Program
DAY 1 : DEPARTURE FOR NEW ZEALAND
Today you will take your flight to Auckland in the early afternoon with a transfer in the Middle East (Dubai or Qatar) or Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Taipei). Of course, you will be offered the lounge access so that you can relax before and during the flight.
DAY 2 : TRANSFER
Depending on the chosen airline, you arrive at your transit destination at night or in the early morning. The transfer then takes between two and four hours. You do not have to check in again, but you will need to board for your new flight from your transit destination to Auckland, New Zealand. Since it is usually a night flight, you will arrive in the Maori country the next day.
DAY 3 : ARRIVAL AUCKLAND – NEW ZEALAND (D)
Today you will arrive in the morning in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel in the city centre. After check-in at your hotel, you can relax after a long flight. At the end of the afternoon you are expected in one of the most beautiful rooftop bars in the city with a view of Auckland Tower. After this you are expected for dinner in a wine restaurant.
Overnight.
DAY 4 : AUCKLAND – WAIHEKE ISLAND (O)
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Auckland Ferry Terminal in the heart of Auckland city. You then board the ferry for a 35-minute journey across the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island. Then you will get a transfer to your wine hotel on Waiheke Island where you will stay 3 nights. The rest of the day is at your pace and leisure. Nature and vineyards are everywhere. Pure enjoyment. You can go for a walk, relax, read a book …
In the evening you can go for dinner in the restaurant of the hotel where you are staying or one of the beautiful restaurants located in the vineyards nearby. Dinner is on your own.
Overnight in a wine hotel on Waiheke Island.
DAY 5 : WAIKE ISLAND (B, L)
Today you wake up with a beautiful view over the island, the nearby bush and sea and / or vineyards and enjoy breakfast in the restaurant of your accommodation. There are more than 20 vineyards on Waiheke Island, so today you will join a guided wine tour to visit the best of these. During the excursion, enjoy lunch in the restaurant of one of the wineries you will visit. Enjoy the view of the vineyards, the Hauraki Gulf from your table and taste delicious local wines. At the end of the day, you will be transferred back to your accommodation. Early in the evening, enjoy dinner at a local beachfront cafe or restaurant (on your own).
Overnight in a wine hotel on Waiheke Island.
DAY 6 : WAIHEKE ISLAND (B)
After breakfast, head out for a day of fishing in the Hauraki Gulf. There are many places to fish in this beautiful area and your captain will take you to the best spot of the day depending on the weather and sailing conditions. You are very likely to fish some snapper, gurnard, terakihi and hapuka. There are also many cycling and walking paths to follow and a beautiful sculpture park on the island.
Enjoy your last Waiheke Island dinner in one of the many great wine restaurants.
Overnight in a wine hotel on Waiheke Island.
DAY 7 : WAIHEKE ISLAND – AUCKLAND – WAIHI – KATIKATI – TAURANGA (O)
After breakfast, head towards Waiheke Island harbour to catch the ferry back to Auckland. Then pick up your rental car and drive to Tauranga. This 3-hour drive takes you across the Hauraki Plains and then through the Karangahake Gorge to Waihi. Here you make a nice trip to Waihi Beach for lunch (on your own). Next, continue to today’s first winery in Katikati. Here you will enjoy a wine tasting before continuing to Tauranga.
Overnight in a local boutique hotel or B&B.
DAY 8 : TAURANGA – TAUPO (O)
After breakfast you will travel today to Lake Taupo, beautifully situated at the foot of the Tongariro National Park. Today you will stay in one of the best and most beautiful fishing lodge in New Zealand with excellent fly fishing. Other options include in the Tongariro National Park itself. You can enjoy beautiful walks, white water rafting, Maori culture, beekeeping up close and more. You check in for 3 nights at the lodge of your choice. Each lodge we will introduce to you offers excellent cuisine and has some high-quality New Zealand wines on their menus.
Overnight in a beautiful fishing lodge.
DAYS 9 AND 10 : TAUPO (O)
These two days you go fly fishing in the beautiful nature of this exceptionally beautiful area (weather permitting). If desired, these days can be a mix of guided fishing and other activities. Depending on the chosen lodge, you will be able to see the highest mountains of the North Island. Activities you can do include walking the Tongariro Pass in whole or in part, swimming in one of the local hot pools, or kayaking on Lake Taupo. Some lodges offer guided hiking and trekking tours on their estate and in the nearby Kaimanawa Forest Park. If you want to discover more Maori culture, for example through cooking lessons, there are certainly possibilities.
Two nights in a beautiful fishing lodge.
DAY 11 : TAUPO – HAWKES BAY (O)
After breakfast, drive for two hours to Hawkes Bay on the east coast and home to the largest wine growing region in the North Island. Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most important grape varieties here with some notable wineries. After arrival, check in to your wine hotel in the heart of the wine region for a 2-night stay.
Enjoy dinner in your hotel restaurant, one of the restaurants of the local restaurants in the vineyards or in the local village.
Overnight in a wine hotel.
DAY 12 : HAWKES BAY (B, D)
After breakfast, go on excursions and explore this large and beautiful wine region with excellent wines. Other options include a farm tour or a nature tour to the nearby Gannet Bird Colony. Enjoy a fantastic dinner in Mission Estate’s vineyard.
Overnight in a wine hotel.
DAY 13 : HAWKES BAY – WAIRARAPA (O)
After breakfast, drive south today to the Martinborough wine region in the Wairarapa. With a climate similar to that of Burgundy in France, Martinborough only really became well known for its wine in the 1980s. The area is now a leading wine region. Moreover, you can easily explore it by bike. With a bike tour through the vineyards, you can explore some of the 20 vineyards in and around this small town. You stay two nights in a very pleasant accommodation in a wine hotel.
Overnight in a wine hotel.
DAY 14 : MARTINBOROUGH (O)
After breakfast, get to know Martinborough and its fantastic wineries all day. You can take the excursion by bicycle, in a shared or private van or even on foot. There are several excellent restaurants on the way to visit for lunch and evening meals, all with Martinborough wines of course.
Overnight.
DAY 15 : MARTINBOROUGH – WELLINGTON (O)
After breakfast, drive today from Martinborough to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. It is a very scenic 90-minute drive over the Rimutaka Mountains and the Hutt Valley to the capital. You can take beautiful pictures along the way. After arrival, you may have some time to explore Te Papa (the National Museum of New Zealand), the Dowse Art Gallery in Lower Hutt, or stroll along the city’s waterfront.
Then there are three options for returning to Auckland:
- Plane :
- Slightly more expensive but most time efficient option: you pre-book a ticket from Europe, to Auckland and back from Wellington. Your luggage will then be automatically transferred between flights and you do not need to book an extra night in Auckland. You go “directly” with 2 transfers (Auckland and Middle East or Asia) back to Europe without having to look after your luggage and carry it with you.
- Usually the cheaper option: At the end of the day, fly back to Auckland. Overnight at Auckland Airport for your next morning / early afternoon flight back home. You must then check your luggage twice.
- Train: You book an extra night in Wellington. Depending on train times, you can travel back to Auckland by train from Wellington. This is only a day train. You will then be transferred from Auckland train station to the airport.
- Extend your trip by one or two days and drive back to Auckland Airport with your rental car (650 km – approximately eight hours drive).
Overnight.
DAY 16 : RETURN TO HOME (B)
After breakfast, depending on the mode of transport chosen and your flight times, you will get a transfer to the airport in time for your flight back home… or an extension of your trip to one of the other beautiful wine regions of New Zealand on the South Island or why not extend your wine trip to Australia? Ask us about the possibilities for a free, customized quote.
DAY 17 : ARRIVAL AT HOME.
You will arrive home today. End of the program.
Included / Excluded
What’s included / not included in this wine tour ?
Included
- 9 wine tastings
- International flights
- Transfer airport – hotel – airport
- 13 nights in a standard double room in good quality hotels, whereof 7 nights in a wine hotel and 3 nights in a fisherman’s lodge
- Meals where indicated (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
- Rental car
- Transport as described in the program
Excluded
- Specialized wine guide
- Single room surcharge
- Experienced English-speaking guide unless otherwise stated, other languages on request
- Personal expenses
- Entrance fees to the listed sights
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks unless explicitly stated
- Meals other than stated in the program
- Tips
- Cancellation and travel insurance (we can arrange this for you if desired)
- Taxes to be paid locally, such as the tourist tax
- Everything that is not reported under the heading including
Request a quote for this wine tour and we can work with you to determine what will and will not be included. The choice is yours.
All flights (international and domestic), hotels and rental car are always subject to availability until the time of final booking with signing the sales file. The booking is made and recorded after receipt of the deposit on our bank account.
Prices are always subject to change and are signed until the sales file without notice and / or evidence. The reasons, which are not exhaustive, can be seasonality and availability.
