Romantic New Zealand - Self Drive

After breakfast, drive through the rolling green hills of Waitomo and enjoy a tour through an underground wonderland of caves decorated with galaxies of glow worms. Continue to Matamata for a charming tour of unique, character Hobbit homes, gardens and the watering hole just as you see in the movies. Finishing off a visually fulfilling day, continue Rotorua, a bubbling and steaming destination like nowhere else. Overnight in Rotorua.

After breakfast, proceed to Waimangu Geothermal Valley. Rotorua is surrounded by a fascinating geothermal landscape with its unique steam vents, spouting geysers and bubbling mud pool set alongside freshwater lakes and majestic native forests. It is also a region immersed in fascinating Maori myths and legends. Today you'll visit one of the local geothermal attractions before a sensory evening display in the forest. Overnight in Rotorua.

After breakfast, proceed to Rotorua Airport for your domestic flight to Christchurch (flight not included). On arrival, collect your rental vehicle and self-drive to your hotel. Christchurch is set between the deep blue Pacific Ocean and the mighty snow-capped Southern Alps. This is a vibrant, ever-changing city with inner city parks and gardens delightfully interwoven by the meandering Avon River. Overnight in Christchurch.

Note: Optional: Antarctic Centre - See touch feel and fall in love with Antarctica at the International Antarctic Centre where a slice of this astounding continent can be experienced at an additional price.

After breakfast, depart across the Canterbury Plains, a fertile patchwork made with every shade of green, through the spectacular scenery of Arthurs Pass National Park and on to the West Coast. New Zealand’s rugged West Coast is a wild and untamed place known for its rivers, rainforests, glaciers and geological treasures. Here, mighty rivers of solid white ice, relics of the world’s last ice-age, tumble down the rocky valleys. Overnight in Glacier Region.

After breakfast, day is at leisure. You can explore the region on own or opt for below mentioned optional activities at an additional price. A temperate climate at a low altitude make Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers among the most convenient to visit in the world. Steep valleys bear scars from where glaciers have retreated and advanced over millennia and here, the ice age is still underway. Overnight in Glacier Region.

Note: Optional: 1) Make a visit to Punakaki's Pancake Rocks or for an absolute bucket list experience take to the air on a scenic flight with a glacier landing and a thrilling hike across the icy wonderland.
2) Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike - Your experienced and highly trained helicopter pilot will whisk you up and over jaw dropping landscape. After a thrilling scenic flight high above ice-falls and rugged terrain you will land high up on the glacier.

After breakfast, drive through wilderness towns, waterfalls and river scenery on today’s scenic journey to Queenstown. We recommend stopping for a break, and to stretch the legs, at Makarora’s Blue Pools. Overnight in Queenstown.

After breakfast, day is at leisure. Magnificent vistas and majestic mountains dominate this compact alpine resort town and with such an expansive natural physical environment it is not surprising that Queenstown has been described as the Adventure Capital of the World. Overnight in Queenstown.

After breakfast, proceed to Fiordland. It is one of the world’s last great wildernesses. Today's stunning journey takes you past mirror lakes, spectacular waterfalls and water-sculpted rocks. Venture into Milford Sound, a New Zealand treasure carved by ice age glaciers and famously described as the eighth wonder of the world. After a big day out, reflect on memories of a lifetime on your return to Queenstown. Overnight in Queenstown.

After breakfast, proceed to Tekapo/Mt Cook. Today’s journey takes you to a scenic wonderland with golden tussocks, snow-capped mountains and turquoise lakes. Hug the shores of beautiful Lake Pukaki to a rugged land of ice and rock, home to Aoraki Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain. Overnight in Tekapo/Mt Cook.

After breakfast, drive to Christchurch. Be sure to stop for a while at Lake Tekapo where the ‘Church of the Good Shepherd’ takes pride of place against the backdrop of a vivid blue glacier-fed lake. Then continue north east where braided rivers and familiar plains will signal your arrival back into Christchurch. Overnight in Christchurch.

Note: Optional: Dark Sky Experience at Lake Tekapo/Mt Cook - The Dark Sky Experience brings science Maori heritage and fascinating multi-media installations together in a ‘Big Bang’ of awe and inspiration.