Grand Pacific Tours - 9 Day Ultimate North Island Itinerary

‘Haere Mai’ … Welcome to New Zealand!

You will be picked up at the airport and transferred to your hotel and, depending at what time you'll arrive, will then have some time to explore the city of Auckland before meeting your travelling companions over a complimentary pre dinner drink.

Activities and sightseeing options if you have time:

Meals: Dinner (not included for anyone arriving later than 8pm)

Accommodation: Auckland - 1 Night 

Board the luxurious ultimate Coach, depart Auckland and to Matakohe to enjoy a visit and informative talk at the Kauri Museum. Travel via Whangarei to Paihia, situated in the heart of the beautiful Bay of Islands. Enjoy a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the location of the signing of the treaty between the Māori tribes and the British. 

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Paihia - 2 Nights

The beaches in this region are considered some of the world’s finest with their perfect white sand and crystal-clear water. Rich in culture, history and natural resources, Paihia is the place of friendly locals, happy cafes and people enjoying life whether it is swimming with dolphins, taking in a spot of retail therapy, bush walking or just lazing on the beach. The Bay of Islands, with shimmering safe waters and superb beaches has plenty of recreational activities in among the 144 islands: sail, fish, swim, dive, snorkel, charter a launch or paddle a sea kayak around the islands. Paihia is the perfect stepping stone into the Bay of Islands, and a wonderful place for people of all ages to visit.

Excursions available around the Bay of Islands

Meals: Breakfast

Your morning starts aboard a luxury catamaran to cruise around Cape Brett and the famous 'Hole in the Rock'. This 4-hour cruise includes a stopover on Urupukapuka Island. After returning to Paihia, farewell the Bay of Islands and drive south via Whangarei, Wellsford and Warkworth to Auckland .This evening is free to dine at leisure. 

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Auckland - 1 Night 

This morning enjoy a city sights tour of Auckland including a visit to the Sky Tower. We continue onto Hobbiton™ for a buffet lunch before discovering the real Middle-earth when you visit the Movie Set from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy on a fascinating guided tour. You can now venture beyond the door and into an authentic Hobbit Hole interior for a fully immersive experience.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Rotorua - 2 Nights

Today begins with a gondola ride at the Skyline Rotorua for breakfast, with spectacular views and time for a thrilling luge ride! Next stop is the Agrodome for an action packed hour of farming entertainment and education that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before. Enjoy some free time this afternoon before travelling to Te Puia to see the boiling mud pools and awesome geysers that Rotorua is famous for. This evening you will experience an entertaining Maori cultural performance which features the graceful poi dance and the ferocious haka. This is followed by a Hangi feast prepared in the traditional way, over hot coals and buried in the ground.

This evening is rounded off by visiting the Pohutu Geyser, illuminated beneath a starry sky.

Meals: Breakfast, Specialty Dinner

Depart Rotorua and travel along the Thermal Explorer Highway to Huka Falls and Lake Taupo. Continue to Napier known as “The Art Deco Capital”, where the most comprehensive collection of art deco buildings in the world can be found. Hear informative commentary of the city’s fascinating history. Enjoy some free time this afternoon to explore the MTG Hawkes Bay or to take a guided walk at your leisure (optional).

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Napier - 1 Night 

Travel south this morning into Wellington for a city tour of the nation’s capital which will highlight the history and culture on show here. A highlight this afternoon will be time to explore Gallipoli: A Scale of War exhibition at Te Papa, New Zealand’s National Museum. Cutting edge technology brings these stories to life through the eyes of New Zealanders who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner including selected beverages with your newfound friends. 

Meals: Breakfast, Specialty Dinner

Accommodation: Wellington- 1 Night

Haere rā and Bon Voyage!

We are sure you will enjoy the 'Ultimate New Zealand North Island Luxury Coach Tour' - and our promise is to make your travels through New Zealand as hassle-free and hospitable as possible - ensuring that today you leave with plenty of photos, and huge smiles on your faces when recalling your time in New Zealand! Have a great homeward journey, farewell and hope to see you again soon in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Meals: Breakfast

Itinerary Variations:
The provider strives to improve trip itineraries. If improvements can be made, or if circumstances beyond their control make changes necessary, the provider reserves the right to vary itineraries and to make substitutions.