On a scale of 1 (slowest pace) to 5 (fastest pace), we've rated the following factors: number of 1-night hotels; driving miles per day; fullness of schedule; mid-tour airline flights; high elevation setting; and average amount of walking per day.
Walk Challenge3 of 5 ?
Walk Challenge
This number represents an average walk difficulty rating for the tour using a scale of 1 (easiest) to 5 (hardest).
Waiheke Island's coastal vineyards, Rotorua's steaming geothermal valleys, the Southern Alps rising sharp against blue sky, the deep stillness of Doubtful Sound — New Zealand packs an entire continent's worth of landscapes into two islands. This walking adventure covers both North and South Islands, with trails that move from subtropical coastline to alpine passes to fjordland waterways in the span of a few days.
📄Want the full picture? Download our brochure with the complete day-by-day itinerary, pricing, and trip details.
📋
Take this itinerary with you.
Download the full brochure with day-by-day details, pricing, and what's included.
What's Included
Included
All land travel by motorcoach
2-4 star hotel accommodations
1 night Fiordland Navigator cruise
11 breakfasts and 5 dinners
internal flight Rotorua–Christchurch
all listed walks
Lake Manapouri cruise
Doubtful Sound overnight
WAI guide service throughout
all tipping for local guides and drivers
Not Included
International airfare to/from Auckland and Queenstown
optional Auckland pre-tour
optional Waiheke Island excursion ($224)
optional Underworld Glowworm Cave ($99–$160)
optional Skyline Gondola ($119)
optional Million Dollar Cruise ($60)
optional Shotover Jet ($136)
lunches
travel insurance
personal expenses
New Zealand Is Currently Sold Out
Use the waitlist form in the sidebar to be notified if a spot opens up.
Make your adventure even richer with these optional additions. Pre-nights and activities can be added at any time — before booking, during registration, or later via your trip advisor.
Single Supplement
Single room supplement for the main tour.
$1,875
Available to add during registration or by calling 360.260.9393.
Before You Book
Start by browsing our tour calendar and finding the adventure that fits your interests, dates, and walking level. There are two ways to secure your spot. You can pre-register for $200 per person to express interest before full details are released — pre-registered travelers receive a Priority Booking Invitation with one week to register before remaining space opens to the general public. Full registration requires a non-refundable $500 deposit ($200 pre-registration + $300 additional, or $500 if registering directly). Final payment is due 90 days before departure and can be made online or mailed by check for a 1% discount. Final payment is non-refundable and non-transferable. You'll receive reminders before each deadline. About 2-3 weeks before departure, you'll receive a final email packet with hotel names, contact information, a list of fellow travelers, and a detailed daily schedule. All registrations are subject to our General Terms & Conditions. Questions? Call us at 360.260.9393 or email hello@walkingadventures.fun.
Airfare is generally not included in the tour price. The starting point for each tour is the arrival airport or first hotel. We recommend booking your own flights so you can use your preferred airline, frequent flyer miles, or travel credit. When air travel is necessary within an itinerary (such as inter-island flights in the Azores), it is usually included in the tour price. We recommend contacting Laura Pfahler, the travel agent we work with, to help book your flight arrangements. Detailed arrival and departure airport information is provided on each tour page and in your registration materials.
Once paid, your registration deposit is non-refundable. Final payment is due before departure — your tour page has the specific dates — and is non-refundable after the due date. We'll send you a reminder a week or two before each deadline so nothing sneaks up on you. If a tour doesn't reach the minimum number of participants needed to run, WAI may cancel the departure — and if that happens, you'll receive a full refund of everything you've paid. It's rare, but we want you to know where you stand. See our General Tour Conditions for complete cancellation and refund details.
WAI believes strongly in the importance of travel insurance for financial and medical protection from unforeseen circumstances before departure or during your adventure. We recommend a policy covering trip cancellation, medical evacuation, and emergency medical expenses. Be aware that some policies contain time-sensitive provisions — benefits like coverage of pre-existing conditions may only be available if the policy is purchased within a certain number of days of booking. Airfare is generally not covered by tour travel insurance. Using SquareMouth.com is a good way to compare pricing. Other options include Allianz, Travel Guard, and Travel Insured International. WAI bears no responsibility for travel insurance benefits advertised by credit card companies — verify coverage types and limits before relying on them.
Every WAI walk uses a two-part rating: a number (1–3) for incline and a letter (A–C) for terrain. Here’s what they look like:
1 — Gentle (gain < 200 ft)
2 — Moderate (gain 200–1,000 ft)
3 — Steep (gain 1,000–2,000 ft)
🏙️ PavedA — Paved (almost entirely on pavement)
🥾 TrailsB — Trails (well-groomed trails, few obstacles)
⛰️ RuggedC — Rugged (rocky, rooted paths, or soft sand)
Quick Reference
🏙️ Paved
🥾 Trails
⛰️ Rugged
Gentle
🏙️ Paved
🥾 Trails
⛰️ Rugged
Moderate
🏙️ Paved
🥾 Trails
⛰️ Rugged
Steep
🏙️ Paved
🥾 Trails
⛰️ Rugged
Each tour page also has a Tour Pace rating (1–5) and a Walk Challenge rating (1–5) that summarize the overall difficulty. Use these to compare tours at a glance — then check the day-by-day itinerary for the full picture.
You'll receive a detailed packing list and final email packet about 2-3 weeks before departure, including hotel names, contact information, a list of fellow travelers, and a more detailed daily schedule. Key items for every WAI tour: well broken-in walking shoes (not new ones), layers for variable weather, a lightweight waterproof rain jacket, a small daypack for daily walks, sunscreen, and a hat. For international tours, check your tour page for destination-specific recommendations. Comfortable, modest clothing works for most group dinners — WAI tours are relaxed, not formal.
Most days begin with a group breakfast, followed by a morning walk or cultural visit. Midday includes a lunch stop — sometimes included, sometimes on your own at a local restaurant. Afternoons blend walking with sightseeing, and evenings are usually free with periodic group dinners. You'll never feel rushed, and there's always time to rest, explore on your own, or sit in a café and watch the world go by. Your guides will share a detailed daily schedule before the trip so you'll know exactly what to expect.
You don't need to be an athlete. WAI tours range from gentle strolls through city streets to more adventurous walks on hills and trails — and most walking days offer a shorter or easier alternative so you can choose your level. If you enjoy walking regularly and can handle a couple of miles at a comfortable pace, you'll find tours that fit. More experienced walkers will find plenty to challenge them too. The best preparation is to walk regularly in the weeks before your trip, gradually building up distance. Every tour page shows walk-by-walk ratings so you can see exactly what's involved — and if you're unsure, give us a call. We love helping people find the right fit.
WAI groups are small by design — every group is kept intentionally small so you're never just a face in the crowd. Two WAI guides accompany every trip (plus local national guides on international tours), which means more personal attention, better access to local experiences, and the kind of camaraderie that turns fellow travelers into lasting friends. Check your tour page for specific group size details.
Absolutely — and you won't be alone for long. Many of our travelers come solo and quickly find themselves part of the group. We offer a roommate matching service at no extra charge, or you can book a single room for a supplement (amount varies by tour). Solo travelers consistently tell us that the community feel of a WAI trip is one of the best parts.
Meal inclusions vary by tour — check your specific tour page for details. Most tours include daily breakfast, several group dinners, and select lunches. On free-meal days, your guides will recommend local restaurants that match the group's tastes and budget. Group dinners are a highlight — they're often at locally owned restaurants where the food tells a story about the place you're visiting.
With help from local experts and walking guides, Classic Curated itineraries are crafted with extensive on-site planning by WAI tour planners. Our objective is to capture the essence of a destination by weaving together its culture, history, natural beauty, and culinary traditions into a walking-centric adventure. Think of it as a fully planned trip where each day is thoughtfully designed — not a self-guided hike, not a resort stay, but an immersive journey with a small group led by experienced WAI guides.
After you register, we'll send you an Adventure Advice email with everything you need to plan your trip — recommended flights, arrival airports, timing tips, and important steps to take before departure. One big thing: please don't buy your flights until you've seen this email. It'll save you headaches and help you find the best options. Closer to departure, you'll get a final packet with hotel details, a list of your fellow travelers, and a day-by-day schedule.
If a tour departure doesn't reach the minimum enrollment needed to run, WAI reserves the right to cancel it. If that happens, registered participants receive a 100% refund of all payments made to WAI. Most tours reach minimum enrollment well in advance, and cancellations are rare — but we want you to know we stand behind our commitment if it ever happens. In cases where supplier non-refundable deposits limit what WAI can recover, we'll do our best to apply unrecovered amounts as credit toward a future tour.
Our approach to wellness on tour encourages travelers to: focus on health before the tour so you start healthy; pace yourself while on tour, as travel is inherently stimulating and can mask energy drain; stay hydrated and rested, especially on long-haul travel days and at altitude; and speak up if you're not feeling well — our guides are trained to help and would rather know early. We travel in small groups where everyone looks out for each other, and our guides carry first aid supplies and know local medical resources at every stop. Read our full Wellness on Tour Policy for details.
New Zealand Is Sold Out
Join the waitlist using the form above — we’ll reach out if a spot opens up.
