Tauranga, New Zealand

Put on your hiking boots for a vigorous trek up Mount Maunganui to the summit of Mauao, where you can relax and enjoy a bird's eye view and a light refreshment. For an additional fee, you can soak in the nearby Mt. Maunganui Hot Salt Water Pools.

Soak up Tauranga's local highlights on a narrated drive about the bay. Tour the lush orchards of Kiwi Country and shop for kiwi-related souvenirs in the marketplace at the Village Community Hall. Later, visit the historic Elms Mission Station, the oldest European heritage site in the Bay of Plenty.

Gain insight into the Maori culture with a visit to a local Ngati Ranginui Maori Marae, a real working Maori meeting place, where the local tribe regularly gathers. Watch a colorful performance of traditional dances and chants, view Maori arts and crafts, and browse the gift shop for souvenirs.

Travel into the heart of Kiwifruit Country for a fun and unique cultural encounter. Meet a Maori family, hear their stories, and enjoy their songs and dances. Walk under the green and gold kiwifruit vines. Enjoy a cup of tea and shop for gifts and souvenirs in the large retail shop.

A gravity-defying adventure awaits when you board a gondola at Skyline Rotorua and climb the slopes of Mount Ngongotaha. At the top, make your way to the luge track for a fun-filled ride in a three-wheel cart. Ideal for the entire family, you can purchase additional luge rides, refreshments and lunch.

Discover why the area is called Bay of Plenty with a tour that shows off the land's incredible abundance, productivity and people. Designed for the serious foodie, you'll learn about the area, its history, and people and get to delight in delicious samplings of some amazing local foods.

Take adventure to the max with an exhilarating whitewater rafting trip down the magnificent Kaituna River. Feel the adrenaline rush of rushing down Grade 3 rapids, gliding past beautiful forests lining the riverbank and plunging 22 feet over the world's highest commercially rafted waterfall.

Enter the world of JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth during a fascinating guided tour of the Hobbiton movie set! Stroll through the village where Bilbo Baggins lived and the quest for the ring began. Then relax with a cup of coffee and a sweet treat at the Green Dragon Inn.

Discover the Maori world of myths and legends with an exclusive Princess Cruises excursion! This award-winning cultural experience is a journey back in time where you will visit the traditional Tamaki Maori Village and watch it come it to life with tribal chants and dances, and a hangi feast.

Take to the skies for a bird's eye view of some of the region's most stunning sites. Your helicopter flight takes you over Mount Maunganui Beach, Mauao, through the Harbor entrance, and soars above the coastline over Matakana Island with stunning views of the Tauranga harbor.

Join a Maori guide and explore Te Puia Thermal Reserve, a geothermal valley of boiling mud holes, spouting geysers and mineral terraces. Tour the Maori Arts & Crafts Institute, where young apprentices learn traditional artistic skills. Watch a demonstration of sheep-farming skills and view prized sheep breeds at Agrodome.

Paddle across magnificent Lake Rotoiti by kayak with your guide and into a hidden cave full of glow worms. Then, soak up the mineral-rich waters in the Manupirua Springs hot pools. A classic lunch of sandwich, biscuit, chocolate bar and bottle of water adds to the day's fun.

Step back into the gold rush era with an excursion to Waihi and a tour of the massive Martha Gold Mine, noted as New Zealand's richest gold mine. Enjoy a ride on the Goldfields Heritage Railway. And try your hand at gold mining at the award-winning Gold Discovery Center.

Behold the rugged beauty of Mother Nature with a day exploring her otherworldly wonders. Marvel at the steaming fumeroles, erupting geysers and mud pools inside Hell's Gate. View amazing flora and fauna at Rainbow Springs Nature Park. And revel in the fun of a hangi lunch and Maori cultural performance.

Take a culture trip to Rotorua's Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village, which offers an authentic look at the Tûhourangi Ngâti Wâhiao people. Witness a traditional Maori performance, dine on hangi, New Zealand's signature dish, and learn how they use the area's natural geothermal wonders for cooking, bathing and heating.

Take a hike into the Wai-O-Tapu thermal valley where you'll be rewarded with spectacular mud pools, geysers, huge craters, colorful mineral terraces and steaming volcanic lakes. Then, enjoy lunch and a Maori performance onboard the Lakeland Queen, a stern-driven paddle vessel ideal for Lake Rotorua's shallow waters.

Explore the wonders of the region beginning with a guided trek through the astonishing Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Next, enjoy a cruise on Lake Rotomahana, the world's youngest geothermal area. Then, feast on lunch before continuing to Rainbow Springs, home to baby kiwis, trout pools, and native trees.

Join a Maori guide and explore Te Puia Thermal Reserve, a geothermal valley of boiling mud holes, spouting geysers and mineral terraces. Tour the Maori Arts & Crafts Institute, where young apprentices learn traditional artistic skills. Watch a demonstration of sheep-farming skills and view prized sheep breeds at Agrodome.

Explore the geothermal wonderland on two wheels during a fully guided bicycle tour. Visit Rotorua's natural and cultural sites and learn about the area's significance to the Maori. Pedal past mud pools, Lake Rotorua, the Maori waka (canoe), and Malfroy Geysers and pause for a snack at Rotorua Redwoods Park.

Indulge in a little well-deserved pampering during a day devoted to relaxation and luxury. Following a traditional Maori cultural performance at the Te Puia thermal Reserve, you'll travel to the Polynesian Lake Spa Retreat for a serene soak in one of the wonderful hot mineral pools.

Step into a boat inside the famous Waitomo Glow-Worm Cave and glide along an underground river in pitch darkness-you'll be rewarded with a galaxy of glow-worms lighting the way. Back in the daylight, you'll head to Otorohanga Kiwi House for a look at New Zealand's adorable national symbol.

Discover the beautiful coastline, native forest and fresh water lakes of the Bay of Plenty beginning with a stop at Maketu Beach where the first Maori canoes arrived in New Zealand. Then, embark on a cruise around Lake Rotoiti. Finally, drive to the edge of Lake Rotorua for views of Mokoia Island.

A private vehicle is the perfect solution for passengers who wish to tour on their own, or who want the flexibility of designing their own itinerary.

A private vehicle is the perfect solution for passengers who wish to tour on their own, or who want the flexibility of designing their own itinerary.

A private vehicle is the perfect solution for passengers who wish to tour on their own, or who want the flexibility of designing their own itinerary.

Whether you are a Hobbit fan or not, it's difficult not to lose yourself in the world of Middle Earth when you visit Hobbiton, a short drive after you disembark in Tauranga.

A private vehicle is the perfect solution for passengers who wish to tour on their own, or who want the flexibility of designing their own itinerary.

Whether you are a Hobbit fan or not, it's difficult not to lose yourself in the world of Middle Earth when you visit Hobbiton, a short drive after you disembark in Tauranga.

On arrival in Tauranga you will transfer to the airport for the spectacular flight over the island-studded Hauraki Gulf to the Great Barrier.

On arrival in Tauranga you will transfer to the airport for the spectacular flight over the island-studded Hauraki Gulf to the Great Barrier.