10-Nights An Active Adventure in New Zealand - Tailormade Journeys — CALL

Itinerary Details

1 Arrive Auckland, New Zealand
Colorful, vibrant Auckland is often called the City of Sails. Its spectacular setting on sparkling Waitemata Harbour and landmarks such as the Harbour Bridge, the Sky Tower and Rangitoto Island — the region's youngest volcano — lend it a unique identity. From the magnificent harbor to nearby hills where hikers roam through native flora and fauna, Auckland beckons you to explore it. Touch down and settle into your waterfront hotel.


Meals:

2 Auckland | America’s Cup Yacht Experience
Join your guide for a private tour of Auckland, starting with a dive into the city’s fascinating Maori culture and history. Explore some of the many public gardens in Auckland, beautiful in any season, and walk the vibrant Viaduct Harbour, with sleek super yachts for a backdrop. Return to your hotel before heading out for a shared America’s Cup sailing experience. The America's Cup is one of the world’s oldest sporting events and the ultimate yachting regatta. Experience it firsthand, tacking and jibing a veteran America's Cup yacht around Waitemata harbor, site of the competition in 2000 and 2003. Take the helm, exert energy on the grinders or sit back and watch the action and scenery unfold.


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3 Rotorua | Glow Worm Caves
Rotorua is New Zealand's cultural heartland where the earth's crust is so thin that its molten heart bubbles and steams to the surface in the form of geothermal pools and shooting geysers. Home to a third of the country's Maori population, the town is deeply rooted in tradition and has a strong sense of Maori community. Journey privately overland to Rotorua, stopping en route at the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves for a guided excursion into underground limestone grottos where bioluminescent insect larvae cast a magical blue-green glow. Weave around rocks, climb over them, leap from not-too-high waterfalls and float serenely down an underground river as you marvel at the glow worm show on the caves’ vaulted limestone upper galleries. Emerge into the dazzling sunlight of the Waitomo forest and then proceed to Rotorua and your lodge.


Meals:

4 Rotorua | Exclusive Kiwi Hatchery Visit
Pay an exclusive visit to a working kiwi nursery and hatchery, the largest such facility in the world. Nurtured here through maturity, the small, flightless birds are then returned to the wild to boost the country’s kiwi population. Head out for a private visit to Ohinemutu, a living Maori geothermal village that is home to the Ngati Whakaue, who first journeyed by waka (oceangoing canoe) from their Pacific homeland to New Zealand around 1350. Discover the village’s spiritual, historic and cultural importance, and visit the magnificently decorated St. Faith’s Anglican Church, completed in 1914. View its Tudor-style façade as well as its Maori-influenced interior featuring beautiful carvings and woven panels that incorporate Indigenous art styles.


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5 Rotorua | Mountain Bikes And Ziplines
Saddle up for a private mountain-biking tour, roving purpose-built trails with your guide, following routes chosen to match your skill and fitness levels. Breathe in the heady air and drink in the inspiring scenery as you roll through a mix of native and pine forest on one of the best mountain bike networks in the world. Then venture into Rotorua’s Okoheriki Forest, a fairy tale native forest that has stood for centuries, which you explore along more than two miles of zip lines, as well as via swing bridges, walking trails and treetop platforms. Find yourself on a 180-foot-high cliff walkway, flying 1,300 feet of tandem zipline as your local guide shares their rich knowledge of the forest and a passion for conservation. With luck, they may be able to arrange for you to hand feed some rare native birds. Unwind from your day of rousing outdoor adventures in the comfort of your fine hotel.


Meals:

6 Rotorua | Soak In Thermal Hot Springs
Embark by private launch for an excursion to the natural thermal hot springs of Lake Tarawera. Best accessed pre-breakfast, soak in thermal waters rising gently through the lakebed as the morning sun filters through native bush. Then fly to Nelson, in the very heart of New Zealand, set on the curving coastline of the northwest corner of the South Island. The landscape of the region embraces alpine lodges, wilderness mountain country, clear rivers, forests, limestone outcrops, rocky coasts and legendary sandy beaches. Nelson culture boasts a vibrant arts and crafts scene and a great collection of wine and beer makers. Three national parks are on Nelson's doorstep, the most recognized, Abel Tasman National Park, is a coastal wonderland of sea, sky and golden beaches.


Meals:

7 Nelson | Abel Tasman National Park
Set out on a rousing walk of Abel Tasman National Park, led by a private guide, and discover firsthand why the park is world famous for its beaches, clear waters, untouched estuaries, lush bush and excellent walking tracks. After a private water taxi to Medlands Beach in Bark Bay, hike through an ever-changing forest of silver fern, strangely twisted Manuka and Kanuka, beech and large trees. Cross Falls River via a swing bridge and take in beautiful vistas of Frenchman’s and Torrent bays before stopping for lunch on the beach. Afterward, explore Cleopatra’s Pools or Pitt Head as your guide shares stories of the local Maori and early settlers, and discover some of the rich variety of vegetation, birds and aquatic life that call this spectacular setting home.


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8 Queenstown | A Rousing Ride By Jet Boat
Fly to Queenstown, located on New Zealand’s South Island. Flanked by soaring mountains, this sophisticated enclave graces the shores of pristine, Lake Wakatipu. It was once a Maori settlement and, later, a gold mining outpost. Today, it is an adventure capital, a haven for hiking, vineyard tours and fine dining. After you touch down, embark by jet boat for an exhilarating ride to your hotel. En route, hold tight as your driver expertly maneuvers the jet boat down the Kawarau River with 360° spins over the water, spectacular views of the Remarkables mountain range and a trip across Lake Wakatipu.


Meals:

9 Queenstown | Milford Sound Heli-Tour And Cruise

Lift off by helicopter for an extensive scenic tour of magnificent Milford Sound, taking in the rugged beauty of New Zealand’s snow-capped Southern Alps. Land for a cruise of the to view cascading waterfalls, towering rock faces and unique wildlife, and then venture out past St. Anne's Lighthouse to the Tasman Sea. Complete your journey with an exclusive alpine snow landing by helicopter for the ultimate Fiordland National Park experience, weather permitting. Fly back to Queenstown for lunch and then set out on a guided private trek through native beech forest, following the historic Twelve Mile Creek, an area once mined for gold. Take in superb views of Lake Wakatipu and Lake Dispute, and, If time permits, travel up the Glenorchy Road to explore the Twelve Mile Delta, site of Faramir’s camp in The Two Towers. Pass through a gorge with a small waterfall to arrive to Bob’s Cove for some impressive mountain views.