New Zealand Getaway : Value Plus Escorted Vacation

Be met on arrival into Auckland and transferred to your hotel.

Journey north to the Waipoua Kauri Forest Reserve. Here, a short walk from the roadside will take you to the base of a giant kauri tree, called Tane Mahuta or 'Lord of the Forest'. Continue to the Bay of Islands. Enjoy a special Welcome Dinner this evening.

Home to 144 islands, enjoy this aquatic playground with a full day at leisure. Perhaps relax on the beach, explore the wilderness areas via one of the many walking tracks, or set off into town.

Enjoy your cruise today. Return to Auckland by coach and relax prior to dinner.

Insider Experience
Explore New Zealand's finest maritime park on a cruise to Cape Brett and the famous Hole in the Rock. This captivating coastline provides sheltered waters for dolphins, whales, seals, penguins and other marine life. Continue to the Hole in the Rock, a distinctive sandstone arch formation.

Leaving Auckland after breakfast, travel to Waitomo, home to the famous glow worm caves where thousands of tiny luminescent creatures radiate an unmistakable glow. Continue to the geothermal capital of New Zealand, Rotorua. Visit Te Puia, New Zealand's premier cultural centre, and enjoy a guided tour of the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. You will also see the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley and witness the phenomenal spectacle of erupting geysers and bubbling mud pools.

Insider Experience
Discover the magical natural spectacle of Waitomo Caves with a local guide.

Insider Experience
Enjoy a Maori Hangi Feast with performances of song and dance at Te Puia tonight. Delight in the opportunity to dine and interact with locals who will enchant you with their customs and cheerful hospitality.

Today is totally free and at leisure. You can take advantage of any optional activities available or simply relax.

Farewell Rotorua and enjoy the scenery as you travel along the Thermal Explorer Highway to Lake Taupo - the largest freshwater lake in Australasia - and thundering Huka Falls. Continue south across the vast volcanic plateau of World Heritage-listed Tongariro National Park to Wellington. The evening has been left free for you to explore the vibrant dining scene independently. From seafood cafes to cosy wine bars and spectacular fine-dining restaurants, you will see that New Zealand's wild and fresh produce is showcased on a plate here in Wellington.

Board the InterIslander ferry, then continue to Christchurch via Kaikoura.

Insider Experience
Enjoy one of the world's most scenic voyages as the Interislander ferry traverses Cook Strait through the Marlborough and Queen Charlotte sounds. Weave through islands and admire coastlines defined by tiny coves on the way to Picton.

Absorb the rural scenery from aboard your coach before beginning the ascent into the Main Divide. Then, sit back and enjoy the vistas as you journey through the Southern Alps. Be sure to keep watch for the icy crests of Fox and Franz Josef glaciers as you travel through Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Over thousands of years, these natural wonders have created immense glacial valleys. This evening, enjoy dinner.

Travel past the rugged peaks of the Southern Alps this morning. Journey through spectacular Haast Pass, skirting the tranquil shores of lakes Wanaka and Hawea to the alpine resort of Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu. This evening, during time at leisure, you may like to dine at one of the many restaurants in the town centre.

Insider Experience
Settle in for a two-night stay overseeing the calming blue waters of Lake Wakatipu, all the while admiring the dramatic backdrop of towering mountains.

Queenstown is the perfect destination for adventurers and leisure seekers alike, offering endless activities to suit every traveller. With an entire day to spend as you please, you have the freedom to simply relax amid the beautiful lakeside setting or pursue your interests and choose one of Travelmarvel's exciting select experiences. You may wish to step aboard the 100-year-old TSS Earnslaw steamship for a relaxing cruise to Walter Peak Station, or perhaps take a scenic gondola ride to the top of Bob's Peak for spectacular panoramic views over Queenstown - both at own expense. Alternatively, if you're more of a gourmand, perhaps choose to set off into the Central Otago region independently - one of New Zealand's foremost wine-producing areas.

Enter Fiordland National Park along the Milford Road. Continue to your hotel in Te Anau and enjoy dinner.

Insider Experience
Board a boat and cruise the full length of Milford Sound, a magnificent fiord with views of cascading waterfalls, dense rainforest, sheer cliffs and the surrounding mountains of this World Heritage-listed area.

Today you will journey through rolling Southland countryside before arriving in Dunedin. Enjoy a guided tour then head to the nearby hills to take an intriguing tour of Larnach Castle, New Zealand's only castle. Steeped in scandal and tragedy, it is filled with magnificent antiques and offers breathtaking views. Enjoy some time at leisure before dinner this evening.

See the Moeraki Boulders and visit Oamaru to see some of New Zealand's finest 19th-century architecture. Later, journey into Mt Cook National Park, then Lake Tekapo.

Insider Experience
View Australasia's highest mountain, Aoraki (Mt Cook).

Insider Experience
Arrive this afternoon at your hotel, situated on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Tonight, dine on fresh local produce at your hotel's restaurant during a memorable Farewell Dinner.

Pay a visit to the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd before travelling to Christchurch airport where your tour concludes.