Day 1
Auckland
Arrive at any time and make your way to the hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore Auckland. The tour leader, or Chief Experience Officer (CEO) will hold a welcome meeting in the evening to meet your group and learn more about the weeks ahead.
Accommodation: CityLife Auckland or similar.
Day 2
Auckland
Take a brief walk through the vibrant and multicultural Auckland, and learn more about the location of amenities in the area.Next, catch a ferry to Waiheke Island and explore its stunning beaches and incredible vineyards, learning more about New Zealand’s wine industry and enjoying tastings of local wines.
Overnight: CityLife Auckland or similar (breakfast included).
Optional experience: Maritime Museum visit.
Day 3
Auckland to Rotorua - 275KM
Travel to Rotorua, a lakeside town renowned for its geothermal activity and rich Maori heritage. Stop at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and enjoy a boat ride through the caves, watching glowworms lighting up the dark.
Overnight: Millennium Rotorua or similar (breakfast included).
Day 4
Rotorua
Take a full-day excursion to the Whirinaki Rainforest, walking through the 800-year-old trees and spotting endemic birds and medicinal plants. Next, travel to the Maori-owned Kohutapu Lodge and see ancient rock carvings, discovering their spiritual significance. Enjoy a traditional hangi lunch - prepared by burying it in an underground pit before returning to Rotorua for an optional evening meal or soak in the hot springs.
Overnight: Millennium Rotorua or similar (breakfast and lunch included).
Optional experience: Hot springs
Day 5
Rotorua to Christchurch via internal flight
Visit the National Kiwi Hatchery for a private tour and learn about conservation efforts to protect the kiwi. In the afternoon, fly to Christchurch on the South Island, where you’ll have free time to explore the city.
Overnight: Distinction Christchurch Hotel or similar (breakfast included).
Day 6
Christchurch
Board the TranzAlpine train for a scenic journey through verdant plains, beech forests, and the Southern Alps. Visit a working sheep farm, enjoy a BBQ lunch, and watch a sheep shearing demonstration. Return to Christchurch with free time in the afternoon.
**Please note that if you are travelling over the Christmas and New Year period, the TranzAlpine train may not be operational. In this case, you will drive through the Southern Alps on a similar route. An additional group holiday dinner will be arranged to make up for the missed train experience.
Overnight: Distinction Christchurch Hotel or similar (breakfast and lunch included).
Day 7
Christchurch to Lake Tekapo – 225KM
In the morning, enjoy free time in Christchurch before heading to Lake Tekapo. After dinner, join an exclusive astronomy experience in the International Dark Sky Park for an extraordinary view of the Southern Hemisphere’s stars and planets.
Overnight: Woolshed Suites or similar (breakfast included).
Optional experiences: Christchurch gondola ride, Christchurch botanic gardens.
Day 8
Lake Tekapo
Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, dedicated to the famous explorer, and take a guided walk along the Kea Point track for spectacular views of Mount Sefton and Aoraki/Mt Cook.
Overnight: Woolshed Suites or similar (breakfast included).
Day 9
Lake Tekapo to Queenstown – 260KM
Travel to Wanaka and enjoy some free time to explore and grab some lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy an orientation of Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town, before heading to Queenstown for the evening.
Overnight: Novotel Queenstown Hotel or similar (breakfast included).
Day 10
Queenstown
Take a cruise through Fiordland National Park, surrounded by waterfalls and cliffs. Look out for dolphins, seals, and penguins, admiring the glacially carved landscape before returning to Queenstown.
Overnight: Novotel Queenstown Hotel or similar (breakfast and lunch included).
Day 11
Queenstown
Enjoy a free day in Queenstown, with optional activities such as wine tasting or a historic steamer cruise on Lake Wakatipu. Join the group for a final dinner in New Zealand in the evening.
Accommodation: Novotel Queenstown Hotel or similar (breakfast included).
Optional experiences:Vineyard tour, Shotover jet boating, Gondola ride, Earnslaw Steamship cruise.
Day 12
Queenstown to Melbourne via internal flight
Fly from Queenstown to Melbourne and enjoy free time to explore this cultural hub.
Overnight: Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne or similar (breakfast included).
Day 13
Melbourne
Join a guided food tour through Melbourne’s laneways, tasting a variety of cuisines and learning about the city's rich culinary history.
Overnight: Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne or similar (breakfast and lunch included).
Day 14
Melbourne
Explore Melbourne at your leisure or take an optional excursion along the Great Ocean Road, admiring the diverse landscape and looking out for koalas, kangaroos and king parrots.
Overnight: Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne or similar (breakfast included).
Optional experiences: 12 Apostles, Otways & Great Ocean Road.
Day 15
Melbourne to Uluru via internal flight
Fly to Uluru in the heart of the Australian Outback. Visit the Cultural Centre and learn about the Anangu people, then take a guided walk around the base of Uluru.
Overnight: Desert Gardens Hotel or similar (breakfast included).
Day 16
Uluru
Explore the red-hued Kata Tjuta rock formations in the morning, followed by some free time before enjoying a glass of sparkling wine at sunset over Uluru.
Overnight: Desert Gardens Hotel or similar (breakfast included).
Day 17
Uluru to Sydney via internal flight
Watch the Field of Light installation at dawn, which becomes illuminated in the changing light, before flying to Sydney in the afternoon.
Overnight: Vibe Hotel Sydney or similar (breakfast included).
Day 18
Sydney
Join a walking tour around some of the city's iconic landmarks such as the Rocks area before joining a private tour of the Sydney Opera House. In the evening, enjoy a sunset sail around Sydney Harbour, complete with an Australian barbecue dinner.
Overnight: Vibe Hotel Sydney or similar (breakfast and dinner included).
Day 19
Sydney
Spend a day exploring Sydney at your leisure. Perhaps you will choose to take a ferry to Manly Beach or head on a picturesque Bondi Coastal walk.
Overnight: Vibe Hotel Sydney or similar (breakfast included).
Day 20
Sydney to Port Douglas via internal flight to Cairns
Fly to Cairns and travel to the Daintree Rainforest, the world's oldest tropical rainforest, for an interpretive walk with an Indigenous guide and learn more about the traditional way of life of the Kuku Yalanji people. Continue to Port Douglas for a 3-night stay.
Overnight: Mantra PortSea or similar (breakfast included).
Day 21
Port Douglas
Take a full-day catamaran tour to the Great Barrier Reef, with lunch served onboard. Snorkel among coral reefs teeming with tropical fish and marine life and explore the largest coral reef system in the world. Next, return to Port Douglas - where the evening is yours to spend as you wish.
Overnight: Mantra PortSea or similar (breakfast and lunch included).
Day 22
Port Douglas
Enjoy a free morning in Port Douglas before meeting Indigenous guides for a cultural experience at Cooya Beach.
Overnight: Mantra PortSea or similar (breakfast included).
Day 23
Port Douglas to Cairns – 70KM
After breakfast, transfer to Cairns where the tour ends at the airport.
Departing flights will be no earlier than 1pm out of Cairns.
Meals included: Breakfast
