Best of New Zealand – 13 Nights / 14 Days

Upon arrival, collect your rental vehicle and self‑drive to your accommodation. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, set between two harbours with sandy east‑coast beaches and dramatic west‑coast surf. We recommend getting out on the water while you’re here. Overnight: Auckland.

Journey through rolling green hills to Waitomo’s glowworm caves, then on to Matamata for a tour of the iconic Hobbiton movie set. Continue to Rotorua, a bubbling geothermal destination like nowhere else. Overnight: Rotorua.

Explore Rotorua’s geothermal landscapes, spouting geysers and steaming vents amid native forests. Visit key cultural sites and enjoy a traditional Hangi dinner with evening cultural performance. Overnight: Rotorua.

Drive past Great Lake Taupō to Napier. Rebuilt after a 1931 earthquake, Napier showcases unique Art Deco architecture influenced by Māori motifs. Enjoy a guided walking tour. Overnight: Napier.

Travel south via Manawatū Gorge or through Wairarapa Wine Region to reach Wellington – a compact capital best explored on foot. We recommend a visit to Te Papa Museum for deeper cultural insight. Overnight: Wellington.

New Zealand's North and South Islands are separated by three hours of sensational scenery and ocean fresh air. Departing Wellington, your ship will ferry you across the Cook Strait, past the beautiful beaches, bays and coves of the Marlborough Sounds to the historic port town of Picton. With its rugged mountain ranges and fertile pains, Marlborough has a lot to offer with its water, wilderness and wine. A short drive takes you to the compact town centre of Blenheim. Overnight: Blenheim.

The Pacific Coast Road to Christchurch presents one of New Zealand's most dramatic drives with breath-taking mountains on one side and wild pounding ocean on the other. The seaside settlement of Kaikoura is set midway and overlooked by majestic mountains. The unique marine geography at this location provides the perfect environment for Sperm Whales and other marine life. On to Christchurch, a vibrant, everchanging city with inner city parks and gardens delightfully interwoven by the meandering Avon River. Overnight: Christchurch.

Depart across the Canterbury Plains, a fertile patchwork made with every shade of green, through the spectacular scenery of Arthurs Pass National Park and on to the West Coast. New Zealand's rugged West Coast is a wild and untamed place known for its rivers, rainforests, glaciers and geological treasures. Here, mighty rivers of solid white ice, relics of the world's last ice-age, tumble down the rocky valleys. Overnight: Greymouth

A temperate climate at a low altitude makes Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers among the most convenient to visit in the world. Steep valleys bear scars from where glaciers have retreated and advanced over millennia and here, the ice age is still underway. For an absolute bucket list experience, add a scenic flight with a glacier landing and a thrilling hike to your itinerary. Overnight: Glacier Region

Travel through wilderness towns, waterfalls and river scenery on today's scenic journey to Queenstown. We recommend stopping for a break, and to stretch the legs, at Makarora's Blue Pools. After settling in at your Queenstown accommodation, make your way to the Skyline Base for a Gondola Ride to the top of Bob's Peak and enjoy some spectacular panoramic views high above Queenstown. You might also like to add some Luge rides to your bucket list for some extra fun. Overnight: Queenstown

Magnificent vistas and majestic mountains dominate this compact alpine resort town and with such an expansive natural physical environment it is not surprising that Queenstown has been described as the Adventure Capital of the World. Overnight: Queenstown

Today's journey takes you to a scenic wonderland with golden tussocks, snow-capped mountains and turquoise lakes. Hug the shores of beautiful Lake Pukaki to a rugged land of ice and rock, home to Aoraki Mt Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain. Overnight: Tekapo or Mt Cook

Today you'll enjoy admission to the Darky Sky Project for a greater understanding of the night sky. Be sure to stop for a while at Lake Tekapo where the 'Church of the Good Shepherd' takes pride of place against the backdrop of a vivid blue glacier-fed lake. Then continue north east where braided rivers and familiar plains will signal your arrival back into Christchurch. Make a visit to the International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch either today or tomorrow for an icy insight into this astounding continent. Overnight: Christchurch

Arrangements conclude today with the return of your rental car to Christchurch Airport.