TWO (2) SPACES LEFT


ITINERARY

March 9, 2019 (Saturday) - Arrival Day (Auckland)

  • You can schedule your flight to arrive anytime today. You will receive a transfer to our Auckland hotel with supershuttle New Zealand, a shared shuttle service. Today is a day to adjust to the new time zone so feel free to relax and explore. There will be a meet and greet event that night.
  • Your hotel room may not be ready for check in until 2:00 PM. You can store your luggage at the hotel's front desk if your room is not ready.

March 10, 2019 (Sunday) - Rangitoto Island Volcanic Explorer Tour (Auckland)

  • A short walk from our Auckland hotel is the downtown ferry pier where we'll board a ferry to Rangitoto Island for a guided 4WD road-train tour through the island's 600-year-old volcanic landscape. After being transported to the base of the island's summit, you can take a climb to the top for the breathtaking panoramic views. After our return descent, we'll finish our tour and return back on the ferry to downtown Auckland.
  • You will need to bring your own food and beverages as none is offered for sale on Rangitoto Island. Please take all your trash off the island with you.

March 11, 2019 (Monday) - Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tour / Lunch (Rotorua)

  • Our private 50 seater motorcoach will take us on the two and a half hour journey to experience the Hobbiton™ Movie Set. We'll get to visit The Shire, featured in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, as well as have a drink at The Green Dragon Inn.
  • We'll begin the tour with the Marquee Festive Feast lunch buffet. A huge selection of food will be available including marinated chicken, minted lamb casserole, slow roasted beef rump, housemade fish cakes with grain mustard dressing, creamy chicken pesto pasta, tomato and coconut vegetable curry, roast vegetable salad, garden fresh green salad, herb roasted potatoes, saffron rice, a selection of fresh breads, a selection of slices, cakes and sweets, and macerated pear and peach fruit salad.
  • We finish the day with a one and a half hour journey to our hotel in Rotorua.

March 12, 2019 (Tuesday) - Skyline Rotorua / Gondola Ride / Lunch / Wine Tasting (Rotorua)

  • We'll take a ride on the Skyline Gondola to reach Skyline Rotorua, an adventure attraction overlooking Rotorua.
  • Our first stop at the summit will be a lunch buffet at Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar.
  • Up next is a tasting of 5 wines at the Volcanic Hills Winery Tasting Room.
  • There will be free time to enjoy the other available activities and shopping at Skyline Rotorua before returning downhill on the Skyline Gondola.

March 13, 2019 (Wednesday) - Free Day / Mitai Maori Village / Dinner (Rotorua)

  • Free day to enjoy Rotorua
  • Traditional Maori cultural performance at Mitai Maori Village. The displays of weaponry and combat that are shown will fascinate you. Coupled with the grace and beauty of the poi dance and the spine tingling haka finale, this is an unforgettable experience.
  • Hangi dinner at Mitai Maori Village. Dine on meat and sides slow cooked in an earth oven known as a "hangi pit". Featured dishes include succulent lamb, chicken, potatoes, kumara (sweet potatoes) and for dessert there is tropical fruit salad, chocolate log, steam pudding and custard. This is their typical menu and not all items may be available when we visit.
  • Please meet in the botel lobby at 5:45 PM for our pickup to Mitai Maori Village.

March 14, 2019 (Thursday) - Wai-O-Tapu / Rotorua Night Market / Redwoods Treewalk (Rotorua)

  • Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is a spectacular showcase of New Zealand’s most colourful and unique geothermal elements sculpted by thousands of years of volcanic activity. Photos can't even begin to show how amazing these colorful hot springs are. On the way we'll stop at Lady Knox Geyser and enjoy the show.
  • On Thursday nights downtown Rotorua closes their streets to vehicle traffic and transforms into the Rotorua Night Market, a feast for the culinary senses with varied ethnic cuisine specialties served from food trucks. Dinner is on your own.
  • Redwoods Treewalk is a half mile long eco-tourism walk in the heart of Rotorua’s Redwood Forest. Consisting of a series of 28 suspension bridges, it traverses 27 majestic Redwood trees that are more than 117-years-old. The height of the walkway ranges between 30 feet and 66 feet, allowing an elevated view of the forest below. We'll aim to arrive while it's still light outside so that we can get both a daytime view and a nighttime view. Lighted lanterns provide for a spectacular experience as you walk along the elevated walkway.

March 15, 2019 (Friday) - Waitomo Glowworm Caves / Ruakuri Caves / Flight (Wellington)

  • Our private 50 seater motorcoach will take us on the two and a half hour journey to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves where we'll visit the glittering underground world where we'll see the lights of thousands of illuminating glowworms. Lunch will be on your own at the on-site cafe.
  • The Ruakuri Caves offer a captivating blend of Waitomo's most compelling subterranean experiences. Journey down through the spectacular spiral entrance and marvel at the softly folding shawl-like limestone formations and crystal tapestries. Hear the distant thunder of the subterranean waterfalls and get up close to the glowworms.
  • Back on our motorcoach, we'll take a two and a half hour journey to the Auckland Airport where we'll catch a late night flight to Wellington. Upon arrival in Wellington we'll take private shuttles to our hotel.

March 16, 2019 (Saturday) - Wellington City Tour / Te Papa Museum Tour (Wellington)

  • We start the day with a Wellington city tour where we'll get to know Wellington's waterfront, downtown, courts, and parliamentary areas in an easy walk of just over two hours. There will be a lunch break on your own before our afternoon tour.
  • After our lunch break we'll have a guided tour of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, commonly referred to as Te Papa.

March 17, 2019 (Sunday) - Free Day (Wellington)

  • Free day to enjoy Wellington.

March 18, 2019 (Monday) - Departure Day

  • Today is our departure day and you're free to schedule your flight to leave any time. Checkout from the hotel is at 11:00 AM but they'll hold your bags if needed. A shared transfer from the hotel to the Wellington Airport (WLG) will be provided.

TRIP OVERVIEW

Arrival Information

  • Auckland, New Zealand (AKL)
  • March 9, 2018
  • Flight can arrive anytime
  • Shared transfer from Auckland Airport (AKL) to Auckland hotel included

Departure Information

  • Wellington, New Zealand (WLG)
  • March 18, 2018
  • Flight can depart anytime
  • Shared transfer from Wellington hotel to Wellington Airport (WLG) included

Cities Visited

  • Auckland, New Zealand
  • Rotorua, New Zealand
  • Waitomo, New Zealand
  • Wellington, New Zealand

Price

  • $2,699 per person double occupancy
  • $3,899 per person single occupancy
  • Complimentary roommate matching for non-smokers.
  • There is a charge of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for all credit card payments

Deposit

  • $1,000 per person double occupancy
  • $2,000 per person single occupancy
  • ALL PAYMENTS, INCLUDING DEPOSIT, ARE COMPLETELY NONREFUNDABLE!

Ready To Book?

COMPLIMENTARY ROOMMATE MATCHING

  • We offer a complimentary roommate matching service for this trip as long as you're a complete non-smoker, including vaping, and you book at least 120 days prior to the trip departure date. After that point it is subject to availability at the time of your reservation. Don't let not having a roommate keep you from going on this trip!
  • If you sign up for this trip using our complimentary roommate matching service and you are a smoker, you will be required to pay for your own hotel room during the trip and will be responsible for any and all additional costs associated with that.

INCLUSIONS

Accommodations

  • 2 nights with breakfast in Auckland
  • 4 nights with breakfast in Rotorua
  • 3 nights with breakfast in Wellington

Activities

  • Rangitoto Island Volcanic Explorer tour
  • Hobbiton™ Movie Set tour
  • Skyline Gondola ride
  • Traditional Maori cultural performance at Mitai Maori Village
  • Lady Knox Geyser show
  • Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland entry and visit
  • Rotorua Night Market visit
  • Redwoods Treewalk entry and visit
  • Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour
  • Ruakuri Caves tour
  • Wellington City tour
  • Te Papa Museum tour

Entry Fees

  • Entry fees for all activities listed under "Inclusions/Activities"

Food And Beverages

  • Daily breakfast at our group hotel except on arrival day
  • Marquee Festive Feast lunch buffet at Hobbiton™ Movie Set
  • Lunch buffet at Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar at Skyline Rotorua
  • Hangi dinner at Mitai Maori Village
  • Tasting of 5 wines at Volcanic Hills Winery Tasting Room at Skyline Rotorua

Free Days

  • Rotorua
  • Wellington

Gratuities

  • Gratuities for all tour guides and motorcoach drivers are included

Host And Guides

  • Never Travel Solo host during the duration of the trip
  • Local guides for all tours listed in "Inclusions"

Transportation

    Flights
  • Flight from Auckland Airport (AKL) to Wellington Airport (WLG)
  • Motorcoach
  • Private motorocoach transportation to/from all activities listed in "Inclusions"
  • Transfers
  • Shared transfer from Auckland Airport (AKL) to Auckland hotel
  • Shared transfer from Wellington hotel to Wellington Airport (WLG)

EXCLUSIONS

Food And Beverages

  • All food and beverages not listed under "Inclusions/Food And Beverages" are your responsibility

Insurance

Miscellaneous

  • All activities not listed under "Inclusions/Activities" are your responsibility

Transportation

  • Airfare to/from our arrival city and departure city

IMPORTANT NOTES

  • The accommodations, activities, and other inclusions and/or their order may change and/or be cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control and/or for any other reason we deem necessary. In the event this occurs, we will try our best to arrange similar accommodations, activities, and other inclusions.
  • Depending on the size of our group, some and/or all of our activities may be part of a larger public tour group.
  • Some parts of this trip requires extensive walking (5 miles or more over the course of the day as well as uphill/downhill climbing on cobblestone or non-stable pathways).