Luxury New Zealand self-drive tour

Spend the day at leisure exploring the bustling city of Auckland. We recommend taking the ferry to Waiheke Island for wine tasting or exploring the vibrant Viaduct Harbour, home to the Auckland fish market and the New Zealand Maritime Museum.

Today, you will collect your vehicle and head south out of Auckland, through the Waikato district of the North Island and into the small town of Lake Taupo. You will spend the next two nights exploring the beautiful mountain and lake town.

Early this morning, enjoy a half-day privately guided fly-fishing tour around Taupo. You will spend the first hour learning about your equipment and how to cast the rod before stepping into the mountain-fed river or lake to try and catch freshwater brown and rainbow trout. Afterwards, you will have the rest of the day to explore the region, and we recommend stopping by Huka Falls to see the massive waterfall that crashes into a turbulent pool just below.

Depart Lake Taupo and make your way east to Hawke’s Bay, home to New Zealand’s second-largest wine region. Here, you will find the Art Deco themed town of Napier and sprawling acres of wine grapes and produce. You will have the rest of the day to relax at your accommodation or explore the region by car or bike.

Spend the day exploring the Hawke’s Bay region and its hidden gems. Your guide will put together a bespoke tour that highlights the region’s wine, food, and markets. We recommend coming to this tour hungry because you will eat and drink a wide variety of local produce, wine and food.

Spend the morning relaxing at your accommodation or exploring Hawke’s Bay at your leisure. In the evening, you will explore the viticulture of Hawke’s Bay and get the chance to taste the local wines and pair them with local gourmet foods.

Say goodbye to Hawke’s Bay and fly from Napier to Christchurch, where you will pick up a second car and make your way southwest to Twizel, a small town near Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. You will spend the next two nights here, giving you time to explore the National Park and Lake Tekapo.

Early this morning, drive to Mount Cook Village, where you will start your half-day tour of hiking and kayaking. After a safety briefing, you will drive and hike to Mueller Lake, where you will don a kayak and explore the nooks and crannies of the old glacier moraines. Once finding a place to dock your kayaks, head out on a short hike to explore the glacier ice remnants and the panoramic mountain views. After the tour, you have some time at leisure to explore the surrounding hiking trails or to head back to your accommodation and relax.

Today you will depart Twizel and drive about 30 minutes southwest to the Ahuriri Valley, where you will find your accommodation hidden in the valley. Spend the next two nights here exploring the Ahuriri Valley and its cascading river.

Spend the day relaxing at your luxurious accommodation, fly-fishing the Ahuriri River, or hiking through the Clay Cliffs.

Continue your vacation by driving from the Ahuriri Valley through Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world and onto the small town of Glenorchy, where you will stay for the last three nights of your trip. The rest of the day is at leisure to settle into your accommodation or explore Glenorchy.

This morning, board a helicopter at your luxury accommodation and fly over the Remarkable Mountains to the wild West Coast of the South Island. Here you will find the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Milford Sound, where you will fly past sheer cliffs and cascading waterfalls before landing on a nearby beach for a short hike. Once you have stretched your legs, you will board the helicopter and attempt to land on a nearby glacier in the Fiordland National Park before returning to your accommodation.

Spend the last day of your vacation zooming around the Dart River on a jet boat. As you zip over the shallow river beds, you will see the breathtaking scenery and glacier-fed rivers before taking a short hike through the ancient beech forest. Finish the tour by taking a 4x4 vehicle through the beech forests back to your accommodation.