- 4.9/5 364 Latest reviews
- Destination: New Zealand
- Duration: 9 Days
- Tour Type: Private & Bespoke
- Tour Style: Cuisine
About This Trip
This 9-day private trip follows New Zealand’s food and wine from north to south. You start in Auckland with a day on Waiheke Island, then move through Rotorua for a hangi, Napier for Art Deco streets and Hawke’s Bay wines, and Martinborough for Pinot Noir, before finishing in Wellington’s café and food scene.
You will taste wine from a cellar door overlooking the Hauraki Gulf, eat food cooked in an earth oven, cycle between Hawke’s Bay estates and spend a day among Wairarapa’s small producers. It is a tailor-made trip with a private driver and guide, so tastings are never paired with driving, and it suits couples and food-focused travelers who like long lunches and are fine with a few longer drives.
Summary
DAY
PLACE
HIGHLIGHTS
1 - 2
Auckland
Sky Tower views, Waiheke Island wineries and lunch
3
Rotorua
Maori cultural visit, hangi dinner, geothermal park
4 - 5
Napier
Drive via Lake Taupo, Art Deco walk, Mission Estate Winery
6
Martinborough
Drive south, Wairarapa Pinot Noir tastings
7 - 8
Wellington
Winery morning, Zest food walk, Te Papa, Cable Car
9
Wellington
Departure
Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrive in Auckland
Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel. Rest, then enjoy a first dinner with views over the city. Your guide stops by to go over the route and any dietary needs.
Highlights: Airport transfer, hotel check-in, welcome dinner
- D
- Auckland
- Day 2: Waiheke Island Wine Day
Take the ferry, about 40 minutes, to Waiheke Island, known for Bordeaux-style reds and olive oil. Visit two or three cellar doors and have a long lunch among the vines. Return by ferry in the late afternoon, with your driver waiting at the wharf.
Highlights: Ferry crossing, Waiheke cellar doors, vineyard lunch
- B , D
- Auckland
- Day 3: Auckland to Rotorua
Drive about 3 hours south to Rotorua, with a stop at a geothermal park if time allows. In the evening, join a Maori cultural experience and a hangi, a meal cooked in an earth oven. We name the host before you book.
Highlights: Drive to Rotorua, geothermal stop, cultural evening, hangi dinner
- B , D
- Rotorua
- Day 4: Rotorua to Napier
Drive about 3.5 hours via Lake Taupo to Hawke’s Bay, with lunch on the way. An optional stop at Hobbiton adds roughly 2 hours and needs a timed ticket, so tell us if you want it. You arrive in Napier in the late afternoon.
Highlights: Lake Taupo viewpoint, optional Hobbiton, Napier arrival
- B , D
- Napier
- Day 5: Napier Art Deco and Hawke’s Bay Wines
Walk Napier’s Art Deco center, rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake. In the afternoon, visit Mission Estate, often described as New Zealand’s oldest winery, and a second estate for cheese or chocolate pairings. A bike ride between vineyards is available if the weather is good.
Highlights: Art Deco walk, Mission Estate, tastings, optional cycling
- B , D
- Napier
- Day 6: Napier to Martinborough
Drive about 4.5 hours south through the Wairarapa, with a lunch stop along the way. Spend the late afternoon at one or two small Pinot Noir producers in Martinborough. The village square has restaurants and cafés within walking distance.
Highlights: Drive to Wairarapa, Pinot Noir tastings, village dinner
- B , D
- Martinborough
- Day 7: Martinborough to Wellington
Spend the morning at another winery or an olive grove, then drive about 1.5 hours over the Remutaka Hill to Wellington. The afternoon is free to explore the waterfront and a coffee roaster or two.
Highlights: Morning tastings, drive to Wellington, waterfront
- B , D
- Wellington
- Day 8: Wellington Food and Culture
Join a guided food walk through Wellington’s laneways, with stops for coffee, chocolate and local specialties. Visit Te Papa, the national museum, then ride the Cable Car up to the Botanic Garden. Optional evening visits include a sanctuary night tour, where kiwi sightings are possible but not guaranteed.
Highlights: Food walk, Te Papa, Cable Car, optional sanctuary night tour
- B
- Wellington
- Day 9: Depart from Wellington
Your driver takes you to Wellington airport, about 20-30 minutes from the city. Tell us your flight time in advance, and we can fit in a last coffee stop.
Highlights: Airport transfer, departure
- B
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