Spectacular Nature to Sparkling Cityscapes New Zealand Tour

What to expect on this itinerary
Every day on this opulent 17-day retreat of New Zealand will provide you with limitless opportunities to discover the country at your own pace and in your own way. Resplendent experiences abound across the hypnotizing destinations of New Zealand, and you will be continuously blown away as you explore the idyllic landscapes and cultural nuances that sweep from Keri Keri to Auckland. The choices will be entirely yours!
Customizable Itinerary
Keri Keri - Arrive at the Bay of Islands
Your journey in New Zealand will begin in the city of Keri Keri on the banks of the breathtaking Bay of Islands. After a short flight from Auckland, you will transfer to your luxurious accommodation on its own private ridgeline of the bewildering bay. Views of snow-capped mountains, turquoise water, and rolling pastures will all officially welcome you to this spellbinding destination.
What's Included:
Keri Keri - Marine Moments in the Bay
Keri Keri - More Marvelous Scenes to Explore
Taupo - Beneath the Silver Streams of Huka Falls
Taupo - Gorgeous Geothermal Spectacles
Taupo - Glowing Caves and Thermal Pools
Napier - Between Flourishing Vineyards
Napier - Delectable Vintages and Delightful Valleys
Abel Tasman National Park - A Tasteful Arrival
Abel Tasman National Park - Postcard-Perfect Memories
Abel Tasman National Park - Slow Living on Golden Shores
Queenstown - Adventurous Spirits and History Buffs
Queenstown - Mind-Blowing Landscape Views
Blanket Bay - Absolute Peace and Quiet
Blanket Bay - Remote Journeys in a Rich Landscape
Auckland - Fine Dining in a Humming City
Auckland - Departure
Trip Highlights
- Admire the remarkable marine spectacles and marine life sightings when snorkeling among the Bay of Islands
- Stroll through the forested landscapes of Kauri and Puketi and unravel the history that veils the old-world town of Russell
- Station yourself beneath the pounding streams of Huka Falls, one of New Zealand’s largest waterfalls
- Embark on adventures across the geothermal landscapes of Taupo and Rotorua, where you can kayak across Acacia Bay or traverse the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland
- Allow the marvelous scenes of glow worms or moments enjoyed in thermal pools near Lake Rotoiti to seduce you
- Satiate your desires for fine wine at the premier wine estates on New Zealand’s coveted Napier vineyards
- Chart the glistening water that surrounds Abel Tasman National Park to castaway coves and golden beaches
- Witness the mesmerizing scenery that blankets Abel Tasman National Park from a unique vantage point when hovering over it in a biplane
- Witness the summits that surround Queenstown on a zip-line or uncover the rich ancestry of Arrowtown on a peaceful history tour
- Capture the unrivaled vistas of Milford Sound by flying above in a plane and cruising past in a boat
- Race across the Dart River between towering rocky canyons on a jet boat cruise from Queenstown
- Indulge in remote excursions across the isolated slice of mountainous paradise of Blanket Bay on tranquil walks across the peaks or through the beech forests
Starting Price
$19,400 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 191 reviews
Zicasso’s trip planner did an excellent job. Communication and the quality of the experiences were everything we'd expected and more, especially in New Zealand. The accommodations were first rate; the highlight was the lodge in Queenstown. The guides and drivers were professional and knowledgeable, especially those in Queenstown and Auckland. We loved the dedicated website for reference, as well as the detailed booklet and maps for both countries.
For future itineraries, I would add another day in Queenstown and a full day in Christchurch. If days were limited, I would recommend one less day in Auckland and/or skipping the drive/train from Franz Josef.
The only complication was the day we spent 10 hours going to and coming from Milford Sound. I recommend doing Milford Sound by plane/helicopter from Queenstown, which would also permit seeing the glaciers/southern alps from the air. The only things we missed were the zoo in Auckland and the Blue Mountain day tour in Sydney. Next trip!
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It was great working with Zicasso's travel specialist, and the traveling was great, getting around to all the places. Below are the events that were cancelled on us due to the weather:
Tranz Alpine train ride - Scenic Plus to Greymouth, staying in the Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef Twin Glacier, Kayak, and walk tour, Milford Sound/Fjordland. That's not the travel specialist's fault, but I would never go to New Zealand in October, ever again. All the roads were closed, and we ended up taking a taxi cab from Christchurch to Queenstown, and that was a rough trip due to the high winds. We should have started in Australia instead of starting in Aukland, New Zealand. That's from my experience.
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Overall, my recent trip to New Zealand, organized by this travel agency, had some truly unforgettable highlights. The agent's hotel picks were consistently great, perfectly suiting my preferences.
Most Enjoyable/Memorable Parts: The most memorable parts of the journey included an incredible experience seeing the Akaroa dolphins, delightful vineyard stays, and a breathtaking helicopter tour that showcased the stunning landscapes. Touring the incredibly beautiful country was a constant joy. Even though we had to reschedule, Milford Sound was absolutely spectacular. Paroa Bay and Lindis were lovely places to stay, and their staff were incredibly attentive. The hotel and our stay in Christchurch were wonderful surprises; we wished we had spent another night there and one less night in Queenstown. All of our drivers were great, and we had the best time with them, especially our drivers in Christchurch – I would highly recommend keeping that company for future bookings.
Areas for Improvement / Things I Noticed: Compared to other agents I've used with Zicasso, there was a noticeable lack of personalized touches. Usually, there would be a welcome letter or a fun gesture upon arrival, and little notes at different locations highlighting the travel agent's favorite spots or things not to miss.
A significant point of friction was the communication, or rather, the lack thereof. There was no WhatsApp group for the group to communicate once we arrived in the country. There was a complete lack of proactive communication from the ground team; I only heard from them if I reached out with a problem. Typically, there's a "welcome to the country, here's our WhatsApp chat in case you need anything" message, with the team constantly monitoring it.
I also found myself having to check in for flights and activities myself. This has always been confirmed and taken care of by the agent in my previous experiences, with updates provided via WhatsApp or email.
The mandatory app download was also problematic. The app itself wasn't great as it didn't allow for back-and-forth messaging and lacked quick-link calling, forcing me to copy and paste numbers when I needed to contact the tour operator. It was also frustrating that I couldn't add my own bookings or places I wanted to check out, meaning I constantly had to switch between apps.
Finally, there was a booking discrepancy in Christchurch. After I specifically asked to confirm the correct number of people, and the team assured me the correct number was confirmed, the penguin tour operator stated only three people were booked. I had to instruct them to contact the booking agent directly to sort it out.
Things We Would Have Avoided: Staying in Queenstown was a bit of a disappointment as it felt overly touristy. Even though the hotel had a shuttle, its location was quite far from everything, making it inconvenient.
Despite these points, the trip provided many fantastic experiences and showcased the agent's ability to select excellent accommodations and plan exciting activities.
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The itinerary was awesome! We had a few snafus with hotel reservations, but they were quickly resolved. The tours were perfect and all private, with excellent guides. The pace made good use of the time we had and maximized seeing the most locations in our time frame. The hotels were beautiful (especially the one in Queenstown, WOW!) and the rooms were perfect for our needs (kitchens and laundry). It was so great having everything pre-booked and guided, as it allowed us to relax and enjoy the trip and not worry about logistics. It was a trip of a lifetime.
I would highly recommend this Zicasso travel agency! When traveling so far away, it made such a difference to have everything coordinated by a professional. I have had many people ask how we managed to do so much with the time we had. Now, I don't think I can travel any other way.
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This was a great trip. We enjoyed many of the activities, especially the Māori experiences, the garden tours, the glowworm cave, the first wine tour on Waiheke Island, the kiwi hatchery, and Arthur’s Pass. The guides were excellent. All were courteous, prompt, and knowledgeable, and showed a high degree of enthusiasm. The reasons we give this travel company four instead of five stars is due to the poor hotel room we had in Queenstown, the slow response from the company concerning the hotel room, and the fact that they gave us no help in choosing restaurants or making reservations. One change I would have made in the itinerary would be to have just one wine-tasting day instead of two. The other activities were wonderful… fine choices.
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