Day 1
Touch down today in Melbourne and enjoy a private transfer to your hotel. The day is at your leisure to explore the fabulous shops, cafes, restaurants, and spectacular art of Melbourne.
Crown Towers Melbourne
Day 2
Today, you will enjoy a tour of Melbourne’s signature lanes and arcades and see hidden gems of the city. See some of Melbourne’s quirkiest cafes, independent designers, street art, and architecture with Hidden Secrets Tours, enjoying historical tales of Melbourne along the way.
After your tour, relax at your hotel or join in Melbourne’s spectacular nightlife.
Crown Towers Melbourne
Day 3
Enjoy the delights of one of Australia’s most famous wine regions, the Yarra Valley, with Epicurean Tours. Chardonnay, pinot noir, and sparkling wines dominate, but the offerings include excellent examples of shiraz, riesling, pinot gris, and sauvignon blanc.
Crown Towers Melbourne
Day 4
Today, you’re on to spectacular Sydney—a world-class city that offers style and sophistication. Fringed by numerous bays and beaches and presided over by the glistening Opera House, Sydney unveils a great photo opportunity at every turn. Enjoy spectacular views of the harbor and Opera House from your hotel room.
Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
Day 5
Today is a great introduction to the city as you join in a small-group Panoramic Sydney tour. Join our mates at AEA Luxury Tours to see the The Rocks Historic District (Old Town of Sydney) and hear about the early convict history. Then, enjoy magnificent views of the Opera House, see Sydney Harbour Bridge, and visit the shopping heart of the city, including the Queen Victoria Building and Centrepoint Tower. Leave the central business district to visit Sydney’s famous beaches: Tamarama, Bronte, and of course, Bondi. Return to Sydney via Sydney Heads lookout, Watsons Bay, Kings Cross, and Mrs. Macquaries Point for unsurpassed views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
Day 6
Today is yours at leisure in beautiful, cosmopolitan Sydney. Save your energy for the evening, however, because you’ll have a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House, followed by a 3-course pre-show dinner at Aria Restaurant (beverages additional) and a performance of the opera, ballet, or theatre at the Sydney Opera House, where an intermission drink is included.
Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
Day 7
Today, you will have the opportunity for a true local’s experience, yachting on Sydney Harbour. Our mate Shawn of Sensational Sydney Cruises welcomes you and your friends aboard his private yacht, where you will take advantage of all the harbour has to offer. Get great views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as you pass close enough to touch them. Enjoy an authentic Australian BBQ for lunch, complete with local beers and wines.
Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
Day 8
Today, you’re off to Queenstown, New Zealand. Arrive in the early afternoon and be escorted by private transfer directly to your hotel, situated within walking distance of downtown. A delight for scenery lovers and adrenaline junkies alike, Queenstown is the outdoor adventure capital of the country, if not the world. There’s an endless supply of activities that will allow you to fully experience the stunning natural landscape and to get your adrenaline flowing.
The Spire
Day 9
Be escorted by luxury glass-roofed coach to a day cruise in one of the most beautiful places on earth: Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park. Travel the spectacular Milford Road through impressive alpine scenery with time for photo stops and short walks along the way. On reaching the sound, board a nature cruise of the fjord for a leisurely itinerary with Real Journeys that allows plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. This is one tour where getting caught in the rain is actually lucky—during downpours, hundreds of waterfalls take flight from the sea cliffs.
The Spire
Day 10
Today is entirely at your leisure. If you like, we can arrange additional activities, such as the famous adrenaline pursuits of bungee jumping, skydiving, canyoning, white water rafting, scenic helicopter flights (with mountain landings for a quick snowball fight), white water sledging, or jet boating. Alternatively, enjoy other, more leisurely pursuits such as horseback riding, kayaking, nature hikes (amazing in this region), and hundreds of other activities that make Queenstown unique.
The Spire
Day 11
Today, fly to Auckland, the “City of Sails.” Auckland often takes a backseat to the natural wonders at its doorstep, but it is a cosmopolitan and picturesque city with many opportunities to explore museums, nightlife, and native bush island destinations. Your hotel is right in the city center, within minutes of all the major sites.
Hotel deBrett
Day 12
Enjoy a small-group Auckland city and hinterlands tour with TIME Unlimited Tours to see the highlights of the city and beyond. You’ll see Mt. Eden (Auckland’s most famous volcano) with magnificent views across the city on a clear day, as well as the colonial Parnell neighborhood and Tamaki Drive, a beautiful route along Auckland’s shoreline. After a picnic lunch, head outside the city to Auckland’s west coast and the Waitakere Ranges to visit an artist enclave, spectacular ocean vistas, soaring cliffs, roaring surf, volcanic black sand beaches, and ancient native rainforest. Alternatively, we can arrange a day tour that focuses on Maori culture and history.
Hotel deBrett
Day 13
Today is at your leisure in Auckland. You may want to visit the Sky Tower, cruise on the harbor, take a helicopter flight to a remote location for a glorious lunch, walk to the summit of Rangitoto, go wine tasting and beachcombing on Waiheke Island, or go swimming with the dolphins.
Hotel deBrett
Day 14
Today, it’s time to head to the airport for your flight home.
