Auckland to Queenstown itinerary: 7 days, both islands.

The programme.

1. Day 1Auckland

   Arrive Auckland. A light first day after the long-haul flight: the harbour and waterfront, or a ferry out into the Hauraki Gulf.

2. Day 2Hobbiton and Rotorua

   South to Matamata, about two hours, for a timed Hobbiton Movie Set tour, then about an hour on to Rotorua.

3. Day 3Rotorua

   Geothermal valleys and Te Puia at Whakarewarewa, then an evening Māori cultural experience with a hāngī, delivered by a Māori-owned operator.

4. Day 4Fly to Queenstown

   Back to Auckland, about two and a half to three hours by road, for the flight to Queenstown, which takes under two hours; or fly from Rotorua with a connection. Queenstown Airport is 15–20 minutes from town.

5. Day 5Milford Sound

   A full Milford Sound day: about four to four and a half hours each way by road with a cruise on the fiord, or fly–cruise–fly when the weather allows.

6. Day 6Queenstown

   A free day on Lake Wakatipu: the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak, the Skyline gondola, or Arrowtown, 20 minutes from Queenstown.

7. Day 7Queenstown

   Fly out from Queenstown via Auckland, or direct to Australia.

Drive and ferry times are approximate and depend on stops, weather and road conditions.

When to ask.

Six months for December to February, when Queenstown rooms and Hobbiton tour times tighten; three to four months is usually enough in the shoulder seasons.

Send the brief — party size, dates, hotel category and what the client cares about — to b2b@explera.co.nz and we will quote this programme, or the version you want, at net rates.

Planning the trip yourself? Use the same enquiry form, choose “Traveller”, and we will quote this programme to your dates — or book it through your own travel agent.

Other programmes.

Classic · 14 nights

North and South Island Classic

Auckland to Milford Sound in one direction — geothermal Rotorua, the Cook Strait ferry, Abel Tasman, the West Coast glaciers and Queenstown, with no leg doubled back.

Self-drive · 10 nights

South Island Self-Drive

A Christchurch-return loop through the Mackenzie Country, the southern lakes, Fiordland and the Otago coast — drive days kept to around three hours so the trip is not spent behind the wheel.

Campervan · 12 nights

South Island Campervan Loop

Twelve nights round the South Island in a campervan, with every night pre-booked at a holiday park so nobody spends the evening looking for a place to stop.

Culture · 7 nights

North Island Culture and Geothermal

Glowworm caves, Rotorua’s geothermal valleys and Māori cultural experiences, Lake Taupō and Art Deco Napier — the North Island in a week, with time given to the culture rather than a single evening show.

Luxury · 6 nights

Queenstown and Fiordland Lodges

Lake Wakatipu, Glenorchy, a night in Fiordland and Central Otago wine, from luxury lodge bases with a private driver — short transfers, no long drive days.

MICE · 5 nights

Queenstown Incentive Programme

A five-night incentive built on Queenstown’s compact layout — a conference morning, lake and mountain activities, a Central Otago wine afternoon and a gala dinner, without long coach transfers.

Incentive · 4 nights

Auckland and Hauraki Gulf Incentive

Four nights in Auckland with the Hauraki Gulf as the venue — harbour sailing, a Waiheke Island winery day and the black-sand west coast, all within an hour of the hotel.

Food & wine · 8 nights

New Zealand Food and Wine

Three wine regions in eight nights — Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago — linked by domestic flights rather than long drives, with cellar doors, producers and the Marlborough Sounds.

Ski · 7 nights

Queenstown and Wānaka Ski

Four ski areas from two bases — Coronet Peak and The Remarkables from Queenstown, Cardrona and Treble Cone from Wānaka — in the southern-hemisphere winter.

Walking · 9 nights

Guided Milford Track and Aoraki

The Milford Track on a guided walk with lodge nights, preceded by Aoraki / Mount Cook and Queenstown — the Great Walk most clients ask for by name, with the warm-up and the recovery built in.

Family · 8 nights

North Island Family Programme

Auckland, Coromandel beaches, Rotorua’s geysers and Hobbiton, paced for children — no drive longer than about three hours and two- or three-night stays throughout.

Wildlife · 7 nights

South Island Wildlife and Stars

Whales and dusky dolphins at Kaikōura, Hector’s dolphins at Akaroa, a dark-sky night at Lake Tekapo, Aoraki / Mount Cook, and the penguins and albatross of the Otago coast — eight days down the east of the South Island.

Nature · 6 nights

North Island Nature and Culture

An island bird sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf, the Waitomo glowworms, kiwi and Māori culture in Rotorua, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and a night at Zealandia — the North Island from Auckland to Wellington in a week.

Signature · 13 nights

Bucket-List New Zealand

Thirteen nights built from New Zealand’s signature experiences: Hobbiton, glowworms and Māori culture in the north; bungy, a night on Milford Sound, a glacier heli-hike, the TranzAlpine, a ski-plane landing and a dark-sky night in the south.

Honeymoon · 11 nights

New Zealand Honeymoon

The Bay of Islands, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Aoraki / Mount Cook and the dark skies of Lake Tekapo, paced for two — one domestic flight, short drives and a lodge or boutique stay at every base.

Short break · 4 nights

Queenstown and Milford Sound in 5 Days

Four nights in Queenstown for first-timers: Lake Wakatipu, a full Milford Sound day, Arrowtown and a Gibbston wine afternoon — one base, no packing and unpacking, any hotel category.

Coach tour · 11 nights

New Zealand Group Coach Tour

A both-islands group circuit by coach: Hobbiton and Rotorua, Wellington, the Cook Strait ferry, Kaikōura, Lake Tekapo, Aoraki / Mount Cook, Queenstown and Milford Sound, with every day planned around the driver’s legal hours.