The Long White Cloud

This expedition will invite you to become immersed in ancient Maori culture, and some of the planet's most pristine wilderness.

Traverse New Zealandā€™s North and South Islands, from the hot pools of Franz Josef/Waiau, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTERĀ® Experience in Dunedin, to the brave depths of Queenstown, the adventure capital. Explore extraordinary landscapes and ancient heritage, as you encounter New Zealand as few have seen it before.

Prices are per person, in USD

  • $11,282.00 Adult Twin

  • $14,409.00 Single

Journey Overview

  • Start
  • End
  • Overnight Stays
  • Sightseeing

Journey Itinerary (Valid: 1 April 2024 - 31 March 2025)

Day Activity
1 Welcome to Christchurch

Board a private transfer to your hotel. Tonight, meet your Journey Director for a Welcome Reception with local wines and canapƩs.

  • MEALS - Welcome Reception
  • HOTEL - Hotel Montreal
2 Christchurch ā€“ Tranz Alpine - Franz Josef/Waiau

Travel through the Southern Alps aboard TranzAlpine train. From Arthurā€™s Pass, visit the small town of Hokitika. Continue to Franz Josef/Waiau, where youā€™ll spend two nights in an eco-friendly retreat nestled in the wilderness.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Dinner with wine
  • HOTEL - Te Waonui Forest Retreat, 2 nights
3 Franz Josef/Waiau (Relaxed Start)

This morning, explore Franz Josef/Waiau, where a local guide explains the history behind the imposing Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere.

  • MEALS - Breakfast
4 Franz Josef/Waiau ā€“ Arrowtown - Queenstown

Discover the Haast River this morning as you journey its length in a fully enclosed river jet boat. Stop at Makarora, then explore the heritage goldsettlement of Arrowtown, before an orientation of breathtaking Queenstown.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Dinner with wine
  • HOTEL - Hotel St Moritz, 3 nights
5 Queenstown at Leisure

Enjoy Queenstown your way! Perhaps join a wine tour and taste some of Central Otagoā€™s world-renowned Pinot Noir.

  • MEALS - Breakfast
6 Queenstown at Leisure

Make the most of your extended stay in Queenstown. Perhaps take a peaceful cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard New Zealandā€™s oldest steamship, the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station. Tonight, enjoy a Local Dining Experience in one of Queenstownā€™s most exclusive restaurants.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Local Dining Experience
7 Queenstown ā€“ Te Anau - Milford Sound/Piopiotahi

Travel south along Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau, which is nestled on the shores of the South Islandā€™s largest lake. Stop for lunch at a local farm, where you will hear stories of life on the land and meet a cuddly animal or two. Continue through the rainforest of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Fiordland National Park, sighting glaciers, and mountain ranges en route to the amazing Mirror Lake before driving through the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel. Spend the night aboard the iconic Milford Mariner and wake up in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The cruise style is relaxed, allowing plenty of time to view the fiordā€™s spectacular waterfalls, rainforest, mountains, and diverse wildlife such as seals, penguins, and dolphins. Hear from the specialist nature guide on board or choose to explore the shoreline by kayak or small boat. The Milford Mariner offers the facilities of a larger ship while retaining the intimate atmosphere of a small ship. Onboard facilities are made up of spacious viewing decks, a dining saloon with fully licensed bar, as well as an observation lounge. Dining included in your cruise are hors dā€™oeuvres followed by a sumptuous three-course meal, as well as a choice between continental or a cooked breakfast.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Lunch Dinner with wine
  • HOTEL - Milford Mariner
8 Milford Sound/Piopiotahi - Invercargill

Leave Fiordland National Park and journey to Invercargill. A city obsessed with motoring history, there are tributes to speed legends across town, from Burt Munro to Bill Richardson and his shed full of classic vehicles. Enjoy a tour of the largest private collection of its type in the world.

  • MEALS - Breakfast
  • HOTEL - The Langlands, 2 nights
9 Invercargill (Stewart Island)

Board a ferry at Bluff and cruise to the pristine Stewart Island. Later, join a leisurely cruise around Paterson Inlet and see diverse flora and birdlife.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with wine
  • HOTEL - Distinction Dunedin Hotel, 2 nights
10 Invercargill - Dunedin

Enjoy a relaxed start in Invercargill before departing for Dunedin. Visit Dunedin Craft Distillers, the first distillery in Aotearoa New Zealand and one of only a handful worldwide, to produce botanical spirits from surplus bread and bakery products that would otherwise go to landfill. Discover on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTERĀ® Experience how owners, Jenny McDonald and Sue Stockwell do it, on a ā€˜Bread to Bottle Tourā€™ which takes you through the process used to turn bread into spirits. Venture just next door for a special chocolate tasting journey at OCHO Chocolate.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Dinner with wine
  • HOTEL - Hotel Distinction Dunedin
11 Dunedin ā€“ Christchurch

Travel up the east coast through Omarau and Timaru to Christchurch.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Dinner with wine
  • HOTEL - Hotel Montreal
12 Christchurch ā€“ Kaikoura - Wellington

Travel along the Pacific coast to Kaikōura. Continue to the seaside village of Picton and later, cross the Cook Strait to Wellington.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Dinner with wine
  • HOTEL - QT Wellington, 2 nights
13 Wellington at Leisure

Today see Wellington your way. Perhaps visit the urban eco-sanctuary of Zealandia/Te Māra a Tāne, or Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand.

  • MEALS - Breakfast
14 Wellington ā€“ Hawkeā€™s Bay

Travel through the dairy farming land of Manawatu to Napier. Enjoy a Local Dining Experience at Craggy Range winery.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Local Dining Experience
  • HOTEL - Porters Boutique Hotel, 2 nights
15 Napier (Relaxed Start)

Join a local guide for a vintage car tour through Napier and surrounding areas. Youā€™ll learn about the earthquake that destroyed the city in 1931 and hear stories of the people that led the rebuild in the Art Deco style.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Dinner with wine
16 Hawkeā€™s Bay ā€“ Rotorua

Continue your journey to Rotorua, where this afternoon, armed with a packed lunch, you'll join a local guide for a cultural walking eco-tour to discover the jurassic Whirinaki Forest, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTERĀ® Experience.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Lunch
  • HOTEL - Pullman Rotorua, 2 nights
17 Rotorua - Redwoods Treewalk

Ascend the breathtaking Redwoods Treewalk for an elevated birdā€™s eye view of the 120-year old redwood giants. At the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa, passionate conservationists reveal how they are saving the kiwi population, one incubated egg at a time. Tonight, visit Te Pā TÅ« Māori Experience. TÅ« Te Rā is a celebration of the abundant harvest of this season, and explores concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace in a feast of culture and cuisine. Enjoy a seasonal canapĆ© and complementary chef choice aperitif, and a seasonal three-course dinner.

 

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Local Dining Experience
18 Rotorua ā€“ Caveworld Waitomo - Auckland

Make your way to the famous Caveworld Waitomo for an exclusive 5-star Eco Glowworm experience in Footwhistle Cave. Later, travel to Auckland. This evening, toast your tour at a Celebration Dinner.

  • MEALS - Breakfast, Celebration Dinner
  • HOTEL - QT Auckland
19 Farewell from Auckland

Your epic New Zealand journey comes to an end this morning and you are transferred to Auckland Airport for your onward flight.

  • MEALS - Breakfast

Unique Highlights

Authentic and Engaging Experiences

  • Immerse
    3 Immerse Tamaki Village 1000 1500

    Immerse

    Embrace the traditional Māori greeting at Te Pā Tū Māori Experience, and immerse yourself in Jurassic rainforest.

  • Indulge
    4 Indulge Craggy Range 1000 1500

    Indulge

    Enjoy an unforgettable dining experience at Craggy Range Winery in Hawkeā€™s Bay, a region blessed with fertile soils.

  • Explore
    5 Explore milford Track  lush forest and mosses 1200 800

    Explore

    Join a nature guide on the breathtaking Milford Track, and discover the luminous shimmer of the Footwhistle Cave

  • Relax
    6 Relax Milford Sound Lodge 1200 800

    Relax

    Wake up to the wonder of fiordland on your Milford Mariner cruise, and take a deep breath and unwind at Te Waonui Forest Retreat.

The Long White Cloud

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Additional Information

What's Included
  • 30 meals including 18 breakfasts, 12 dinners, Welcome Drinks
  • Specialist team of two highly experienced Journey Director and Driver Guide
  • Local Specialists (Guides)
  • Mixture of boutique, unique and 5-star hotels
What to Bring
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat
  • Warm layers in cooler months, and a waterproof layer
  • Camera
  • A sense of adventure
Fitness Requirements
  • Low level of fitness required
Dining
  • 18 Full buffet breakfasts
  • 8 Dinner with wine
  • 3 Local Dining Experiences
  • 1 Celebration Dinner
Flight Information

Flights are not included in holiday price.

  • Day 1: Flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
  • Day 19: Flights to depart anytime from Auckland Airport

Enjoy Your Stay

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