New Zealand Marvel

14 days
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
98%
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USTOA

Cancellation Policy
Small Group Tour
One country, two islands, two weeks, countless highs… this could well be the ultimate New Zealand guided tour. Standouts include gem-like Franz Josef/Waiau, cruise through World Heritage listed Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, Waitomo Caves tours to spot glowworms, and expeditions across turquoise lakes. We haven’t even mentioned the atmospheric towns and cities yet...
26%
$6,638
From$4,917
See departure dates

Overview

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

What's this trip about?

    One country, two islands, two weeks, countless highs… this could well be the ultimate New Zealand guided tour. Standouts include gem-like Franz Josef/Waiau, cruise through World Heritage listed Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, Waitomo Caves tours to spot glowworms, and expeditions across turquoise lakes. We haven’t even mentioned the atmospheric towns and cities yet – tours in Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch all beckon.

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

  • New Zealand

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide 1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Fiordland National Park Comfortable accommodation with easy access to city centres National Park entrance fees

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Welcome to Christchurch

There are plenty of reasons to arrive in New Zealand’s ‘Garden City’ early, among them the astonishing transformation that has reinvigorated streets since the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes. Explore at your leisure. Meet your Travel Director and travelling companions at a Welcome Reception tonight.

Ibis Hotel Christchurch

Day 2: Christchurch - Franz Josef/Waiau

When the journey matters just as much as the destination, jump aboard the TranzAlpine train. This scenic spectacular – the start of your tour of the South Island of New Zealand – takes you through tunnels and over viaducts, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, i...

Day 3: Franz Josef/Waiau - Queenstown

If you thought the scenery yesterday was dramatic, wait until you hit the Haast Pass today: over the saddle, the alpine scenery of the Southern Lakes spreads before you in a patchwork of blues and greens. First up there’s lovely Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable sh...

Day 4: Queenstown Free Time

Today, choose your own adventure – there are plenty to be had. Feel the wind in your hair on a high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Or discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at a wildlife centre. Wine aficionado? Sip your way through surrounding vineyards. Wh...

Day 5: Queenstown - Te Anau

There are some travel days that defy the imagination. Thankfully, you don’t have to dream about all the natural highs in today’s itinerary – they’re about to become a reality. Your route from the Mirror Lakes through the Cleddau Valley is the entrée to Milford Sound/P...

Day 6: Te Anau - Dunedin

On the banks of the South Island’s biggest lake, Te Anau turns on the sunrise charms. Enjoy a morning stroll before swapping the forested slopes of Fiordland for the rolling green hills of the Edinburgh of the South. Welcome to Dunedin, a beguiling union of both Māori...

Day 7: Dunedin - Omarama

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.

Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel

Full Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Omarama - Christchurch

Your outlook this morning is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, hemmed by snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. If it seems familiar, that’s because it regularly stars on postcards. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, h...

Day 9: Christchurch - Picton

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 Lak...

Day 10: Picton - Wellington

Cruising through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait is a journey as scenic as it is serene. Today’s chariot, the Interislander, transports you from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into New Zealand’s co...

Day 11: Wellington - Rotorua

Follow the lead of locals along the Kapiti Coast, the summer playground of Wellingtonians – for good reason. 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 ...

Day 12: Rotorua Free Time

Sometimes, the best adventures are those that you have when you least expect them. Like wandering into Rotorua’s Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa and falling into a few hours of bliss while soaking in steamy thermal springs. And then there’s Hobbiton. These beautiful l...

Day 13: Rotorua - Auckland

Before you reach your final destination, get set to glow on a tour through the Waikato River’s 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. Auckla...

Day 14: Farewell from Auckland

The ‘City of Sails’ flutters as if waving goodbye as you make your way home – with two weeks’ worth of extra baggage (all that wine!) and an innumerable number of memories.

Full Breakfast

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,917
Price per day$351
Last Updated: 11/4/2024
Departure Date
Finish Date
Double Room (Shared)
Single Room
Availability
18 Nov 2024
01 Dec 2024
$5,550
$7,285
09 Dec 2024
22 Dec 2024
$5,550
$7,285
30 Dec 2024
12 Jan 2025
$5,550
$7,285
27 Jan 2025
09 Feb 2025
$5,720
$7,510
10 Feb 2025
23 Feb 2025
$5,720
$7,510
24 Feb 2025
09 Mar 2025
$5,720
$7,510
03 Mar 2025
16 Mar 2025
$5,720
$7,510
10 Mar 2025
23 Mar 2025
$5,720
$7,510
17 Mar 2025
30 Mar 2025
$5,720
$7,510
24 Mar 2025
06 Apr 2025
$5,720
$7,510

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

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Lynn Marie Blackman

Nov 2024

Written on

Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef Superior

Our reservation with AAT Kings was a guided tour of the Great Barrier Reef and Kuranda. There was no tour guide. They reserved our room in Cairns and reserved a pl...

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Tour Operator

AAT Kings

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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

Ibis Hotel Christchurch Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Distinction Luxmore Hotel Scenic Hotel Dunedin City Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel Picton Yacht Club Travelodge Wellington Ibis Rotorua Hotel Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre,
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
  • 13 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-LCCAF25

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