7 Day - Essence of North Island Tour

Experience the best highlights of New Zealand's North Island. Stay in luxury accommodation, eat great local food and enjoy a good glass of award winning wine on Waiheke Island. The tour also includes a private boat tour on Lake Taupo the largest lake in the country and a helicopter flight and landing on an active volcano. No visit to New Zealand is complete without a 4WD tour on a classic Romney sheep station.

A private, exclusive tour - 6 nights in 5* boutique hotels/lodges (with personal driver-guide)

Day 1: Auckland  (Airport Concierge service and private airport transfer)
Day 2: Auckland - Ferry to Waiheke Island (Private gourmet food and winery tour)
Day 3: Auckland – Waitomo Caves - Lake Taupo (Private glow-worm caves tour, Private charter boat /cruise on lake)
Day 4: Lake Taupo (Helicopter flight and landing on White Island and Mt Tarawera)
Day 5: Taupo –  Martinborough wineries -Palliser Bay (Optional:domestic flight to Wellington and private transfer to lodge or helicopter flight) )
Day 6: Palliser Bay (Private 4WD sheep station tour, day for relaxing)
Day 7: Wellington departure (private road transfer back to the capital city)

Prices: We recommend the following guidelines for customized tour packages, excluding international flights: ◦5* and 5*Plus from NZ$ $750 - $1650+ per person per day. The customized package will include accommodation, airport transfers and other transportation within New Zealand, guided tours or activities, unique experiences, trip planning, and 24X7 support during your trip. Please enquire for a custom quote. The price is customized based on final accommodation choices, travel dates, and other custom preferences.

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Day 1: Auckland arrival (Airport concierge and private transfer, day to your own leisure)
Imagine an urban environment where everyone lives within half an hour of beautiful beaches, hiking trails and a dozen enchanted holiday islands. Auckland is based around 2 large harbours and is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. In central Queen Street, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of super yachts and lined with bars and cafes. Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park, is based around an extinct volcano and home to the formal Winter gardens. Mission Bay beach is minutes from Down-town. (Optional) Enjoy the city of sails by cruising the harbour on a dinner cruise or experience the thrill of sailing on a genuine America's Cup racing yacht. Auckland: City - Hilton Hotel or Sofitel or De Bretts (Luxury)

Day 2: Auckland - Ferry to Waiheke Island (Private gourmet foot and winery tour)
We have organized today a private wine-tour to the Island's most respected vineyards. A “small is beautiful” philosophy” yields low quantities of extremely high quality fruit, which is made into internationally award-winning wines. With tastings at our best boutique wineries, the secrets of Waiheke's stunning world-wide success in fine red wines will be revealed to the interested visitor. You'll come away with a deep appreciation of the vintner’s art and an understanding of the terrier, the weather and the tides of tradition which make up this art. A natural complement to the fine wines you can taste on your tour is the range of hand-made speciality foods and locally grown produce. As well as the many international award-winning olive oils, you can sample island delights such as succulent oysters straight from Te Matuku Bay, freshly roasted island coffee, wild honey and the famous local green herb spread.On Saturdays, your tour could include a visit to the Waiheke Market, where you can purchase sun-ripened local produce, freshly squeezed juices, warm French pastries and crêpes, just-baked artisan breads, organic cheeses and a huge variety of locally made dukkahs, fruit chutneys, jams and pickles. Accommodation:  Auckland - Hilton Hotel or Sofitel (Luxury) or De Bretts Hotel

Day 3: Auckland – Waitomo Caves - Lake Taupo (Private glow-worm caves tour, private charter boat /cruise on lake)
Driving distance 4,5h
In the morning, we travel south through the lush green rural farm land of the Waikato region. The rich and fertile pastoral land of the Waikato is one of New Zealand’s major dairy producing and horse breeding areas, and host to incalculable stands of exotic timber. One of the major attractions of the region is the famous Waitomo Caves. Take a short walk through breath taking New Zealand native bush to the cave entrance. There, your guide lights the candles setting the scene for an intimate cave experience, where you will see glow-worms and cave formations up close and appreciate the beauty of Footwhistle Cave (also known to local Maori as Te Anaroa Cave). The solar powered lights are kept low so you can appreciate the magnificent glow worm displays at their best, only inches away. The guide tells the stories of the insect life that live here - titiwai, the glow worm, the Moa and tuna, the eel. After enjoying a relaxed stroll through the cave, you'll be seated in Footwhistle's Cathedral to see it lit up by a dazzling magnesium torch. Although the display only lasts a few seconds, your memories of the Footwhistle Cave will last a lifetime. From Waitomo we drive further Inland to Lake Taupo. Here you take a private charter trip on the nearby Lake. The luxury vessel can take you to the many isolated coves and bays fringing the edges of the great lakes. Here you can fish for rainbow trout, swim and picnic near the beautiful crystal-clear water. The area is home to some of the finest rainbow and brown trout in the world. The challenge of landing one can be met with the assistance of your own fishing guides. Accommodation: Taupo/Rotorua Treetops or Huka Lodge or Solitaire Lodge (Deluxe) or The Point Villas, Hilton Hotel, or Acacia Cliffs Lodge or Taupo Lodge (Luxury)

Day 4: Lake Taupo - Day trip to Rotorua (Helicopter flight and landing at White Island and Mt Tarawera)
Driving distance 2h return
Today we drive you to Rotorua where you board a helicopter and fly to and land on New Zealand’s only permanently active volcano, White Island. Experience the thrill of combining a landing on both Mount Tarawera and White Island. The contrast between these two volcanoes couldn't be more amazing, from the active crater floor and steaming crater lake of White Island to the heights of Mount Tarawera‘s summit. Here you can enjoy spectacular vistas of the volcanoes craters and the surrounding lakes district. Leaving the Rotorua you fly north past the northern lakes district before crossing the coast on track to White Island. You fly over the volcano and enjoy aerial views of the active crater before landing on this lunar like surface. Here you embark upon a leisurely guided tour of the island's crater floor to view active steam vents 'fumaroles', vibrant sulphur formations and the steaming crater. This landscape is constantly changing as the activity forms new features and removes old ones. The Crater Lake changes in depth and temperature so that from one day to the next the landscape is different. Highly recommended (Optional) Eco Zip lining tour. Deep in the native treetop canopy, you’ll have three hours of magic as the marvels of the Mamaku Forest are discovered in your personalised Rotorua eco tour. Accommodation: Taupo/Rotorua - Treetops Lodge or Huka Lodge or Solitaire Lodge (Deluxe) or The Point Villas, Hilton Hotel, or Acacia Cliffs Lodge or Taupo Lodge (Luxury)

Day 5: Taupo –  Palliser Bay (National Park, Martinborough wines)
Optional: domestic flight to Wellington and transfer to Lodge or Helicopter transfer
Driving distance 4,5h
Today your tour takes you through what is regarded as the volcanic loop to view New Zealand's most accessible active volcano, magnificent Mt. Ruapehu. Take a short walk around the pristine native forest of Tongariro National Park and experience the desolate landscape which was used as a backdrop for just some of the legendary middle earth film scenes for the movie “Lord of the Rings”. Experience a walk over lava stone fields that lead you almost to the top of the volcano. The magnificent views across the valleys to snow-capped peaks will create the perfect setting for a great photo opportunity. In the afternoon we reach  Martinborough and the winery region of the Wairarapa. Wairarapa is a region of big skies, wide valleys and small towns, full of character. No less than 29 boutique wineries are situated in close proximity. Discover the pleasures of the local wineries, tasting some of the world’s best Pinot Noir. International wine experts rate Martinborough as one of the finest wine growing regions in New Zealand and its Pinot Noir equal to anything that Burgundy has on offer. Accommodation: Palliser Bay - Wharekauhau Lodge (Deluxe)

Day 6: Palliser Bay (Private 4wd sheep station tour, day for relaxing)
No visit to Wharekauhau is complete without a tour of this classic Romney sheep station. Explore the far reaches of Wharekauhau Country Estate in four-wheel drive comfort. The farm tour features all the activities which make up New Zealand’s legendary farming heritage, including sheep shearing and sheep dogs in action. (2h) In the afternoon you options are multiple. Travel up Lake Onoke to the Ruamahunga River by jet boat , travel along the black sand beaches with your own 4WD quad bike, try yourself at clay target shooting or archery or discover the best spots to fish (surfcasting). (Optional on request, extra charges) Accommodation: Palliser Bay -Wharekauhau Lodge (Deluxe)

Day 7: Palliser Bay - Wellington departure (Private transfer)
Driving distance 1,5h
A private limo will take you to your departing flight in Wellington.