19 Day Classic Rail, Cruise And Coach
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
✓ Professional Coach Captain
✓ Tour Leader
✓ Personalised Meet and Greet on arrival
✓ Return airport transfers in New Zealand
✓ 17 nights 4 star accommodation
✓ Milford Sound Overnight Cruise
✓ 6 two night stays
✓ Hotel porterage
✓ 3 rail journeys
✓ 4 cruises
✓ All sightseeing and prepaid attractions
✓ Extensive Optional Tours Programme
✓ Classic Documentation Pack
✓ 18 cooked breakfasts including a specialty breakfast: Stratosfare Restaurant, Rotorua
✓ 14 sumptuous dinners including 4 specialty dinners: Mãori Hãngi and Concert, Rotorua; Walter Peak Homestead, Queenstown; Haggis Ceremony, Dunedin; Farewell Dinner, Christchurch
✓ 2 delicious morning teas
✓ Enjoy GPT Wine Time (discounted drinks)
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
On arrival into Auckland, you will be met by a Grand Pacific Tours representative and transferred to your hotel.
This evening meet your Tour Leader and travelling companions for dinner.
Enjoy a city tour of Auckland, dubbed the ‘City of Sails’, before travelling to Matakohe to enjoy a visit and informative talk at the Kauri Museum.
Travel via Whangarei to Paihia, situated in the heart of the beautiful Bay of Islands. Enjoy a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the location of the signing of the treaty between the Mãori tribes and the British.
Today is a free day. Choose from the many optional activities available, including the Cape Reinga coach trip via Ninety Mile Beach or a spectacular scenic flight.
This evening is also free, you may like to enjoy a relaxing dinner cruise (optional).
This morning you will explore the scenic beauty of the Bay of Islands aboard a luxury catamaran.
Cruise to Cape Brett and the famous ‘Hole in the Rock’, keep an eye out for dolphins and other marine life. Upon return to Paihia, travel south via Whangarei, call into the Parry Kauri Park to see a magnificent example of a Kauri Tree before returning to Auckland.
This morning travel to Glenbrook Vintage Railway for a nostalgic 15 kilometre trip back in time on a beautifully restored vintage steam train.
Visit the restoration workshop and on return to Glenbrook Station, morning tea will be served. Depart Glenbrook and travel through magnificent countryside of rolling hills and green pastures famous for dairying.
Continue to Rotorua to visit Paradise Valley Springs, a superb wildlife park where you can hand-feed rainbow trout.
Today begins with a gondola ride and breakfast at Skyline Rotorua. There is also time for a thrilling luge ride!
Next stop is the Agrodome for an action-packed hour of farming entertainment and education that is unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Enjoy some free time this afternoon before travelling to Te Puia to see the boiling mud pools and awesome geysers that Rotorua is famous for.
This evening experience an entertaining Mãori Hãngi and Concert.
Travel along the Thermal Explorer Highway to the spectacular Huka Falls. Continue to Lake Taupo for some free time to enjoy this scenic lakeside town.
Travel via the Tongariro National Park and then continue south to New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington.
A highlight this morning will be time to explore Gallipoli: A Scale of War exhibition at Te Papa, New Zealand’s National Museum. Cutting edge technology brings these stories to life through the eyes of New Zealanders who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
Reboard your coach for an extensive city tour. Enjoy time at leisure this afternoon and this evening is also free to explore Wellington’s lively food scene.
This morning board the Interislander Ferry, cross Cook Strait and travel through the Marlborough Sounds to Picton.
Join the Coastal Pacific, a truly spectacular rail journey that showcases the Kaikōura mountain ranges on one side and the rugged scenic coastline on the other travelling through numerous tunnels and across several bridges.
Enjoy a two-night stay in the garden city of Christchurch.
Today visit the International Antarctic Centre, designed to provide an informative account of life in Antarctica.
This is followed by a city tour of Christchurch. This afternoon includes a journey on board the Christchurch Tram at leisure, one of Christchurch’s leading attractions.
This evening is free to explore the local cuisine.
This morning board the TranzAlpine, one of the great train journeys of the world. Travel over massive viaducts, river valleys and spectacular gorges as you ascend to Arthur’s Pass located in the centre of the Southern Alps.
Board your coach and travel to Hokitika, famous for its Greenstone before arriving at the township of Franz Josef where time is available to experience a scenic flight (optional, weather permitting) over the spectacular glaciers.
See the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps as you travel south via the Haast Pass, an area of stunning beauty before arriving into picturesque Queenstown, a year-round resort situated on the shores of magical Lake Wakatipu.
This evening is free to dine at one of the many fine restaurants.
Today is a free day to explore Queenstown. Your Coach Captain and Tour Leader will assist with the many optional activities available.
This evening board the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw and cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station. Sit back, relax and enjoy a delicious gourmet barbecue dinner featuring a menu of seasonal, fresh and locally sourced food at the Colonel’s Homestead.
After dinner enjoy a short farm tour then reboard the TSS Earnslaw for a sing along by the piano as you cruise back to Queenstown.
This morning travel to Arrowtown and visit the Lakes District Museum. Continue via Te Anau to Milford Sound and board the Milford Mariner for your amazing overnight cruise.
There is plenty of time to view the fiord’s spectacular waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife - you’re bound to encounter seals and if you’re lucky maybe dolphins and penguins.
As evening falls enjoy a delicious carvery buffet prepared freshly by the onboard chef.
Start the day with a hearty breakfast before heading back out to the Tasman Sea (weather permitting) to explore more of the fiord. Return to the wharf to meet your coach and enjoy the scenic drive to Te Anau where you will enjoy an afternoon at leisure.
You may like to visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves (optional).
Travel via Gore and Balclutha to Dunedin, famous for its stunning Edwardian and Victorian architecture dating back to the gold rush of the 1800’s.
Today Dunedin is New Zealand’s oldest university city.
This morning travel along the Otago Peninsula to Larnach Castle where you hear of the tragic and scandalous history on a guided tour. Enjoy time to wander around this Garden of International Significance followed by a delicious Devonshire Tea. Return to Dunedin for a city tour followed by some free time. Optional activities you might be interested in including a tour of Speights Brewery or the chance to see wildlife in their natural habitat. Tonight, a Scottish evening will be presented comprising of bagpipes, great food, Haggis Ceremony and gift.
This morning visit Olveston Historic Home, a prosperous merchants’ home from the turn of the century before travelling to Oamaru, famous for its limestone.
This evening enjoy a farewell dinner with your new found friends.
Time to say goodbye. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight home after a memorable New Zealand holiday.
Deposit & Payments
Booking Process
Booking On Request:
COVID-19
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $2,430 per person in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not Available
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation including, e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
Group size varies from package to package. Depending on the services provided, the group size might range from private 2 person experiences up to coaches of 50 people depending on your selected holiday.
Tour Type - Independant
On these packages you will travel from city to city on your own, exploring at your own pace. We have arranged transportation in most cases and day tours for you to see the destination. Enjoy the time and flexibility to linger longer or pick up the pace and see as much as possible. The choice is yours.
Children
Children must share a room with parents at all times and are charged the same price as adults.
Please note that your tour is operated by Grand Pacific Tours and documentation is provided via delivery to your residential address approximately 14 days prior to departure.
In order to ensure a smooth process for delivery of your documents, you will receive a phone call directly from Grand Pacific Tours leading up to the delivery dispatch date to confirm your delivery address details.
Please ensure you answer this call and provide accurate details to the supplier. In the event that an incorrect address is provided there may be additional costs to redirect the delivery to the correct address.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above please do not hesitate to contact us.
New Zealand
United States
Canada
India
