Spirit of New Zealand

21 days
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4.6/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
98%
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premier

USTOA

Cancellation Policy
Small Group Tour
Dozens of lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Just as many beaches. A good dose of Māori history and culture. Glaciers, gorges and bubbling geysers. Wine, wonderful food and wildlife. It sounds like the recipe for the best New Zealand tour ever. We haven’t even touched on the forward-thinking cities and atmospheric towns you’ll encounter on a Christchurch tour, Wel...
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$9,019
From$6,681
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

What's this trip about?

    Dozens of lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Just as many beaches. A good dose of Māori history and culture. Glaciers, gorges and bubbling geysers. Wine, wonderful food and wildlife. It sounds like the recipe for the best New Zealand tour ever. We haven’t even touched on the forward-thinking cities and atmospheric towns you’ll encounter on a Christchurch tour, Wellington tour, Bay of Islands tour... And so much more. Pack your stamina.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeGroup - max of 40 people
Age range6 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityChristchurch (Nz)
End CityAuckland

Travel Themes

  • Cultural

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 40

Trip includes

    • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide Comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centres National Park entrance fees

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Welcome to Christchurch

Community spirit is strong in Christchurch, as you’ll discover exploring its streets at your leisure. Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers this evening for a Welcome Reception.

Wyndham Garden

Day 2: Christchurch - Omarama

More of the city is revealed on a Christchurch tour before the colours of the Canterbury Plains spread before you: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. It’s quite the backdrop for the stone-hewn Church of Good Shepherd. You...

Day 3: Omarama - Dunedin

Easing through the Waitaki Valley, you’re en route toward New Zealand’s oldest public gardens. They lie in the pretty town of Oamaru, known for its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings. Architectural drama of a different kind awaits in Dunedin. While awa...

Day 4: Dunedin - Invercargill

Invercargill is obsessed with motor vehicles. Tributes to speed legends colour the city. So it's only fitting that you visit Classic Motorcycle Mecca for a self-guided tour followed by a guided tour and Highlight Dinner at Transport World, exploring classic vehicles a...

Day 5: Stewart Island Sightseeing

Invercargill is the gateway to the southernmost community in the country. Welcome to Stewart Island, a wild and wonderful drop of land that is 85% national park. Naturally, it’s a magnet for endemic flora and fauna, as you’ll discover on your guided Village and Bays t...

Day 6: Invercargill - Queenstown

Today on your New Zealand tour, get a taste of country life combined with good old fashioned southern hospitality as you meet a ‘Southern Girl’ local farmer at Real Country. Get a feel for life on the farm as you have demonstrations of Horse communication and Working ...

Day 7: Queenstown Free Time

You clearly need more than one day to appreciate Queenstown and its surrounds. And when we say surrounds, we mean Milford Sound. Today, sign up for an Optional Experience to dive deep into this yawning gorge within World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park – it’s ...

Day 8: Queenstown - Franz Josef

We know you’ll want to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, lined with trees and character-filled boutiques and restaurants. But the Alpine country of the Southern Lakes is calling, from Lake Dunstan – where you can pause to buy juicy stone fruit picked fresh...

Day 9: Franz Josef - Punakaiki

There aren’t many communities on the wild West Coast, Hokitika is one, and boy does it make the most of its setting. Wander the windswept coast before discovering the town’s other beauty: pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Prepare yourself for Punakaiki’s Pancake Ro...

Day 10: Punakaiki - Nelson

Sit back and relax – that’s all you have to do today as you ease along the Heritage Highway toward Nelson. Press your nose against the glass as your coach weaves through Buller Gorge – a deep canyon home to New Zealand’s longest swingbridge – and Kahurangi National Park, a place of wild rivers, high plateaus, alpine herb fields and coastal forests.

The Rutherford Hotel

Full Breakfast

Day 11: Nelson Free Time

Sleep in or work up a sweat – today is completely at your leisure. We have a few ideas up our sleeve, of course. Travel to the Abel Tasman National Park for the ultimate cruise and walk combination (own expense). This pocket in the north of the island inspires calm, i...

Day 12: Nelson - Wellington

All 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.

Travelodge Wellington

Full Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13: Wellington - Napier

Travel to Napier. Beautifully preserved 1930s architecture is Napier's special point of difference. After a massive earthquake in 1931 destroyed the commercial centre of Napier, rebuilding began almost immediately in the architectural styles of the times - Striped Classical, Spanish Mission and Art Deco.

Scenic Hotel Te Pania

Full Breakfast

Day 14: Napier Sightseeing

Experience The Daily Deco Tour for an insight into how Napier City became the Art Deco capital of the world. A city home to the world’s greatest concentration of Art Deco, Spanish Mission and Striped Classical buildings, in a gelato of colours and forms. This comprehe...

Day 15: Napier - Rotorua

The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, the largest (and perhaps bluest) of its kind in the country – it feeds thundering Huka Falls, which you’ll hear well before you see. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettis...

Day 16: Rotorua Free Time

Today is Rotorua tour day of many decisions, but with plenty of tips available from your Travel Director. Want a bit of down time? We wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at in the steamy thermal springs at Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa. Hobbit fans will want ...

Day 17: Rotorua - Auckland

From New Zealand’s longest waterway, the Waikato River, to its largest city: welcome to Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’. You’ll understand how it got its moniker when you glimpse yachts gliding around its two harbours. But today your sights are firmly set on New Zealand...

Day 18: Auckland - Bay of Islands

140 – that’s how many droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea comprise the Bay of Islands, your tour destination de jour. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical significance: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between ...

Day 19: Bay of Islands Free Time

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, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide ar...

Day 20: Bay of Islands - Auckland

For a little more northern exposure, make your way to Whangarei, the island’s most northerly outpost and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Si...

Day 21: Farewell from Auckland

Over three weeks, we hope you’ve packed your address book with the names of new friends and your camera with photos of New Zealand’s most inspiring attractions. But at the end of the day, it’s the memories that will fuel your flight home. Trips to New Zealand don’t get any more epic than this.

Full Breakfast

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Dates & Availability

Price From $6,681
Price per day$318
Last Updated: 12/19/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Double Room (Shared)
Single Room
Availability
30 Jan 2025
19 Feb 2025
$7,209
$9,243
20 Feb 2025
12 Mar 2025
$8,255
$10,585
03 Apr 2025
23 Apr 2025
$7,860
$10,165
24 Apr 2025
14 May 2025
$7,860
$10,165
04 Sep 2025
24 Sep 2025
$7,860
$10,165
02 Oct 2025
22 Oct 2025
$6,681
$8,640
16 Oct 2025
05 Nov 2025
$7,860
$10,165
30 Oct 2025
19 Nov 2025
$7,860
$10,165
20 Nov 2025
10 Dec 2025
$7,860
$10,165
27 Nov 2025
17 Dec 2025
$6,681
$8,640

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

AAT Kings Reviews & Ratings

4.6/5  Excellent
Excellent
1,423
Great
396
Average
73
Disappointing
24
Terrible
17
J

Jayne Lougheed

Nov 2024

Written on

Spirit of New Zealand

The trip to New Zealand was amazing.The tour guide Nathan and driver Mark were very friendly, helpful and extremely professional.The knowledge that Nathan had was br...

M

Maureen Hadley

Nov 2024

Written on

Spirit of New Zealand

Very enjoyable trip, a new experience each day. Tour guide Nathan & Coach driver Mark gave their all to make sure our needs were met and every comfort was given ...

T

Trusted Customer

Nov 2024

Written on

Spirit of New Zealand

the holiday was very good

Write a Review

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Karol Jordan

Dec 2024

Written on

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Tour Operator

AAT Kings

premier
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A century ago, the Australian outback was but a twinkle in most travelers’ eyes. But thanks to visionaries like the Pyke family and Bill King, the way we explore the Land Down Under was about to change in unimaginable ways. Over the coming decades, maps were unfolded, desert cruisers and coaches were customized, and guides were trained. From humble beginnings, the company now known as AAT Kings was going places few had gone before, pioneering new paths across Australia and New Zealand and taking intrepid travelers on a wild and wonderful ride. We’ve come a long way and clocked a few kilometers in the process. But some things will never change. Like our spirit for adventure. Our oh-so-knowledgeable Travel Directors. The local characters we meet (and will never forget) along the way. The epic, goosebump-inducing stories we’re told by First Nations guides. The life-changing experiences on offer – the kind that only 100 years of exploring affords. We’ve never been more passionate about our next discovery. Join us and fall in love with Australia and New Zealand all over again. #aatkings


Why we love this operator
AAT Kings is renowned for its quality service, knowledgeable guides, and extensive network of destinations.
What they’re known for
AAT Kings is known for being one of Australia and New Zealand's leading tour operators, specializing in guided tours.

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Logistics

Accommodation

  • Wyndham Garden
  • Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel
  • Dunedin Leisure Lodge
  • Kelvin Hotel
  • Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown
  • Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier
  • Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
  • The Rutherford Hotel
  • Travelodge Wellington
  • Scenic Hotel Te Pania
  • Sudima Lake Rotorua
  • Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre
  • Copthorne Hotel and Resort
Cancellation policy

Cancellation by the Traveller
Travel arrangements for any member of the party may be cancelled at any time by written notice by the person who made the booking.

If notice of cancellation is received by the Provider before final payment is due (see The Table), the deposit will be retained. If cancellation is made after final payment is due cancellation fees will apply (see The Table). These cancellation fees represent the costs incurred less any expected recoveries. Please also refer to Air cancellation Section where applicable.Notice of cancellation must be made in writing directly to the Provider or through your Travel Agent. Please also refer to the Provider's Gold Seal Additional Protection.

If a person in a party cancels and there is a room change caused by this cancellation (such as a twin share to Single, or Triple to twin share), charges for the new room type will be the responsibility of the remaining party. The charges detailed in the Summary Terms table (which includes GST), representing costs incurred by the Provider in cancelling your travel arrangements, will apply when notice of cancellation for your trip is given after the booking is confirmed. Please also refer to the Provider's Gold Seal Additional Protection.

If a guest fails to join the trip on the day of departure, cancellation fees will be 100% (unless the guest notifies us of the delay and joins the trip later at their own expense).

Cancellation fees as per The Table apply to additional accommodation and/or chargeable transfers prior to and after the trip, itinerary extensions or cruise reserved through the Provider.

Cancellation fees and charges will include any amounts that we have paid or have contractually committed to pay to third parties to deliver your travel arrangements which we cannot reasonably recover (for example payments made or due to airlines and hotels). Any payments we have made to third parties will only be refunded to you once we have deducted the above cancellation fees and charges and once we have actually recovered the amounts from the third parties.

All cancellation fees as per The Table are additional to any cancellation fees or other charges that may be levied by your Travel Agent.

Gold Seal Protection premiums are non-refundable.

If the reason for your cancellation is covered under your insurance, you may be able to reclaim these charges from your insurer. You are responsible for making the claim to your insurer. We will provide you with documentation to support your claim.

Cancellation by the Provider
The Provider reserves the right, to modify or cancel any trip, accommodation, in-destination activity or arrangement, definite or not, at any time.

Cancellation due to Failure to Pay

If full payment is not received by the due date (see The Table), The Provider has the right to cancel your reservation and no refund will be made. The Provider will not be responsible for lost reservations.

Cancellation due to Force Majeure Events

If The Provider cancels a trip as a result of a Force Majeure Event, a future travel credit (FTC) to the value of funds paid to date, less any unrecoverable third-party costs incurred, will be provided. All FTCs will be valid for 24 months from date of issue.

Where a trip is terminated mid-trip due to a Force Majeure event, if we provide you with any alternative services or assistance (such as hotels or travel) then you agree to pay for these costs.

Cancellation due to Events other than Force Majeure Events

If the cancellation by the Provider is not as a result of a Force Majeure Event, the Provider will provide an alternative comparable trip (if available). If an alternative is not available, then a refund will be made. The Provider is not liable for any cancellation or change cost or penalties incurred on other travel arrangements, including air travel, that may be affected thereby.

The Provider is not responsible for other travel arrangements that you or your party have made outside the Provider and which are affected by our cancellations.

For more additional details, see the booking conditions of TruTravels at the following web address: https://www.aatkings.com/about-us/booking-conditions-published-5-august-2024/

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
  • 20 Full Breakfast (B)
  • 5 Dinner (D)
  • 2 Highlight Dinner (HD)
  • 1 Farewell Dinner (FD)
Age Requirements
6 years and up
Additional Information
Trip ID
aatkin-LCQBZ24

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