New Zealand
12 Day Escorted Tour

See New Zealand's exquisitely beautiful topographical glories, as featured in the Lord of the Rings films. Flight see Mount Cook, cruise Milford Sound, dine in the home of a local family and enjoy a Maori Hangi feast. These and a host of other exciting experiences await you on this very popular itinerary. Click Here For Itinerary

Inclusions:

• 2 nights at the Crowne Plaza Christchurch
• 1 night at the Hermitage at Mt. Cook
• 1 night at the Te Anau Hotel & Villas
• 3 nights in lake view rooms at the St. Moritz Suites in Queenstown
• 1 night in lake view rooms at the Royal Lakeside Hotel in Rotorua
• 1 night at the Carlton Hotel in Auckland
• 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 7 dinners

Highlights:

• Experience an exciting Shotover River jet boat ride
• Enjoy a cruise on Milford Sound
• Cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard the T.S.S. Earnslaw

• Flightsee Mount Cook by skiplane & land on the Tasman Glacier
• Experience a Hangi feast and Maori entertainment
• Have a "home-hosted" dinner with a local New Zealand family.
  

Itinerary
Day 1 & 2
Depart U.S.A.
Depart the USA and fly to New Zealand, crossing the International Date Line.

Day 3 D
Christchurch, New Zealand
Today you arrive into Auckland and connect to Christchurch, New Zealand, located on the picturesque South Island. Christchurch is known for its award-winning gardens, its cafe atmosphere, and as a staging area for expeditions to Antarctica. CROWNE PLAZA CHRISTCHURCH

Day 4 BD
Christchurch/Antarctic Centre/Home-hosted dinner
Explore the city this morning. Walk through Cathedral Square, and see the Christchurch Cathedral. Visit the Antarctic Centre later today to experience the feel of the South Pole without leaving New Zealand. Tonight, meet some "Kiwis," as the locals are known, when you dine with a native New Zealand family in their home. CROWNE PLAZA CHRISTCHURCH

Day 5 BD Skiplane landing on the Tasman Glacier/Mount Cook

Gain a new perspective of the South Island as a skiplane carries you into the mountains. Observe how enormous glaciers have left behind numerous lakes and rivers, making for astounding scenery, which many may have seen featured in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Experience a snow landing on the Tasman Glacier and fly past Mt. Cook, also known as Aoraki, the highest peak in New Zealand. THE HERMITAGE

Day 6 BLD
Te Anau
As you travel to Te Anau, notice how the countryside changes dramatically from wide plains to mountains and deep river gorges. Enter MacKenzie Country, named for a notorious sheep-thief, and where rugged Merino sheep stolidly withstand the rigors of winter. A horizon of snowy mountains is backdrop to the brilliant turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo. Keep an eye out for magnificent and colorful birds like the kaka, tui, and parakeets. TE ANAU HOTEL & VILLAS

Day 7 BL
Milford Sound/Queenstown
Today, you explore Fjordland National Park. Drive along one the world's finest alpine roads past towering forests and deep ravines as you continue to the serene Milford Sound. Cruise the glittering deep blue waters of the Sound, past waterfalls spilling into the fjord and gaze up towards the highest sea cliffs in the world, crowned by Mitre Peak at 5,500 feet. Later, take a drive around Lake Wakatipu as you travel to Queenstown. Tonight, look out onto the lake below from your room at the ST. MORITZ SUITES.

Day 8 BD Shotover River Jet Boat Ride/Gondola

Return to the pristine waters of Lake Wakatipu today for an old-fashioned steamship cruise aboard the T.S.S. Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station. After tea and scones, tour this fully functioning sheep farm and watch a sheep shearing demonstration. Be amazed how the little Border collies keep the sheep herded together. Later take the ride of your life on the Shotover River. Specially trained boat drivers speed you along the surface at 40 mph. (Be ready to get a little wet.) The day concludes with a quiet ride in a gondola, providing fabulous views of Queenstown, where the peaceful lakes reflect the images of noble mountains. ST. MORITZ SUITES

Day 9 B
Queenstown/Free Time
You have a full free day to enjoy the "adventure capital" of New Zealand. With ready access to Remarkable Mountains, lakes, rivers, ski fields and the glacial lake, you might choose to hike the trails, ride mountain bikes through the valleys, bungee jump off a bridge with a giant rubber band wrapped around your ankles, or more sedately shop the cosmopolitan stores. Enjoy the South Islands' most popular tourist destination today at your leisure. ST. MORITZ SUITES

Day 10 BD
Rotorua/Hangi Feast/Whakarewarewa
After a morning flight to Rotorua, visit the Whakarewarewa Thermal Village to learn more of the Maori culture. Here amid hot springs, geysers and mud pools, learn of ancient cooking traditions, the power of the mineral springs, and the history of the Maori's ancestral meetinghouse. This evening is filled with song, dance and a Hangi feast. Listen to stories of ancestors and heroes, which have been passed down through countless generations. Relax afterwards in your lake view rooms at the ROYAL LAKESIDE HOTEL.

Day 11 BLD
Auckland/Waitomo Caves/Crosshills Country Estate
Step into the Waitomo Caves this morning, where the darkness is broken only by the steady glow of the odd blue-green light of the caves' little residents—the glowworms. These caves were not widely known until 1887, when they were discovered by an English surveyor, although the Maori had known of them for many years. Following your venture into the caves, continue to Auckland and join your travel companions for a special farewell dinner. CARLTON HOTEL

Day 12 BL
Conclude Auckland
At world-renowned Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World, see colonies of live penguins, ride in a snow cat, and get a close look at some predators of the deep from the safety of a moving walkway and underwater tunnel. Your vacation ends this afternoon, as you transfer to the airport for your flight home. You could extend your trip to one of the South Pacific Islands, if you have more time to spend Down Under.

Note: For those participating in the 24 Day tour of Australia, New Zealand & Tasmania, you will begin with the Australia & Tasmania tour and fly on Day 15 to Christchurch, joining the New Zealand tour on its Day 3.Back to Top

The above rates are presented as a guideline only.
Please contact Quality Travel at 1-800-331-5601
for actual pricing and availability.