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New Zealand Grandeur
New Zealand

New Zealand Grandeur

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Personal planning

Speak with a Destination Expert who knows the region.

A real conversation with someone who understands pace, routing, hotels, and the details that make a trip feel personal.

  • Colin RoweColin R.Oceania
  • Kathryn McCueKathryn M.Africa, Oceania

Overview

From mornings casting for trout or mustering sheep to afternoons lingering in wine cellars and evenings beside a crackling lodge fire, this is New Zealand as it should be traveled. By helicopter, jet boat, horseback, ATV, and on foot, as scenery shifts from rugged to refined, no day feels quite like the last.

Listen to our New Zealand Grandeur audio itinerary
New Zealand Grandeur
Day by day

Your journey, day by day

  1. Day 1

    Welcome to Auckland

    Your first afternoon offers an immersive introduction to Auckland and the landscapes that define it. With your private guide, trace the city’s harbors and coastlines, pause at viewpoints shaped by ancient volcanic activity, and gain insight into the Polynesian and Māori influences woven throughout New Zealand’s largest city before settling into The Hotel Britomart on the waterfront.

  2. Day 2

    Waiheke Island Paradise Tour

    A scenic ferry ride carries you across the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island, where vineyard-covered hills meet sheltered bays and stretches of white sand. Taste your way through boutique wineries, linger over a leisurely lunch overlooking the coast, and slip into the island’s relaxed, bohemian pace.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch

  3. Day 3

    Auckland to Taupo

    A short flight and scenic drive bring you to Huka Lodge, set along the deep blue waters of the Waikato River and close to the thundering cascade of Huka Falls. Suites open directly to the riverbank, inviting peaceful mornings filled with birdsong, leisurely afternoons beside the burbling river, and evenings that linger over elegant dining.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  4. Day 4

    Huka Lodge Day at Leisure

    Today is yours to shape at Huka Lodge. Stay close with time in the gardens, beside the pool, or over a relaxed game of pétanque. Or set out in search of adventure, with fly fishing, river rafting, jet boating, and golf all within reach.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  5. Day 5

    Huka Lodge Day at Leisure

    A second full day here invites you to follow your mood. Chase exhilaration, embrace relaxation, or find a little of both.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  6. Day 6

    Taupo to Wellington

    Today’s transfer is an experience in itself as a private helicopter traces Wellington’s rugged coastline and the sweeping curve of Palliser Bay before touching down at Wharekauhau Country Estate. Set across more than 5,000 acres of working sheep station with rivers, forests, lakes, and expansive Pacific views, the lodge offers a warm Kiwi welcome.

    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  7. Day 7

    Wharekauhau Farm Tour

    Today offers a glimpse into one of New Zealand’s defining traditions. Step into daily life on a working Romney sheep farm, from mustering to shearing, while taking in the idyllic surrounding scenery. Spring visits come with an especially charming addition: newborn lambs scattered across emerald hillsides.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  8. Day 8

    Wharekauhau Day at Leisure

    Spend the day enjoying Wharekauhau as you wish. Venture across the estate’s 5,000 acres by foot, mountain bike, or ATV, tracing paths through ancient forest, past quiet lakes, and toward the wild Pacific coast, or embrace a slower rhythm with a treatment at Hauora Spa inspired by the Māori philosophy of total wellbeing.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  9. Day 9

    Wellington to Christchurch

    Today marks your transition from the North Island to the South. Set within a restored Victorian homestead surrounded by historic gardens, Otahuna Lodge offers a timeless and quietly grand retreat.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  10. Day 10

    Otahuna Lodge Day at Leisure

    The grounds reward a long morning wander. In spring, hundreds of thousands of daffodils brighten the historic gardens, while winding paths lead through garden rooms and quiet pockets of woodland. Beyond the lodge, options include a scenic rail journey through the Southern Alps, a dolphin-spotting harbor cruise, fly fishing nearby rivers, hiking, biking, or a wine tour through the Waipara Valley.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner

  11. Day 11

    Christchurch to Flockhill

    The drive west crosses the Canterbury Plains before climbing into the Southern Alps via Arthur's Pass. Glacial rivers, silver beech forest, and the still waters of Lake Pearson mark the approach to Flockhill Lodge, a refined retreat set within a working high-country sheep station.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  12. Day 12

    Flockhill Day at Leisure

    Spend the day getting to know Flockhill beyond the lodge itself. Join shepherds and their dogs for a sheep muster, linger over morning tea beside Lake Pearson, or set out across the station by horseback, mountain bike, ATV, or on foot to experience the scale and quiet beauty of New Zealand’s high country.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner

  13. Day 13

    Flockhill Day at Leisure

    Another day at Flockhill invites you to venture further afield. Explore more of Canterbury through experiences tailored to your interests, from seasonal adventures like heli-skiing to wine tasting, golf, and exclusive excursions designed around the way you like to travel.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner

  14. Day 14

    Flockhill to Blanket Bay

    A short flight brings you to Queenstown before a scenic drive follows the shoreline of Lake Wakatipu north to Blanket Bay. Set where mountains rise directly from the water, the lodge feels wonderfully secluded and perfectly placed for what lies ahead.
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner

  15. Day 15

    Milford Ultimate Helicopter Excursion

    A sip from an alpine lake. A stroll on a beach so remote few people have set foot here before. A champagne toast atop blue ice. Today, New Zealand expands in every direction as Milford Sound, towering rainforest-covered fjords, and ancient glacial ice reveal the kind of grandeur that is difficult to comprehend until you stand within its silence.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner

  16. Day 16

    Boutique Wine Tour

    Trade glaciers for wine country as you settle into a slower rhythm in Central Otago, home to some of the world’s southernmost Pinot Noir. With your specialist wine guide, venture beyond the main routes to visit boutique producers across contrasting sub-regions, lingering over tastings shaped as much by landscape as the stories and people behind each bottle.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner

  17. Day 17

    Blanket Bay to Queenstown Airport

    Today we bid farewell to New Zealand with a clear understanding of why people come back.
    • Breakfast

Pricing

Package level

Luxury

Prices are approximations and may vary with exchange-rate adjustments. Each itinerary can be customized around your interests, pace, and preferred hotels.
Twin Share
5/1/2026 - 8/31/2026$26,285 p/p
9/1/2026 - 9/30/2026$26,680 p/p
10/1/2026 - 10/31/2026$30,295 p/p
11/1/2026 - 11/30/2026$33,000 p/p
12/1/2026 - 12/31/2026$32,280 p/p
1/1/2027 - 2/28/2027$41,100 p/p
3/1/2027 - 3/31/2027$38,260 p/p
Single Traveler
5/1/2026 - 8/31/2026$51,590 p/p
9/1/2026 - 9/30/2026$52,380 p/p
10/1/2026 - 10/31/2026$59,615 p/p
11/1/2026 - 11/30/2026$65,025 p/p
12/1/2026 - 12/31/2026$63,580 p/p
1/1/2027 - 2/28/2027$77,575 p/p
3/1/2027 - 3/31/2027$75,540 p/p


Good to know

Terms and conditions

Prices are per person, twin/double share in USD. All highlighted savings are reflected in the price. Price does not include airfare unless otherwise stated. Travel may be limited to certain days of the week. Hotels and tours remain subject to availability. Cancellation penalties and other booking or alteration restrictions may exist. Please note blackout dates may apply to Christmas, New Year and local special event periods. Pricing may increase over Holiday and special event periods and may not be reflected in price grid. Prices indicated remain subject to change without notice. Prices are not guaranteed until full payment is received and processed. CST #2012413-20 See our full Terms and Conditions: www.swaindestinations.com/terms
Make it yours

Start with this itinerary, then make it yours.

Every Swain Destinations trip is fully customizable. Speak with a Destination Expert about pace, hotels, dining, and experiences.

  • Garry PlantGarry P.Oceania