7 Day AAT Kings Iconic North

New Zealand’s largest city is blessed when it comes to water views – on one side of the isthmus is Manukau Harbour; on the other, Waitemata. Exploring pretty precincts at your leisure, gazing out over a flurry of yachts, you’ll begin to understand why Auckland is fondly known as the ‘City of Sails’. Come evening, meet your fellow NZ holiday travel companions for dinner and a few local tipples, and share stories of your day-one wanderings.

Staying in:

• Cordis (1 night)

Remember all those sails you spotted on Auckland’s harbour yesterday? They come from a long and fascinating history of boat-building and sailing, as you’ll discover on an America’s Cup tour at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. This is a story of migration, innovation, team-building and skill. Plus, you get to glimpse one of the few existing replicas of the America’s Cup. The water is your backdrop as your skirt the harbour toward dreamy Mission Bay, onward to Bastion Point and the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial. This is the place to get some perspective. Yes of Auckland and its improbable location, but also of life in general. There’s nothing like an epic view to set your soul soaring. If you want tips on how to spend your afternoon post Auckland tour, we have a few ideas, whether you’re a sports fanatic or a budding gourmand. Perhaps a behind-the-scenes All Blacks experience, revealing insights into this record-breaking rugby team. Or a cruise out to Waiheke Island for a tasting of local wines. If you have a sweet tooth, you might prefer to meet the makers at one of New Zealand’s most innovative ice-creameries. A NZ holiday high.

Staying in:

• Cordis (1 night)

If you hadn’t noticed already, Kiwis are a friendly bunch. None more so than Lance and Bridgette O’Sullivan, who welcome you to their bucolic Waikato farm for a country-style lunch in the aptly-named Red Barn. Expect plenty of stories about horses – the couple are racing royalty, after all. Fuel up on this Be My Guest lunch, as there’s an afternoon of activity ahead of you in the Bay of Plenty region, should you wish to lace up your hiking shoes. Work up a sweat on a Bay of Plenty tour exploring the trails of Mount Maunganui, an extinct volcano set on a peninsula. It’s an extremely spiritual place among the traditional Maori landowners, and hiking here is a humbling experience. You may prefer to kick off your boots and wander barefoot along a golden stretch of sand by the same name. There’s a reason why many consider it the prettiest beach in the country.

Staying in:

• Trinity Wharf Tauranga (1 night)

Te Puke takes home the great honour of being the kiwifruit capital of New Zealand. And these sweet treats don’t get much tastier than when freshly picked straight from the orchard, handed to you by a farmer. Expect an explosion of flavour when you take your first bite. The zingy sensation will linger with you all the way to Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. The natural drama of this NZ tour reaches boiling point at Whakarewarewa, a geothermal reserve and the country’s only living Māori village. Indigenous heritage is also celebrated at Te Puia cultural centre, where you can witness Māori  artisans at work. Your visit here supports up-and-coming creatives. Your Rotorua tour culminates at to Te Pā Tū  Māori  Experience, an important hub keeping tradition, art and music alive. Oh, and nurturing Maori cuisine. Sit down to a lavish hangi meal, cooked in underground ovens.

Staying in:

• Millennium Hotel, Rotorua (1 night)

Tour Rotorua at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Nature lover? We might point you in the direction of the sparkling Waitomo Caves, where a galaxy of glow worms twinkle above your head while you cruise an underground cave system, replete with waterfalls and staggering limestone formations. Add on a visit to Hobbiton, if you’re a Lord of the Rings fanatic, to see where Bilbo and Frodo lived, amid rolling green meadows blanketed with wildflowers. Or sign up to tour Rotorua and its three lakes in an amphibious WWII era Duck. Yes, it’s a thing that history buffs won’t want to miss. But at the end of the day, we wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at in the steamy thermal springs at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa. This is the ultimate antidote to NZ holiday weary limbs.

Staying in:

• Millennium Hotel, Rotorua (1 night)

You’ll hear Huka Falls well before you see it – at this natural wonder, a staggering 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-meter-high waterfall every second. Photos just don’t do it justice; this is an every-sense-heightened experience. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, its waters so vivid and blue you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. The surrounding countryside is one of ridiculous contrast: snow-blanketed mountains and alpine deserts, ancient forests and trout-filled rivers. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from you’ll need a guide book. Wait, you have an in-the-know Travel Director to talk to…

Staying in:

• James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor (1 night)

New Zealand’s harbour-hugging capital leaves you wanting more. It’s a good thing we’re ready to show you around on a Wellington tour, taking in distinctive architecture, monuments, hip precincts and cultural icons, not in the least waterside Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand – don’t miss a visit to the establishment’s Maori wharenui (meeting house). It’s an eye-opening ending to an equally eye-opening trip to New Zealand.