New Zealand Magic
New Zealand Magic
New Zealand Magic
17 Days Starting in Christchurch, New Zealand and ending in Auckland, New Zealand
Visiting: Christchurch, Franz Josef, Queenstown, Te Anau, Dunedin, Omarama, Picton, Wellington, Rotorua, Auckland, Bay of Islands
Tour operator:
Tour code:
LCBA24
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on the "New Zealand Magic" tour, a captivating journey through the breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage of New Zealand. This adventure begins in Christchurch and concludes in Auckland, offering a seamless blend of natural wonders and historical insights. Experience the awe-inspiring Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, explore the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds, and marvel at the Franz Josef Glacier. Travel in comfort with a specialist team, enjoying quality accommodations and scenic transport, including the iconic TranzAlpine train and Interislander ferry. With opportunities for wine tasting in Queenstown, exploring geothermal wonders in Rotorua, and discovering the vibrant cities of Wellington and Auckland, this tour promises an unforgettable exploration of New Zealand's diverse beauty and culture.
Make Travel Matter
Journey through New Zealand's most important historic site, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, with a passionate local guide. Discover the stories, people and events that have shaped the past, present and future.
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome To Christchurch
Location: Christchurch
Accommodation Name: Ibis Hotel Christchurch
Explore the ‘Garden City’ at your leisure. We recommend jumping aboard the tram for a Christchurch tour – the conductors are a hoot – to discover how the city has rebuilt itself since the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes. It’s changing the way architects think about design. Case in point the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. Tonight, meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers at a Welcome Reception.
Day 2: Christchurch - Franz Josef/Waiau
Location: Franz Josef
Accommodation Name: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier
Meals Included: Dinner
Your New Zealand tour starts on a high as you jump aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Arthur's Pass, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. From Arthur’s Pass, visit the small town of Hokitika, the heritage and cultural centre of the West Coast well-known for its jade. Things are about to get cool again as you arrive in the town of Franz Josef/Waiau, gateway to Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere, a white-out of snow and ice that shimmers like a gem. Get some perspective on an optional scenic flight over this natural wonder – if the weather behaves, you may even get to land on it.
Day 3: Franz Josef/Waiau - Queenstown
Location: Queenstown
Accommodation Name: Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown
Over the Haast Pass, the alpine scenery of the Southern Lakes spreads before you. First up there’s lovely Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Followed by oh-so-blue Lake Hawea and Lake Dunstan, where you’ll pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruit. We know you’ll want to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, lined with trees and character-filled boutiques. But Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables await on your Queenstown tour.
Day 4: Queenstown Free Time
Location: Queenstown
Accommodation Name: Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown
Take today at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. There’s a reason why Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the country. Nature lover? Discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at a wildlife centre. Wine aficionado? Sip your way through surrounding vineyards. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner.
Day 5: Queenstown - Te Anau
Location: Te Anau
Accommodation Name: Distinction Luxmore Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner
From the moment you step outside today, nature rules. Your route from the Mirror Lakes through the Cleddau Valley is the entrée to your Milford Sound/Piopiotahi tour. Cruising this World Heritage listed expanse will give you goosebumps, a string of waterfalls creating a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Look out for dolphins – they’re a common sight here. The onward road through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and gin-clear rivers, carving up the countryside en route to Te Anau.
Day 6: Te Anau - Dunedin
Location: Dunedin
Accommodation Name: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City
Soak up the serenity of the South Island’s biggest lake on an early morning walk, perhaps, before leaving the forested slopes of Fiordland behind. Rolling green hills dotted with doe-eyed sheep are your new backdrop as you ease into the Edinburgh of the South: Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution), or visit grand Larnach Castle, the only one of its kind in the country. You could venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals and penguins among them.
Day 7: Dunedin - Omarama
Location: Omarama
Accommodation Name: Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner
Time is on your side this morning. Sleep in or take a stroll around the manicured grounds of Otago University to the city’s main George Street. If you’ve ever wanted to see New Zealand’s oldest public gardens, today you’re in luck with a visit to Oamaru, known for its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings.
Day 8: Omarama - Christchurch
Location: Christchurch
Accommodation Name: Ibis Hotel Christchurch
Meals Included: Dinner
Your outlook this morning is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Back on earth, you’re becoming reacquainted with Christchurch on a city tour, your in-the-know guide pointing out the city’s miraculous transformation over the last decade. You'll view the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library.
Day 9: Christchurch - Picton
Location: Picton
Accommodation Name: Picton Yacht Club
Meals Included: Dinner
There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the sands of Kaikoura. Bonus points if you spot a sea lion or sperm whale frolicking offshore, Kaikoura is the marine wildlife centre of New Zealand. Your onward route skirts the pink tinged crystallisation ponds of the Lake Grassmere Salt Works, before arriving in the pretty seaside fishing village of Picton.
Day 10: Picton - Wellington
Location: Wellington
Accommodation Name: Travelodge Wellington
Swap wheels for water aboard the Interislander for a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait, from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into New Zealand’s cool little capital of Wellington.
Day 11: Wellington - Rotorua
Location: Rotorua
Accommodation Name: Ibis Rotorua Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner
Follow the lead of locals along the Kapiti Coast, the traditional summer playground of Wellingtonians. You’ll understand why. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, the largest (and perhaps bluest) of its kind in the country. 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.
Day 12: Rotorua Free Time
Location: Rotorua
Accommodation Name: Ibis Rotorua Hotel
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. 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.
Day 13: Rotorua - Auckland
Location: Auckland
Accommodation Name: Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre
Meals Included: Dinner
Set your internal GPS to cross the Waikato River and head towards the Waitomo Caves. This place is radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous limestone waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. The next thing that glows on your horizon is Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city with not one, but two harbours. And plenty of yachts to decorate both, as you’ll see from the lookout at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
Day 14: Auckland - Bay Of Islands
Location: Bay of Islands
Accommodation Name: Copthorne Hotel and Resort
Meals Included: Dinner
Say goodbye to the ‘City of Sails’ as you journey north to New Zealand’s dramatic Bay of Islands – 140 islands ringed by turquoise sea. 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.
Day 15: Bay Of Islands Free Time
Location: Bay of Islands
Accommodation Name: Copthorne Hotel and Resort
If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. Today, trip the light fantastic and head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps travel 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, or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands.
Day 16: Bay Of Islands - Auckland
Location: Auckland
Accommodation Name: Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre
Today, New Zealand’s most northerly city is well and truly on your radar. Whangarei is like the country in a tantalizing snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerizing commute back to Auckland.
Day 17: Farewell From Auckland
Location: Auckland
It’s hard to say goodbye to Auckland – this city is hypnotic. But you have a camera full of New Zealand tour photos to categorise before you get home.
What's Included
What's Not Included
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Flights
Flights to and from the start/end of your trip are not included in the trip price.
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Airport transfers
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price.
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Personal items
Items such as comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, water bottle, warm layers in cooler months, and camera are not included.
Mode of Transport
All aboard the TranzAlpine train, whisking you through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks. Swap wheels for water aboard the Interislander for a cruise from the South Island to the North into New Zealand’s cool little capital of Wellington.
Accommodation
Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort. The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes: Ibis Hotel Christchurch, Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier, Copthorne Hotel and Resort, Distinction Luxmore Hotel, Scenic Hotel Dunedin City, Heritage Gateway Hotel, Picton Yacht Club, Travelodge Wellington, Ibis Rotorua Hotel, Holiday Inn Express Auckland.
Dining Summary
- 16 Full Breakfast (B)
- 7 Dinner (D)
- 2 Highlight Dinner (HD)
Fitness Requirement
- Low level of fitness required.
Flexible Holidays
- Freedom in travel? Explore remote reaches of the North Island one minute, then sip wine or zip across Queenstown lakes the next. Ask us for tips.
Flight information
- 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 Christchurch AirportDay 17 – flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport
Iconic Sites
- Visiting Milford Sound/Piopiotahi within World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park is a humbling experience. Waterfalls, ancient escarpments and dolphins await.
Natural Wonders
- Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere sparkles like a gem in the Southern Alps, cutting through the mountains for more than 12 kilometres.
What to Bring
- Comfortable walking shoes Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat Water bottle Warm layers in cooler months Camera
Check out our Q&As
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What kind of transportation is included in the New Zealand Magic tour?
The tour includes a ride on the TranzAlpine train, which offers panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, and a cruise aboard the Interislander from the South Island to the North Island.
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Are flights included in the New Zealand Magic tour package?
No, flights to and from the start and end of the trip are not included in the tour price.
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What type of accommodation can I expect on the New Zealand Magic tour?
The tour includes a range of quality accommodations such as the Ibis Hotel Christchurch, Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier, Copthorne Hotel and Resort, and Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre, among others.
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Is there a specific fitness level required for the New Zealand Magic tour?
A low level of fitness is required for this tour.
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What are some of the highlights of the New Zealand Magic tour?
Highlights include visiting Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, exploring the Waitangi Treaty Grounds with a local guide, and seeing the Franz Josef Glacier in the Southern Alps.
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What is the starting and ending point of the New Zealand Magic tour?
The tour starts in Christchurch and ends in Auckland.
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Are airport transfers included in the New Zealand Magic tour?
No, return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
The beauty of taking a holiday with us is you’ll have the opportunity to meet and travel with people from all over the globe.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
It is important to adhere to departure times while on tour for the comfort of everyone on-board, and to make sure no one misses out on the planned experiences. The coach will not be able to wait for you, and in some instances, if you miss a departure time you will need to make your own way to the next destination to re-join the tour.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
AAT Kings operated Guided Holidays have competitive single supplement rates available if you prefer to confirm your own room. Or we can match you to share with a guest of the same gender at no extra cost. If we fail to match you, we will accommodate you in a single room at no extra cost.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Over 100 years
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
We will email your documents to you approximately four weeks before your departure date provided you have completed your pre trip registration using the My Travel Portal. If you’ve booked through a travel agent, your documents will be emailed directly to your agent.
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Low Deposit
AAT Kings requires a minimum deposit of 100 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of aat kings charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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