Spirit of New Zealand

Day 4 : Christchurch

The “Garden City” of Christchurch, the most English of New Zealand cities with its gardens and the River Avon, sits on fertile plains with the snow-capped Alps as a backdrop and the ocean at its door. It continues to
recover from the devastation caused by the earthquakes in recent years and new life is being brought to the city; its Re:Start popup shopping mall and Cardboard Cathedral show true imagination and inspiration.

Hotel: Wyndham Garden Christchurch City - 1 night 

Day 5 : Christchurch

The day your Spirit of New Zealand tour begins. Start by exploring the streets of Christchurch and meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers this evening for a Welcome Reception.

Hotel: Wyndham Garden Christchurch City - 1 night 

Day 6 : Christchurch - Omarama

More of Christchurch is revealed before the colours of the Canterbury Plains spread before you: the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo, snowcapped mountains and atmospheric towns. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy
Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the
universe.

Hotel: Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel Omarama - 1 night 

Day 7 : Omarama - Dunedin

Architectural drama awaits in Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution). Or venture further afield to discover Larnach Castle,
fur seals and penguins.

Hotel: Dunedin Leisure Lodge - 1 night 

Day 8 : Dunedin - Invercargill

Rolling green pastures dotted with wide-eyed sheep are your backdrop to Gore, the country music capital of New Zealand. Invercargill is obsessed with something else: motor vehicles. Tributes to speed legends colour
the city. So it's only fitting that you visit Classic Motorcycle Mecca for a tour and Highlight Dinner.

Hotel: Kelvin Hotel - 2 nights

Day 9 : Invercargill

Wild, wide and wonderful, Stewart Island’s rugged coastline cuts a dramatic form in the Southern Ocean. It’s largely untouched, which means that endemic flora and fauna thrive. But don’t take our word for it. Meet the
locals on a tour through the Village and Bays.

Day 10 : Invercargill - Queenstown

The Real Country Farm Show offers an authentic taste of what rural New Zealand is like. For every guest, we donate funds to The Fairlight Foundation, Advancing Women in Agriculture. Continue to Queenstown and take
the afternoon at your own pace.

Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront - 2 nights 

Day 11 : Queenstown

A spot of bungy jumping at the place it was born? Or an epic journey through Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, carved by waterfalls and a playground for dolphins and seals? There’s a reason why
this part of the island has World Heritage status. You choose today’s path.

Day 12 : Queenstown - Franz Josef

Around the next bend is the Alpine countryside of the Southern Lakes. Over the Haast Pass, the pretty town of Franz Josef/Waiau, at the edge of Westland World Heritage Park, awaits.

Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier - 1 night 

Day 13 : Franz Josef - Punakaiki

Wander Hokitika’s windswept coast before discovering the town’s other beauty: pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Prepare yourself for Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and blowholes; they owe their existence to the
thundering surf that will lull you to sleep.

Hotel: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki - 1 night 

Day 14 : Punakaiki - Nelson

Ease along the Heritage Highway toward Nelson. Press your nose against the glass as your coach weaves through Buller Gorge and Kahurangi National Park.

Hotel: Rutherford Hotel Nelson - 2 nights 

Day 15 : Nelson

Lace up your hiking shoes and head off on a bushwalk, or cruise through Abel Tasman National Park. This pocket in the north of the island inspires calm, its golden beaches framed by sculpted granite cliffs.

Day 16 : Nelson - Wellington

All aboard the Interislander for a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound to Wellington. 

Hotel:Travelodge Wellington - 1 night 

Day 17 : Wellington - Napier

Your city sights tour will end at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. After the opportunity to visit, travel to the Art Deco mecca, Napier.

Hotel: Scenic Hotel Te Pania - 2 nights 

Day 18 : Napier

Experience The Daily Deco Tour for an insight into how Napier City became the Art Deco capital of the world. This comprehensive tour takes you on an historic timeline, sharing stories and showcasing the transformation and how Napier City and its people were resilient after the infamous 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake, rebuilding the city they love into a fabulous and stylish 'time warp' Art Deco!

Day 19 : Napier - Rotorua

This evening, explore Te Puia's geothermal valley, and learn about Maori history and culture on this guided experience, including a dinner of hangi-inspired cuisine and a cultural performance in a finely carved meeting
house, Te Aronui a Rua. It ends on a high at the Pohutu Geyser, where, armed with a hot chocolate, you'll view one of New Zealand's geothermal wonderlands.

Hotel: Sudima Lake Rotorua - 2 nights 

Day 20 : Rotorua

Today you can choose to either bliss out in the Polynesian Spa’s thermal springs; go behind the scenes on a working kiwi nursery; visit the Hobbiton movie set; or board a scenic flight for a bird’s-eye view.

Day 21 : Rotorua - Auckland

Today your sights are firmly set on Auckland's main love: rugby. The interactive All Blacks Experience explores an introduction to the game as a part of New Zealand culture.

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre - 1 night 

Day 22 : Auckland - Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Your guide, perhaps a descendent of one of the original signatories, will
explain the significance.

Hotel: Copthorne Hotel & Resort Bay Of Islands - 2 nights

Day 23 : Bay of Islands

Use this day to rest as you are close to the end of your tour or perhaps travel up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach.

Day 24 : Bay of Islands - Auckland

For a little more northern exposure, make your way to Whangarei, the island’s most northerly outpost and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. Explore at your leisure before the commute
back to Auckland for your Farewell Dinner.

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre - 1 night 

Day 25 : Auckland

Here your tour with AAT Kings concludes. Take this day to prepare for your flight home the next day or spend the last hours exploring the city at your own leisure. 

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre - 1 night 

Day 26-27 : Depart Auckland

Depart Auckland to arrive for your connecting flight in Singapore to the UK.