AAT Kings 10 Day Contrasts of New Zealand Tour – Classic 

Explore the contrasts of New Zealand by experiencing Rotorua and Auckland on a 10 day guided coach tour.
10 Days
Coach Tour
4 Star Accommodation

Operated by

This tour includes

Experiences

  • 9 Nights Accommodation
  • Award Winning Tour Operator
  • Experienced Travel Director, Driver Guide and local Guides
  • Optional activities available
  • Travel with likeminded travellers
  • Superb quality coaches with high vantage point seating
  • Fully air-conditioned coaches
  • Reclining seats, seatbelts and restrooms
  • Top-notch carefully selected comfortable accommodations
  • Classic tours have a maximum of 48 guests, while Small Group tours are capped at a maximum of 24 guests
  • On board drinking water (bring a bottle)
  • Start your day right with daily breakfasts daily and enjoy curated meals as highlighted in each trip itinerary
  • Immerse yourself in your destination with included sightseeing and activities in iconic spots, as detailed in your itinerary

Meals

  • 9 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 5 Dinners

Attractions

  • Immerse yourself in the interactive All Blacks Rugby Experience in Auckland
  • Take a guided Tour of Hobbiton Movie Set
  • MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience - Guided Te Pō Indigenous Experience at Te Puia
  • Explore the Geothermal Wonders of Rotorua
  • MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience - Visit the National Kiwi Hatchery Tour
  • Explore Milford Sound/Piopiotahi on a Nature Cruise
  • Visit Highlands Museum at Highlands Motorsport Park
  • MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience - Astronomy & Stargazing tour at Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve
  • Enjoy a Be My Guest Farm Visit, Morning Tea, and Sheep Dog Demonstration at Hurunui Hills Farm
  • Visit a Family-owned vineyard for lunch and wine tasting among the vines

Overview & Itinerary

New Zealand will set your heart racing, while you take the country’s pulse. From its unexpected city sights – who knew you could construct a church from cardboard? – to its culinary delights, this voyage is as thrilling as it is tasty. And then there are the natural wonders: gem-like glaciers, soaring fiords, snow-dusted mountains, and bubbling geysers among them. On this NZ holiday, drop in on Christchurch, soak your limbs in Rotorua, eat your way around Queenstown and feel the full force of nature at Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Trips to New Zealand don’t get much better than this. Trips to New Zealand don’t get much better than this guided coach tour.

Check out why we love AAT Kings here and read their booking terms and conditions here.

New Zealand’s largest city is also one of its prettiest, as you’ll discover exploring at your leisure. Arrive early to linger in its hip harbourside precincts, where galleries and design-driven stores await. You’ll have worked up an appetite by the time you meet your fellow travel companions for dinner at The Grill celebrating Aotearoa’s culinary treasures. Expect the finest quality grass-fed steaks, from 100% New Zealand owned and operated suppliers, and sustainable line-caught fish. Start your Auckland tour on a high, we say.

Set your sights firmly on New Zealand’s national game: rugby. The interactive All Blacks Experience explores an introduction to the game as a part of New Zealand culture. Afterwards get the lay of the land on a city sightseeing tour including views of Mission Bay, and stopping at Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial to New Zealand’s first Labour Prime Minister. Admire the sunken pool and landscaped gardens as you’re treated to sweeping views of Waitemata Harbour and the North Shore.

Get ready for a much-anticipated trip to the Hobbiton Movie Set. Upon arrival, set off on a guided walking tour through the 12-acre set. You’ll have plenty of time for photo opportunities on the interactive hobbit hole and the Mill. After a stop for lunch (own expense) continue to Rotorua. Tonight, delve deep into Māori culture with the Te Pō Indigenous Experience at Te Puia, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience. It begins with an exhilarating cultural performance in a beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua, view the Pohutu Geyser, one of New Zealand’s geothermal wonderlands, followed by a delicious buffet dinner of hāngī-inspired cuisine.

Your visit to the National Kiwi Hatchery is guided by passionate conservationists who will give you fascinating insights into New Zealand’s national bird on this rewarding MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience. The feel-good vibes that will follow you all the way to Queenstown, the self-proclaimed adventure capital of New Zealand. It makes perfect sense – there are ski fields, white-water river and bridges strapped with bungy cords wherever you turn. And then there’s the dining scene; Queenstown is home to some of the country’s most awarded restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for bulging burgers or lakeside tapas, ask us for recommendations on this leg of your Queenstown New Zealand tour.

Bring your stamina and sense of adventure – things get a little wild today. Nature rules as you skirt Queenstown’s gleaming Lake Wakatipu, and traverse the Devil’s Staircase to Te Anau, the alpine gateway to UNESCO World Heritage listed Fiordland National Park. Once you’ve paused to admire the drama at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat and Cleddau Valley, you’ll begin to understand why Rudyard Kipling called this the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. You haven’t even seen Bowen Falls or Milford Sound/Piopiotahi yet… Onboard your nature cruise, enjoy commentary from your eagle-eyed Naturalist guide, who not only narrates on the immense geological history of the Fiord, but will point out fur seals and dolphins should they choose to come out to play. The cruise includes a delicious picnic lunch.

Today, take Queenstown at your own pace. Like things fast and furious? Feel the wind in your hair on a high-octane jet boat ride, perhaps. Prefer to be able to talk (and drink wine) while you cruise? Glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a guided farm tour, including morning or afternoon tea, in a dreamy alpine setting (all own expense). Wherever you wander, be sure to save space for tonight’s dinner at Postmasters Cafe, a historic Arrowtown cottage replete with picket fence and Instagrammable gardens.

Whether pinot noir grapes or cherries, things grow well in the fertile Central Otago region of the South Island. Get a taste for the area’s plump stone fruit at the stall of a local orchard. Is it Michael Schumacher’s Benetton F1 car or the $4.2-million Aston Martin Vulcan that draws crowds to the Highlands Motorsport Museum? Discover some of the rarest cars in NZ motorsports history during your visit. Mountain drama is your backdrop en route to Lake Tekapo, with water so turquoise it looks like a Renaissance painting. This part of the country is ravishing and remote; the lack of light pollution means dazzling Southern Hemisphere stargazing at UNESCO World Heritage listed Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. It may be a late night, but tonight’s star gazing experience at a purpose-built observation crater with expert astronomy guides is bound to be a highlight. If there was ever a NZ experience that put life in perspective, this is it.

The Canterbury region of the east coast is a rustic union of grassy plains, mirror-like lakes and snow-capped mountains, the kind of landscape that you might see on postcards. Arrive in the beautiful English city of Christchurch for a guided tour. The city is not only rebuilding itself after the devastating 2010/11 earthquakes, but is changing the way architects think about design. Case in point the mind-bending Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the gold-clad central library.

Travel north through rolling countryside to Hurunui Hills, a hill country farm in North Canterbury. Enjoy warm Kiwi hospitality with the Bamford Family, who have been farming at Hurunui since 1884 with six generations focused on producing premium Merino sheep, wool and Angus cattle. Soak up stunning scenery while enjoying morning tea, meet the farm animals & discover what it is like to live off the land on this unique By My Guest experience. Continue to a local vineyard, Waipara Springs Winery, where it’s time to relax and enjoy wine tasting and a platter-style lunch among the vines. A big day leads to a big evening joining your Travel Director and travel mates for a celebratory dinner featuring produce from the Canterbury region.

You’ve travelled hundreds of kilometres across two islands, likely taken thousands of photos, and made countless memories and new friends. The only thing left to do is plan your next trip to New Zealand.

Why we think you’ll love this tour:

If you are looking for a 10 day guided exploration of New Zealand combining coach and plane travel to tick off some of New Zealand’s iconic destinations then this tour should be on your consideration list.

Price Estimate

Start Date
End Date
Solo pricing (pp)
Twin pricing (pp)
2026
2 October 2026
11 October 2026
$11,245 NZD
$8,972 NZD
16 October 2026
25 October 2026
$11,245 NZD
$8,972 NZD
13 November 2026
22 November 2026
$11,245 NZD
$8,972 NZD
27 November 2026 Special
6 December 2026
Was   $10,541 NZD
Now   $9,919 NZD
Was   $8,570 NZD
Now   $7,927 NZD
4 December 2026
13 December 2026
$10,939 NZD
$8,731 NZD
11 December 2026 Special
20 December 2026
Was   $10,541 NZD
Now   $9,919 NZD
Was   $8,570 NZD
Now   $7,927 NZD
2027
15 January 2027 Special
24 January 2027
Was   $10,541 NZD
Now   $9,919 NZD
Was   $8,570 NZD
Now   $7,927 NZD
22 January 2027 Special
31 January 2027
Was   $10,541 NZD
Now   $9,919 NZD
Was   $8,570 NZD
Now   $7,927 NZD
29 January 2027
7 February 2027
$10,939 NZD
$8,731 NZD
5 February 2027 Special
14 February 2027
Was   $10,541 NZD
Now   $9,919 NZD
Was   $8,570 NZD
Now   $7,927 NZD
12 February 2027
21 February 2027
Sold Out
19 February 2027
28 February 2027
$10,939 NZD
$8,731 NZD
26 February 2027 Special
7 March 2027
Was   $10,541 NZD
Now   $9,919 NZD
Was   $8,570 NZD
Now   $7,927 NZD
5 March 2027
14 March 2027
Sold Out
12 March 2027
21 March 2027
$10,939 NZD
$8,731 NZD
19 March 2027 Special
28 March 2027
Was   $10,541 NZD
Now   $9,919 NZD
Was   $8,570 NZD
Now   $7,927 NZD
26 March 2027
4 April 2027
$10,939 NZD
$8,731 NZD
2 April 2027 Special
11 April 2027
Was   $10,785 NZD
Now   $9,720 NZD
Was   $8,620 NZD
Now   $7,771 NZD
16 April 2027 Special
25 April 2027
Was   $10,785 NZD
Now   $9,720 NZD
Was   $8,620 NZD
Now   $7,771 NZD
14 May 2027
23 May 2027
Sold Out
4 June 2027
13 June 2027
Sold Out
2 July 2027 Special
11 July 2027
Was   $10,785 NZD
Now   $9,720 NZD
Was   $8,620 NZD
Now   $7,771 NZD
3 September 2027 Special
12 September 2027
Was   $10,785 NZD
Now   $9,720 NZD
Was   $8,620 NZD
Now   $7,771 NZD
17 September 2027
26 September 2027
Was   $10,785 NZD
Now   $9,720 NZD
Was   $8,620 NZD
Now   $7,771 NZD
1 October 2027 Special
10 October 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,122 NZD
15 October 2027 Special
24 October 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,122 NZD
5 November 2027 Special
14 November 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,122 NZD
12 November 2027
21 November 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,122 NZD
19 November 2027 Special
28 November 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,121 NZD
26 November 2027 Special
5 December 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,122 NZD
3 December 2027 Special
12 December 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,122 NZD
10 December 2027 Special
19 December 2027
Was   $11,280 NZD
Now   $10,165 NZD
Was   $9,010 NZD
Now   $8,122 NZD

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Let us know a few details below and our New Zealand based team will be in touch.

Let us know a few details below and our New Zealand based team will be in touch.
Let us know a few details below and our New Zealand based team will be in touch.