Your New Zealand Independent Vacation includes:

Optional Extension: Tahiti and Moorea (5 Days)

Day 3
Arrive in Auckland early this morning, where, after clearing customs, you will be transferred to your downtown hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this lovely city: Auckland, often called the "City of Sails" due to the large number of colorful sails in its harbor, is also the venue of the next America’s Cup Yacht Race.

Day 4
Join your tour early this morning and drive through the lush pastures of Waikato, as you leave Auckland on your way down to Rotorua, the center of Maori culture in New Zealand. Passing through the quaint town of Hamilton, see Hamilton Gardens, a Mormon temple, and the Gails of Tamahere - two historic churches bedecked with dried flowers. Proceeding through the countryside, your next stop will be at the famous Waitomo Caves, where you can enjoy an underground boat ride under an eerie canopy of lights emitted by millions of glow worms! Early this evening, arrive at your hotel in Rotorua, where you have the opportunity to enjoy an optional Maori ‘hangi’ (a feast of Maori foods, cooked in their traditional way) and a concert of folkloric songs and dances.

Day 5
Begin the day with a tour of Whakarewarewa Geyser Valley, skirting the roaring natural geysers and boiling mud pools, and learning about their significance in the Maori way of life. Later, visit the famous Agrodome, which is the scene of a fascinating live exhibition of the different kinds of sheep in New Zealand as well as performances of sheep dogs. Stop by a natural spring well, where giant Rainbow Trout are bred, and other New Zealand animals, including the elusive Kiwi, are on display. Around noon today your hosts will pick you up for the night – a typical New Zealand farming family. Spend the afternoon chatting with your hosts and learning more about daily life in New Zealand. Later, join your hosts for an old-fashioned, home cooked dinner.

Day 6
Spend a leisurely morning over a country breakfast with your hosts, who will then bring you to the Rotorua airport for your onward trip back to Christchurch, on the South Island. Upon your arrival in Christchurch you will be transferred to your downtown hotel. Enjoy this charming city characterized by beautiful, tall trees and English-style stone buildings.

Day 7
Another highlight of the tour awaits you this morning, when you leave Christchurch aboard the famous Tranz Alpine Express train. Rated as one of the most scenic rail journeys of the world, travel through spectacular gorges, ravines and mountains, through scores of tunnels, before descending into the beech forests of the West Coast at Greymouth. Travel by coach along the narrow strip of coastline up into the realm of the glaciers, your home for two nights.

Day 8
Today enjoy the stunning beauty of the glacial snow-capped mountains contrasted with the deep ravines of the native bush. Venture out on a bush walk or take advantage of an optional excursion around either the Fox Glacier or the Franz Josef Glacier, each equally magnificent. Enjoy another night at your hotel nestled in the beautifully imposing glacier terrain.

Day 9
This morning carry on further south and out of glacier country, finding yourself enshrouded by dense rainforest populated by the rare and graceful Kotuku trees. Following the Haast River, proceeding inland and around scenic lakes on a memorable drive to Queenstown. Arrive in Queenstown this evening for your two-night stay in this recreational paradise.

Day 10
You have a free day to enjoy this resort town on your own. There are lots of optional tours and activities for you to choose from - thrilling rides on a narrow river gorge in jet boats, white water rafting, bungy jumping (where it all started), a lake cruise aboard the steamship Earnslaw, visits to high country sheep stations (ranches) or abandoned gold mining towns. This evening, enjoy the mountain views from an elevation as you travel on the Skyline Gondola and then the entertaining Kiwi Magic Show, both included in your tour.

Day 11
Leaving Queenstown today, follow the edge of Lake Wakatipu through the old town of Kingston into the Fjordland National Park. In this dynamic landscape, pass under mountains through the Homer Tunnel and over the awesome Cleddau Canyon. Upon reaching Milford Sound, embark on a cruise of the fjord. The spectacular scenery is framed by towering mountain peaks and the cascading waterfalls, and if you are lucky you might even spot a dolphin or two! Later in the afternoon return ashore and travel to the lakeside town Te Anau, where overnight accommodations have been booked for you.

Day 12
After breakfast this morning, leave the highlands and descend westward into the lush pastures that precede Dunedin, which got its name from the early settlers who came from Scotland. Arriving in Dunedin around noon, you will have ample time to stroll through the town and see the delightful architecture of the University and civic buildings, and perhaps take an optional afternoon tour.

Day 13
Today travel north, returning to Christchurch by road. Skirt the hill country along the coast to Blueskin Bay, before re-entering the familiar Canterbury Plains surrounding Christchurch. With a late afternoon arrival, you are free to enjoy your final evening in this lovely city.

Auckland harbor and skyline

An active geyser in Rotorua

Maori kids in Rotorua

Spring blossom, Christchurch

Fresh seafood and exquisite wines