New Zealand Uncut Hiking Adventure

Join the rest of your group in the Heritage Hotel foyer in Central Auckland and meet your guide. Start the tour by driving past patchwork green farming country alongside the Waikato River. After the drive, visit the Waitomo caves with thousands of glowworms clinging to the surfaces and hike through a fascinating limestone canyon. In the afternoon, you will arrive in the volcanically active area of Rotorua, which is also the center of Maori cultural tourism. Spend the evening enjoying a cultural performance.

Accommodation: Distinction Hotel, Rotorua
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Hiking: 1-2 km (0.5-1 miles) / 2 hours

After breakfast in your hotel in Rotorua, hike alongside the crystal-clear lake Tarawera in the shade of tree ferns. You’ll be able to swim in the lake and enjoy the views of the area’s expansive forests and volcanoes. In the afternoon, explore the area south of Rotorua with its mineralised hot pools and plumes of rising steam. Later you’ll spend some time by the Waikato river, whose flow is particularly powerful in this area because of a narrow rock corridor. Arrive in your accommodation in the lakeside town of Taupo and enjoy dinner and other evening activities.

Accommodation: Beechtree Motel, Taupo
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 8 km (5 miles) / 5 hours

Start the third day off with breakfast in Taupo. You will have a drive along the shores of Lake Taupo and arrive in New Zealand’s first National Park—Tongariro. Walk through the forest and explore the Rotopounamu lake, as well as the magnificent Taranaki Falls, cascading 20 m over a 15,000 year old lava flow. Enjoy dinner with the group in the comfort of your hotel.

Day 4 will be challenging as it features a 15-mile (23 km) hike, but it’s definitely worth the effort since we’re talking about the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, considered one of the best day walks in the world. During the hike, you’ll see the Red Crater, Emerald Lakes and lots of steaming vents. This will be your base for the next two days. Those who prefer a more restful day can find plenty to do at the village: Soda Springs walk, Taranaki Falls, walk, or simply drink coffee and view the great exhibits at the Park Visitor Centre. Enjoy your second night in the village.

Accommodation: Hotel at the gateway to Tongariro National Park
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 8 km (5 miles) / 2-4 hours on Day 3 & 23 km (14 miles) / 6-8 hours on Day 4

After breakfast, drive south to the nation’s capital, Wellington. Experience the city’s vibrant culture and spend some time bar hopping, visiting one of many museums, or going on a cable car ride to Wellington Botanic Gardens. The dinner on Day 5 and the breakfast on day 6 are not included which gives you an opportunity to explore the city’s restaurant and street food scene. On Day 6, spend more time in Wellington and take a flight over Cook strait to Nelson. Settle in your accommodation and meet up with your guide around 4 p.m. Later you can either take the guided tour to the Botanical Hill with the views of the Tasman Bay and the Nelson City or simply explore Nelson on your own.

Accommodation: Copthorne Hotel in Wellington & Tides Hotel in Nelson
Meals: Breakfast on Day 5, dinner on Day 6
Hiking: 2.5 km (1.5 miles) / 1 hour

After an early breakfast, you will set off for the Abel Tasman National Park and board a water taxi to the Bark Bay. The park is known for its long sandy beaches and rugged granite headlands. Follow the Abel Tasman Coast Track in a native forest with views of cascading streams and get to the Torrent Bay featuring the pristine Cleopatra’s Pool. Board the water taxi again and return to your accommodation in Nelson where you will get some more time to explore the town.

Accommodation: Trailways Hotel, Nelson
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 12 km (7.5 miles ) / 4 hours

Head to the West Coast and stop at a private deer farm to marvel at the natural flames which have been continuously burning since the 1920s. Relax with a cup of tea and cakes made over the flames. Continue your journey alongside the Buller River, enjoy the views of the West Coast and learn about its past. You will later head to Punakaiki where you will catch the sunset and enjoy dinner in a local pub. Later in the evening, take a walk around the Pancake Rocks. Settle in your accommodation in the Punakaiki Resort and get some rest.

Accommodation: Ocean View Retreat, Punakaiki
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: up to 8 km (6 miles) / 3 hours

Hike the Inland Pack Track from the Pororari to the Punakaiki River and admire the lush rainforest with tropical nikau palms. Pass many clear pools and take a short swim in one of them! You will spend some time on the road with views of the Southern Alps and soft yellow tussock grasslands. Later in the day you will visit Tura Tawhiti with remarkable limestone outcrops. The site was once an important meeting place for early Maori people and was named “Spiritual Center of the Universe” by the Dalai Lama. Get back on the road and drive past the Lyndon Lake on your way to Methven, a laid-back town which has the Southern Alps as its backdrop. You’ll have some time to explore the town and dine in one of its restaurants.

Accommodation: Ski Time, Methven
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: up to 10 km (6 miles) / 3 hours

Spend the next three days around the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Follow the edge of the extensive Canterbury Plains then up into the intermontane Mackenzie Basin to Lake Tekao, famous for its turquoise waters and the quaint Church of the Good Shepherd. Revel in broad views of the Patagonia-like landscape during picnic lunch. This is a sparsely populated region in the rain shadow of the Southern Alps: tawny-brown drylands, braided riverbeds, and glacial lakes. Hike in Governors Bush and up to Red Tarns for views of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Settle into your accommodation where you’ll stay for two nights.

Start off Day 11 with a hike up to Sealy Tarns. Enjoy spectacular views of Mt Sefton, Mueller and Hooker Glacier terminal lakes and the towering south face of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Those wanting an easier alternative to the Sealy Tarns climb can explore the valley floor independently, taking the walk up the Hooker Valley for views of the Mueller and Hooker Glacier terminal lakes and the towering south face of Aoraki/Mt Cook.

On Day 12, sail the terminal lake of the Tasman Glacier dotted with pearly icebergs, also the longest glacier in New Zealand. Later on, drive to Wanaka and stop at one of the vineyards for wine tasting. Settle in your accommodation in Wanaka, a lakeside holiday town.

Accommodation: Lodge within Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park on Days 10 and 11, Oak Ridge Resort, Wanaka on Day 12
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (no dinner on Day 12)
Hiking: 5 km (3 miles) / 3 hours on Day 10, 10 km (6 miles) / 4 hours on Day 11, 3 km (2 miles) / 1 hour on Day 12

After breakfast, take a drive around Wanaka Lake and head to the Aspiring National Park, home to natural wonders such as the Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountains. On your way to Te Anau, the largest lake in the South Island, you will pass through the scenic wine growing area of Gibbston Valley. Te Anau is the gateway to the Fiordland National Park. Your hotel is conveniently located near the lake and the commercial center of the town.

Accommodation: Distinction Luxmore Hotel, Te Anau
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 7 km (4.3 miles) / 3 hours

From Fiordland mountains, head to the Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most iconic tourist destinations. Walk a section of the Routeburn Track to Key Summit for panoramic views of the Humboldt and Darran Mountains. Easier short walks, and the preferred option if cloud is likely to rob Key Summit of views, are located below in the Hollyford Valley. Continue on to Milford Sound and experience the true magnificence of the fiord by cruising through it. The highlight of the day is cruising along the fjord between glaciated mountains featuring impressive waterfalls while being on a lookout for marine wildlife—most notably dusky dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and, if you’re lucky, the rare Fiordland crested penguin. Return to your hotel in Te Anau.

Accommodation: Distinction Te Anau Hotel and Villas, Te Anau
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Hiking: 7 km (4.3 miles) / 3 hours

On the last day, hike the Kepler Track to Lake Manapouri, known for an array of islands and its mountain backdrop. Head north to Queenstown, the last point of your adventure. Set against the dramatic Southern Alps, Queenstown is known as New Zealand’s adventure capital. You can travel up the Skyline Gondola to enjoy some show-stopping views, or have a leisurely stroll through the Queenstown Gardens before heading for dinner somewhere downtown. Tomorrow you’ll say goodbye to New Zealand or continue touring on your own.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: 10 km (6 miles) / 3 hours hiking