This 22-day guided tour combines a short stopover in Singapore with a full journey through both islands of New Zealand. Return international flights are included, with checked luggage, and you stay in hotels throughout, mostly four-star, with breakfast. Between Auckland and Christchurch you travel by coach, ferry, train, boat and helicopter, covering most of the country's best-known landscapes in three weeks.

In Singapore you check in early by Clarke Quay, then join a half-day city tour of the colonial district, the Merlion and Thian Hock Keng Temple, with drives through Chinatown and Little India. The tour ends with a guided visit to the UNESCO-listed Singapore Botanic Gardens.

On the North Island you head north from Auckland to the subtropical Bay of Islands for two nights. There you visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the founding treaty was signed in 1840, and cruise out to the Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett, often with dolphins. Back in Auckland a city tour includes the Auckland Museum and its Māori collection. Heading south, you take a boat into the glowworm grotto of the Waitomo Caves, then reach Rotorua, where you see the Pohutu Geyser at Te Puia, followed by a hāngī buffet dinner and a Māori cultural performance. A guided visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set follows, then Huka Falls, Taupo, the Art Deco town of Napier and the capital, Wellington.

The Interislander ferry crosses Cook Strait through the Marlborough Sounds, with wine tasting in Marlborough on the way to Nelson. From there a catamaran cruise follows the golden coast of Abel Tasman National Park. The TranzAlpine train crosses the Southern Alps to Arthur's Pass, and at Franz Josef a 20-minute helicopter flight ends with a landing on the snow above the glacier, weather permitting.

After the Haast Pass and Lake Wanaka you spend two nights in Queenstown, including a free day. A full-day trip to Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park includes a cruise beneath Mitre Peak and Stirling Falls. The return north passes gold-rush Arrowtown, the Lindis Pass, Lake Pukaki with views of Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain, and Lake Tekapo before your final night in Christchurch.

The physical rating is low, with a mix of guided sightseeing and free time. It suits travellers who want to see the whole of New Zealand once, properly, with every connection arranged.

Trip highlights

Singapore

a half-day city tour and the UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens (Day 3)
Bay of Islands

the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and a cruise to the Hole in the Rock (Days 5–6)
Waitomo glowworm grotto by boat, and Rotorua's Pohutu Geyser with a hāngī dinner and Māori performance (Day 8)
A guided visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set (Day 9)
The TranzAlpine train and a helicopter flight with a snow landing at Franz Josef Glacier (Day 15)
A cruise on Milford Sound beneath Mitre Peak (Day 18)
Aoraki/Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo (Day 20)

Map of the 22-day tour from Singapore to Auckland, through New Zealand's North and South Islands to Christchurch — 22-day route: Singapore – Auckland – Bay of Islands – Rotorua – Wellington – Nelson – Franz Josef – Queenstown – Milford Sound – Mount Cook – Christchurch

Singapore Days 1–3
Auckland Days 4 & 7
Paihia (Bay of Islands) Days 5–6
Waitomo Caves Day 8
Rotorua Days 8–9
Hobbiton Day 9
Taupo Day 10
Napier Day 10
Wellington Day 11
Picton Day 12
Nelson Days 12–13
Hanmer Springs Day 14
Christchurch Days 14 & 20
Arthur's Pass Day 15
Franz Josef Day 15
Lake Wanaka Day 16
Queenstown Days 16–17
Milford Sound Day 18
Te Anau Day 18
Arrowtown Day 19
Omarama Day 19
Mount Cook Day 20
Lake Tekapo Day 20

In three weeks you see both islands of New Zealand, from the Bay of Islands to Fiordland, with a Singapore stopover to break the journey. Flights, hotels, the Interislander ferry, the TranzAlpine train, three cruises and a glacier helicopter flight are all included.

Best suited to

First-time visitors who want to see all of New Zealand in one trip
Travellers who prefer a guided tour with every connection arranged
Nature lovers interested in fjords, glaciers, geysers and wildlife
Travellers who like to break the long flight with a stopover

A hobbit hole at the Hobbiton Movie Set, New Zealand

Day 1 Fly to Singapore

Board your overnight flight from the UK to Singapore, where the tour begins the following morning. Checked luggage is included on your international flights.

Hotel
Overnight flight
Day 2 · Singapore, Clarke Quay Arrive in Singapore

Arrive in the morning and transfer to your hotel by Clarke Quay, where early check-in is arranged. The afternoon is free. You could explore the riverside or visit Gardens by the Bay, with its Supertree structures, at your own cost.

Hotel
Hotel near Clarke Quay
Day 3 · Singapore, Chinatown, Little India, Singapore Botanic Gardens Singapore city tour; fly to Auckland

A half-day tour passes the colonial district, the Padang and the Esplanade, and visits the Merlion and Thian Hock Keng Temple. You drive through Chinatown and Little India and take a guided walk in the UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens. After free time, board your overnight flight to Auckland.

Hotel
Overnight flight
Day 4 · Auckland Arrive in Auckland

Arrive in Auckland and transfer to your four-star hotel, well placed for the city centre. The rest of the day is free.

Hotel
Grand Millennium or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 5 · Parry Kauri Park, Paihia, Waitangi Treaty Grounds To the Bay of Islands

Head north over the Harbour Bridge and along the Hibiscus Coast to see giant kauri trees at Parry Kauri Park. In the afternoon, a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty House shows where Māori chiefs and British representatives signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.

Hotel
Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 6 · Bay of Islands, Cape Brett, Hole in the Rock Bay of Islands cruise

Cruise among the islands and beaches of the bay, where wild dolphins are often seen, to Cape Brett and the Hole in the Rock, which the boat passes through when conditions allow. The afternoon is free.

Hotel
Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 7 · Whangarei, Auckland, Bastion Point, Auckland Museum Auckland sightseeing

Return south to Auckland for a tour of the City of Sails: harbour views from Bastion Point, Parnell Village, the waterfront and Viaduct Harbour. You also visit the Auckland Museum, with its carvings, canoes and treasures of Māori and Pacific culture.

Hotel
Hotel in Auckland

Meals
Breakfast
Day 8 · Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Te Puia Waitomo Caves and Rotorua

Drive through the Waikato to Waitomo for a visit to the limestone caves, with a silent boat ride through the glowworm grotto. In Rotorua, a Māori guide shows you Te Puia and the Pohutu Geyser. In the evening you have a buffet dinner with food from the hāngī, followed by a cultural performance of song, chant and haka in a carved meeting house.

Hotel
Distinction Rotorua or similar

Meals
Dinner
Day 9 · Hobbiton, Rotorua Hobbiton Movie Set

Drive across a sheep farm to the Hobbiton Movie Set, the Shire in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. A guide leads you past the hobbit holes and the Mill, and you finish with a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. The afternoon and evening are free in Rotorua.

Hotel
Distinction Rotorua or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 10 · Huka Falls, Taupo, Napier Taupo and Napier

Stop at Huka Falls, where the Waikato River surges through a narrow canyon, and at lakeside Taupo. Continue to Napier, rebuilt in Art Deco style after the 1931 earthquake, for a walking tour with a local guide. Your hotel overlooks the Pacific.

Hotel
Scenic Hotel Te Pania or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 11 · Wellington Wellington

Continue south to the capital for a sightseeing tour, with free time on the waterfront and in the botanic gardens.

Hotel
James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 12 · Cook Strait, Picton, Marlborough, Nelson Ferry to the South Island

Cross Cook Strait on the Interislander ferry, sailing through Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton. In Marlborough, New Zealand's best-known wine region, you stop for wine tasting before continuing to sunny Nelson, known for its art and craft galleries.

Hotel
Rutherford Hotel Nelson or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 13 · Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson Abel Tasman cruise

A catamaran cruise follows the coast of Abel Tasman National Park, past Split Apple Rock, a fur seal colony and golden beaches. If you like, you can land at Anchorage and walk the Pitt Head Loop, about two hours, before the boat collects you. A packed lunch is included and the afternoon is free.

Hotel
Rutherford Hotel Nelson or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 14 · Lewis Pass, Hanmer Springs, Christchurch Lewis Pass to Christchurch

Drive through the Maruia Forest and over the Lewis Pass to the alpine village of Hanmer Springs for lunch, at your own cost. Continue across the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch, the Garden City, with a chance to visit its botanic gardens.

Hotel
Distinction Christchurch Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 15 · Arthur's Pass, Hokitika, Franz Josef Glacier TranzAlpine train and Franz Josef Glacier

Ride the TranzAlpine train across the Southern Alps to Arthur's Pass, past the gorges and viaducts of the Waimakariri River. Continue by coach to the West Coast, visiting a greenstone workshop in Hokitika. At Franz Josef, a 20-minute helicopter flight over the glacier ends with an alpine snow landing, weather permitting. If the flight cannot go, an alternative is offered in Queenstown or at Mount Cook.

Hotel
Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 16 · Haast Pass, Lake Wanaka, Queenstown Haast Pass to Queenstown

Travel through the rainforest and along the empty beaches of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Cross the Haast Pass to Lake Wanaka and on to Queenstown, where the rest of the day is free.

Hotel
Copthorne Lakefront Resort or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 17 · Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu Free day in Queenstown

A free day in Queenstown, beneath the Remarkables. You could join the optional cruise on the 1912 steamship TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipu, with a barbecue lunch and a sheep-shearing demonstration at Walter Peak High Country Farm.

Hotel
Copthorne Lakefront Resort or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 18 · Te Anau, Homer Tunnel, Milford Sound Milford Sound

Drive via Te Anau and the Homer Tunnel into Fiordland National Park for a cruise on Milford Sound, between granite cliffs beneath Mitre Peak and the 500-foot Stirling Falls. Dolphins, fur seals and penguins are often seen. A packed lunch is included, and you return to lakeside Te Anau for the night.

Hotel
Distinction Luxmore or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 19 · Arrowtown, Kawarau Gorge, Lindis Pass, Omarama Arrowtown to Omarama

Visit Arrowtown, a former gold-rush town with galleries and cafés along its main street. Continue through the Kawarau Gorge, past Lake Dunstan and over the Lindis Pass into the Mackenzie Basin, staying overnight in the small community of Omarama.

Hotel
Heritage Gateway Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 20 · Lake Pukaki, Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo

Follow glacier-fed Lake Pukaki to Aoraki/Mount Cook, at 12,316 feet New Zealand's highest mountain. Continue to Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd, then cross Burkes Pass back to Christchurch for your final night.

Hotel
Distinction Christchurch Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 21 · Christchurch Fly home

After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Christchurch airport for your overnight flight home, ending three weeks across both islands of New Zealand.

Hotel
Overnight flight

Meals
Breakfast
Day 22 Arrive home

Arrive back in the UK, with the journey from Singapore to Christchurch, and from the Bay of Islands to Milford Sound, behind you.

A geothermal landscape and blue lake near Rotorua, New Zealand

Singapore (1 night) Hotel near Clarke Quay, with early check-in
Auckland (2 nights) Grand Millennium or similar
Bay of Islands (2 nights) Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands or similar
Rotorua (2 nights) Distinction Rotorua or similar
Napier (1 night) Scenic Hotel Te Pania or similar
Wellington (1 night) James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor or similar
Nelson (2 nights) Rutherford Hotel Nelson or similar
Christchurch (2 nights) Distinction Christchurch Hotel or similar
Franz Josef (1 night) Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier or similar
Queenstown (2 nights) Copthorne Lakefront Resort or similar
Te Anau (1 night) Distinction Luxmore or similar
Omarama (1 night) Heritage Gateway Hotel or similar

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

Included

Flights return international flights via Singapore, with checked luggage
Accommodation 18 nights in hotels, mostly four-star
Meals breakfast at the New Zealand hotels, a hāngī buffet dinner in Rotorua and two packed lunches
Transport coach touring, the Interislander ferry, the TranzAlpine train and airport transfers
Cruises Bay of Islands, Abel Tasman National Park and Milford Sound
Franz Josef Glacier helicopter flight with an alpine landing, weather permitting
Guided visits Singapore city tour and Botanic Gardens, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Auckland Museum, Waitomo Caves, Te Puia, Hobbiton and Napier's Art Deco centre
Wine tasting in Marlborough

Not included

Optional excursions, such as the TSS Earnslaw cruise in Queenstown
Meals not listed, including lunch at Hanmer Springs
New Zealand NZeTA entry fee, travel insurance and personal spending

Islands and turquoise bays in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Honest disclaimer — please read

You want to stay put — most hotels are for one or two nights
You want most meals included — breakfast with one dinner and two packed lunches
You want hiking or adventure sports — activities are mostly sightseeing
You want a short trip — this is three weeks, including two overnight flights

FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for New Zealand · UK FCDO travel advice for Singapore

Glowworms lighting the roof of a cave, New Zealand