Essential New Zealand - Journeys of Distinction Light

15-DAY NEW ZEALAND ENLIGHTENED TOUR

The mysteries of mother nature, the ancient traditions of Maori tribes and the pace of modern culture all combine in one inspiring, life-affirming tour.

So much is included in the price
• Return flights to and from the UK with Singapore Airlines including all UK taxes

• Visits to Christchurch, Franz Josef glacier, Queenstown, Wellington, Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve and Auckland

• Sightseeing as specified with transfers and entrance fees included

• Your local guide will meet you at the airport, accompany you throughout and give you a real insider’s view of the country

• Free time to explore independently

• 11 breakfasts

• Quality hotels throughout

Extend your Holiday
Once the travel bug bites you, it’s hard to return to normal life; but you can always put it off for a bit longer by booking an extension or stopover to give yourself a few more days’ holiday and a wealth of different experiences.

Singapore Stopover

Day 1 Heathrow to Singapore
2 days in advance of your main tour, you’ll fly to Changi airport and transfer to your central hotel.

Day 2 Singapore
During your free day, you might like to explore Chinatown or try a Singapore Sling.

Day 3 Depart Singapore
This evening transfer for your onward flight.
Meals: 2 breakfasts, in-flight
Hotel: 2 nights Rendezvous
From £195 per person.

Sentosa Island Stopover

Day 1 Arrive Singapore
You’ll land in Singapore and transfer to Sentosa Island for two blissful nights.

Day 2 Sentosa Island
Relax in sublime surroundings and enjoy the resort’s facilities.

Day 3 Sentosa Island to Heathrow
You’ll transfer for your return flight to Heathrow.
Meals: 2 breakfasts, in-flight
Hotel: 2 nights Amara Sanctuary
From £255 per person.

Bay of Islands Extension

Day 1 Auckland
When your group departs, you’ll stay in Auckland for an extra night.

Day 2 Auckland to Bay of Islands
You’ll drive north through Dargaville and the scenic Waipoua Kauri Forest to the stunning Bay of Islands.

Days 3 & 4 Bay of Islands

You have two full free days in breathtaking surroundings, or you can join optional excursions to cruise Cape Brett to the famous ‘hole in the rock’ or visit Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach.

Day 5 Bay of Islands to Heathrow

You take an afternoon transfer to Auckland airport for your flight, which leaves in the early hours of the following day. You’ll fly via Singapore, where you have the option of a 2-night stopover at Sentosa Island.
Meals: 4 breakfasts, in-flight.

Hotel: 1 night Copthorne Harbour City, 3 nights Scenic Bay of Islands

From £465 per person.

Tour itinerary

Day 1 Depart Heathrow
Board your flight at London's Heathrow airport.
Meals: In-flight

Day 2 Singapore to Christchurch
You’ll fly via Singapore, where you can stop over for 2 nights, or continue straight on to New Zealand.
Meals: In-flight

Day 3 Christchurch
Once your flight lands, you’ll transfer to your hotel, then the rest of the day is free for you to settle in and relax.
Meals: In-flight
Hotel: Heartland

Day 4 Christchurch to Franz Josef
You’ll head into snow-capped mountains on a spectacular drive through Arthurs Pass and Hokitika to Franz Josef and its world famous glacier.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef

Day 5 Franz Josef
You have a full free day today, and we’d recommend an optional helicopter flight for a bird’s eye view of the magnificent glacier.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef

Day 6 Franz Josef to Queenstown
Driving through Mount Aspiring National Park and Haast Pass, past Lake Hawea, you’ll arrive in Queenstown; a serene and beautiful resort surrounded by majestic mountains and nestled on the shores of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Copthorne Queenstown

Day 7 Queenstown
For your full free day, we’ve arranged a choice of optional excursions, such as a cruise on nearby Milford Sound or an exhilarating ride on the Shotover Jet amongst the crags and boulders of the Shotover River canyon.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Copthorne Queenstown

Day 8 Queenstown to Christchuch
You’ll journey along the Lindis Pass to turquoise Lake Tekapo, which gets its striking colour from glacial melting water. Crossing the Canterbury Plains, you’ll return to the city of Christchurch.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Heartland

Day 9 Christchurch to Wellington
You’ll travel via the Kaikoura to the port of Picton where you’ll cross the Cook Strait to arrive in the North Island and the capital, Wellington.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Travelodge Wellington

Day 10 Wellington
You have a free day to explore, and you might like to see Wellington’s varied architecture, starting with Parliament House and the ‘Beehive’, and head up to the top of the Mount Victoria for stunning views of the pretty harbour.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Travelodge Wellington

Day 11 Wellington to Rotorua
After breakfast, you’ll travel via the Desert Road to Tongariro National Park with its three active volcanoes, then Lake Taupo, the country’s largest freshwater lake, and Rotorua.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Sudima Rotorua

Day 12 Rotorua
It’s a morning of gushing geysers and gurgling mud pools at Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve, where we’ll explore this natural phenomenon before visiting the Maori Arts and Crafts centre.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Sudima Rotorua

Day 13 Rotorua to Auckland
Driving through more magnificent scenery, you’ll arrive in Auckland for an afternoon tour around the city’s major sites, including the fashionable suburb of Parnell and the stylish Viaduct Harbour.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Copthorne Harbour City

Day 14 Auckland
You’ll transfer to the airport tonight. If taking the Bay of Islands extension, you’ll stay in Auckland and continue to the beautiful Bay of Islands the next day.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 15 Arrive Heathrow
Your flight departs in the early hours of this morning and travels via Singapore, where you’ll either continue on to your island resort stopover, or catch your onward flight to Heathrow, arriving later today.