From Geothermal Springs to the Southern Alps

Arrive in Auckland and transfer privately to the hotel, unpacking here for three nights rather than moving on immediately.

Keep the afternoon restorative with time at the spa, an easy walk around Wynyard Quarter or a harbour view from the waterfront.

In the evening, choose a relaxed dinner close to the hotel and an early night after the international journey.

Take the morning ferry across the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island, with the Auckland skyline receding behind you.

Spend the day privately exploring two or three boutique vineyards, combining premium tastings with olive oil, local produce and a long vineyard lunch rather than rushing between stops.

Pause at a coastal viewpoint or beach before the return ferry, then keep the Auckland evening free for cocktails, dinner or an early night.

Subject to final flight schedules, fly to Rotorua for a private day focused on the region’s geothermal landscapes and living Māori culture, returning to the same Auckland hotel at night.

Choose one substantial geothermal experience, such as Te Puia for geysers, carving traditions and cultural interpretation, rather than trying to cover every reserve.

Allow time for Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa and its restorative bathing journey before the return flight. This day will be timed only after the travel date and airline schedule are confirmed.

Take an early flight to Christchurch, collect the rental car or meet a private driver, then begin the only longer transfer day of the journey.

Break the drive at Lake Tekapo for lunch, the Church of the Good Shepherd and the lake’s extraordinary turquoise colour, continuing beside Lake Pukaki as Aoraki comes into view.

Check in for the journey’s only one-night stay. Watch the changing alpine light, dine at the hotel and, if skies are clear, step outside for stargazing in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve.

Begin with a premium helicopter or ski-plane flight over the Tasman Valley and Southern Alps, including a snow or glacier landing when conditions permit.

If there is time before departure, choose a short valley walk or the Tasman Glacier viewpoint rather than committing to a long hike on a transfer day.

Travel through Lindis Pass and Central Otago to Queenstown, check in once for six nights, then settle into a lakefront dinner and an easy evening.

Start slowly with breakfast overlooking Lake Wakatipu and a late-morning walk through Queenstown Gardens and the lakefront.

Choose a gentle afternoon: ride the Skyline Gondola for wide alpine views, take a classic lake cruise, browse the town’s galleries or book a couples treatment at the hotel.

Reserve the evening for drinks with a view and one of Queenstown’s best tables. The day remains deliberately light after the journey south.

Depart Queenstown by light aircraft, crossing the Southern Alps above braided rivers, alpine lakes, glaciers and remote valleys inaccessible by road.

Land near Milford Sound and board a small-vessel cruise beneath Mitre Peak, passing waterfalls and sheer rock walls with time to look for seals or dolphins.

Return on a different scenic flight path where conditions permit, leaving the late afternoon and evening free back in Queenstown.

Follow the lake road to Glenorchy, one of New Zealand’s most beautiful short drives, with unhurried stops at Bennetts Bluff and quiet shoreline viewpoints.

Continue with a private guide into the Dart Valley and Paradise for beech forest, braided rivers and mountain scenery. Choose a nature walk, a Dart River wilderness experience or a scenic picnic.

Return to the same Queenstown room by late afternoon. Keep the evening relaxed, or add a fireside drink and dinner away from the centre.

Begin in historic Arrowtown before the day crowds, walking beside the Arrow River and exploring its preserved lanes, galleries and small boutiques.

Continue into Gibbston for a private Central Otago wine experience focused on Pinot Noir, with two considered cellar doors and a long vineyard lunch.

Return via the dramatic Kawarau Gorge and finish around sunset in a private Onsen hot pool overlooking the Shotover landscape.

Keep the final full day open until the rest of the journey is confirmed. It can absorb a weather-delayed Milford flight or become a completely personal Queenstown day.

For adventure, choose one defining experience such as a Shotover Jet ride, scenic helicopter flight, tandem skydive or bungy. For a softer rhythm, take a lakeside e-bike ride, a private picnic, spa time or a long lunch.

Meet again for a final celebratory dinner, with the evening designed around the restaurant, view and atmosphere that best suit the two of you.

Enjoy breakfast at leisure and one final look across Lake Wakatipu, without packing for another internal hotel move.

A private transfer will be timed to the onward flight from Queenstown Airport, with assistance around the preferred domestic or international connection.