The Best of New Zealand

This tour has many kinds of different walks and you can choose which ones are suitable for you and your level of fitness. Most of the time there are choices and the majority of the walks are moderately rated. If you want to choose some of the more challenging walks then you will need to be used to hiking with elevation gains and losses, some of which are significant, but id you choose not to do the more difficult walks you should be fairly fit, but its not necessary to be ultra fit and besides all the walks are optional.

New Zealand is a walkers paradise and well-renowned for its walking tracks, therefore it is all very well organised and signposted. There are occasionally walks on tarmac (e.g. Cathedral Cove) and walks on dirt tracks, which are mostly Department of Conservation walks which are all very well-maintained.

Accommodation is in comfortable hotels, lodges, B&Bs and guesthouses, all with en-suite rooms. You'll get a particularly warm welcome at the family-owned B&Bs and guesthouses, and we've chosen properties with character throughout, so you get the chance to meet local hosts along the way.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

Please note that single rooms may not always be of the same standard as twin or double rooms.

Breakfast is included at most of your accommodations, either a continental or cooked spread depending on where you're staying. At a couple of stops, breakfast isn't available at the property itself, so you'll pick it up locally instead. Lunch and dinner aren't included, but both are easy to arrange, whether that's shopping for supplies, eating at local cafes and restaurants, or picking up a packed lunch from a shop on walking days.

This tour runs between mid-September and the end of May, covering New Zealand's spring, summer and autumn, when conditions are generally more favorable for walking, although weather here can change quickly at any time of year.

January and February, plus the Christmas and New Year period, are the busiest times, so if you're traveling then it's worth booking well in advance. Spring brings an abundance of flowers, summer is warm to hot (though rarely hot in the mountains), and autumn is a little quieter with lovely seasonal colors.

This tour doesn't currently state a specific daily luggage transfer service or a weight limit in the source material. Since much of the tour is self-drive, with a rental car provided for most of the journey, your luggage travels with you in the car rather than being transferred separately.

The tracks in New Zealand are generally very well waymarked and signposted, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding your way. Because we don't have detailed written route notes for every walk on this tour, using our app is especially important here.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Getting to the start
Fly into Auckland Airport, which is served by many international and domestic airlines, including Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, American Airlines, Thai Airways, Virgin Australia, Etihad and Qatar Airways. A private driver will be waiting for you just outside the sliding doors as you come through customs, holding a board with your name, and will take you to your accommodation in central Auckland.

Please note that when booking flights from the UK to New Zealand, you'll arrive two days after you set off, and on the return leg you'll arrive one day after you set off - for example, if you leave on a Tuesday you'll arrive on a Thursday, and if you leave on a Saturday on the way home you'll arrive on the Sunday. This is because of flight time combined with crossing the International Date Line. Similar principles apply when travelling from other parts of Europe, the USA and Canada, so please take this into account when booking to make sure you arrive on the correct day for the tour's start.

Getting from the end
This tour ends in Queenstown. Queenstown Airport is served by airlines including Qantas and Air New Zealand, or you can take a domestic flight to a larger airport such as Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch and fly internationally from there. On your final day, a transfer is included from your Queenstown accommodation to the airport, ready to fly home or on to your next destination.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

Since every walk on this tour is optional and you have your own rental car, if you're not up for a particular walk, or need to stop partway through, you can simply return to your car and continue on to the next stop by road.

If you'd like to use your own phone for GPS navigation and data while on the tour, it's easy to pick up a local prepaid SIM (or use an eSIM, where supported) from providers like Spark, One NZ or 2degrees on arrival. Coverage is good in towns and cities but can be patchier in remote or mountainous areas, so we'd still recommend downloading offline maps and your route tracks from our app before you set off each day.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation