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New Zealand

Escorted Tours

Royal Escorted

Auckland, Rotorua, Southern Alps, Queenstown, Sydney, Melbourne, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Cairns and Dunk Island. This tour has it all!

INCLUSIONS

• 19 nights accommodation: highlights include 3 nights at the Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, 2 nights on tropical Dunk Island, stay at Sails in the Desert, Uluru (Ayers Rock), and 2 nights at Hotel Sofitel, Melbourne.
• Fully-escorted touring in New Zealand and Australia
• Friendly tour director and driver/guide at your service
• Luxury coach with panoramic windows and restroom
• Centrally located hotels and touring as specified
• 36 meals
• Free travel kit including stylish travel bag
• All hotel porterage and tipping

New Zealand Highlights:

Australian Highlights:

ITINERARY

DAY 1 Mon. Los Angeles
Board your evening flight to Auckland, New Zealand. (D)

DAY 2 Tue. In Flight
Cross the international dateline and ‘lose’ a day.

DAY 3 Wed. Auckland
You are met by your tour director on arrival in Auckland (select flights only). An early hotel check-in ensures there’s time to relax before your afternoon sightseeing tour. Tonight, get to know your fellow travelers at a Welcome Dinner, hosted by your tour director. Overnight: Auckland, Crowne Plaza. (B, D)

DAY 4 Thu. Rotorua, Traditional Feast
Take a guided boat tour of the glowworm grotto at Waitomo Caves, then to the dynamic thermal region of Rotorua, where you will be guests at a traditional hangi (feast) and Maori cultural performance. Overnight: Rotorua, Royal Lakeside Novotel, 2 nights. (B, D)

DAY 5 Fri. Country Homestay Option
Tour the Te Puia Thermal Reserve, viewing its boiling mud-pools, hot springs, and steaming geysers. See an agricultural show and sheep shearing display at the Agrodome, then continue to Rainbow Springs to view the rare flightless kiwi bird. This evening, you can choose to experience the charms of rural living with a New Zealand family. Or, choose to stay and dine at the hotel. (B, D)

DAY 6 Sat. Rotorua-Christchurch
Free time to relax before joining a flight to Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island. Overnight: Christchurch, Crowne Plaza. (B, D)

DAY 7 Sun. Southern Alps-Franz Josef
Board the TranzAlpine train for a journey through spectacular alpine scenery in the Southern Alps. Continue down the rugged West Coast, where there’s the opportunity to take a helicopter flight, landing on Franz Josef Glacier (own expense, weather-permitting). Overnight: Franz Joseph, Franz Josef Glacier Hotel, in a spectacular alpine setting. (B, D)

DAY 8 Mon. Queenstown
Witness truly magical alpine scenery as you drive over Haast Pass and on to Queenstown. This evening, cruise aboard the vintage steamer, the TSS Earnslaw, to Walter Peak Station for a special dinner. Overnight: Queenstown, Novotel Gardens, 2 nights. (B, D)

DAY 9 Tue. Milford Sound Cruise
Absorb the beauty of Fiordland National Park today on your journey through beech forests and snow-capped mountains to beautiful Milford Sound. On arrival, enjoy a guided cruise. The optional return flight to Queenstown provides a truly unforgettable aerial perspective of this untamed region (own expense, weather permitting). (B, L)

DAY 10 Wed. Queenstown-Mt Cook
This morning is at leisure before your afternoon journey to Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak. Overnight: Mount Cook National Park, The Hermitage. (B, D)

DAY 11 Thu. Fly to Sydney, Australia
Travel via Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo and Burkes Pass, then through the picturesque plains of Canterbury to Christchurch, where you board your international flight bound for Sydney, Australia. Overnight: Sydney, Shangri-La Hotel, 3 nights. (B)

DAY 12 Fri. Sydney Sights, Harbor Cruise, Sydney Opera House Tour
Enjoy breakfast with the koalas this morning. Later, see Kings Cross and Bondi Beach as you tour the city and its southern beaches. At midday, board a luncheon cruise on stunning Sydney Harbour. Enjoy a guided tour of Sydney Opera House and have the rest of the day at your leisure. (B, L)

DAY 13 Sat. At Leisure in Sydney
Relax and enjoy cosmopolitan Sydney at your own pace today. Perhaps join an optional sightseeing tour to the Hunter Valley, internationally known for its wines, or visit the stunning Blue Mountains to see the Three Sisters rock formation (all optional activites at own expense), or you might like to stroll the famous Rocks area, or discover this city’s fabulous shopping. (B)

DAY 14 Sun. Melbourne, Tramcar Dinner
A short flight brings you to Melbourne, the Garden City. On arrival, take in the highlights with a city sights tour. Experience the sights and tastes of Melbourne as you dine aboard the 1940 Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. Overnight: Melbourne, Hotel Sofitel, 2 nights. (B, D)

DAY 15 Mon. At Leisure in Melbourne
A free day to enjoy the many delights of Melbourne. You may choose to enjoy a leisurely breakfast before stepping out to explore this beautiful capital city. Stroll down to Southbank on the Yarra River to enjoy the many cafes, shops and Crown Casino complex; visit the city’s elegant shopping arcades tucked away off the main streets; catch a tram to St Kilda and enjoy a walk along the beach; take an optional tour to see the famous Penguin Parade on Phillip Island; or take an optional tour of the famous Great Ocean Road to see the magnificent Twelve Apostles (all optional activities at own expense). (B)

DAY 16 Tue. Melbourne-Alice Springs
Join your morning flight to Alice Springs. On arrival visit the base of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, see the old Telegraph Station and enjoy views of the town from Anzac Hill. Tonight, enjoy an Aussie Outback dinner and an Aboriginal performance. Overnight: Alice Springs, Crowne Plaza Hotel. (B, D)

DAY 17 Wed. Camel Farm, Ayers Rock (Uluru) Kata Tjuta (Olgas)
Try riding a camel this morning at a camel farm (own expense). Continue to Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park, where you’ll visit Kata Tjuta, 36 giant rocky domes dominating the western skyline. Dinner this evening is at your leisure. Optional Sounds of Silence Dinner (additional US $120 per person). Overnight: Ayers Rock Resort, Sails in the Desert. (B)

DAY 18 Thur. Uluru (Ayers Rock)-Cairns
Tour the base of Ayers Rock (Uluru), viewing the many caves and fascinating Aboriginal rock art. Visit the Uluru–Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre and Maruku Arts and Crafts Gallery, where you can purchase Aboriginal artifacts. This afternoon, board a flight to the city of Cairns. Overnight: Cairns, Shangri-La, The Marina. (B)

DAY 19 Fri. Dunk Island
Take a short drive to Mission Beach, where you’ll join a cruise to Dunk Island. Located in the clear blue waters of the Coral Sea, tropical Dunk Island is home for the next two nights. Afternoon is at leisure. Overnight: Dunk Island, Garden Room, 2 nights. (B, D)

DAY 20 Sat. Great Barrier Reef Cruise
You have the opportunity to swim and snorkel in the crystal waters or perhaps join the semisubmersible vessel to view colorful coral, giant clams, and schools of tropical fish. (B, L)

DAY 21 Sun. Kuranda Railway, Cairns
Back on the mainland, travel north along the scenic coastline to Kuranda. Browse the colorful Kuranda Markets. In the afternoon, step aboard the Kuranda Scenic Railway for a train ride down the range back to Cairns. Overnight: Cairns, Shangri-La, The Marina. (B, D)

DAY 22 Mon. Cairns-Los Angeles
Transfer this morning to the airport to board your morning flight to the United States, arriving in Los Angeles. (B & B, L)