The Ultimate Tour of Australia & New Zealand - 14 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Auckland (New Zealand), Harbor Sailing Cruise

Kia ora! Welcome to New Zealand's North Island. Begin your adventure in Auckland, where a driver will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Relax before heading out to explore the country's largest city. With two bustling harbors and more than 500,000 sailboats and yachts, it's easy to see why Auckland is nicknamed the "City of Sails." 

This afternoon you'll board a sailboat for an intimate exploration of the city. View the sights while sailing on the inner Waitemata Harbour. You'll go where the wind takes you while enjoying Auckland's city highlights, including sailing under the Harbour Bridge and other well-known landmarks along the harbor's edge. The crew's local knowledge will give you the best harbor sailing experience Auckland has to offer, and you can even help sail the yacht—or simply sit back and relax.

Day 2: Waiheke Island Zip, Wine & Dine Experience

Today, board a ferry from downtown Auckland and enjoy a 40-minute cruise through the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island, New Zealand's famous wine island. Today's adventure includes ziplining, wining, and dining. Start with the thrills as you strap into a harness and ride three giant flying-fox ziplines across the lush landscape. After, you'll enjoy a guided walk through a tract of centuries-old native New Zealand forest.

After the morning of adventure, it's time for lunch. Pull up at a multi-award-winning vineyard for a beautiful meal and olive oil tasting. Then take a scenic detour via the 1-mile (2 km) golden Onetangi Beach to Casita Miro—a stop where you'll savor the tastes of the Mediterranean. Your final stop is another gorgeous vineyard famous for its wines and dazzling gardens. Your guide will drop you back at the ferry terminal for your cruise back to Auckland.

Day 3: Transfer to Rotorua via Hobbiton, Te Pā Tū Māori Feast & Performance

Today you'll journey three hours south to Rotorua, New Zealand's famous geothermal city. This area is one of the world's most active volcanic regions, and you'll find bubbling mud pools, steaming geysers, and signs pointing to natural hot springs. Your scenic journey passes through J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth. Set in the heart of the Waikato region's farmland, you'll reach The Shire and the Hobbiton Movie Set, where you can explore Bilbo's house and drop into the Green Dragon Inn to sip ale, cider, or ginger beer.

This evening, New Zealand's most awarded cultural attraction invites you to feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within the forest Pa (village), a space of towering tawa trees, blazing bonfires, and a forest-formed amphitheater. Te Pā Tū (formally called Tamaki Māori Village) shares Māori history, traditions, and cultural aspirations across four hours of celebration and food. Upon arrival, share seasonal kai horotai (delicacies) such as roasted tuna, creamy paua (abalone) on rewena (bread) crostini, and foraged greens.

Day 4: Te Puia Tour, Māori Arts & Hell's Gate, Twilight Glowworm Kayaking

Today you'll discover New Zealand's geothermal landscapes in Rotorua, an area famed for its otherworldly green and orange sulfur pools, bubbling mud baths, and spurting geysers. You'll see all of this at the Te Puia Springs, home to Pohutu Geyser, which erupts up to 20 times a day, shooting a plume of scalding water up to 100 feet (30 m) into the sky. After, visit the Kiwi Conservation Centre, a refuge for native birds, including New Zealand's national emblem, the flightless kiwi. Next, learn about carving and weaving at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.

Continue your geothermal explorations at the Hell's Gate spa this afternoon. Join a guided or self-guided geothermal walk of the 50-acre (20 ha) park. Then soak in geothermal mud and acidic sulfur waters and experience the healing properties that local Māori have used for over 800 years. At twilight, arrive on the shorelines of Lake Okareka. Board a kayak and follow your guide along the lake edge as night sets in, then duck into hidden caves home to galaxies of glowworms. Take ample time to enjoy the captivating atmosphere inside the caves before returning in the dark.

This evening you'll take a leisurely cruise across the breathtakingly beautiful Lake Wakatipu. The historic TSS Earnslaw steamship will take you to the lakeside gardens of Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet dinner by the water. Soak up the alpine scenery at the homestead and watch as chefs prepare a seasonal bounty of succulent meats cooked on the outdoor rotisserie and a selection of delicious vegetables and salads. Enjoy desserts and New Zealand cheese before the return trip, complete with a singalong from the ship's pianist.

Day 8: Full-Day Phillip Island & Penguin Plus Dinner

Today you'll join a day trip to Phillip Island to witness the evening ritual of the "Penguin Parade." Stop first at the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park, where you can see endangered species, greet adorable kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas, and admire an array of colorful birds and reptiles. After two hours, you'll reach Phillip Island, famous for the cute wild penguins that waddle up the beach every night—but there's much more to explore on the small island.

This afternoon you might visit Woolamai Beach to watch the surfers. From here, head to the western corner of the island to enjoy magnificent views of Bass Strait and the Nobbies, home to Australia's largest colony of fur seals. Before evening falls, you'll stroll along the boardwalk to the Penguin Plus viewing platform at Summerland Beach to witness the phenomena of the Penguin Parade. Watch the adorable little penguins come ashore as they hurry off to find their burrows. After, sit back and nap on the return drive to Melbourne.

Then, it's time for your 2.5-hour flight to Cairns, a tropical paradise and the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and the 135-million-year-old Daintree Rainforest. Take a taxi to your hotel upon arrival and rest up for tomorrow's adventures.

Day 11: Full-Day Great Barrier Reef Tour to Green Island

Day 12: Full-Day Daintree Dreaming Tour, Fly to Sydney

This full-day tour will take you north of Cairns to Cooya Beach (Kuyu Kuyu), a traditional fishing ground of the Kuku Yalanji people. Here, you'll join one of the Kubirri Warra brothers for a walk among the mudflats and mangroves. After, learn traditional Aboriginal fishing techniques, then try to catch your own tucker (food). Later, you'll travel inland to nearby Mossman Gorge, the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park. You'll be welcomed here with a traditional smoking ceremony designed to protect you while visiting Kuku Yalanji country.

Afterward, you'll enter the Daintree rainforest for a leisurely hike across boardwalks offering spectacular mountain and waterfront views. As you go, your guide will highlight the various flora and fauna you pass on the hike. Then it's time to say goodbye to the relaxed tropics. A driver will transfer you to the airport in time for your three-hour flight to Sydney. On arrival in Sydney, a private transfer will take you to your accommodation. Use this evening to soak up Sydney's world-class culinary scene—you'll find great restaurants in Circular Quay and Darling Harbour.

Day 13: Panoramic Sydney Sights, Burrawa Indigenous Climb

Wake up, ready to explore Sydney with a local this morning. Hear fascinating stories of early convict history in The Rocks area, and see breathtaking views of the famous Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Shop until you drop at the Queen Victoria Building and explore the trendy Oxford Street district. Head east for a scenic walk around Tamarama and Bronte, and enjoy a refreshing drink at the famous Bondi Beach while admiring bronzed Aussie lifesavers. Then wave goodbye to your guide and find somewhere for a relaxed lunch by Bondi Beach.

You saw the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge arching across the bay—now it's time to climb it. You're signed up for the Burrawa Indigenous Climb, a unique way to experience Aboriginal Australia. An experienced Indigenous guide will lead a special climb filled with stories, legends, and tales of traditions that have been passed down through generations—all while you enjoy panoramic views over the city. Once you're back on land, cap off the day with a sunset drink by the harbor—the perfect end to your final full day in Australia.

Day 14: Depart Sydney

All good things must come to an end, and it's your final morning in Australia. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel then, when the time is right, a driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Sydney Airport for your flight home or onward. Safe travels!