New Zealand Uncovered (Southbound)

The adventure

Explore New Zealand, where snow-dusted peaks rub shoulders with glacial lakes and off-the-grid surf towns give way to cosmopolitan cities. This in-depth 20-day adventure takes you to some of the best landmarks of the country, from the North Island to the South Island. Join your local leader in Auckland, travel through the geothermal wonders of Rotorua and relax on the beaches of Coromandel and Raglan. See the otherworldly landscapes at Tongariro National Park, then continue to the South Island, where the high-adrenaline activities of Queenstown, the fabulous wineries of Marlborough and the beautiful scenery of Franz Josef await.

At a glance

Where you'll go

Day by day

Your journey through

New Zealand

Showing Days 1-7

20-day itinerary

Day 1AucklandWelcome to Aotearoa (New Zealand) – the land of the long white cloud! Your adventure begins in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city on the North Island. Meet your local leader and new travel friends at your accommodation at 6 pm for a welcome meeting tonight. If you arrive with time to spare, maybe check out the beach down at Mission Bay or take a stroll along the restaurant-lined waterfront. After the meeting, maybe dip into Auckland’s nightlife with your fellow travellers.

Auckland

Welcome to Aotearoa (New Zealand) – the land of the long white cloud! Your adventure begins in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city on the North Island. Meet your local leader and new travel friends at your accommodation at 6 pm for a welcome meeting tonight. If you arrive with time to spare, maybe check out the beach down at Mission Bay or take a stroll along the restaurant-lined waterfront. After the meeting, maybe dip into Auckland’s nightlife with your fellow travellers.

Day 2Coromandel PeninsulaThis morning, leave the city in the rear-view mirror as you drive to the Coromandel Peninsula, following the coastline. A land of white-sand beaches and rainforests, the Coromandel Peninsula feels a world away from where your journey began. Make a stop at Hot Water Beach, named after the famous warm water that’s found beneath its golden sand. If the tide allows, you can dig a hole on the beach and enjoy your own natural hot tub! After a visit to Cathedral Cove, you’ll arrive at your accommodation in the afternoon.

Coromandel Peninsula

This morning, leave the city in the rear-view mirror as you drive to the Coromandel Peninsula, following the coastline. A land of white-sand beaches and rainforests, the Coromandel Peninsula feels a world away from where your journey began. Make a stop at Hot Water Beach, named after the famous warm water that’s found beneath its golden sand. If the tide allows, you can dig a hole on the beach and enjoy your own natural hot tub! After a visit to Cathedral Cove, you’ll arrive at your accommodation in the afternoon.

Day 3Coromandel PeninsulaHit the road and make the scenic drive along the Coromandel Peninsula. Join your local leader as they show you some of the most beautiful beaches in the area. This afternoon, maybe stop into Kuaotunu to try their famous ice cream and check out Coromandel Township. Tonight, maybe find a local restaurant for dinner – your leader will have the best recommendations!

Coromandel Peninsula

Hit the road and make the scenic drive along the Coromandel Peninsula. Join your local leader as they show you some of the most beautiful beaches in the area. This afternoon, maybe stop into Kuaotunu to try their famous ice cream and check out Coromandel Township. Tonight, maybe find a local restaurant for dinner – your leader will have the best recommendations!

Day 4Hobbiton / RotoruaThis morning, watch the landscape change from beach to farmland as you drive to Waikato. Stop at Karangahake Gorge to see the remains of gold mining tunnels and railway tracks. Then, continue to Hobbiton – the living set where part of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films were shot. After wandering through Middle Earth, continue your journey to Rotorua, known for its Maori heritage and hotbed of geothermal activity with its distinctive sulphur smell (you’ll get used to it!). When you arrive, take a treetop walk through an ancient redwood forest over a network of suspension bridges, reaching 12 m at the highest point.

Hobbiton

This morning, watch the landscape change from beach to farmland as you drive to Waikato. Stop at Karangahake Gorge to see the remains of gold mining tunnels and railway tracks. Then, continue to Hobbiton – the living set where part of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films were shot. After wandering through Middle Earth, continue your journey to Rotorua, known for its Maori heritage and hotbed of geothermal activity with its distinctive sulphur smell (you’ll get used to it!). When you arrive, take a treetop walk through an ancient redwood forest over a network of suspension bridges, reaching 12 m at the highest point.

Day 5RotoruaSpend the day discovering the natural and cultural wonders of Rotorua – home to simmering mud pools, dramatic geysers and fluorescent lakes. If you’ve got a head for heights, ziplining through Rotorua’s ancient forests is an unbeatable way to take it all in. This evening, you’ll get a true taste of Maori culture during a visit to a cultural and geothermal wonderland. Here, you’ll enjoy a hangi dinner alongside a soul-stirring haka performance.

Rotorua

Spend the day discovering the natural and cultural wonders of Rotorua – home to simmering mud pools, dramatic geysers and fluorescent lakes. If you’ve got a head for heights, ziplining through Rotorua’s ancient forests is an unbeatable way to take it all in. This evening, you’ll get a true taste of Maori culture during a visit to a cultural and geothermal wonderland. Here, you’ll enjoy a hangi dinner alongside a soul-stirring haka performance.

Day 6Rotorua / TaupoRotorua’s Polynesian Spa is the perfect place to unwind with your free morning. Or, maybe head to Kuirau Park to walk through a landscape of hissing natural hot pools. This afternoon, say goodbye to Rotorua and hit the road for Taupo, stopping at the thundering Huka Falls along the way. Set on the shores of the mighty Lake Taupo – New Zealand’s largest lake – this town is one of the most scenic spots in the North Island. You’ll spend two nights here, as it’s the perfect base to explore the area and the nearby Tongariro National Park.

Rotorua

Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa is the perfect place to unwind with your free morning. Or, maybe head to Kuirau Park to walk through a landscape of hissing natural hot pools. This afternoon, say goodbye to Rotorua and hit the road for Taupo, stopping at the thundering Huka Falls along the way. Set on the shores of the mighty Lake Taupo – New Zealand’s largest lake – this town is one of the most scenic spots in the North Island. You’ll spend two nights here, as it’s the perfect base to explore the area and the nearby Tongariro National Park.

Day 7TaupoA volcanic eruption 70,000 years ago created the magnificent Lake Taupo, which now hosts visitors from around New Zealand and the world. With a free day here, you’ll have plenty of activities to choose from – maybe go sailing on Lake Taupo, or if you’re a keen hiker, you may want to consider the Tongariro Crossing – New Zealand’s most famous day hike. The path takes you around a volcano, past lakes, craters and through bushland.

Taupo

A volcanic eruption 70,000 years ago created the magnificent Lake Taupo, which now hosts visitors from around New Zealand and the world. With a free day here, you’ll have plenty of activities to choose from – maybe go sailing on Lake Taupo, or if you’re a keen hiker, you may want to consider the Tongariro Crossing – New Zealand’s most famous day hike. The path takes you around a volcano, past lakes, craters and through bushland.

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Discover New Zealand

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