14 Day New Zealand Intrepid Private Guided Tour

Explore New Zealand with a private guided tour personalised to suit your group. Enjoy a guided tour of New Zealand hosted by one of New Zealand’s leading tour guides. Your guide will meet your group at the airport and chauffeur your group to explore the destinations and activities included in your personalised tour package. They will tend to your needs and share valuable local knowledge with your group to enhance your holiday experience. We can cater for groups between 1-20 people.

Our private guided tour packages are flexible and are booked to suit your group’s travel dates and interests.

Read on for more details on the 14 Day Intrepid Guided Tour of New Zealand.

14 Day Intrepid Guided Tour of New Zealand

Day 1 Arrive Auckland

Arrive in Auckland – the “City of Sails” is New Zealand’s largest city and is bordered by two stunning harbours. Your tour guide will meet you at the airport and take you to your Auckland City accommodation.

In the afternoon explore Auckland City with your tour guide. You might like to visit the Sky Tower, the Auckland Zoo, or Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World; venturing to one of Auckland’s stunning beaches or West Auckland wineries; or doing a spot of shopping.

Stay 1 night in Auckland City.

Day 2 Coromandel Peninsula

Travel time Auckland to Coromandel Peninsula – 2.5 hours

Renowned worldwide as a spectacular holiday destination, with warm white sandy beaches, misty rainforests and wilderness a-plenty, the Coromandel is the ideal place to relax and unwind. Relax on the coastline, exploring beaches, volcanic reefs and the world famous Cathedral Cove!

Whitianga is the main settlement of Mercury Bay, an attractive township with a deep-water harbour. Now a vibrant coastal town, Whitianga is evolving into a delightful place to visit. Whitianga has an excellent selection of restaurants and cafés, and the thriving retail community provides an interesting collection of outlets.

Stay 2 nights in Whitianga, Coromandel.

Day 3 Cathedral Cove Boat Tour

Today, join the Glass Bottom Boat for a unique boat cruise. Depart from the Whitianga Wharf to explore the breathtaking volcanic coastline, including the famous Cathedral Cove. See the stunning Champagne Bay, plus a range of blow holes and sea caves, including Orua’s Sea Cave, the second largest sea cave in New Zealand! See what lies above and below the surface in the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve and be amazed by all the marine life to be seen. You can choose your own level of fun. Either sit back and enjoy the amazing marine life through the glass boat, or take the plunge and snorkel amongst the fish. All equipment supplied and no experience necessary. Blue penguins are a common sight year-round.

Day 4 Hobbiton > Rotorua

Travel time Coromandel Peninsula to Matamata – 2.5 hours

Travel to Matamata today to discover the real Middle-earth on the most picturesque private farmland near Matamata to visit the Hobbiton Movie Set from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in a fascinating two-hour guided tour. The set has been rebuilt and will remain as it was seen in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. There are spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges from the rolling green hills of the movie set, which is still a working sheep and beef farm. You can relax and soak up the unique atmosphere with a great cup of coffee or a light meal in The Shires Rest Café.

Travel time Matamata to Rotorua – 1 hour

Enjoy the scenic journey to Rotorua, distinguished by Maori culture and geothermal activity. This diverse city will put on a display as you encounter geysers, mud pools, steaming craters and 16 beautiful lakes.

Stay 2 nights in Rotorua.

Day 4 Hell’s Gate + Maori Cultural Experience

The Hell’s Gate Geothermal Park is Rotorua’s most active geothermal area featuring a walkway lined with unique geothermal wonders and interactive opportunities. Experience the geothermal features with a self-guided map to show you around or join a guided tour of the reserve to learn more about the history, features and uniqueness of the geothermal area.

See bubbling mud pools, steaming craters, mineral pools, learn about New Zealand’s history and culture, and even try Maori weaving and wood carving! After this, the geothermal waters of the Hell’s Gate Sulphur Spa will rejuvenate and refresh you, as you relax and take in the surreal surroundings of the wondrous geothermal landscape.

In the evening enjoy a traditional Maori Cultural Experience including a Hangi Dinner. Hear stories and learn how Maori traditions live on today. Experience an authentic Maori welcome. Watch a challenge by the Maori warriors, a karanga (call) from the Maori women welcoming you onto the marae, and a whaikorero (welcome speech). Relax and enjoy the beautiful waiata (songs), the world renowned haka (challenge), and the elegant poi dance. Learn Maori customs including Maori musical instruments, haka and poi. The dining experience is a culinary opportunity like no other. Following dessert, you will be transported down into the valley to conclude your evening beside the awe inspiring Pohutu geyser.

Day 6 Taupo

Travel time Rotorua to Taupo – 1 hour

Enjoy a short drive south to Taupo, rich in natural beauty with attractions such as relaxing boat cruises and bungy jumping. Just north of Lake Taupo you’ll find New Zealand’s most visited attraction, the magnificent Huka Falls, where more than 220,000 litres of water thunder over the cliff face every second visit this attraction with your guide.

Activity Option: Add on a Peek at the Lake Scenic Floatplane Flight  as you take off from Taupo Bay, past Acacia Bay to Rangatira Point, viewing the crystal clear waters of Whakaipo Bay. Climb up through Mapara Valley, view red scoria quarries, then discover the headwaters of the Waikato River. Fly over the Craters of the Moon and over the Borefields of the Wairakei Power Station, followed by a circuit of the Huka Falls, over Taupo to land on the lakefront (20 minutes approx).

Stay 1 night in Taupo.

Day 7 Napier

Travel time Taupo to Napier – 2 hours

Head to the East Coast and discover Napier, the Art Deco Capital of New Zealand. Set within the country’s oldest and second-largest wine-growing region, Hawkes Bay, Napier is surrounded by picturesque vineyards and wineries.

Explore the Napier and Hasting wine region in the afternoon with your guide and visit vineyards and cellar doors at your leisure. You might also like to visit Otatara Pa (Maori Fortified Village) which was the largest Pa in the Hawkes Bay region, now a historical reserve showcasing many of the foundations of terraced dwelling sites and food pits.

Stay 1 night in Napier.

Day 8 Wellington

Travel time Napier to Wellington – 4 hours

Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, has so much to offer. Set on the edge of a stunning harbour, surrounded by rolling hills, it’s a city rich in culture waiting to be explored. From shopping and picturesque walks, to concerts, live theatre, exhibitions, festivals, Te Papa Tongarewa the Museum of New Zealand and more – Wellington has something for everyone.

In the evening, you can enjoy a meal at one of the many prestigious restaurants that Wellington has to offer.

Stay 2 nights in Wellington.

Day 9 Wellington

Explore Wellington with your guide today visit the top of Mt Victoria, drive around the Wellington coastline, visit Te Papa, New Zealand Parliament with the option to ride up the historic cable car.

You may like to visit Zealandia, located a 10- minute drive from downtown Wellington. Hidden in a suburban valley, this project aims to return a 225-hectare section of bush to its pre-human state. Take a walk and hear the songs of the flourishing native bird population.

Day 10 Interislander Ferry + Kaikoura Whale Watch Flight

Sailing time Wellington to Picton – 3 hours
Travel time Picton to Kaikoura – 2 hours

It’s all about the journey today as you board the Interislander Cook Strait Ferry, which will transport you on a scenic cruise to Picton. Enjoy the coastal drive along the East Coast to Kaikoura. Drive through Marlborough, recognised internationally for its distinctive, Sauvignon Blanc. Option to stop at one or more cellar doors to buy some delicious Marlborough wines.

In the afternoon experience a once in a lifetime opportunity with a Whale Watch Scenic Flight to view the majestic Sperm Whales off the Kaikoura Coast.

Kaikoura is a stunning coastal township offering a backdrop of majestic mountains. Kaikoura, being an important fishing port, is a mecca for seafood lovers. Local specialties include blue cod, paua (abalone) and of course crayfish (lobster).

Stay 1 night in Kaikoura.

Day 11 Hanmer Springs

Travel time Kaikoura to Hanmer Springs – 1.5 hours

Travel on to Hanmer Springs, a year round holiday destination offering a variety of outdoor activities and of course the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa. As a natural spa destination, visitors have been travelling to bathe in the rejuvenating mineral pools for over 120 years! Relax in open-air thermal pools and de-stress with spa therapies.

If you would like to enjoy some more adrenaline-filled activities, Hanmer Springs Attractions provides a range of activities including Jet Boating, Bungy Jumping, Quad Biking, Paintball and Clay Bird Shooting.

Stay 1 night in Hanmer Springs.

Day 12 Akaroa

Travel time Hanmer Springs to Akaroa – 3.5 hours

Enjoy your journey to Akaroa today. Akaroa is a historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of the Banks Peninsula, an area noted for its beauty and unique wildlife and defined by rolling volcanic peaks which give way to sandy beaches and two magnificent harbours.

Explore the village, with its colonial architecture, galleries, craft stores, restaurants, cafés, cheese factory, museum and a nationally significant mosaic sculpture garden.

Stay 2 nights in Akaroa.

Day 13 Penguin Nature Safari

Today join Pohatu Penguins Nature Tours – Pohatu is home to the largest Little Penguin colony on mainland New Zealand. Enjoy a scenic 4WD Nature Tour!

This is a scenic 4WD adventure over one of the highest passes on Banks Peninsula. It enables you to experience the spectacular and dramatic scenery from crater rim of ancient Akaroa Volcano to volcanic coastal cliffs and Akaroa Head Reserve & Lighthouse. Includes a scenic drive to Pohatu Marine Reserve with photo stops en route, penguin monitoring during penguin breeding season, a walk through the beautiful Tutakahikura Scenic Bush Reserve, opportunity to view the Banks Peninsula Tree Weta; great variety of native birds, photo stop at crater rim, visit a working sheep farm, scenic drive to Akaroa head reserve and lighthouse, plus enjoy tea, coffee and a muffin.

Day 14 Christchurch Day Out

Travel time Akaroa to Christchurch – 1.5 hours

Travel to Christchurch today and experience some of Christchurch’s must-do activities! The Tramway and the Christchurch Gondola.

Tramway – Enjoy a journey in style through the changing face of Christchurch’s city centre on board the beautifully restored heritage Trams. Your day-long ticket allows you to hop on and off the Tram as much as you please.

Christchurch Gondola – Soar suspended above the suburbs as birds fly beneath your cabin. The Christchurch Gondola whisks you nearly a kilometre to the Crater Rim. Revive your spirits with a snack at the Red Rock Café, and browse what is on offer in the shop.

Enjoy your last evening in Christchurch and raise a glass to a fantastic New Zealand guided holiday!

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 15 Depart Christchurch

Depart Christchurch. Your guide will personally deliver you to the airport ready for your departing flight.

Plan a Guided Tour of New Zealand

As we find each traveller is different, each guided tour of New Zealand that we plan and book is different. Our team will work with you to design the perfect itinerary to suit your interests.

Our privately guided tours include all transportation, from airport to airport, as well as the services of your guide throughout your holiday. In addition, we include excellent accommodation plus a range of fantastic activities to help you experience the best of our country.

As you begin planning your guided tour of New Zealand, you may wish to explore our New Zealand Guided Tours brand. We offer a wide range of itineraries of all lengths to serve as inspiration.

Contact New Zealand Travel Organiser today to begin planning your bespoke privately guided tour.