Head southeast to the Coromandel Peninsula and the famous Cathedral Cove rock formation. Walk in on foot, or get out on the water for a different view of the coastline. At Hot Water Beach, dig your own personal spa pool in the sand where the tide meets the naturally heated spring below.

Overnight: Hahei

Included Accommodation: Hahei Beach Resort (or similar)

Included Experience

Hot Water Beach

Optional Activity

• Cathedral Cove Kayaking (Paid)
• Hahei Explorer (Paid)

Stop at Karangahake Gorge to walk a section of the old railway line through the remains of a former gold mining district. Continue to Waitomo, where a guided cave tour takes you through limestone formations lit by thousands of glowworms. Travelers looking for more adventure can upgrade to an underground black water rafting trip.

Overnight: Waitomo

Included Accommodation: Waitomo Chalets (or similar)

Included Experience

• Karangahake Gorge Windows Walk
• Ruakuri Cave Tour

Optional Activities

• Legendary Black Water Rafting Black Labyrinth (Paid)

Start the day with an easy walk through Ruakuri Reserve, known for its sculpted limestone cliffs and low arches. From there, continue on toward Hobbiton, with an optional guided tour of the film set. The day ends in Rotorua, with an evening at Mitai Māori Village learning about Māori culture and history, followed by a traditional hangi dinner.

Overnight: Rotorua

Included Accommodation: Haka House (or similar)

Included Experience

• Mitai Māori Village

Optional Activities

• Hobbiton Movie Set Tour (Paid)
• Mt Tarawera Volcanic Crater Experience Paid)

Start the morning with a restorative soak at Wai Ariki Hot Springs on the shores of Lake Rotorua. The rest of the day is yours, whether that means ziplining through the treetops, rolling downhill in a giant inflatable ball, a jade carving workshop, or a walk through Kuirau Park, a free geothermal reserve close to most accommodation.

Overnight: Rotorua

Included Accommodation: Haka House (or similar)

Included Experience

• Wai Ariki Hot Springs

Optional Activities

• Mt Tarawera Volcanic Crater Experience (Paid)
• Glowworm Kayak Tour (Paid)

Leave Rotorua’s geothermal landscape and head south toward the capital. Stop along the way for a photo at Waiotapu Thermal Park and a short walk at Huka Falls, plus a lighthearted gumboot throwing stop in Taihape before arriving in Wellington.

Overnight: Wellington

Included Accommodation: Haka House Wellington (or similar)

Included Experience

• Waiotapu Thermal Park
• Huka Falls
• Taihape Gumboot Throwing

A free day in the capital. Visit Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum, rent an e-bike to ride the waterfront, or head to Zealandia, a fenced wildlife sanctuary a short drive from the city. In the evening, explore the capital’s bars and restaurants.

Overnight: Wellington

Included Accommodation: Haka House Wellington (or similar)

Optional Activities

• Capital Bar Crawl
• Switched on Bikes
• Te Papa Museum

Board the Interislander ferry for the crossing of Cook Strait, passing through the Marlborough Sounds on arrival into the South Island. Drive through Marlborough wine country with two included tastings, before continuing along the coast to Kaikōura, known for its whales, dolphins, and fur seals.

Overnight: Kaikoura

Included Accommodation: Dusky Lodge (or similar)

Included Experience

• Wine Tasting – Whitehaven Cellar Door
• Wine Tasting – Cheese & Cheers

Optional Activities

• Dolphin Watch (Paid)

Spend the morning around Kaikōura’s coastline before driving south to Christchurch. The city’s laneways and street art make for a good afternoon on foot, or spend some time paddling the Avon River.

Overnight: Christchurch

Included Accommodation: Hotel Give (or similar)

Optional Activities

• Christchurch Street Art Tour (Paid)
• Waka on Avon (Paid)

Drive into the Mackenzie Basin, home to wide grasslands, turquoise lakes, and some of the clearest night skies in the country. Visit the Church of the Good Shepherd on the shore of Lake Tekapo, then unwind in the evening at a lakeside hot spring.

Overnight: Lake Tekapo

Included Accommodation: Lakes Edge (or similar)

Included Experience

• Tekapo Hot Springs

Optional Activities

• Church of the Good Shepherd (Free)
• Dark Sky Project (Paid)

Head toward Queenstown by way of the Aoraki Mt Cook area. The Hooker Valley Track is one of the best walks in the national park, crossing swing bridges with views of Mueller Glacier and Hooker Lake. Arrive in Queenstown in the afternoon.

Overnight: Queenstown

Included Accommodation: Nomads Queenstown (or similar)

Included Experience

• Hooker Valley Track Walk

Optional Activities

• Kiwi Crawl (Paid)

The first of two free days in New Zealand’s adventure capital. Adrenaline seekers can book bungy jumping, jet boating, white water rafting, or skydiving, while a slower pace might mean a lake cruise, a bike ride, or a vineyard visit.

Overnight: Queenstown

Included Accommodation: Nomads Queenstown (or similar)

Optional Activities

• NZONE Skydive (Paid)
• Altitude Day Tours (Paid)
• Dart River Adventures (Paid)

A second free day to fit in whatever you missed the first time around, including a full day trip to Milford Sound for those who haven’t been yet.

Overnight: Queenstown

Included Accommodation: Nomads Queenstown (or similar)

Optional Activities

• NZONE Skydive (Paid)
• Altitude Day Tours (Paid)
• Dart River Adventures (Paid)

Leave Queenstown behind for the short drive to Wanaka, stopping first at the gold-rush village of Arrowtown. Continue on to Wanaka, home of the lakeside #ThatWanakaTree and a stop at the Crown Range Lookout along the way. Options for the rest of the day include the Roys Peak Track, the shorter Mount Iron Track, or a tandem skydive over the lake.

Overnight: Wanaka

Included Accommodation: Adventure Hostel Wanaka (or similar)

Included Experience

• Arrowtown Visit

Optional Activities

• SGT – Wanaka Roys Peak Hike (Free)
• Mount Iron Track (Paid)

Start with a short bush walk to the base of Thunder Creek Falls, then stop at Ship Creek’s swamp forest for a glimpse of the West Coast’s older landscape. Continue to Lake Matheson for a walk around its famous mirror reflections, before arriving in Franz Josef.

Overnight: Franz Josef

Included Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat (or similar)

Included Experience

• Thunder Creek Falls
• Lake Matheson mirror lake

Optional Activities

• Franz Josef Glacier walk (Free)

A full free day in Glacier Country. Carve your own pounamu (greenstone) jewelry, a hands-on cultural experience included in your stay, then choose from a range of add-ons: a scenic flight, a heli-hike onto the glacier, a kayak tour, or an off-road quad bike adventure.

Overnight: Franz Josef

Included Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat (or similar)

Optional Activities

• Franz Josef Scenic Flight – 50 Minutes (Paid)
• Glacier Encounter (Paid)
• Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike (Paid)

Before leaving Franz Josef, spend the morning at the West Coast Wildlife Centre, home to a live kiwi house and one of the region’s kiwi conservation programs. From there, head north to Hanmer Springs, a resort town known for its natural hot pools.

Overnight: Hanmer Springs

Included Accommodation: Tussock Peak Lodge (or similar)

Optional Activities

• West Coast Wildlife Centre (Paid)

A full free day in Hanmer Springs. Soak in the outdoor thermal pools, take on the hydroslides, or spend the day with archery, mountain biking, or an outdoor puzzle hunt around the village.

Overnight: Hanmer Springs

Included Accommodation: Tussock Peak Lodge (or similar)

Included Experience

• Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools

Optional Activities

• Archery (Paid)
• Mountain Bike Hire with Map (Paid)

Before leaving Hanmer Springs, walk the Conical Hill Walk, one of the best short walks in the region. From there, the drive continues to Christchurch, where the tour concludes in the afternoon.

Included Experience

• Conical Hill Walk

Optional Activities

• Christchurch Street Art Tour
• Waka on Avon