16-Day Scenic Train and Glaciers Tour

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This morning, you'll explore the city of sails on a guided tour! You'll travel through the city centre, including Auckland's famous Queen Street, Karangahape Road with its chequered past and eclectic vibe and fashionable Ponsonby. In the afternoon, you'll catch a 40-minute ferry over to Waiheke Island. Upon arrival, you'll be picked up by luxury coach and whisked away on a guided tour of three of Waiheke's premier wineries – Mudbrick Estate, Cable Bay and Te Motu.

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Leaving Auckland, you'll travel through rolling farmland into the Waikato region. You'll be taken on a guided tour through the world-famous Glowworm Caves. Formed from limestone over 30 million years ago, the caves were first discovered in 1887 and are now one of New Zealand's most popular tourist destinations. Wander through subterranean caverns and learn about stalagmites and stalactites. After driving back to Auckland, you can explore the city and perhaps take on the mighty SkyWalk.

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Northern Explorer is a long-distance scenic train service running between Auckland and Wellington. The journey through Tongariro National Park, with its three spectacular volcanic mountains – Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu – is a highlight, a place of extremes and surprises, where snow-blanketed fields, ancient lava flows and dense beech forests can be seen side by side. Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to Lake Taupo for an afternoon of adventures.

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Today, you'll head to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. Sculptured out of volcanic activity and thousands of years in the making, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is considered to be New Zealand’s most colourful and diverse geothermal sightseeing attraction. Afterwards, you'll transfer to Rotorua for a fun-packed few hours of entertainment at the Agrodome Farm Show! After a cultural evening at Te Po learning about Maori culture, you'll return to Taupo.

This morning, after breakfast at your hotel, you'll hop in a transfer to the train station. Here, you'll board Northern Explorer Train and continue your journey to Wellington (alternatively, you can opt to drive through the Desert Road). You'll arrive in Wellington in the evening and transfer to your hotel. Wellington is popular for its café culture, live music and shopping. In the evening, you can explore Cuba Street and Oriental Parade.

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Today, you can explore Wellington through its major attractions. The first is the Te Papa Museum where you can learn more about New Zealand's culture and the environment through its national museum. In the afternoon, you climb up to the top of Mount Victoria for a beautiful view over Wellington. You can also opt to explore parts of the Parliament buildings and learn about the parliamentary process while accompanied by one of the knowledgeable tour guides.

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Today is a big day of travel as you head to the InterIslander Ferry to cross over to the South Island from Wellington. You'll then head to the train station and travel by Coastal Pacific Train to Kaikoura. With the sea stretching to the horizon in the east and the Kaikoura mountains stretching to the sky in the west, the Coastal Pacific journey between Picton and Kaikoura is one of the most astonishingly beautiful in New Zealand.

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In the morning, you'll head to Whale Watch Kaikoura for an exciting whale spotting journey. Afterwards, you'll head to the train station to travel by Coastal Pacific Train to Christchurch. With the Pacific Ocean lapping at its wheels on one side and the Kaikoura ranges rising majestically on the other, the Coastal Pacific is undoubtedly the most picturesque of the scenic journeys. You'll have the evening to relax and explore Christchurch.

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In the morning, you'll transfer to the Boatshed for one of the iconic Christchurch activities, punting on the Avon Edwardian-style! Next, you'll head to the International Antarctic Centre to be thrilled by a huge range of experiences guaranteed to entertain the whole family. In the evening, you'll experience the luxury of the 36-seater air-conditioned, colonial-style dining tram and be treated to the finest service, cuisine and beverages New Zealand has to offer!

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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. The TranzAlpine is one of the world's great train journeys covering 223 kilometres (139 miles) one-way, taking just under five hours. You’ll traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains, to the backdrop of the mighty Southern Alps - the journey of a lifetime. You'll then transfer to Franz Josef, the glacier town, to enjoy the hot springs.

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With your free day, you can take advantage of the many activities on offer including the Twin Glacier Scenic Helicopter Ride, flying over both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, soaring first over the townships and then following the ice flow high up into the upper reaches. You can also do the Heli Hike. You’ll land on a section of this 12-kilometre-long glacier with glacier boots and crampons and walk for two hours amongst the ice formations and pinnacles.

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On this day of your holiday to New Zealand, you'll transfer to Wanaka through Fox Glacier and the Haast Pass. This route is very scenic and there are plenty of photo opportunities. In Wanaka, you'll visit the Puzzling World. With a mix of bizarre buildings, rooms of illusion and the world-famous Great Maze, this attraction is designed to baffle your brain and challenge your perceptions of reality. You'll then transfer to Queenstown where the rest of your evening will be at your leisure.

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Queenstown is the adventure capital. There are plenty of options to entertain you including skydiving, bungee jumping, jet boating, zipline tours, 4WD tours and the Nevis Swing. Today, you can head to the Skyline Gondola and Luge Ride. Take a scenic ride in the iconic Skyline Gondola and take in the stunning views as you ride the steepest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere!

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Today, you'll transfer to Milford Sound, situated on the west coast of the South Island, is a world-renowned natural wonder with towering peaks, cascading waterfalls and amazing wildlife. The journey through Milford Road, starting from the beautiful Te Anau Lake, is an experience of a lifetime. For breathtaking, awe-inspiring scenery, you'll go on a Milford Sound cruise and enjoy spacious decks, relaxing lounges and a variety of delicious on-board lunch choices.