10 Day New Zealand Luxury Guided Tour

Luxury tours of NZ reveal a more exclusive side of New Zealand. From idyllic, secluded luxury lodges to private helicopter landing sites, New Zealand offers a wealth of premium experiences.

Discover New Zealand’s top destinations on this luxury guided tour. Your private guide will meet you at the airport and take you on one of the best luxury NZ escorted tours on the market, with luxury accommodation and special personalised experiences that will elevate your holiday experience to something truly incredible.

10 Day New Zealand Luxury Guided Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Auckland + Dinner Cruise Auckland

Auckland is a multi-cultural urban oasis of food, music, arts and culture. World-class shopping and phenomenal dining is never too far from harbours, islands, native bush and black-sand beaches

Explore Auckland with your guide, visiting top attractions such as the Sky Tower, Mt Eden’s Volcanic Crater or Piha Beach.

In the evening, enjoy a unique dining experience on Auckland’s magnificent Waitemata Harbour. Enjoy great sailing and, as the sun sets, watch the night lights of this photogenic city come alive. Your experienced crew will talk about Auckland’s unique features, there is opportunity to participate in sailing or sit back and enjoy the sights. Choose from a set 3-course menu served by the crew during the dinner stop at a sheltered mooring.

Stay 1 night in Auckland.

Day 2 Rotorua + Private Maori Culture Experience

Travel time Auckland to Rotorua – 3.5 hours 

Enjoy the scenic drive through rolling farmland to Rotorua, the geothermal capital of New Zealand. Tour the exciting geothermal attractions with your guide, visiting sulphur springs, mud pools, geysers, and sinter terraces.

In the afternoon experience a private Maori Culture experience. Explore the untouched, sacred land of the Ngāti Pikiao tribe, in this intimate, exclusive and private three-hour 4WD experience. Guided by a local and highly knowledgeable Māori guide, you’ll explore their stunning marae, landscapes and amazing views that look over Rotorua’s lake district. En route, you’ll learn the myths and legends of the people, the rich history and their fascinating ways of life.

Top recommendations for the evening include a Maori Culture Experience inclusive of a Hangi Dinner (traditional Maori Earth Oven Dinner) or the Redwood Night-lights Tree Walk.

Stay 2 nights in Rotorua.

Day 3 Rotorua Geothermal Reserve Tour, Spa & Mud Bath + Gondola & Premium Dining

Stroll through Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve in the morning, where you will have the opportunity to experience exciting geothermal features. Afterwards, smooth your skin with silky mud in a mud bath and soak in a relaxing sulphur spa.

In the evening, enjoy dinner at Rotorua’s most spectacular location – Skyline Restaurant. Sit back and relax as the views from the gondola unfold on your journey to the Skyline complex. The Skyline Restaurant will then serve you a mouthwatering taste of New Zealand cuisine. At the top of the gondola you also have the option to experience the Luge, Skyswing, Ziplining and visit the Volcanic Hills winery and tasting room.

Day 4 Christchurch + Tram Restaurant Dinner

Travel time Rotorua to Auckland – 3.5 hours 

Enjoy the scenic journey to Auckland Airport, where you will board a domestic flight to Christchurch on the South Island.

Discover the vibrant and picturesque garden city, renowned for its natural beauty, lively entertainment scene, and strong cultural heritage. With its stunning botanical gardens and tree-lined avenues, Christchurch is both a sophisticated city and beautiful place to relax.

Explore Christchurch with your guide, options include; visiting the International Antarctic Centre, venturing to Sumner Beach or the Riverside Market.

In the evening, experience the luxury of a 36-seater colonial-style dining tram. Enjoy fabulous dining at your private table with a sightseeing tour showcasing Christchurch’s inner-city vibrancy and heritage.

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 5 Lake Tekapo + Star Gazing

Travel time Christchurch to Tekapo – 3 hours 

Picturesque by day and dazzling by night, Lake Tekapo is part of a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, making it the perfect spot for stargazing. The township faces north across the remarkable turquoise coloured lake to the mountainous drama of the Southern Alps.

Lake Tekapo has many things to do and explore. Visit the historic Church of the Good Shepherd, one of the most photographed places in the country. Just around the corner is the Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue, another great photo opportunity in an extraordinary setting.

One of the most popular attractions in town is Tekapo Springs with hot pools, spas, steam rooms, saunas and spa therapies.

In the evening experience a magical star gazing tour. Your expert astronomy guides bring the night sky to life, sharing the science and the stories of our Southern skies. Stargaze using the naked eye guided by lasers and then proceed to explore deeper through up to 16″ optical telescopes, including in the private observatory dome. Take in the incredible Milky Way, far off planets, star clusters, solar systems, and even distant galaxies; every night sky beholds something different.

Stay 2 nights in Lake Tekapo.

Day 6 Mount Cook + Scenic Flight with Glacier Landing + Glacier Explorers Boat Tour

Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook – 1 hour

Mount Cook Village is nestled at the base of the Southern Alps. The village offers stunning views of Mount Cook and the surrounding mountains. At 3,724 metres, New Zealand’s highest mountain (Aoraki / Mount Cook) is dazzling.

If you have dreamt of truly experiencing the ultimate helicopter tour of the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, then this signature helicopter flight will tick every box.

-Circle the summit of New Zealand’s highest mountain – Aoraki/Mt Cook
-Experience a snow landing on the Haupapa/Tasman Glacier
-Discover motu huka (icebergs) on the Tasman Terminal Lake
-View blue ice, hanging glaciers and the West Coast glaciers of Fox & Franz Josef
-Gaze across to both the East & West coastlines of New Zealand’s South Island
-Enjoy coastal views of New Zealand’s South Island

Next experience the only tour of its kind in New Zealand and one of the only accessible glacial lakes containing icebergs in the world. An amazing encounter with New Zealand’s largest glacier, the Tasman Glacier. Explore and learn about the ever-changing glacial landscape as you journey across the terminal lake in custom-built MAC Boats with your experienced guides. Icebergs of every shape and size periodically tear away from the face of the glacier into the rapidly growing lake. Lateral moraines rear up almost 200m to remind us of the scale and greatness that the glacier has reached in previous times.

Day 7 Wanaka

Lake Tekapo to Wanaka – 2.5 hours

Wanaka has a reputation for great food and wine, with a wide variety of lakefront bars, cafés and restaurants serving exceptional local cuisine.

The crystal-clear water of the lakes and rivers are ideal for kayaking, fishing, lake cruises, and jet-boating, or to get an aerial perspective of the region and take a scenic helicopter flight.

Explore Wanaka with your guide. You may want to visit the Wanaka Lavender Farm to view 20 acres of beautiful lavender fields & display gardens.

Test out your fishing skills at “Hook”, Wanaka’s very unique interactive Lake to Plate dining experience. Catch a Chinook salmon from the scenic spring-fed fishing lakes and then relax as the team prepares it for you. No experience is necessary and fishing equipment can be hired on the day.

Stroll the streets and be inspired by galleries and stylish shops, visit ‘That Wanaka Tree’ for the perfect photo, or enjoy one of the many famous walking tracks such as Mt Iron.

Day 8 Queenstown + Queenstown TSS Earnslaw Cruise, Dinner & Farm Tour

Travel time Wanaka to Queenstown – 1.5 hours

Queenstown sits on the shore of Lake Wakatipu among dramatic alpine ranges. Let Queenstown awaken your inner-explorer. Whether you’re interested in exploring trails, indulging in food and wine, teeing off stunning fairways or seeking adrenaline thrills – there are adventures to be found here of all tastes and tempos.

In the evening board the TSS Earnslaw for a stunning cruise across Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu. Then disembark at Walter Peak High Country Farm, one of the first farms set up in the region.

Relax in the charming ambience of the Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant, you’ll enjoy gourmet dining prepared by the chef in front of you. You can choose from an expansive array of New Zealand and local produce. After dinner, an entertaining and informative demonstration gives you a glimpse of life in the high country. The night-time cruise home is magical. Sing-a-long with the ship’s pianist or simply breathe in the fresh night air on the moonlit decks as the lights of Queenstown draw nearer.

Stay 3 nights in Queenstown.

Day 9 Queenstown + Milford Sound + Onsen Hot Pools 

Milford Sound is an area of extraordinary beauty. It offers a majestic fiord, dramatic and awe inspiring scenery and prolific flora and fauna. Set off on an extraordinary scenic flight to Milford Sound, sights include the famous Skippers Canyon, the Paradise region (recently made popular as film locations for Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Trilogies), and the Donne glacier among many other awe-inspiring features. Your 35 minute flight concludes with an over flight of the fiord of Milford Sound, prior to landing.

The second half of the adventure begins in Milford Sound, where your pilot personally escorts you to the boat docks to board the “Spirit of Milford” to enjoy your Milford Sound Nature Cruise. The “Spirit of Milford” catamaran explores nooks and crannies along the edge of the fiord, nudging into sheer rock faces to examine flora and fauna in detail.

Following your Milford Sound cruise, your return flight takes in many of the pristine alpine lakes and waterfalls that Fiordland National Park is recognised for, including the Sutherland Falls which span 580 m (1900 ft).

Come evening relax in the Onsen Hot Pools in your own private pool for one hour. Onsen Hot Pools is located high on a cliffside overlooking the magnificent Shotover River canyon, providing views over breathtaking alpine scenery and the perfect vantage point to watch the Shotover Jet boats on the river below. A unique feature of Onsen Hot Pools are the retractable picture windows: Convert your pool room from indoor to outdoor and back again at the touch of a button!

Day 10 Private Central Otago Wine Tour

An indulgent and varied full-day tour seeing local sights, enjoying fresh cuisine and tasting a selection of fine wines, cheeses and handcrafted chocolates. Venture into the heart of Central Otago and enjoy exclusive tastings at 4 vineyards over 2 contrasting wine sub-regions including luxurious treatment at

Cloudy Bay winery. Included is a tour of New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave, a splendid cheese and wine presentation, a divine wine barrel-cooked lunch matched with wines and a visit to historical Arrowtown with some take-home artisan chocolates.

Day 11 Depart Queenstown

Take in the views one last time as your guide delivers you to Queenstown Airport for your departing flight.

Plan Luxury Tours of NZ

As you plan your New Zealand holiday, our team will work with you to ensure your tour matches exactly what you want. Our luxury tours of NZ are bespoke, carefully tailored experiences designed with expertise.

We recommend the above tour as a starting point to give you an idea of what is possible in 10 days. However, we can amend the schedule or inclusions based on your preferences–or design a fully bespoke itinerary to suit.

Browse our range of luxury tours for more inspiration:

• 7 Day North Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 7 Day South Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 10 Day North Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 10 Day South Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 14 Day New Zealand Luxury Guided Tour

Or view our New Zealand Luxury Escapes brand for an overview of the most exclusive New Zealand travel experiences.