Our team are destination specialists with many years experience in creating holidays and can tailor make to suit you.
| Mon-Fri | 8am-6pm |
| Saturday | 9am-5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Our team are destination specialists with many years experience in creating holidays and can tailor make to suit you.
| Mon-Fri | 8am-6pm |
| Saturday | 9am-5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
New Zealand, is packed full of things to see and do, literally offering an A-Z of activities from abseiling to zorbing. With so much choice, it can be difficult to decide where to start when you’re planning a New Zealand holiday.
To help you get started, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favourite things to do in the Land of the Long White Cloud (plus a special stop-over bonus…). Each comes with an itinerary recommendation or get in touch with our Travel Specialists to tailor make a holiday exactly to suit you.
Get to know the people of the land. Hiking in New Zealand means exploring the landscapes, and getting familiar with the Māori concept of tangata whenua – the idea that the land and the plants, animals and people living on it are connected spiritually and physically.
Magnificent Fiordland is a world away from the hustle and bustle of modern living. The most famous and most visited fiord of New Zealand’s fiords is Milford Sound with its views of the distinctive Mitre Peak, but for a real escape head to the more remote (and therefore even quieter) Doubtful Sound. Enjoy an overnight cruise in this tranquil and jaw-droppingly magnificent landscape to really experience the peace of your natural surroundings.
Queenstown is known as New Zealand’s thrill-seeking capital, but if throwing yourself off a bridge attached to a bungee cord, or out of a plane on a skydive isn’t your idea of fun, head to nearby Wanaka. From there you can take a thrilling jet boat ride on the Matukituki River for your adrenaline fix while being enthralled by the amazing landscapes in Mt Aspiring National Park. Alternatively, combine a guided walk through beech forests with a helicopter trip onto the glaciers.
Itinerary idea: South Island Explorer
New Zealand is famous for its wines, and there’s no doubt that a visit to one of the many wineries to sample the vintages and the locally sourced foods which complement them will be a highlight for gourmands and gourmets. Stay in Blenheim to enjoy the Sauvignon Blanc produced in New Zealand’s most famous wine region Marlborough (South Island). You could also explore Hawke’s Bay on North Island where the Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines are particularly fine.
One of the best ways to experience New Zealand’s natural beauties is to get out and explore them on foot. From afternoon strolls to multi-day hikes, New Zealand has a range of walks waiting to knock your hiking socks off. Acknowledged as one of the finest one-day walks in the world, tackle the rust-red craters, black deserts and cobalt blue and jade green lakes of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in the company of a local guide. Or recharge your batteries as you walk, cruise or kayak through the sublimely beautiful Abel Tasman National Park.
New Zealand’s hidden gem, Stewart Island, is home to the brown kiwi and is the only place in New Zealand where these timid nocturnal birds can be reliably seen in the wild. Enjoy a guided tour of Ulva Island Nature Reserve during your stay to experience many rare and endangered native birds.
If you don’t have time to include Stewart Island in your itinerary, consider visiting the ‘eco-restoration project’ Zealandia just outside Wellington. You can see many endangered and endemic species there, but the highlight for us is the night time torch-lit tour where you might spot kiwis foraging, tuataras hunting and kaka (parrots) coming in to roost.
Itinerary idea: New Zealand Wildlife Encounters
New Zealand’s indigenous Maori culture is an integral part of the country’s identity, and truly something that’s worth experiencing and learning more about. You’ll really have the chance to delve into this aspect of New Zealand on North Island – from the history-steeped Waitangi Treaty Grounds in Northland (where you can learn about how the country was founded) to a wonderfully authentic Maori welcome at Waimarama, just south of Hastings in the Hawke’s Bay region. This is a great way to experience a powhiri (Maori welcome) and Marae visit.
Itinerary idea: Discover Aotearoa
South Island’s south-west is home to the twin-glaciers which plunge down through the rainforest to almost sea level – the Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier. From above, these rivers of ice cut through the dramatic Southern Alps, but to really appreciate their scale and beauty, you need to see them from the air on a thrilling helicopter flight and then get up close by taking a guided hike on one of the glaciers. As well as clambering around incredible ice formations and learning about the glaciers, there’s also the chance to visit ice caves and other wonderful formations below the upper icefall. For the hike, you’ll need to be fairly fit, and all your equipment can be hired locally.
Itinerary idea: Spectacular North and South self drive
Kaikoura, on the east coast of South Island, is world-renowned for its whale watching, and there are options aplenty, from boat trips to flightseeing from the air. Towering snow-covered peaks fall to the ocean here and offshore a deep undersea canyon attracts an extraordinary abundance of marine life. Experience the thrill of seeing giant sperm whale fluking, dusky dolphins and Hector’s dolphins at play, and fur seals on the hunt. Or even get into the water and swim with dolphins yourself.
Itinerary idea: Whale & Dolphin Explorer
The Central Plateau of North Island is the country’s geothermal heartland. Rotorua is well-known for its geothermal activity with hot pots and mud pools providing ample opportunity to relax and soak away the day’s exertions. Around the town are a wealth of geothermal fields to explore including the striking silica terraces at Orakei Korako and Te Puia Thermal Reserve a centre for Maori cultural encounters as well as geothermal wonders. While the coloured mud pools of Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland provide some of the most iconic sights in New Zealand’s North Island and is the home of Lady Knox geyser.
Itinerary idea: East Cape Explorer
New Zealand is the perfect country for a self-drive holiday whether you choose to travel by car, 4×4 or motorhome, and there are incredible scenery and open roads all over the country to enjoy and experience at your own pace. One of our favourite areas is the Mackenzie Country – the area of South Island around Mt Cook/Aoraki, New Zealand’s highest mountain. The jagged snowy mountain peaks are interspersed with golden tussock grass meadows, turquoise lakes offer plenty of opportunities for you to get out and walk.
Explore diverse landscapes from north to south islands of New Zealand on this 15 day ultimate hiking adventure.
From £6767 Excluding Flights
Specially designed for solo travellers, share this comprehensive exploration of the South Island with fellow-adventurers.
From £3410 Excluding Flights
Explore with your own 4x4 and hike some of New Zealand's best backcountry trails.
From £4619
The ultimate self drive covering a lot of ground but with plenty of time to relax too.
From £4199
Experience spectacular rail journeys and boat cruises on this escorted group tour.
From £5450 Excluding Flights
This motorhome itinerary offers you a wonderfully independent self-drive holiday.
From £2184
Explore New Zealand in depth on this well-paced self-drive allowing you to immerse yourself in the country's plentiful wonders.
From £4666
Discover one of New Zealand's seldom explored regions on this 14-day self-drive holiday following the Pacific Coast Highway around the East Cape of North Island.
From £2444 Excluding Flights
This two-week self-drive holiday takes in the highlights of the North Island.
From £1966 Excluding Flights
Track down New Zealand's endemic wildlife on this self drive nature tour.
From £5037 Excluding Flights
Iconic moments come thick and fast in New Zealand. This was certainly the experience of Travel Specialist, Trudy’s, recent trip. As one icon followed another, she recalls her highlights...
Our Travel Specialists are experts in creating tailor made holidays fitting in with your key interests, must-see places, special occasions, family commitments and specific time frames. That’s exactly the kind of personalised service Sue Sparks enjoyed on her recent trip to New Zealand…
There are 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia and a further three in New Zealand - read our guide showcasing the seven sites we think you should consider when planning your holiday Down Under.
Add a glamourous 'night in nature' into your tailor made New Zealand holiday - find out what Head of Product, Liz, made of a night in Atatu Purepod in the Greta Valley, north of Christchurch on South Island.
Discover Australia and New Zealand's 'eight greats' with our in-house Travel Writer, Will Gray.
Travel writer William Gray explains why we should pack our bags and head for NZ in a dozen reasons... just for starters.
How much do you really know about New Zealand? It is a county with plenty of cinematic acclaim (often dubbed the ‘other Hollywood’), home to incredible landscapes and exotic wildlife. It has developed a distinctive personality since the Maori first set eyes on the islands about 1000 years ago and is a land of many interesting quirks that will impress any travel and trivia enthusiast. Read on to find out more...
