The Long Way Down New Zealand — Ten Nights from Auckland to Queenstown
Ten nights running both islands, weighted towards the South Island and built around two rail journeys and the Milford Sound cruise.
Journey overview
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
Ten nights running both islands, weighted towards the South Island and built around two rail journeys and the Milford Sound cruise.
Journey highlights
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
- Ten nights across both islands, weighted to the South Island.
- The TranzAlpine train crossing the Southern Alps to the West Coast.
- The Hobbiton movie set and a Rotorua indigenous evening experience.
- A full-day Milford Sound tour with cruise through Fiordland.
- The Punakaiki blowholes and the Franz Josef glacier country.
Day-by-day itinerary
You are met at Auckland Airport and transferred to your hotel. Auckland is built across an isthmus between two harbours and is New Zealand's largest city and main international gateway. The rest of the day is free to recover before the touring begins. · Auckland
You travel south from Auckland to Rotorua through the Waikato farmland. Rotorua sits on an active geothermal field and the sulphur in the air announces it before you arrive. You check in and the remainder of the day is free. · Rotorua
A full day around Rotorua. The Hobbiton movie set, a working farm rebuilt as the Shire and left standing after filming, includes dinner as part of that tour. The Waimangu geothermal valley and an indigenous evening cultural experience complete the day. · Rotorua
You travel to Christchurch, crossing from the North Island to the South. Airfare on any domestic sector is not included. Christchurch is flat, laid out around the Avon River, and still visibly rebuilding after the earthquakes. The rest of the day is free. · Christchurch
No touring is scheduled today. The Botanic Gardens and the river run through the centre of the city and the rebuilt precincts are walkable from most hotels. The day is yours, and anything you choose to arrange is at your own cost. · Christchurch
You board the TranzAlpine train and cross the Southern Alps from east to west, climbing from the Canterbury Plains through river gorges and mountain valleys before descending to Greymouth on the West Coast. It is widely held to be one of the world's great rail journeys. · Greymouth
A day on the West Coast. The Punakaiki rocks north of Greymouth are limestone stacked in horizontal layers, with blowholes that fire when the swell runs. Shantytown, a reconstructed gold-rush settlement, completes the day before you continue south to the glacier country. · Franz Josef
You travel south from the glacier country, crossing the Haast Pass and passing the lakes of Central Otago before reaching Queenstown on its lake beneath the mountains. Franz Josef is one of the few places in the world where a glacier descends into temperate rainforest. · Queenstown
A long day out to Fiordland, following Lake Wakatipu and passing through Te Anau into the national park, then through the Homer Tunnel to the water. You cruise Milford Sound beneath cliffs that rise straight out of deep water, with lunch provided as part of the tour, and return to Queenstown. · Queenstown
A touring day taking in the country between Queenstown, Mount Cook and Christchurch — glacial lakes, tussock hills and New Zealand's highest peak. You return to Queenstown for your final night. · Queenstown
Breakfast at the hotel, then check out and a transfer to Queenstown Airport for your onward flight. Queenstown's runway sits between mountains and departures can be weather-affected, so allow the check-in time your airline requires and leave extra time in hand.
What's included & excluded
Exactly what your journey covers — set out clearly, with no surprises, so you know precisely what to expect.
Included
- Ten nights' accommodation — Auckland 1, Rotorua 2, Christchurch 2, Greymouth 1, Franz Josef 1 and Queenstown 3.
- Daily breakfast at the hotel, from Day 2 to Day 11.
- Private airport transfer on arrival, Auckland Airport to your hotel.
- Private airport transfer on departure, your hotel to Queenstown Airport.
- Auckland to Rotorua touring, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- Hobbiton movie set tour, on a seat-in-coach basis, with dinner provided as part of that tour.
- Waimangu geothermal valley, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- Rotorua indigenous evening cultural experience, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- TranzAlpine train journey across the Southern Alps.
- Punakaiki rocks and blowholes, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- Shantytown gold-rush settlement, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- Full-day Milford Sound tour with cruise, on a seat-in-coach basis, with lunch provided as part of that tour.
- Queenstown, Mount Cook and Christchurch touring, on a seat-in-coach basis.
Excluded
- GST is extra and is charged on the final amount.
- TCS is extra and is charged on the final amount.
- International airfare is extra and is not included.
- Domestic and internal airfare is extra and is not included.
- Visa is extra and is not included — visa fees, associated service charges, airport taxes and any related charges.
- Travel insurance is extra and is not included.
- All meals other than those listed under Inclusions, including lunches and dinners other than those named, and drinks with meals.
- Mandatory tipping. A mandatory gratuity to the guide or driver of NZD 10 per person per day applies and is not included in the price.
- Any sightseeing, entry ticket or excursion not specifically listed under Inclusions.
- Tips and gratuities beyond the mandatory gratuity stated above.
- Personal expenses — laundry, telephone, minibar, and anything of a personal nature.
- Early check-in and late check-out charges, and any hotel upgrade.
- City taxes or resort fees charged directly by the hotel.
- Anything not specifically listed under Inclusions.
Related to this journey
Every destination on this journey has its own guide — attractions, where to stay and what to eat — and the journeys that pair with this one are a click away.
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