Tour Kiwiana Panorama (Auckland To Queenstown, Start Auckland, En

Guide

A highly trained Trip Manager who brings your adventure to life. An expert driver who knows foreign roads better than Google Maps. Local Guides who make tourist traps a thing of the past. This is your team. Smart, friendly, fun, and integral to everything we do.

Transport

Coach

Meals

4 Dinner (D) 15 Breakfast (B)

Accommodation

Throughout your trip you’ll be getting your beauty sleep in cosy, warm beds in multi-share rooms, plus the chance to stay in funky sleeping pods that can be completely enclosed for sleeping and chilling out. Your accommodation will always be located in the heart of the action, with communal areas for you and your new best friends to relax and socialise.

Others

Rotorua: On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, we’ll head to Rainbow Springs near Rotorua to learn all about the locals’ efforts to protect New Zealand’s adorable national bird. Rotorua: A traditional Māori cultural performance, topped off with a traditional Māori feast... this ought to satisfy even the keenest of culture vultures. Rotorua: Wait til you see ’em. Wait til you smell ’em. These geothermic mudpools are a thing to behold. Huka Falls: Huka falls is a jaw-jutting display of natural hydro power. Here you’ll see 220,000 litres of water tumble over the waterfall... per second that is(!) Mount Ruapehu: Today we’ll check out Mt Ruapehu, an active stratovolcano elevated almost 2,800 meters into the air! Mount Ruapehu: See even more of the sights made famous by "The Lord of the Rings." Wellington: Wellington has a café and restaurant scene like no other, and today we’ll sample it for ourselves. You’d better make sure you’re hungry. Kaikoura: We’ll take a spectacular drive along the Kaikoura Coast, and pay a visit to a nearby seal colony. Yup, it’s a coastal cuteness overload. Wanaka: A lake town with views for days, surrounded by beech forests, alpine lakes, and wilderness glaciers. Queenstown: Get your adrenaline pumping on the World’s first ever (and some would say most famous) bungy jump. Kaikoura: On this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, we’ll meet eco-warrior Sabrina Leucht, who has dedicated many years of her life to helping New Zealand’s injured native birds... and is now working to establish the region’s first wildlife hospital. Hokitika: The South Island is known for Pounamu (in fact, it’s even named after the stuff.) Today in Hokitika, we’ll meet with a local Māori Guide, who’ll tell us all about the connection between the illustrious greenstone and the Māori people. After that, we’ll go and check some out for ourselves.

Hygieneprotocol

All guests travelling with Contiki through December 31, 2022 are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which may include a booster shot to keep the vaccination status current and valid, depending on the travel destination. Children not eligible for vaccination and/or booster at the time of travel must provide a verifiable and negative Covid-19 test result, taken within 72 hours prior to the start of the tour (taking time zones into consideration) for all tours departing until December 31, 2022. For guests travelling with Contiki from 1 January 2023, Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters are highly recommended, but no longer required. Please note that regardless of time of travel guests will need to comply with specific vaccine and/or booster requirements imposed by airlines and/or authorities in the destination visited, as well as requirements for accessing restaurants and venues, which may be more restrictive than above. It is guests’ responsibility to ensure that they comply at all times with these requirements. No refunds will be given if guests are unable to undertake some or all of their vacation due to their failure to comply with these requirements.

Not included:

Optional

Go white water rafting down the crashing Kaituna River NZ$99 Hike the unique volcanic landscape of Mt Tarawera, Rotorua NZ$149 Explore native rainforest at dawn with breakfast & coffee followed by ziplining on a Contiki Exclusive Rotorua Rainforest Canopy tour NZ$149 Cook your kai (food) the traditional way over an active steam vent at Te Puia Maori Village, followed by a guided tour & hands-on weaving experience NZ$84 Chris Jolly Dinner & Party Cruise NZ$80 Take a leap over the lakeside town of Taupo with a tandem skydive From NZ$299 Experience the rush of a Huka Falls Jet boat ride NZ$115 Glacier Country Kayaks NZ$115 Across Country Quad Bikes NZ$160 Scenic Helicopter Flight and Glacier Landing From NZ$245 Helihike NZ$439 Group Photograph NZ$19 Take the plunge on the world’s OG bungy at Kawarau Bridge, Queenstown NZ$205 Jump off the third highest bungy platform in the world at AJ Hackett’s Nevis Bungy in Queenstown NZ$275 Get a thrilling perspective of Queenstown’s skyline with the famous AJ Hackett Ledge bungy NZ$205 Go all out with Thrillogy - 3 of Queenstown’s world class bungy jumps including the historic Kawarau Bungy, the freestyle Ledge Bungy, and the hair-raising Nevis Bungy NZ$420 Take the swing of your life on the 300m Nevis Swing, one of the world’s biggest canyon swings in Queenstown NZ$210 Get your adrenalin pumping with AJ Hackett’s Ledge Swing with sweeping views of Queenstown NZ$165 Queenstown Adventurer Canyoning NZ$199 Cruise the glassy waters of the Milford Sound on a day trip from Queenstown NZ$139 Swing through the tree tops on a Ziptrek Zipline tour in Queenstown NZ$189 Enjoy dinner with unparallelled views at Queenstown’s Skyline restaurant NZ$85 Canyon Swing NZ$215 Funyaks NZ$359 Take your happy hour in sub-zero temperatures at Queenstown’s Ice Bar experience NZ$20 Canyon Fox NZ$150

Flights

International flights are not included

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Insurance

Travel Insurance is not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Auckland To Rotorua
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Auckland To Rotorua

All aboard the Contiki bus! Starting in Auckland, we’ll drive through the lush farmlands of Waikato, an area famous for rugby - many of New Zealand’s best players for the All Blacks are trained in this town. We’ll stop off at the New Zealand Kiwi Hatchery, the world’s largest conservation project for the kiwi bird. Watch these adorable little birds roam around, stand in a human-sized kiwi burrow, and visit the incubation center, where over 2100 kiwi chicks have been born. Who knows, maybe you’ll see a newly-hatched kiwi chick!
Day 2 Day 2: Rotorua
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Rotorua

The day is yours to roam free in this geothermal paradise. Soak in a hot spring, go white water rafting or hike up a volcano. The options are limitless and the decisions are yours. We recommend the Rotorua Dawn Canopy Tour, exclusive to Contiki, where you’ll watch the sun rise, eat some breakfast and drink coffee up in the towering trees as the birds make start their morning calls. Then, you’ll get to soar 1200m through the forest on the ultimate zipline adventure.
Day 3 Day 3: Rotorua To Lake Taupo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Rotorua To Lake Taupo

From Rotorua, we make our way to Lake Taupo, but not before a cheeky stop-off at the awesome Huka Falls. 220,000 litres (that’s 58 000 gallons) of water gush over Huka Falls per second. Just let that sink in for a minute. Wild, right? Even wilder still is the Hukafalls Jet experience - a thrilling ride that will get you experiencing the full force of the falls and leave you with even more of a taste for adventure. A good thing really, given Lake Taupo is on the horizon. We arrive at Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in Australasia. Volcanic peak views & trout fishing will seamlessly slip us into quaint lake life. But don’t be fooled by the seemingly still scenery - a skydive is on the menu if that adrenaline itch needs scratching.This evening we jump on a cruise on the lake to watch the sun set, go fishing and enjoy some eats with our Contiki fam.
Day 4 Day 4: Lake Taupo To Ruapehu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Lake Taupo To Ruapehu

We drive through the central plateau to the southern end of the Tongariro National Park, Ohakune is known as the aprés ski capital of the North Island. Today you have the option to go mountain biking along one of NZ’s most picturesque track, "the Old Coach Rd". Tonight we stay in a heritage listed building built in 1913 which is now a vibrant modern ski lodge, located at the base of a volcano, Mt Ruapehu with views unlike any other you’ve seen.
Day 5 Day 5: Mount Ruapehu To Wellington
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Mount Ruapehu To Wellington

These landscapes are unique and the sights will leave you breathless. On route to the windy capital Wellington where we’ll show you the sights of this city.As much as we’ve been loving the nature time, the change of scenery to New Zealand’s well-cultured capital will prove an utter delights. After an orientation through the narrow streets of Wellington a night on the town will be on the cards, plus an optional dinner to start the night off as we mean to go on.
Day 6 Day 6: Wellington
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Wellington

Ready to explore Wellington in all its glory? Today, we’ll head to a local cafe and try the famed flat white coffee in its city of origin (sorry Australians). Caffeinated and refreshed, we’ll take a trip to Zealandia, a 225-hectare (basically massive) eco-sanctuary that protects over 40 rare native wildlife species. Because Zealandia is fully fenced, you’ll be able to walk alongside incredibly rare birds like the hihi and the takahē. Look out for the tuatara, a prehistoric reptile known as a ’living fossil’, which can only be found in New Zealand!
Day 7 Day 7: Wellington To Kaikoura
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Wellington To Kaikoura

So long north island! Today we’re making tracks for your southern brother, darting across the Cook Strait via the Inter-Island ferry. Our first port of call on the South Island will be Picton, the gateway to wine country. Sauv blanc, anyone? Our next drive takes us through Marlborough’s wine country along the rugged east coast. Arriving in Kaikoura will see us amongst a seaside settlement known for whales & dolphins, so the camera needs to be on 110% charge as we roll around the coast. We’ll stop at a seal colony, where you’ll struggle not to break into a collective ’cuuuute’ as you watch these guys sunning themselves on the rocks. Next up, we’ll visit Kaikoura Wildlife Rescue to meet a local wildlife biologist, Sabrina Leucht, who has been working to build a dedicated wildlife hospital in Kaikoura. We’ll learn about the types of wildlife we might encounter here, which threats they face, and what we can all do to make a difference - locally and in our own hometowns. After a busy day of wildlife wonders, we’ll check into our seafront hotel, before heading out for a spot of dinner. Did you know that Kaikoura literally translates into ’eat (kai) crayfish (koura)’? So, no prizes for guessing what type of local cuisine we’ll be trying!
Day 8 Day 8: Kaikoura
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Kaikoura

We all love a free day - especially one spent in beautiful Kaikoura! We recommend taking a whale watching tour, where you’ll have the opportunity to see giant sperm whales in action, as well cute seals and dusky dolphins. Other free time add-ons include a thrilling helicopter ride over the Kaikoura Peninsula, a kayak trip across the coastline, and more. We’ll stay another night in Kaikoura after an action-packed day, before heading to Christchurch tomorrow morning.
Day 9 Day 9: Kaikōura To Christchurch
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Kaikōura To Christchurch

We’re onto our next destination, so long Kaikoura! We’ll arrive in Christchurch by lunch-time, where we’ll take an inspiring tour of the city that was totally rebuilt after the Christchurch earthquake. Look out for the Cardboard Cathedral, the only cathedral in the world to be built mostly from plain old cardboard!
Day 10 Day 10: Christchurch To Franz Josef Glacier
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Christchurch To Franz Josef Glacier

Christchurch, it was short and sweet, but with with ice age action on the horizon we gots to move on. Take in the beautiful scenery as we wind our way across the highest and most spectacular mountain pass across the Southern Alps. In the gold rush town of Hokitika, we’ll meet with a local Māori guide who’ll teach us all about pounamu on a unique tour. We’ll learn about the history of the illustrious green stones (which the South Island is named after) and its connection with the Māori people. Back on the coach, we’re coastline bound to one of the island’s most jaw-droppingly beautiful spots (and that’s saying something…) We’ll pull up for the night in glorious Franz Josef, probably one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever of clapped eyes on. A bold statement we know, but well deserved.
Day 11 Day 11: Franz Josef Glacier
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Franz Josef Glacier

This morning will be another big ol’ tick off the list as we take to the ice of Franz Josef Glacier. We’ve got a heli ride over the glacier up for grabs, or the opportunity to carve your own Pounamu (jade) pendant, under the tuition of a Maori mastercraftsman. Pounamu is sacred to the Māori people, and this is a great way to learn about its cultural significance, while also creating a beautiful please of jewelery.
Day 12 Day 12: Franz Josef Glacier To Queenstown
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: Franz Josef Glacier To Queenstown

Armed with a new found appreciation for frozen water, we’ll hop back on the coach & start making our way to Queenstown, making a few cheeky stops along the way. Our first piece of NZ eye-candy comes in the form of Haast Pass, beautified by ancient rainforests, small glaciers and waterfalls. Note how the scenery changes as we roll towards Queenstown through the Southern Alps and region of Otago. Intermitting our scenic drive we’ll stop for lunch in Wanaka, a pretty ski resort town situated on a lake front and dwarfed by mountains. This town is fast becoming one of NZ’s most popular spots, and a trip to the ’Dough Bin’ for a luscious pie should be high on the list today. Welcome to the adventure capital of the world - Queenstown. We hit the ground running because tonight you can choose to jump on a gondola, to wine & dine atop of the highest restaurant in Queenstown, Skyline. What a way to start our time here! Rest up tonight - the next few days are going to be BIG.
Day 13 Day 13: Queenstown
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: Queenstown

Today is yours to get acquainted with Queenstown and spend some time mulling over the activities up for grabs in the next two days. First stop is the legendary Kawarau Bungy Bridge, get your morning adrenaline hit with a heart pounding jump at the world home of the bungy. Later, take a stroll around beautiful Queenstown, nestled in the Southern Alps this stunning town has plenty to offer other than adventure activities.
Day 14 Day 14: Queenstown
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 14: Queenstown

It’s times like this that you really start to work out what sort of traveler you are. And human for that matter. You might be the one trailing through wine country and exploring wine cellars and caves, or you may be that guy that crams in a bungy jump, a skydive and a heliraft & still craves more. It’s your holiday - run wild as you see fit.
Day 15 Day 15: Queenstown
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 15: Queenstown

With our last day in adrenalin city edging closer, this is the time to push yourself to the limits and jump over any mental barriers you’ve put up around yourself. Embrace the spirit of adventure and conquer those niggling fears once and for all. For those who did their dash yesterday, a day staying mellow and enjoying this beautiful region will prove more than sufficient.
Day 16 Day 16: Queenstown
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 16: Queenstown

This morning our adventure comes to an end (sob). Hug it out with your new bff’s, with plans no doubt in place for Contiki 2.0. NZ, you’ve been real.

+13

16 days tour

Kiwiana Panorama (Auckland To Queenstown, Start Auckland, En

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Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Kiwiana Panorama (Auckland To Queenstown, Start Auckland, En

Day 1: Auckland To Rotorua

Day 2: Rotorua

Day 3: Rotorua To Lake Taupo

Day 4: Lake Taupo To Ruapehu

Day 5: Mount Ruapehu To Wellington

Day 6: Wellington

Day 7: Wellington To Kaikoura

Day 8: Kaikoura

Day 9: Kaikōura To Christchurch

Day 10: Christchurch To Franz Josef Glacier

Day 11: Franz Josef Glacier

Day 12: Franz Josef Glacier To Queenstown

Day 13: Queenstown

Day 14: Queenstown

Day 15: Queenstown

Day 16: Queenstown

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