5 day Waitomo, Rotorua and Hobbiton

You will be met at the Auckland airport by the driver and transferred to your Auckland accommodation.

Auckland, New Zealand's self-proclaimed "City of Sails" is the country's largest metro area. Resting between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, this urban paradise has something for everyone. Surrounded by native bush, rainforests and an abundance of beaches, Auckland is a playground for both the city savvy and those with an eye for adventure. Explore the central museums and galleries on foot, or take a drive through one of over 800 regional National Parks to see deserted beaches, waterfalls and native forest.

Enjoy a tour from Auckland to Rotorua including a guided tour of the fascinating Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Leaving Auckland in the morning you travel through the lush farmland of the Waikato and King Country regions. Your experienced local driver guide will provide a commentary as you travel to Waitomo and point out sites of interest including Rangiriri, the location of a historic Maori land wars battle between forces loyal to the Maori King and the Colonial Government in 1863.
On arrival in the small town of Waitomo enjoy a guided tour through the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves with their amazing stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations. We finish the tour with a silent boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto - a subterranean cavern lit up by the lights of thousands of tiny glowworms. Continue your tour this afternoon by driving to Rotorua, passing through the beautiful Fitzgerald Glade where the roadside trees arch overhead to form a tunnel of natural greenery. You will also enjoy a delicious picnic style lunch on board the coach.

Take the Thermal Land Shuttle to Wai O Tapu thermal wonderland. This thermal area around 30 kilometres south of Rotorua has many walking tracks to take you through this strange landscape. Bubbling mud pools, simmering waters rising from the depths and colourful sulphurous pools make this a fascinating insight into the geothermal activity that goes on below Rotorua's surface. Lady Knox Geyser can be seen erupting at 10:15am daily, shooting water up to 10 metres into the air. There are 3 well signposted walking tracks and an informative brochure tells you about each feature. A gift shop and cafe are also on site.

Journey back in time to a Pre-European lifestyle experience of customs and traditions. Enjoy the night's festivities with the people of Tamaki Maori Village as you are treated to a banquet of succulent foods cooked the traditional Maori way. Rediscover the Maori village as it comes alive to the sound and activities of tribal songs, dances, myths, and legends and browse throughout the largest after hours tribal marketplace in Rotorua. Includes a hangi buffet feast that has cooked slowly underground.

Your full-day tour begins with a morning sightseeing tour around three of Rotorua's iconic visitor attractions. Visit the cultural centre at Te Puia and gain an insight into Māori traditions and ways of life, before entering a geothermal wonderland of impressive geysers and boiling mud pools. Then see New Zealand's agricultural industry in action with a sheep-shearing display and sheep dog trials at the Agrodome, and explore Rainbow Springs, a nature park which showcases native flora and fauna including the famous New Zealand kiwi. Following these Rotorua highlights, enjoy a scenic drive across the Kaimai Ranges to the Hobbiton Movie Set - a picturesque 1,250 acre farm near Matamata where scenes from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies were filmed. Take a guided tour and learn how this working farm was transformed into The Shire from Middle-earth. Your guide will show you Hobbit holes, the Green Dragon Inn, the Mill and many other structures from the movies. After your Hobbiton Movie Set tour, continue your journey to Auckland with GreatSights.

You will be met at your Auckland accommodation by the driver and transferred to the airport.