Northern Spotlight

Trip Type: Guided Holiday
New Zealand | 8 Days

NZD 3,839.00 /Person

It’s incredible how much a tour of New Zealand’s North Island can reveal about the country. Your roll-call includes oh-so-cool cities like Auckland...

Northern Spotlight

It’s incredible how much a tour of New Zealand’s North Island can reveal about the country. Your roll-call includes oh-so-cool cities like Auckland tours and Wellington tours, the gateways to the Bay of Islands and Rotorua. Adventure and bliss await.

Welcome to Auckland

Auckland is known as the ‘City of Sails’. And you’ll discover why when exploring its two harbours at your leisure. Pick a waterfront precinct and find a perch to while away the afternoon over a Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Meet your fellow travel companions at a Welcome Reception tonight.

Accommodation:

Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre

Locations Visited:
  • Auckland

Auckland - Bay of Islands

Your journey north to New Zealand’s Bay of Islands is not short of drama – discover 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea at the top of the country. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical significance: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your guide, likely a descendant of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house.

Accommodation:

Copthorne Hotel and Resort

Locations Visited:
  • Auckland

Bay of Islands Free Time

If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. And today, you can do just that. At your leisure, venture up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, cruise to the famous Hole in the Rock or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. The choice is yours.

Accommodation:

Copthorne Hotel and Resort

Locations Visited:
  • Bay of Islands

Bay of Islands - Auckland

Northern exposure is a thing today, when you journey toward the top of the country to visit Whangarei – NZ’s northernmost city, and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland.

Accommodation:

Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre

Locations Visited:
  • Bay of Islands

Auckland - Rotorua

There’s no bad day in Auckland – today, yours starts with a city sights tour before you set your GPS for the Waikato River and Waitomo Caves. This place is radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands.

Accommodation:

Ibis Rotorua Hotel

Locations Visited:
  • Auckland

Rotorua Free Time

Explore at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Want a bit of down time? We wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa. Culture vulture? Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway.

Accommodation:

Ibis Rotorua Hotel

Locations Visited:
  • Rotorua

Rotorua - Wellington

You’ll hear Huka Falls well before you see it – at this natural wonder, a staggering 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metre-high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, its waters so vivid and blue you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. Ask your Travel Director for tips on where to eat.

Accommodation:

Travelodge Wellington

Locations Visited:
  • Rotorua

Farewell from Wellington

The best way to begin a Wellington day? With a coffee. The city is known for its uber-cool cafés, designed to fuel you through your city sights tour. You may wish to linger in town, discovering Maori culture at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Afterwards, it’s time to bid farewell to your NZ crew. What a week.

Locations Visited:
  • Wellington
  • • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide • 1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Fiordland National Park • Comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centres • National Park entrance fees
  • Sometimes, the best experiences in life (meals, spas, hikes) are those you stumble upon. We can point you in the right direction in Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington – then go for it!
  • Life becomes all the more radiant at Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a subterranean wonderland that replicates the night sky.
  • The Te Po Experience at Te Puia contributes to the success of the Maori Arts & Crafts Institute, committed to preserving, encouraging, fostering and promoting Māori arts and crafts.
  • Ancient volcanoes, thundering waterfalls and a yacht-studded harbour are your backdrop in Whangarei, New Zealand’s northernmost city. What a wildlife wonderland.
  • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide 1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Fiordland National Park Comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centres National Park entrance fees
  • Comfortable walking shoes Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat Water bottle Warm layers in cooler months Camera
  • Flights to and from the start/end of your trip are not included in the trip price. Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Auckland Airport Day 8 – flights to depart after 2.00pm from Wellington Airport
  • Low level of fitness required.

Departure

Arrival

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Destination Details
New Zealand | 8 Days
Trip Location
Trip Starts:
Auckland, New Zealand
Trip Finishes:
Wellington (Nz), New Zealand
Countries Visited:
New Zealand

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