FREE: 2 nights Cook Islands on us for every 7-day New Zealand vacation booked.   Book by 31May12. 

Looking for something different?  A place your friends haven't been?  Perfect white sand beaches and adventure? This deal is for you. Call for current availability or live chat now.  This offer is unprecedented.

Day 1  Queenstown 
Arrive in Queenstown where your private driver will transfer you to your hotel.  This charming town is surrounded by dramatic mountains, world class wineries, glacier fed rivers and dramatic fjords. Considered to be the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, there is plenty to see and explore. Let us arrange a jet lag recovery spa treatment for you today.
4-star hotel in Queenstown

Day 2  Queenstown 
Your wilderness safari begins with a spectacular jet boat journey along the Dart River, passing by snow-covered peaks, hidden valleys and waterfalls. Join your guide for an easy walk through an ancient native beech forest with fascinating Maori and colonial history. Journey by 4WD via a scenic back-road route, stopping to view scenery that has formed the epic backdrop for many international films, including ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
4-star hotel in Queenstown

Day 3  Doubtful Sound  (D)
Today you will travel south for an overnight cruise in a remote fjord. Your cruise offers a unique wilderness experience. The on-board nature guide discusses the surrounding waterfalls, abundant wildlife, rainforest and mountains. The fjord is home to bottle nose dolphins and fur seals and in season, the rare Fiordland crested penguin. Anchor overnight, enjoy a delightful dinner and a peaceful sleep.
Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

Day 4  Queenstown (B)
Try your hand at kayaking or taking a tender to shore to explore the coastline.  After breakfast, cruise back to Deep Cove where you disembark and make your way back to Queenstown via luxury coach.
4-star hotel in Queenstown

Day 5  Mount Cook  
Collect your rental car today and road trip through the heart of the South Island. Stop along the way to try your hand at bungee jumping, or to taste at one of the wineries of Central Otago. As you meander through the countryside, you will see Mount Cook and the dramatic mountains growing larger. Your home this evening is a quaint lodge with lovely mountain views.
4-star lodge near Lake Tekapo

Day 6  Mount Cook (B)
The Tasman Glacier is the longest glacier in New Zealand. It cuts down the slope of Mt. Cook and terminates in a stunning, azure berg-filled lake. Take off on a scenic flight of the Southern Alps, experience the thrill of a Ski Plane glacier landing. After landing on the snow the engine is shut down so you can enjoy the natural quiet of the mountains
4-star lodge at foot of Mount Cook

Day 7  Christchurch (B)
Make your way through the Canterbury plains and down into Christchurch. Your boutique hotel is located just a short stroll from the botanical gardens and has won numerous awards for their warm hospitality and exceptional cuisine. We will make a dinner reservation for you at one of their fine restaurants this evening.  
4-star boutique hotel in Christchurch

Day 8    Christchurch - Blenheim
Today, you’re off on a lovely coastal drive north to wine country. About halfway is the town of Kaikoura, the closest town to a deep sea trench in the world. Stop for a whale-watch or dolphin-swim cruise. Or just grab lunch. Roadside vans sell fantastic crayfish (lobster).
3.5-star bed and breakfast near Blenheim

Day 9  Blenheim (B)
Enjoy a Taste of Marlborough guided tour. You’ll start with visits to two terrific wineries. Stop for lunch on the waterfront, before joining a cruise though the epic Marlborough Sounds.  Visit a green shell mussel farm and taste freshly steamed Mussels paired with a lovely glass of local wine.
3.5-star bed and breakfast near Blenheim

Day 10  Rotorua (B)
Fly to Rotorua on the North Island (flight additional), home to hot springs, geysers and boiling mud.  Relax in a deluxe hot mineral bath at the Polynesian Spa overlooking Lake Rotorua.
3.5-star bed and breakfast in Rotorua

Day 11  Rotorua (B, D)
Your day is at leisure, your night is an adventure. Ask us for directions to our favorite thermal swimming hole, a hot river plunging over a jump-able waterfall (free). Venture a visit to the ruins at The Buried Village, try fly fishing or even take a helicopter to an active volcano. This evening’s Māori cultural experience is a blend of storytelling, entertainment and Māori kai (indigenous food). 
3.5-star bed and breakfast in Rotorua

Day 12  Waitomo (B)
You’re off on an underground adventure today in the Waitomo Caves. Begin your five-hour tour by descending through a sink hole into the caves. Then it’s time for abseiling (repelling), cave tubing (black-water rafting), swim through natural rock slides and discover shimmering grottos of the glow worm caves.  Medium fitness required.  
**For a more leisurely day, discover the glow worm grottos via a leisurely underground cruise.
3.5 star bed & breakfast near Waitomo

Days 13-14  Paihia Beach Resort & Spa, New Zealand (B)
Fly Further north to the beachside hamlet of Paihia amid the sunny Bay of Islands. Your beach resort is has an award-winning spa on site as well as a wnderful restaurant.  Local attractions include more fabulous beaches, the quaint village of Russell, Kauri Cliffs Golf Course and the historic Waitangi Treaty grounds. You’re booked on a scenic cruise of the bay. Head out amid 144 islands and through the gorgeous Hole in the Rock. Splash in to swim with the local pod of dolphins.
4-star resort in Paihia, our favorite beach resort in New Zealand

Day 15-16 (B)
Make your way south. Stop to explore the black sand beaches, or enjoy a stroll through the forest of giant kauri trees. Spend two nights in Auckland in the buzzing Viaduct District.  Ample restaurants surround your hotel, along the harbour.  Your package includes roundtrip passes on the ferry to Waiheke Island.  Spend a day exploring delightful wineries, beaches and artist studios. Waiheke Island is the locals hidden retreat and weekend playground.
3.5 star hotel in Auckland

Day 17  Depart
Head to the airport for well-deserved trip home. 

Looking for great beach resorts in New Zealand?  We are either from there or travel there every year, and are constantly looking for new hidden gems to share.  Its important to understand the weather and type of sand beach when looking for beach resorts in New Zealand. Let us pick the perfect location for your travel style.  We also have New Zealand and Fiji honeymoon itineraries.