New Zealand's South to North Island Adventure

11 Days | Adventure awaits in New Zealand – from South to North, discover the scenic beauty of a natural paradise

3.3 out of 5 based on 4 reviews submitted.
Explorer
From
GBP £1,115
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Wherever you lay your eyes in New Zealand, there’s something remarkable to look at. On this adventure from the South Island through the beauty of the North, spend 11 unforgettable days soaking up sunshine and hopping between beaches, lakes, villages and cities. A local leader will show you the best bits of this spectacular island as you jump off from Christchurch, head to seaside Kaikoura, explore trendy Wellington, marvel at the sight of Lake Taupo, learn about local culture in a Maori village, take in the geothermal wonders of Rotorua and chill out on the beaches of the Coromandel Peninsula before wrapping up in lively Auckland. Of all New Zealand’s assets, its people top the list, so embrace a warm welcome from the locals as you explore their beautiful backyard.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Accommodation on this trip is in mixed-gender multi-share dormitory style hostels with shared facilities. We are aware of a system functionality limitation incorrectly indicating "twin-share" when you manage your booking on our website.

Trip overview

Map of New Zealand's South To North Island Adventure including New Zealand
Start
Christchurch, New Zealand
Finish
Auckland, New Zealand
Theme
Explorer
Destinations
New Zealand
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Basix
Ages
Min 18
Group size
Min 1 - Max 16
Trip code
PHRO
We’re in the process of figuring out how much CO2-e this trip generates. In the meantime, find out more about our climate commitments and carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Explore Hobbiton on a guided tour, finishing with a drink at The Green Dragon – this iconic must-see location is where scenes from the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies were filmed and is like stepping right into Middle Earth!
  • Head to a Maori village where the profits from your visit are fed back into the community. Learn the haka and Maori weaving before tucking into a traditional hangi dinner.
  • Experience the geothermal delights of Rotorua, watch New Zealand’s largest geyser erupt and observe adorable kiwis in a nocturnal house at a conservation centre.
  • Discover the cool, artsy capital of Wellington with a local leader who knows all the best cafes, museums and hangouts.
  • See the sea from the coastal town of Kaikoura – this picturesque spot is perfect for a classic walk along the beach and if you’re lucky, you might even see some seals near the coastline!

Is this trip right for you?
  • This trip is run by Haka Tours, an Intrepid Company. You will be travelling with a mixture of both Haka customers and Intrepid customers. Intrepid works closely with Haka Tours to ensure that all our customers enjoy their time in New Zealand.
  • Accommodation on this trip is in multi-share dormitory style hostels with shared facilities. We allocate single gender, 4-8 bed dorms on priority, however these are subject to availability. If single gender dorm allocation is important to you, please advise your booking agent at the time of booking. Private rooms are available on request.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 05 June 2025 to 31 August 2026.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 September 2023 - 04 June 2025

Map of New Zealand's South To North Island Adventure including New Zealand

Inclusions

Meals

9 breakfasts, 1 dinner

Transport

Private Vehicle, Ferry

Accommodation

Multi-share hostel with shared facilities (10 nights)

Activities
  • Kaikoura - Visit to a Seal Colony
  • Marlborough - Cook Strait Ferry Crossing
  • Wellington - Mount Victoria Lookout
  • Tongariro National Park - Scenic Drive
  • Murupara - Learn to Weave Flax
  • Murupara - Hangi Dinner
  • Murupara - Village Tour with Maori Elder
  • Murupara - Learn the Haka
  • Rotorua - Visit Te Puia Maori Village
  • Rotorua - Pohutu Geyser
  • Coromandel Peninsula - Cathedral Cove
  • Rotorua - Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
  • Coromandel Peninsula - Hot Water Beach
Add on activities
  • Kaikoura - Wildlife Kayaking - NZD140
  • Kaikoura - Whale Watching - NZD250
  • Kaikoura - Dolphin Encounter - NZD120
  • Kaikoura - Albatross Encounter - NZD185
  • Wellington - Weta Workshop Cave Tour - NZD55
  • Taupo - Skydive - from - NZD660
  • Taupo - Water Touch Bungy - NZD235
  • Taupo - Tongariro Crossing Return Shuttle to/from Trail Head (Nov-Apr only) - NZD130
  • Taupo - Lake Taupo Sailing Adventure - NZD69
  • Rotorua - River Sledging - NZD135
  • Rotorua - Guided Glowworm Kayak, Hot Pools & Dinner - NZD300
  • Rotorua - Forest Ziplining Canopy Tour - from - (3.5hrs) - NZD249
  • Rotorua - Whitewater Rafting - NZD129
  • Coromandel Peninsula - Cathedral Cove Kayaking - NZD175

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. Accommodation on this trip is in multi-share hostels. Multishare typically includes 4-8 beds. You may be required to share with group members of a different gender, couples and non-Intrepid travellers outside of your group. People travelling together may occasionally be separated due to rooming configurations.
2. A single supplement (with shared bathroom facilities) is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. If you are a single traveller this will give you a single room, if you are travelling as a couple a double room will be allocated to you. The single supplement excludes Day 6 (Murupara) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. This trip is run by Haka Tours, an Intrepid Company. You will be travelling with a mixture of both Haka customers and Intrepid customers. Intrepid works closely with Haka Tours to ensure that all our customers enjoy their time in New Zealand.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

3.3 out of 5 based on 4 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Marian & Ed · Traveled December 2023
This trip was exactly as advertised. Our tour guide Harry was excellent- he made sure everyone had a great time. He was a great driver, made sure we stopped during the long drives. Harry answered all questions, had a lively personality & was the best guide! Would definitely recommend!
Review submitted 19 Dec 2023

Lachlan · Traveled February 2023
The trip in the north island of New Zealand was awesome. The scenery is spectacular and there is definitely lots of fun activities. Definitely recommend this trip as a great taster of the north island.
Review submitted 10 Mar 2023

Christina · Traveled February 2023
The entire experience of my tour was stressful and I would not recommend booking a tour with this company to anyone. One of the two New Zealand tours was cancelled 2 weeks before we left due to incompetence of the companies involved even though we booked 6 months in advance. Our tour guide was rude and unprofessional. The communication of changes and issues was extremely poor. I would elaborate more and give examples of the issues but 50 words is insufficient, I'd need several pages. This has put me off ever booking onto a tour ever again with any company just in case it was as bad as this one.
Review submitted 01 Mar 2023

Kaetlyn · Traveled December 2022
Amazing experience with good tour guides.
Review submitted 20 Dec 2022
New Zealand's South to North Island Adventure
From
GBP £1,115