New Zealand

2024-2025

Kia Ora

Wild, wide and wonderful, New Zealand continually excites and inspires. It doesn’t matter how many mountains you’ve climbed, or remote island shores you’ve visited, there’s always something new to discover with us.

We work with our indigenous partners to provide authentic tourism experiences, where you can get involved in activities that help to regenerate a destination's community.

Welcome Traveller,

Otherworldly, mystical, refreshing, wild – these words resonate with me when I think of New Zealand. This is a place where lush green forests meet beaches with charcoal-coloured sand, where geothermal steam rises to unseen heights and mud bubbles in hot springs down below. It’s truly beautiful, and I promise you that you won't find a group more passionate than us to ensure your holiday is a spectacular one.

We’re especially excited this year as we’ve had the privilege to curate new experiences into our portfolio. Whirinaki Forest Footsteps in Rotorua is a guided cultural walk that directly contributes to sustainable tourism practices and our commitment to How We Tread Right, goals that are anchored to the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. You’ll learn about Rakau Rongoa (natural medicine plants), and hear stories of myths and legends walking in the shadows of giant trees, connecting with nature in its purest form. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience is just one of many special moments to be had on your journey through these unique islands.

With our friendly staff there every step of the way, we’ll manage your travels to ensure you get the best out of your destination. Such as arriving at the perfect time to witness geyser mist glistening in the night sky from a seat warmed by geothermal rock, hot chocolate in hand. We’ll introduce you to enduring characters, ones like chef Harry who’ll serve you Red Barn’s local favourites, homegrown root veggies, divine salads, and freshly baked bread - perfect for the fresh butter you’ll churn yourself. This is just a taste of the many experiences that await you.

With over 200 definite departures, wherever you decide to roam, you’ll be in good hands with us.

Sincerely,

Ben Hall
AAT Kings Group | CEO

StartExploring

Click below to start exploring

First Choice Guided Holidays

New Zealand Uncovered

17 Day

ZAAC ►

Contrasts of New Zealand

Best Buys Guided Holidays

Spirit of New Zealand

21 Day

LCQB ►

Essence of New Zealand

Cover Image:

Te Puia Māori Experience

Embrace the ancient wisdom and vibrant culture of Māori people at Te Puia. Immerse yourself in an unforgettable experience as you view an exhilarating cultural performance and enjoy dishes made from locally sourced ingredients.

Experience Te Puia on Guided Holidays.

Te Puia Geothermal Reserve, North Island

Today, we're proud of
our history and of our people.

Some things never change...

100 + YEARS OF ADVENTURE - and many more to come

A century ago, the Australian outback was but a twinkle in most travellers' eyes. But thanks to visionaries like the Pike family and Bill King, the way we explore the Land Down Under was about to change in unimaginable ways. Over the coming decades, maps were unfolded, desert cruisers and coaches customised, and guides were trained. From humble beginnings, the company now known as AAT Kings was going places few had gone before, pioneering new paths across Australia and New Zealand and taking intrepid domestic and international travellers on a wild and wonderful ride.

No corner of the Antipodes was - or is - off-limits, from the remote reaches of the Kimberley and the spiritual heartland of the Northern Territory, to the untamed Milford Sound, bubbling thermal Rotorua and quiet shores of Tasmania. Not to mention in-depth journeys across Sydney and its surrounds, where this forward-thinking travel venture came to fruition all those years ago.

We've come a long way and clocked a few kilometres in the process. But some things will never change. Like our spirit for adventure. Our oh-so-knowledgable Travel Directors. The local characters we meet (and will never forget) along the way. The epic, goosebump-inducing stories we're told by First Nations guides. The life-changing experiences on offer - the kind that only 100 years of exploring affords.

Now, we're just jumping into more waterfalls, finding ourselves humbled by more sacred Indigenous sites, laying more footprints on deserted beaches and hiking through more tropical rainforests than ever before. And we've never been more passionate about our next discovery. Join us, and fall in love with Australia and New Zealand all over again.

"Keep doing what you're doing,
but try and do it better" - Bill King

1920s-1930s

1920s: AAT Kings can be traced back to George Page’s modest transport service from Melbourne to Brighton.

1930s: The Pike family introduced Sydney to Katoomba and Jenolan Caves which is still apart of our Day Tours business.

1960s & 1970s

1960s: Bill King decided there was a real future with off-the-beaten-track journeys – Bill purchased two Land Rovers, an ex-army international ambulance and a Denning Bus and launched Bill King’s Northern Safaris.

1970s: Bill designed and built his own 18 passenger vehicles and called them Desert Cruisers. AAT Coachlines had commenced operations in the Northern Territory.

1980s

1980s: AAT Coachlines purchased Bill King’s Northern Safaris and operated as Bill King’s Australian Adventure Tours.

1984

1984: AAT Kings brand formed.

1990s

1997: AAT Kings joined The Travel Corporation’s Family of Brands.

1999: We began operations in New Zealand.

2010s

2010: Small group immersive Inspiring Journeys brand was born.

2012: AAT Kings purchased APT’s Day Tours & Short Breaks.

2018: Down Under Tours joined the AAT Kings Group.

2019: SEIT Outback Australia joined the AAT Kings Group.

Māori wood carving

New Zealand,
but not as you know it

New Zealand never fails to captivate, from its record-breaking glaciers to its steamy hot springs; from its world-leading wineries to its ridges of snow-capped mountains. While we’ve spent decades here, meeting the locals and crafting the ultimate itinerary, we’re always looking for ways to broaden our horizons, discovering new destinations and experiences, and coming up with novel adventures – the one-off kind that remind you why travel is transformative, whether drifting through fjords or swimming in World Heritage listed sites, meeting the makers or listening to soul-stirring stories, dining under the stars or decoding them in a Dark Sky Reserve. Regardless of where we go, some things will never change, like our pioneering spirit, our commitment to worry free and sustainable travel, and our passion for revealing New Zealand in a way you never imagined possible.

Amazing Experiences

We were built on pioneering spirit, and to this day our tours include adventures that few others experience. We’re constantly looking for ways to make journeys extraordinary, whether that’s remote night-sky gazing or lunch on a dairy farm. This is New Zealand, but not as you’ve ever seen it. Read more

Travel Your Way

What you want from your holiday is not necessarily the same as your neighbour. Sometimes, it’s about adventure. Often, it’s a good glass of wine and a remarkable view. Perhaps you want to see major sights, or choose your own path while we handle the main roads. Whatever your destination and route, we have an itinerary for you. Read more

Conscious Travel

There are plenty of things we can all do while travelling to contribute to sustainable tourism practices. We’ve developed a series of tours with signature MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences – to ensure travel has a positive impact on our planet, the communities we visit and the wildlife we encounter. Read more

Worry-free Travel

Your wellbeing is our primary concern. In addition to elevated hygiene protocols, AAT Kings tours guarantee upgraded coach air-conditioning filtration systems. We only work with partners we know and trust, and our Travel Directors ensure everything runs smoothly, with a support team on call. Read more

Family Values

When you travel with AAT Kings, you’re not only part of our century-old heritage, but are welcomed into just as many years of experience in The Travel Corporation. Journey confidently knowing our familyowned parent company has welcomed millions of people around the world across its brands. Read more

ALSO IN

the Red Barn nz — Be My Guest lunch, the Red Barn

ALSO IN

Milford Sound Piopiotahi — Milford Sound/Piopiotahi

ALSO IN

Amazing Experiences

Every year, millions of adventure-seekers visit New Zealand. But to really get to know it – to take its pulse as an insider – you need to follow the lead of locals. We’ve spent the last 100 years exploring the Antipodes, meeting farmers, winemakers, chefs, Indigenous experts, artists and astronomers, and creating lasting friendships on our Guided Holidays. The kind that now give us – and you, as our guests – unrestricted and unrivalled access to parts of the country that other travellers just can’t go, and to exclusive experiences most will probably never know existed. We’ll take you places, and our passionate people will reveal their true beauty

Discover NZ's wildlife haven, Stewart Island

New Zealand’s southernmost community resides on Stewart Island, a slip of land where brown kiwi birds outnumber humans, and where blue and rare yellow-eyed penguins waddle on rocks. More than 85 per cent of this wild and wonderful destination is national parkland, as you’ll discover on a tour around the petite village and its beautiful bays, your journey taking you to Observation Rock and offering unbroken views over Paterson Inlet. This is nature at its most awe-inspiring and humbling.

All aboard for the Southern Alps!

One of the world’s great rail journeys, the TranzAlpine train offers a front-row seat to the South Island’s most epic landscapes between Greymouth and Christchurch. Jump aboard to traverse the Canterbury Plains, chugging through immense beech forest, over viaducts, across river-carved gorges and past the ice-fed Waimakariri River, backdropped by the snow-capped Southern Alps. This historic route has been in operation since 1914, and is no less spectacular today than it was more than a century ago.

Get set for a peak performance, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi

New Zealand boasts more than its fair share of natural wonders, none quite as dramatic as Milford Sound/ Piopiotahi within World Heritage listed Te Wahipounamu reserve. Waterfalls tumble from escarpments into inky water, glaciers sparkle from clifftops and mountains scrape the sky – it’s a natural haven for fur seals, penguins and dolphins, which you’ll observe firsthand on a scenic cruise through the sound. Back on land, your journey through Fiordland National Park continues to Te Anau, from rainforest through wildflower-dusted meadows and across alluvial flats.

Sip and savour liquid gold, Greymouth

Monteith’s Brewery has been making lager, IPA and pale ale since 1868. It’s fair to say they know a thing or two about beer – more specifically, excellent craft beer, which you’ll get to sample on a behind-the-scenes tour revealing the traditions and heritage of this national icon. While some menu items never change, others are seasonal and experimental, and all are a refreshing accompaniment to the pub-style lunch you’ll enjoy here.

Prepare to see stars, Tekapo

Free from artificial light pollution, the UNESCO Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve really knows how to dazzle. Visit this spectacular spot, over the Lindis Pass and backdropped by Aoraki/Mt. Cook, at night to gaze at the Southern Cross, Magellanic Clouds and wonders hidden along the Milky Way through an optical telescope, the mysteries and magic of the starry sky above decoded by a specialist astronomy guide.

Churn things up on a dairy farm, Waikato

The Waikato countryside, 150 kilometres south of Auckland, is the stuff of postcards. It’s particularly pretty at the Red Barn, a fully functioning dairy farm where you’ll not only meet the gorgeous wideeyed cows, but also try your hand at churning butter – then spread it thick on freshly baked breads before sitting down to a paddock-toplate, country-style lunch with your hosts. It doesn’t get any fresher.

4.6_/5 independent & transparent satisfaction rating

Brilliant trip with excellent service.

The tour guide was so helpful and went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed.
Simon M ★★★★★

We would definitely recommend them.

The whole experience arranged by our travel agent for the tours with AAT was very good we have given them 5 stars purely and simply because we couldn't fault any of the trips. The coaches were clean and very comfortable, the tour guides were very knowledgeable about the areas we visited, courteous and at times humorous, always very polite and extremely punctual.
Carol C ★★★★★

@angemount
Morelea Farm

Great trip. Would recommend AAT Kings to anyone interested.

John S ★★★★★

Read all reviews

Travel Your Way

No two travellers are ever the same. Which means that with AAT Kings, neither are any two trips. We understand that sometimes you want to switch off and enjoy the scenery, with your itinerary, accommodation and exclusive experiences all seamlessly sorted ‘behind the scenes’. Other journeys require the essentials covered and insider tips provided, but need built-in flexibility so you can go your own way. Whether you have a couple of weeks or a couple of hours, whether you want to leave everything to us or customise parts of your journey, AAT Kings offers a travel style for every kind of traveller. And regardless of the trip you choose, you’ll leave a minimal footprint, connect with culture and support the local communities you visit.

All Blacks Experience, Auckland

First Choice Guided Holidays

For explorers who want:

Exclusive experiences and adventures around New Zealand
More inclusions and meals
Everything taken care of by talented Travel Directors

There’s nothing quite like setting off to see New Zealand, knowing that each wild encounter, all your accommodation – and everything in between – has been taken care of by your Travel Director, guides and the team of supporting experts. All you need to do is relax, make lasting connections and delve into the country’s culture. This is about going to wild places, with creature comforts.

EXPLORE ❯

Best Buys Guided Holidays

For explorers who want:

A flexible holiday with some inclusions, and some independent travel
All the essentials managed by in-the-know Travel Directors

Take a fully curated holiday, add in a good dose of flexibility, and you arrive at this travel style, designed for those who like travel fundamentals taken care of – the transportation, accommodation – but also like the option of exploring independently, with tips from knowledgeable Travel Directors to point you in the right direction if needed.

EXPLORE ❯

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® - This is our goal as a travel provider. We recognise our responsibility to ensure our impact on the planet we call home, the people we visit, and the rich wildlife we find there, is a positive one. Our work ensures that the impact of our business is positive in two ways; through our TreadRight Foundation, and our sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right. The three pillars of our support are:

AAT Kings Cares

►MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are conscious travel experiences available on selected AAT Kings’ itineraries. They are chosen with great care based on the positive social or environmental impact they have on their communities and those who experience them. There are plenty of things we can all do while travelling to contribute to sustainable tourism practices. We’ve developed a series of tours that each include a signature MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, allowing our guests to see and understand firsthand the important work we support and its impact. Look for the symbol below to see how you can MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Save the kiwi bird, Rainbow Springs

The flightless kiwi bird is under threat, with populations of the beloved national species in decline. AAT Kings supports the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa to provide a safe environment for eggs to hatch, as you’ll discover on the Contrasts of New Zealand.

To find out more visit aatkings.com/aat-kings-cares

Weighing Kiwi Chick, National Kiwi Trust

Pomona Island Charitable Trust, Fiordland

Cruise around Pomona & Rona islands in Lake Manapouri to discover how the Charitable Trust is conserving and restoring the islands’ native plants and animals. Included on Southern Spectacular.

Te Puia Mãori Arts & Crafts Institute, Rotorua

This Mãori-owned and -operated experience reveals the richness of Indigenous culture and heritage, while preserving traditions. An optional experience on Spirit of New Zealand.

Eric Lindberg carving wood at Te Puia, Rotorua

Our TreadRight Foundation

TreadRight is a not-for-profit founded by AAT Kings and our sister brands under The Travel Corporation (TTC), to support sustainable tourism projects around the world. Through TreadRight, AAT Kings has helped fund more than 60 projects worldwide

To find out more
visit aatkings.com/aat-kings-cares

Worry-freeTravel

The travel landscape is forever changing, something we know only too well at AAT Kings
– after all, we’ve been crafting life-changing itineraries for more than a century. Now, more than ever, we’re committed to sparking your wanderlust, while ensuring your wellbeing. We’re by your side to take the hassle and worry out of your holiday, so you can enjoy the journey (and the company), then sleep soundly knowing we’re doing what it takes behind-the-scenes to ensure your safety and health.

Trained Travel Directors

Our Travel Directors not only hold a wealth of information about the destinations you visit, but also have their finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest protocols in hygiene, local etiquette and social distancing.

Always in the know

AAT Kings is an integral part of a much bigger family, The Travel Corporation, with a network of in-the-know advisors and travel professionals around the globe. We’re up-to-date when it comes to the latest health protocols, and are ready to apply internationally proven best practices if issues arise

A full team of support, 24/7

Our Travel Directors and Drivers rarely need backup, but they have it thanks to a full support team on call around the clock to ensure your journey is seamless and hassle-free, from the moment you sign up until the moment you return home.

Air conditioning

Relax and breathe – we’re filtering the air through our fleet of coaches using top-of-the-range air filtration systems to ensure impurities are not left lingering. Expect a full replacement of fresh air every couple of minutes, to protect your health and wellbeing

Stringent on-the-road protocols

We’ve always maintained high levels of hygiene on our coaches, but we've now elevated precautions to include enhanced deep cleaning and sanitisation for your safety. Our protocols meet international standards, and we’re continually monitoring the travel landscape for best practices.

Trusted partners, exceptional standards

The people we work with around Australia and New Zealand care about our guests as much as we do. We’re extremely selective when it comes to our partners – whether restaurants, hotels, suppliers or venues – and we ensure upfront that we’re aligned in our commitment to health and hygiene.

We have worked closely with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) to guide and cocreate their “New Normal Safe and Seamless Traveller Journey” global protocols. Find out more ❯

Family Values

At AAT Kings, we’re proud of our service and experience, revealing the wonders and characters of Australia and New Zealand to guests for more than 100 years. We’re even prouder to be part of a much bigger family, The Travel Corporation (TTC), which enjoys a global reach and a portfolio that includes some of the world’s most prestigious travel brands – from luxury hotels and boutique river cruises to independent holiday package companies and guided travel experiences. The collection is diverse, but we all share standards of excellence and common goals: to offer outstanding service and experiences, whichever corner of the planet our guests choose to roam.

Our Commitment

We want our guests to experience everything they expect on their holiday – but we’re committed to giving them a whole lot more. We consistently deliver unexpected moments of joy, so you return home with lasting memories, not just a stamp in your passport.

Our Passion

We’re passionate about the planet, and about sustainably revealing its many wonders to our guests through the highest levels of service, exceptional experiences, and hugely knowledgeable employees and Travel Directors.

Our Customers

You, our guests, are the reason we have been operating and innovating as a family brand for the past century. You return time and time again, and your loyalty and feedback help keep things fresh and fun while we keep discovering the world together.

Our Responsibility

Travel offers the power to have a positive impact not only on us, but also on the destinations and communities we visit. Which is why, through our non-profit TreadRight Foundation, we strive to create meaningful, lasting relationships and projects that enhance and protect the people and places we visit. Learn how you can help at treadright.org/checklist.

Explore New Zealand

From glacial-carved gorges to immense lakes, from rainforest-draped national parks to snowy peaks, New Zealand is diverse and dramatic.

Whichever island you’re visiting, adventure awaits – be transfixed by a bedazzlement of stars in the Southern Hemisphere’s only dark sky reserve, cruise in the company of penguins across Milford Sound, and embrace the opportunity to immerse yourself in both the beauty and importance Mãori culture. This is where magical travel moments are made.

North Island

South Island

Waitomo Caves

Glide through a sparkling underground cave system lit by thousands of glowworms, and tour the incredible limestone caverns.

Waitangi
Treaty Grounds

Immerse yourself in the stories, people and history of Aotearoa, before standing on the spot where New Zealand’s founding document was signed.

Te Puia

Follow your local guide into a volcanic wonderland of bubbling mud pools, thermal springs and New Zealand’s biggest geyser.

Queenstown

Take on New Zealand’s amazing adventure capital with a wide range of activities, from winery tours to high-speed thrills

Lake Tekapo

View the Church of the Good Shepherd and its bronze sheepdog monument, beside the astonishing turquoise and glacial limestone lake.

Pancake Rocks

Discover the South Island’s wild west coast around Punakaiki, including timehewn blowholes and the famed Pancake Rocks formed over 30 million years ago.

Franz
Josef Glacier

Witness this stunning South Island wonder, with its rivers of ice and mantle of snow (perhaps on an unforgettable helicopter flight!)

Milford Sound

Cruise this multifaceted jewel of magnificent Fiordland, once described as the world’s 8th natural wonder.

Couple on Fiordland Navigator Cruise, Doubtful Sound

17 Day • Auckland > Christchurch ZAAC • First Choice

Walter Peak

TranzAlpine Train

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks

New Zealand Uncovered

From

7224^*

From north to south, east to west, New Zealand is a country of contrasts.

17 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Apr 9
Jun 25
Sep 17
Oct 22
Nov 19
Dec 17

2025

Jan 7, 21
Feb 4, 18
Mar 11, 25
Apr 8
Jun 24
Sep 16
Oct 7, 21
Nov 4, 18
Dec 2, 16

2026

Jan 6, 13, 20
Feb 3, 10, 17, 24
Mar 10, 24, 31

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/ZAAC or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

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Departures

17 DAY

Highlights

Local Connection

Enjoy an exclusive Be My Guest lunch at the Red Barn, a Waikato working dairy farm of a retired champion jockey and his wife.

Cultural Immersion

Māori culture is celebrated across the country, no more so than at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience. Be immersed in art, tradition, culture… and nurturing cuisine.

Sustainable Footprints

Hear from the founder about the work being done to address biodiversity needs in the Kaikōura region, by developing a wildlife hospital and conservation centre.

Wildlife & Nature

A limestone landscape of pancake-shaped rock formations, blowholes and surge pools sure have carved out a name for themselves. Punakaiki or Pancake Rocks are West Coasters that are known the world over.

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Highlights

17 DAY

Dining

16 Full Breakfasts B
1 Lunch L
7 Dinners with Wine DW
3 Highlight Dinners HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD
1 Be My Guest Lunch BGL
1 Be My Guest Afternoon Tea BGT

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive by 4.00pm into Auckland Airport
Day 17 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

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Trip Details

1 Welcome to Auckland

Auckland is the kind of place you could lose yourself in for a couple of weeks. Arrive at your leisure and explore new waterfront precincts, or just ready yourself to meet fellow travellers at a Welcome Reception and dinner. Hotel: Cordis. DW

2 Auckland

A little bit of leisure, a little bit of culture – today is one of those days. Peek behind the scenes of racing history on the New Zealand Maritime Museum’s America’s Cup Tour. Your Travel Director then takes you around the city, pausing at Bastion Point for epic photo opportunities. Hotel: Cordis. B

3 Auckland - Rotorua

You're invited to a country-style Be My Guest lunch in the Red Barn. Expect country banter and farm-to-table fare prepared with a lot of love. The next hot spot – in every sense of the word – on your NZ holiday is Rotorua. Visit Te Puia to see and support Maori artisans at work, then continue your Rotorua tour at the steamy Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, a staggering valley where geysers pop and thermal springs jettison skywards. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua. B BGL

4 Rotorua Free Time

Today, choose your own adventure. We have plenty of ideas for the paths you might follow. Tonight, dive deep into Maori culture at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience, an important hub keeping tradition, art and music alive. Oh, and nurturing Māori cuisine. Enjoy a forest kai horotai (seasonal canapes) and chef choice aperitif, followed by a seasonal three-course dinner. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua. B HD

5 Rotorua - Wellington

Say goodbye to Rotorua and hello to the raging rapids of Huka Falls, where 220,000 litres of water barrel over this massive waterfall every second. Your outlook then unfolds into the dreamy landscape of Lake Taupo. Traverse the volcanic Central Plateau to NZ’s cool little capital of Wellington. Hotel: Rydges Wellington. B DW

6 Wellington

Begin your day in Wellington with coffee at one of its uber-cool cafés. Take a city tour to discover highlights like its iconic cable car, parliament and Mt. Victoria. This afternoon is all yours. You could visit Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, perhaps the wine region of Wairarapa or Zealandia's ecosanctuary restoring 225 hectares of forest. Tonight, there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. Ask us for recommendations or explore at your leisure. Hotel: Rydges Wellington. B

7 Wellington - Kaikoura

This morning cruise the Cook Strait into tranquil Queen Charlotte Sound and continue to Kaikoura, a marine life haven. On arrival be treated to a biodiversity talk from Sabrina Leucht, founder of Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust, and learn about the work the trust is doing towards Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, at this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Tonight, dine at Hiku, which celebrates what Kaikōura is all about - kai moana and dramatic sea and mountain scapes. Hotel: Sudima Kaikoura. B HD

8 Kaikoura - Christchurch

Enjoy a relaxed start this morning or sign up for one of several local wildlife experiences available. Sign up for a scenic flight for a bird's-eye view, get up close to dolphins by boat or kayak, or sample tasty crayfish at waterside fish-and-chip shops. Follow the coast and Canterbury Plains to Christchurch, home to innovative architecture, art institutions and restaurants. Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel. B

9 Christchurch - Twizel

From its cardboard-crafted Transitional Cathedral to its gold-clad central library, Christchurch has well and truly rebuilt itself since the 2010/11 earthquakes. But South Island locals still cherish a simple life, as you’ll discover over a Be My Guest afternoon tea with retired farmers Angie and Stan Taylor at their home Morelea on the edge of Lake Tekapo. Hotel: MacKenzie Country Hotel. B DW BGT

10 Twizel - Dunedin

Oamaru has a rich history and proud heritage, enriched by passionate and perhaps quirky locals. Explore the shops, galleries and traditional crafts within some of the Southern Hemisphere's most complete Victorian streetscapes, before landing in Dunedin. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Southern Cross. B DW

11 Dunedin - Te Anau

From sheep farms to rugged mountains, today is one of contrasts. Venture into Fiordland National Park toward the South Island’s largest lake and the lakeside town of Te Anau. Enjoy the thrill of jet boating on scenic Lake Manapouri, home to Pomona Island, where native birds are under threat - and your visit is helping to protect them through a community-based conservation project. Hotel: Distinction Te Anau Hotel and Villas. B DW

12 Te Anau - Queenstown

Your journey towards Milford Sound/Piopiotahi traverses native rainforest, alluvial flats and meadows, with mirrored lakes, thundering waterfalls, dramatic rocky ranges and millennia-old valleys. Your Milford Sound/Piopiotahi tour, cruising through this wild expanse, provides enough drama for an entire travel year – you still have the streets of Queenstown to explore. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. B

13 Queenstown Free Time

Adrenaline-junkies may wish to get some perspective on a tour of the gorges of Skippers Canyon. Gourmand at heart? Perhaps a Central Otago wine tour? Your day ends on a dreamy TSS Earnslaw cruise across Lake Wakatipu, landing at Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Highlight Dinner at the Colonel’s Homestead. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. B HD

14 Queenstown - Franz Josef

From Arrowtown’s tree-lined avenues to Central Otago’s gleaming lakes, nature rules. Alpine scenery tiers into rainforest along the West Coast, where Thunder Creek Falls and the glacier-studded Mt. Hooker steal the scene. Welcome to the town of Franz Josef, home to Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, which is ideally explored on an optional helicopter flight – you may be able to land and walk across the ice-fall. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B DW

15 Franz Josef Glacier - Punakaiki

Explore the small but lively Franz Josef/Waiau village before venturing to Hokitika, home of New Zealand's native jade greenstone. Then steel yourself for the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes of Punakaiki, a sliver of South Island geology that is as humbling as it is awe-inspiring. After a spectacular day, spend the night at an eco-friendly, waterfront resort. B DW

16 Punakaiki - Christchurch

Beer for breakfast? We’ve got you sorted on a morning tour of legendary Monteith’s Brewery, which is followed by lunch. The best is yet to come – all aboard for the scenic TranzAlpine train back to Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel. B L FD

17 Farewell from Christchurch

How many travel highs can you pack into a holiday? This itinerary has certainly pushed the boundaries. Now all you have to do is go home and sort through all those photos. B

10 days • Auckland > Christchurch IZANB • First Choice

Morlea

Church of the Good Shepherd

Hobbiton

Contrasts of New Zealand

From

5309^*

New Zealand will set your heart racing, while you take the country’s pulse.

10 DAYS

Departure Dates

2024

Apr 5, 19
Jul 5
Sep 6, 20
Oct 4, 18
Nov 8, 15, 22, 29
Dec 6, 13, 27

2025

Jan 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Feb 7, 14, 21, 28
Mar 7, 14, 21, 28
Apr 4, 18
May 16
Jun 6
Jul 4
Aug 22
Sep 5, 19
Oct 3, 10, 17
Nov 7, 14, 21, 28
Dec 5, 12, 19, 26

2026

Jan 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Feb 6, 13, 20, 27
Mar 6, 13, 20, 27

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/IZANB or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

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Departures

10 DAYS

Highlights

Local Connection

South Island countryside never fails to impress, as you’ll discover cruising World Heritage-listed Milford Sound/Piopiotahi and enjoying morning tea on a farm in the Hurunuri Hills.

Cultural Immersion

Discover just how strong Māori culture is at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience, celebrating art, tradition and cuisine. Bring your appetite for nurturing Māori cuisine.

Sustainable Footprints

Operation Nest Egg may sound James Bond-esque, but it’s actually a National Kiwi Hatchery project to care for the country’s kiwi population.

Wildlife & Nature

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d be transported to Mars when you arrive at Rotorua, a place where steam and mud pop, fizz and swoosh at every turn.

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Highlights

10 DAYS

Dining

9 Full Breakfasts B
2 Lunches L
2 Dinners with Wine DW
2 Highlight Dinners HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD
2 Be My Guest Morning Teas BGM

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive by 4.00pm into Auckland Airport
Day 10 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
Internal-holiday flights: Please note that prices include land and internal-holiday airfares, which AAT Kings will book in order to fulfil the holiday itinerary:
Day 4 – Auckland to Queenstown
Return airfares from your home port are not included in the price above.
Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price.

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

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Trip Details

1 Welcome to Auckland

New Zealand’s largest city is also one of its prettiest, as you’ll discover exploring at your leisure. Arrive early to linger in its hip harbourside precincts, where galleries and design-driven stores await. You’ll have worked up an appetite by the time you meet your fellow travel companions for a Welcome Reception and dinner. Start your Auckland tour on a high, we say. Hotel: The Grand by SkyCity. DW

2 Auckland

If you didn’t get your city bearings yesterday, you will on an Auckland tour today. Have your camera poised as you reach Mission Bay, a dreamy waterside suburb where the blues patchwork to the horizon. Click! Then get snap happy once again at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, offering epic vistas over Auckland and its harbours. Click, click, click! Want some tips on how to spend your free afternoon in New Zealand’s largest city? How about going behind the scenes of the All Blacks, arguably the world’s most legendary rugby team? Hotel: The Grand by SkyCity. B

3 Auckland - Rotorua

You could be forgiven for thinking Rotorua’s landscapes are a sci-fi movie set. Mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. The surrounding forest is a fertile habitat for New Zealand’s national bird, being protected and bred at the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa. The cute-as-a-button, cotton-ball kiwi is under threat in the wild; at the hatchery, passionate conservationists reveal how they are saving the population, one incubated egg at a time. Tonight, dive deep into Indigenous culture and traditions at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience. Enjoy a forest kai horotai (seasonal canapés) and chef choice aperitif, followed by a seasonal three-course dinner. B HD

4 Rotorua - Auckland - Queenstown

Leave Auckland behind and journey into the countryside for an exclusive family-style Be My Guest experience in the Red Barn on a working dairy farm. Over your farm to table morning tea prepared by the onsite chef, get a feel for country life as you're invited to roll up your sleeves and make your own butter - butter churners, tiny mason jars and all! The feel-good vibes that endure will follow you all the way to Queenstown, the self-proclaimed adventure capital of New Zealand. It makes perfect sense – there are ski fields, white-water river and bridges strapped with bungy cords wherever you turn. And then there’s the dining scene; Queenstown is home to some of the country’s most awarded restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for bulging burgers or lakeside tapas, ask us for recommendations on this leg of your Queenstown New Zealand tour. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. B BGM

5 Milford Sound/Piopiotahi Cruise

Bring your stamina and sense of adventure – things get a little wild today. Nature rules as you skirt Queenstown’s gleaming Lake Wakatipu, and traverse the Devil’s Staircase to Te Anau, the alpine gateway to World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. Once you’ve paused to admire the drama at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, Hollyford Valley lookout and Cleddau Valley, you’ll begin to understand why Rudyard Kipling called this the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. You haven’t even seen Bowen Falls or Milford Sound/Piopiotahi yet… The best Milford Sound/Piopiotahi cruise sees you in the company of an eagle-eyed guide, who not only knows the immense geological history of the region, but can also point out sun-baking fur seals and playful dolphins. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. B L

6 Queenstown Free Time

Take today’s Queenstown New Zealand tour at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on a high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Prefer to be able to talk (and drink wine) while you cruise? Glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue lunch in a dreamy alpine setting. Wherever you wander, be sure to save space for tonight’s Highlight Dinner at Postmasters Café, a historic Arrowtown cottage replete with picket fence and Instagrammable gardens. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. B HD

7 Queenstown - Lake Tekapo

Whether pinot noir grapes or cherries, things grow well in the fertile Central Otago region of the South Island. Get a taste for the area’s plump stone fruit at the stall of a local orchard. Mountain drama – including views of Aoraki/Mt. Cook – is your backdrop en route to Lake Tekapo, with water so turquoise it looks like a Renaissance painting. This part of the country is ravishing and remote; the lack of light pollution means dazzling Southern Hemisphere stargazing at UNESCO World Heritage listed Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. It’s handy to have an astronomer in your company to decode the constellations of the Milky Way. If there was ever a NZ experience that put life in perspective, this is it. Hotel: Peppers Bluewater Resort. B DW

8 Lake Tekapo - Christchurch

The Canterbury region of the west coast is a rustic union of grassy plains, mirror-like lakes and snow-capped mountains, the kind of landscape that you might see on postcards. Arrive into the beautiful English city of Christchurch for a guided visit. The city is not only rebuilding itself after the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes, but is changing the way architects think about design. Case in point the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel. B

9 Christchurch

Travel north through rolling countryside to Hurunui Hills, a hill country farm in North Canterbury. Enjoy warm Kiwi hospitality with the Bamford Family, who have been farming at Hurunui since 1884 with six generations focused on producing premium Merino sheep, wool and Angus cattle. Soak up stunning scenery while enjoying morning tea, meet the farm animals & discover what it is like to live off the land on this unique By My Guest experience. Continue to a local vineyard, Waipara Springs Winery, where it's time to relax and enjoy a platter-style lunch among the vines. A big day leads to a big evening joining your Travel Director and travel mates for a celebratory Farewell Dinner featuring produce from the Canterbury region. Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel. B L FD BGM

10 Farewell from Christchurch

You’ve travelled hundreds of kilometers across two islands, likely taken thousands of photos, and made countless memories and new friends. The only thing left to do is plan your next trip to New Zealand. B

7 Day • Auckland > Wellington ZAAW • First Choice

The Red Barn

Te Piua

Te Papa

Iconic North

From

3229^*

You could spend eons exploring New Zealand’s two islands.

7 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Apr 9
Jun 25
Sep 17
Oct 22
Nov 19
Dec 17

2025

Jan 7, 21
Feb 4, 18
Mar 11, 25
Apr 8
Jun 24
Sep 16
Oct 7, 21
Nov 4, 18
Dec 2, 16

2026

Jan 6, 20
Feb 3, 10, 17, 24
Mar 10, 24, 31

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/ZAAW or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

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Departures

7 DAY

Highlights

Local Connection

The dairy industry is big business in New Zealand, as you’ll fast find on the O’Sullivan’s Waikato farm. The stories they’ll tell you about life on the land.

Cultural Immersion

Discover just how strong Māori culture is at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience, celebrating art, tradition and cuisine.

Sustainable Footprints

Your visit to Te Puia not only reveals Rotorua’s steamy history, but also supports up-and-coming Māori creatives.

Wildlife & Nature

If you want to be blown away by nature, Huka Falls is the place to go. This mighty waterfall sees 220,000 litres of water per second thunder over an 11-metre ridge.

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Highlights

7 DAY

Dining

6 Full Breakfasts B
2 Dinners with Wine DW
1 Highlight Dinner HD
1 Be My Guest Lunch BGL

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive by 4.00pm into Auckland Airport
Day 7 – flights to depart anytime from Wellington Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

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Trip Details

1 Welcome to Auckland

Meet your fellow travel companions at a Welcome Reception and dinner, and share stories of your day-one wanderings. Hotel: Cordis. DW

2 Auckland

Those sails on the harbour? They come from a long and fascinating history of boat-building and sailing, as you’ll discover on an America’s Cup tour at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The water is your backdrop as you skirt the harbour toward dreamy Mission Bay and Bastion Point. There’s nothing like an epic view to set your soul soaring. Hotel: Cordis. B

3 Auckland - Rotorua

The O’Sullivan’s welcome you to their Waikato estate for a country-style lunch in their Red Barn. Expect country banter and farm-to-table fare prepared with a lot of love. The next hot spot – in every sense of the word – on your NZ holiday is Rotorua. Visit Te Puia to see and support Maori artisans at work, then continue your Rotorua tour at the steamy Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, a staggering valley where geysers pop and thermal springs jettison skywards. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua. B BGL

4 Rotorua

Today, choose your own adventure. Tonight, dive deep into Indigenous culture at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience. Hear about Māori history, traditions, and future aspirations across an evening of celebration and feasting. Enjoy a forest kai horotai (seasonal canapes) and chef choice aperitif, followed by a seasonal three-course dinner.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua. B HD

5 Rotorua - Wellington

You’ll hear Huka Falls well before you see it – 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11 metre high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo then the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington. Hotel: Rydges Wellington. B DW

6 Wellington

Your day in Wellington should – must – begin with a coffee. The city is known for its uber-cool cafés and with coffee in hand you will head out on a city sights tour to take in highlights such as its iconic cable car, parliament and Mt. Victoria. This afternoon is yours to discover Wellington. Perhaps visit Te Papa Museum of New Zealand, tour the Wairarapa wine region or the first urban completely fenced ecosanctuary of Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, where the biodiversity of 225 hectares of forest is being restored. Hotel: Rydges Wellington. B

7 Farewell from Wellington

It's been a week of epic sights and adventures in the North Island. All good things must come to an end, but there's time to enjoy one last breakfast with your travel companions. B

3 days • Auckland Return UBOI • First Choice

Waitangi National Trust

Jewels of the Bay

Bay of Islands

Jewels of the Bay

From

1210^*

This adventure may be short, but it’s certainly sweet.

3 DAYS

Departure Dates

Current season sold out

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/UBOI or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

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Departures

3 DAYS

Highlights

Local Connection

Meet the artists, makers and producers that call the Bay of Islands home, as well as descendants of Traditional Landowners who signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.

Cultural Immersion

Free day in the Bay of Islands? An optional mini tour of Russell takes you to iconic locations that make it so significant in New Zealand’s early history.

Sustainable Footprints

Take a journey of discovery through New Zealand's most important historic site, with a local guide. Discover the stories, people and events that have shaped the past, present and future.

Wildlife & Nature

From its 20-million-year-old volcanic dome to its spectacular waterfall, Whangarei feels more like an oasis than New Zealand’s most northerly city.

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Highlights

3 DAYS

Dining

2 Full Breakfasts B
1 Dinner D

Flight Information

Day Prior – flights to arrive any time into Auckland Airport
Day 3 – flights to depart after 7.00pm from Auckland Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

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Trip Details

1 Auckland - Bay of Islands

We hope you slept soundly, because today is jam-packed with adventures. Hit the road in the morning for a scenic sojourn to the Bay of Islands. This pocket of the country deserves its name – there are more than 140 subtropical islets off the coast here. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret; this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your guide, likely a descendant of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house. You wanted an introduction to New Zealand heritage on day one – you got it. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. D

2 Bay of Islands Free Time

If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. Today, trip the light fantastic and head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps out on to the water to ride the waves aboard a historic tallship, glass of New Zealand wine in hand. Or maybe on a mini-tour around the romantic town of Russell, the country’s first permanent European settlement and seaport. Fun fact: the town’s streets retain their original names and layout from 1843. Just ask your Travel Director for touring tips – and places to wine and dine come dusk. This part of the country was made for blazing sunsets. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

3 Bay of Islands - Auckland

If you’ve never heard of Whangarei, you’re probably not alone. But today, New Zealand’s most northerly city is well and truly on your radar. A place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums, Whangarei is the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland. B

10 days • Christchurch Return ZCQR • First Choice

Mackenzie Dog Statue

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks

TSS Earnslaw

Southern Spectacular

From

4526^*

Southern calling? This trip to New Zealand unites some of the country’s most fabled playgrounds – think adventure-filled Queenstown tours, a World Heritage listed Milford Sound/Piopiotahi tour and possible gem-like Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere tours – with some of its must off-the-radar pockets.

10 DAYS

Departure Dates

2024

Apr 16
Jul 2
Sep 24
Oct 29
Nov 26
Dec 24

2025

Jan 14, 28
Feb 11, 25
Mar 18
Apr 1, 15
Jul 1
Sep 23
Oct 14, 28
Nov 11, 25
Dec 9, 23

2026

Jan 13, 27
Feb 10, 17, 24
Mar 3, 17, 31
Apr 7

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/ZCQR or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

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Departures

10 DAYS

Highlights

Local Connection

Angie and Stan Taylor serve up a mean afternoon tea on their estate in Tekapo. Perhaps the only thing better is cruising Milford Sound/Piopiotahi with a guide pointing out dolphins.

Cultural Immersion

Farming is a big deal in New Zealand, as you’ll fast discover at Walter Peak Station. Sit down to a barbecue dinner before being immersed in a farm show.

Sustainable Footprints

Pomona Island Charitable Trust works with passionate volunteers to rehabilitate the South Island’s largest inland island. You get to be a part of the magic.

Wildlife & Nature

Snow-capped mountains, a mirror-like lake, white-water rivers and vine-laced fields. Queenstown is blessed with natural assets.

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Highlights

10 DAYS

Dining

9 Full Breakfasts B
1 Lunch L
5 Dinners with Wine DW
1 Highlight Dinner HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD
1 Be My Guest Afternoon Tea BGT

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive by 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 10 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

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Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

At once forward-thinking and fun, Christchurch is the kind of city you could lose yourself in for a week – or more. You have this afternoon, so make the most of it. We recommend riding the rails on the vintage Christchurch Tram, a narrated hop-on, hop-off experience that loops around town, your host pointing out historic architecture and new developments that have popped up since the 2010/2011 earthquakes. Time to meet your fellow adventure-seekers over a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel.

2 Christchurch - Twizel

If you didn’t get your Christchurch bearings yesterday, you certainly will on today’s city tour, taking in the record-breaking Transitional Cathedral – who knew you could build a church from cardboard? The buildings of the city fade into a patchwork of farms as you ease across the Canterbury Plains toward Morelea. Here, Angie and Stan Taylor welcome you to their home with a slap-up Be My Guest afternoon tea and tales about life on the land. And this land is truly dramatic, backdropped by powdery mountains and cut with turquoise lakes, none quite as pretty as Lake Tekapo, on its banks the stone-hewn Church of the Good Shepherd. Hotel: MacKenzie Country Hotel. B DW BGT

3 Twizel - Dunedin

Oamaru has a rich history and proud heritage, enriched by passionate and perhaps quirky locals. Explore the shops, galleries and traditional crafts within some of the Southern Hemisphere's most complete Victorian streetscapes. You’re en route to Dunedin, replete with rolling green meadows and grand stone castles. It kind of feels like you’ve been transported to Scotland – small wonder it’s known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South’. Afternoon at your leisure, we recommend a visit to Speight’s Brewery – a New Zealand institution. And pretty much everything in between. There’s always that castle to explore… Larnach may not have the history of Scotland’s grand estates, but it’s just as pretty in our humble opinion. A NZ holiday must. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Southern Cross. B DW

4 Dunedin - Te Anau

Leave Dunedin’s pastoral sheep-farming countryside behind as you venture into World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park, a place of yawning gorges and gem-like glaciers, and azure lakes so large they have their own islands. Case in point Pomona Island, where a charitable trust of passionate volunteers works to restore flora and fauna. With your help. Take a thrilling jet boat ride down the Waiau River to Lake Manapouri and if that's not enough water for one day, you may choose to cruise to the iconic Glowworm Caves. Can we tempt you? Hotel: Distinction Te Anau Hotel and Villas. B DW

5 Te Anau - Queenstown

Nature rules again today, from the moment you depart Te Anau and begin your journey deep into the heart of Fiordland National Park. Think native rainforests, beech forests, alluvial flats and meadows; Mirror Lakes perfectly reflecting mountain scenery; and precipitous lookouts holding guard over alpine rivers. And this is just the entrée. The main course is your Milford Sound/Piopiotahi tour, where you cruise in the company of dolphins that frolic under the torrent of mighty Bowen and Stirling Falls, and gaze at misty escarpments so sheer they appear to cleave off the edge of the Earth. You’re in the company of a naturalist who knows every nook and cranny of this mighty cavern and will point out flora and fauna you would have never spotted on your own.
Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. B

6 Queenstown Free Time

Take today at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on a high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Prefer wine to get your heart started? See why Central Otago makes some of the world’s most raved about cool-climate pinots on a cellar door tour. Wherever your daily wanderings take you, reunite with your companions come dusk to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw, your barbecue Highlight Dinner served on the grounds of Walter Peak High Country Farm. Hotel: Millennium Hotel, Queenstown. B HD

7 Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau

In the shadow of the Remarkables, Queenstown is pretty spectacular. But it has some stiff good-looks competition from neighbouring Arrowtown, with its movie-set tree-lined avenues and 19th-century buildings that once housed gold-rush fortune-seekers. Things grow well in this verdant countryside, from cherries to pinot grapes and all manner of stone fruit. Prepare for a flavour explosion. The next explosion is a visual one as you arrive in the town of Franz Josef/Waiau, home to Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. Get some perspective of this immense ice fall on an optional helicopter flight – you may even get to land on it. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B DW

8 Franz Josef/Waiau - Punakaiki

Explore the small but lively Franz Josef/Waiau village before venturing to Hokitika, home of New Zealand's native jade greenstone. Then soak in the natural surroundings as you head to Punakaiki to view the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, where waves thunder through cracks in the Earth. This is the soundtrack that lulls you to sleep at tonight’s eco-resort. B DW

9 Punakaiki - Christchurch

Wine may steal the scene across much of New Zealand, but at legendary Monteith’s Brewery, beer rules. Sip your way through a tasting paddle of XPA, IPA, lager and pale ale because, hey, you’re not driving to the station where your TranzAlpine train awaits. Just as well lunch is included. This is one of those experiences where the journey matters just as much as the destination, as you sweep through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. What a way to end a day. Hotel: Distinction Christchurch Hotel. B L FD

10 Farewell from Christchurch

Wait, the last 10 days flew by. Return home with new friends, a full SD card on your camera – and even more memories. B

21 Day • Christchurch > Auckland LCQB • Best Buys

All Blacks Experience

Te Puia

Franz Josef Glacier

Spirit of New Zealand

From

7634^*

Dozens of lakes, rivers and waterfalls.

21 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Oct 3
Nov 28

2025

Jan 30
Feb 20
Mar 20
Oct 2
Nov 27

2026

Jan 29
Feb 19
Mar 19

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LCQB or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

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Departures

21 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

Whether you’re on foot or in a boat, you’ll be wowed by Abel Tasman National Park’s all-consuming beauty. Soak up the bounty at your own pace.

Iconic Sites

There are few places in NZ quite as humbling as Milford Sound/Piopiotahi within World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. Waterfalls, ancient escarpments and dolphins await.

Sustainable Travel

A guided tour of the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute at Te Puia to view traditional demonstrations, contributes to its success, committed to preserving and promoting Māori arts and crafts.

Natural Wonders

An island off an island, Stewart Island is wild, wide and wonderful. Some 97% is national parkland - prepare for epic animal encounters.

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Highlights

21 DAY

Dining

20 Full Breakfasts B
5 Dinners D
2 Highlight Dinners HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 21 – flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

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Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

Community spirit is strong in Christchurch, as you’ll discover exploring its streets at your leisure. We recommend jumping on the tram to tour Christchurch and discover how the city has rebuilt itself since the 2010/11 earthquakes. Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers this evening for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Wyndham Garden.

2 Christchurch - Omarama

More of Christchurch is revealed before the colours of the Canterbury Plains spread before you: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snowcapped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

3 Omarama - Dunedin

Architectural drama awaits in Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution). Or venture further afield to discover Larnach Castle, fur seals and penguins.
Hotel: Dunedin Leisure Lodge. B

4 Dunedin - Invercargill

Rolling green pastures dotted with wide-eyed sheep are your backdrop to Gore, the country music capital of New Zealand. Invercargill is obsessed with something else: motor vehicles. Tributes to speed legends colour the city. So it's only fitting that you visit Classic Motorcycle Mecca for a tour and Highlight Dinner. Hotel: Kelvin Hotel. B HD

5 Stewart Island

Wild, wide and wonderful, Stewart Island’s rugged coastline cuts a dramatic form in the Southern Ocean. It’s largely untouched, which means that endemic flora and fauna thrive. But don’t take our word for it. Meet the locals on a tour through the Village and Bays. Hotel: Kelvin Hotel. B

6 Invercargill - Queenstown

The Real Country Farm Show, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, offers an authentic taste of what rural New Zealand is like. For every guest, we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture. Continue to Queenstown and take the afternoon at your own pace. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

7 Queenstown Free Time

A spot of bungy jumping at the place it was born? Or an epic journey through Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, carved by waterfalls and a playground for dolphins and seals? There’s a reason why this part of the island has World Heritage status. You choose today’s path. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

8 Queenstown - Franz Josef

Around the next bend is the Alpine countryside of the Southern Lakes. Over the Haast Pass, the pretty town of Franz Josef/Waiau, at the edge of Westland World Heritage Park, awaits. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

9 Franz Josef - Punakaiki

Wander Hokitika’s windswept coast before discovering the town’s other beauty: pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Prepare yourself for Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and blowholes; they owe their existence to the thundering surf that will lull you to sleep. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki. B D

10 Punakaiki - Nelson

Ease along the Heritage Highway toward Nelson. Press your nose against the glass as your coach weaves through Buller Gorge and Kahurangi National Park. Hotel: The Rutherford Hotel. B

11 Nelson Free Time

Lace up your hiking shoes and head off on a bushwalk, or cruise through Abel Tasman National Park. This pocket in the north of the island inspires calm, its golden beaches framed by sculpted granite cliffs. Hotel: The Rutherford Hotel. B

12 Nelson - Wellington

All aboard the Interislander for a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound to Wellington. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B D

13 Wellington - Napier

Your city sights tour will end at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. After the opportunity to visit, travel to the Art Deco mecca, Napier. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Te Pania. B

14 Napier

Experience The Daily Deco Tour for an insight into how Napier City became the Art Deco capital of the world. This comprehensive tour takes you on an historic timeline, sharing stories and showcasing the transformation and how Napier City and its people were resilient after the infamous 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake, rebuilding the city they love into a fabulous and stylish 'time warp' Art Deco! Hotel: Scenic Hotel Te Pania. B

15 Napier - Rotorua

This evening, explore Te Puia's geothermal valley, and learn about Maori history and culture on this guided experience, including a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate, you'll view one of New Zealand's geothermal wonderlands. Hotel: Sudima Lake Rotorua. B HD

16 Rotorua Free Time

Today is one of decisions. Bliss out in the Polynesian Spa’s thermal springs; go behind the scenes on a working kiwi nursery; visit the Hobbiton movie set; or board a scenic flight for a bird’s-eye view. Hotel: Sudima Lake Rotorua. B

17 Rotorua - Auckland

Today your sights are firmly set on Auckland's main love: rugby. The interactive All Blacks Experience explores an introduction to the game as a part of New Zealand culture. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B

18 Auckland - Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Your guide, perhaps a descendent of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B D

19 Bay of Islands Free Time

Trip the light fantastic and head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, cruise to the Hole in the Rock or join a tour of Russell. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

20 Bay of Islands - Auckland

For a little more northern exposure, make your way to Whangarei, the island’s most northerly outpost and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. Explore at your leisure before the commute back to Auckland for your Farewell Dinner. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B FD

21 Farewell from Auckland

Over three weeks, we hope you’ve packed your address book with the names of new friends and your camera with photos. But at the end of the day, it’s the memories that will fuel your flight home. B

18 Day • Christchurch > Auckland LCQA • Best Buys

Maori Cultural Performance

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks

Bay of Islands

Essence of New Zealand

From

6631^*

Culture and nature unite in this inter-island New Zealand tour.

18 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Oct 3
Nov 28

2025

Jan 30
Feb 20
Mar 20
Oct 2
Nov 27

2026

Jan 29
Feb 19
Mar 19

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LCQA or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

18 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

We’ve crafted an itinerary with plenty of two-night stays, so you can sleep in and take the pulse of your destination, whether Queenstown, Wellington, Nelson or Rotorua.

Iconic Sites

From the bubbling geysers of Rotorua to the gem-like surface of Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, nature and culture unite across the North and South islands.

Sustainable Travel

A guided tour of the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute at Te Puia to view traditional demonstrations, contributes to its success, committed to preserving and promoting Māori arts and crafts.

Natural Wonders

More than 97% of Stewart Island is protected national parkland – unspoilt and largely unpeopled. It’s a magnet for the kiwi bird, which thrives here.

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Highlights

18 DAY

Dining

17 Full Breakfasts B
4 Dinners D
2 Highlight Dinners HD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 18 – flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

Arrive early to see just how Christchurch has transformed itself since the 2010/11 earthquakes. The best way to do this? Aboard the city’s tram. It loops past historic attractions as well as some new ones. Meet your fellow travellers this evening for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Wyndham Garden.

2 Christchurch - Omarama

Step out with your guide for a deeper dive into ‘The City of Gardens’ before traversing the colourful Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo and snow-capped mountains. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

3 Omarama - Dunedin

Architectural drama awaits in Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution).
Hotel: Dunedin Leisure Lodge. B

4 Dunedin - Invercargill

If you’ve got an odd urge to hear Slim Dusty while traversing rolling green pastures en route to Gore, you’re not alone, it's the country music capital of NZ. Invercargill is obsessed with something else: motor vehicles. Tributes to speed legends colour the city. So it's only fitting that you visit Classic Motorcycle Mecca for a tour and Highlight Dinner. Hotel: Kelvin Hotel. B HD

5 Stewart Island

The ferry ride to Stewart Island is wild and wonderful. When you arrive, you’re welcomed by the country’s southernmost community. It’s largely untouched, which means endemic flora and fauna thrive here. But don’t take our word for it. Meet the locals on a Village & Bays tour. Hotel: Kelvin Hotel. B

6 Invercargill - Queenstown

You’ve probably already noticed that there’s a lot of farmland here in New Zealand. It’s fitting, then, that you meet southern girl Laura, who will introduce you to the sheep farm where she was born and raised. The Real Country Farm Show, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, offers an authentic taste of what rural New Zealand is like. For every guest, we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture. Continue to Queenstown and take the afternoon at your own pace. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

7 Queenstown Free Time

Today, sign up to dive deep into Milford Sound/Piopiotahi within World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park, best explored on an optional tour cruising the waterway. Don’t be surprised if you see dolphins and seals. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

8 Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau

Around the next bend is the Alpine countryside of the Southern Lakes, from Lake Dunstan to oh-so-blue Lake Hawea and lovely Lake Wanaka. Over the Haast Pass, the town of Franz Josef/Waiau at the edge of the Westland World Heritage Park, awaits. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

9 Franz Josef/Waiau - Punakaiki

Wandering Hokitika’s windswept shore on the West Coast feels a bit like you’ve discovered the end of the Earth. The town’s other natural beauty is pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Prepare yourself for Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and blowholes; they owe their existence to the thundering surf that will lull you to sleep. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki. B D

10 Punakaiki - Nelson

Ease along the Heritage Highway toward Nelson. Press your nose against the glass as your coach weaves through Buller Gorge and Kahurangi National Park, a place of wild rivers, high plateaus, alpine herb fields and coastal forests. Hotel: The Rutherford Hotel. B

11 Nelson Free Time

Today is at your leisure. Lace up your hiking shoes, or sit back on a boat and soak up the silence of Abel Tasman National Park. This wilderness inspires calm, its golden beaches framed by sculpted granite cliffs that all unite to create one of the country’s most legendary coastal tracks. Hotel: The Rutherford Hotel. B

12 Nelson - Wellington

You’ll want a window seat for the cruise from the South Island to the North aboard the Interislander. This spectacle unfolds as you glide through Queen Charlotte Sound to NZ’s cool little capital of Wellington. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B D

13 Wellington - Napier

Your morning city sights tour will end at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. After the opportunity to visit, travel to the Art Deco mecca, Napier. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Te Pania. B

14 Napier

After a devastating earthquake in 1931, Napier completely rebuilt itself in just two years. The end result is architectural Nirvana, a city home to the world’s greatest concentration of Art Deco, Spanish Mission and Striped Classical buildings. This morning get the lowdown from your in-the-know local guide on a Napier tour. Your afternoon is at leisure. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Te Pania. B

15 Napier - Rotorua

This evening, explore Te Puia's geothermal valley, and learn about Maori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you'll view one of New Zealand's geothermal wonderlands. Hotel: Sudima Lake Rotorua. B HD

16 Rotorua Free Time

Today, it’s your choice. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. Want a bit of down time? Bliss out at the Polynesian Spa. Hotel: Sudima Lake Rotorua. B

17 Rotorua - Auckland

Welcome to Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’. You’ll understand how it got its moniker when you glimpse yachts gliding around its two harbours. But today your sights are firmly set on the city’s other love: rugby. The interactive All Blacks Experience explores an introduction to the game as a part of New Zealand culture. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B

18 Farewell from Auckland

It’s amazing how much of two islands you can see in 18 days. Provided you have the right people at the helm, and like-minded company, that is. B

17 Day • Auckland > Christchurch LABC • Best Buys

Te Puia

Waitomo Caves

TranzAlpine

Kia Ora New Zealand

From

5870^*

It’s hard to pick a highlight of this New Zealand tour from north to south.

17 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Sep 21
Oct 12, 26
Nov 9, 30

2025

Jan 11
Feb 8
Mar 8
Apr 19
Sep 20
Oct 11, 25
Nov 8, 29
Dec 20

2026

Jan 10, 24
Feb 7, 21
Mar 7, 21

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LABC or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

17 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

Want to get your heart racing? Explore the extremes of the North Island then feel the natural rush of Queenstown. Or just laze by the pool. Your choice…

Iconic Sites

You don’t need a reason to visit World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. But if you’re looking for one, make it shimmering Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. This place is nature amplified.

Sustainable Travel

Journey through New Zealand's most important historic site, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, with a passionate local guide. Discover the stories, people and events that have shaped the past, present and future.

Natural Wonders

End-of-the-Earth drama awaits in the Bay of Islands, where 140 droplets of land unite powdery beaches with dreamy pockets of forest.

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Highlights

17 DAY

Dining

16 Full Breakfasts B
5 Dinners D
2 Highlight Dinners HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Auckland Airport
Day 17 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Auckland

Explore waterfront precincts filled with yachts or just meet fellow travel companions for a Welcome Reception tonight. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland.

2 Auckland - Bay of Islands

Say goodbye to the ‘City of Sails’ as you journey north to the Bay of Islands – 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret; this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Your guide, perhaps a descendent of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial canoe and a carved meeting house. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B D

3 Bay of Islands Free Time

Today, trip the light fantastic and head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, enjoy a cruise to the iconic Hole in the Rock or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

4 Bay of Islands - Auckland

Whangarei is a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B

5 Auckland - Rotorua

After a morning of sightseeing, set your GPS for the Waitomo Caves. Cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B HD

6 Rotorua Free Time

Explore at your own pace today. Want a bit of down time? Bliss out at the Polynesian Spa. Animal lover? Go behind the scenes at a working kiwi hatchery. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of today’s opportunity to visit the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B

7 Rotorua - Wellington

At Huka Falls, 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metre-high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of mint-blue Lake Taupo. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from, you’ll need a guidebook. Wait, you have an in-the-know Travel Director to talk to. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B

8 Wellington - Picton

Wellington is known for its uber-cool cafés, designed to fuel you through a session at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Onwards to the Interislander for a cruise across Cook Strait, from the North Island to the South, through a maze of arms and inlets. Hotel: Picton Yacht Club. B D

9 Picton - Christchurch

There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the black sands of Kaikoura. Bonus points if you spot a sea lion or sperm whale frolicking offshore. Your Travel Director has tips on where to dine tonight. Hotel: Wyndham Garden. B

10 Christchurch - Omarama

On your city tour view the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. From here, your outlook is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience in Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

11 Omarama - Dunedin

Oamaru, with its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings, stands proud before you journey further south toward the ‘Edinburgh of the South’. Dunedin’s Scottish ancestry is everywhere you look, from the manicured grounds of Otago University to Larnach Castle. While away the afternoon in the city’s art-lined alleys, or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives here – fur seals and penguins among them. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City. B

12 Dunedin - Te Anau

Weave your way into Fiordland National Park and the South Island’s biggest lake and the town of Te Anau. Hotel: Distinction Luxmore Hotel. B D

13 Te Anau - Queenstown

Your route through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and mirror-like lakes. All roads lead to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, where a string of waterfalls create a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Venture out into the Fiord on a sightseeing cruise, where dolphins and seals are a common sight. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

14 Queenstown Free Time

Take Queenstown at your own pace today. Feel the wind in your hair on a high octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B HD

15 Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau

Leaving Lake Wakatipu behind, Arrowtown and Lake Dunstan appear on the horizon. Then there’s Lake Hawea followed by Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Over the Haast Pass, the pretty town of Franz Josef/Waiau awaits. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

16 Franz Josef/Waiau - Christchurch

Swap snow for pounamu (native greenstone or jade) in Hokitika: the pounamu found here is the stuff jewellery dreams are made of. Just when you thought your adventure couldn’t get any better, you’ll aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views. Hotel: Wyndham Garden. B FD

17 Farewell from Christchurch

Two islands, glaciers, lakes, thermal springs and a parade of wildlife... We hope you find the words to describe this epic adventure. B

17 Day • Christchurch > Auckland LCBA • Best Buys

Rotorua Geysers

Dunedin

Huka Falls

New Zealand Magic

From

5870^*

From bubbling geysers to yawning gorges; gem-like glaciers to mirrored lakes; snow-tipped mountains to subtropical islands; it’s hard to believe that such a small country packs so much natural punch into its two islands.

17 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Sep 30
Oct 14, 28
Nov 18
Dec 9, 30

2025

Jan 27
Feb 24
Mar 10
Oct 27
Nov 17
Dec 8, 29

2026

Jan 26
Feb 9, 23
Mar 9, 23, 30

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LCBA or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

17 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

Freedom in travel? Explore remote reaches of the North Island one minute, then sip wine or zip across Queenstown lakes the next. Ask us for tips.

Iconic Sites

Visiting Milford Sound/Piopiotahi within World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park is a humbling experience. Waterfalls, ancient escarpments and dolphins await.

Sustainable Travel

Journey through New Zealand's most important historic site, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, with a passionate local guide. Discover the stories, people and events that have shaped the past, present and future.

Natural Wonders

Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere sparkles like a gem in the Southern Alps, cutting through the mountains for more than 12 kilometres.

HIDE

Highlights

17 DAY

Dining

16 Full Breakfasts B
7 Dinners D
2 Highlight Dinners HD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 17 – flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

On arrival in the 'Garden City' you'll have time at leisure to explore or relax. Tonight, meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers at a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch.

2 Christchurch - Franz Josef/Waiau

All aboard the TranzAlpine train, whisking you through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks. From Arthur’s Pass, visit the small town of Hokitika, the heritage and cultural centre of the West Coast well-known for its jade. Things are about to get cool again as you arrive in the town of Franz Josef/Waiau, gateway to Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, a white-out of snow and ice. Get some perspective on an optional flight over this natural wonder. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

3 Franz Josef/Waiau - Queenstown

Over the Haast Pass, the alpine scenery of the Southern Lakes spreads before you: Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows; Lake Hawea; and Lake Dunstan, where you’ll pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruit. We know you’ll want to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, but Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables await in Queenstown. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

4 Queenstown Free Time

Take today at your own pace. Feel the wind in your hair on a high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps; discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at a wildlife centre; or sip your way through surrounding vineyards. Then glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B HD

5 Queenstown - Te Anau

Your route from the Mirror Lakes through the Cleddau Valley is the entrée to your Milford Sound/Piopiotahi tour. Cruising this World Heritage listed expanse will give you goosebumps, a string of waterfalls creating a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Look out for dolphins – they’re a common sight here. The onward road through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and gin-clear rivers, carving up the countryside en route to Te Anau. Hotel: Distinction Luxmore Hotel. B D

6 Te Anau - Dunedin

While away your Dunedin afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution). Or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City. B

7 Dunedin - Omarama

Sleep in or channel your inner royalty at Larnach Castle – Dunedin’s Scottish ancestry is everywhere you look. If you’ve ever wanted to see New Zealand’s oldest public gardens, today you’re in luck with a visit to Oamaru. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

8 Omarama - Christchurch

Your outlook this morning is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You’ll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Back on earth, it’s time to become reacquainted with Christchurch, your in-the-know guide pointing out the city’s miraculous transformation over the last decade. You'll view the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library.
Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch. B D

9 Christchurch - Picton

There aren’t many beaches more dramatic than the black sands of Kaikoura. Your onward route skirts the pink tinged crystallisation ponds of the Lake Grassmere Salt Works, before arriving in the pretty seaside fishing village of Picton. Hotel: Picton Yacht Club. B D

10 Picton - Wellington

Swap wheels for water aboard the Interislander for a cruise from the South Island to the North into New Zealand’s cool little capital of Wellington. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B

11 Wellington - Rotorua

This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B HD

12 Rotorua Free Time

Explore at your own pace: Bliss out in the steamy thermal springs of the Polynesian Spa. And then there’s Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B

13 Rotorua - Auckland

Waitomo Caves is radiant – quite literally. While cruising waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. The next thing that glows on your horizon is Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B D

14 Auckland - Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B D

15 Bay of Islands Free Time

Trip the light fantastic and head off in whatever direction you please. Perhaps travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, or visit Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

16 Bay of Islands - Auckland

Today, New Zealand’s most northerly city is on your radar. Whangarei is a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B

17 Farewell from Auckland

It’s hard to say goodbye. But you have a camera full of photos to categorise before you get home. B

14 Day • Auckland > Christchurch LAAC • Best Buys

Rotorua Geyser

Mount Cook

Waitomo Caves

New Zealand Vista

From

4935^*

You could spend eons exploring New Zealand’s North and South Islands.

14 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Sep 24
Oct 15, 29
Nov 12
Dec 3

2025

Jan 14
Feb 11
Mar 11
Apr 22
Sep 23
Oct 14, 28
Nov 11
Dec 2, 9, 23

2026

Jan 13, 27
Feb 10, 24
Mar 10, 24

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LAAC or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

14 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

Freedom in travel? Explore remote reaches of the North Island one minute, then sip wine or zip across Queenstown lakes the next. Ask us for tips.

Iconic Sites

Within World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi is the kind of place you expect to see on postcards. You’re here in real life.

Sustainable Travel

Dark Sky Project is committed to preserving our night skies by connecting manuhiri (visitors) to the relevance of the night sky via scientific and cultural experiences.

Natural Wonders

Get your glow on at the Waitomo Caves, a magical subterranean world lit by thousands of glowworms. Drift along and prepare to be dazzled.

HIDE

Highlights

14 DAY

Dining

13 Full Breakfasts B
4 Dinners D
2 Highlight Dinners HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Auckland Airport
Day 14 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Auckland

Auckland never fails to turn on the charm, as you’ll discover while exploring the city before meeting your Travel Director and fellow adventure-seekers for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland.

2 Auckland - Rotorua

After a morning of sightseeing, set your GPS for the Waikato River to Waitomo Caves. Here, your cruise route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. Tonight, delve deep into Māori culture and traditions at Te Puia. The Te Pō Indigenous Experience begins with a delicious buffet dinner of locally sourced cuisine and an authentic Māori twist in each dish. Following dinner, view an exhilarating cultural performance that takes place in our beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B HD

3 Rotorua Free Time

We’re leaving you up to your own devices today. Bliss out in the steamy thermal springs in Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa. Go behind the scenes on a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. The choice is yours. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B

4 Rotorua - Wellington

A staggering 220,000 litres of water thunder over Huka Falls’ 11-metre high escarpment every second. It creates quite the calamity. From here, the road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, its waters so vivid and blue they resemble an Ice Mint. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B

5 Wellington - Picton

Wellington is known for its uber-cool cafés, designed to fuel you through a session at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Onwards to the Interislander for a cruise across Cook Strait, from the North Island to the South. Hotel: Picton Yacht Club. B D

6 Picton - Christchurch

Black is the new black, as you’ll fast discover when walking along the dramatic ink-hued Kaikoura beach. Bonus points if you spot a sea lion or sperm whale frolicking offshore. Talk to your Travel Director for tips on the essential restaurants to dine in tonight – Christchurch has reinvented itself in more ways than one. Hotel: Wyndham Garden. B

7 Christchurch - Omarama

View the sights of the city including the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. From here, your outlook is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

8 Omarama - Dunedin

Oamaru may have supplied other NZ cities with limestone, but it kept some for itself – and the result is glorious leafy streets with grand 1800s buildings that stand proud before you journey further south toward Dunedin. It’s easy to while away the afternoon in ‘little Edinburgh’s’ atmospheric art-lined alleys. Or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals and penguins among them. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City. B

9 Dunedin - Te Anau

Dunedin’s Scottish ancestry is everywhere you look, from the manicured grounds of Otago University to the city’s main George Street. Rolling green hills dotted with doe-eyed sheep are replaced by soaring mountains as you weave your way into Fiordland National Park and the South Island’s biggest lake and the town of Te Anau. Soak up the serenity – it doesn’t get any better than this. Hotel: Distinction Luxmore Hotel. B D

10 Te Anau - Queenstown

There are some travel days that blaze into your memory. Today is one. Your route through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and mirror-like lakes. Gin-clear rivers carve the countryside, with all roads leading to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Cruising this World Heritage listed expanse will give you goosebumps, a string of waterfalls creating a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

11 Queenstown Free Time

Queenstown is known as NZ’s adventure capital for good reason. But don’t take our word for it. Feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane jet boat ride. Nature lover? Discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at a wildlife centre. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Highlight Dinner. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B HD

12 Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau

After departing the movie-set-perfect streets of Arrowtown, discover Lake Dunstan, surrounded by orchards where you’ll pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruit. Then there’s Lake Hawea followed by Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Over the Haast Pass, Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere sparkles like a gem. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

13 Franz Josef/Waiau - Christchurch

Swap white at Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere for green at Hokitika: the pounamu (native jade) found here is the stuff jewellery dreams are made of. Just when you thought your adventure couldn’t get any better, you’ll aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. Hotel: Wyndham Garden. B FD

14 Farewell from Christchurch

Two islands, two weeks. It’s remarkable what you can see when you have the right people guiding you. B

14 Day • Christchurch > Auckland LCCA • Best Buys

Rotorua Geyser

Milford Sound

TSS Earnslaw

New Zealand Marvel

From

4935^*

One country, two islands, two weeks, countless highs… this could well be the ultimate New Zealand guided tour.

14 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Apr 8
Sep 30
Oct 28
Nov 18
Dec 9, 30

2025

Jan 27
Feb 24
Mar 10
Apr 7
Sep 29
Oct 27
Nov 17
Dec 8, 29

2026

Jan 26
Feb 9, 23
Mar 9, 23, 30

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LCCA or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

14 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

From helicopter jaunts to jet-boat rides, winery expeditions and Hobbiton tours, your Travel Director is ready to organise optional experiences across Rotorua and Queenstown.

Iconic Sites

Waterfalls, ancient escarpments and dolphins await in Fiordland National Park’s Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. This World Heritage Site is as humbling as it is immense.

Sustainable Travel

Dark Sky Project is committed to preserving our night skies by connecting manuhiri (visitors) to the relevance of the night sky via scientific and cultural experiences.

Natural Wonders

From snow-tipped mountains to a wild and dramatic coastline and turquoise alpine lakes, the Southern Lakes region is one of NZ’s most diverse and distinctive wilderness areas.

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Highlights

14 DAY

Dining

13 Full Breakfasts B
5 Dinners D
2 Highlight Dinners HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 14 – flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

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Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

There are plenty of reasons to arrive in New Zealand’s ‘Garden City’ early, among them the astonishing transformation that has reinvigorated streets since the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes. Meet your Travel Director and travelling companions at a Welcome Reception tonight. Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch.

2 Christchurch - Franz Josef/Waiau

Jump aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, gorges and river valleys. Visit the small town of Hokitika, the heritage and cultural centre of the West Coast well-known for its jade. Around the corner is the town of Franz Josef, gateway to Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. Get some perspective on an optional flight. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

3 Franz Josef/Waiau - Queenstown

Over the Haast Pass, alpine scenery of the Southern Lakes spreads before you. First up there’s lovely Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Then Lake Hawea – the colour of an Ice Mint – and Lake Dunstan, where you’ll pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruits. As tempting as it is to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables await in Queenstown. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

4 Queenstown Free Time

Today, choose your own adventure – there are plenty to be had. Feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Or discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at a wildlife centre. Wine aficionado? Sip your way through surrounding vineyards. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue dinner and a little late-night dancing. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B HD

5 Queenstown - Te Anau

Your route from the Mirror Lakes through the Cleddau Valley is the entrée to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, a cavernous wonderland where waterfalls thunder from ancient escarpments into inky water where dolphins play. You’ll likely spot them on your Milford Sound/Piopiotahi cruise. It’s all part of World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park, an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and gin-clear rivers, carving up the countryside. This is your backdrop all the way to Te Anau. Hotel: Distinction Luxmore Hotel. B D

6 Te Anau - Dunedin

Swap the forested slopes of Fiordland for the rolling green hills of the Edinburgh of the South. Welcome to Dunedin, a beguiling union of both Māori and Scottish heritage. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution). Or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals and penguins, anyone? Hotel: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City. B

7 Dunedin - Omarama

If you didn’t get a taste for Dunedin’s Scottish heritage yesterday, you surely will today. Explore grand Larnach Castle at your leisure – this is, after all, the only one of its kind in the country – then wander the manicured grounds of Otago University or the city’s main George Street for an additional reminder of the city’s ties to Europe. If you’ve ever wanted to see New Zealand’s oldest public gardens, today you’re in luck with a visit to Oamaru, known for its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

8 Omarama - Christchurch

Your outlook this morning is the Canterbury Plains. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Back on earth, it’s time to become reacquainted with Christchurch, your in-the-know guide pointing out the city’s miraculous transformation. Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch. B D

9 Christchurch - Picton

Forget powdery white sand – once you’ve seen the dramatic black Kaikoura cove, you’ll be spoilt for all future beach-bashing. Bonus points if you spot a sea lion or sperm whale frolicking offshore; a sighting is practically guaranteed if you opt for an aerial tour over the coastline. Your onward route skirts the pink-tinged crystallisation ponds of the Lake Grassmere Salt Works, before arriving in the pretty seaside fishing village of Picton. Hotel: Picton Yacht Club. B D

10 Picton - Wellington

Cruising through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait is a journey as scenic as it is serene. Today’s chariot, the Interislander, transports you from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into Wellington. Bring your stamina to explore Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Ask your Travel Director for tips on where to sip wine and coffee tonight – this city is known for its uber-cool cafés, restaurants and bars. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B

11 Wellington - Rotorua

The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, the largest of its kind in the country. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B HD

12 Rotorua Free Time

Sometimes, the best adventures are those that you have when you least expect them. Like wandering into Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa and falling into a few hours of bliss while soaking in steamy thermal springs. And then there’s Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B

13 Rotorua - Auckland

Before you reach your final destination, get set to glow through the Waitomo Caves. While cruising cavernous limestone waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, appears on the horizon, dazzling with not one, but two harbours. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B FD

14 Farewell from Auckland

The ‘City of Sails’ flutters as if waving goodbye as you make your way home. B

8 Day • Wellington > Auckland LWBA • Best Buys

Te Puia Dinner & Show

Bay of Islands

Rotorua Thermal Valley

Northern Wonders

From

2850^*

While you could spend months exploring the North Island of New Zealand on a tour, if you’re travelling in the right company, you can immerse yourself in the highlights in a week.

8 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Apr 3
Oct 9
Nov 6, 27
Dec 18

2025

Jan 8
Feb 5
Mar 5, 19
Nov 5, 26
Dec 17

2026

Jan 7
Feb 4, 18
Mar 4, 18
Apr 1, 8

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LWBA or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

8 DAY

Highlights

Iconic Sites

The Waitomo Caves are the stuff fairytales are made of. Illuminate your day cruising this limestone network, cast in the magical light of glowworms.

Sustainable Travel

The Te Po Experience at Te Puia contributes to the success of the Maori Arts & Crafts Institute, committed to preserving, encouraging, fostering and promoting Māori arts and crafts.

Natural Wonders

Rotorua is hot, in more ways than one. Steaming geysers, bubbling mud pools and mineral-rich springs are the beating heart of this geothermal valley.

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Highlights

8 DAY

Dining

7 Full Breakfasts B
2 Dinners D
1 Highlight Dinner HD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 2.00pm into Wellington Airport
Day 8 – flights to depart any time from Auckland Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Wellington

New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington is the kind of place you could easily lose yourself in for a day. Good thing you arrived early. Check out one of the city’s oh-so-hip cafés before exploring Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, home to an extraordinary collection of artefacts, including an eye-opening exhibit dedicated to Māori history. It's time to meet your fellow adventure-seekers for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington.

2 Wellington - Rotorua

The Kapiti Coast is the summer playground of Wellingtonians – for good reason. You’ll follow in local footsteps as you make your way along a road that unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, the largest (and perhaps bluest) of its kind in the country. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B HD

3 Rotorua Free Time

If there’s a New Zealand city where you want free time, Rotorua is it. Go your own way today, perhaps blissing out in the Polynesian Spa’s thermal springs (we recommend a mud wrap). Who knew nature was this relaxing? Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B

4 Rotorua - Auckland

The Waitomo Caves are radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous underground waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a fairytale start to your day. One that only gets better as you descend on Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’. You’ll discover how it got its moniker while gazing over its two yacht-studded harbours from the lookout at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B D

5 Auckland - Bay of Islands

Your journey north to New Zealand’s Bay of Islands is not short of drama – discover 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea at the top of the country. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your guide, likely a descendant of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B D

6 Bay of Islands Free Time

Go as fast or as slow as you like today – there’s no rush, and no agenda. Talk to your Travel Director to organise leisurely jaunts up to Cape Reinga, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, or a trip to the iconic Hole in the Rock. If you’re a history buff, you may want to join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. The choice is yours. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

7 Bay of Islands - Auckland

You’re about to reach the very tip of New Zealand, as your tour takes you to Whangarei – the county’s northern-most city. This is and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your coach seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland. Ask your Travel Director for tips on where to dine; Auckland is a bit of a culinary hotspot. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B

8 Farewell from Auckland

The only bad day in your Auckland tour is the one where you have to bid farewell. On your journey home, just remember how much pleasure you have packed into this last week. B

8 Day • Auckland > Wellington LABW • Best Buys

Maori Warrrior

Waitomo Glowworms

Mount Wellington

Northern Spotlight

From

2850^*

It’s incredible how much a tour of New Zealand’s North Island can reveal about the country.

8 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Sep 21
Oct 12, 26
Nov 9, 30

2025

Jan 11
Feb 8
Mar 8
Apr 19
Sep 20
Oct 11, 25
Nov 8, 29
Dec 20

2026

Jan 10, 24
Feb 7, 21
Mar 7, 21

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LABW or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

8 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

Sometimes, the best experiences in life (meals, spas, hikes) are those you stumble upon. We can point you in the right direction in Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington – then go for it!

Iconic Sites

Life becomes all the more radiant at Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a subterranean wonderland that replicates the night sky.

Sustainable Travel

The Te Po Experience at Te Puia contributes to the success of the Maori Arts & Crafts Institute, committed to preserving, encouraging, fostering and promoting Māori arts and crafts.

Natural Wonders

Ancient volcanoes, thundering waterfalls and a yacht-studded harbour are your backdrop in Whangarei, New Zealand’s northernmost city. What a wildlife wonderland.

HIDE

Highlights

8 DAY

Dining

7 Full Breakfasts B
1 Dinner D
1 Highlight Dinner HD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Auckland Airport
Day 8 – flights to depart after 2.00pm from Wellington Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Auckland

Auckland is known as the ‘City of Sails’. And you’ll discover why when exploring its two harbours at your leisure. Pick a waterfront precinct and find a perch to while away the afternoon over a Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Meet your fellow travel companions at a Welcome Reception tonight. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland.

2 Auckland - Bay of Islands

Your journey north to New Zealand’s Bay of Islands is not short of drama – discover 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea at the top of the country. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your guide, likely a descendant of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house.
Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B D

3 Bay of Islands Free Time

If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. And today, you can do just that. At your leisure, venture up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, cruise to the famous Hole in the Rock or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. The choice is yours. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

4 Bay of Islands - Auckland

Northern exposure is a thing today, when you journey toward the top of the country to visit Whangarei – NZ’s northernmost city, and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Auckland. B

5 Auckland - Rotorua

There’s no bad day in Auckland – today, yours starts with a city sights tour before you set your GPS for the Waikato River and Waitomo Caves. This place is radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. This evening, explore Te Puia’s geothermal valley, and learn about Māori history and culture on this guided experience, which includes a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate you’ll view one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands.
Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B HD

6 Rotorua Free Time

Explore at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Want a bit of down time? We wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at in the steamy thermal springs at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa. Animal lover? Go behind the scenes on a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. Culture vulture? Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway. Hotel: Ibis Rotorua Hotel. B

7 Rotorua - Wellington

You’ll hear Huka Falls well before you see it – at this natural wonder, a staggering 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metre-high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, its waters so vivid and blue you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from. Ask your Travel Director for tips on where to eat. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B

8 Farewell from Wellington

The best way to begin a Wellington day? With a coffee. The city is known for its uber-cool cafés, designed to fuel you through your city sights tour. You may wish to linger in town, discovering Maori culture at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Afterwards, it’s time to bid farewell to your NZ crew. What a week. B

14 Day • Christchurch > Wellington LCQW • Best Buys

Dark Sky Experience

Queenstown

Steward Island

Southern Spirit

From

5103^*

It’s hard to do the South Island of New Zealand justice in just two weeks.

14 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

Oct 3
Nov 28

2025

Jan 30
Feb 20
Mar 20
Oct 2
Nov 27

2026

Jan 29
Feb 19
Mar 19

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LCQW or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

14 DAY

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

New Zealand’s natural bounty is epic, as you’ll see in Nelson, the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. The bounty also inspires talented chefs across Queenstown, Christchurch and Wellington.

Iconic Sites

New Zealand’s cool little Capital, Wellington’s diversions range from cultural Nirvana at Te Papa to the beehive-like Parliament building.

Sustainable Travel

The Real Country Farm Show offers an authentic taste of what real, rural New Zealand is like. For every guest we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture.

Natural Wonders

An island off an island, Stewart Island is wild, wide and wonderful. Some 97% is national parkland – prepare for epic animal encounters.

HIDE

Highlights

14 DAY

Dining

13 Full Breakfasts B
3 Dinners D
1 Highlight Dinner HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 13 – flights to depart after 2.00pm from Wellington Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

Arrive early to get your bearings on a self-guided Christchurch tour. The best way to do that? Aboard the Christchurch Tram. Your journey not only takes you past jaw-dropping attractions but also tells an inspiring story of community spirit in the rebuilding and reinvigoration of the city since the 2010/11 earthquakes. Explore at your leisure. We recommend jumping aboard the Christchurch Tram. This evening, it's time to meet your fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Wyndham Garden.

2 Christchurch - Omarama

Step out with your guide for a deeper dive into ‘The City of Gardens’ before traversing the colourful Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo and snow-capped mountains. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

3 Omarama - Dunedin

Architectural drama awaits in Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution). Or venture further afield to discover Larnach Castle, which nods to Dunedin’s Scottish link – it’s known as ‘Little Edinburgh’ for a reason.
Hotel: Dunedin Leisure Lodge. B

4 Dunedin - Invercargill

If you’ve find yourself humming a Garth Brooks tune en route to Gore, you’re not alone; it's the country music capital of NZ. Invercargill is obsessed with something else: motor vehicles. Tributes to speed legends colour the city. So it's only fitting that you visit Classic Motorcycle Mecca for a tour and Highlight Dinner. Hotel: Kelvin Hotel. B HD

5 Stewart Island

Invercargill is the gateway to the southernmost community in the country. Welcome to Stewart Island, a wild and wonderful drop of land that is 97% national parkland. Naturally, it’s a magnet for endemic flora and fauna, as you’ll discover on a guided Village and Bays tour. Hotel: Kelvin Hotel. B

6 Invercargill - Queenstown

You’ve probably already noticed that there’s a lot of farmland here in New Zealand. It’s fitting, then, that you meet southern girl Laura, who will introduce you to the sheep farm where she was born and raised. The Real Country Farm Show, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, offers an authentic taste of what rural New Zealand is like. For every guest, we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture. Continue to Queenstown and take the afternoon at your own pace. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

7 Queenstown

We wouldn’t blame you for using today to linger by the banks of Lake Wakatipu, marvelling at sky-scraping Remarkables. But if you want to venture further afield, we have a few ideas. Top of our list today is an epic journey through Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, carved by waterfalls and a playground for dolphins and seals. There’s a reason why this part of the island has World Heritage status. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

8 Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau

Atmospheric Arrowtown was born from gold, and its movie-set-like streets still shimmer today. It’s hard to tear yourself away, but the Alpine country of the Southern Lakes is calling, from Lake Dunstan – pause for juicy stone fruit picked fresh from the tree – to oh-so-blue Lake Hawea and lovely Lake Wanaka, with its shoreline of poplars and willows. Over the Haast Pass, the pretty town of Franz Josef/Waiau, awaits. Get some perspective on an optional Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere flight tour – if the weather behaves, you may even get to land on it. New Zealand tours don’t get much cooler than this. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

9 Franz Josef - Punakaiki

On the wild West Coast, Hokitika may be small in size, but boy is it big in personality, not to mention natural attractions. Wander the windswept coast before discovering the town’s other beauty: pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Steel yourself for Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and blowholes; they owe their existence to the thundering surf that will lull you to sleep. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki. B D

10 Punakaiki - Nelson

After action-packed days, all you need to do today is sit back and enjoy the drama of the Heritage Highway en route to Nelson. Gaze over Buller Gorge – a deep canyon home to New Zealand’s longest swingbridge – and Kahurangi National Park, a place of wild rivers, high plateaus, alpine herbfields and coastal forests. Hotel: The Rutherford Hotel. B

11 Nelson

The South Island’s oldest city, Nelson is the ideal starting point for outings through Abel Tasman National Park. This pocket in the north of the island is a beguiling union of golden beaches framed by sculpted granite cliffs. It’s home to one of the country’s most legendary coastal tracks, if you fancy stretching your legs on a hike. Otherwise, drift away on a cruise around the coast, revealing unpeopled bays and dreamy inlets. The choice is yours. Hotel: The Rutherford Hotel. B

12 Nelson - Wellington

All aboard the Interislander for a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait, from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into New Zealand’s cool little capital of Wellington. End your tour on a high note at a Farewell Dinner with your Travel Director and travel companions. Hotel: Travelodge Wellington. B FD

13 Farewell from Wellington

It’s hard to say goodbye to your tour of the South Island of New Zealand. If you can’t bear to leave, we have a few ideas up our sleeve to extend your holiday… B

14

Wellington also knows a thing or two about good coffee, and you'll need a strong one to get you through this morning's sightseeing. You may wish to linger in town, discovering Maori culture at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. It's hard to say goodbye to your tour of the South Island of New Zealand. If you can't bear to leave, we have a few ideas up our sleeve to extend your holiday. B

9 days • Christchurch Return LCQR • Best Buys

Church of the Good Shepherd

TranzAlpine

Dunedin

Southern Spotlight

From

3240^*

The South Island of New Zealand dials up the natural drama, whether you’re enjoying a Milford Sound/Piopiotahi tour through World Heritage listed wilderness or basking in the beauty of Fox or Franz Josef glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere on a tour.

9 DAYS

Departure Dates

2024

Sep 15, 29
Oct 20
Nov 3, 17
Dec 8

2025

Jan 19
Feb 16
Mar 16
Apr 27
Sep 14, 28
Oct 19
Nov 2, 16
Dec 7, 14, 28

2026

Jan 18
Feb 1, 15
Mar 1, 15, 29

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LCQR or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

9 DAYS

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

Queenstown is home to more than 150 bars and restaurants. If you don’t know where to look, ask your Travel Director for recommendations. Enjoy downtime at your own pace.

Iconic Sites

The TranzAlpine train ride has been described as one of the most scenic cross-country jaunts in the world. But don’t take our word for it…

Sustainable Travel

Your journey deep into Fiordland National Park is helping sustain this wild and wonderful part of New Zealand for future generations.

Natural Wonders

The West Coast, or 'the Coast' as locals call it, is an untamed natural wilderness of rivers and rainforests, glaciers and geological treasures.

HIDE

Highlights

9 DAYS

Dining

8 Full Breakfasts B
3 Dinners D
1 Highlight Dinner HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 9 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

Since its 2010/11 earthquakes, Christchurch has reinvented itself in more ways than one. Discover how if you choose to step back in time aboard the Christchurch Tram, linking some of the city’s most legendary attractions. It's time tonight to meet your travelling companions for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Wyndham Garden.

2 Christchurch - Omarama

On your city tour view the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library. From here, your outlook is the Canterbury Plains: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, the quaint Church of the Good Shepherd, snow-capped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

3 Omarama - Dunedin

If you’ve ever wanted to see New Zealand’s oldest public gardens, today you’re in luck. Oamaru, with its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings, stands proud before you journey further south toward the Edinburgh of the South: Dunedin. It’s easy to while away the afternoon in the city’s atmospheric art-lined alleys. Or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals and penguins among them. Thirsty? Visit Speight's Brewery, a New Zealand institution. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City. B

4 Dunedin - Te Anau

Dunedin’s Scottish ancestry is everywhere you look, from the manicured grounds of Otago University to the city’s main George Street. Rolling green hills dotted with doe-eyed sheep are replaced by soaring mountains as you weave your way into Fiordland National Park and the South Island’s biggest lake and the town of Te Anau. Soak up the serenity – it doesn’t get any better than this. Hotel: Distinction Luxmore Hotel. B D

5 Te Anau - Queenstown

From the moment you step outside today, nature rules. Your route through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and mirror-like lakes. Gin-clear rivers carve the countryside, with all roads leading to your Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Cruising this World Heritage listed expanse will give you goosebumps, a string of waterfalls creating a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Look out for dolphins – they’re a common sight here. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

6 Queenstown Free Time

Take today at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane Skippers Jet, perhaps. There’s a reason why Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the country. Nature lover? Discover some of New Zealand’s feathered friends at a wildlife centre. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Highlight Dinner. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B HD

7 Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau

Try and keep count of today’s lakes. Leaving Lake Wakatipu behind, Arrowtown appears on the horizon. We know you’ll want to linger in the movie-set-like streets, lined with trees and character-filled boutiques. But Lake Dunstan awaits, as do its orchards. Pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruit. Then there’s Lake Hawea followed by Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Over the Haast Pass to the town of Franz Josef, where, this afternoon you may choose to fly over Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

8 Franz Josef/Waiau - Christchurch

Swap snow for pounamu (native greenstone or jade) in Hokitika. In Māori tradition, it’s bad luck to buy this sacred stone for yourself; flutter your eyelids at your loved one. Just when you thought your adventure couldn’t get any better, you’ll aboard the TranzAlpine train bound for Christchurch, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. Hotel: Wyndham Garden. B FD

9 Farewell from Christchurch

New Zealand’s South Island never fails to wow. We hope you find the words to describe this epic New Zealand tour to your family back home. B

9 days • Christchurch Return LRQC • Best Buys

Dark Sky Experience

Milford Sound

Christchurch

Southern Wonders

From

3240^*

A little bit city, a little bit country.

9 DAYS

Departure Dates

2024

Apr 8
Sep 30
Oct 28
Nov 18
Dec 9, 30

2025

Jan 27
Feb 24
Mar 10
Apr 7
Sep 29
Oct 27
Nov 17
Dec 8, 29

2026

Jan 26
Feb 9, 23
Mar 9, 23, 30

Definite Departures highlighted in red.

For prices, additional departure dates, flight Information, latest deals and year-round offers including past guest offers, grooup booking discounts for 9+ guests and multi-trip savings, visit aatkings.com/LRQC or contact your local travel agent.

A limited number of single rooms are also available.

HIDE

Departures

9 DAYS

Highlights

Flexible Holidays

We love leading you to NZ’s top attractions. But we also give you the freedom to discover at leisure. Ask us about Queenstown’s best restaurants, or enjoy an unplanned adventure.

Iconic Sites

The TranzAlpine train ride has been described as one of the most scenic cross-country jaunts in the world. But don’t take our word for it.

Sustainable Travel

Your journey deep into Fiordland National Park is helping sustain this wild and wonderful part of New Zealand for future generations.

Natural Wonders

The Dunedin coast dials up the natural drama, its wind-carved cliffs and beaches attracting wild seabirds, sea lions and penguins.

HIDE

Highlights

9 DAYS

Dining

8 Full Breakfasts B
3 Dinners D
1 Highlight Dinner HD
1 Farewell Dinner FD

Flight Information

Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
Day 9 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
Flights are not included in the holiday price
Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

Flights are not included in the holiday price

Tour Information are valid for departures between 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 and may be subject to change. Visit aatkings.com/booking-conditions for terms and conditions.

HIDE

Trip Details

1 Welcome to Christchurch

You don’t have to arrive in Christchurch early, but we recommend you do – this South Island city has some of New Zealand’s most innovative architecture, not to mention forward-thinking restaurants and bars. You may choose to spot them aboard the Christchurch Tram, linking some of the city’s most legendary attractions. Tonight, it's time to meet your Travel Director and travelling companions for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch.

2 Christchurch - Franz Josef

Your South Island New Zealand Tour starts on a literal high as you jump aboard the TranzAlpine train, crossing the Canterbury Plains towards the Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass. This is one of the world’s most scenic rail experiences, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. At the other end of the line is Hokitika, the home of pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Just when you thought your day couldn't get any better, Franz Josef town twinkles on the horizon. This afternoon, you may choose to fly over Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier. B D

3 Franz Josef - Queenstown

Over the Haast Pass, alpine drama awaits. The Southern Lakes deserve their name: there are almost more waterways here than you can count. First up there’s lovely Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Followed by oh-so-blue Lake Hawea and Lake Dunstan, where you’ll pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruit. As tempting as it is to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, lined with trees and character-filled boutiques, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables await in Queenstown. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B

4 Queenstown Free Time

The adventure capital of New Zealand doesn’t disappoint when it comes to activities that are fast and furious. Take your pick, you could explore the natural drama of Skippers Canyon. Prefer life at a more leisurely pace? Opt to step onto a Lord of the Rings movie set or sip your way through surrounding vineyards. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Highlight Dinner. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort. B HD

5 Queenstown - Te Anau

Nature rules today as you motor from the Mirror Lakes through the Cleddau Valley. But this is just a teaser of what’s to come: World Heritage listed Milford Sound. A Milford Sound cruise across this dreamy expanse will give you goosebumps, its string of waterfalls creating a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Look out for dolphins and fur seals – they’re a common sight here. The road back through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and gin-clear rivers, carving up the countryside en route to Te Anau. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any more magical, nestled on the edge of the South Island's largest lake, Te Anau is the perfect place to savour some peace and relaxation after the spectacle of the day. Hotel: Distinction Luxmore Hotel. B D

6 Te Anau - Dunedin

The South Island’s biggest lake is a blissful place for an invigorating morning walk. If it doesn’t set your pulse racing, than your outlook of rolling green hills dotted with doe-eyed sheep surely will. This pastoral countryside surrounds the city of Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution). Or venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals and penguins among them. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City. B

7 Dunedin - Omarama

Did you know that Dunedin takes its name from the Scottish word for Edinburgh? The city nods to its European heritage at Larnach Castle – the only one of its kind in the country – as well as through the grounds of Otago University and along the city’s main George Street. Explore at your leisure, before venturing on to New Zealand’s oldest public gardens and grand limestone buildings at Oamaru. Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel. B D

8 Omarama - Christchurch

If there’s a lake with a more vivid turquoise colour than Tekapo, we’re yet to see it. It’s made even more dramatic by snow-capped mountains, the quaint Church of the Good Shepherd and atmospheric towns that surround. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Back on earth, you’re becoming reacquainted with Christchurch, your in-the-know Travel Director pointing out the city’s miraculous transformation over the last decade. Local spirit is strong here. Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch. B FD

9 Farewell from Christchurch

If you feel like you’ve only seen the tip of the South Island’s iceberg, you’d be correct. This beguiling part of the country could keep travel enthusiasts entertained for eons. Thankfully, we have more itineraries – ask your Travel Director and start planning your next trip to New Zealand. B

The immersive, vast beauty of Australia and New Zealand awaits.

You’ll witness the many hues of an outback sunset blend into ochre natural wonders, hear ancient languages spoken and see stories written in the sand.

Indulge in native flavours and relax in dwellings nestled within the heart of your destination.

This is where your journey begins.

Meet our vibrant makers and creators, and the local storytellers whose passion it is to share with you the very best of these unique lands. Delight the senses with exclusive culinary experiences and allow your expert guide to show you the iconic sights that promise moments of awe and wonder.

Your journey will be expertly curated with no detail forgotten, ensuring your adventure is seamless, stress free and timed to perfection. With more than 100 years’ experience in showcasing these mesmerising locations, we’ve collected a wealth of unmatched knowledge and passion that allows us to create an unforgettable travel experience for you.

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New Zealand

2024-2025

Kia Ora

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Today, we're proud of our history and of our people.

Some things never change...

100 + YEARS OF ADVENTURE - and many more to come

1920s-1930s

1960s & 1970s

1980s

1984

1990s

2010s

New Zealand, but not as you know it

Amazing Experiences

Travel Your Way

Conscious Travel

Worry-free Travel

Family Values

Iconic North

New Zealand Uncovered

Contrasts of New Zealand

New Zealand Magic

Southern Spotlight

Contrasts of New Zealand

Amazing Experiences

Discover NZ's wildlife haven, Stewart Island

All aboard for the Southern Alps!

Get set for a peak performance, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi

Sip and savour liquid gold, Greymouth

Prepare to see stars, Tekapo

Churn things up on a dairy farm, Waikato

4.6/5 independent & transparent satisfaction rating

Brilliant trip with excellent service.

We would definitely recommend them.

Great trip. Would recommend AAT Kings to anyone interested.

Travel Your Way

First Choice Guided Holidays

Best Buys Guided Holidays

AAT Kings Cares

Save the kiwi bird, Rainbow Springs

Pomona Island Charitable Trust, Fiordland

Te Puia Mãori Arts & Crafts Institute, Rotorua

Our TreadRight Foundation

Worry-freeTravel

Trained Travel Directors

Always in the know

A full team of support, 24/7

Air conditioning

Stringent on-the-road protocols

Trusted partners, exceptional standards

Family Values

Our Commitment

Our Passion

Our Customers

Our Responsibility

Explore New Zealand

Stories Worth Sharing

North Island

South Island

Waitomo Caves

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

Te Puia

Queenstown

Lake Tekapo

Pancake Rocks

Franz Josef Glacier

Milford Sound

New Zealand Uncovered

7224*

17 DAY

Departure Dates

2024

2025

2026

Today, we're proud of
our history and of our people.

New Zealand,
but not as you know it

4.6_/5 independent & transparent satisfaction rating

Waitangi
Treaty Grounds

Franz
Josef Glacier

7224^*

5309^*

3229^*