New Zealand: Exclusive Italian-speaking group tour
A group tour guided entirely in Italian, from the Bay of Islands to Fiordland. Small group (max 12), expert Italian-speaking guide, handpicked accommodation and a travel pace designed to savour every landscape without rushing. New Zealand as passionate travellers experience it.
The Route
Day-by-Day Programme
Arrival in Auckland
Arrival in Auckland and hotel transfer in the Viaduct Harbour quarter. Meeting with the Italian-speaking guide and the group. Welcome dinner at a waterfront restaurant. Auckland is a city of bridges: bridges over the harbour, bridges between cultures (it has the world's largest Polynesian population), bridges between oceans (it sits on the isthmus between the Pacific and Tasman). First evening in the city that never sleeps.
Auckland — Sky Tower and Harbour
Day in Auckland: ascent to the Sky Tower (328m, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere) with 360° views of both harbours and the volcanic island of Rangitoto. Visit to the Parnell quarter, Auckland's oldest, with its galleries and boutiques. Afternoon cruise on Waitemata Harbour with views of the Harbour Bridge and the Auckland Gulf islands. Free evening on Ponsonby Road, the lively restaurant strip.
Waitomo Caves — glowworms
Transfer south towards Waitomo through the gentle pastures of the North Island. The Waitomo Caves were discovered in 1887 by a local Maori chief who led the first European inside. Today they host millions of Arachnocampa luminosa — larvae of a New Zealand endemic insect that emit blue-green bioluminescence to lure insects into silk thread traps. The boat ride in total darkness, looking up at that glowing ceiling, is an experience without equal in the world.
Hobbiton — Tolkien's Shire
Transfer to the Alexander Family Farm in Matamata for the Hobbiton visit, one of the world's most famous film sets. Peter Jackson chose this farm after a helicopter flyover: the gentle green hills of Waikato, the pond and the ancient oak seemed the perfect Shire to him. The set was built in 1999 and then permanently rebuilt for The Hobbit (2012). 2-hour guided tour among the 44 Hobbit Holes, the gardens tended with flowers and vegetables, the Mill and the Green Dragon Inn where you toast with fresh craft ale.
Rotorua — Wai-O-Tapu
Arrival in Rotorua, the city that smells of sulphur — a peculiarity that residents no longer notice but always strikes new arrivals. Visit to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand's most colourful geothermal site: the Champagne Pool (57m diameter, water at 74°C, CO2 bubbles rising continuously), the Devil's Bath with its phosphorescent yellow-green water from sulphur, the Primrose Terrace and the Lady Knox geyser that erupts every morning at 10:15am with the addition of soap. Hotel accommodation with geothermal pools.
Rotorua — Maori culture and Te Puia
Day devoted to Maori culture in Rotorua, the heart of Maoritanga (Maori culture) in New Zealand. Visit Te Puia: the site includes the Pohutu geyser complex (the largest in the southern hemisphere — erupting on average 20 times a day up to 30m high) and the National Maori Arts School (Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau), where students learn traditional wood carving (whakairo) and mat weaving (raranga). Evening: hangi (meal cooked underground with hot stones) and cultural show with haka, poi and waiata.
Flight to Christchurch
Flight to Christchurch, the South Island's largest city. Christchurch is in perpetual transformation after the 22 February 2011 earthquake (185 deaths, 70% of the city centre destroyed): today it is a creative, bold city that has turned trauma into artistic opportunity. The Re:START Mall of colourful containers has become a global symbol of resilience. The Botanic Gardens with 50 hectares of historic gardens and the Avon River punt ride are the city's most romantic moments.
Lake Tekapo and Aoraki/Mount Cook
Transfer towards the Southern Alps through the Canterbury Plains. Arrival at Lake Tekapo: the milky turquoise water is caused by suspended glacial sediments reflecting light — the colour is unique in the world. The Church of the Good Shepherd (1935), built in local stone with a window perfectly framing the lake and mountains, is one of New Zealand's most moving scenes. Afternoon transfer to Mount Cook Village to see up close Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724m) and the Hooker and Tasman glaciers. Evening: stargazing in the Mackenzie Basin International Dark Sky Reserve.
Wanaka
Transfer to Wanaka through the Lindis Pass, the mountain crossing dividing Canterbury from Otago. Wanaka is a quieter, less touristy lake compared to nearby Queenstown, with the same mountains but a more relaxed atmosphere. The famous lone Wanaka tree — a willow growing partially submerged in the lake just metres from shore — is one of New Zealand's most shared photographic subjects. Hike to Roy's Peak (1,578m) for the lake panorama.
Te Anau — gateway to Fiordland
Transfer to Te Anau, a small town on Lake Te Anau (the South Island's largest lake) that serves as the gateway to Fiordland National Park. Fiordland is New Zealand's largest national park and one of the planet's most pristine wild ecosystems: 1.2 million hectares of fjords, glacial lakes, waterfalls and temperate rainforest. Afternoon: visit to the Te Anau Caves, accessible only by boat, with their glowworms and underground lake.
Milford Sound
The most awaited day: transfer to Milford Sound along the Milford Road, 120km of one of the world's most scenic roads. Drive the Eglinton Valley with its silver beech trees, Mirror Lakes (the Southern Alps' reflection in the water is perfect), the Homer Tunnel (1,270m cut through solid rock). Arrival at Milford Sound and 2-hour fjord cruise: granite walls plunging vertically into the water for hundreds of metres, Stirling Falls (155m, the boat passes underneath), fur seal colonies, gulls, sometimes penguins and dolphins.
Queenstown — arrival
Transfer to Queenstown through South Island landscapes: the road from Te Anau to Queenstown passes through Lumsden and Kingston, with views of Lake Wakatipu suddenly opening after a bend. Arrival in Queenstown in the afternoon. Gondola to Bob's Peak at sunset: the view over Lake Wakatipu (Z-shaped, 80km long) with the Remarkables behind is one of New Zealand's finest. Dinner in downtown Queenstown.
Queenstown — free day
Free day in Queenstown, the world's adventure capital. Options are endless: bungee jumping from Kawarau Bridge (the world's first commercial bungee, since 1988), jet boating on the Shotover River, skydiving over Lake Wakatipu, quad biking in the surroundings, wine tasting in Gibbston Valley (outstanding pinot noir), or simply a lakeside stroll among the town centre shops and cafés.
Return to Auckland
Flight from Queenstown to Auckland. Free afternoon in the City of Sails for last-minute shopping (merino wool, manuka honey, wines and hokey pokey biscuits) or to visit the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Domain, one of New Zealand's finest natural history and Maori museums. Farewell dinner with the whole group: the occasion to recall the journey's best moments.
Departure — End of Journey
Return flight from New Zealand, usually via Singapore or Dubai with an intermediate stopover. New Zealand is far away — 19–23 hours of flying — but every flight hour is worth every minute spent in Aotearoa. The country of glowworm caves, volcanoes, fjords, hobbits and Maori warriors stays forever in the memory of those who visit.
What's Included
- Expert Italian-speaking guide for the entire trip
- Accommodation in selected 3★/4★ hotels (twin)
- Breakfast included at all hotels
- Private minibus with driver for all land transfers
- Guided tours: Waitomo, Hobbiton, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound
- Cruises: Bay of Islands, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound
- TranzAlpine scenic train (Greymouth → Christchurch)
- Marlborough/Central Otago wine tasting
- Welcome dinner and farewell dinner
Not Included
- International and domestic flights
- Travel insurance
- Anything not expressly listed in the included services
From
€5,740
per person · land services · indicative price, subject to change
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