14 Day Aotearoa Explorer Self Drive

Arrive in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, set between two harbours and surrounded by islands, beaches, and volcanic cones. Known as Tāmaki Makaurau, it offers a vibrant blend of urban culture and natural beauty.

Included: Private Transfer Auckland Airport to your Auckland Accommodation with Tourcorp
Enjoy a smooth arrival with a private transfer directly to your hotel. This comfortable service allows you to relax and take in your first impressions of the city.

Included: Auckland Sky Tower Admission
Visit New Zealand’s tallest structure and take in panoramic views from the observation decks high above the city. From the top, you can see across the Hauraki Gulf, volcanic landscapes, and surrounding islands.

Spend the day exploring Auckland’s diverse attractions, from its lively waterfront to its surrounding islands and natural landscapes. The city offers a perfect balance of culture, cuisine, and outdoor experiences.

You might visit Waiheke Island for wine tasting, hike Rangitoto Island’s volcanic trails, or explore Viaduct Harbour and Ponsonby’s vibrant dining scene. For elevated views, head to Mount Eden or enjoy the city skyline from the waterfront.

Included: Wētā Workshop Unleashed Experience
Step behind the scenes of movie-making and explore imaginative film sets, props, and special effects. This interactive experience brings creative storytelling to life in an engaging way.

Included: Harbour Sailing Dinner Cruise with Explore
Sail across the Waitematā Harbour as the sun sets and the city lights begin to shine. Enjoy a relaxed dining experience while taking in Auckland’s illuminated skyline from the water.

Suggested Activity: All Blacks Experience
Discover the stories, history, and culture behind New Zealand’s most iconic rugby team. This immersive experience includes interactive elements and a powerful haka performance.

Depart Auckland and travel south through the Waikato region, known for its rolling farmland and rural charm. As you approach Rotorua, the landscape shifts with geothermal activity visible in the distance.

Along the way, consider a stop in Tirau for a quirky photo or visit Hamilton Gardens for themed landscapes. Rotorua welcomes you with its unique mix of geothermal wonders and rich Māori culture.

Included: Collect Rental Car
Collect your rental vehicle and begin your New Zealand self drive journey. Having your own car provides flexibility to explore at your own pace.

Suggested Activity: Hobbiton Movie Set Tour from Shires Rest
Step into the world of Middle-earth and explore the iconic Hobbiton Movie Set. Visit Hobbit Holes, the Green Dragon Inn, and learn behind-the-scenes stories from your guide.

Spend the day exploring Rotorua, a region famous for its geothermal landscapes and deep Māori cultural roots. Bubbling mud pools, steaming geysers, and cultural experiences define this unique destination.

You might visit Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, explore Te Puia’s geysers, or unwind in natural hot springs at Polynesian Spa. The Redwoods Forest also offers scenic walking and cycling trails among towering trees.

Included: National Kiwi Hatchery Experience
Gain insight into kiwi conservation efforts and see these iconic birds up close. Expert guides share the process of hatching and raising kiwi chicks.

Included: Mountain Jade Highlights Tour
Learn about the cultural significance of pounamu (greenstone) and watch skilled artists at work. This hands-on experience offers a deeper connection to Māori traditions.

Included: Te Pā Tū Māori Cultural Experience with Dinner
Enjoy an immersive evening of storytelling, performance, and traditional cuisine in a forest setting. This award-winning experience brings Māori culture to life through song, food, and ceremony.

Suggested Activity: Mount Tarawera & Orakei Korako Thermal Explorer
Take a scenic flight over crater lakes and geothermal landscapes before exploring hidden thermal valleys. This experience offers a unique perspective of Rotorua’s volcanic region.

Travel south through the central North Island, passing Lake Taupō and the volcanic landscapes of Tongariro National Park. The journey offers a mix of alpine scenery, rural towns, and wide-open spaces.

Continue through Waiouru and Taihape before reaching the Kapiti Coast, where the road follows the shoreline into Wellington. The capital city welcomes you with its harbour views and vibrant culture.

Spend the day discovering Wellington, a compact and creative capital known for its arts, culture, and food scene. The city’s walkable layout allows you to experience a wide range of attractions with ease.

Visit Te Papa Museum, ride the cable car for harbour views, or explore Cuba Street’s cafés and boutique shops. Nearby Zealandia offers a unique wildlife sanctuary experience just minutes from the city.

Included: Lord of the Rings Half Day Private Tour with Capital Personalised Tour
Visit iconic filming locations around Wellington and gain behind-the-scenes insights into the movie-making process. The tour includes scenic viewpoints and stops at Wētā Workshop.

Included: Guided Tour of Te Papa Museum of New Zealand
Explore New Zealand’s natural history and cultural heritage with an expert guide. The experience provides a deeper understanding of the country’s landscapes and people.

Suggested Activity: Zealandia By Night Wildlife Sanctuary Tour
Discover native wildlife in a protected eco-sanctuary after dark. This guided experience offers the chance to spot rare species in their natural habitat.

Begin your journey to the South Island with a scenic ferry crossing across the Cook Strait. The route takes you through the Marlborough Sounds, a network of sheltered waterways and forested hills.

Arriving in Picton, enjoy a short drive through vineyard landscapes to Blenheim, located in the heart of New Zealand’s premier wine region. The area is known for its sunshine, relaxed pace, and world-class wines.

Return Rental Car to Wellington Ferry Terminal
Return your vehicle before boarding the ferry. This ensures a smooth transition between islands.

Included: Interislander Ferry Wellington to Picton
Enjoy one of the world’s most scenic ferry journeys with views of coastline, marine life, and bush-covered hills. The Marlborough Sounds section is a highlight of the crossing.

Suggested Upgrade: Interislander Premium Lounge Upgrade
Enhance your ferry journey with access to a premium lounge offering comfortable seating, refreshments, and panoramic views. This upgrade provides a more relaxed travel experience.

Collect Rental Car
Collect your rental vehicle in Picton and continue your South Island journey at your own pace. This provides flexibility to explore the region.

Included: Marlborough Icons Tour with Marlborough Tour Company
Start the day with a guided introduction to two of Marlborough’s signature experiences, combining acclaimed wineries with the beauty of the Marlborough Sounds. The seafood cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound adds a memorable local flavour, with fresh king salmon and Greenshell mussels enjoyed against a backdrop of sheltered bays and forested hills.

Travel south through Marlborough before joining the spectacular Kaikōura coast, where the road runs between the Pacific Ocean and the Seaward Kaikōura Range. This is one of the South Island’s most striking drives, with frequent opportunities to spot seals, seabirds, and changing coastal light along the way.

Included: Captain’s Cabin Experience with Whale Watch Kaikōura
Enjoy a more intimate whale watching experience from the wheelhouse alongside the skipper and watchkeeper. With limited numbers and a dedicated guide, this exclusive outing offers a closer connection to Kaikōura’s famous marine environment and the chance to spot whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds in comfort.

Suggested visit: Lavendyl Lavender Farm
Visit a peaceful five-acre lavender farm where fragrant gardens, native plantings, and friendly farm animals create a gentle contrast to the morning’s ocean adventure. Depending on the season, you may also see the distillation process in action and finish with lavender ice cream or a hot drink overlooking the gardens.

Travel south along the coast before heading inland through the Waipara wine region, known for its vineyards and rolling countryside. Arriving in Christchurch, you’ll notice a city that blends heritage buildings, thoughtful design, and a strong sense of renewal.

Spend the day discovering Christchurch, a city where historic character and contemporary creativity sit side by side. Set on the Canterbury Plains near the coast, it offers gardens, river scenes, elegant architecture, and a lively central city.

From the Avon River to the Port Hills, Christchurch offers a gentle yet varied day of exploration. It is a place where green spaces, heritage precincts, and modern rebuild projects come together in a way that feels distinctly local.

Included: Christchurch Triple Pass - Tram, Punting and Gondola
Experience three of Christchurch’s most iconic attractions in one day, each offering a different perspective of the city. The historic tram adds context to the central city streets, punting on the Avon brings a peaceful garden-city feel, and the gondola opens up wide views across Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, and the distant Southern Alps.

Enjoy one of the South Island’s great scenic drives, with memorable stops through the Mackenzie region and constant mountain views on the final approach. The road beside Lake Pukaki is especially striking, with Aoraki Mount Cook often appearing to rise directly from the far end of the lake.

Walking Tracks in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park
Take the opportunity to explore one or more of the village’s short scenic walks, which range from easy bush strolls to more elevated alpine viewpoints. Tracks such as Kea Point, Red Tarns, and Bowen Bush each reveal different aspects of the national park, from glacier views to tarns, native vegetation, and expansive mountain panoramas.

Bowen Bush Walk: 10-minute return
Glencoe Walk: 10-minute return
Red Tarns Track: 2-hour return
Kea Point Walk: 2-hour return
Sealy Tarns Track: 3 - 4 hours return

Suggested Activity: Glacier Explorers
Cruise among ancient icebergs on the Tasman Glacier terminal lake, one of the few accessible glacier lakes of its kind in the world. This experience offers a rare and fascinating look at New Zealand’s largest glacier, with sheer ice faces and floating blue ice creating an unforgettable alpine setting.

Included: Big Sky Stargazing
As darkness falls, discover why Aoraki Mount Cook is part of a world-renowned dark sky reserve. Guided by astronomy experts, this experience reveals the Southern Cross, distant galaxies, and the Milky Way above one of the clearest night skies in the country.

Enjoy a scenic journey through some of Central Otago’s most distinctive regions, with plenty of opportunities to stop at lookouts, historic sites, and wineries along the way. Highlights include the tawny hills of Lindis Pass, the heritage feel of Cromwell, and the dramatic approach through Kawarau Gorge beneath the Remarkables.

Included: TSS Earnslaw Cruise and Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Dinner
Cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet BBQ dinner in a beautiful lakeside setting. The experience combines heritage, scenery, local produce, and a classic farm demonstration, before a memorable evening return across the lake.

Spend the day enjoying Queenstown, a destination famous for its alpine scenery, adventure experiences, and vibrant lakeside atmosphere. Surrounded by mountains and set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, it offers a dramatic setting from every angle.

Today combines excitement with elevated views and relaxed time in town. Whether you’re drawn to adrenaline, dining, or simple lakefront wandering, Queenstown delivers one of New Zealand’s most iconic experiences.

Included: Shotover Jet Canyon Jet Boat Ride
Experience one of Queenstown’s signature thrills as you race through the narrow Shotover River canyons, skimming close to rocky outcrops and spinning through the water at speed. The combination of dramatic scenery and high-energy manoeuvres makes this one of the region’s most memorable adventure activities.

Included: Skyline Gondola Queenstown and Premium Buffet Dinner Experience
Ride the gondola to the summit for panoramic views across Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, and the surrounding mountains before enjoying a premium buffet dinner at Stratosfare Restaurant. The sweeping outlook from the viewing decks and dining room makes this an especially memorable evening experience.

Your Aotearoa journey comes to an end in Queenstown, surrounded by the same mountain scenery that has framed the final days of your adventure. It’s a fitting place to pause and reflect on the landscapes, culture, and experiences encountered from Auckland to the Southern Alps.

Before heading to the airport, there may be time for one last walk by the lake or a quiet coffee in town. Queenstown’s alpine setting provides a memorable farewell to New Zealand.

Return Rental Car at Queenstown Airport
Return your vehicle at the airport before continuing your onward journey. This simple final step brings your self drive holiday to a smooth and convenient close.