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2026

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2027

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2028

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Who is travelling?

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

Essence of New Zealand (2025/2026, 18 Days)

18 days
From Christchurch to Auckland
4.3
116 traveler reviews

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:
Explorer
Curated to ignite your sense of adventure
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Low Intensity
Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English
Group Size 20 - 48
All Ages Welcome
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Christchurch

    Accommodation
    Hotel (Wyndham Garden)

    Optional Activities

    • Explore Christchurch city and earthquake recovery sites
    Itinerary Image 1
  2. Day 2

    Christchurch to Lake Tekapo

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel)

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Christchurch
    • Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo
    Landmarks
    Lake Tekapo
    Canterbury Plains
  3. Day 3

    Lake Tekapo to Dunedin

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Dunedin Leisure Lodge)

    Optional Activities

    • Explore art-lined alleys in Dunedin
    • Visit Speight's Brewery
    Landmarks
    Speight's Brewery
    Itinerary Image 1Itinerary Image 2
  4. Day 4

    Dunedin to Invercargill

    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner (Highlight Dinner at Classic Motorcycle Mecca)
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Kelvin Hotel)

    Included Activities

    • Classic Motorcycle Mecca tour
    • Highlight Dinner
    Landmarks
    Classic Motorcycle Mecca
    Gore
  5. Day 5

    Invercargill to Stewart Island

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Kelvin Hotel)

    Included Activities

    • Ferry to Stewart Island
    • Village & Bays tour
    Landmarks
    Stewart Island
  6. Day 6

    Stewart Island to Queenstown

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Copthorne Hotel and Resort)

    Included Activities

    • Real Country Farm Show with demonstrations
    • Horse communication demonstration
    • Working sheep dog mustering
    • Stock whip cracking lesson
    • Farm animal interaction
    Landmarks
    Real Country Farm
    Itinerary Image 1Itinerary Image 2
  7. Day 7

    Milford Sound

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Copthorne Hotel and Resort)

    Optional Activities

    • Milford Sound/Piopiotahi cruise tour
    Landmarks
    Milford Sound/Piopiotahi
    Fiordland National Park
  8. Day 8

    Queenstown to Franz Josef

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier)

    Optional Activities

    • Explore Arrowtown
    Landmarks
    Arrowtown
    Lake Dunstan
    Lake Hawea
    Lake Wanaka
    Haast Pass
    Westland World Heritage Park
    Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere
  9. Day 9

    Franz Josef to Punakaiki

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Scenic Hotel Punakaiki)

    Optional Activities

    • Explore Hokitika
    • Visit Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and blowholes
    Landmarks
    Hokitika
    Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes
  10. Day 10

    Punakaiki to Nelson

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (The Rutherford Hotel)
    Landmarks
    Buller Gorge
    Kahurangi National Park
  11. Day 11

    Nelson

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (The Rutherford Hotel)

    Optional Activities

    • Hike in Abel Tasman National Park
    • Boat tour of Abel Tasman National Park
    Landmarks
    Abel Tasman National Park
  12. Day 12

    Nelson to Wellington

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Travelodge Wellington)

    Included Activities

    • Interislander ferry cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound
    Landmarks
    Queen Charlotte Sound
    Itinerary Image 1
  13. Day 13

    Wellington to Napier

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Scenic Hotel Te Pania)
    Landmarks
    Napier Art Deco District
  14. Day 14

    Napier

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Scenic Hotel Te Pania)

    Included Activities

    • Guided Napier tour of Art Deco and heritage architecture
    Landmarks
    Napier Art Deco District
  15. Day 15

    Napier to Rotorua

    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch (Hangi-inspired cuisine at Te Puia), Dinner
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Sudima Lake Rotorua)

    Included Activities

    • Te Puia geothermal valley guided tour
    • Māori history and culture experience
    • Cultural performance in Te Aronui a Rua
    • Hangi-inspired cuisine
    Landmarks
    Te Puia
    Pohutu Geyser
    Itinerary Image 1
  16. Day 16

    Rotorua

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Sudima Lake Rotorua)

    Optional Activities

    • Hobbiton movie set tour
    • Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa
    Landmarks
    Hobbiton Movie Set
    Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa
  17. Day 17

    Rotorua to Auckland

    Meals
    Breakfast
    Accommodation
    Hotel (Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre)

    Included Activities

    • All Blacks Experience tour
    Landmarks
    All Blacks Experience
  18. Day 18

    Auckland

    Meals
    Breakfast
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What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Operated by

AAT Kings

4.3
(116 reviews)

Number of tours

414

Age Range

5 to 99 years old

Response time

within 3 days

Response rate

81%

Since 1912, AAT Kings as a tour operator has been helping people from all...

Read more

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Other

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Reviews from other tours by AAT Kings

  • Woldeyesus
    April 7th, 2026
    5.0
    Service was great and the touring team was awesome!!
  • Cam
    January 29th, 2026
    5.0
    We had a great time. Met many new friends from many countries. With extra booked excursions, we were kept so busy...
    Show more
  • Marina
    January 6th, 2026
    5.0
    We were very happy with our tour! It was very well organised, good accommodation, tasty meals, and with tour...
    Show more

Dates & Availability

Select departure month and travellers

Select Date

Select departure month

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2028

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
Upcoming departures
Hurry, deals only available for a limited time!
Ends on 22 Apr, 2026
  • From Thursday
    1 Oct, 2026
    To Sunday
    18 Oct, 2026
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
    Guaranteed departure
    From:
    US $9,195 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    19 Nov, 2026
    To Sunday
    6 Dec, 2026
    English
    From:
    US $9,195 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    26 Nov, 2026
    To Sunday
    13 Dec, 2026
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
    Guaranteed departure
    From:
    US $9,195 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    10 Dec, 2026
    To Sunday
    27 Dec, 2026
    English
    From:
    US $9,195 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    31 Dec, 2026
    To Sunday
    17 Jan, 2027
    This departure date is not available or sold out
    Sold out
    From:
    US $9,015 per person
  • From Thursday
    21 Jan, 2027
    To Sunday
    7 Feb, 2027
    English
    From:
    US $9,195 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    28 Jan, 2027
    To Sunday
    14 Feb, 2027
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
    Guaranteed departure
    From:
    US $9,195 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    4 Feb, 2027
    To Sunday
    21 Feb, 2027
    English
    From:
    US $9,476 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    18 Feb, 2027
    To Sunday
    7 Mar, 2027
    English
    This departure date is available and will 100% depart
    Guaranteed departure
    From:
    US $9,476 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
  • From Thursday
    4 Mar, 2027
    To Sunday
    21 Mar, 2027
    English
    From:
    US $9,476 per person
    with Small Group Version
    View this tour
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Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

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Can’t find the answer to your question?

No departure dates available

No dates, no problem! Subscribe to our newsletter to receive:

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Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 241300

  • Currency
    $
    New Zealand Dollar
    New Zealand
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveler from USA, Canada, England, South Africa you will need an adaptor for type I.

    Type I
    New Zealand
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before June 19th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after June 19th, 2026, a minimum payment of $200 is required to confirm your booking with AAT Kings. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and AAT Kings will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "AAT Kings" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

Select departure month

2026

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2028

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec