Top 8 trips to New Zealand

With its unique birdlife, rich Māori heritage, and glacier-and-volcano-carved scenery that’s stunning enough to grace the big screen, New Zealand is well worth flying halfway around the world to visit. A single trip could bring you to vibrant and welcoming cities, serene fjords populated by penguins and dolphins, and remote mountains that lie beneath star-punctuated ebony skies.

Whichever route you choose to take, we can plan a trip to New Zealand that helps you get closer to the country’s bird and marine life, experience authentic Māori culture, and explore lesser-trodden landscapes. You could search for rare kiwis on island sanctuaries, heli-hike across blue-tinted glaciers, or taste your way around world-renowned vineyards.

Below, we’ve gathered some of our specialists’ preferred New Zealand tour ideas to get you inspired. Whether your passions lie in wildlife, wine, or the wilderness, we can create a bespoke New Zealand trip to match.

Pick your trip:

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1. New Zealand’s highlights

From the surging waterfalls and sheer peaks of Milford Sound to the steaming geysers and bubbling mud pools of Rotorua, we can create an itinerary that focuses on Aotearoa’s (the Māori name for New Zealand) headline destinations. Whether you want the freedom of a self-drive New Zealand trip or would prefer us to arrange transfers, it’s easy to explore this scenic country’s highlights whichever way you like to travel.

Where the trip could take you:

You’ll fly into Auckland on the North Island and explore Rotorua and the capital city of Wellington before catching a ferry to the South Island. Here, you can visit the Marlborough wine region, coastal Kaikoura, Christchurch, and Queenstown — the unofficial adventure capital of the world.

Experiences you can have:

The places you’ll visit may be in all the guidebooks, but that doesn’t mean the experiences you’ll have there will be. We can arrange for you to take a private tour of Auckland that focuses on the spots you’re most interested in, from the grassy crater of Mount Eden to the glittering CBD and the black-sand beaches of the west coast.

On the South Island, you can ride the TranzAlpine train to Arthur’s Pass National Park, where hiking routes lead you through native beech forests and past babbling shingle streams. From Queenstown, you could indulge your thrill-seeking side on a jet boat ride, or head out in a sturdy 4x4 on an offroad adventure to explore mountainous landscapes that feature in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

2. Navigating the North Island

A trip to New Zealand’s North Island can encompass cosmopolitan cities, golden beaches, and geothermically charged landscapes. It’s also rich with opportunities for you to learn about Māori culture in an authentic and respectful way, as the majority of the country’s Māori population live here.

Where the trip could take you:

You’ll start by spending a couple of days in Auckland, then head east to the beaches of the Coromandel Peninsula. Moving south, you have the option to explore geyser-dotted Rotorua and Hawke's Bay award-winning wineries. From here, you can travel to the volcanic moonscape of Tongariro National Park, before returning to Auckland via New Plymouth.

Experiences you can have:

The North Island’s varied landscapes reward exploration, and when planning a trip to New Zealand, we can arrange for you to do so your way. You could drift by boat through a grotto speckled with the lights of thousands of glow-worms, explore the Coromandel coastline by kayak, or dig your own heated pool in the amber sands of Hot Water Beach. Alternatively, join a guided hike of the Tongariro Crossing, traversing old lava flows and skirting the shores of emerald lakes.

To find out more about New Zealand’s Māori heritage, in Rotorua you can attend an authentic cultural performance and taste a three-course hangi dinner (food cooked in a traditional underground oven). Meanwhile, a guided tour of the vineyards of Hawke’s Bay provides you with the opportunity to sample some of the country's world-renowned wines.

3. South Island exploration

With deep fjords populated by dolphins, triangular peaks that pierce the clouds, and dark skies liberally sprinkled with stars, a trip to New Zealand’s South Island enables you to experience the country’s rawest wilderness. Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventure, abundant wildlife, or peaceful solitude, we can help you find it here.

Where the trip could take you:

After a few days in Christchurch, you’ll drive to the seaside town of Kaikoura and on to Abel Tasman National Park. Next, you can make your way to the west coast to visit the Fox & Franz Josef glaciers and alpine Lake Wanaka. You’ll cruise along the mirror-like Milford Sound fjord before ending your New Zealand tour in the university town of Dunedin.

Experiences you can have:

To help you make the most of your New Zealand trip, we can set up a private stargazing session with an astronomical expert in Aoraki Mount Cook or Lake Tekapo, where the relative lack of light pollution enables you to witness stellar night views.

Alternatively, you could embrace the country’s active side by kayaking to remote, forest-fringed beaches in Abel Tasman National Park, or hiking on the ever-changing Fox & Franz Josef glaciers, where ice tunnels glow a deep blue and steps are hewn up the ice with a pickaxe.

For a more leisurely option, you could take an overnight cruise on the inky waters of Milford Sound, keeping an eye out for seals and penguins as you glide past slender white waterfalls and soaring mountains. And in Kaikoura, you can view marine life from a more unusual perspective on a whale watching flight.

4. Experiencing Māori culture

New Zealand’s Māori heritage forms an integral part of the country’s identity. We can design a trip that enables you to connect with this culture in a meaningful way. From tasting traditional cuisine and watching cultural performances to taking a private guided tour that showcases Aotearoa’s landscape from a Māori perspective, there are a variety of authentic experiences you could take part in.

Where the trip could take you:

Starting in the North Island, your cultural New Zealand trip will take you to coastal Paihia, Warkworth, Rotorua, and the shores of Lake Taupo. After a few days in the capital city of Wellington, you’ll catch a ferry to the South Island. Here, you can visit Picton, Kaikoura, and lively Queenstown before flying home.

Experiences you can have:

New Zealand’s Māori history is particularly evident in Rotorua. Here, you’ll find a panoply of Māori cultural experiences on offer, including attending a traditional hangi feast with authentic song and dance performances. For something more intimate, in Kaikoura we can arrange for you to spend the day with a Māori family, trying your hand at traditional arts while listening to stories from Māori folklore.

History buffs might like to take a behind-the-scenes tour of Wellington’s Te Papa Tongarewa Museum to see the parts of its Māori collections that are not on public display. Alternatively, glimpse cultural art in situ by cruising or kayaking across Lake Taupo to the huge rock carvings at Mine Bay. You can also learn more about Māori spiritual beliefs through a private tour of the Waipoua Forest with an expert local guide.

5. Discovering New Zealand’s food & wine

Planning a culinary trip to New Zealand is a breeze thanks to the country’s wealth of vineyards and fresh seasonal produce. We can create a route that takes you to both internationally renowned wineries and smaller boutique ones, with opportunities to meet local producers and taste homegrown delicacies.

Where the trip could take you:

There’s no shortage of wine regions to include on a gastronomic tour of New Zealand, from Martinborough and Napier to Auckland’s Waiheke Island. You also have the option to include stops in Kaikoura and Marlborough to explore the country’s seafood, plus sample the culinary delights of cities like Queenstown and Wellington.

Experiences you can have:

From Wellington’s specialty coffee shops to the craft beer breweries of Queenstown, there are plenty of stops we can recommend for your New Zealand trip if you’re passionate about food and drink. You could join a culinary tour of Auckland, or cruise along the gentle waters of the Pelorus and Kenepuru Sounds in Marlborough before sampling the fresh greenshell mussels the region is known for.

And then there’s the wine. We can arrange for you to spend an entire day exploring the vineyards, olive groves, and white sand beaches of Waiheke Island, with plenty of opportunities to taste the tipples on offer at the local wineries. For a more active option, you could learn more about the wine-making process from an expert guide while cycling through the vineyards of Blenheim.

6. New Zealand wildlife tour: kiwis & beyond

From bioluminescent glow-worms to cricket-like wetas, New Zealand has a plethora of interesting wildlife to discover. Most famously, the country is home to an incredible number of rare endemic birds — including the elusive and emblematic kiwi. Meanwhile, its coastline teems with marine life, from little blue penguins (the smallest in the world) to mighty sperm whales.

Where the trip could take you:

With so many animals to see, your trip to New Zealand could take you from Russell at the top of the North Island all the way down to Steward Island off the southern coast of the South Island. In between, you can stop at your choice of the best wildlife-viewing locations, including Rotorua, Kaikoura, and Dunedin.

Experiences you can have:

Throughout your New Zealand trip, we can arrange ethical wildlife encounters that enable you to see the country’s animals up close and at their best. Kaikoura, on the South Island, is one of the top locations for marine life. Here, you’ll have opportunities to spot fur seals, dolphins, whales, albatross and other seabirds from the deck of a boat, or even soaring above the water in a light aircraft. For a more personal experience, you can swim or snorkel alongside playful dusky dolphins.

If spotting a kiwi is your goal, we recommend a guided nighttime visit to the predator-free Stewart & Ulva Islands. Alternatively, we can arrange a behind-the-scenes tour of the National Kiwi Hatchery, where you can watch adorable chicks have their daily health check.

7. Exploring New Zealand in luxury

Soaring over glaciers and volcanic peaks in a helicopter to soak in a private hot tub. Staying in secluded lodges underneath skies studded with stars. Sampling wine at some of the world’s finest vineyards. Whatever your passions, we can design a luxury trip to New Zealand that’s entirely aligned with them.

Where the trip could take you:

After spending a few days in cosmopolitan Auckland, you’ll journey to Hawke’s Bay and its renowned wineries via the health spas and thermal mud pools of Rotorua. Then, on the South Island, you can get away from it all in the tranquil surrounds of Lake Tekapo, Ahuriri Valley, and the rural town of Glenorchy.

Experiences you can have:

Our specialists can arrange a variety of experiences that fit your idea of opulence. That might mean a private tour of Auckland and the temperate rainforest and black-sand beaches outside the city, or expert-led wine tastings at acclaimed vineyards in Napier and Gibbston.

If you’d prefer the luxury of unspoiled scenery, you might like to take a helicopter flight above the peaks and glaciers of the Southern Alps, stopping for a relaxing soak in a hot tub among the mountains. Alternatively, you could explore the geothermal geysers in the hidden valley of Orakei Korako, or take advantage of New Zealand’s lack of light pollution with a private guided stargazing experience in an international dark sky reserve. All while staying at some of the country’s most exclusive lodges.

8. The extended New Zealand experience

A longer trip to New Zealand enables you to make the most of what the country has to offer without feeling rushed. From wine tasting and whale watching to Māori cultural experiences and exploring the wilderness by land, sea, or air, you’ll find more than enough to fill your time here.

Where the trip could take you:

The beauty of planning an extended trip to New Zealand is that it can take you anywhere in the country you want to go. We can create an itinerary that includes vibrant cities like Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown, and Christchurch, as well as more rural scenic spots like Lake Wanaka, Twizel, and Rotorua.

Experiences you can have:

Your passions will determine how you spend your time in New Zealand. You could tour the Hobbiton set where parts of The Lord of the Rings were filmed, or take to the skies in a helicopter for a bird’s-eye view of the Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers. Alternatively, you might like to sail the remote fjords of Doubtful Sound, looking out for crested penguins and bottlenose dolphins.

We can arrange private wine tastings in Hawke’s Bay and overnight kiwi-spotting missions on Kapiti Island. You’ll have the chance to glide on dark, silent waters through cathedral-like caves in Te Anau, where glow-worms light up the rock like stars. Or learn more about the real thing from an expert with a stargazing and deep space photography tour at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.