Small Group Tours - New Zealand Coach Tours
7 Day North Island Small Group Tour: Auckland Loop
price from
NZ$ 4235
per person (twin share)
New Zealand - North Island 
Small Group Tour 
7 days 
Auckland 
Auckland 7 Day North Island New Zealand Small Group Tour | Included Experiences, Accommodation & Meals Included – 6 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner | Max. 14 Passengers
New Zealand’s North Island packs an extraordinary amount into a small space. This North Island New Zealand tour takes you through the very best of it in just seven days. First, you depart Auckland. Then you loop through Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Taupo, Waitomo and Raglan, before returning to where you started.
Along the way, you will step inside the real Hobbiton Movie Set. Wander past hobbit holes tucked into rolling green hills, with lunch included. Next, you will explore Rotorua’s bubbling geothermal landscape at Wai-O-Tapu. See vivid mineral pools and steaming craters up close. This 7-day New Zealand tour also includes a guided tour through the Waitomo Caves, where glowworms light up the darkness overhead. A visit to Hamilton Gardens and free time on the shores of Lake Taupo round out the journey.
Small groups and expert local guides make the journey easy. Because accommodation is premium twin share, every night matches the scenery in comfort. Along the way, your guide books optional activities for you. So there is nothing to arrange in advance. We include daily breakfast, a Welcome Dinner and lunch at Hobbiton.
For more options, explore our tours collection. Or, if you want to see the South Island too, browse our South Island New Zealand Tour for the other half of the country. Overall, few itineraries cover this much of the North Island in just one week. That is exactly why this North Island New Zealand tour is one of our most popular short breaks.
Tour Photo Gallery
Tour Information, Departure Dates & Price
Transportation
- Minibus
Tour Departures
- Check the tour departures below
Airport Transfers
- Not Included
Pricing
-
from NZD 4,235
Meals
- Check the meal details in the itinerary
Accommodation
- Superior Hotels
Cities/Regions Visited
-
Mount Maunganui – Rotorua – Taupo – Waitomo – Raglan
Group Size
- maximum 14 travelers
Tour Code
- WK0720263
Pre & Post Accommodation
- N/A
7 Day North Island Small Group Tour: Auckland Loop Days
Depart Auckland and travel south toward Tauranga, stopping along the way in the small town of Paeroa for a stroll and lunch. The route follows the coastline into the Bay of Plenty, arriving at the beach town of Mount Maunganui.
Spend the afternoon relaxing on the golden sand beneath the town’s volcanic namesake, one of New Zealand’s most photographed beaches.
The day finishes with a Welcome Dinner, a relaxed way to meet your guide and fellow travelers.
Included activities today:
- Relax on the beach after a stroll and lunch
- Welcome Dinner, a great chance to meet your fellow travellers and your guide
Accommodation: Trinity Wharf Hotel (or similar)
Visit Hobbiton, the real-world film set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, preserved as a fully realized version of the Shire. On a guided walking tour, wander past 44 individually detailed hobbit holes and learn behind-the-scenes stories from the films.
Lunch is included at the Shire’s Rest Cafe. Continue on to Rotorua, a city built on geothermal activity, where steam rises from parks, lakesides, and sidewalk cracks throughout town.
Accommodation: Millennium Hotel (or similar)
A free day to choose your own adventure. Options include white water rafting on the Kaituna River, a soak in the Polynesian Spa thermal pools, the Redwoods Treewalk, an e-bike tour, or a hike up Mt Tarawera. Your guide can help arrange whichever activity suits you.
Accommodation: Millennium Hotel (or similar)
Visit Huka Falls, where the Waikato River is forced through a narrow channel at extraordinary speed, then continue to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, a geothermal park of bubbling mud pools and vividly colored mineral lakes.
Arrive in Taupo, a lakeside town on the shores of New Zealand’s largest lake. An optional sunset cruise is available in the evening.
Accommodation: Suncourt Hotel (or similar)
Another free day. Popular options include the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, widely regarded as the best single-day hike in New Zealand, along with jet boating, fishing, scenic flights, or a soak in one of Taupo’s natural hot pools.
Accommodation: Suncourt Hotel (or similar)
Travel west to the Waitomo Caves for a guided tour beneath thousands of glowworms, whose soft light mimics a starlit sky.
Continue to Hamilton Gardens, an award-winning garden complex where each themed section represents a different culture and era. Finish the day in Raglan, a laid-back surf town known for its black sand beaches.
Accommodation: Sunset Motel (or similar)
Spend the morning exploring Raglan’s beaches and world class surf breaks at your own pace. In the afternoon, travel back to Auckland, completing your North Island loop.
Inclusions & Highlights
- Mercedes Sprinter Luxury Bus with expert local guide driver throughout
- 3 to 4 star twin share accommodation with private ensuite bathrooms
- Breakfast every day
- Welcome Dinner on arrival in Mount Maunganui
- Hobbiton Movie Set guided tour and lunch
- Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland entry
- Waitomo Glowworm Cave guided tour
- Guided tour of Hamilton Gardens
- Guide handles all optional activity bookings on the road, nothing to book in advance
Tour Departure Dates
2026 Departure Dates
- October: Oct 10
- November: Nov 7, Nov 28
- December: Dec 12, Dec 26
2027 Departure Dates
- January: Jan 9, Jan 23
- February: Feb 6, Feb 20
- March: Mar 6, Mar 20
- April: Apr 10
- May: May 1, May 22
- June: Jun 12
- July: Jul 10
- August: Aug 7
- September: Sep 4
Accommodation
- Mount Maunganui Hotel or similar, 1 night (Day 1), Twin Share Room with private ensuite
- Rotorua Hotel or similar, 2 nights (Days 2 to 3), Twin Share Room with private ensuite
- Taupo Hotel or similar, 2 nights (Days 4 to 5), Twin Share Room with private ensuite
- Raglan Hotel or similar, 1 night (Day 6), Twin Share Room with private ensuite
Included activities
Accommodation
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