23 Nov 2026
Twin share
£6,720pp
Single from £8,415
Escorted tour
New Zealand Explorer: Auckland to Christchurch – 19 Days
Hobbiton, Napier, Abel Tasman, the glaciers, Doubtful Sound and Dunedin, in a group of up to sixteen.
19 days
From £6,720
Tour overview
This 19-day tour travels the length of New Zealand, from Auckland to Christchurch. A tour leader travels with the group, which numbers between five and sixteen, by private bus, ferry and boat. You stay eighteen nights in comfortable hotels and a motel, with breakfast daily and a couple of lunches.
After a city tour of Auckland and a visit to Hobbiton, you stay at a lakeside lodge near Rotorua and join a Maori cultural experience with a hangi lunch. You see Wai-o-tapu's thermal colours, taste wine in Hawke's Bay and take a 4WD safari before an Art Deco tour of Napier, then spend two nights in Wellington.
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Crossing to the South Island, you explore Abel Tasman by boat and on foot, follow the Great Coast Road to Hokitika and visit Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. After a free day in Wanaka, you cruise Doubtful Sound, see albatrosses at Dunedin and the Moeraki Boulders, and cross the Mackenzie Country to Christchurch.
The physical rating is low. This tour suits travellers who want to see both islands at a comfortable pace.
Trip highlights
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Hobbiton (Day 2)
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A Maori hangi lunch (Day 3)
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Art Deco Napier (Day 5)
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Abel Tasman by boat and on foot (Day 9)
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A Doubtful Sound cruise (Day 15)
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Albatrosses at Dunedin (Day 16)
Your route
35 stops from Auckland to Christchurch
- Auckland Day 1
- Mission Bay Day 2
- Hobbiton Movie Set Day 2
- Bay of Plenty Days 2–3
- Murupara Day 3
- Wai-o-tapu Day 4
- Huka Falls Day 4
- Napier Days 4–5
- Cape Kidnappers Day 5
- Wellington Days 6–7
- Picton Day 8
- Nelson Days 8–9
- Kaiteriteri Day 9
- Torrent Bay Day 9
- Cape Foulwind Day 10
- Punakaiki Rocks Day 10
- Hokitika Day 10
- Franz Josef Glacier Day 11
- Fox Glacier Day 11
- Lake Matheson Day 12
- Makarora Day 12
- Wanaka Days 12–13
- Arrowtown Day 14
- Queenstown Day 14
- Te Anau Days 14–15
- Lake Manapouri Day 15
- Doubtful Sound Day 15
- Dunedin Day 16
- Taiaroa Head Day 16
- Moeraki Boulders Day 17
- Oamaru Day 17
- Twizel Day 17
- Lake Pukaki Day 18
- Lake Tekapo Day 18
- Christchurch Days 18–19
Why choose this tour
Both islands in depth, including Dunedin. Doubtful Sound and Abel Tasman included.
Best suited to
- First-time visitors to New Zealand
- Nature and wildlife lovers
- Travellers who value comfort
- Couples and solo travellers
Day-by-day itinerary
19 days from Auckland, New Zealand to Christchurch, New Zealand
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Day 1 · Auckland Auckland
The trip begins.
- Hotel
- Copthorne Hotel Auckland City
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Day 2 · Auckland, Hobbiton, Okataina Hobbiton
The Shire.
- Hotel
- Lakes Lodge Okataina
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 3 · Murupara Murupara
A hangi lunch.
- Hotel
- Lakes Lodge Okataina
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
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Day 4 · Wai-o-tapu, Taupo, Napier Napier
Thermal colours and wine.
- Hotel
- Quality Inn
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 5 · Cape Kidnappers, Napier Napier
A 4WD safari and Art Deco.
- Hotel
- Quality Inn
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 6 · Wellington Wellington
The capital.
- Hotel
- Bay Plaza Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 7 · Wellington Wellington
A free day.
- Hotel
- Bay Plaza Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 8 · Cook Strait, Picton, Nelson Nelson
To the South Island.
- Hotel
- The Beachcomber
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 9 · Abel Tasman National Park Abel Tasman
By boat and on foot.
- Hotel
- The Beachcomber
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 10 · Great Coast Road, Hokitika Hokitika
The west coast.
- Hotel
- Beachfront Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 11 · Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier Fox Glacier
The glaciers.
- Hotel
- Heartland Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 12 · Lake Matheson, Wanaka Wanaka
Lake country.
- Hotel
- Wanaka Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 13 · Wanaka Wanaka
A free day.
- Hotel
- Wanaka Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 14 · Queenstown, Te Anau Te Anau
Glowworms.
- Hotel
- Kingsgate Te Anau
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 15 · Doubtful Sound Doubtful Sound
A remote fiord.
- Hotel
- Kingsgate Te Anau
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
-
Day 16 · Dunedin, Otago Peninsula Dunedin
Albatrosses.
- Hotel
- Kingsgate Hotel Dunedin
- Meals
- Breakfast
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Day 17 · Moeraki Boulders, Mackenzie Country Mackenzie Country
Strange boulders.
- Hotel
- Mackenzie Country Hotel
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 18 · Lake Tekapo, Christchurch Christchurch
To Christchurch.
- Hotel
- Bealey Quarter
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
Day 19 · Christchurch Christchurch
The trip ends.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Where you stay
- Auckland (1 night) Copthorne Hotel Auckland City
- Rotorua (2 nights) Lakes Lodge Okataina
- Napier (2 nights) Quality Inn
- Wellington (2 nights) Bay Plaza Hotel
- Nelson (2 nights) The Beachcomber
- Hokitika (1 night) Beachfront Hotel
- Fox Glacier (1 night) Heartland Hotel
- Wanaka (2 nights) Wanaka Hotel
- Te Anau (2 nights) Kingsgate Te Anau
- Dunedin (1 night) Kingsgate Hotel Dunedin
- Mackenzie Country (1 night) Mackenzie Country Hotel
- Christchurch (1 night) Bealey Quarter
Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation 18 nights in hotels and a motel
- Meals 18 breakfasts and 2 lunches
- Private bus, Cook Strait ferry and boats
- Hobbiton tour and Maori cultural experience
- Abel Tasman boat trip and Doubtful Sound cruise
- Albatross wildlife cruise in Dunedin
- Tour leader throughout
Not included
- Flights and airport transfers
- Meals not included 15 lunches and 18 dinners
- Most lunches and dinners
- Optional activities
- Travel insurance and personal spending
This trip might not be for you if…
Honest disclaimer — please read
- You want a large coach tour
- You want most meals included
- You want an active holiday
- You want flights included — they are not
Good to know
Meals by day
Breakfast: Days 2–19 · Lunch: Days 3 and 15 · Dinner: none included
FCDO advice
UK FCDO travel advice for New Zealand
In pictures
Departures & prices
From £6,720 per person, twin share, tour only. 5 upcoming departures.
25 Jan 2027
Twin share
£6,995pp
Single from £8,670
15 Feb 2027
Twin share
£6,995pp
Single from £8,670
22 Feb 2027
Twin share
£6,995pp
Single from £8,670
01 Mar 2027
Twin share
£6,995pp
Single from £8,670
Frequently asked questions
How do I book this tour?
Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.
What financial protection do I get?
Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.
Do I need a visa for New Zealand?
UK citizens need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), applied for online before travel.
Are airport transfers included?
No, airport transfers are not provided on this tour.
Is the Doubtful Sound cruise included?
Yes, as is a wildlife cruise to see albatrosses in Dunedin.
Which meals are included?
Breakfast daily and a couple of lunches.
Can I have my own room?
A single supplement is available on request.
How many people travel together?
Between five and sixteen travellers, with a tour leader.
Can you tailor the trip?
Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.
What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?
If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.
ATOL protected
100% financially protected in a Trust bank account
PTS 6035
4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option
Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.
If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.
Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary