Best of New Zealand: Essential 12-Day Itinerary

Imagine colorful holes hidden on a pastoral landscape with nothing modern anywhere in view. That is Hobbiton, and it is a movie set that has remained completely unchanged since the time Peter Jackson was in New Zealand. While everything is artificial, it is somehow immensely real. Hobbiton is a convenient stop halfway along the road south to Rotorua, where roaring thermal waters bubble beneath a Maori town. You will be staying in Rotorua, and after checking into a divine lodge, you will have the afternoon and evening at your leisure, which is likely to mean spending many hours in the lodge’s superb Polynesian spa.

The North Island is dominated by volcanoes and geothermal activity. Thermal parks around Rotorua are some of the best places in the world to get close to nature’s unrivaled underground power. Today, you will be greeted by a Maori community for an evening of song and dance in their traditional meeting place. You can expect insatiable food that will be cooked underground on the thermals in addition to a genuine understanding of Maori culture and how it has resisted foreign influence since the days of Abel Tasman.

The flight to Christchurch is spectacular, especially at the point when you immediately leave Rotorua and cruise past Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings, which is actually Ngauruhoe volcano. After a string of other volcanoes, you will cross the water to South Island, where the Canterbury Plains will provide a soporific introduction to the natural drama that exists on the island. You will touch down and spend the afternoon with a local guide, walking in the footsteps of a recovering city to discover how art and cultural traditions have helped transform Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake. Tonight, you will dine amid the city’s remains at a charming restaurant that redefines the notions of fine dining.

Traveling west from Christchurch, the landscapes change dramatically. From a hot air balloon, you can admire rolling fields and plains with every square being a different color in a seemingly endless patchwork. Snowy peaks will begin to appear and slowly dominate the scene, especially after you touch down to a picnic brunch. After eating, you will continue your journey by road. Meandering across empty roads, you will be immersed in Middle-earth’s scenery. After passing Lake Tekapo, you will spend the night in Aoraki Mt. Cook village. This area was one of the world’s first designated International Dark Sky Reserves, and an astronomer will narrate the constellations for you this evening.

Today, you will wake early to admire New Zealand’s tallest peak as it looms overhead with walls of ice that are complemented by a cascading river. When you are ready, you will venture into the landscape where Sir Edmund Hillary learned how to climb. Traveling on foot, you will hike upon narrow trails into the great solitude and serenity of this glacier-filled landscape. You will then continue by boat, crossing Terminal Lake and drifting alongside a series of icebergs. Soon, you will be up against the face of an advancing glacier and enveloped by a snowy world. After a morning adventure in alpine bliss, you will be transferred by road to Wanaka.

Mt. Aspiring National Park became the Misty Mountains in the Lord of the Rings, and today’s adventure is one of the best that Middle-earth can offer. You will begin with a scenic flight above beautiful peaks before witnessing Te Wahipounamu, which is a vast natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will first touch down in a place where very few people venture before continuing on foot to hike across hills and iconic vistas from the big screen. Once you have finished your hike, a jetboat will lead you on a thrilling ride through forest and canyons. Once you return to your lodge, you can head to the onsite spa or relax around the lake for a peaceful evening.

Wanaka is a brilliant base for customizing a program of outdoor activities. Single-track mountain bike trails invite people of all experiences, hiking trails move out in all directions, and watersports can cultivate fun times on the lake. Today’s planned activity will be a short and easy walk to Rob Roy Glacier, which is a very achievable outdoor adventure for almost everyone, including younger children. This will be followed by a leisurely afternoon in the world’s southernmost wine region with wine tasting and stunning food at three different vineyards. As this is a fully handcrafted tour, you can customize today to your favorite interests.

Today, you will have a pretty long drive to Te Anau, but the scenery is always superb. From Te Anau, the adventure will take a different turn. You will rush over a lake in a speedboat before crossing a slither of land in a 4WD vehicle. A sensational fjord extends below, and you will explore it on an overnight cruise. Dolphins and seals will provide beautiful memories as you cruise amid steep mountain walls and a thick, overhanging forest. Milford Sound is the most famous fjord here, but Doubtful is a more exclusive experience, where you can get a real sense of exploring a landscape that few people have ever witnessed.

An overnight cruise will allow for a full morning on the fjord. Today, you can kayak beside the steep walls, follow dolphins as they pirouette through the water, and continue a peaceful immersion in the fjord. Afterward, you will soar above Fiordland in a helicopter (for an additional fee) with a dazzling scenic flight that includes a glacier landing. With a glacier landing, you will be able to wander amid natural ice sculptures and to appreciate how this landscape is beyond any other. Queenstown will be your final stop, and it is a lovely place to relax amid nature. Your lodge will be located just above the lake, and you can indulge in inclusive drinks and snacks to start the evening in style.

Queenstown is known as New Zealand’s adventure capital, and there is plenty that you can do today, including hikes, horseback rides, jetboating, the world’s first-ever commercial bungee jump, and a drive ride to various Lord of the Rings filming locations. This town is like the rest of New Zealand in that it is wonderfully laid-back and a great place to rest. It can also be an escape that is cut off from the rest of the world and where you can feel the clean air. For a sunset treat, you should take the cable car up Bob’s Peak for the best view before checking out one of the superb lakeside restaurants. As always, a local guide will be on hand to customize your experience.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Queenstown’s international airport to begin your trip home.