way. If there was ever a NZ experience that put life in perspective, this is it.
Hotel: Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo (4 Star Rating)
Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo is located overlooking the breathtaking Lake Tekapo between Christchurch and Queenstown on New Zealand's South Island. The hotel has spectacular views across Lake Tekapo, the focal point of the Mackenzie Basin. This is the perfect base for exploring the region including Mt Cook National Park. There are 60 stylish lakeside rooms offered in a range of accommodation options including one, two and three bedroom luxury villas and apartments. Rakinui Restaurant and Lounge is a place to eat, drink and relax amongst warm friendly surroundings.
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Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Lake Tekapo to ChristchurchThe Canterbury region of the west coast is a bucolic union of grassy plains, mirror-like lakes and snow-capped mountains, the kind of landscape that you might see on postcards. Arrive in the beautiful English city of Christchurch for a guided tour. The city is not only rebuilding itself after the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes, but is changing the way architects think about design. Case in point the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library.
Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel (4 Star Rating)
The newly renovated Distinction Christchurch Hotel is an urban escape combining sophisticated smarts and familiar warmth, whilst standing proud amongst the buzz of the rejuvenation of Cathedral Square. The hotel is ideally positioned in the heart of the city only a few minutes' walk from the Avon River, Botanical Gardens, Christchurch Casino and Cashel Mall. Distinction Christchurch offers 179 elegant, air-conditioned hotel rooms, including 3 floors of brand new Superior Rooms and Suites out-fitted with the latest technology including flat screen Smart TVs and free unlimited WiFi. Designed to suit everyone from business travellers requiring spacious, contemporary accommodation to those travellers seeking a place to relax and unwind after a day exploring Canterbury's vibrant attractions
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Meal(s): Breakfast
Day 9: Christchurch SightseeingTravel north through rolling countryside to Hurunui Hills, a hill country farm in North Canterbury. Enjoy warm Kiwi hospitality from the Bamford Family, who have been farming at Hurunui since 1884 with six generations focused on producing premium Merino sheep, wool and Angus cattle. Enjoy stunning scenery, meet the farm animals & discover what it is like to live off the land, on this unique By My Guest experience. Continue to local Waipara Springs Winery where you will enjoy a platter-style lunch among the vines. A big day leads to a big evening joining your Travel Director and travel mates for a celebratory Farewell Dinner featuring produce from the Canterbury region.
Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel (4 Star Rating)
The newly renovated Distinction Christchurch Hotel is an urban escape combining sophisticated smarts and familiar warmth, whilst standing proud amongst the buzz of the rejuvenation of Cathedral Square. The hotel is ideally positioned in the heart of the city only a few minutes' walk from the Avon River, Botanical Gardens, Christchurch Casino and Cashel Mall. Distinction Christchurch offers 179 elegant, air-conditioned hotel rooms, including 3 floors of brand new Superior Rooms and Suites out-fitted with the latest technology including flat screen Smart TVs and free unlimited WiFi. Designed to suit everyone from business travellers requiring spacious, contemporary accommodation to those travellers seeking a place to relax and unwind after a day exploring Canterbury's vibrant attractions
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Meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Day 10: Farewell from ChristchurchYou've travelled hundreds of kilometers across two islands, likely taken thousands of photos, and made countless memories and new friends. The only thing left to do is plan your next trip to New Zealand.
Meal(s): Breakfast
