10-Day North and South Island Connection ★ South Island Central & East 7-Day Gourmet Tour + North Island Mercedes 4-Day Tour
Explore the South Island’s central and eastern highlights and the North Island by Mercedes tour. This 10-day itinerary combines scenic lakes and mountains, wildlife, Māori culture, geothermal attractions and distinctive meals.
Highlights
- Lake Tekapo, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Pukaki and Wanaka
- Milford Sound cruise, Oamaru blue penguins and Dunedin
- Hobbiton, Mitai Māori Village, Wai-O-Tapu and Agrodome
Daily Itinerary
Arrive in Christchurch, the ‘Garden City’ in the South Pacific, a city with British heritage, modern energy and a distinctive calm. Your private guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. After some time to rest, explore the leafy city or stroll nearby streets at your leisure. Tip: If your flight arrives before 12 or after 18:30, please check with us in advance about pickup or alternative transport. Hotel: 3–4-star Christchurch hotel Lunch: at own expense; dinner: at own expense.
After breakfast, your guide will show you the beautiful city. Walk through the historic Arts Centre, admire the Avon River and pass the Bridge of Remembrance, a symbol of resilience and remembrance, to experience the city’s heritage and peaceful atmosphere. After lunch, set off for dreamlike Lake Tekapo. Glacial rock flour on the lakebed gives its water a beautiful turquoise colour, framed by snow-capped mountains. Visit the lakeside landmark, the Church of the Good Shepherd, whose stone chapel appears especially serene beneath the lake and night sky. In the evening, enjoy sashimi made from salmon described as coming from the world’s highest-altitude salmon farm. Stay in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with a chance to see the brilliant Milky Way and stars. Hotel: distinctive homestay (one whole house per party is not guaranteed; each party is guaranteed a private bedroom). Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch: at own expense; dinner: alpine salmon buffet.
After breakfast at the hotel, travel to scenic Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, in the heart of the Southern Alps. Mountains and snow-covered peaks line the way. In fine weather, you may choose, at your own expense, to take a helicopter flight over glaciers for views of the snow-covered ranges and Aoraki/Mount Cook. Continue to colourful Lake Pukaki, whose clear, jade-like water is one of the best places to photograph Aoraki/Mount Cook’s reflection. Then visit New Zealand’s fourth-largest lake, Lake Wanaka, and its iconic solitary tree standing in the water, one of the country’s best-known photographic spots. Stroll beside the lake and enjoy the relaxed local atmosphere. Arrive in the evening in Queenstown, New Zealand’s renowned resort beside Lake Wakatipu, celebrated as a honeymoon destination for its romantic mountain-and-lake scenery. Hotel: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park or similar. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch: at own expense; dinner: at own expense.
Enjoy a free day in scenic Queenstown, a lakeside town among the mountains, celebrated as one of the world’s most beautiful holiday destinations. Relax or choose activities to suit your interests. Film fans may visit storybook Glenorchy, a filming location for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Adventure seekers can choose skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding or jet boating. For a gentler pace, take the gondola for panoramic views, fly by helicopter over snowy mountains and glaciers, or sample local wine. You may also stroll the town, watch street performers and enjoy cafés, sunshine and lake breezes. Try the renowned Fergburger, a handmade burger with a crisp, juicy bite. Hotel: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park or similar. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch and dinner at own expense.
After breakfast, drive to Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders. The route is hailed as one of the world’s most beautiful alpine roads, passing dramatic valleys and pristine temperate rainforest. Board the ★ Milford Sound cruise for a peaceful yet spectacular voyage. Enjoy a buffet lunch on board while sailing past towering snow-capped mountains, cascading waterfalls and sculpted cliffs. The vessel approaches a waterfall so you can feel the cool spray of glacial water. Seals may be seen basking, and dolphins may play alongside the boat. In the evening, arrive at tranquil Lake Te Anau and check in at a lakeside hotel. After dark, you may choose, at your own expense, to take a boat to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves and see their points of light glittering like a galaxy underground. Hotel: Kingsgate Hotel Te Anau or similar. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch: cruise buffet; dinner: Fiordland lobster meal.
After breakfast, head to Dunedin, known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South’, with its strong Scottish culture and architecture and distinctly European character. Visit the University of Otago, New Zealand’s oldest tertiary institution, and admire its Gothic architecture; see Dunedin Railway Station, reminiscent of a gingerbread house, as well as grand churches and city landmarks. Then visit Baldwin Street, listed by Guinness as the world’s steepest street, where you can experience its striking incline. Pass the scenic Moeraki Boulders coast and take in the rocks and waves of the South Pacific. In the evening, arrive in Oamaru and visit the ★ blue penguin colony. From viewing seats, watch the world’s smallest penguins return from the sea to their nests. Enjoy a Māori-style hot-stone barbecue buffet, with meat and seafood cooked using heated geothermal stones, accompanied by side dishes and dessert. Hotel: Heritage Court Motor Lodge Oamaru or similar. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch: Chinese; dinner: Māori hot-stone barbecue.
After breakfast, return from Oamaru to Christchurch through South Island countryside. Fly to Auckland on the North Island, where your guide will meet you and take you to the hotel. Hotel: M Social Auckland, city-centre 5-star, or similar. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch: at own expense; dinner: at own expense.
In the morning, visit ★ Hobbiton, a filming location for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Cross picturesque pastureland and see Bag End, Hobbit holes, the Green Dragon Inn, the mill and the Party Tree. Enjoy a buffet lunch and a glass of apple cider in a distinctive tent restaurant. In the afternoon, travel to Rotorua, the Māori heartland and geothermal capital. Visit the Government Gardens and stroll by the lake to enjoy the scenery and Rotorua’s distinctive atmosphere. In the evening, immerse yourself in Māori culture at ★ Mitai Māori Village. Watch warriors paddle a canoe downstream, Māori song and dance and the Haka, and hear Māori history and legends. Then enjoy a Māori buffet prepared using the traditional Hāngi earth-oven method, including meat, chicken and sweet potato. After dinner, walk through the forest to see an old village site and sacred spring, and watch glowworms illuminate the forest stream. Hotel: Princes Gate or similar 5-star hotel. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch: Green Dragon Inn Western-style; dinner: Māori buffet.
After breakfast, visit ★Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, known for vivid mineral pools and geothermal scenery. See the famous Champagne Pool, where bubbles continually rise through the water. Continue to Lake Taupō, New Zealand’s largest lake; lunch is at your own expense, with the distinctive McDonald’s airplane restaurant, converted from a retired C3 aircraft, as one option. Visit Huka Falls and New Zealand’s geothermal power station. Huka Falls is a popular photo stop, where up to 22 ten-thousand litres of water plunge over the cliff each second. Return to Rotorua in the afternoon. After dinner, you may visit the lakeside pools at the Polynesian Spa, described as one of the world’s top 10 geothermal spas, at your own expense. Hotel: Princes Gate or similar 5-star hotel. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch at own expense; dinner: Buddha-jumps-over-the-wall soup and venison specialty.
After breakfast, visit ★Agrodome for a mini farm tour. Ride a dedicated tractor across its 350-acre green farm and meet alpacas, cows, sheep and other animals. At midday, enjoy a Western-style lunch at the award-winning summit-view restaurant on Mount Ngongotahā, overlooking Rotorua’s lakes, city, mountains and forest. Return to Auckland in the afternoon, concluding the North Island tour. Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch: Western two-course meal; dinner at own expense.
Price Table
| Item | Price NZD |
|---|---|
| Adult | NZ$3800 |
| Child aged 12-4 sharing with one adult (child rate per person) | NZ$3420 |
| Child aged 12-4 sharing with two adults (child rate per person) | NZ$3040 |
| Child aged 4-2 | NZ$2660 |
| Child under 2, no bed (seat only; no other services) | NZ$1210 |
| Single-room supplement | NZ$1200 |
Departure Dates
2026-10-25 2026-11-08 2026-11-22 2026-12-06 2026-12-20 (Christmas surcharge NZD 260) 2027-01-03 2027-01-17 2027-01-31 (Lunar New Year surcharge NZD 180) 2027-02-14 2027-02-28 2027-03-14
Included
- 1. Accommodation: 8 nights in 3–5-star hotels with breakfast and 1 night in a distinctive homestay with breakfast.
- 2. Meals listed in the itinerary. For Chinese group meals when the group exceeds 6 people: 6 guests receive 6 dishes and 1 soup; 7 guests receive 7 dishes and 1 soup; groups of 8 or more receive 8 dishes and 1 soup.
- 3. Transport: 12–41-seat vehicle throughout, with a Chinese-speaking driver-guide working ten hours per day; overtime costs NZD 150, paid in cash to the guide.
- 4. First-entry admission to 6 attractions: Milford Sound cruise and lunch; blue penguin reserve; Hobbiton; Mitai Māori Village; Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland; Agrodome farm tour.
- 5. During Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year, adults and children must pay an additional holiday surcharge. Ask sales for details.
Not Included
- 1. Guide gratuities (recommended NZD 6 per person per day).
- 2. Lunches and dinners at own expense, airfare, visa fees and optional activities.
- 3. Additional costs resulting from circumstances beyond human control (for example, weather or hotel-room issues).
- 4. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Notes
2026.10–2027.03 (Sunday departures). 3–4-star itinerary, NZD 3,800 per person. Twin-share price per person; prices in NZD. Bookings within 10 days of departure may incur hotel surcharges. Contact your sales consultant with questions. Special reminders: 1. Hotel ratings may change with booking availability. If rooms are unavailable or hotel surcharges apply during major events or public holidays, the final confirmed quotation prevails. 2. If three guests request the same room, the company will arrange a triple room accommodating 3 adults. Configurations include, but are not limited to, 3 single beds, 2 double beds, or 1 double bed with 1 small bed, sofa bed or rollaway. For two guests requesting a double room, the bed is New Zealand standard double size, 137 cm × 187 cm. Twin-room configurations include, but are not limited to, 2 single beds or 1 double bed with 1 small bed. State special requests at booking; the company will try to accommodate them. The company retains final interpretation of room allocation; guests may not object or withdraw on this basis. 3. Complimentary airport transfers are provided only on the tour start and end dates. See the itinerary for transfer times and locations. Guests who miss the scheduled meeting time must catch up with the group at their own expense. 4. The company may adjust the itinerary because of flights, hotels, weather or other circumstances beyond human control. 5. Guests are strongly advised to purchase travel and personal belongings insurance. The local operator does not bear the resulting costs. Cancellation and changes: A 50% deposit per person is payable on quotation confirmation; the balance must be paid 21 days before departure. Cancellation for any reason or booking changes 30–15 days before departure, inclusive, incur a charge of 30% of the tour fare. At 14–8 days before departure, inclusive, the charge is 50%. Cancellation or changes within 7 days before departure, inclusive, receive no refund. The same refund rules apply if an epidemic prevents travel. The company is not responsible for guests who fail to meet the guide on time for personal reasons. All activities depend on local conditions. Weather or flights may require sightseeing adjustments; the company retains final decision and interpretation rights. Fully booked listed hotels may be replaced with hotels of the same standard. Booking conditions: Hotel ratings may change with availability. If rooms are unavailable or surcharges apply during major events or public holidays, the final confirmed quotation prevails. Smoking is prohibited inside hotel rooms and on balconies. Hotel smoking fines start at NZD 500. The person responsible for the room must pay any fine issued. If payment is refused, the operator's agreement with the hotel allows the hotel to submit the matter to the New Zealand small claims tribunal. Subsequent fines, litigation, visa and entry or exit issues are the individual's responsibility. Guests prone to motion sickness should bring medication and a sick bag. Conditions and limitations: The itinerary may change because of weather. If force majeure prevents an attraction visit, its fee will be refunded or a product of equivalent value arranged. Shopping during free time is a personal activity unrelated to the operator. Insurance: Travel insurance is strongly recommended to cover unexpected costs, including extra transport, cancellation fees and lost valuables. Guests who voluntarily decline insurance must bear resulting costs, including extra transport, accommodation, cancellation fees and lost valuables. If weather, war, strikes, earthquakes or other force majeure prevents travel, unused attraction tickets will be refunded according to the travel agency agreement. Other items follow supplier policies. No refund applies when guests voluntarily abandon the tour for personal reasons. The operator has limited responsibility for only the listed services and matters. It does not accept responsibility for matters outside this description, including interpersonal or personal issues, unforeseen incidents, legal or criminal matters and religious beliefs. All prices marked NZD or $ are New Zealand dollars. All conditions, limitations and itinerary descriptions are governed and protected by New Zealand laws and regulations. All text, pictures, logos and icons are copyrighted by the operator; unauthorized copying is prohibited. If an updated itinerary is available, its latest description prevails.
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A local Mandarin-speaking team, fully licensed (Qualmark / TAANZ / IATA), with itineraries you can verify.
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Departure info
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