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Essence of New Zealand (2026/2027) (20 destinations)

16 days
•
From Christchurch to Auckland
4.3
111 traveler reviews
  • Historic buildings with a statue and green space in front.
  • Old stone building with a clock tower and garden.
  • Ornate train station with colorful flower beds.
  • Hiker standing on rocks with snow-capped peaks in the background.
  • Two hikers celebrating on a mountaintop with stunning views.
    View all
  • Milford Sound fjord with mountains and clear skies.
  • Milford Sound during sunset with rocky foreground and reflections.
  • Lakefront town with snow-capped mountains and clear skies.
  • Scenic view of Queenstown by the lake with mountains.
  • Road leading to Mount Cook at sunrise with dramatic sky.
    View all

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Plan your adventure:
Gold Operator
AAT Kings
In-depth Cultural
Immerse yourself in rich history and local traditions
Group Tour
Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
Partially Guided
Independent travel, featuring selected guided excursions
Guided in English
Group Size 20 - 48
All Ages Welcome

Places You’ll See

  • Christchurch
    Christchurch
  • Dunedin
    Dunedin
  • Fiordland National Park
    Fiordland National Park
  • Milford Sound
    Milford Sound
  • Stewart Island
    Stewart Island
  • Queenstown
    Queenstown
  • Mount Cook
    Mount Cook
  • Abel Tasman National Park
    Abel Tasman National Park
  • Wellington
    Wellington
  • Rotorua
    Rotorua
  • Auckland
    Auckland
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Make Travel Matter
  • The Real Country Farm Show 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Natural Wonders
  • More than 85% of Stewart Island is protected national park – unspoilt and largely unpeopled. It’s a magnet for the kiwi bird, which thrives here.

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 Welcome to Christchurch
  2. Day 2 Christchurch - Omarama
  3. Day 3 Omarama - Dunedin
  4. Day 4 Invercargill - Te Anau
  5. Day 5 Milford Sound Day Trip
  6. Day 6 Te Anau - Queenstown
  7. Day 7 Queenstown Free Time
  8. Day 8 Queenstown - Christchurch
  9. Day 9 Christchurch - Punakaiki
  10. Day 10 Punakaiki - Nelson
  11. Day 11 Nelson Free Time
  12. Day 12 Nelson - Wellington
  13. Day 13 Wellington - Napier
  14. Day 14 Napier - Rotorua
  15. Day 15 Rotorua Free Time
  16. Day 16 Farewell from Auckland
Want to read it later?

Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

All accommodations are subject to change

  • Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel

    Hotel
    day 2

  • Kelvin Hotel

    Hotel
    day 3

  • Distinction Luxmore Hotel

    Hotel
    Days 4, 5

  • Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown

    Hotel
    Days 6, 7

  • Ibis Hotel Christchurch

    Hotel
    day 8

  • Scenic Hotel Punakaiki

    Hotel
    day 9

  • The Rutherford Hotel

    Hotel
    Days 10, 11

  • Travelodge Wellington

    Hotel
    day 12

  • Scenic Hotel Te Pania

    Hotel
    day 13

  • Sudima Lake Rotorua

    Hotel
    Days 14, 15

Operated by

AAT Kings

4.3
(111 reviews)
This operator has high review ratings and responds promptly to enquiries

Number of tours

389

Age Range

5 to 99 years old

Response time

within 3 days

Response rate

92%

Since 1912, AAT Kings as a tour operator has been helping people from all...

Read more

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Kathleen
    · March 3rd, 2025
    Optional activities should be scheduled in advance and not as the tour progresses. That way we can know whether or not we can get the activity. If not, it can be scheduled online. I had no access to these activities from Tour Radars website and didn’t know they existed. Luckily I scheduled on my own and got to see what I wanted. Others did not.
    Show more
  • Lorne
    · February 25th, 2025
    Excellent, guide and driver were exceptional.
    Show more
  • Rhonda
    · September 14th, 2025
    This was my first trip on a guided tour. Was feeling nervous - but it ended up being a great experience. Everything went smoothly. The communication from Tour Radar was good.They responded promptly to my queries. It was well organized. The itinerary gave an opportunity to see and have a range of experiences, The tour guide Joe from Down Under Tours (AAT) was fantastic. He really enjoyed his job and was passionate about sharing the places we visited. He was very knowledgeable too. Joe was very friendly and respectful to all of us on the tour.
    Show more

Dates & Availability

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2026

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1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
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  • 19 Other Unavailable Departures
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Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

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More benefits
Can’t find the answer to your question?

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 311148

  • Currency
    $
    New Zealand Dollar
    New Zealand
  • Plugs & Adapters

    Type I
    New Zealand
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before December 9th, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after December 9th, 2025, a minimum payment of $200 is required to confirm your booking with AAT Kings. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and AAT Kings will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "AAT Kings" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.
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Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

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2025

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Feb
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Apr
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2026

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