10 Day New Zealand Luxury Guided Tour

Luxury tours of NZ reveal a more exclusive side of New Zealand. From idyllic, secluded luxury lodges to private helicopter landing sites, New Zealand offers a wealth of premium experiences.

Discover New Zealand’s top destinations on this luxury guided tour. Your private guide will meet you at the airport and take you on one of the best luxury NZ escorted tours on the market, with luxury accommodation and special personalised experiences that will elevate your holiday experience to something truly incredible.

10 Day New Zealand Luxury Guided Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Auckland + Dinner Cruise Auckland

Auckland is a multi-cultural urban oasis of food, music, arts and culture. World-class shopping and phenomenal dining is never too far from harbours, islands, native bush and black-sand beaches

Explore Auckland with your guide, visiting top attractions such as the Sky Tower, Mt Eden’s Volcanic Crater or Piha Beach.

In the evening, enjoy a unique dining experience on Auckland’s magnificent Waitemata Harbour. Enjoy great sailing and, as the sun sets, watch the night lights of this photogenic city come alive. Your experienced crew will talk about Auckland’s unique features, there is opportunity to participate in sailing or sit back and enjoy the sights.

Choose from a set 3-course menu served served above deck as you take in the fresh sea air or optional dining below deck in the cabin. Compliment your meal from the selection of locally produced wine or beer and make a toast to a fantastic holiday!

Stay 1 night in Auckland.

Day 2 Footwhistle Glowworm Cave Private Tour + Rotorua + Redwoods Treewalk

Driving time Auckland to Waitomo, 3 hours

Enjoy the journey through the Waikato district to Waitomo. The land is wilder around here, with limestone outcroppings emerging from farmland and densely forested hills rising all around.

Explore Footwhistle Cave with an experienced local guide who brings the history of Waitomo to life. Begin with a short walk through native bush before entering the cave to discover stunning glowworms and unique formations.

Low-level, solar-powered lighting makes this tour perfect for photography, with glowworms just inches away. Enjoy the peaceful sounds of the cave stream as you journey through. Finish your experience with a complimentary kawakawa tea in a forest ponga hut.

Driving time Waitomo to Rotorua, 2 hours

This afternoon, experience the award-winning treewalk. Stretching 700 metres, it features 28 suspension bridges linking 27 majestic 117-year-old redwood trees, reaching up to 20 metres above the forest floor.

Designed to protect the trees and environment, the walkway uses innovative sling technology suspended from the redwoods. Explore at your own pace with no harnesses required, and enjoy a peaceful forest experience with informative storyboards sharing local history and forestry.

Stay 2 nights in Rotorua.

Day 3 Wai Ariki Sanctuary – Signature Massage & Bathing + Te Pā Tū – Evening Cultural Experience & Hangi Dinner

This morning, step into Wai Ariki, a place where Ngāti Whakaue culture, healing traditions, and warm hospitality converge. Nestled by the captivating Lake Rotorua, its name, ‘Chiefly Waters,’ reflects the majesty it holds. Owned and curated by the local iwi, you’ll discover the Wai Whakaora, a path to restoration, and the exclusive sanctuary, Āhuru Mōwai, both deeply rooted in Māori values. Experience a world of uniqueness that transcends borders and touches hearts. Wai Ariki awaits to embrace you with its magic. Relax and enjoy an exclusive selection of enriching spa experiences that connect you to culture and wellness, blending spa experiences and mineral bathing. Includes: Sanctuary Bathing (60 minutes), Traditional Māori massage (90 minutes).

In the evening, immerse yourself in Māori culture with the Te Pā Tū Evening Cultural Experience & Hāngi Dinner. Enjoy traditional storytelling, song, and dance before sharing a delicious seasonal hāngi feast cooked in an earth oven. This unforgettable evening celebrates Māori heritage, connection, and hospitality in a truly authentic setting.

Day 4 Christchurch + Tram Restaurant Dinner

Travel time Rotorua to Auckland – 3.5 hours 

Enjoy the scenic journey to Auckland Airport, where you will board a domestic flight to Christchurch on the South Island (cost of flight not included in holiday package).

Discover the vibrant and picturesque garden city, renowned for its natural beauty, lively entertainment scene, and strong cultural heritage. With its stunning botanical gardens and tree-lined avenues, Christchurch is both a sophisticated city and beautiful place to relax.

Explore Christchurch with your guide, options include; visiting the International Antarctic Centre, venturing to Sumner Beach or the Riverside Market.

In the evening, experience the luxury of a 36-seater colonial-style dining tram. Enjoy fabulous dining at your private table with a sightseeing tour showcasing Christchurch’s inner-city vibrancy and heritage.

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 5 Lake Tekapo + Star Gazing

Travel time Christchurch to Tekapo – 3.5 hours 

Picturesque by day and dazzling by night, Lake Tekapo is part of a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, making it the perfect spot for stargazing. The township faces north across the remarkable turquoise coloured lake to the mountainous drama of the Southern Alps.

Lake Tekapo has many things to do and explore. Visit the historic Church of the Good Shepherd, one of the most photographed places in the country. Just around the corner is the Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue, another great photo opportunity in an extraordinary setting.

One of the most popular attractions in town is Tekapo Springs with hot pools, spas, steam rooms, saunas and spa therapies.

In the evening experience a magical star gazing tour. Your expert astronomy guides bring the night sky to life, sharing the science and the stories of our Southern skies. Stargaze using the naked eye guided by lasers and then proceed to explore deeper through up to 16″ optical telescopes, including in the private observatory dome. Take in the incredible Milky Way, far off planets, star clusters, solar systems, and even distant galaxies; every night sky beholds something different.

Stay 2 nights in Lake Tekapo.

Day 6 Mount Cook + Scenic Flight with Glacier Landing + Glacier Explorers Boat Tour

Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook – 1 hour 15 minutes (each way)

Mount Cook Village is nestled at the base of the Southern Alps. The village offers stunning views of Mount Cook and the surrounding mountains. At 3,724 metres, New Zealand’s highest mountain (Aoraki / Mount Cook) is dazzling.

If you have dreamt of truly experiencing the ultimate helicopter tour of the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, then this signature helicopter flight will tick every box.

Circle the summit of New Zealand’s highest mountain – Aoraki/Mt Cook. Experience a snow landing on the Haupapa/Tasman Glacier and discover motu huka (icebergs) on the Tasman Terminal Lake. View blue ice, hanging glaciers and the West Coast glaciers of Fox & Franz Josef and gaze across to both the East and West coastlines of New Zealand’s South Island. Enjoy coastal views of New Zealand’s South Island. This glacier helicopter tour is the ultimate way to experience and immerse yourself in the stunning scenery of the Mt Cook maunga (mountains).

Next experience the only tour of its kind in New Zealand and one of the only accessible glacial lakes containing icebergs in the world. An amazing encounter with New Zealand’s largest glacier, the Tasman Glacier. Explore and learn about the ever-changing glacial landscape as you journey across the terminal lake in custom-built MAC Boats with your experienced guides. Icebergs of every shape and size periodically tear away from the face of the glacier into the rapidly growing lake. Lateral moraines rear up almost 200m to remind us of the scale and greatness that the glacier has reached in previous times.

Day 7 Wanaka

Lake Tekapo to Wanaka – 2.5 hours

Wanaka has a reputation for great food and wine, with a wide variety of lakefront bars, cafés and restaurants serving exceptional local cuisine.

The crystal-clear water of the lakes and rivers are ideal for kayaking, fishing, lake cruises, and jet-boating, or to get an aerial perspective of the region and take a scenic helicopter flight.

Explore Wanaka with your guide. You may want to visit the Wanaka Lavender Farm to view 20 acres of beautiful lavender fields & display gardens.

Test out your fishing skills at “Hook”, Wanaka’s very unique interactive Lake to Plate dining experience. Catch a Chinook salmon from the scenic spring-fed fishing lakes and then relax as the team prepares it for you. No experience is necessary and fishing equipment can be hired on the day.

Stroll the streets and be inspired by galleries and stylish shops, visit ‘That Wanaka Tree’ for the perfect photo, or enjoy one of the many famous walking tracks such as Mt Iron.

Stay 2 nights in Wanaka.

Day 8 Wanaka + Private Full Day Wine Tour

Indulge in the ultimate wine experience with a Private Full Day Wine Tour through Central Otago.

Tailored entirely to your tastes and schedule, this exclusive tour lets you explore up to six boutique, award-winning vineyards—many not open to the public—at your own pace. Whether you’re passionate about Pinot Noir or curious to discover lesser-known varietals, your day will be curated around your preferences.

Enjoy up to 30 premium tastings and a decadent five-course, barrel-cooked lunch matched with five exceptional wines. With expert local guides, private transport, and a complimentary bottle to take home, this is wine touring at its most personal and luxurious.

Day 9 Queenstown + Queenstown TSS Earnslaw Cruise, Dinner & Farm Tour

Travel time Wanaka to Queenstown – 1.5 hours

Queenstown sits on the shore of Lake Wakatipu among dramatic alpine ranges. Let Queenstown awaken your inner-explorer. Whether you’re interested in exploring trails, indulging in food and wine, teeing off stunning fairways or seeking adrenaline thrills – there are adventures to be found here of all tastes and tempos.

In the evening board the TSS Earnslaw for a stunning cruise across Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu. Then disembark at Walter Peak High Country Farm, one of the first farms set up in the region.

Relax in the charming ambience of the Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant, you’ll enjoy gourmet dining prepared by the chef in front of you. You can choose from an expansive array of New Zealand and local produce. After dinner, an entertaining and informative demonstration gives you a glimpse of life in the high country. The night-time cruise home is magical. Sing-a-long with the ship’s pianist or simply breathe in the fresh night air on the moonlit decks as the lights of Queenstown draw nearer.

Stay 3 nights in Queenstown.

Day 10 Milford Sound Scenic Flight & Cruise + Queenstown + Onsen Hot Pools 

Milford Sound is an area of extraordinary beauty. It offers a majestic fiord, dramatic and awe inspiring scenery and prolific flora and fauna.

Enjoy panoramic views as you fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound over mountains, glaciers, and the stunning World Heritage landscapes of Mt. Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. Your expert pilot provides fascinating commentary throughout this unforgettable journey.

Descend into Milford Sound with breathtaking aerial views of Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, and sheer alpine cliffs before landing at the remote airstrip.

Board a modern catamaran for a 1 hr 45 min cruise through the Fiord, discover the natural wonders of Milford Sound. Keep an eye out for fur seals, penguins, and dolphins while enjoying complimentary tea, coffee, and water.

After your cruise, rejoin your pilot for a spectacular return flight to Queenstown.

Come evening relax in the Onsen Hot Pools in your own private pool for one hour. Onsen Hot Pools is located high on a cliffside overlooking the magnificent Shotover River canyon, providing views over breathtaking alpine scenery and the perfect vantage point to watch the Shotover Jet boats on the river below.

A unique feature of Onsen Hot Pools are the retractable picture windows: Convert your pool room from indoor to outdoor and back again at the touch of a button!

Day 11 Depart Queenstown

Take in the views one last time as your guide delivers you to Queenstown Airport for your departing flight.

Plan Luxury Tours of NZ

As you plan your New Zealand holiday, our team will work with you to ensure your tour matches exactly what you want. Our luxury tours of NZ are bespoke, carefully tailored experiences designed with expertise.

We recommend the above tour as a starting point to give you an idea of what is possible in 10 days. However, we can amend the schedule or inclusions based on your preferences–or design a fully bespoke itinerary to suit.

Browse More Luxury Tours NZ for Inspiration:

• 7 Day North Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 7 Day South Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 10 Day North Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 10 Day South Island Luxury Guided Tour
• 14 Day New Zealand Luxury Guided Tour

Or view our New Zealand Luxury Escapes brand for an overview of the most exclusive New Zealand travel experiences.