NEW ZEALAND
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand Group Tour For Solos 30s & 40s !
New Zealand starts strong and somehow keeps escalating. Our 12-day New Zealand group tour moves from Auckland’s harbour to glowworm-lit caves in Waitomo, geothermal landscapes in Rotorua, and then down to the wide open drama of the South Island. You’ll hike alpine valleys at Mount Cook, kayak at sunset on Lake Wānaka, cruise past fjords in Milford Sound, taste your way through Central Otago wines, and soak in a lakeside sauna after a glacier walk. By the end, your legs will be stronger, your camera roll deeper, and your definition of “scenic” permanently upgraded.
Auckland + Rotorua + Aoraki / Mount Cook + Wānaka + Milford Sound + Queenstown!
Highlights
- Explore North/South Island cities of AUCKLAND and QUEENSTOWN
- TUBE through the WAITOMO CAVES beneath thousands of glowworms
- Experience a traditional MAORI welcome in ROTORUA
- TREK the Hooker Valley in MOUNT COOK (AORAKI)
- KAYAK at sunset on LAKE WĀNAKA
- Cruise past the towering FJORDS of MILFORD SOUND
- Taste local WINE in CENTRAL OTAGO’S underground barrel room
- Unwind in a lakeside sauna by LAKE HĀWEA
Included
- 12-days / 11-nights: 1 Auckland, 2 Rotorua, 1 Christchurch, 2 Aoraki/ Mount Cook Village, 2 Wānaka, 2 Te Anau, 1 Queenstown
- Accommodation in hand-picked 3 & 4-star hotels (based on sharing twin room)
- Meals – All breakfasts, 5 lunches & 5 dinners
- Airport pickups and drop-offs
- All transportation & activities within itinerary (excluding optional activities)
- 1 internal flight (Rotorua – Christchurch)
- A trip host plus various local experts
- Note – international flights not included (we will recommend best options)
Highlights
- Explore North/South Island cities of AUCKLAND and QUEENSTOWN
- TUBE through the WAITOMO CAVES beneath thousands of glowworms
- Experience a traditional MAORI welcome in ROTORUA
- TREK the Hooker Valley in MOUNT COOK (AORAKI)
- KAYAK at sunset on LAKE WĀNAKA
- Cruise past the towering FJORDS of MILFORD SOUND
- Taste local WINE in CENTRAL OTAGO’S underground barrel room
- Unwind in a lakeside SAUNA by LAKE HĀWEA
Included
- 12-days / 11-nights: 1 Auckland, 2 Rotorua, 1 Christchurch, 2 Aoraki/ Mount Cook Village, 2 Wānaka, 2 Te Anau, 1 Queenstown
- Accommodation in hand-picked 3 & 4-star hotels (based on sharing twin room)
- Meals – All breakfasts, 5 lunches & 5 dinners
- Airport pickups and drop-offs
- All transportation & activities within itinerary (excluding optional activities)
- 1 internal flight (Rotorua – Christchurch)
- A trip host plus various local experts
- Note – international flights not included (we will recommend best options)
Our Route Through New Zealand
Itinerary
Day 1
KIA ORA, AUCKLAND!
Welcome to Aotearoa (New Zealand). After landing in Auckland, your transfer driver will be waiting to take you to our hotel. Once everyone has arrived and settled in, you’ll meet your trip leader and the rest of the group, the first introductions of many over the next 12 days. Later, we head down to the Wynyard Quarter for a relaxed walk along the waterfront. With views across the harbour and boats drifting in and out, it’s an easy way to stretch your legs and start taking it all in. Afterwards, we go for a welcome dinner, simple, social, and a gentle beginning to the journey ahead.
Day 2
BLACK WATER RAFTING
We leave Auckland early and head south through Waikato’s rolling green farmland, the kind that looks suspiciously edited but isn’t. A quick café stop keeps everyone functional before we reach Waitomo, where we stretch our legs on a short loop walk through a limestone canyon, weaving through native forest and boardwalks above a fast-moving river. Then it’s time to go underground. Black water rafting through the Waitomo Caves means floating gently through dark limestone passages beneath thousands of glowworms, a natural light show that doesn’t need special effects. We continue on to Rotorua, check in, freshen up, and head out for a relaxed dinner.
Day 3
ROTORUA + FOREST HOT TUBS
Today is about people and places that feel properly rooted. Our Māori hosts guide us through forest trails to a hidden cave, sharing the histories and values that shape their connection to this land. We visit their marae for a traditional welcome and sit down over tea with kaumātua (elders). In the afternoon, we walk beneath towering podocarps and giant ferns in Whirinaki Rainforest, following the river to a waterfall (loop walk optional). The track is around 10 km / 6.2 miles, giving just enough leg work to earn the hot tubs waiting later. After the hike, we soak in tucked-away hot tubs before heading back to Rotorua.
Day 4
GEOTHERMAL + CHRISTCHURCH
We start the day at Waiotapu, where the earth behaves the way it wants. Boardwalks guide us past steaming vents, bubbling mud pools, and hot springs in colors that look slightly made up. It’s active, loud, and smells exactly how geothermal activity should. Later, we go to Rotorua Airport and fly south to Christchurch. On arrival, we meet our South Island driver and head into the city for a guided walking tour. Riverside paths, sharp street art, thoughtful rebuilds, and a few well-chosen local bites: it’s an easy introduction to a city that’s rebuilt itself with quiet confidence.
Day 5
LAKE TEKAPŌ + HOOKER VALLEY
We head across the Canterbury Plains, where the horizon stretches wide and the mountains slowly start stepping into frame. Farmland gives way to braided rivers and open sky, and by late morning the electric blue of Lake Tekapō appears. We wander the shoreline, pass the Church of the Good Shepherd, and take in water that looks unreal. By early afternoon we reach Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. After lunch, we hike the Hooker Valley Track (10.2 km / 6.3 miles), crossing swing bridges, following a glacial river, and walking straight toward New Zealand’s highest peak. It’s steady and quietly impressive.
Day 6
FREE DAY!
Today is yours to shape. Big mountains, open space, and zero pressure to “achieve” anything, unless you want to. If you’re feeling energetic, do the Sealy Tarns hike. It’s about 1,800 steps up (yes, we’ll count them for dramatic effect), or hiking up to 9.2 km / 5.7 miles, but the payoff is worth it: alpine tarns and views across glaciers and jagged peaks that make the stair climb feel like a reasonable life choice. For something next level, there’s the heli-hike on the Tasman Glacier: scenic flight plus actual time walking on ice. Or keep it simple: short walks, visitor centres, coffee with a view. Your mountain day, your rules.
Day 7
SUNSET KAYAK IN WĀNAKA
We leave the big peaks behind and travel south through Lindis Pass, where the landscape softens into wide, golden hills and long, open roads. By early afternoon we roll into Wānaka, a laid-back lakeside town with serious mountain backing vocals. After checking in, there’s time to reset: pool, short wander, or simply staring at the view pretending you live here now. Later, we head out for a sunset kayak on Lake Wānaka. Calm water, sheltered bays, mountains slowly turning gold. It’s peaceful in that “no one reaches for their phone” kind of way. We finish with a picnic dinner by the lake as evening settles in.
Day 8
ROB ROY GLACIER + LAKESIDE SAUNA
After breakfast, we drive into the Matukituki Valley: farmland first, then mountains closing in like they mean it. We hike the Rob Roy Glacier Track, one of the region’s most rewarding walks, crossing a swing bridge and winding through beech forest alongside a fast river (10 km / 6.2 miles). We climb above the tree line into alpine meadows, where the Rob Roy Glacier dominates the view. Picnic at the top, followed by taking time to enjoy the alpine setting before going back down. Later, unwind in a lakeside sauna by Lake Hāwea, with an optional cold plunge for the brave. Regret level: temporary.
Day 9
WINE TASTING + TE ANAU
We cross the Crown Range this morning: New Zealand’s highest sealed road with big views over sharp peaks and wide basins that feel far from anywhere. Dropping down, we stop in Arrowtown for a wander through its old gold-mining streets before heading to Ayrburn, a beautifully restored estate near the hills. Here, we taste Central Otago wines in The Barrel Room: underground, barrels stacked high, centred around a grand piano. After time to explore and having lunch, we continue south as the landscape turns greener and more rural. By mid-afternoon we reach Te Anau, settle in, and head out for a relaxed group dinner.
Day 10
MILFORD SOUND CRUISE
A day for driving deep into Fiordland, along a road that seems to compete with itself for best scenery. Forests thicken, valleys sharpen, and everything feels slightly more cinematic with each turn. At Milford Sound, we board a two-hour cruise beneath cliffs that rise straight from the water. Waterfalls spill from impossible heights, seals stretch out on rocks, and if we’re lucky we may even spot the rare Fiordland crested penguin. It’s vast, quiet, and humbling without trying too hard. By evening, we’re back in Te Anau with time to wander the lakefront and choose your own dinner adventure — low-key, lively, or somewhere in between.
Day 11
QUEENSTOWN ENERGY
We make our way to Queenstown, stopping en route for a relaxed brunch (because no one makes good decisions on an empty stomach!). Rolling into town, the energy shifts slightly. Mountains still dominate, but now there’s a buzz to go with them. If you’re tempted to finish strong, this is your chance. Bungy jump from the historic Kawarau Bridge or go higher at the Nevis (purely optional, mildly unhinged). Otherwise, take it at your own speed: lakeside walks, gondola views, or just a well-earned drink with a view. Tonight, we gather for a farewell dinner. Good food, solid stories, and the quiet realization that you’re where you’re supposed to be.
Day 12
HAERE RĀ, NEW ZEALAND!
Final trip day means private transfers take you to Queenstown Airport for your onward flight. No big speeches. Just hugs, swapped photos, and the shared understanding that New Zealand has a way of sticking with you: in your camera roll, your legs, and your perspective. Savor every last second of this wild and beautiful adventure. But if you’re not quite ready to leave, Queenstown makes it very easy to stay. Extra hikes, lake days, road trips to Glenorchy, long lunches with mountain views: consider this your official permission to tag on a few more days and keep the story going. Until next time!
Trip Price
We have guests join us from all over the world but predominantly from the UK, US, Canada, Europe, Australia & New Zealand. As standard we sell in both GBP and USD – however if you prefer to switch to your local currency you can do so during the checkout process.
United Kingdom
- Includes all items mentioned in “Included” above.
- Deposit = £200, to reserve your spot.
- Remaining balance due 70 days before departure.
- Private room = + £1300
- Payment plans possible – get in touch to arrange.
USA + Rest of World
- Includes all items mentioned in “Included” above.
- Deposit = $250, to reserve your spot.
- Remaining balance due 70 days before departure.
- Private room = + $1700
- Payment plans possible – get in touch to arrange
- Convert to local currency (inc CAD, EUR, AUD) during checkout.
Dates & Booking
Select your preferred departure date, currency and pay your deposit now to reserve a spot!
28 Mar – 8 Apr 2027 * (Inaugural Trip)
Notes:
*Inaugural Trip Discount: This is our first official time running this trip with a group. We put a huge amount of effort into research and planning every trip and consider ourselves experts in launching into new destinations (we’ve done this many times across multiple countries and continents with great success). However, since this is our first trip to New Zealand, we’re offering guests a special £200/$250 discount in return for you being open to any possible teething issues along the way (this discount will be subtracted from the advertised prices and you can use the discount codes listed above). It is also possible we will send an OWR photographer on this trip to help us build out our content (some of these photos may appear on our website/socials so you should be comfortable with this). If you have questions on this, please get in touch.
Hotels
We know that accommodation is important to you and it’s important to us too. We’ve therefore carefully hand-picked a selection of our favourite 3 & 4-star hotels for this itinerary. These are the hotels we typically use (please ensure you are comfortable with them before booking).
Hotel Indigo, Auckland
Regent of Rotorua, Rotorua
Sudima Hotel, Christchurch
The Hermitage Hotel, Mt Cook Village
Oakridge Resort, Wānaka
Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas, Te Anau
QT Queenstown, Queenstown
Hotel Indigo, Auckland
Regent of Rotorua, Rotorua
Sudima Hotel, Christchurch
The Hermitage Hotel, Mt Cook Village
Oakridge Resort, Wānaka
Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas, Te Anau
QT Queenstown, Queenstown
Customer Reviews
FAQs & Important Notes
Below are some of the common questions we tend to get asked – we’ve answered both in video format (general across all OWR trips) and written format (specific to this particular trip).
SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT THIS TRIP!
This is a nature-first itinerary.
New Zealand is all about landscapes, big mountains, deep valleys, lakes, rainforest, and open roads. This trip is designed to immerse you in that environment, which means plenty of time outdoors and on the move.
There will be significant road travel.
New Zealand’s scenery is spread out (that’s part of the magic), so several days include longer but scenic drives between destinations. Distances are comfortable and broken up with stops, but being prepared for time on the road is important.
Hiking & Walking Overview
This trip includes multiple hikes and longer scenic walks. A moderate level of fitness is recommended.
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Whirinaki Rainforest – up to 10 km / 6.2 miles
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Hooker Valley Track (Aoraki / Mount Cook) – 10.2 km / 6.3 miles
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Sealy Tarns (optional free-day hike) – approx. 5.8 km / 3.6 miles
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Rob Roy Glacier Track – 10 km / 6.2 miles
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Shorter option available: 5 km / 3.1 miles
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All hikes are on well-formed tracks, but terrain can include uneven surfaces, steps, swing bridges, and gradual climbs. Weather conditions can change quickly in alpine regions.
Fitness Level
You do not need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable walking up to 10 km (6+ miles) in a day and being active for several hours at a time.
FAQ video timestamps
The above video takes just under 40 minutes. If you prefer to navigate to a specific topics then you can see the timestamps below.
00:00 Intro
00:33 How It Works
03:00 Demographics
07:25 What’s the Price?
08:04 What’s Included?
10:42 Which Hotels?
12:10 Are Airport Transfers Included?
13:31 Room Sharing / Private Rooms
16:02 Booking & Cancellation Terms
20:30 “I Found the Same Tour for Cheaper”
23:37 I’m an Introvert!
24:54 Is Every Activity Mandatory?
26:02 What Happens After Booking?
27:58 Can I Bring a Friend?
30:50 Are You a Good Fit for OWR?
32:42 Where Is OWR Based?
33:31 Why Should I Choose OWR?
37:35 More Questions?
Am I a good fit for an OWR trip?
We know it’s important to you to choose the right tour company for you.
And equally, for us, it’s super important that we get the right people joining our trips (people who are likely to get the most out of it).
We’d therefore appreciate if you could please read the following page carefully before signing up: OWR Trip Style
How does it all work?
For an overview of how it all works, you can go to this page here: How It Works
Are international flights included?
No.
International flights are not included in the price of our tours. This is something you would book yourself separately.
Which airports should I fly into?
Our trip starts in Auckland and ends in Queenstown so you should fly in Auckland Airport (AKL) and out of Queenstown Airport (ZQN). You should organise your own flights accordingly.
Ideally you should arrive at the hotel by 6pm on the first day. This is when we have our welcome meeting and afterwards go for dinner/street food tour (although if you arrive later it’s fine to catch up).
You can leave at any time on the last day. There are no activities scheduled for that day.
If you need help researching flights, contact us at [email protected] or fill out the contact form on this page.
Are airport transfers included?
Yes, they are included at both the start and end of every trip.
Notes
- We only do transfers between airports and our selected hotels. No other locations.
- For those tagging on extra days, we will endeavour to include transfers up to 2 days outside of official tour dates.
Can I book a private room?
Yes.
Our standard prices are based on sharing a twin hotel room with one other person of the same gender.
However, if you prefer a private then you can select this option for £1300 / $1700 extra.
You can select this option at the time of booking.
(Note – we have limited availability of private rooms, these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis).
Can I book pre and/or post accommodation?
Yes, we can book you in for extra days at either our arrival hotel or departure hotel.
This is up to a maximum of 2 days on either side. If for longer, we suggest you book directly with the hotel.
As you book your trip spot through our website, during the checkout process you will be given the option to “add-on” the pre or post accommodation. You can also do this at a later point through our guest portal (you will have access to this after booking).
Note: We can hold rooms in Auckland for pre-accommodation until 121 days before departure. So up to this day, we can guarantee the room and rate; after that, since we would release rooms, we would need to check rates and availability on request.
I’m traveling solo, will I be the only one?
No.
Our trips are specifically designed for solo travelers so you will fit in perfectly.
Some people may bring a friend but the majority will always be traveling solo.
How do I book?
On this page you will see a “Book Now” button next to each trip departure date. Simply click this to start the checkout process and reserve your spot.
You will need to pay a £200 / $250 deposit upfront and then the remaining balance must be paid by 70 days before the trip.
If your booking is within 70 days, then you must pay the full balance at that point.
What happens after I book? (next steps)
This is what you should expect in the lead up to your trip.
- Book trip (secure your spot with a deposit)
- Book international flights (these can be booked at any point after we’ve confirmed your spot – don’t leave too late as price will go up closer to trip)
- Purchase travel insurance (this will cover for issues leading up to trip as well as during)
> 70 Days Before Trip (cancellation penalties kick-in beyond this point)
- Full balance must be paid
- OWR sends survey: requests flight information, dietary requirements, health conditions, emergency contacts etc…(must be returned within 7 days)
> 10 Days Before Trip
- OWR sends day-by-day schedule, optional activity recommendations & some final info to prepare you for trip
> 3 Days Before Trip
- WhatsApp group created with all trip attendees + Tour Leader
> Trip Start Date
- Welcome meeting is typically scheduled for 6pm on first day. This is where you will meet your Tour Leader and other guests (note – we may change this time depending on overall group arrival times. If it changes we will notify you).
Is the deposit refundable?
No, the deposit is non-refundable.
However, if you can no longer make the trip you can transfer that deposit onto any other future trip.
Do you have payment plans?
Yes.
We can either split your balance into even monthly payments, or we can set it up so you can pay any smaller amounts as and when you like.
You can go ahead and book your spot through our website as normal and then afterwards email us at [email protected] to request we set up your payment plan.
Visas, vaccinations & packing lists?
Two months before your trip you will receive a comprehensive pre-trip pack which tells you everything you need to get prepared for the trip (including info on visas, vaccinations & packing lists).
In general, most of our guests don’t need a visa to come to New Zealand, but must obtain an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before traveling.
Do you cater for special dietary requirements?
Yes.
We cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and other dietary requirements. We will always make sure there are options available to you in the restaurants we visit.
Please be aware though that there will not likely be the same range of options as you have available in your home country.
Will I get to meet other members of the group before the trip?
Yes.
3 days before the trip we will create a WhatsApp group with all the people joining the trip. This is a great opportunity to connect ahead of the trip.
Are the hotels listed on the website the actual hotels you use?
Generally yes, it will be these hotels.
From time to time we may need to change a specific hotel if for example it’s not available on those given dates. But in such situations, we will always replace with another hotel at the same quality and notify you in advance.
What’s the cancellation policy?
The £200/$250 deposit is non-refundable. However, if you need to cancel at any point, you can put this towards any future trip you book with us (in any location).
The rest of the balance is refundable up until 70 days before the trip. From that point we have to start committing funds to local suppliers and so:-
> 30-70 days before trip – 50% refund
> 0–30 days before trip – 0% refund
But, we also recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover you for any unexpected last-minute cancellation.