Best of New Zealand Self Drive

Arrive in Auckland

Arrive at Auckland Airport, collect your rental vehicle, and drive to your accommodation. Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, nestled between two harbors with beautiful sandy shores on the east and rugged black-sand surf beaches on the west. Don't miss the opportunity to explore the sparkling blue waters and emerald islands during your stay. Overnight in Auckland.

Overnight stay in Auckland.

Auckland - Waitomo - Hobbiton - Rotorua

Embark on a journey through the rolling green hills of Waitomo, where you'll discover an underground wonderland of caves adorned with glowworms that resemble galaxies. Continue to Matamata for an enchanting tour of Hobbit homes, gardens, and the iconic watering hole seen in the movies. Conclude your visually captivating day in Rotorua, a destination known for its geothermal wonders. Overnight in Rotorua.

Overnight stay in Rotorua.

Includes Breakfast

Rotorua

Rotorua is surrounded by a captivating geothermal landscape featuring steam vents, geysers, bubbling mud pools, freshwater lakes, and native forests steeped in Maori myths and legends. Late afternoon you'll visit one of the local geothermal attractions for a guided tour through the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, the Kiwi Conservation Centre and the geothermal valley.  Then enjoy a Hangi Dinner overlooking the valley and geyser, followed by a 40 minute cultural performance. The evening culminates with hot chocolate and pudding on the geyser terrace.

Overnight stay in Rotorua.

Includes Breakfast

Rotorua - Napier

There's a bit of everything on today’s drive past Great Lake Taupo to Napier.   Your scenic journey includes volcanic geography, fresh forest plantations, rugged hills, beautiful valleys, gentle plains and huge vistas.  Following an earthquake in 1931, a rebuild saw Napier completely redesigned in the style of the times.  Buildings were constructed in the Art Deco style with Maori motifs to give the city a unique New Zealand character.  Today, the delightful seaside city of Napier has the extra-ordinary feeling of a time capsule with its seamless line of some of the world's finest 1930's architecture.  Enjoy a guided tour of Napier's unique history and architecture. 

Overnight stay in Napier.

Includes Breakfast

Napier - Wellington

Today's travel south may be via the spectacular Manawatu Gorge or through the beautiful Tuki Tuki Valley and Wairarapa Wine region to reach Wellington. Set between a sparkling harbour and rolling green hills the compact city of Wellington is best explored on foot. Great shopping, arts culture, cafes, and restaurants are all within minutes of the city’s untouched nature spots. Te Papa, New Zealand's National Museum offers FREE admission but you might like to include a guided tour for a greater insight into New Zealand's rich history and culture.

Overnight stay in Wellington. 

.Includes Breakfast

Wellington - Picton - Blenheim

New Zealand's North and South Islands are separated by three hours of sensational scenery and ocean fresh air. Departing Wellington, your ship will ferry you across the Cook Strait, past the beautiful beaches, bays, and coves of the Marlborough Sound to the historic port town of Picton. With its rugged mountain ranges and fertile plains, Marlborough has a lot to offer with its water, wilderness, and wine. A short drive takes you to the compact town center of Blenheim. 

Overnight stay in Blenheim 

.Includes Breakfast

Blenheim - Kaikoura - Christchurch

The Pacific Coast Road to Christchurch presents one of New Zealand's most dramatic drives with breathtaking mountains on one side and a wild pounding ocean on the other. The seaside settlement of Kaikoura is set midway and overlooked by majestic mountains. The unique marine geography at this location provides the perfect environment for Sperm Whales and other marine life. On to Christchurch, a vibrant, ever-changing city with inner city parks and gardens delightfully interwoven by the meandering Avon River.

Overnight stay in Christchurch.

Includes Breakfast

Christchurch - Greymouth

Depart across the Canterbury Plains, a fertile patchwork made with every shade of green, through the spectacular scenery of Arthurs Pass National Park and on to the West Coast. New Zealand’s rugged West Coast is a wild and untamed place known for its rivers, rainforests, glaciers, and geological treasures. Here, mighty rivers of solid white ice, relics of the world’s last ice age, tumble down the rocky valleys. 

Overnight stay in Greymouth.

.Includes Breakfast

Greymouth - Glacier Region

A temperate climate at a low altitude makes Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers among the most convenient to visit in the world. Steep valleys bear scars from where glaciers have retreated and advanced over millennia and here, the ice age is still underway.  For an absolute bucket list experience, add a scenic flight with a glacier landing and a thrilling hike to your itinerary.

Overnight stay in Glacier Region.

.Includes Breakfast

Glacier Region - Queenstown

Travel through wilderness towns, waterfalls, and river scenery on today’s scenic journey to Queenstown. We recommend stopping for a break, and stretching the legs, at Makarora’s Blue Pools. After settling in at your Queenstown accommodation, make your way to the Skyline Base for a Gondola Ride to the top of Bob’s Peak and enjoy some spectacular panoramic views high above Queenstown. You might also like to add some Luge rides to your bucket list for some extra fun.

Overnight stay in Queenstown.

.Includes Breakfast

Queenstown

Magnificent vistas and majestic mountains dominate this compact alpine resort town and with such an expansive natural physical environment it is not surprising that Queenstown has been described as the Adventure Capital of the World.

Overnight stay in Queenstown.

Includes Breakfast

Queenstown - Tekapo Region/Mt Cook

Today’s journey takes you to a scenic wonderland with golden tussocks, snow-capped mountains, and turquoise lakes. Hug the shores of beautiful Lake Pukaki to a rugged land of ice and rock, home to Aoraki Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain. 

Overnight stay in Tekapo/Mt Cook.

Includes Breakfast

Tekapo Region/Mt Cook - Christchurch

Today you’ll enjoy admission to the Darky Sky Project for a greater understanding of the night sky. Be sure to stop for a while at Lake Tekapo where the ‘Church of the Good Shepherd’ takes pride of place against the backdrop of a vivid blue glacier-fed lake. Then continue north east where braided rivers and familiar plains will signal your arrival back into Christchurch. Make a visit to the International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch either today or tomorrow for an icy insight into this astounding continent. 

Overnight stay in Christchurch.

Includes Breakfast

Departure

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, check out, and transfer to the airport for your flight back to India.
Includes Breakfast