New Zealand
14 days/13 nights: October 24-November 6, 2027
This detour may be combined with Australia. You can learn more about Australia here. Transportation and accommodations between tours are the traveler’s responsibility.
Early Pay available until April 24, 2027
Detour with Us
Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand—often translated as “Land of the Long White Cloud.” It is a place where mountains rise sharply from the sea, where geothermal earth steams and sighs, and where stories are carried not only in books, but in landscape, language, and living memory. To travel here is to move through beauty that feels both immense and intimate. It is to listen—to the wind off the Southern Alps, to the rhythms of Māori culture, to the quiet patience of fjords carved by ice. I invite you not simply to see New Zealand, but to come into relationship with it with me on this intimate journey.
highlights include
Experience Aotearoa through Māori living tradition
Cruise beneath the soaring cliffs of Milford Sound
Cross the Southern Alps aboard the TranzAlpine
Walk glacier-carved valleys on the wild West Coast
Witness the world’s smallest penguins dancing at dusk
Savor Pinot Noir in the world’s southernmost wine region
Stand where Middle-earth meets reality in Hobbiton
Explore Christchurch’s story of resilience and renewal
itinerary
“New Zealand is not a small country, but a large village.”
In Aotearoa—the Land of the Long White Cloud—story and landscape are inseparable. We journey from Auckland to Christchurch, grounding ourselves in Māori history and the enduring relationship between people and whenua, the land itself. We share meals with local hosts, shape pounamu into personal taonga, walk glacier valleys, and cruise beneath the towering cliffs of Milford Sound. Crossing the Southern Alps by rail and lingering over Central Otago wines, we travel at a human pace—curious, attentive, and open. This is New Zealand experienced not as a checklist, but as connection: layered, living, and quietly transformative.
Day 1: Arrival in Auckland
Sunday, October 24, 2027
Nau mai, haere mai—welcome! We gather in Auckland at 4:00 at our hotel before stepping out into the city together. Set between two harbors and shaped by Māori and European histories, Auckland offers a fitting introduction to Aotearoa—layered, coastal, and culturally complex. Our orientation walk through the downtown waterfront helps us find our bearings, both geographically and socially. Over dinner, we begin the real work of travel: conversation, curiosity, and the steady unfolding of community that will carry us through the days ahead.
Hotel: TBD. | Activity Level: Light | Meals: D
day 2: Layers of Auckland
Monday, October 25, 2027
We begin the day on foot, exploring central Auckland and the waterfront city shaped by two harbors and centuries of exchange. Moving through its streets offers an immediate sense of how geography has influenced settlement, trade, and identity here. A short ride on a local bus brings us to Auckland Museum, where a guided visit provides essential grounding for our journey. Here we encounter the natural forces, Māori heritage, and colonial histories that continue to shape Aotearoa today. The afternoon is intentionally open offering time to wander, revisit the harbor, explore galleries, or simply absorb the rhythm of the city at your own pace. Dinner is at leisure.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Moderate | Meals: B
day 3: Waiheke: Island of wine & Whiskey
Tuesday, October 26, 2027
This morning we ferry across the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island, a short sail that feels like a true change of pace. Known for its vineyards, olive groves, and fiercely independent spirit, Waiheke offers a more rural and coastal expression of life in Aotearoa. With a local guide, we visit both a boutique whisky distillery and a celebrated winery, learning how climate, soil, and craft shape what’s poured into the glass. After lunch, we explore a sculpture garden set into the landscape and spend time wandering Oneroa village before returning to Auckland in the early evening. The evening is yours to soak up Auckland at leisure.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Moderate | Meals: B, L
day 4: Into Middle Earth
Wednesday, October 27, 2027
We depart Auckland and travel south through the luminous green hills of the Waikato, a landscape that feels almost mythic even before we arrive. Near Matamata, we step into Hobbiton, the meticulously preserved film set of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. What began as cinema has become a modern pilgrimage site—an exploration of how story, landscape, and imagination intertwine. As we wander past round doors and garden paths, we consider why New Zealand’s terrain so convincingly became Middle-earth. After lunch on site, we continue to Rotorua, where geothermal forces and Māori heritage shape the next chapter of our journey.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Moderate | Meals: B, D
day 5: Rotorua: Fire & Story
Thursday, October 28, 2027
Rotorua sits at the meeting point of fire and story. Steam rises from the earth here, and Māori culture remains vibrantly present in daily life. Today is devoted to understanding both. We begin at Wai-O-Tapu, where mineral pools and geothermal forces reveal the restless geology beneath our feet. At Te Puia, we encounter master carvers and weavers sustaining artistic traditions across generations, alongside geysers and native wildlife. The day deepens with time spent at a local Māori homestead, sharing a meal and conversation. In the evening, we gather for a cultural performance and dinner—an opportunity to witness haka and song within their living context.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Strenuous | Meals: B, L, D
day 6: Ōamaru & Tiny Penguins
Friday, October 29, 2027
This morning we fly south to Christchurch and continue by road across the Canterbury Plains, where braided rivers wind toward the sea and the Southern Alps rise along the horizon. The scale of the South Island feels immediately different—broader, more elemental. By early evening we arrive in Ōamaru, a coastal town known for its Victorian architecture and strong sense of place. After dinner together, we head to the shoreline at dusk to witness the return of kororā, the world’s smallest penguins, as they come ashore from a day at sea. From a protected viewing area, we learn about their life cycle and conservation efforts, observing quietly and without photography.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Light | Meals: B, D
day 7: Gold, Stone, & Pinot Noir
Saturday, October 30, 2027
We begin with a heritage walk through Ōamaru, whose limestone buildings recall the prosperity of the nineteenth-century gold rush and the ambitions of a young colony finding its footing. Along the coast at Moeraki, we encounter something far older: enormous spherical boulders scattered along the beach, formed millions of years ago and shaped by tide and time. Turning inland, the landscape grows drier and more dramatic as we enter Central Otago, the world’s southernmost wine region. Over lunch and a tasting, we explore how climate, altitude, and schist soils give rise to its celebrated Pinot Noir. By early evening, we arrive in Queenstown.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Moderate | Meals: B, L
day 8: Fiordland & Milford Sound
Sunday, October 31, 2027
Today we travel deep into Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage area where scale reshapes perspective. The road itself is part of the experience—alpine passes, glacial valleys, and rainforest shifting with the light. Along the way, we pause for short walks that bring us closer to the terrain. At Milford Sound, we board a nature cruise that carries us the length of the fiord to the Tasman Sea. Waterfalls spill from sheer cliffs, peaks disappear into cloud, and seals or dolphins occasionally trace the shoreline. After lunch aboard, we return to Queenstown by coach, or—if you choose—by small plane over Fiordland’s vast, carved wilderness. Dinner is at leisure.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Moderate | Meals: B, L
day 9: Freestyle in Queenstown
Monday, November 1, 2027
Today offers time to settle more fully into the alpine landscape that surrounds Queenstown. Set along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and framed by the dramatic ridgelines of the Remarkables, the town balances natural beauty with a spirit of adventure. You might choose to board the historic steamship TSS Earnslaw, ride the gondola into the hills, or venture out by bike or boat. Or you may prefer a slower rhythm: a lakeside walk, browsing local shops and galleries, lingering over lunch, or unwinding at a spa. The day invites you to engage this remarkable setting in whatever way feels most meaningful. We’re happy to offer guidance; the experience is yours to shape.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Your Choice | Meals: B
day 10: Wānaka & West Coat Wonders
Tuesday, November 2, 2027
Departing Queenstown, we follow the lakes north to Wānaka, where mountains meet water in quiet, expansive symmetry. We pause along the lakefront before visiting with a local artist, whose work offers a contemporary reflection of place and identity in Aotearoa. Continuing along Lake Hāwea, the landscape gradually shifts—drier inland tones giving way to denser forest as we approach Haast Pass. Crossing the Southern Alps, we stop for short walks that bring us close to rivers, waterfalls, and ancient beech forest. By early evening, we arrive in Franz Josef township on the West Coast and gather for dinner together.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Light | Meals: B, D
day 11: Franz Josef & Lake Matheson
Wednesday, November 3, 2027
This morning we travel into the Franz Josef Glacier Valley, walking along forested trails carved by ice over millennia. The glacier itself, visible in the distance when weather allows, is a powerful reminder of both geological time and present-day change. Here, the landscape tells a story of movement—of advance and retreat, of forces larger than ourselves. After time in the valley, we return to town for lunch at leisure. In the afternoon, a guided walk around Lake Matheson introduces us to the intricate ecosystems of the West Coast. Native forest, birdsong, and (on a clear day) mirrored mountain reflections invite a quieter kind of attention. Dinner is at leisure.
Hotel: TBD | Activity Level: Strenuous | Meals: B
day 12: Jade & TranzAlpine Train
Thursday, November 4, 2027
Travelling north along the West Coast, we arrive in Hokitika, long known as a center for pounamu—New Zealand greenstone (jade) treasured by Māori for centuries. With master carvers, we learn about the cultural significance of pounamu and its connection to identity, ancestry, and land. Each of us polishes a pre-shaped piece to carry home as a taonga, a personal reminder of this place and its stories. After time for lunch, we board the TranzAlpine train in Greymouth. Crossing the Southern Alps by rail, we travel through river gorges, alpine passes, and wide Canterbury plains, arriving in Christchurch by evening.
Hotel: hotel something | Activity Level: Moderate | Meals: B, D
day 12: Christchurch by Design
Friday, November 5, 2027
Our final full day begins with a walking exploration of Christchurch, a city reshaped by the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 and defined today by creativity and renewal. As we move through the central city, we consider how architecture, public art, and green space tell the story of both loss and resilience. Our visit concludes at Quake City, an immersive exhibition that offers personal accounts and scientific insight into the seismic events that transformed the region. The afternoon is open to explore at your own pace. In the evening, we gather for a final dinner, reflecting on shared experiences and the friendships formed along the way.
Hotel: Hotel Something | Activity Level: Light | Meals: B
day 14: Haere Rā (Go well)
Saturday, November 6, 2027
After breakfast, our journey together comes to a close. There are no scheduled group activities today, allowing for unhurried departures or the start of onward travels. Christchurch Airport is easily reached by taxi or public transport, and car rentals are available nearby for those continuing their South Island explorations. While some international flights depart from Christchurch, many travelers connect through Auckland with a short domestic flight. As you depart, we hope you carry with you not only photographs, but a deeper understanding of Aotearoa—its landscapes, its stories, and the shared moments that shaped our time here. Haere rā—go well.
$8,295 per person double occupancy
+$1,000 single supplement
10% deposit
FAQs
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Each detour includes the price of all admissions to sights seen as a group; tours by local guides, meals as listed in the trip itinerary; accommodations each night of the detour including breakfasts; all domestic flights; all transportation required for group activities from the first hotel to the last hotel of the detour including in er-country flights (transportation for optional group activities and independent travel during the detour is not included), travel consultations and advice from our staff, guides, and vendors including suggestions, tips, and directions, and all trip leader, local guide, driver, and hotel tips. Prices do not include airfare to and from the detour, nor ground transportation to/from airports.
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Detour prices do not include international airfare or ground transportation to/from the airport.
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Each detour includes all breakfasts and about half of your lunches and dinners as indicated in the meal guide included in each itinerary: B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner.
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Yes! Our detours are the perfect way for children (and adults) to learn in action. We welcome and celebrate multi-generational travel. History class was never so fun!
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Our detour begins in Ljubljana at our first hotel, where we will meet for a welcome reception around 6 pm. Our trip ends in Lake Bled, which is a 45-minute shuttle/taxi ride to Ljubljana airport.
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While this varies by detour, we generally plan to meet between 5-6 pm at our hotel on Day 1. If you plan to arrive a day early and want to stay in our trip hotel, please make arrangements with the hotel directly, indicating that you are part of our group.
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Please plan to fly into and out of Ljubljana.
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Each trip page has a “book now” button that links to our online registration and payment system. There you can pay the 10% per person deposit and choose to pay in installments or to pay the full amount.
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Deposits are refundable for 30 days from receipt. After 30 days they are nonrefundable.
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Final payment is due 90 days prior to detour commencement but you may pau in full any time prior to this.
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Cancellations are allowed without penalty (excepting deposit) until the final payment deadline. After the final payment deadline 100% of funds paid are nonrefundable.
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Each trip page has a “book now” button that links to our online registration and payment system. There you can pay the 10% per person deposit and choose to pay in installments or to pay the full amount.
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Yes, all published prices are per person, based on double occupancy, or when available, single occupancy. Please contact us for triple occupancy pricing.
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During the registration process you will have the opportunity to request single occupancy, if it is offered. Due to the boutique nature of our hotels, we are not always able to offer single accommodations, but are happy to pair you with another single traveler.
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Yes. You must be able to carry your own luggage up at least three flights of stairs and on uneven ground for up to a quarter mile.
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Dressler Detours are physically demanding. To enjoy the experience, you must be in good walking shape. The most active days may average 5 miles of walking (often over uneven surfaces and including lots of climbing/steps), lots of standing while listening to your guide during group sightseeing, and possibly stair-climbing while carrying your own bag up to your hotel room. This detour includes boat travel as well. We’ve included an activity guide for each day of our itinerary: light=mostly sedentary, moderate=walking 1-3 miles on mostly even ground, strenuous=walking 3+ miles on hills/uneven ground.