New Zealand On Tour

Whether you travel to New Zealand to make the most of the country’s adventure sports scene, take in the spectacular scenery or visit Bilbo’s home in Hobbiton, there is a tour ideal for you with plenty of options beginning and ending in the major cities of Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown.

Travel to New Zealand for adventure, spectacular scenery and Maori culture

New Zealand tour packages cover one or both of the islands that comprise the Land of the Long White Cloud, with the convenience of scheduled ferries and flights between the islands, included national park entrance fees, and discounts on adventure activities. Travellers on New Zealand vacations enjoy exclusive eco-accommodation and traditional Maori Marae stays, as well as home-hosted dinners, Maori Hangi feasts and traditional Kiwi roast lamb meals with the famously contentious dish of pavlova for desert.

A quick visit to our tour comparison New Zealand will show action-packed itineraries with rugby lessons at the NZ Sports Academy, Lord of the Rings movie set tours, greenstone carving and sheep shearing demonstrations, Maori cultural tours including participation in Kapa Haka performances, visits to the world’s steepest street: Baldwin Street, and entrance to the Te Papa Museum.

All transport is organised with photo stops planned along the many scenic drives inevitable on any New Zealand vacation, with the opportunity to ride the picturesque TranzAlpine train route, and stopovers in Oamaru, Moeraki, Victoria, Alexandra, Mitre Peak and more. All New Zealand tour packages include knowledgeable local guides for city tours of Auckland, Wellington, Blenheim and Dunedin.

When you travel to New Zealand you also enjoy plenty of choice, with optional excursions such as the Waitamo Caves, whale watching, helicopter rides, lake cruises, rides on the iconic shotover jet, bungee jumping, skydiving, luging, canyon swings, black water rafting and zorbing.

Itching to plan your trip? Take a look at our tour comparison New Zealand and find the right itinerary for you.

Want a taste of that insider New Zealand tourism knowledge we mentioned before? We have collected the best facts from real life tour guides. Impress them on tour with how much you already know.

• New Zealand boasts many nicknames and associations, having been referred to as God’s Own Country and Middle Earth, along with the official nickname taken from the Maori name for the country, which translates to ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’.
• The Southern Cross constellation of stars is a prominent feature in southern hemisphere skies, and is included on the New Zealand flag.
• New Zealand is split into two distinct main islands: North and South, with the windy capital of Wellington located on the North Island.
• The North Island is home to many spectacular natural features, such as the trails on the Bay of Islands, Waikato River and Lake Taupo – where trout fishing and skydiving are two of the most popular activities, the geysers and mud baths at Te Pula in Rotorua, the glow worm caves in Waitomo and the beaches in Tauranga.
• Historically important New Zealanders include suffragettes Whina Cooper and Kate Sheppard, the Gestapo’s most wanted person toward the end of WWII Nancy Wake, architect of Welfare State Michael Joseph Savage, and Maori campaigners Wiremu Tamihana and Apirana Ngata.
• The diverse ‘City of Sails’, Auckland, is the most populous city in New Zealand with almost 1.5 million people – more than 30% of the country’s population.
• The fictional town of Hobbiton, built for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, is located not far south of Matamata and remains open to visitors.
• The Haka is famously recognisable as part of the pre-game procedure for all New Zealand sporting teams, particularly the All Blacks, but began as a sacred war dance with different varieties between tribes.

• The seaport city of Napier is home to wool and fine wine production, along with unique 1930s Art Deco architecture and one of the country’s most photographed attractions, Pania of the Reef.
• Tongariro National Park is home to hot volcanoes and, in epic contrast, ski slopes during the colder months – but you may recognise it as the set used for Mordor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
• Dolphin Pelorus Jack became famous for escorting ships through part of the Cook Strait between 1988 and 1912.
• The larger South Island is perhaps even more naturally spectacular than the North, and is home to scenic national parks near Nelson, mirror fjords in Milford Sound park, vast lakes such as Ohau, Pukaki, Tekapo and Geraldine, and the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers.
• Resort epicentre Queenstown boasts arguably one of the most scenic locations of any city in the world, with spectacular mountains The Remarkables and the clear waters of Lake Wakatipu home to the iconic shotover jet rides.
• New Zealand’s commonwealth links are in evidence at places like the English gardens in Christchurch and the city of Dunedin, whose name is the old Gaelic for Edinburgh.
• The South Island is home to plenty of outdoor adventure, including the hiking peaks at Aoraki Mt. Cook, biking and kayaking in Wanaka, whale and dolphin spotting in Kaikoura.
• The TranzAlpine rail journey departs from Christchurch and runs through Arthur’s Pass National Park, transporting visitors into the heart of the Park while enjoying spectacular views.

• ‘World Famous in New Zealand’ is a term created to market the iconic NZ drink L&P (Lemon & Paeroa), since become applicable to almost anything famous in New Zealand that is unknown in the rest of the world.
• New Zealand may be a small country, but it boasts the world’s longest place name: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu.
• New Zealand’s spectacular natural beauty made it an ideal setting for the filming of many famous movies, including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and King Kong.
• Director Peter Jackson and actor Russell Crowe are both from New Zealand.
• Musical talents hailing from New Zealand include opera’s Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, singer Dave Dobbyn, and bands Crowded House and Flight of the Conchords.
• Rugby and the national team, the All Blacks, are a crucial part of New Zealand culture, and the country has produced many world-renowned players such as Richie McCaw and Jonah Lomu.
• New Zealand’s love for adrenalin-pumping sports is characterised by the likes of A.J. Hackett, who popularised bungee jumping; the first to summit Mt Everest Sir Edmund Hilary, and yachtsman Sir Peter Blake.
• Iconic brands to come out of New Zealand include Canterbury, Kathmandu and Swanndri.