Every moment indoors is a missed opportunity. Sleeping should be kept to a minimum. You and your family are in New Zealand, after all. Isn't there a waterfall to swim under? Or a dramatic coastal scene to admire? This is why kayaks were invented. And basking in the South Pacific. What about bungee jumping? Okay, maybe not. But you could. There are also hot springs, geysers and mud pots to check out. And after all these activities, you know what would be perfect? A dip in the pool and a traditional Maori massage. Done and done. Enjoy New Zealand.
Days 1-2 Start your hike past giant tree ferns and hanging vines to a secret valley on the Coromandel Peninsula with our Kiwi guide | Enjoy a spectacular vista across the native bush and out to the Pacific as you climb to Pumpkin Hill | Kayak in Cathedral Cove, where sandstone formations, beaches and bright-blue waters await.
Day 3 Explore ancient customs with our longtime Maori friends at a traditional Polynesian gathering place | In the lush Karangahake Gorge, cross suspension bridges and discover an old gold-mining tunnel before cooling off under a waterfall | Visit Rotorua, where steaming lakes, boiling mud pools and soothing naturally heated baths create a living breathing landscape.
Days 4-6 Geysers, thermal springs, colorful silica terraces and percolating mud pots abound at Waiotapu | Bike along rolling pastures to the Paeroa Range's white cliffs | The Waikite Hot Pools invite a rejuvenating dip | Amble to impressive Huka Falls | If you're feeling fearless, now's your chance to bungee jump over the Waikato River.
Days 7-8 Pedal through Hawke's Bay, a wine region known for its cabernet, and stop for tastings under the shade of pines and oaks | Relax at Mangapapa Hotel, a country mansion you won't want to leave | The 360-degree views of ocean and countryside from Te Mata Peak make our last hike extra thrilling.
This trip takes your family to truly special, yet still somewhat secret spots on the North Island. This is a great vacation: you'll bike, hike and kayak your way from the Coromandel Peninsula to Hawkes Bay. There are white-sand beaches (only reachable on foot) to bask on, dense, untraveled rain forests to explore, hot springs to soak in, and even a river to bungee jump into (optional, if you're feeling brave). In my opinion, all it takes is a single visit to fall in love with New Zealand's extraordinarily varied scenery and down-to-earth, welcoming people. If you're like me, you'll find it's a destination you can't wait to come back to!- New Zealand
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception. Read the Straight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
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Settle into your private chalet at this secluded wilderness hideaway nestled among 25 acres of New Zealand bush. (pool, spa)
A sophisticated getaway on the shore of Lake Rotorua and set on an acre of immaculate mature gardens. (pool, spa)
A comfortable property with captivating vistas of Lake Taupo and the Onekeneke Thermal Valley. (pool)
Built over a century ago, a beautifully renovated country hotel with a wraparound veranda and lush gardens. (pool, spa)
There's no better way to find out about Backroads than by hearing it from the people who have traveled with us. For more about the Backroads Experience, read our Guest Testimonials.
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Comments about New Zealand Family Breakaway Multisport Adventure Tour:
This trip takes your family to truly special, yet still somewhat secret spots on the North Island. This is a great vacation: you'll bike, hike and kayak your way from the Coromandel Peninsula to Hawkes Bay. There are white-sand beaches (only reachable on foot) to bask on, dense, untraveled rain forests to explore, hot springs to soak in, and even a river to bungee jump into (optional, if you're feeling brave). In my opinion, all it takes is a single visit to fall in love with New Zealand's extraordinarily varied scenery and down-to-earth, welcoming people. If you're like me, you'll find it's a destination you can't wait to come back to!
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The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind—you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due.
Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
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AVAILABLE TO BOOKi GOING FASTi CONTACT USi PRIVATE TRIP - RESERVEDi
Interested in a Private Trip? Check out the Make It Private tab for private dates available, or call us at 800-462-2848.
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
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| Daily Route Options | |||||||||||
| Day | Activity | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | ||
| 1 | Walking/Hiking | 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2 | Biking | 13 | 700 | ||||||||
| Kayaking | on Mercury Bay (3 Hours) | ||||||||||
| 3 | Walking/Hiking | 3 | 100 | 6 | 900 | ||||||
| 4 | Biking | 17* | 1000 | 21* | 1200 | ||||||
| 5 | Walking/Hiking | 4* | 0 | ||||||||
| Rafting | on the Tongariro River (4 Hours) | ||||||||||
| 6 | Biking | 10* | 100 | 22* | 1600 | 32 | 1700 | ||||
| Biking | 13* | 200 | |||||||||
| Walking/Hiking | 3* | 0 | |||||||||
| 7 | Biking | 12 | 100 | 21 | 300 | ||||||
| Biking | 30 | 500 | |||||||||
| 8 | Walking/Hiking | 2* | 400 | ||||||||
| Walking/Hiking | 3* | 700 | |||||||||
Note: To make for the most comfortable ride to this particular trip, we've outfitted our titanium road bike with slightly wider tires. You'll appreciate this on those stretches of the route with hard-packed dirt (approximately 5% dirt and 95% paved).
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity levels and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
On the North Island, the incredible variety of New Zealand is evident everywhere, starting with the menu of activities offered each day by your three Trip Leaders and team of expert guides. Hike to waterfalls and thermal springs. Paddle your kayak among giant tree ferns. Bike through rolling vineyards in wine country, stopping to enjoy a glass and the incredible views. This is the Kiwi experience, Backroads-style – fine-tuned over 29 years to a level no one else can match.
We design and support our New Zealand trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
Most companies' trips in New Zealand are run by local operators. At Backroads we manage our own trips; we would never subcontract your precious vacation to a third party. So as you enjoy the support of your seasoned Trip Leaders, along with our expert local guides and drivers, you have the confidence of knowing we're with you every step of the way.
After 30 years of creating Backroads Multisport Adventures, our trip designers know how to blend the perfect balance of biking and hiking with other activities to showcase the best of a region. And then they arrange the seamless transitions that would be so hard to orchestrate on your own—adding dimensions to your trip that are exciting, inspiring and just plain fun.
On our New Zealand trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the road and trail—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.
Only Backroads offers active trips in New Zealand designed for families with older teens and 20-somethings. Our Family Breakaway trips are aimed at you and the amazingly grownup members of your clan—whether they're almost high school grads, already in college or further along. Find out more in this blog post.
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in New Zealand, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in New Zealand—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.
Coordinating multiple activities throughout a single day can be tricky, but with Backroads you'll never know it. When you explore New Zealand with us, you switch activities seamlessly without missing a beat. We invented the multisport concept, and we're constantly adding new dimensions and fine-tuning the experience to make it even more enjoyable.
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Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from a large selection of dates for your group of 8 or more. Call us for date availability. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or if your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you.
Click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 8 OR MORE GUESTS 16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 16 OR MORE GUESTS RESERVED
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Invite your family and friends on an adventure that's entirely your own - for your group of 8 or more. Find out more
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides amazing leaders, superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.
— Tom Hale, Founder & President
