Anderson Vacations · Escorted tour

19 Day Ultimate New Zealand Rail, Cruise, & Coach Holiday

Escorted New Zealand tour with four rail journeys and Doubtful Sound cruise

19 Day Ultimate New Zealand Rail, Cruise, & Coach Holiday, a rail journey with Anderson Vacations

Anderson Vacations operates this 19-day, 18-night escorted tour of New Zealand, with a professional Coach Captain accompanying the group throughout. Starting in Auckland, the tour visits the Bay of Islands for a catamaran cruise to the Hole in the Rock, then Rotorua for the Skyline gondola, a luge ride, and an evening Māori Hāngi and Concert. From Wellington, the Interislander Ferry and the Coastal Pacific train connect to Christchurch, followed by the TranzAlpine train to Arthur's Pass on the way to Fox Glacier. The route continues through Queenstown, with a vintage steamship cruise on Lake Wakatipu, before an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound aboard the Fiordland Navigator, preceded by a lunch cruise on Lake Manapouri. The final days visit Te Anau, Dunedin, including a tour of Larnach Castle, and a short heritage rail ride near Oamaru before a farewell dinner in Christchurch. With 17 nights of 4.5-star accommodation and four named rail journeys woven into a coach and cruise itinerary, this trip suits travelers who want New Zealand covered comprehensively with a guide handling the logistics.

What to know before you look closer

  • The evidence pack does not include a price for this trip.
  • Several notable activities are optional extras, not included in the base package: the Cape Reinga coach trip, scenic flights over the Bay of Islands and Fox Glacier, the Bay of Islands dinner cruise, the Te Anau Glowworm Caves, the Speight's Brewery tour, and the Olveston Historic Home tour.
  • Rail is a small part of this tour: only 4 of the 19 days include a train journey (Glenbrook Vintage Railway, the Coastal Pacific, the TranzAlpine, and the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway); most days are by coach.
  • The evidence pack does not list current departure dates; confirm scheduling directly with Anderson Vacations.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Auckland

    Arrive Auckland

    Met by a Grand Pacific Tours representative and transferred to your hotel; a complimentary pre-dinner drink as you meet your travelling companions.

  2. Day 2overnight: Paihia, Bay of Islands

    Auckland to Bay of Islands

    Board the Ultimate Coach for an Auckland city sights tour, visit Parry Kauri Park, and continue through Whangarei to the Bay of Islands for a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

  3. Day 3overnight: Paihia, Bay of Islands

    Bay of Islands

    A free day with optional activities including the Cape Reinga coach trip via Ninety Mile Beach or a scenic flight, and an optional dinner cruise in the evening.

  4. Day 4overnight: Auckland

    Bay of Islands to Auckland

    Explore the Bay of Islands aboard a luxury catamaran to Cape Brett and the 'Hole in the Rock', watching for dolphins and marine life, before returning to Auckland.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Rotorua

    Auckland to Rotorua

    Travel to Glenbrook Vintage Railway for a 15km trip on a restored steam train, then continue to Rotorua to visit the National Kiwi Hatchery.

  6. Day 6overnight: Rotorua

    Rotorua

    A gondola ride and champagne breakfast at Skyline Rotorua with a luge ride, the Agrodome, Te Puia's mud pools and geysers, and an evening Māori Hāngi and Concert.

  7. Day 7overnight: Wellington

    Rotorua to Wellington

    Travel the Thermal Explorer Highway to Huka Falls, free time at Lake Taupo, and via Tongariro National Park south to Wellington.

  8. Day 8overnight: Wellington

    Wellington

    Explore the Gallipoli: A Scale of War exhibition at Te Papa, followed by an extensive coach city tour of Wellington.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Christchurch

    Wellington to Kaikōura to Christchurch

    Board the Interislander Ferry across Cook Strait to Picton, join the Coastal Pacific rail journey to Kaikōura, then coach to Christchurch.

  10. Day 10overnight: Christchurch

    Christchurch

    Visit the International Antarctic Centre, an introductory city tour of Christchurch, and a journey on the Christchurch Tram.

  11. Day 11railovernight: Fox Glacier

    Christchurch to Arthur's Pass to Fox Glacier

    Board the TranzAlpine rail journey to Arthur's Pass, then coach via Hokitika and Franz Josef to Fox Glacier, with an optional scenic flight over the glaciers.

  12. Day 12overnight: Queenstown

    Fox Glacier to Queenstown

    Travel south along the West Coast and via the Haast Pass, visiting the Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown, to Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu.

  13. Day 13overnight: Queenstown

    Queenstown at Leisure

    A free day in Queenstown, followed by an evening cruise on the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station for a barbecue dinner and farm tour.

  14. Day 14overnight: Doubtful Sound (aboard the Fiordland Navigator overnight cruise)

    Queenstown to Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise

    Travel via Te Anau to Manapouri, lunch cruising the glacial lake, then over the Wilmot Pass to board the Fiordland Navigator for an overnight cruise through Doubtful Sound with naturalist guides and a carvery buffet dinner.

  15. Day 15overnight: Te Anau

    Doubtful Sound to Te Anau

    A further excursion to Deep Cove before returning to Manapouri and the coach to Te Anau, with an optional visit to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves.

  16. Day 16overnight: Dunedin

    Te Anau to Dunedin

    Travel via Gore and Balclutha to Dunedin, New Zealand's oldest university city.

  17. Day 17overnight: Dunedin

    Dunedin

    A guided tour of Larnach Castle on the Otago Peninsula with an Ultimate High Tea in the Grand Ballroom, followed by a Dunedin city tour; optional activities include Speight's Brewery, wildlife viewing, or Olveston Historic Home.

  18. Day 18railovernight: Christchurch

    Dunedin to Christchurch

    Travel to Oamaru, then Pleasant Point Museum and Railway for a short heritage rail experience and lunch, before a farewell dinner in Christchurch.

  19. Day 19

    Depart Christchurch

    Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 6An evening Māori Hāngi and Concert follows a day that includes the Skyline Rotorua gondola, a luge ride, and Te Puia's boiling mud pools and geysers.
  • Day 11The TranzAlpine train travels to Arthur's Pass before the tour continues by coach via Hokitika and Franz Josef to Fox Glacier.
  • Day 13An evening cruise aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw crosses Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Station for a barbecue dinner and farm tour.
  • Day 14The Fiordland Navigator's overnight cruise of Doubtful Sound follows a lunch cruise on the glacial Lake Manapouri, with naturalist guides and a carvery buffet dinner.
  • Day 17A guided tour of Larnach Castle on the Otago Peninsula includes an Ultimate High Tea in the Grand Ballroom.

Included

  • Personalised meet and greet on arrival
  • Return airport transfers in New Zealand
  • Professional Coach Captain
  • 17 nights 4.5-star accommodation
  • Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
  • 6 two-night stays
  • Hotel porterage
  • 4 rail journeys
  • 4 cruises
  • All sightseeing and prepaid attractions
  • Extensive optional activities
  • Ultimate documentation pack

Not included

  • Airfare unless specified as included within the itinerary
  • Taxes as applicable
  • Travel Insurance and Cancellation Protection (strongly recommended, ask us for a quote!)
  • Gratuities for Local Guides, Tour Managers, and/or Bus Drivers
  • Meals not specifically mentioned as included in the itinerary
  • Items (attractions and sightseeing & entrance fees) not listed as included in the itinerary

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price of this trip?
Yes, four rail journeys are included: the Glenbrook Vintage Railway (a 15km heritage steam train), the Coastal Pacific (Picton to Kaikōura to Christchurch), the TranzAlpine (Christchurch to Arthur's Pass), and the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway (a short heritage rail experience near Oamaru).
Is this trip escorted or independent?
It is an escorted tour, with a professional Coach Captain throughout.
What is included besides the trains?
17 nights of 4.5-star accommodation, 4 cruises including an overnight Doubtful Sound cruise, hotel porterage, all sightseeing and prepaid attractions, and return airport transfers in New Zealand.
Is Doubtful Sound included?
Yes, an overnight cruise aboard the Fiordland Navigator is included, with naturalist guides and a carvery buffet dinner.
What is not included?
Airfare unless specified, taxes, travel insurance, gratuities, and meals not specifically mentioned in the itinerary.
Does the trip include free time?
Yes, day 3 in the Bay of Islands is a free day, and day 13 in Queenstown is a free day, described as "Queenstown at Leisure".

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