Self-Launched New Zealand: 10 Days Across Both Islands
10 days · New Zealand
Bucket List Group Travel LLC charges £3,150
No-markup version: ~£1,255 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 10-day North + South Island run built from a coach-based group tour — same headline sights, but on public transport, Intercity/GreatSights coaches and self-booked day trips. Start in Auckland with Rotorua's geothermal parks and a Maori village evening, detour to Hobbiton and the Waitomo glowworms, then fly to Queenstown as the South Island base. Day-trip to Aoraki/Mt Cook and Milford Sound using self-bookable coach-cruise combos, cross Haast Pass to Franz Josef on the InterCity coach, and finish with the TranzAlpine train into Christchurch. Costs assume hostel or budget-motel private rooms, self-catering plus cheap eats, and pass-based transport — all figures are rough estimates for a shoulder-season solo traveller.
Day-by-day
Arrive Auckland — settle in and walk the waterfront
Auckland
Land at Auckland Airport and take the SkyBus or Airport Express into the CBD (~NZ$20 / £9, 45 mins) rather than paying for a transfer. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Britomart or Queen Street. Spend the afternoon walking the Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter, climb Mt Eden or One Tree Hill for the free city-and-harbour view, and pick up a HOP card for local buses and ferries. If you want the harbour at golden hour, the Red Boats evening cruise or the Devonport ferry (NZ$8 / £3.60 return) is a cheaper substitute for the tour's dinner cruise. Stock up on groceries at Countdown/Woolworths for the next few days.
🚌SkyBus Auckland Airport → CBD ~£9
🛏Hostel private room or budget hotel, Auckland CBD (~£40/night)
- →Wynyard Quarter & Viaduct Harbour walk
- →Mt Eden summit (free)
- →Devonport ferry round trip ~£3.60
Day trip to Rotorua: geothermal parks and Mitai Maori Village
Rotorua
Skip the tour's triple back-and-forth: rather than relocating for one night, take an early InterCity coach Auckland → Rotorua (~3.5 hrs, ~£22 one way) and do Rotorua as a long day, or better, book one night in a Rotorua hostel so you're not retracing the road. In Rotorua, walk the free Kuirau Park steaming craters, then pay into Te Puia (NZ$60 / £27) or Wai-O-Tapu (NZ$45 / £20 with shuttle) for the geysers and mud pools. Book the Mitai Maori Village evening directly (NZ$145 / £65 including hangi buffet) for the cultural performance and dinner — this is the same product the group tour uses. Return to Auckland on the 8pm-ish coach, or sleep in Rotorua.
🚌InterCity coach Auckland–Rotorua ~£22 each way
🛏Rotorua hostel/budget motel (~£35) or return to Auckland
- →Kuirau Park thermal walk (free)
- →Te Puia or Wai-O-Tapu geothermal park ~£20-27
- →Mitai Maori Village cultural evening + hangi ~£65
Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Matamata & Waitomo
Book the combined Hobbiton + Waitomo day tour from Auckland on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£135-155 including entry and coach) — this is exactly the product the operator subcontracts. You'll get the guided 2-hour Hobbiton Movie Set walk with a hobbit-hole stop, then the boat ride through the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. If you'd rather do it independently: InterCity to Matamata, shuttle to Hobbiton (NZ$120 / £54), then InterCity onward to Waitomo (NZ$65 / £29 cave entry). Evening back in Auckland. Optional swap: Rotorua's Polynesian Spa (NZ$40 / £18) if you based yourself in Rotorua instead.
🚌Combined day tour coach included (or InterCity legs ~£20)
🛏Hostel private room or budget hotel, Auckland CBD (~£40)
- →Hobbiton Movie Set guided tour
- →Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat ride
Fly to Queenstown — Lake Wakatipu and the Skyline
Queenstown
Fly Auckland → Queenstown with Jetstar or Air New Zealand (~£65-95 booked a few weeks ahead; the group tour's domestic flight is bundled, yours isn't). Take the Orbus $12 day pass or $2 Bee Card fare from the airport into town. Check into a hostel or budget lodge on or near Shotover/Ballarat Street. Afternoon: walk the lakefront, then ride the Skyline Gondola (NZ$52 / £23) and do the free Luge-free viewpoint walks or the Tiki Trail on foot instead. Evening in town — this is your best night for Queenstown's bars and food trucks, as day trips leave early.
🚌Domestic flight Auckland–Queenstown ~£70-95; Orbus airport bus ~£5
🛏Queenstown hostel private room or budget lodge (~£45)
- →Lake Wakatipu waterfront walk
- →Skyline Gondola ~£23
- →Tiki Trail hike (free)
Day trip to Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Tasman Glacier
Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
Book a Mt Cook day tour from Queenstown on GetYourGuide (~£95-120 including the 4.5-hour drive each way with stops at Lake Pukaki and the Lindis Pass, or use the InterCity Queenstown–Mt Cook coach ~£30 each way if you want to self-drive the itinerary). Choose the Glacier Explorers boat option (NZ$180 / £80) if you want to touch the Tasman Glacier lake — otherwise walk the free Tasman Glacier View track (~40 mins return) and the Hooker Valley Track if time allows. Optional stop at High Country Salmon near Twizel for cheap fresh sashimi. Back in Queenstown late — eat in.
🚌Mt Cook day tour with coach ~£100
🛏Queenstown hostel private room or budget lodge (~£45)
- →Lake Pukaki lookout stops
- →Tasman Glacier View walk
- →Hooker Valley Track (time-dependent)
- →Optional Glacier Explorers boat ~£80
Milford Sound nature cruise
Fiordland National Park
Book a Milford Sound coach-and-cruise combo from Queenstown (~£115-140 on GetYourGuide/Klook) — the same 12-hour product the tour uses, with the glass-roof coach through the Homer Tunnel and a 1h45m Nature Cruise past Mitre Peak and Stirling Falls. It's a long day (around 10 hours of bus), so bring snacks and a downloaded playlist. Cheaper independent alternative: InterCity Queenstown → Milford Sound return coach plus a separate Southern Discoveries or Jucy cruise (~£95 total), but you'll be managing the connections yourself. Pack waterproofs — Fiordland rain is the norm.
🚌Coach-and-cruise combo from Queenstown ~£125
🛏Queenstown hostel private room or budget lodge (~£45)
- →Milford Sound Nature Cruise
- →Mitre Peak & Stirling Falls viewing
- →Homer Tunnel & Eglington Valley stops
Queenstown → Franz Josef via Haast Pass
Franz Josef
Take the InterCity coach Queenstown → Franz Josef (~7-8 hrs, NZ$75 / £34) — this is the same road-day the tour runs, via Cromwell, Lake Dunstan, Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and the Haast Pass through Mt Aspiring National Park. Sit on the left for the lake views. Optional stop in Wanaka if you split the journey. Arrive Franz Josef village and check into a hostel in the village itself (Rainforest Retreat, YHA or similar) — the tour's mistake was bedding down 5 km out of town with no transport, so don't repeat it. Free walk to the Franz Josef Glacier valley viewpoint track in the evening light.
🚌InterCity coach Queenstown → Franz Josef ~£34
🛏Franz Josef village hostel private room (~£40)
- →Lake Wanaka & Lake Hawea stops
- →Haast Pass scenic drive
- →Franz Josef valley viewpoint walk (free)
Franz Josef free day — glacier, kayak or kiwi sanctuary
Franz Josef
A proper free day with options in walking distance of the village. Cheapest: the free Sentinel Rock and Peters Pool walks at the glacier terminal face, plus the Tatare Tunnels track. Worth paying for: a guided heli-hike onto the glacier (NZ$495 / £220 — pricey but the one big splurge) or the gentler Franz Josef Glacier Valley walk with a guide (NZ$75 / £34). Alternative: Lake Mapourika kayak tour (NZ$125 / £56) or the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary night tour (NZ$95 / £42) if you're staying a second night. Book direct with the operator or via GetYourGuide. In the evening, the Glacier Hot Pools (NZ$35 / £16) are a bargain.
🚌Walk or local shuttle (~£5)
🛏Franz Josef village hostel private room (~£40)
- →Glacier valley viewpoint walks (free)
- →Lake Mapourika kayak tour ~£56
- →Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary night tour ~£42
- →Glacier Hot Pools ~£16
Franz Josef to Christchurch via the TranzAlpine
Christchurch
Take an early InterCity or East West shuttle Franz Josef → Greymouth (~3 hrs, NZ$45 / £20), then board the TranzAlpine Scenic train Greymouth → Christchurch (NZ$199 / £89 standard, book on greatjourneysnz.com — sit on the right for the Waimakariri gorge and Arthur's Pass). It's a 4.5-hour run through Arthur's Pass and the Southern Alps. Arrive Christchurch, take the Metro bus or airport bus to a budget hotel or hostel near the CBD or airport (the tour uses Sudima; you can do a Christchurch hostel for £35). Evening walk along the Avon and through the Transitional Cathedral / Riverside Market area.
🚌Shuttle to Greymouth ~£20 + TranzAlpine ~£89 + local bus ~£3
🛏Christchurch hostel or budget hotel (~£40)
- →TranzAlpine scenic train
- →Arthur's Pass & Waimakariri Gorge views
- →Riverside Market & Avon River walk
Christchurch morning and departure
Christchurch
A free morning the tour leaves empty — use it. Walk the Botanic Gardens, the Canterbury Museum (free entry), and the cardboard Transitional Cathedral, or hire a bike for the flat city loop. If you're flying later, the Metro Purple Line or Airport bus runs to Christchurch Airport every 15-30 mins (~NZ$8.50 / £3.80). If you've got extra days, Kaikoura whale-watching (NZ$180 / £80) or the Banks Peninsula/Akaroa day trip are easy add-ons. Depart — or keep going down to Dunedin and Te Anau if you're extending.
🚌Metro airport bus ~£4
🛏Departure day (no night included)
- →Christchurch Botanic Gardens (free)
- →Canterbury Museum (free)
- →Transitional Cathedral & city street art walk
Self-launched vs. Bucket List Group Travel LLC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Bucket List Group Travel LLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,255 | £3,150 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,895 per person (60%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Bucket List Group Travel LLC-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,255
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched New Zealand: 10 Days Across Both Islands cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,255 per person for 10 days in New Zealand. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Bucket List Group Travel LLC?+
Yes — Bucket List Group Travel LLC charges around £3,150 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,255 — a saving of roughly £1,895 (60%) per person.
How long is the New Zealand trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through New Zealand.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, culture trip through New Zealand, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.