New Zealand Tours
Explore the stunning coastline and rolling hills of the North Island, the majestic landscapes and towering fjords of the South, or satiate your need for adrenaline. New Zealand has it all waiting for you on 177 guided coach tours and small group tours. Cruise the Bay of Islands, experience Maori culture and the geothermal wonderlands of Rotorua, or take a Queenstown skiing adventure.Popular Tours View all
16 Days Christchurch to Auckland
Operator: Grand Pacific Tours
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The Inspiring Journeys experience is designed for immersion and authentic connection. We invite travellers to embark on an exclusive exploration through...more Australia and New Zealand, discovering ancient cultures and rugged destinations, in style. Our bespoke journeys venture off the beaten track, to truly connect guests with the destination, through immersive experiences in an intimate small group setting. With a maximum of only 20 guests per journey, your experience will be more exclusive, allowing access to boutique accommodations and experiences. Every element of an Inspiring Journey has been curated to offer not only offer authentic experiences, but to add the tiny, noticeable touches that infuse the experience with an exclusivity only few will ever have the opportunity to experience. Infused with a passion for the destinations that they specialise in, your Journey Director is eager to share their in-depth knowledge, whilst you uncover truly unique locations, secret trails and roads less travelled.
Topdeck is a collective of explorers who are devoted to travel, we strive to open minds, shift perspectives, learn new things and make a difference. We...more build epic group trips for 18 to 30 somethings and our passion is to inspire young people through life-changing travel experiences. With over 46 years’ experience, our business is to make travel dreams a reality, we know what works and we’re not afraid to shout about it. We offer variety, comfort and value for money, and promise a hassle-free holiday, loaded with authentic local experiences. With loads of free time to explore, heaps of included meals, access to some amazing bucket list activities and the opportunity to meet a whole bunch of like-minded young travellers, Topdeck trips are way more than your average package tour. They’re the experience of a lifetime. We build the trips. You build the memories. So, if you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure? Topdeck’s the only choice!
APT is an Australian family-owned company whose essence began in Melbourne in the 1920s. More than 90 years on, APT offers life-enriching trips to every...more continent, and through the company’s vast industry experience, meticulous planning and unquestionable passion it's earned a place among the world’s most well-regarded travel companies. From boutique river cruising to small-group 4WD adventures; traditional coach touring with a decadent twist; epic rail journeys to small-ship expeditions; classic ocean cruising to safaris of discovery by both land and air – there’s little APT are unwilling to consider in pursuit of creating the finest holiday experience for its valued guests. Timeless luxury, exclusive experiences, life enriching moments and true personalisation. APT offers all-inclusive holidays so everything is taken care of. We invite you to join us; you won’t be disappointed.
Discover Must Do Experiences and Highlights
Cruise Lake Wakatipu
Blessed with stunning scenery, there is no better way to enjoy Queenstown’s beauty than to cruise Lake Wakatipu on the vintage steamship, TSS Earnshaw.
The TranzAlpine Railway
This iconic train journey crosses the Canterbury Plains and majestic snow-capped Southern Alps, with breathtaking gorges, high viaducts, twisting rivers and forests at every turn.
Rotorua’s Geothermal Wonderland
Belching grey mud pools, geysers shooting to the sky, lakes bubbling like champagne, and natural hot springs. Walk among these amazing natural wonders in Rotorua.
Maori Culture
Be enthralled by the thundering power of the Haka, the carved meeting houses, greenstone adornments, flax weaving and the smokey flavours of a traditional hangi.
The Sounds of Fiordland
The iconic Milford Sound features on most South Island itineraries but have you also thought about the lesser known Doubtful Sound? Equally beautiful, see them both!
Latest Reviews What our clients are saying about their journeys to New Zealand
I can highly recommend the Signature South Island tour from Christchurch to Christchurch. January was a great time to travel - we had excellent weather. The very smart coach can accommodate 32 passengers. There were 27 in our group - mostly Australians with a few from the UK, an American couple and a lady from Canada. The company has an ingenious seat ...read more rotation policy which meant that you experienced different areas of the coach and had different people around you every day. All but one dinner was included and there were reduced price drinks before dinner so there were plenty of opportunities to mingle. Hotels were very good and a lot of activities were included in the price. I chose to do many of the optional activities, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The scenery was spectacular, the coach captain was a font of information about Māori history and the areas we passed through, as well as being an excellent driver, and the tour leader couldn’t do enough to make sure everyone was happy.
Have just returned from the most fantastic trip with Grand Pacific and I can honestly say that it more than exceeded my expectations. I had been very uncertain about coach travel, but as a single traveller, there are not too many options and the small group tour coach operated by GPT was so comfortable with only 20 seats on a full size vehicle. My travel ...read more companions turned out to be a delight and we had some great experiences together.
The tour itself was extremely well coordinated and organised and our coach captain kept us all in order and took very good care of all our wants and needs. He was patient and knowledgeable and kept us amused and entertained during the sometimes necessarily long journeys, and we felt very safe and secure in his care.
There was a good choice of excursions at the various tour stops and the standard of hotels used was generally extremely high, with good locations with the overnight stay on the boat through Doubtful Sound being one of the highlights of the whole trip for me, along with the helicopter flight from Fox Glacier. The only comment I would make is that the trip could have been improved if we had stayed 3 nights and not 2 at most of the towns. With the excursions taking up the free time it would have been great to have more free time to explore each place, as fort the majority of tourists this will be the only time they get to visit NZ given the distances most had travelled to get there.
The tour itself was extremely well coordinated and organised and our coach captain kept us all in order and took very good care of all our wants and needs. He was patient and knowledgeable and kept us amused and entertained during the sometimes necessarily long journeys, and we felt very safe and secure in his care.
There was a good choice of excursions at the various tour stops and the standard of hotels used was generally extremely high, with good locations with the overnight stay on the boat through Doubtful Sound being one of the highlights of the whole trip for me, along with the helicopter flight from Fox Glacier. The only comment I would make is that the trip could have been improved if we had stayed 3 nights and not 2 at most of the towns. With the excursions taking up the free time it would have been great to have more free time to explore each place, as fort the majority of tourists this will be the only time they get to visit NZ given the distances most had travelled to get there.
My family live in various places around NSW, so we had a wonderful reunion on our recent trip to the North Island of New Zealand. I loved bike riding through the countryside, visiting a volcano and a glow worm cave, going for a kayak, hiking and exploring. My family also really enjoyed meeting the other tour group members from around the world, and ...read more sharing adventures with them.
Great tour of NZ highlights. Luxury coach with excellent driver/guide who went the extra mile for guests. Visited lots of wonderful places & planned & optional activities were excellent, including Bay of Islands, Rotarua Skyline Ride & Luge, Franz Josef Glacier & helicopter, Haast River jet, Wildlife & Cultural tours, old steam trains & Larnach Castle. ...read more Doubtful Sound Cruise was one of many memories we will treasure. Majority of accommodation of a high standard with welcoming staff. Well organised & would highly recommend.
Explore More Explore more Your guide to travelling to New Zealand
22 May, 2022
Discover Top of the South IslandHave you travelled with Grand Pacific before and are now looking for a tour that’s a little bit different? Grand Pacific are have just launched a brand new Top of the South Island itinerary.A small group or coach holiday experience that has never been offered before, visiting several iconic...
28 October, 2020
Three Ways to Travel NZ: Grand Pacific Tours Introduces Signature Mid-Size Group TouringThree Ways to Travel NZ with Grand Pacific With the launch of their 2021/22 New Zealand touring season, Grand Pacific Tours has introduced a new way to travel. In addition to their popular Classic Escorted Group Tours and Ultimate Small Group Touring collection, the New Zealand experts have...
19 August, 2020
Discover New Zealand in Luxury: 5 Special Experiences on OfferNew Zealand is bursting at the seams with spine-tingling experiences, spellbinding scenery, delectable cuisine, and many ways to enjoy every element of this incredible country. On a luxury tour of NZ, guests are treated to more included activities, delightful wining and dining, and handpicked...
12 August, 2020
Want to Heli Ski New Zealand’s Southern Alps? Do it with Haka ToursThe Southern Alps of New Zealand are considered one of the top 10 places to heli ski in the world. A heli skiing adventure may be something you dream about, did you know you don’t need to be an expert alpine skier to take on a heli skiing holiday? If you are an intermediate level skier who can...
Common Questions Common questions about touring through New Zealand
What are the best months to visit New Zealand?
It begins to get warmer in NZ around October and cooler by the end of April. January to March is the height of summer and also the busiest, with locals taking every opportunity enjoy the long nights and sunny days along with travellers from around the world. You can still get rainy days (there's a reason why the...read more countryside is so green) throughout the year, but during the summer period they don't tend to hang around for very long.The shoulder months of September, October and April are also popular times to visit, with less travellers around and prices of tours generally lower as a result. It rains a lot less in the South Island (year round) and of course the winter months are very popular due to NZ's popularity as a ski destination.
How many days should I put aside to travel through New Zealand?
If you're looking at exploring all of New Zealand in one go then you'll need to allow yourself at least two weeks to avoid being too rushed. If your plan is to visit one island at a time (they are so different) then a good...read more week to ten days should be fine for each one. Which is more beautiful, the North or South Island?
That's a tough call that will entirely depend on what you're hoping to experience in paradise. The North Island is covered in native and ancient forests (we call it bush in NZ), pastoral farms, geothermal landscapes,...read more glorious beaches and the largest and most populous cities (Auckland and Wellington). The South Island is more "Middle Earth", meaning spectacular mountain ranges, gorges and fiords and home to the adventure capital of the world - Queenstown. And it's a lot less populated with only 20% of the 5m Kiwi's located down south.
What is the name of the most scenic train ride in New Zealand?
You're probably thinking of the TranzAlpine train journey. The TranzAlpine is one of the world's great train journeys covering 223 km's (139 miles) one-way, taking just...read more under 5 hours. You’ll traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains, to the backdrop of the mighty Southern Alps - the journey of a lifetime. Along this journey you’ll see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.Another train journey to consider is the Coastal Pacific which runs daily throughout the summer season from Christchurch to Picton. With the sea stretching to the horizon in the east and the Kaikoura mountains stretching to the sky in the west, the Coastal Pacific is one of the most astonishingly beautiful journeys in New Zealand.
Why is New Zealand the adventure capital of the world?
The best thing about touring around New Zealand is the depth of "things to do" in such a geographically small destination. If adventure is your thing, both islands of the country have you covered. World renowned as the home...read more of the bungy jump you can also experience off-road driving, canyoning, ziplining, mountain biking, zorbing, caving, rafting and jet boating - all while surrounded by NZ's natural beauty. 
