Tour Types
- Classic
- Exploration
- Faith
- River Cruise
- Spotlights
Enjoy a refined take on the art of group travel.
Experience true adventures on these Collette small group tours.
Set out on an inspiring journey on these faith-based travel experiences.
Explore the world's most beautiful waterways.
Come to know your destination during a single-hotel stay.
Your Tour at a Glance


Tour Activity Level
The activity level for this tour:
At a very leisurely pace, this tour involves minimal physical activity, such as climbing some stairs, boarding a motorcoach, and walking from the hotel reception area to hotel rooms and dining areas.
This tour requires average physical activity. You should be in good health, able to climb stairs and walk reasonable distances, possibly over uneven ground and cobblestoned streets.
This tour includes moderate physical activity. The itinerary blends some longer days with shorter days and more leisure time. Walking tours, as well as walking slightly longer distances, up stairs or on uneven walking surfaces should be expected.
To truly experience the program and destination, you need to be able to participate in physical activities such as longer walking tours, walking over uneven terrain, climbing stairs and periods of standing. Some of the touring days may be longer, with select included activities occurring later in the evening.
This tour is very active, requiring participants to be physically fit to fully enjoy all the experiences. This itinerary has more strenuous activities which may include such things as: extensive walking tours, transfers over uneven and dusty terrain, high altitudes, early morning departures, late night activities, or extreme temperatures. All conditions do not apply to all days, so please read the itinerary carefully and speak to one of our travel counselors to determine if this tour is right for you. We recommend this program to individuals who are physically fit. Unfortunately, this tour is not appropriate for individuals who use either walkers or wheelchairs. If this trip is not ideally suited for you, our travel counselors can help determine the perfect trip for you.
800.340.5158


Itinerary
Exploring New Zealand
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Reviews Of Exploring New Zealand
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Good All Round Service
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Fantastic
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ServiceThe trip was probably our best to date. What made it outstanding was the every day information provided by the coach driver and the tour manager. The level of information provided by Wayne was outstanding. Eddy provided the everyday agenda and made the trip flow effortlessly. The number on the tour was perfect and allowed us to see so much.
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TourSame response as previously entered.
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ServiceA professional service provided at all times, we would be pleased to recommend to friends and will use the agency again in the future.
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TourAn exceptional tour made special by both the tour manager and the driver working well as an illuminating team, together with a diverse range of tourers who all got on well.
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Well worth the long trip from Eastern US!
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ServiceComprehensive and thoughtful way to get to know New Zealand. Our tour director was extraordinarily knowledgeable, capable and well-organized. Accommodations were very good, and the itinerary was well planned with both events and free time. The night with a family and the visit to a sheep farm were wonderful changes from the usual (but still interesting) tourist venues.
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TourMany high points. Interacting with a sheep farm family, and spending a whole afternoon and night with another farmer really made the trip special.
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Well organised holiday, just a few problems.
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ServiceIt was organised well, especially Peter, the coach driver's knowledge & personal stories. On the 8 March, we were due to visit the Kauri museum but ended up at the Warkworth museum instead, which we found very interesting & you may wish to consider as a stop instead. We tried to book the flights on the Quantas website going out & coming back, 24 hrs beforehand but couldn't until we reached the airport. This made getting 2 seats together harder to get. This has been raised as a complaint but you have said the Quantas website was not operating fully that day & this is outside your control but this happened twice & caused us problems. We had to ensure we were at the airport earlier than we needed to be, on our return journey, so we could stand in a queue before the fight opened so we could get seats together because going out we were given separate seats initially when we checked in at the ticket machine. When we got to the check in desk, staff were luckily able to change them to 2 seats together. Also we did not have a taxi waiting for us at the airport upon our return. I tried to contact you 3 times but it just kept going to answering machine. I then contacted the taxi firm (Tristar) who said they sent a car the previous day for a flight arriving at 14.02 (23 March) when we actually arrived on 24 March at 12.40. All our intinary stated the latter. They said they needed to speak to you. Eventually I managed to speak to Geraldine at your end & a taxi eventually turned up at 2.30pm, not what you want after a 26 hr total flight time & started travelling back from NZ at 2.15am English time (3.15pm NZ time). As you can expect we were exhausted by then & just wanted to get back home. This was also raised as a complaint, which we were first just offered an apology but today this has been resolved after compensation was offered. Please note I left messages on your voicemail 28725 on 30 May & 2 June (option 2 followered by 1) without anyone returning my call. I had to phone back again today before I eventually spoke to you to sort this out.
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TourKaren-Hangi dinner & learning about the Maoris. Loved Napier. John-Journey through Middle Earth tour. Would have liked the opportunity to visit the Hobbiton movie set from Matamata. We were only made aware of this when we were staying at the home visit as someone else stopping there (not from our group) said they had just come back from a dinner & visit there. That evening would have been our only chance of going there as we were just travelling through. I would just like to say I think you should change the Park hotel you use in Wellington. This was the only hotel where a buffet breakfast was not offered. On the last morning we stayed, we had to wait for our breakfast to be brought to us. After 30 mins, I chased this up saying we had to leave soon as we had a ferry to catch. I don't think this made any difference. It came just in time before we had to rush out to get the coach. I suggest you use an alternative hotel, one with a buffet breakfast going forward.
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Great way to see the most of New Zealand.
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ServiceOur driver Wayne was so much more than a bus driver. A New Zealand native, he kept up commentary that was informative and personable throughout the trip. Our guide Eddy was organized, and made sure we all knew what was coming up and what to expect. She went out of her way to take care of any issues that came up. The trip had many surprise stops, the hotels were better than I expected and the group dinners were great. I would use Collette again and recommend this tour for those who want to see the most of New Zealand.
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TourGot a lot of bang for your buck. Many unexpected stops, and the personable stories from our driver and guide made the trip. I loved our time in Queensland, and also the Bay of Islands boat tour.
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ServiceThe tour of NZ and hotels were perfect and deserve 5 stars. .The internal flights arranged by Thos.Cook did not allow sufficient time between Terminals as a result we missed flight and had to rebook,we paid you so we did not have this sort of mess and were very disappointed. We did not realise that Thos Cook is now a USA company catering to USA customers first, we did not enjoy having an American aim information at USA customers in the main. However the Driver ,from NZ was FANTASTIC, and gave us a holiday of a lifetime and made up for other failings.
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TourPoor internal flight arrangements. Tour manager great organiser, but too Americanna for UK customers.
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Go see New Zealand
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ServiceThe original tour guide had an emergency and the replacement guide was just terrible. New Zealand itself was awesome but the guide was so terrible it took some of the joy out of the trip
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TourI think Collette has some great writers explaining some of the extra trips. Some of them were not worth the effort
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ServiceMy husband and I are writing a letter and will forward it soon. Many things on the tour need improvement. This was our first Collette Tour and I was not impressed. Our tour director was very rude at times. Was not prepared for this tour. I know he was given this assignment 2 days prior to us arriving. $27,000.00 was a lot of money for a trip that was not up to par. We were thinking of doing your trip to Ireland and Scotland in September. Not sure about it now.
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TourPoor organization by tour director. Some of the optional tours were a waste of time and money.
Hello Carmela, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We appreciate your feedback about the tour manager as well as the tour elements. We have passed this along to our team for review. They'll use your feedback to improve the tour for future guests. \n
Collette Support
\nIf you have any questions at all about the trip you're planning to take to Ireland and Scotland in September, please don't hesitate to reach out. We'd be happy to talk through any questions you might have. -
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ServiceOur tour was very enjoyable but we had a last minute substitution of our tour director for unknown reasons. The substitute was an elderly man who did the best he could, but things seemed a bit disorganized at times. Sometimes bus departure times etc. were changed, creating some confusion.
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TourWe saw so many places that we could never have found on our own. Our bus driver, *******, was excellent and gave us very entertaining running commentary on the sights we saw. He remained cheerful even when passengers asked stupid questions that he had already answered!
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ServiceCollette did a very good job with reservation and flight.
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TourThe country surpassed our expectations in beauty.
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The very best from Collette
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ServiceExcellent knowledge of what we wanted when asked for the best offer for New Zealand. Extremely helpful with all our questions and concerns before we went.
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TourSo many memorable places under the guidance of a terrific tour manager and driver. Loved Rotorua, Wellington, Queenstown, Milford sound and Mount Cook, the icing on the cake.
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Excellent tour, wonderful scenery with a great deal packed into the time.
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ServiceI have travelled with Collette several times. I feel their standards have dropped slightly in that some of the hotels were not as good as before. I cannot fault the content or the driver and tour manager who were both superb. I would certainly travel with Collette again and would recommend them to others.
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TourThe Glowworm caves at Te Anau were amazing.
Hello Helen! Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We have passed your insight about the hotels along to our team for review. We look forward to traveling with you again soon.
Collette Support -
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Helpful service
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ServiceAlways helpful and prompt in answering queries.
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TourSo many great experiences but Mount Cook without cloud was fantastic.
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Great trip to New Zealand
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ServiceThe driver/guide, *****, was excellent. He knew history, flora and fauna, told Kiwi stories and family stories and was the only New Zealander we got to know. The manager is okay with most details but really doesn't know New Zealand. The home host visit with "***" should not be scheduled again. A tour of Hobbitown should be offered instead.
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TourIt was a tiring tour but needed to be because I wanted to see everything.
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ServiceTour guide & bus driver well informed, professional, caring: simply great!
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Toureverything met or exceeded our expectations. We loved the hotel buffet breakfasts, especially the cooked half tomatoes.
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NZ: a wonderful country but spoiled by the Tour Leader
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ServiceThe TM (personal details removed by Feefo) was disorganized and gave unclear directions. Treated us like a bunch of school children. Passed around bags of sweets - a great way to transmit Norovirus. Did not hand out the tour survey because she "thought we would lose it". Hence, we could not recall details at the end when we were all tired and on our way home. If it hadn't been for (personal details removed by Feefo) the driver, it would have been a disaster. He was outstanding, professional, informative and entertaining. Too much time allowed for shopping.
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TourToo many places were stops to break up the driving time. Small town NZ - not interesting. Trans Alpine train ride.
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ServiceOurBus was excellent with all the facts , and information he gave us. totally friendly and concerted with our comforter, and i think he should be a tour ( excellent,in all ).
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TourThe excellent care of Driver and his acknowledge of all areas.
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Would highly recommend this New Zealand tour.
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ServiceIt was extremely well organized. The hotels were very acceptable. The tour guide was excellent as well as the bus driver was extremely knowledgeable and interesting.
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TourI loved Hobbit town, Queenston and Bay of Islands.
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the organization, the itinerary, the tour guide and the
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Servicethe organization,the ittinerary,the tour guide and the driver-N.Z.expert were the best i have ever met.
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Tourthe night at OUR farm was the best night of thetour. two groups had awful and even dirty experiences and were too polite[stupid]to put it in the written critiqe.
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Excellent service by Collette
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ServiceTour Director and Driver were knowledgeable, great.
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TourReal professionals, kneww their stuff.
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will travel with Collette again
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Serviceflawless trip. Wonderful tour leader Kathy and bus driver Wayne.
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TourFast paced but lots of fun things to do. Great meals and activities. Even got to view Mt. Cook without fog or clouds.
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Exceeded our high expectations
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ServiceExcellent scenery, tour manager who made everything go smoothly, bus driver who was a font of information about New Zealand, friendly group of fellow travelers, great times!
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TourSee my previous comments above
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Very interesting to see New Zealand. Very comfortable coach, very good tour...
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ServiceVery interesting to see New Zealand. Very comfortable coach, very good tour manager, excellent driver who told us many things about New Zealand history, culture, and daily life. However this tour had three bad days! First full day- too long in the coach. Next, travel from Wellington to Christchurch- 13 hours travel on ferry and coach! Plus another long day of travel on the South Island. Despite the earthquake and road closure, I believe that with a little work by Collette at least the 13 hour travel day could have been fixed.. Also I would have preferred to have more included dinners on the tour ( with the appropriate increase).
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TourLots of highlights, but three long travel days detracted substantially, and Collette should have known better and made appropriate adjustments.
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Average service by Collette US
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ServiceNo special needed, simple booking, courteous agents, emails prompt.
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TourEnjoyed the Moira Event, Bay of Islands Cruise.
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It seemed we crossed back and forth from one coast to the other, so we seem...
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ServiceIt seemed we crossed back and forth from one coast to the other, so we seemed to arrive late to a location and up and out first thing in the morning. We never had time to explore the location we stayed at. I also believe Collette should pay more attention to the health of the guest. From day one a single lady was very sick, who passed her sickness on to everyone in the group. Our tour became very unconvertable by the end of the first week. My wife and I spent quite a bit going to the doctors. The lady who brought the virus to the group should have been isolated and encouraged to seek medical help before infecting everyone. This alone changed my opinion of the tour. I'm sure Collette would say it's not their place to confront sick guests, but at the money I spent for this experience i should have rented a car and followed the bus to avoid getting sick. The idea of a group is to mingle and get to know the others. This was the worst thing we did insuring everyone got sick. We were put on antibotics, which helped, however; when we returned home we went to emergency care. They put us on a different antibiotic (stronger) and it still took two weeks to start feeling better. I felt bitter that one person ruined what should have been a wonderful experience. She knew she was sick, and she did nothing to prevent passing it on.
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TourSee above. I don't have a memorable experience. All the food provided was over cooked and cold. The beds were uncomfortable, and most rooms seemed small.
Hello James,
Collette Support
Thank you for your feedback. This will be helpful for our product and tour manager teams to improve the tours for future guests. We thank you for your business and hope to see you on a future tour. -
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Excellent tour manager, bus driver and accommodations. I liked the small gr...
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ServiceExcellent tour manager, bus driver and accommodations. I liked the small group and our agenda each day...Any contact with Collette was positive.
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TourFarm Stay Mt Cook Dunedin Milford Sound
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Notes
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Single accommodations are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis.
This tour requires average physical activity. You should be in good health, able to climb stairs and walk reasonable distances, possibly over uneven grounds and cobblestone streets.
Due to changes in air schedules while on tour, the order of days in the itinerary may change.
Due to early arrival times in some cities, rooms may not always be ready for immediate check-in.
To complete your tour, we include roundtrip airport-to-hotel transfers when purchasing our airfare with your tour. If you have arranged for your own air, we are pleased to provide you the option of purchasing these transfers. Please note that all transfers will leave at pre-scheduled times.
Many departures of this tour can be combined back-to-back with Exploring Australia for one completely comprehensive tour of the South Pacific! Please inquire at time of booking.
Please be advised many airlines do not provide advance seat assignments until check-in at the airport. Advance seating will be subject to the airline's terms and conditions.
*Your home stay will take place in the region of Rotorua. Your host family will pick you up and return you in the morning, when you will be transferred to your hotel. If you prefer not to stay in a private home, you may choose to stay at your Rotorua hotel with dinner included. Please make your decision known at the time of booking as no changes are allowed on tour. If your preference is not made known, your stay will default to the home stay.
Previous guests have indicated that a small gift from your area is appropriate and appreciated the night of your home stay in New Zealand.
Please be aware that if your flight schedule is via Dubai or if you are stopping over in Dubai and are carrying narcotic drugs, controlled or semi-controlled drugs, then you will be required to complete an electronic form prior to entering the country, to obtain approval to carry medication. Please use the link http://www.mohap.gov.ae/en/services/Pages/361.aspx to view the guidelines. A user's guide is available to explain the application and the supporting documents required.