Take the scenic roads through New Zealand and experience some incredible moments along the way.

Travel south from Auckland to the Waikato region where you will arrive at the Shire's rest to embark on your Hobbiton film set tour. You will see 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and double arch bridge, the party tree and visit the Green Dragon Inn. You can also get a picture taken at Bilbo's front door at Bag End. After the tour your lunch is included at Shire's Rest Cafe before heading back to Auckland.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 7am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

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Depart from Wellington and drive through the picturesque Hutt Valley and the Rimutaka Range to Martinborough for this full-day guided tour of the famous wine region. With a wide choice of wineries, there is a selection of award winning wines to sample, including the Pinot Noirs that the region is known for. Stop for lunch at Poppies winery and enjoy a superb platter of local delicacies matched with their fine wines.

Continue on to a further 2 or 3 wineries or head to the lovingly restored colonial town of Greytown, where you can browse the main street taking in the craft and antique shops or stop for a coffee, before heading back over the hill to Wellington.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 9.30am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

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Wētā Workshop has been creating physical effects, props and creatures for film and TV since the late 1980s, and chances are you’ve already seen their work without realising it. From The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to Avatar and Black Panther Wakanda Forever, this Wellington-based studio has helped bring some of cinema’s biggest worlds to life.

Step behind the scenes at Wētā Workshop’s creative home base and get a close-up look at how things are made. This isn’t about green screens and computers. It’s about sculpting, moulding, painting and problem-solving, the hands-on craft that turns ideas into objects actors can interact with.

Your guide walks you through the workshop’s story, from its early beginnings to the award-winning operation it is today, explaining how different departments work together to create props, costumes and creatures. Along the way, you’ll see and handle pieces from across the workshop, including weapons, armour, prosthetics and detailed models, with the stories behind how they were made.

• Start time: 9am 
• Duration: 1½ hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

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Every whale watching tour is different. Sperm whales are yearround residents so your chances of spotting one are very high. You can also see dusky dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and albatross year round. Dependent on season you can also spot Humpback whales, Pilot whales, Blue whales and Southern Right whales. There are also opportunities to see orcas as well as the world's smallest and rarest dolphin - the Hector's dolphin.

• Start times: 7.15am, 10am, 10.30am, 12.45pm, 3,30pm
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

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This evening experience takes you to the summit of Mount John above Lake Tekapo for guided stargazing in one of the world’s best dark-sky locations. You’ll spend time outdoors and at telescopes with expert astronomy guides, learning how to read the Southern Sky and seeing planets, star clusters and distant galaxies that are usually lost to light pollution.

You travel up to the summit of Mount John, home to the University of Canterbury’s Mount John Observatory and set within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. With almost no artificial light for miles, the sky here feels noticeably deeper and more detailed than in most places, even before you look through a telescope. 

You’ll spend time observing with the naked eye and through powerful telescopes, which bring planets, star clusters and distant galaxies into sharp view. Between observations, the guides talk about the science behind what you’re seeing, how this region became such an essential site for astronomy, and why protecting dark skies matters more than most people realise.

• Duration: 2 hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

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If you’re based in Te Anau, this is the most direct and relaxed way to experience Milford Sound. The journey takes you deep into Fiordland National Park, with scenery unfolding gradually as the road winds through lakes, forest and alpine valleys.

By late morning or early afternoon, you arrive at Piopiotahi Milford Sound. Glacially carved cliffs rise straight from the water, and the sense of enclosure is immediate. From the terminal, you board a purpose-built cruise vessel for a cruise of up to two hours.

Once on the fiord, the pace slows noticeably. The boat travels the full length of Milford Sound, passing close to waterfalls and sheer rock faces, sometimes so close that you can feel the spray. Wet weather only adds to the atmosphere, with temporary waterfalls appearing all along the cliffs. Wildlife sightings vary, but seals are commonly seen resting on rocks, dolphins sometimes swim alongside the boat, and penguins appear at certain times of year. The cruise passes St Anne’s Point Lighthouse and, when conditions allow, continues out toward the Tasman Sea.

• Start time: 6.45am 
• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

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Deep in Fiordland National Park lies the secluded Pātea Doubtful Sound where an overnight cruise will bring you closer to Aotearoa’s native flora and fauna. The tour begins on the shore of Lake Manapouri where you will join a catamaran cruise to West Arm before boarding a coach to Wilmot Pass and Doubtful Sound. Your home for the night is on board the Fiordland Navigator, a replica of a traditional trading scow and ideal for exploring the fiords and secret coves of Doubtful Sound and to the Tasman Sea beyond. Accommodating 52 guests, the private cabins are all en suite. Afternoon tea, local platters, a gourmet buffet dinner and a selection of hot and continental breakfasts will be served during the cruise. If you wish, you can explore the shoreline by kayak or by tender boat accompanied by a nature guide where you may encounter dolphins and fur seals. An overnight cruise is one of the best ways to experience New Zealand's beauty.

Good to know
Connections to and from Queenstown and Te Anau can be arranged. If you are self-driving, there is parking at Manapouri. Due to the multi-leg journey and floating wharf access, guests will need to have a reasonable level of mobility.

What to bring

Only one carry-on bag is recommended

• Non-slip walking shoes/boots
• Waterproof jacket*
• Warm sweater/fleece jacket
• Change of clothes*
• Sunscreen/sunglasses
• Insect repellent*
• Swimwear (optional)
• Camera
• Lunch and snacks for the first day
• Personal medication, including for asthma and allergies

* essential if joining activities

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There is no better way to soak up the majesty of Piopiotahi Milford Sound than on an overnight cruise. Spending the night in this very special part of the world means you can enjoy its magnificent splendour, long after the day trippers have departed. Accommodating a maximum of 22 guests in nine en suite cabins, Fiordland Jewel is a boutique catamaran designed to explore the fiord in total comfort. The cruise offers the perfect opportunity for exploration by kayak and tender boat excursions, whilst back on board you can relax in the top-deck hot tub before savouring delicious meals prepared by the chef. There’s even an onboard helipad if you would prefer to arrive in style on a 30-minute flight from Queenstown (extra cost).

• Tour operates: Saturday 31 October 2026 to Sunday 25 April 2027
• Duration: 18 hours
• Check-in at 2:35pm, board at 2:50pm. Depart at 3:10pm. Arrival back the next day at 8.45am.

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The Franz Josef encounter lets you experience one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes from a whole new perspective. A scenic helicopter flight over lush rainforest and the rugged West Coast kicks things off in style, before venturing to the icy heart of Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere.

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You’ll fly past historic Almer Hut, the Franz Josef Nevé and Centennial Hut, before touching down on the glacier’s dramatic icefall. Take a deep breath in and embrace every spectacular second as you step out onto the ice. The views here are next level, so keep your camera handy if you want to snap some photos, and listen closely as your expert guide shares fascinating stories that bring the glacier’s rich history to life.

• Duration: 1 hour from check-in to the end of the trip
• Daily departures during the summer
• Group experience

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This adventure begins at the Franz Josef Village base, before flying up to the Franz Josef Glacier in the Westland National Park. When you land, the glistening glacier awaits. Pull on your glacier boots and crampons and gear up for an icy adventure you’ll never forget. From eye-widening ice formations and pinnacles to the extraordinary colours of the ice-flow, the expedition itself might be two hours long, but the memories will last a lifetime.

• Duration: 3 hours
• Daily departures 
• Operates year round

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Soar over the snaking Franz Josef Glacier and get some pretty epic, up-close views of the Southern Alps before dipping down and landing on the snow. You'll step out onto the glacier and take in the landscape as well as capture some envy inducing shots before setting off again for your return journey.

• Duration: 1 hour
• Daily departures
• Operates daily

Good to know
Departures, flight routes and snow landings subject to suitable and safe weather conditions.

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