New Zealand — The ultimate road trip across the two islands
Nineteen days on the road from Auckland to Christchurch: Coromandel Peninsula with Cathedral Cove, geothermal Rotorua and the Māori evening at Te Puia, Waitomo Caves, Wellington, the Cook Strait ferry crossing, whale watching in Kaikoura, Mackenzie Country, Wanaka, Queenstown with the Walter Peak BBQ cruise, Milford Sound and the penguins of Dunedin.
The Route
Day-by-Day Programme
Arrival in Auckland
Arrival at Auckland International Airport and private transfer to the hotel with Hallmark Limousines. The city stretches across a volcanic isthmus between two natural harbours and is New Zealand's largest city. Two nights at Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart.
Auckland — Free Day
Free day to explore Auckland: Sky Tower (New Zealand's tallest, 360° panorama), Auckland War Memorial Museum, Viaduct Harbour, markets, international restaurants and cafés. Option to ferry to Waiheke Island with its renowned wineries.
Auckland → Coromandel Peninsula (Whitianga)
Car rental pick-up (Toyota Corolla All Inclusive, Auckland to Christchurch) and drive to the Coromandel Peninsula. 190 km to Whitianga, a coastal town with seven beautiful beaches, dolphins in the bay and a completely relaxed atmosphere. Two nights at Mussel Bed.
Whitianga — Cathedral Cove Cruise
Morning cruise with Ocean Leopard along the coast to Cathedral Cove, New Zealand's most iconic limestone arch. The Full Monty Tour lasts 2 hours past spectacular rock formations and emerald waters. Free afternoon on the peninsula's beaches.
Whitianga → Rotorua
Drive to Rotorua (230 km), New Zealand's geothermal city: boiling mud pools, geysers, fumaroles and sulphur in the air. The city has the highest concentration of Māori population in New Zealand. Two nights at B&B @ The Redwoods.
Rotorua — Waimangu and Te Puia
Morning: Waimangu Volcanic Valley, created by the 1886 eruption, with vividly coloured lakes and the world's largest hot-water geyser. Evening: Te Puia with Te Pō dinner — Māori cuisine buffet, then guided geothermal valley tour with the illuminated Pōhutu geyser, cultural show of songs and haka, and hot chocolate on naturally heated seats.
Rotorua → Waitomo → Taupo
Morning at Waitomo Glowworm Caves: guided underground tour culminating in a silent boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto, a galaxy of bioluminescent glowworms suspended in the dark. Then Taupo on New Zealand's largest lake, with views of Tongariro National Park's volcanoes.
Taupo → Wellington via Wai-O-Tapu
Morning: Huka Falls, New Zealand's most photographed waterfall. Then Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland with the Lady Knox geyser (erupts daily at 10:15) and the red-rimmed Champagne Pool. Car drop-off in Rotorua and flight to Wellington, New Zealand's capital.
Wellington → Kaikoura via Interislander Ferry
Free morning in Wellington — waterfront, Te Papa Museum, cafés and culture. Afternoon: Interislander ferry from Wellington to Picton (3 hours through the Green Hills). Car pick-up at Picton harbour and drive to Kaikoura, a town at the foot of snowy mountains famous for lobster and marine wildlife.
Kaikoura → Christchurch — Whale Watching
Morning: 2.5-hour cruise with Whale Watch Kaikoura to spot sperm whales, dolphins, seals and albatrosses. Kaikoura is one of the few places in the world where sperm whales live year-round near the coast, thanks to an unusually close submarine canyon that brings plankton to the surface. Afternoon: Christchurch, the Garden City.
Christchurch → Twizel (Mackenzie Country)
Drive to Mackenzie Country (286 km), a vast alpine basin in the centre of the South Island. Landscapes used as filming locations for 'The Lord of the Rings', with turquoise glacial lakes and the snow-capped peaks of Mount Cook. Overnight in Twizel at Distinction MacKenzie Country Hotel.
Twizel → Wanaka
Drive to Wanaka (143 km), a peaceful town on its namesake alpine lake. Gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, close to the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski fields. Overnight at Edgewater Resort on the lakefront.
Wanaka → Queenstown via Arrowtown
Drive to Queenstown (69 km) with stops at the Kawarau Gorge (the world's first commercial bungee bridge) and Arrowtown, Otago's historic gold-mining village. Lunch at Kinross Winery amid the Central Otago Pinot Noir vineyards, then arrival in Queenstown, the world's adventure capital.
Queenstown — Walter Peak BBQ Dinner Cruise
Free morning in Queenstown: bungee, jet boat, Bob's Peak gondola or shopping. Evening: cruise on the vintage TSS Earnslaw steamer to Walter Peak High Country Farm, gourmet BBQ dinner with New Zealand meats and seafood, farm tour with shearing demonstration, then moonlit return cruise on Lake Wakatipu.
Queenstown → Milford Sound → Te Anau
Drive to Milford Sound (404 km through the Homer Tunnel). Fjord cruise: 2 hours past Stirling and Bowen Falls, rainforest dropping into the sea and wildlife (dolphins, seals, penguins). Packed lunch included. Return to Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park.
Te Anau → Curio Bay → Dunedin
Long drive to Dunedin (418 km) with a stop at Curio Bay, where a 170-million-year-old petrified forest emerges from the rock at low tide. Dunedin — New Zealand's most Scottish city — is famous for its Victorian facades, royal albatrosses and penguins.
Dunedin — Penguins, Albatrosses and Marine Wildlife
Free day to explore the Otago Peninsula: royal albatross colony at Taiaroa Head, yellow-eyed penguins (the world's rarest) at Pukekura Reserve, sea lions on the beaches. The Peninsula Encounter Tour + Monarch Cruise combination is recommended for seeing all wildlife in one day.
Dunedin → Lake Tekapo — Alpine Hot Springs
Drive to Lake Tekapo (287 km): New Zealand's most romantic glacial lake, with vivid turquoise water, the Church of the Good Shepherd and the darkest night sky in the Southern Hemisphere. Entry to the outdoor hot pools at Tekapo Springs, with three heated pools and views of the Southern Alps.
Lake Tekapo → Christchurch — Departure
Final morning with breakfast and mountain views, then drive to Christchurch (225 km). Car drop-off at Christchurch International Airport and departure. End of included services.
What's Included
- All accommodation as per itinerary (breakfast included)
- Budget car rental Auckland to Christchurch — All Inclusive, unlimited km
- Hallmark Limousines private transfers
- Interislander ferry Wellington → Picton
- Cathedral Cove cruise — Ocean Leopard Full Monty Tour
- Waimangu Volcanic Valley — entry
- Te Puia + Te Pō dinner (Māori buffet + cultural show)
- Waitomo Glowworm Caves — guided tour with boat ride
- Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
- Whale Watch Kaikoura
- Walter Peak — TSS Earnslaw cruise + gourmet BBQ dinner
- Milford Sound — cruise with packed lunch
- Tekapo Springs — hot pool entry
Not Included
- International and domestic flights
- Travel insurance
- Anything not expressly listed in the included services
From
US$4,640
per person · land services · indicative price, subject to change
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