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8 Day AAT Kings Northern Spotlight Tour

8 days 7 nights
Auckland to Wellington
from NZD$3,384pp
was NZD$4,010pp
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Tour summary and feature with map

Follow the path of pioneer settlers as you travel the North Island of New Zealand, the birthplace of the country's European history. This journey takes you from the shores of the beautiful Bay of Islands to Rotorua, rich in Māori culture and traditions, and onto the spectacular scenery of Tongariro National Park the thriving modern capital, Wellington.

BeachesWildlife & nature

This Tour Also Features

  • Auckland War Memorial Museum
  • Huka Falls
  • Maori Village Experience & Hangi (dinner), Rotorua
  • Waitangi Treaty Grounds
  • Waitomo Glow Worm Caves
  • Wellington City Tour
  • Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve
  • Meals included: 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner, 1 special dinner
Tour full itinerary
Itinerary
Day One - Welcome to Auckland
Tour day 1
View of Auckland

Auckland is known as the ‘City of Sails’. And you’ll discover why when exploring its two harbours at your leisure. Pick a waterfront precinct and find a perch to while away the afternoon with a glass of Central Otago sauvignon blanc and a backdrop of yachts darting the water. Should you need a closer look, take a cruise out to the wineries of Waiheke Island. Meet fellow travel companions over a few local tipples tonight.

Staying in:

  • Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

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Day Two - Auckland - Bay of Islands
Tour day 2
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Maori Culture, Waitangi

Your journey north on a Bay of Islands tour from Auckland is not short of drama – discover 140 droplets of land ringed by turquoise sea at the top of the country. It’s undeniably beautiful, but it also holds a special historical secret: this is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, between Captain William Hobson and Māori chiefs. Your guide, likely an ancestor of one of the original signatories, will explain the significance of the site, while pointing out the world’s largest ceremonial war canoe and a carved meeting house.

Staying in:

  • Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

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Day Three - Bay of Islands Free Time
Tour day 3
Meals included: Breakfast
90 Mile Beach Aerial

If there’s a travel destination that inspires wanderlust, the Bay of Islands is it. And today, you can do just that. At your leisure, venture up to Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua, the very top of New Zealand, via idyllic Ninety Mile Beach. Or glide around on an historic tall ship, enjoy local drops on a wine tour of the region, or join a tour of Russell and learn more about the settling of the Bay of Islands. The choice is yours.

Staying in:

  • Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

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Day Four - Bay of Islands - Auckland
Tour day 4
Meals included: Breakfast
Whangarei Marina

Northern exposure is a thing today, when you journey toward the top of the country to visit Whangarei – NZ’s northern-most city, and a place where waterfalls meet beaches, galleries meet museums. It’s like the country in a tantalising snapshot – a union of nature and forward-thinking culture. Explore at your leisure before sinking back into your seat for the mesmerising commute back to Auckland.

Staying in:

  • Holiday Inn Express, Auckland (1 night)

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Day Five - Auckland - Rotorua
Tour day 5
Meals included: Breakfast, Speciality Dinner
Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

There’s no bad day in Auckland – today, your Auckland tour is filled with expeditions to the War Memorial Museum and Waitemata Harbour, before you set your GPS for the Waikato River and a Waitomo Caves tour. This place is radiant – quite literally. While cruising cavernous waterways, your route is cast in a magical light by thousands of glowworms. It’s a landscape almost as otherworldly as Rotorua, where mud pops and jettisons from bubbling geysers, and steam rushes skywards from cracks in the Earth. Tonight, delve deep into Māori  culture and traditions at Te Puia. Your dinner, a hangi cooked underground, is served while you overlook the spectacular geothermal valley. The highlight is a Maori cultural performance in the beautifully carved meeting house, Te Aronui a Rua.

Staying in:

  • Ibis Rotorua Hotel (1 night)

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Day Six - Rotorua Free Time
Tour day 6
Meals included: Breakfast
Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve

Explore at your own pace today, but with plenty of tips from your Travel Director. Want a bit of down time?  We wouldn’t blame you for simply blissing out at in the steamy thermal springs at Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa. Animal lover? Go behind the scenes on a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. Hobbit fans will want to take advantage of the opportunity to tour the sights featured in The Lord of the Rings movies at Hobbiton. These beautiful landscapes are not only a bucket list tour for Hobbit fans, but a gorgeous countryside getaway.

Staying in:

  • Ibis Rotorua Hotel (1 night)

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Day Seven - Rotorua - Wellington
Tour day 7
Meals included: Breakfast
View of Wellington in the Evening

You’ll hear Huka Falls well before you see it – at this natural wonder, a staggering 220,000 litres of water thunder over an 11-metre-high waterfall every second. The road ahead unfolds in a broad panorama of Lake Taupo, its waters so vivid and blue you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. Traverse the Kapiti Coast to New Zealand’s cool little capital, Wellington, where there are so many restaurants and bars to choose from, you’ll need a guidebook. Wait, you have an in-the-know Travel Director to talk to.

Staying in:

  • Travelodge Wellington (1 night)

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Day Eight - Farewell from Wellington
Tour day 8
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Wellington Cable Car

The best way to begin a Wellington day? With a coffee. The city is known for its uber-cool cafés, designed to fuel you through a session at Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. Then it’s time to bid farewell to your NZ crew. What a week.

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Tour departure list
Departure dates and prices
This tour has 29 departure dates.
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Jan 13, 2024
(Saturday)
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was NZD$5,150
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Jan 20, 2024
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Feb 10, 2024
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Feb 17, 2024
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Feb 24, 2024
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now NZD$3,509
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now NZD$4,649
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Mar 9, 2024
(Saturday)
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now NZD$3,910
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Mar 16, 2024
(Saturday)
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now NZD$3,509
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Mar 23, 2024
(Saturday)
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was NZD$4,010
now NZD$3,384
was NZD$5,150
now NZD$4,524
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Apr 20, 2024
(Saturday)
Sold out
was NZD$3,927
now NZD$3,900
was NZD$5,087
now NZD$5,060
Sep 21, 2024
(Saturday)
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departure date
was NZD$3,812
now NZD$3,700
was NZD$4,939
now NZD$4,827
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Oct 12, 2024
(Saturday)
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departure date
was NZD$3,812
now NZD$3,700
was NZD$4,939
now NZD$4,827
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Oct 26, 2024
(Saturday)
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departure date
was NZD$3,812
now NZD$3,700
was NZD$4,939
now NZD$4,827
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Nov 9, 2024
(Saturday)
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departure date
was NZD$3,812
now NZD$3,700
was NZD$4,939
now NZD$4,827
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Nov 30, 2024
(Saturday)
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departure date
was NZD$3,812
now NZD$3,700
was NZD$4,939
now NZD$4,827
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Dec 7, 2024
(Saturday)
Sold out
was NZD$3,812
now NZD$3,700
was NZD$4,939
now NZD$4,827
Dec 21, 2024
(Saturday)
Sold out
was NZD$3,812
now NZD$3,700
was NZD$4,939
now NZD$4,827
Jan 11, 2025
(Saturday)
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NZD$4,620 NZD$5,985 Enquire
Jan 25, 2025
(Saturday)
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Feb 8, 2025
(Saturday)
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Feb 22, 2025
(Saturday)
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Mar 8, 2025
(Saturday)
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departure date
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Mar 22, 2025
(Saturday)
Sold out
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Apr 19, 2025
(Saturday)
NZD$5,070 NZD$6,569 Enquire
Sep 20, 2025
(Saturday)
NZD$4,935 NZD$6,395 Enquire
Oct 11, 2025
(Saturday)
NZD$4,935 NZD$6,395 Enquire
Oct 25, 2025
(Saturday)
NZD$4,935 NZD$6,395 Enquire
Nov 8, 2025
(Saturday)
NZD$4,935 NZD$6,395 Enquire
Nov 29, 2025
(Saturday)
NZD$4,935 NZD$6,395 Enquire
Dec 20, 2025
(Saturday)
NZD$4,935 NZD$6,395 Enquire
Jan 10, 2026
(Saturday)
NZD$5,070 NZD$6,569 Enquire
Jan 24, 2026
(Saturday)
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