New Zealand Luxury Travel

Experience the verdant beauty of Kaikōura in style from a treetop luxury cabin (photo courtesy of Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses)

1 Week in New Zealand - 5 Luxury Itinerary Ideas

With one week in New Zealand, you can indulge in the finer things in life while admiring soaring mountains, lush vineyards, and turquoise lakes. Focusing on either the North Island or South Island ensures you have plenty of time to explore, and you can take your pick between a wellness escape, an off-the-beaten-path adventure, or an itinerary featuring wineries and farm-fresh cuisine. Other options include a luxury road trip from Christchurch to Queenstown and a highlights of the North Island tour.

Discover New Zealand's diverse flora and fauna on this road trip

New Zealand's South Island: Luxury Self-Drive Tour - 15 Days

Experience the wilderness and wildlife of New Zealand's South Island on this 15-day self-drive itinerary. By day, you'll drive through breathtaking landscapes and embark on outdoor adventures, while nights are spent in a series of secluded luxury lodges. Setting off from Christchurch, enjoy alpine walks in Mount Cook National Park, discover rich marine life on the Otago Peninsula, and cruise through the remote Doubtful Sound in Fiordland National Park. After adrenaline sports in Queenstown and a memorable trek across the Franz Josef Glacier, the scenic TranzAlpine train whisks you back to Christchurch.

Wraparound views of Lake Wakatipu from your Queenstown luxury lodge (photo courtesy of Azur Lodge)

New Zealand South Island Luxury Getaway - 7 Days

This luxury South Island road trip takes you from Christchurch to Queenstown in a relaxed fashion, enjoying exclusive tours and 5-star stays along the way. Soar above Mount Cook National Park and Milford Sound / Piopiotahi on scenic flights, take a helicopter to New Zealand's highest-altitude whisky bar, and explore the unspoiled Mackenzie region by 4WD. Other highlights include steaming onsen baths beneath the stars, exhilarating jet boat rides, and Kiwi barbecue feasts.

Explore Mount Aspiring National Park from your base at the 5-star Minaret Station (photo courtesy of Minaret Station)

Off-the-Beaten-Track Luxury in New Zealand’s South Island - 7 Days

Step off the beaten track and explore remote corners of New Zealand's South Island with this weeklong luxury tour. On this self-drive adventure, travel from Christchurch to Queenstown, staying at far-flung, 5-star lodges where gourmet cuisine, heli-tours, and hot tubs beneath the stars await. Discover natural gems like Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, the Mackenzie Region, and Milford Sound / Piopiotahi by air, 4WD, and boat, traveling as far as the country's highest-altitude whisky hut.

Visit farms and vineyards and take whale watching flights from Kaikōura

Luxury Food, Wine & Landscapes of New Zealand's South Island - 7 Days

Savor the best of New Zealand's world-class wines and farm-to-fork cuisine on this luxurious weeklong tour of the South Island. Begin in history-soaked Christchurch, then road trip north through coastal towns and wine regions. Take in the scenery with heli-picnics, whale watching flights, and boat trips in Kaikoura and Nelson, then taste fine wines in the renowned Marlborough region. Foodie highlights include visiting a kiwi farm and a cooking class with an acclaimed chef at Hapuku Kitchen.

See gannet colonies on the dramatic clifftops of Cape Kidnappers (photo courtesy of Rosewood Cape Kidnappers)

Luxury Highlights of New Zealand's North Island - 7 Days

Discover the highlights of New Zealand's North Island on this weeklong luxury tour. From Auckland, you'll hit the road south, staying at spectacular 5-star hotels as you make your way toward Wellington. Meet native wildlife, soar above Rotorua's geothermal landscapes on a floatplane, go wine tasting in Hawke's Bay, and take an Art Deco vintage car tour in Napier. Explore Maori culture as you go with a traditional spa experience at Wai Ariki and a visit to the Ngati Pikiao community.

Enjoy quiet luxury at Otahuna Lodge, in Christchurch (photo courtesy of Otahuna Lodge)

Luxury New Zealand Wellness Escape - 7 Days

Pamper yourself with a weeklong luxury wellness break in New Zealand's South Island. As you drive a scenic route from Christchurch to Nelson, you'll stay at boutique, 5-star retreats where decadent spa sessions, woodland hot tubs, yoga classes, and nature hikes await. Soak in geothermal pools at the award-winning Maruia Hot Springs and sail the idyllic Tasman Bay, pausing to explore isolated golden beaches where you can swim and relax.

End your trip at a luxurious lakeside lodge outside Queenstown (photo courtesy of Azur Lodge)

New Zealand South Island Luxury Getaway - 10 Days

This 10-day road trip across New Zealand's South Island squeezes in the best nature experiences and active adventures as you journey from Christchurch to Queenstown. Wake up in remote luxury lodges and 5-star hotels, then tick off bucket-list experiences in ways you didn't expect. Ride a chopper to a mountaintop whisky bar, climb up a waterfall in Wanaka, explore the remote Doubtful Sound by boat, hike part of the famous Routeburn Track, and soak in relaxing onsen hot springs.

Stay in luxurious boutique lodges as you make your way across the North and South Islands (photo courtesy of Rosewood Cape Kidnappers)

New Zealand Luxury Highlights: North & South Islands - 10 Days

This relaxed 10-day getaway introduces you to the highlights of New Zealand's North and South Islands in luxurious style. Between exclusive excursions and tours, you'll embark on scenic road trips between some of the country's loveliest boutique lodges. Soar over Rotorua in a floatplane, cycle between the wineries of Hawke's Bay, cruise around Art Deco Napier in a vintage car, boat across the glassy waters of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, and soak in natural hot springs on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.

Hop in a helicopter to ascend the icy slopes of Aoraki / Mount Cook

Winter Luxury in New Zealand: Auckland to Queenstown - 10 Days

Experience New Zealand's charms in the cooler months of June through September with this luxurious winter road trip. In 10 days, you'll travel from subtropical Auckland to the snowcapped mountains of Queenstown, checking off destination hotels and bucket-list excursions along the way. Sip your way around the "wine island" of Waiheke, soar over Rotorua's geysers by floatplane, trek atop a glacier in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, and warm up with an evening in the onsen hot springs of Queenstown.

Experience three of the world's most scenic links on this luxury golf itinerary (photo courtesy of Rosewood Cape Kidnappers)

New Zealand Luxury Golf Experience - 10 Days

Get ready to chip, drive, and putt your way through New Zealand's finest golfing destinations with this 10-day luxury trip across the North Island. Tee off in style and elevate your golfing game with special stays at three prestigious courses—Te Arai Links, Kinloch Golf Course, and Cape Kidnappers Golf Course. After the nineteenth hole, you'll find no shortage of things to do in paradise as you connect with Maori culture, visit the largest mainland gannet colony, and cruise across the spectacular Lake Taupo.

Stay in secluded bliss at historic farmstays and luxury lodges (photo courtesy of Wharekauhau)

Luxury Highlights of New Zealand's North Island - 10 Days

Experience New Zealand's distinct brand of laid-back luxury with this 10-day North Island road trip featuring some of the country's best boutique lodges and historic farmstays. En route from Auckland to Wellington, you'll meet the residents of a kiwi sanctuary in Rotorua, jet boat through the turquoise rapids of Huka Falls, taste your way through the wine country of Hawke's Bay and Martinborough, and wander among the otherworldly rock formations of the Putangirua Pinnacles.