New Zealand: Feast Of The Senses

Day 1
Arrive early in the morning to New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. Auckland is mostly a jumping off point for other destinations but also provides interest in its museums, nightlife, and natural, native bush island destinations. Your hotel is right in the city center, within minutes of all the major sites. Enjoy an evening at leisure to explore the many exciting restaurants in the Viaduct, only minutes from your hotel. Perhaps enjoy dinner at White’s - the signature restaurant of the Hilton Hotel.
4-star hotel in downtown Auckland

Day 2
Today it’s a transfer and ferry ticket to Waiheke Island, Auckland’s food and wine neighbor twelve miles away from the city. The ferry on scenic Waitemata Harbour takes 35 minutes. Waiheke has stunning coastal vistas as well as some of the Auckland region’s hottest properties. Pass by hillside vineyards, look down on sweeping sandy beaches and get a real feel for what Auckland’s most populous off-shore island is like. Your accommodations are at a glorious boutique hotel right along the seaside with fabulous views overlooking Oneroa Beach.
4.5-star boutique hotel on Waiheke Island

Day 3 (B)
Morning is at leisure to explore the beaches or hire a bike, motor scooter or car. Then take a half-day private tour around Waiheke and experience award-winning wines, olive oils, arts & crafts, and beautiful scenery on this beautiful, tranquil island. The inhabitants are a diverse bunch of colorful, creative, passionate and original people of many different races and nationalities, drawn together by their communal love of the island and its unique lifestyle. A “small is beautiful” philosophy yields low quantities of extremely high quality fruit, which is made into wine. With tastings at the best boutique wineries, you’ll taste especially the red wines for which Waiheke is famous.
4.5-star boutique hotel on Waiheke Island

Day 4 (B)
Head back to Auckland by ferry and then enjoy a private transfer to the airport where you’ll hop on a short flight to Hawke’s Bay. The famous start (or end) to the New Zealand Wine Trail, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to enjoy the sunshine and delicious red and white wines of this vineyard region. Your accommodations are in the heart of Napier, the largest town in Hawke’s Bay, and home to several good restaurants and art deco architecture. Enjoy viewing this art deco architecture and hearing about the history of Napier this afternoon.
4-star hotel in Napier

Day 5 (L)
A small group tour through the vineyards and food-makers of Hawke’s Bay takes you to premium sites, allowing you to sit back, relax, and enjoy Kiwi hospitality. You’ll visit five to six wineries, including a wine-making tour, two specialty food outlets, a two-course winery lunch and a take-home goodie bag.
4-star hotel in Napier

Day 6
Drive a few hours today through rolling green hills to Martinborough, the smallest destination on your list but not the smallest in reputation. Visit the Wine Centre in the heart of the village and explore local wineries. Your accommodations this evening are in a historic hotel, perfectly restored and oozing with sophisticated charm.
4-star hotel in Martinborough

Day 7
A two-hour drive brings you to the capital city this morning, Wellington. Depart right away on a foodie’s half-day wine tour this morning that we have arranged for you, exploring the culinary treasures of this city. Meet chefs and indulge in some of New Zealand’s iconic foods. Enjoy lunch (at your own expense, but with a 25% off coupon) at famous Logan Brown’s or a buzzy café (Floritas). Then check into your stylish, contemporary, chic hotel in the city center, bursting at the seams with magnificent artwork and within walking distance of the National Museum (Te Papa), the waterfront, live theatres, designer shopping, city markets, Waitangi Park and Oriental Parade’s promenade and beach. The afternoon is yours at leisure.
4.5-star hotel in downtown Wellington

Day 8
Take a short hop flight this morning across the Cook Strait to the South Island’s Blenheim, the capital of New Zealand wine. Drive a short way to your cottage on a famous vineyard, then enjoy a private afternoon tour of gourmet food and wine of the Marlborough Region. Learn about matching wine and food, enjoy private tours of the wineries and meet with the winemakers. Try Prenzel schnapps, olive oils and chocolates as well. The wineries visited will depend on your preferences on the day, but some of the iconic ones that can be included are Cloudy Bay, Allan Scott, Hunters and Montana Brancott as well as a number of boutique wineries. May we make a dinner reservation for you tonight at Herzog’s acclaimed restaurant?
3.5-star cottage on a vineyard

Day 9
Drive via the East Coast through Kaikoura - excellent winery here - then travel further south to Waipara, home of many north Canterbury wines. Overnight in Christchurch at the best hotel in the city. Suggested additional touring: whale watching in Kaikoura by boat or scenic flight, dolphin swimming, lunch on crayfish (Kaikoura’s famous for them), and dinner at our favorite restaurant in Christchurch (reservations are a must).
4.5-star hotel in downtown Christchurch

Day 10
This morning you have a private driver to take you around the scenic Banks Peninsula about 1.5 hours east of Christchurch, and home to the charming French-heritage town of Akaroa. See undulating dunes, wave-ravished beaches, fur seals and more. Then get head to the airport for a short flight south to Dunedin, the capital of Scottish history in New Zealand. Collect a rental car and drive to central Dunedin, an octagonal university city, where your elegant historic accommodations are nestled in secluded gardens but within walking distance of the city’s finest cafés and restaurants.
4.5-star bed & breakfast in downtown Dunedin

Day 11 (B)
With a half-day small group foodie tour through Dunedin today, you’ll be delighted at all this very southern city has to offer. Find specialist food havens and boutiques, and enjoy small tastes of local and regional specialties including the humble yet famous cheese roll -- different from what you may be used to at home. Meet families and owners to taste their products -- maybe gourmet ice cream, sophisticated chocolates, craft beer, freshly roasted coffee and locally baked treats. The rest of the day is yours at leisure. Suggested additional activities include visits to the Albatross and Penguin Colonies on the Otago Peninsula.
4.5-star bed & breakfast in downtown Dunedin

Day 12 (B)
A four-hour drive through some of the most remote areas of New Zealand brings you to Queenstown today. Drive through the sheep-filled Otago region and parts of Southland, some of the most eye-catching scenery on earth. Check into your luxury boutique design hotel within brief walking distance of downtown Queenstown, and make sure to arrive in time for their complimentary pre-dinner drinks and hors d’oeuvres!
4.5-star boutique hotel in Queenstown

Day 13 (L)
The morning is yours at leisure to sleep in today. Suggested additional touring includes jetboating, bungee jumping, luging, and hiking. A delight for scenery lovers and adrenaline junkies alike, Queenstown is the outdoor adventure capital of the country, if not the world. There are an endless supply of activities to fully experience the stunning natural landscape and to get your adrenaline flowing. The feeling is that of a small frontier town, with stunning mountains surrounding it and placid Lake Wakatipu alongside. In the afternoon, you’ll take a small-group boutique winery tour of the Otago wine region, especially well known for its earthy pinot noirs. Through the Gibbston Valley and through the rolling vine-clad foothills of Bannockburn and beyond, your vineyard selection will select those most appropriate for the day’s passengers. Four winery tastings are included, as well as a winery lunch and commentary on the early pioneering history of this rugged region.
4.5-star boutique hotel in Queenstown
 
Day 14
A day devoted to adrenaline and scenery, you’ll enjoy a four-hour excursion by helicopter to the spectacular Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park. On reaching Milford Sound, board a Nature Cruise for a leisurely itinerary that allows plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. On board, a nature guide with specialist knowledge of the region’s history, flora and fauna provides detailed interpretation. View spectacular waterfalls (especially when it’s raining!), rainforest and towering peaks; plus, keep an eye out for fur seals, dolphins and penguins. Fly back over the fjords and land on a patch of snow in the Alps. Celebrate your tour of New Zealand with a glass of champagne and cheese while marveling at the scenery. Perhaps tonight you’d like to enjoy an additional Maori hangi (feast) and cultural performance.
4.5-star boutique hotel in Queenstown

Day 15
Drive the short way to Queenstown airport for the flight home. A few more cooking tricks up your sleeve and a few pounds heavier, you’ll head home satisfied and satiated... until it’s time to explore Australia’s food and wine regions... ah, there is always more to see!