Legends of the Long White Cloud: A 14-Day Self-Drive Journey

Explore New Zealand on a journey from Auckland to Rotorua, the Central Plateau, and across Cook Strait to Kaikōura, Aoraki Mt Cook, Queenstown, Milford Sound, and the glacier towns. Enjoy wine tasting, alpine views, and flexible self-drive travel.

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PACKAGE

Itinerary

Itinerary Details

Day 1

Welcome to Auckland, the City of Sails

Arrive in Auckland and collect your rental car before checking into your hotel. Spend the afternoon exploring Viaduct Harbour, shopping in Britomart, or enjoying fresh seafood as the waterfront lights up.

Overnight in Auckland.
Day 2

Auckland → Matamata (Hobbiton) → Rotorua

Breakfast at hotel. Drive south through Waikato to the Hobbiton Movie Set for a behind-the-scenes tour and Hobbit-style banquet. Continue to Rotorua, known for its geothermal activity and Māori culture. Evening free for lakeside walks or dining.

Drive: 230 km / 3 hrs

Included: Hobbiton Behind-the-Scenes Tour + Lunch

Overnight in Rotorua.
Day 3

Rotorua: Māori Culture & Geothermal Wonder

Breakfast at hotel. Spend the morning exploring Rotorua’s gardens, geothermal parks, or spa pools. In the evening, enjoy Te Puia’s Te Pō cultural night with haka, storytelling, hāngī dinner, and night-time geyser viewing.

Minimal driving

Included: Te Puia Te Pō Experience

Overnight in Rotorua.
Day 4

Rotorua → Lake Taupō → Desert Road → Wellington

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Huka Falls and drive along Lake Taupō before crossing Tongariro National Park’s volcanic plateau and the Rangipo Desert. Continue down the Kāpiti Coast to Wellington for an evening exploring cafés and the waterfront.

Drive: 450 km / 6 hrs

Overnight in Wellington.
Day 5

Wellington → Interislander Ferry → Picton → Kaikōura

Breakfast at hotel. Sail the Interislander across Cook Strait into Marlborough Sounds. From Picton, drive through wine country and along Kaikōura’s dramatic coast for an evening of seafood dining or seaside walks.

Drive: 350 km / 5 hrs + ferry

Included: Interislander Ferry

Overnight in Kaikōura.
Day 6

Kaikōura: Whales, Ranges & Wild Coast

Breakfast at hotel. Walk the Kaikōura Peninsula track for cliff-top views and seal colonies or relax in town. Enjoy a whale-watching flight over deep-sea canyons where sperm whales surface year-round.

Included: 45-min Whale Watching Flight

Overnight in Kaikōura.
Day 7

Kaikōura → Christchurch

Breakfast at hotel. Follow the Pacific Coast south through farmland and rolling hills to Christchurch. Spend the afternoon exploring the Botanic Gardens, punting on the Avon, or discovering the revitalised city centre.

Drive: 180 km / 2.5 hrs

Overnight in Christchurch.
Day 8

Christchurch → Mackenzie Country → Aoraki/Mt Cook

Breakfast at hotel. Cross the Canterbury Plains to Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd. Continue along Lake Pukaki toward Aoraki/Mt Cook for evening stargazing in the Dark Sky Reserve.

Drive: 330 km / 4.5 hrs

Included: Big Sky Stargazing

Overnight in Mt Cook.
Day 9

Aoraki/Mt Cook → Queenstown

Breakfast not included. Travel through Twizel and over the Lindis Pass into Central Otago before arriving in Queenstown for a relaxed afternoon of lakeside walks, shopping, or dining.

Drive: 260 km / 4 hrs

Overnight in Queenstown.
Day 10

Milford Sound (Self-Drive Pure Milford Cruise)

Breakfast at hotel. Drive the iconic Milford Road via mirror lakes and alpine valleys. Cruise Milford Sound to see cliffs, waterfalls, and Mitre Peak, with a picnic lunch on board. Return to Queenstown at your own pace.

Drive: 574 km return / ~9.5 hrs

Included: Pure Milford Cruise + Picnic

Overnight in Queenstown.
Day 11

Queenstown: Gibbston Valley Prestige Wine Experience

Breakfast at hotel. Spend the day in wine country enjoying a private tasting in the Wine Cave, a vineyard tour, and a 2-course lunch with paired wines at Gibbston Valley.

Drive: 50 km return / 45 mins

Included: Prestige Wine Experience

Overnight in Queenstown.
Day 12

Queenstown → Wānaka → Haast Pass → Fox Glacier

Breakfast at hotel. Drive across the Crown Range to Wānaka, then continue through Haast Pass with rainforest walks and waterfalls before arriving in Fox Glacier township.

Drive: 330 km / 5 hrs

Overnight in Fox Glacier.
Day 13

Fox Glacier → Hokitika → Christchurch

Breakfast at hotel. Follow the West Coast north to Hokitika for pounamu workshops and coastal views, then cross back through alpine passes toward Christchurch, arriving by evening.

Drive: 380 km / 6 hrs

Overnight in Christchurch.
Day 14

Christchurch Departure

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy a relaxed morning visiting Hagley Park or Riverside Market before returning your rental car at Christchurch Airport for your onward flight.

Drive: 20 km / 30 mins

Tour Highlights

Arrive in the City of Sails and settle into your hotel.

Wander Viaduct Harbour’s waterfront restaurants and boardwalks.

Explore Britomart boutiques and vibrant laneways.

Enjoy fresh seafood as the skyline glows at sunset.
Drive through Waikato’s rolling farmland toward Hobbiton.

Explore Hobbit Holes, Bagshot Row, and behind-the-scenes displays.

Enjoy a Hobbit-style banquet at the Green Dragon Inn.

Continue to Rotorua for an evening of lakeside dining and geothermal ambience.
Wander Government Gardens and lakefront paths at your own pace.

Visit bubbling geothermal parks or unwind in the Polynesian Spa.

Experience haka, storytelling, and rituals at Te Puia’s evening cultural event.

Enjoy a traditional hāngī buffet with night-time geyser viewing.
Stop at Huka Falls for roaring blue-white cascades.

Follow Lake Taupō’s sweeping shoreline views.

Cross Tongariro’s volcanic plateau and the dramatic Rangipo Desert.

Arrive in Wellington for cafés, waterfront walks, and creative energy.
Sail the Interislander Ferry through Cook Strait and Marlborough Sounds.

Drive through vineyards and rolling hills toward the east coast.

Follow Kaikōura’s dramatic coastline where mountains meet the sea.

Enjoy a relaxed evening with fresh seafood and ocean views.
Walk the Kaikōura Peninsula Track for cliff-top lookout points.

Spot fur seals resting along the rocky shoreline.

Take an unforgettable aerial whale-watching flight over the canyon.

Admire sweeping coastal and mountain vistas from the air.
Follow the Pacific Coast south past farmland and open plains.

Arrive in Christchurch for park strolls and riverside cafés.

Punt along the Avon River or explore the Botanic Gardens.

Enjoy the city’s revitalised centre at your own pace.
Drive across the Canterbury Plains toward sapphire Lake Tekapo.

Pause at the Church of the Good Shepherd for iconic lake views.

Follow Lake Pukaki with the Southern Alps rising ahead.

Join a guided stargazing session under a world-renowned dark sky.
Travel through Twizel and golden Mackenzie landscapes.

Cross the Lindis Pass into Central Otago’s rugged highlands.

Arrive in Queenstown beside Lake Wakatipu’s dramatic shoreline.

Spend a relaxed afternoon dining, shopping or exploring.
Follow the Milford Road through alpine valleys and mirror lakes.

Drive through the dramatic Homer Tunnel into glacier-carved scenery.

Cruise beneath towering cliffs, waterfalls, and Mitre Peak.

Enjoy a picnic lunch while watching for wildlife on the fiord.
Venture into Central Otago’s world-class wine country.

Enjoy a private tasting inside the atmospheric Wine Cave.

Tour the home block vineyard with a wine expert.

Savour a 2-course lunch with premium wine pairings.
Cross the Crown Range into charming lakeside Wānaka.

Continue through Haast Pass with rainforest walks and waterfalls.

Follow scenic river valleys toward the West Coast.

Arrive in Fox Glacier township surrounded by glaciers and peaks.
Drive the wild West Coast with ocean views and rugged landscapes.

Stop in Hokitika for pounamu carving and coastal viewpoints.

Cross alpine passes back toward the Canterbury Plains.

Reach Christchurch for a final evening in the South Island.
Enjoy a relaxed morning exploring parks or cafés.

Pick up last-minute souvenirs in the revitalised city centre.

Return your rental car at Christchurch Airport.

Depart with sweeping memories of volcanoes, coasts, and alpine peaks.

Accommodations

1 night Auckland at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.
2 nights Rotorua at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.
1 night Wellington at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.
2 nights Kaikōura at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.
1 night Christchurch at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.
1 nights Mount Cook at a 3 star Hotel.
3 nights Queenstown at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.
1 night Fox Glacier at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.
1 night Christchurch at a 3 star Hotel with breakfast.

Guests may request upgrades to 4-5-Star hotels. Upgraded options are subject to availability and additional costs.

Package Includes

Self-Drive:

Premium rental car for 13 days
Unlimited kilometres included
GPS navigation included

Exclusive Experiences:

Hobbiton Movie Set Behind the Scenes Tour with Lunch.
Te Puia Te Pō Māori Cultural Experience and Dinner.
Interislander Ferry from Wellington to Picton with your car onboard.
Ocean Safari Whale Watching Flight in Kaikōura.
Big Sky Stargazing at Aoraki Mt Cook.
Pure Milford Sound Scenic Cruise with Picnic Lunch (Self Drive).
Gibbston Valley Prestige Wine Experience including private tasting, vineyard tour, and 2 course lunch with wine pairings.
Accommodation in a 3 Star Hotel for 13 nights with Breakfast.

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