About this trip
Three weeks travelling the length of New Zealand by road, from the North Island down to the South Island's mountains and glaciers. You will cover a lot of ground, but the pace is set up so you actually get to stop and take things in rather than just tick off sights.
Expect a mix of coastline, caves, and proper alpine scenery. The North Island brings surf beaches and glowworm caves, while the South Island shifts into mountains, glaciers, and wide open views.
The tour runs either from Auckland or Christchurch, with the itinerary simply reversed depending on your start point, so the same route and stops apply either way.
What you'll do
- Explore the glowworm caves of the North Island
- Learn to surf or catch a wave at one of New Zealand's beach breaks
- Travel through South Island glacier country
- Take in mountain vistas across the Southern Alps
- Road trip the length of both islands with a small group
- Rated easy, so no technical experience needed for the included activities
- Fully guided throughout, with a fixed group for the whole three weeks
- Starting point is either Auckland or Christchurch, confirmed at booking, with the route run in reverse depending on which
Worth it if you want a properly organised small-group tour with genuinely knowledgeable guides and strong group bonding. Think twice if you dislike long driving days and want flexibility to linger in places.
- Guides Ben and Robbie consistently went above and beyond, sharing deep NZ knowledge creatively and actively bonding the group together.
- Expect substantial driving days, especially in the South Island; sitting at the back of the van limits scenery views.
- Small group size (8-15 people) beats big coaches, but itinerary moves quickly; limited time to explore individual locations properly.
- Optional activities cost extra on top of the tour price, so budget accordingly beyond the headline cost.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Aug is cheapest — from £2,670, about 10% below the priciest month (Oct).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Auckland · 31 Jul – 1 Aug
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