Day Trips & Excursions in North Island

Explore the Waitakere Ranges and the North Island's rugged west coast, including Black Sand Beach, during an afternoon tour with a guide who is knowledgeable about New Zealand flora and fauna. From the Arataki Centre, admire sweeping views from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Learn about Maori history, stroll the beach and take a nature walk through a lush rainforest while you experience Auckland's largest regional park.

Visit the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and the Hobbiton Movie Set on a full-day tour from Rotorua that can be customized to your interests. Choose a dry walking tour of the glowworm caves, get enjoy independent time in Waitomo, or splash through the caverns on an adventurous rafting or caving tour. Next, head to the Hobbiton Movie Set to explore hobbit holes and film sites, then sip a hobbit-themed brew at the Green Dragon Inn. This full-day tour includes pickup at selected locations in Rotorua, with drop-off in Rotorua or Auckland.

Discover the subterranean galleries and lofty chambers of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves on a 6-hour guided tour from Rotorua. Ride a boat into the Glowworm Grotto and learn about the limestone formations and their tiny inhabitants that illuminate the darkness with thousands of living lights. Round-trip hotel transport includes a scenic drive through the Mamaku Ranges and Fitzgerald Glade. Upgrade to include a boxed lunch on board.

See the untamed beauty of New Zealand's west coast on this North Island day trip from Auckland. Travel with a guide to the Waitakere Ranges, with a stop at the Arataki Visitor Centre overlook for views of the Tasman Sea out to the Pacific Ocean. Admire Maori carvings before a guided rainforest walk, then visit giant kauri trees and one of the area's magnificent black sand beaches. Picnic lunch and light refreshments are included.

Relax in the comfort of a private vehicle during a scenic countryside drive to the Waitomo Caves and Hobbiton Movie Set, two top North Island attractions. See pinpricks of shimmering light on a subterranean boat tour of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, then get a glimpse of the Hobbit holes of Bag End and other filming sites from 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies. This full-day tour includes lunch at the Shire's Rest cafe plus hotel pickup and drop-off in Hamilton.

This day trip from Auckland to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves leaves you to marvel at the shimmering light emitted by tiny glowworms inside New Zealand's famous caverns. Ride a boat through Glowworm Grotto, where your guide describes the fascinating illuminations. En route, watch the rolling farmland of Waikato pass by and see highlights of the region such as Rangiriri. Afterward, learn more at the Waitomo visitor complex and enjoy an optional picnic lunch.

Go on a Hobbiton tour from Auckland and see the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, starting with a scenic drive through New Zealand's North Island aboard a luxury coach. You'll be enthralled by the illuminated Glowworm Grotto during an underground boat ride on the Waitomo River. Then pose for photos in front of hobbit holes at the Hobbiton Movie Set, home to Bilbo Baggins from 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogies. End your tour in Rotorua or return to Auckland; picnic lunch included.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at nine 'The Lord of the Rings' locations around Wellington and learn about the filming of movies based on the popular books. On a tour of the New Zealand countryside, see re-created scenes of Middle-earth including the Hutt Valley and the Greenbelt, take a forest walk through Tolkien's Rivendell, and step into Weta Studios for a movie production tour of digital special effects. Your guide shares insider gossip on how the movies were made and takes you to a themed lunch.

Travel from Auckland to Waitomo and Rotorua on a guided day trip to the Waitomo Caves and more. Take a boat ride through cavernous chambers to view glowworms and stalactites suspended from the ceiling, and stroll past the geothermal mud pools and geysers of Rotorua at Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. See sheep mustering and shearing demonstrations at the Agrodome, a working farm, and finish at the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. You have the option to end your tour in Rotorua or return to Auckland by coach, including onboard lunch.

Experience a two-in-one day tour of Auckland's west coast black sand beaches and gannet colonies, as well as a vineyard tour. This coast is rugged and hilly, with pounding surf and winding roads. Focus on the views and the spectacular nature of the region rather than navigating the roads or worrying about who will be designated driver by joining a guided tour.

Design your own ideal day on the North Island with a full-day tour to Waitomo from Auckland. Ride a boat beneath thousands of twinkling glowworms in the famous Waitomo caves, with the option to tour the nearby Ruakuri cave also or navigate the rapids of the Black Labyrinth on a whitewater rafting adventure. "˜Lord of the Rings' devotees can add on a trip to Hobbiton to step into the fantastical movie set featuring the hobbit holes of Bilbo and Froto, the Dragon Inn, and the fan favorites. Return to Auckland in the evening, or use the tour as a transfer, ending in Rotorua.