Hidden Gems & Iconic Landmarks of New Zealand

We spend today in transit to Auckland.

With-flights guests arrive in Auckland. After passing through customs you'll be met by your expert local guide who will join you on your transfer to your hotel. Meet the without-flight guests in your group, check in and freshen up before heading out to explore the picturesque docks of Wyndham quarter. We’ll round off with an evening meal together.

Distance: 2 miles (3km)

Ascent:150 feet (50m) on a good trail, approx. 2 hours.

We’ll begin our trip by heading south to Rotorua (approx. 3 hours) and the Wai-O-Tapu thermal reserve. Thousands of years in the making, it’s one of the most extensive geothermal systems in New Zealand. Enjoy a gentle walk through this geological wonderland, looking out for impossibly colourful lakes, mud pools, sinter springs, and hissing steam vents. In the evening we’ll visit a city centre café for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Distance: 4.5 miles (7km)

Ascent: 800 feet (250m)

Descent: 1200 descent (350m) on an undulating rougher trail, approx. 3 hours.

After a short drive we’ll take a trek on the southern shoreline of Lake Tarawera. Follow a well-made trail around this bush-fringed crater. We’ll catch a scenic water taxi back. In the evening, we’ll take you to a Māori village for a traditional ‘Hāngi` meal, where food is cooked in an earth oven and shared.

Meals: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Distance: 6 miles (10km)

Ascent/Descent: 900 feet (280m) approx. 3-4 hours

Travel east to the Jurassic-like Whirinaki Rainforest in the Taupo area of central North Island, home to New Zealand’s largest lake. Here we’ll follow the Whirinaki River on a loop trail through some well-preserved rainforest, admiring the impressive podocarp trees. Later, on the way south to Taupo, stop to discover the thunderous Huka Falls, where the powder blue waters of the Waikato River are forced through a narrow channel into a series of turbulent plunge pools.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Today we’ll head to the remarkable Tongariro National Park, a volcanic wonderland with dual World Heritage status - a designation given to places that have both natural and cultural significance.

On our first afternoon, we’ll enjoy some short walks around the park that introduce us to the stunning surroundings. There’s an opportunity to walk a loop through open tussock and native bird-filled forests to Taranaki Falls, or venture to Lake Rotopounamu. The name of the lake comes from the Māori words roto (lake) and pounamu (greenstone). Settle into your hotel and enjoy a pre-dinner drink at the bar with views of the volcanoes.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please note packed lunches are supplied on these days. However, if you opt out of walks on these days, lunch will not be included, and you will be responsible for sourcing your own.

Distance: 12 miles (19.5 km)

Ascent: 2,950 feet (900m)

Descent: 3,700 feet (1,150m)

Today we’ll trek the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing, heralded as one of the 'Best One Day Walks in the World'. The crossing is a unique landscape of alpine moorland scarred by volcanic activity.

We’ll walk between springs and craters, emerald-coloured lakes considered sacred by local Māori, and marvel at the active volcanic peaks of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. Eventually we’ll scale the Devil’s Staircase, where if the weather is clear, we’ll enjoy uninterrupted views of Mount Taranaki on the west coast of North Island.

Please note: The Tongariro Alpine crossing option is the toughest hike on this trip.  Please seek your leader's views on your suitability. Leaders have to consider the safety of the whole group. There are alternative walks available on this day which are equally enjoyable. This walk may occasionally change to day 7, depending on the conditions. Your local guides will advise on the best day to make the trek. There will also be an easier walk alternative that still includes the first section of the Alpine crossing.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please note packed lunches are supplied on these days. However, if you opt out of walks on these days, lunch will not be included, and you will be responsible for sourcing your own.

Finish your exploration of the North Island by travelling to the harbour city of Wellington (approx. 4 hours). On a sunny, windless day this compact city is wonderful to explore independently on foot. Victorian timber architecture abuts bushy hillsides above the hook-shaped harbour, while the centre buzzes with museums, theatres, galleries and arts centres at odds with its small size. There’s a superb café and restaurant scene, and if you need to walk that off, easy access to surrounding hills and ranges; there’s a cable car that climbs above the city if that seems like too much effort though!

Meals: Breakfast

Distance: 1.5 miles (2½km) Ascent: 500 feet (150m)

Board a flight to Nelson in the South Island, which enjoys a winning combination of beautiful surroundings and sophisticated cultural scene. Meet your South Island guides before a chance to immerse yourself in what is hailed as one of New Zealand’s most ‘liveable’ cities. Get to know the area on a gentle walk up Botanical Hill; although small, this peak is billed as the centre of New Zealand and provides great views over Nelson, Maitai Valley and Tasman Bay. Enjoy dinner at the hotel

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Distance: 5-7 miles (8-11.5km)

Ascent: 1,000 feet (300m)

Our adventures on South Island begin with a drive to Kaiteriteri, a beach resort that acts as the gateway to the stunning Abel Tasman National Park. Here, we’ll set off walking a section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track, probably New Zealand’s most relaxed Great Walk. After a water taxi ride up the coast, we’ll stroll sandy beaches and lush coastal forest trails between Bark Bay and Anchorage to get a real feel for this idyllic stretch of shoreline. At the end of the trail, cool off with a paddle or swim in the sea at Tasman Bay. We’ll shuttle you back to Kaiteriteri by boat before heading to Nelson for another night out. The distance on the day depends on whether we take a high or low tide route.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Distance: 6.5 miles (11km)

Ascent: Negligible

From Nelson we’ll journey southwest over Hope Saddle to the West Coast, following the mighty Buller River as it travels along the southern boundary of Kahurangi National Park. Journey through the imposing Buller Gorge and reach the wild west coast. Stretch your legs on a well-graded trail at the uncompromisingly named Cape Foulwind to find a fur seal colony. We’ll then travel on to Punakaiki to hike the rainforest canyon of the Pororari River with its distinctive groves of tropical nikau palms.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Distance: 3 miles (5km)

Ascent: 1,000 feet (300m) for both walks.

Today, spend time in Punakaiki discovering the strange Pancake Rocks that take their name from their unusual formation, where thin layers of limestone lie piled upon one another. Look out too for blowholes at certain tide times, where the sea bursts through eroded limestone in great fountains. Afterwards, you’ll cross over the Southern Alps, stopping to stride out on a section of the Arthur’s Pass Walking Track, giving you the chance to enjoy the alpine bush, wetlands, waterfalls and rich local history here. Later, you’ll also walk among the imposing limestone outcrops of Castle Hill.  Finish the day by heading south through the Canterbury Plains to Methven.

Meals: Breakfast

Distance: 2.5 miles (4km)

Ascent: 1,100 feet (335m)

While driving south and inland, spend the day transition from rolling green pastoral landscapes to tawny brown steppes. Here you’ll find Lake Tekapo. We’ll drive to the summit of Mount John, home to a powerful astronomical telescope, to walk a loop with several unobstructed views of nearby lakes and glaciated summits. A further drive will bring you to Aoraki/Mount Cook, and the chance to explore Mount Cook National Park on foot while you marvel at some of New Zealand’s highest mountains and longest glaciers. Immerse yourself in this rugged land of rock and ice and watch for alpine tarns, herb field and spectacular glacier views. Encounters with kea, mountain parrots, are part of the adventure!

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Distance: 6 miles (10km)

Ascent: 400 feet (120m) of ascent. Approx. 3 – 4 hours in total.

Drop into the Hooker Valley, within the heart of Mount Cook National Park. We’ll follow the milky blue Hooker River and look out for superb sky-scraping views of the south face of Aoraki/Mount Cook. At 3,724m, it’s the highest mountain in New Zealand. At the end of the trail, we’ll arrive at Hooker Lake, where the retreating Hooker Glacier sometimes deposits icebergs in the chilly water.

Please note: A steep climb up to Sealy tarn is sometimes an extra option for very strong walkers on this morning.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today we’ll take a cruise on the Tasman Glacier Lake. Created by the retreat of the glacier, the sediment-rich waters are regularly dotted with icebergs of all shapes and sizes, making it incredibly photogenic. Superb views of the surrounding mountains can also be had. After this memorable encounter with New Zealand’s largest glacier, we’ll make our way to Wanaka, a town set on the shores of its namesake lake. Relax at our accommodation.

Meals: Breakfast

Distance: 3-4.5 miles (5-7 km)

Ascent: 2,130 feet (650m) on the longer higher option

The highlights keep coming with a hike among the post-glacial features of the Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain area. Follow a loop to numerous lookout points and soak up the 360-degree panorama from the high point across Glendhu Bay to Roys Peak and Lake Wanaka. In the afternoon we’ll embark on a beautiful scenic drive; over the Crown Rang with stunning views across the Lake Wakatipu Basin, then south to Lake TeAnau.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Distance: 7.5-13.5 miles (12-22km)

Ascent: 2,500 feet (760m) on the harder option

Next up is a tramp on a section of the Kepler Track, one of New Zealand’s designated Great Walks. This awe-inspiring track was designed to show off the best features of Fiordland, from the vast Lake Te Anau to muscular mountains, glacier-carved valleys, and tall waterfalls. You can choose between an easier and harder route; the former explores beech forest and fragile wetlands to reach the Lake Manapouri shoreline at Shallow Bay, while the harder option walks through moss-draped beech forests full of bird life, crosses boggy country on boardwalks, and takes in the views from atop the limestone cliffs. We’ll descend and catch a water taxi back to Te Anau.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Distance: 4.5 miles (7km) Ascent:1,000 feet (300m) to Key Summit

Distance: 1.5 miles (2½km) Ascent: 525 feet (160m) Hollyford Valley

Travel to Milford Sound, stopping along the way at The Divide to walk a section of the Routeburn Track, another of New Zealand’s Great Walks. Discover stunning alpine scenery and soak up ever-changing views of snow-capped peaks, tussocky moorland and pretty lakes on the climb to and from Key Summit or, if the cloud is low, venture into the Hollyford Valley. At Milford Sound board a boat and set sail on the deep, ink-dark waters of this glacially-gouged fjord, with its dramatic forest-clad cliffs hundreds of metres high. Cruise past the distinctive outline of Mitre Peak, past impressive waterfalls, u-shaped valleys and coves to the entrance of the fjord and the Tasman Sea, all the while looking out for dusky dolphins, fur seals and, if you’re lucky, the rare Fiordland crested penguin.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We’ll wrap up our exploration of New Zealand with a transfer to Queenstown via beautiful Lake Hayes. Here, enjoy brunch at a local wine maker showcasing the wine styles of Central Otago. Later, continue to Queenstown with its contrasting adventure scene and cosmopolitan dining and arts quarters, all set against one of the most dramatic mountain backdrops in New Zealand.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, with-flights guests transfer to Queenstown airport for their overnight flight back the UK.

Arrive back in the UK