Northern Spotlight (2026/2027, Best Buys)

8 days

•

From Auckland to Wellington

4.8

4 traveler reviews

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Operator: AAT Kings
Explorer: Curated to ignite your sense of adventure
Group Tour: Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
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

Day 1
Auckland
Accommodation
Hotel (Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre)
Optional Activities
- Explore Auckland's two harbours at leisure
- Waterfront precinct exploration
Landmarks
Auckland Harbour
Day 2
Auckland to Bay of Islands
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Hotel (Copthorne Hotel and Resort)
Included Activities
- Guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds
- View of world's largest ceremonial war canoe
- Visit carved meeting house
Landmarks
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Bay of Islands
Day 3
Bay of Islands
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Hotel (Copthorne Hotel and Resort)
Optional Activities
- Scenic cruise among 144 islands with lunch and visit to Hole in the Rock
- Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach tour
- Guided tour of Russell
Landmarks
Cape Reinga
Ninety Mile Beach
Hole in the Rock
Russell
Day 4
Bay of Islands to Whangarei to Auckland
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Hotel (Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre)
Included Activities
- Explore Whangarei city
Landmarks
Whangarei
Day 5
Auckland to Waitomo to Rotorua
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner (Hangi-inspired cuisine)
Accommodation
Hotel (Ibis Rotorua Hotel)
Included Activities
- Auckland city sights tour
- Guided tour of Waitomo Caves including Glowworm Cruise
- Te Po Indigenous Experience at Te Puia
- Hangi-inspired dinner
- Cultural performance in Te Aronui a Rua meeting house
- Pohutu Geyser viewing with hot chocolate
Landmarks
Waitomo Caves
Waikato River
Te Puia
Pohutu Geyser
Rotorua
Day 6
Rotorua
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Hotel (Ibis Rotorua Hotel)
Optional Activities
- Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa visit
- Hobbiton movie set tour
Landmarks
Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa
Hobbiton
Day 7
Rotorua to Lake Taupo to Wellington
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Hotel (Travelodge Wellington), Hotel (James Cook Grand Chancellor)
Included Activities
- Huka Falls viewing from panoramic viewpoint
- Lake Taupo scenic views
Landmarks
Huka Falls
Lake Taupo
Kapiti Coast
Day 8
Wellington
Meals
Breakfast
Included Activities
- Wellington city sights tour
Optional Activities
- Visit Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand
Landmarks
Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand
Wellington

Landmarks
Auckland Harbour

Landmarks
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Bay of Islands

Landmarks
Cape Reinga
Ninety Mile Beach
Hole in the Rock
Russell

Landmarks
Whangarei

Landmarks
Waitomo Caves
Waikato River
Te Puia
Pohutu Geyser
Rotorua

Landmarks
Wai Araki Hot Springs & Spa
Hobbiton

Landmarks
Huka Falls
Lake Taupo
Kapiti Coast

Landmarks
Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand
Wellington

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

Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre
Hotel
Days 1, 4
Copthorne Hotel and Resort
Hotel
Days 2, 3
Ibis Rotorua Hotel
Hotel
Days 5, 6
Travelodge Wellington
Hotel
day 7
James Cook Grand Chancellor
Hotel
day 7

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

85%

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

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.

Traveler Reviews

4.8

Overall rating based on 4 Reviews

Itinerary
4.8
Transport
5.0
Guide
5.0
Accommodation
4.8
Food
4.5
Tour Operator
4.3

B
Beverly
March 12th, 2023
4.0
All excellent - loved Dexter and John - until the last day. Too much driving that day, lunch hour was rushed, and...
All excellent - loved Dexter and John - until the last day. Too much driving that day, lunch hour was rushed, and then the Wellington Travelodge wasn’t a good choice. Lots of mistakes checking in - someone was already in the room they gave us! And the elevators could not service the number of people staying there - made us worried about getting out in an emergency. One of our friends also got locked behind a fire door after using the bathroom on the 6th floor! We had to go search for her and could barely hear her calling behind the fire door. Bay of Islands and Rotorua were terrific - the latter dinner and culture show in particular were compelling. And we enjoyed the variety of people on the tour.Show more
Traveled in March 2023
T
TANIA
January 15th, 2023
5.0
Great tour guides. Met great people as well
Traveled in January 2023
T
TammyVanExan
October 28th, 2019
5.0
This trip was excellent! We started in Auckland, worked our way up to the beautiful Bay of Islands where we saw heaps...
This trip was excellent! We started in Auckland, worked our way up to the beautiful Bay of Islands where we saw heaps of dolphins during our cruise. Then we went down to Rotorua for a couple of nights where we saw Hobbiton, we saw geysers erupting at Te Puia, and we got to watch the Haka at Tamaki Maori Village. The we headed down to finish in Wellington. The Travel director was amazing and knew so much about the places we were travelling to and the food was really yummy.Show more
Traveled in June 2019
Reply from: AAT Kings
Hi Tammy, thanks for sharing your feedback. We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time with us on the Northern Discovery Guided Holiday! We hope to see you again soon on another AAT Kings tour.
Show more
W
William
March 19th, 2019
5.0
Good balance to tour and guides/ drivers were excellent.
Traveled in March 2019
Reply from: AAT Kings
Hi William, thanks so much for sharing your feedback. We are so glad to hear you enjoyed your experience with AAT Kings. We hope to see you again soon on another AAT Kings tour! Many thanks, AAT Kings
Show more

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Ends on 22 Apr, 2026

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20 Feb, 2027
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Good to Know

Tour ID: 289260

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 20th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after June 20th, 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
- Your money is safe with TourRadar, as we only pay the tour operator after your tour has departed.
- TourRadar is an authorized Agent of AAT Kings. Please familiarize yourself with the AAT Kings payment, cancellation and refund conditions.
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.
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Northern Spotlight (2026/2027, Best Buys)

No departure dates available

Itinerary

Auckland

Optional Activities

Auckland to Bay of Islands

Included Activities

Bay of Islands

Optional Activities

Bay of Islands to Whangarei to Auckland

Included Activities

Auckland to Waitomo to Rotorua

Included Activities

Rotorua

Optional Activities

Rotorua to Lake Taupo to Wellington

Included Activities

Wellington

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Want to read it later?

What's Included

What's Not Included

Where You'll Stay

Sustainability Initiatives

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

Travel Insurance

Traveler Reviews

Dates & Availability

Want to read it later?

Why book with TourRadar?

No departure dates available

Good to Know

Keep Exploring New Zealand

Northern Spotlight (2026/2027, Best Buys)

No departure dates available

Itinerary

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Want to read it later?

What's Included

What's Not Included

Where You'll Stay

Sustainability Initiatives

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

Travel Insurance

Traveler Reviews

Dates & Availability

Want to read it later?

Why book with TourRadar?

No departure dates available

Good to Know

Keep Exploring New Zealand

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