16-Day New Zealand Highlights Tour from Auckland with Milford Sound

1

Day 01

Arrival in Auckland and City Highlights

• Connect at the airport with your tour representative and transfer to your hotel.
• Begin your city tour and highlights.
• Discover the historic district of Parnell with its beautifully restored colonial houses, Mount Eden, and the War Memorial Museum with its impressive collection of Maori art and artifacts.
• See the Sky Tower and Orbit Restaurant with panoramic views, which also houses the Sky Jump - entry not included.
• Walk along the Viaduct, then continue to Mission Bay and finally Queen Street.
• Stay overnight.

2

Day 02

From Auckland to Rotorua's Cultural and Historic Sights

• After breakfast, check out from your accommodation and depart for Rotorua, the geothermal centre of the North Island.
• Arrive in Rotorua and tour the main attractions: Prince's Archway, Bath House and Museum, and Rotorua Gardens.
• Check in at your accommodation, have dinner, and watch a traditional Maori welcome at Te Puia.
• Transfer back to your accommodation.

3

Day 03

Waimangu, Taupo and Tongariro National Park

• After breakfast, leave for Waimangu to discover the youngest geothermal system in the world. A self-guided walk is included in the activities.
• Stop at Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, and Huka Falls.
• Arrive in the afternoon at Tongariro National Park, where you can walk for about 1 hour and 30 minutes to see Taranaki Falls and enjoy a view of Mt Ruapehu volcano.
• Check in at your accommodation.

4

Day 04

Journey to Wellington and City Tour

• After breakfast, depart for the capital of New Zealand and the country's second-most populous urban area. Wellington showcases a variety of architectural styles from the past 150 years, including 19th-century log cottages, streamlined Art Deco structures, and the curves and vibrant colours of postmodern architecture.
• Arrive in Wellington and take a short walk around the main landmarks: the Bee Hive, Parliament, Te Papa, and Cuba Street.
• Visit Mt Victoria for a spectacular view of the city.
• Transfer to your accommodation.

5

Day 05

Free Morning and Ferry to Picton

• Enjoy a free morning.
• Then, board the Interislander ferry to Picton through the Marlborough Sounds in the afternoon.
• Check in at your accommodation.

6

Day 06

Queen Charlotte Track and Onward to Nelson

• After breakfast, depart for the Queen Charlotte Track by water taxi, which will take you to the beginning of this famous hike to Ship Cove.
• Take the water taxi back to Picton, then leave for Nelson.
• Arrive in Nelson in the late afternoon and check in at your accommodation.

7

Day 07

Leisure Day in Nelson

• Enjoy a free day. Your guide will help with any activities you wish to book. Abel Tasman National Park offers varied walks and short excursions. Reservations are required.

8

Day 08

West Coast Drive via Punakaiki to Hokitika

• Depart after breakfast.
• Travel for approximately 5 hours from Nelson to Hokitika, with stops to stretch your legs, including the Truman Track walk on the west coast, as well as photo stops such as Punakaiki, the famous Pancake Rocks. The west coast road is mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide and offers rugged and wild scenery.
• Arrive in Hokitika in the afternoon. The village is the place of origin of Pounamu, the green stone sacred to the Maori.
• Check in at your accommodation.

9

Day 09

Franz Josef Glacier, Wanaka and Arrowtown to Queenstown

• After breakfast, leave for Franz Josef Glacier, approximately a 2-hour drive.
• Pass through the small villages of Ross and Hari Hari to reach the town of Franz Josef. Here, your guide will take you to the glacier base, which is about a 45-minute walk.
• Then, continue to Wanaka with various stops and opportunities to photograph waterfalls, forests, and beaches.
• Cross the Crown Range with photo stops.
• Descend to arrive at Arrowtown, a small village with remnants of the golden age.
• Arrive in Queenstown.
• Take a short drive to get your bearings, then check in at your accommodation.

10

Day 10

Free Morning in Queenstown and Glow Worm Caves in Te Anau

• Check out from your hotel at 10 am. Enjoy a free morning or choose an extra activity at extra cost.
• Then, leave by car for Te Anau in the afternoon.
• Arrive in Te Anau and check in for the Glow Worm Caves activity - a mysterious underground world with a guided cave tour beyond the rushing water of an underground stream before drifting into silent darkness under the glowing shimmer of hundreds of fireflies.
• Check in at your accommodation after the activity.

11

Day 11

Milford Sound Cruise and Return to Queenstown

• Today, leave early as your guide will take you to Milford Sound, approximately a 2-hour drive into the national park with photo stops, for a fjord cruise. This cruise lasts about 1 hour and 45 minutes on a boat that carries around 75 passengers.
• Return to Queenstown after your cruise. The journey back is approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes.
• Check in at your accommodation.

12

Day 12

Leisure Day in Queenstown

• Enjoy a free day. For any activities that you wish to take part in, your guide will be able to assist with making reservations. Examples include TSS Earnslaw and Walter Peak Farm with the collies' mustering show, a jet boat ride on the Shotover River, and the Kawarau Gorge bungee jump.

13

Day 13

Lake Pukaki and Tekapo's Alpine Scenery

• After breakfast, head to Lake Tekapo.
• Take a halt at Lake Pukaki and savour the alpine salmon at extra cost.
• Reach Tekapo and admire its turquoise waters, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and the Collie Statue.
• Check in at your accommodation. An additional activity is possible with the International Dark Sky, the largest in the world. Reservation is needed.

14

Day 14

Mt Cook and Hooker Valley Walk to Christchurch

• Leave for Mt Cook after breakfast, if not done the day before.
• Reach Mt Cook and hike in the Hooker Valley on a 3-hour walk.
• Take photo stops in Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park. If the mountain is obscured, leave for Christchurch with an excursion of the city.

15

Day 15

Departure from Christchurch

• After breakfast, transfer to Christchurch Airport for your return flight.