It's worth booking this trip just for the amazing accommodations!
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We’ll be staying in a an awesome boutique hotel in the heart of the Christchurch, “glamping” tents on a traditional farm, beautiful hotel rooms in the rainforest, and apartment style hotels steps away from the center of Queensland-- the adventure capital of New Zealand.

Solo travelers are paired with someone of the same gender (unless otherwise specified). You can also request a friend to be your roommate upon checkout.
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If you'd prefer not to have a roommate, private room options are available upon request, subject to hotel availability for an extra charge. Please contact bookings@under30experiences.com for more details.

Get ready for an experience you won't forget! You'll be staying on a traditional farm in large canvas tents that are already set up for you.

Each tent will have 2 twin beds. There will be a shared bathroom and shower in a common area.  

There will also be a "common lounge" area where you'll be able to charge your phones, connect to wifi, and hang with the group.

Famously known as one of the most scenic train rides on the planet, you'll marvel at stunning nature covering 139 miles.

The trip is under 5 hours and on a modern train with all the amenities you need!

We’ve included many activities in the price of the trip giving you plenty to do. However, we pride ourselves in helping you make the trip perfect for you. Therefore, we’ve sought out the best activities and vendors to help you have the experience you want. And don’t worry, your trip leader can help set up any of the following optional activities for you so you can sit back and enjoy your trip.

This trip has especially amazing optional activities where you're guaranteed to knock some things off your bucket list.

Prices are listed in USD, but will need to be paid in New Zealand Dollars:

FRANZ JOSEF

-Relax in glacier hot pools nestled in the lush rainforest: $18

-Helicopter ride + 3 hour hike through the most spectacular glaciers (Heli-Hike): $300
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-Walk the Tatare Tunnels -Walk through old mining tunnels and see the famous New Zealand glow worms that live within the tunnels: INCLUDED!

-Rainforest Trekking - Franz Josef is home to a beautiful rainforest with tons of hiking paths to explore: INCLUDED!

WANAKA

-Skydiving over the Southern Alps from 12,000 ft: $230

-Learn To Fly a plane over mind blowing scenery (30 mins): $150

-Climb up behind the famous Via Ferrata Waterfall: $160

-Hike Roy’s Peak - Breathtaking views over Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring: INCLUDED!

-Visit Wanaka’s Fine Art Gallery - Home to authentic local Art and unique works: INCLUDED!

QUEENSTOWN

-Nevis Bungy Jump - Bungy jump from New Zealand’s highest & most popular location: $185

-Nevis Catapult - one of the most extreme rides you can imagine: over 60mph, over 3G of force, 150 meters in 1.5 seconds flat!: $170

-Canyon Swing - jump off a cliff and swing into a canyon!: $145

-Milford Sound Day Trip: $85

-Doubtful Sound Day Trip: $130

-Skippers Canyon JetBoat Tour - Take a jet-boat ride to visit Lord of The Rings filming locations: $100

-Gondola + 3 Luge rides: $35

-Play Disc Golf in the Queenstown Gardens - challenge some friendly locals to a game in a popular disc golf locale: INCLUDED!

-Picnic at Lake Hayes - Located about 15 minutes away from Queenstown, Lake Hayes offers beautiful views and walking paths away from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown: INCLUDED!

-Queenstown Hill - Hike through a pine forest to reach epic views of The Remarkables, Cecil Peak, Lake Wakatipu and the Kawarau River: INCLUDED!

*Prices are approximate and subject to change

The official languages of New Zealand are New Zealand English and Māori, but the main spoken language is English.

This trip is listed as Moderate activity level for included activities. Participating in certain optional activities may make it more strenuous.

Some travelers will find the hills on the hikes challenging, while more athletic people will not find them particularly difficult.

Weather conditions like heat, humidity, and rain can change trail conditions and the intensity of the activity.

If you work at a desk all day, expect to do a lot more physical activity than normal.  Our Trip Leaders are great at challenging you while keeping you safe and waiting for hikers who like to take their time.

ALL breakfasts and most dinners are included.

We don’t include lunches to give you the freedom to choose at least one meal every day. (Average price of a lunch is USD$10-$20.)

We recommend bringing around $300 in cash in the local currency (for just in case purposes). Most places will accept credit card, but it's always a good idea to have some cash on hand.

Add to that the cost of any optional activities you’ll want to participate in. Only you know your spending habits!

Sample Breakfast Menu:

• Eggs benedict, bacon, fresh muesli, yogurt, hashbrowns, toast

Sample Lunch Menu:

• New Zealand steak & cheese pie, mince & cheese pie, salad rolls, sandwiches, salads

Sample Dinner Menu:

• Burgers, pizza, BBQ, steak, lamb, chicken, rice

We do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions. Most meals can be modified for special requests and food allergies.

If you want to!

In Queenstown you’ll have an opportunity to participate in some optional day tours that will take you to several different Lord of the Rings filming locations.

However, the movie sets have been removed, so you’ll have to use your imagination to recreate the scenes!

New Zealand is on “New Zealand Standard Time” or (UTC + 12).

This means that it is:
-16 hours ahead of New York
-17 hours ahead of Austin
-19 hours ahead of Los Angeles

So when it’s 10:00 AM on Saturday in New Zealand, it’s 6:00 PM on Friday in New York, 5:00 PM Friday in Austin, and 3:00 PM Friday in Los Angeles.

When you’re out there, you’ll be living in tomorrowland. Literally!

Nope!

If you’re coming from the US, or any of these countries, you don’t need a visa for a stay of fewer than 3 months.

If you’re from the UK or Australia, you don’t need a visa for a stay of up to 6 months.

Private, included transportation will take you to and from the airport, to and from your accommodations, around the country, and to and from our different included activities.

Your passenger train ticket on the famous TransAlpine Train Journey will also be included.

Temperatures in New Zealand are generally mild with moderate rainfall and plenty of sunshine.

During the summer months of December-February the average high is 72°F (22°C) and the average low is 50°F (10)°C on the South Island.

During the autumn months of March-May the average high is 65°F (18°C) and the average low is 46°F (7°C) on the South Island.

We will be visiting New Zealand’s west coast rainforests and, as the name implies, expect to see some rain during those days.

We recommend packing in a duffel, backpack, or suitcase that is easy for you to personally carry from place to place, on different modes of transportation, up and down stairs if necessary. Pack as light as possible!!

You'll also want a daypack for your personal gear, food, and drinks for the day.
The size of the daypack depends on how much stuff you want to take with you every day.

Approximate flight times:

-New York - Christchurch: 24h+ (including 2+ layovers)
-Chicago - Christchurch: 18h+ (including 1+ layovers)
-Los Angeles - Christchurch: 15h+ (including 1+ layovers)

*Most flights from the east coast connect in Los Angeles or San Francisco so it might be a good idea to check different airlines.

*On flights from the west coast, expect a layover in Auckland, New Zealand as there aren’t direct flights to Christchurch

*These times are approximate, and it should be noted that travel times will vary depending on layovers.

***When booking your flights, make sure you double-check the arrival date. Since New Zealand is ahead of us, you will need to leave 2 (YES TWO!) days ahead of your desired arrival date. So if your trip starts on Feb 22, you’ll need to leave the US on Feb 20. But don’t worry too much about losing a day: when you go home you’ll be traveling back in time so you’ll make up for your missed day!

As our most premier trip yet, we've included so many activities (more than 20) while still giving you the opportunity to check off items from your #bucketlist.

It’s also double the length of most of our trips and there are 9 breakfasts and 6 dinners included, plus all of your accommodations and transportation.

Each trip also has a local New Zealand adventure guide AND an Under30Experiences Trip Leader to make sure everyone’s needs are met.

While some companies put you up in hostels and bunk beds, we’re making sure you’re comfortable. We'll be staying in beautiful hotels in the rainforest, glamping in tents on a gorgeous farm, and sleeping in comfortable apartments steps away from the center of Queenstown, one of New Zealand’s most popular and beautiful cities.

Yes bring it! A lightweight puffy jacket won’t take up that much space.

Although it gets hot in February, March, and April, it snowed in March of 2018 and that’s supposedly the end of summer!

Be prepared for anything!

If you are looking to relax on your trip without exerting yourself too much, we have a number of trips that are good picks. Trips marked as "Light" activity level are:

• Spain
• Prague, Vienna, Budapest
• South Korea
• India

Remember, all activities on our trips are optional, so if you feel like doing something less strenuous one day, our Trip Leader can help provide alternative options. If you have concerns about your ability to participate in any activities on a trip, please let us know at bookings@under30experiences.com, and we'd be happy to accommodate.

There will be laundry available in Queenstown.

Yes! When travelers take advantage of our “Switch Your Trip” program last minute slots open up on sold out trips. Visit our Trips On Sale page for the latest last-minute deals.

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Feel free to reach out to our all-star customer service team at info@under30experiences.com or by calling 1 (888) 839-2086.