Journeys: Discover New Zealand
Use code BONUS10 to get an extra 10% off all tours — for a limited time only. T&Cs apply
From AUD $8199
Small Group
Light
Rating
(8 reviews)
Journeys: Discover New Zealand
Use code BONUS10 to get an extra 10% off all tours — for a limited time only. T&Cs apply
12 days
Small Group
Moderate
Light
English
Experience Overview
Immerse yourself in New Zealand’s stunning landscapes and multicultural heritage, travelling by plane, train, van, and boat through the North and South Islands.
Includes
Activities
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: A day at Kohutapu, Rotorua Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Sheep Shearing Experience, Canterbury Plains Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Tekapo Dark Sky Experience, Lake Tekapo Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your Expedition Leader and Group
- Waiheke Island Wineries
- Waitomo Caves tour
- Kohutapu Local Maori Community Initiative
- Guided tour of the Kiwi Hatchery
- Scenic TranzAlpine train
- Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
- Aoraki Mount Cook Kea Point Trek
- Free time in Wanaka and Arrowtown
- Wilderness day cruise in Fiordland National Park
- Free time in Queenstown
- Internal flight
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Accommodation
- Hotels – 11 nts.
- 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches
Transport
- Private vehicle, plane, train, boat, walking.
Group Leader
- National Geographic Expedition Leader
Highlights
- Sample wine with local experts on Waiheke Island
- Experience the geothermal mysteries of Rotorua
- Glide along the TranzAlpine railway
- Experience farm life in New Zealand with a sheep herding and shearing demonstration
- Witness the stars in the protected International Dark Sky in Lake Tekapo
- Cruise through Fiordland National Park searching for wildlife and waterfalls.
Trip Details
12 days
Private vehicle, plane, train, boat, walking.
English
Auckland, New Zealand
Queenstown, New Zealand
Moderate
National Geographic Journey, Budget
Light
Itinerary
Day 1: Auckland
Please make your own way to the joining hotel. Our National Geographic Expedition Leader will have a welcome meeting this evening.
Auckland is a fantastic city with so much to see and do. Should you want more time to explore on your own, we recommend booking pre-nights.
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Your opportunity to meet your National Geographic Expedition Leader and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.Accommodation - CityLife Auckland
Day 2: Auckland
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Enjoy a brief walk with your Expedition Leader. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.Activity - Catch the ferry to picturesque Waiheke Island to learn about the evolution of the highly celebrated wine industry in New Zealand in its founding region. Tour picturesque vineyards, tasting well known wines from the region while enjoying the views. Return to Auckland this evening via a scenic ferry ride.Accommodation - CityLife Auckland
Day 3: Auckland/Rotorua
Rotorua sits over an active geothermal zone with bubbling mud pits and multi-coloured pools in different areas around the town. This is a fascinating region with Maori history and culture tied directly to the geothermal aspects of the land.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Enjoy a peaceful boat ride through 30 million year old caverns covered with magical glowworms that are unique to New Zealand. Hundreds of thousands of these tiny creatures radiate luminescent light in underground caves carved by rivers and time. Take in more than 136 years of cultural and natural history on this unique excursion.Accommodation - Millennium Rotorua
Day 4: Rotorua
Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Travel to Kohutapu Lodge, a social enterprise owned by a local Maori family who are making a difference in their local community through community-driven initiatives. Led by your guide, set off for the Whirinaki rainforest—a Jurassic Podocarp forest—where you will be led by your Maori guide to discover more about the Maori culture and learn about the history of the forest. Spend a final few moments bathed in the forest’s sights and smells while indulging in a cup of hot kawakawa tea. Witness the preparation of a ground-cooked hangi and taste it for yourself. After a delicious lunch, set off on a short hike to the nearby sacred Maori rock carvings, carbon-dated 400 years before the Great Migration.Accommodation - Millennium Rotorua
Day 5: Rotorua/Christchurch
With free time in Rotorua this morning, opt to relax in one of the hot pools fed by water coming directly from the natural springs.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Learn about the national bird of New Zealand on a guided tour of the National Kiwi Hatchery. With your expert guide, you'll learn about the efforts of the hatchery and the conservation practices New Zealand is taking to care for the endangered bird.Transport - Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.Activity - Enjoy a brief walk with your Expedition Leader. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.Accommodation - Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Day 6: Christchurch
Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Climb aboard the train in Christchurch and travel through what many consider to be the most beautiful train ride in the world!Activity - Dive into quintessential Kiwi culture on a sheep farm deep in the Southern Alps. Watch how sheep dogs work alongside humans to wrangle the sheep through paddocks. Join in a sheep shearing demonstration and learn about the importance of sheep farms in New Zealand.Accommodation - Distinction Christchurch Hotel
Day 7: Christchurch/Lake Tekapo
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Spend a free morning exploring the beautiful and historic city of Christchurch.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Witness the stars, planets and milky way like never before in an unforgettable stargazing adventure. Nestled in the heart of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the purpose-built observation craters give you a fantastic view of the stars. Here, you'll have the unique opportunity to understand the night sky like never before.Accommodation - Woolshed Suites
Day 8: Lake Tekapo
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Visit the Alpine Center museum and theatre to learn about Sir Edmund Hillary himself and the legendary climbing history of Aoraki Mount Cook.Activity - Hike this easy 3 km loop to the foot of the glacier and back. This hike offers incredible views of Mount Sefton, Hooker Valley and Mueller Glacier Lake.Accommodation - Woolshed Suites
Day 9: Lake Tekapo/Queenstown
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Free_time - Enjoy some free time in the lakeside town of Wanaka.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Free_time - Spend some free time exploring historic Arrowtown.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Accommodation - Novotel Queenstown Hotel
Day 10: Queenstown
Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch
Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Cruise through stunning Fiordland National Park, one of the most untouched, remote places in the world. Depending on the departure, the cruise will be in either Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound – two of the most stunning regions within the park. Marvel at the steep cliff walls and cascading waterfalls, and keep an eye out for area wildlife: dolphins, penguins, seals, and a variety of birds.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Accommodation - Novotel Queenstown Hotel
Day 11: Queenstown
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - There's plenty to see and do in Queenstown, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like mountain biking and jet boating. Your National Geographic Expedition Leader has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!Accommodation - Novotel Queenstown Hotel
Day 12: Queenstown
For more time to explore Queenstown, we recommend booking post nights with your agent if you are interested in the countless adrenaline-packed activities in the town known as the "adventure capital of the world." Jet boating and mountain biking are some of the activities available.
Meals included: Breakfast
Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Not ready to leave? Your Expedition Leader can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
- Flights to and from origin and destinations
- Airport transfers (unless otherwise stated)
- Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
- Recommended gratuities/tipping
- Optional activities/tours
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.
When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We will do our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.
You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.
Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.
This tour requires an average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.
Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.
If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling.
If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.
Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
- Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
- Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.
Duration: 12 days
Trip Type: Small Group
Activity Level: Light
Immerse yourself in New Zealand’s stunning landscapes and multicultural heritage, travelling by plane, train, van, and boat through the North and South Islands.
Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 04 Oct 2026
Customer Reviews
01/11/2024
The Guides for individual tours were knowledgeable and helpful, Our overall tour guide worked hard to make sure everyone had a good time. The hotels were all of a good standard
05/26/2024
Greg Bray, our CEO, was knowledgeable fun to be with and skilled at making necessary adjustments when needed. We had a great experience all the way around. Trip date: May 2023
Tour Operator
G Adventures, founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip, is a global adventure travel company specializing in small-group tours that emphasize authentic, sustainable, and culturally immersive experiences. Originally launched as GAP Adventures (“Great Adventure People”), the company pioneered the concept of community-driven travel by offering affordable trips that connect travelers with local communities while minimizing environmental impact. Today, G Adventures operates in more than 100 countries, offering a wide range of itineraries across themes such as active adventures, wildlife, wellness, family, and National Geographic–partnered tours, while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible tourism and social enterprise through its Planeterra Foundation.
In Business Since 1990
01/11/2024
The Guides for individual tours were knowledgeable and helpful, Our overall tour guide worked hard to make sure everyone had a good time. The hotels were all of a good standard
05/26/2024
Greg Bray, our CEO, was knowledgeable fun to be with and skilled at making necessary adjustments when needed. We had a great experience all the way around. Trip date: May 2023
11/07/2024
The tour itself was excellent. I was very frustrated however by the minimal communication. It was very difficult to get information prior to the tour, and the response time did not meet your commitments. Even during the tour, we were often in the dark about what to expect.
03/09/2024
Great trip and tour of NZ
12/31/2019
The trip fulfilled my expectations; a good introduction to New Zealand, including both North and South islands. The trip was very well organised; even an enforced change of itinerary was handled seamlessly.
11/16/2019
The beauty of the the country and the tour organization made it fantastic.
10/21/2019
This was an excellent tour with a very knowledgeable guide (Jonno). We only had 6 people on the tour which allowed us to get to know each other very well over the 12 day tour. The tour bus was very clean and our driver/guide kept us entertained during the entire trip. All transportation (bus, flight, train & boat) were well coordinated and we never felt rushed. Our guide always made good suggestions for lunch and dinner and we often ate together as a group. Overall a good experience that I would highly recommend for anyone wanting to see the most of both North and South islands over a 2 weeks period.
10/08/2019
Tour was a nice mix of beautiful landscape and fun physical activities, accommodations were clean and comfortable, overall great experience. Would recommend to friends!
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