Come and join us for a unique 17-day New Zealand Yoga Escape tour. We will travel through South and North islands, visit the most breathtaking natural attractions of Aotearoa, and practice yoga in beautiful unspoiled spots under supervision of a professional yoga master in a small group up to 10 people. Allow yourself to escape from a daily routine and indulge with a quality time with like-minded persons to search for your inner core and your own way.
Route: Queenstown – Manapouri - Doubtful Sound – Dunedin – Moeraki boulders – Oamaru - Clay Cliffs - Mount Cook - Tekapo - Christchurch – Kaikoura - Blenheim - Picton – Wellington – Taupo – Rotorua – Hobbiton – Waitomo - Auckland
Day 1
5 March, Tuesday
Place: Queenstown
Itinerary:
Arriving to Queenstown. Meet your private guide-driver in the airport. Transfer to a hotel.
16:00 – 18:00 Opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony will help us to foster a sense of connection, safety, and trust among participants of our tour and it is a wonderful way to set the tone for a positive and memorable experience.
Day 2
6 March, Wednesday
Place: Queenstown
Itinerary:
10:00 – 12:00 Yin yoga session
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch (own expenses).
13:00 – 15:00 Theoretical class.
15:00 – 16:30 Free time.
16:30 – 17:00 Cruise check-in.
17:00 – 21:00 For a dining experience like no other, cruise across Lake Whakatipu on the iconic steam ship TSS Earnslaw and discover Queenstown’s incomparable fine dining destination - Walter Peak High Country Farm.
Day 3
7 March, Thursday
Place: Queenstown – Doubtful Sound – Manapouri
Itinerary:
06:30 – 10:00 Driving to Manapouri.
10:00 – 10:30 Cruise check-in.
10:30 – 17:30 Doubtful Sound Scenic Cruise, lunch is included
18:00 – 19:30 Dinner (own expenses).
20:00 – 21:00 Yoga Nidra practice.
Day 4
8 March, Friday
Place: Manapouri – Dunedin
Itinerary:
09:00 – 10:00 Breakfast.
10:00 Hotel check-out.
10:00 – 10:30 Driving to a beautiful spot where we’ll have a session.
10:30 – 12:00 Morning of Self-Love: Waning Crescent Yoga Practice
12:00 – 17:00 Driving to Dunedin with multiple stops on the way and lunch (own expenses).
17:00 – 18:00 Hotel check-in.
18:00 – 19:30 Dinner.
20:00 – 21:00 Meditation.
Day 5
9 March, Saturday
Place: Dunedin
Itinerary:
09:00 – 09:40 Driving to Larnach Castle.
09:40 – 11:30 Larnach castle tour, the single New Zealand Castle with amazing history.
11:30 – 13:00 Yoga practice in a unique place - Larnach castle’s gardens.
13:00 – 13:15 Driving to Glenfalloch restaurant and gardens.
13:15 – 15:00 Lunch and relaxation in the gardens.
15:00 – 15:30 Driving to Penguin Place.
15:30 – 15:45 Tour check-in.
15:45 – 17:15 Dunedin Penguin Tour. This 90-minute tour introduces you to the conservation efforts of Penguin Place, a private conservation reserve dedicated to the survival of the rare, Yellow-Eyed Penguin.
17:15 – 18:00 Driving to the city center.
18:00 – 19:30 Dinner at the restaurant of the oldest NZ brewery – Speights (own expenses).
Day 6
10 March, Sunday
Place: Dunedin - Moeraki boulders – Oamaru - Clay Cliffs - Twizel
Itinerary:
08:30 – 09:30 Driving to Moeraki beach.
09:30 – 10:00 Taking cool Insta photos with Moeraki boulders. These enormous round rocks were once bubbles of dirt in a hot mudflow that formed into large spheres. Do not miss the opportunity to fit yourself into this other-worldly landscape!
10:00 – 11:00 Yoga practice on the beach
11:00 – 12:00 Driving to Oamaru town. Oamaru is an atmospheric place with old limestone shipping warehouses lining the waterfront, streets named after the English rivers, plus museums, workshops and cozy restaurants. It attracts tourists with its Victorian architecture, the Steampunk Museum and the Victorian Fete festival which is held annually in November.
12:00 – 13:00 Visiting Steampunk HQ Oamaru Museum (10$ entrance ticket pay directly). It is interactive and weird.
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch at a local café (own expenses).
14:30 – 17:00 Driving to Clay Cliffs
17:00 – 17:30 Walking in Clay Cliffs. The Clay Cliffs are a fragile masterpiece of New Zealand nature. Sharp but crumbling rock peaks were formed because of the glacier's movement several million years ago. They are very picturesque.
17:30 – 18:30 Driving to Twizel.
Day 7
11 March, Monday
Place: Twizel - Mount Cook - Tekapo - Christchurch
Itinerary:
07:00 – 08:00 Self-cooked breakfast in chalet. We will buy the meal ingredients in a supermarket on the eve.
08:00 – 09:00 Driving to Hooker Valley with stops near stunning Pukaki lake.
09:00 – 12:30 Hooker valley track. It's almost flat, easy, and stunning with dramatic views of Mount Cook. It's 10 km return with 3 suspended bridges.
12:30 – 14:00 Driving to Tekapo.
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch at a local café (own expenses).
15:30 – 16:30Photo shooting near The Church of Good Shepherd and The Sheepdog Memorial.
16:30 – 20:30 Driving to Christchurch.
Day 8
12 March, Tuesday
Place: Christchurch – Kaikoura - Blenheim
Itinerary:
07:30 – 09:30 Short city tour. You will see the Cathedral destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 2011, a new Cathedral, installation 185 empty chairs symbolise those who lost their lives in the earthquake on 22 February 2011, Botanic gardens.
09:30 – 12:30 Driving to Kaikoura, a small town nestled on the shore of Pacific Ocean. It's an excellent base for wildlife experiences of all kinds, but its specialty is marine encounters - whales, fur seals & dolphins reside permanently in its waters due to the deep underwater Kaikoura canyon and prevailing currents providing abundant nutrients.
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch with crayfish at Kaikoura Seafood BBQ Kiosk or The Pier restaurant (own expenses).
14:00 – 17:00 Driving to Blenheim. There is a fur seal colony on your way. You will have a chance to observe these cute creatures.
17:00 – 18:00 Hotel check-in.
18:00 – 19:30 Dinner at a local restaurant (own expenses).
Day 9
13 March, Wednesday
Place: Blenheim
Itinerary:
Full day for practices in stunning Marlborough region while we stay in a remote and spacious lodge. Revitalize Retreat: A Day of Yoga and Mindfulness.
10:00 - 12:00 "Breath Alchemy: Yoga for Deep Breathing and Energy"
13:00 - Lunch
15:00 - "Open Hearts Circle"
17:00 - "SyncMotion: The Dance of Connection"
19:00 - Dinner
Day 10
14 March, Thursday
Place: Blenheim - Picton - Wellington
Itinerary:
Transfer to North Island by a ferry in the morning. It is a 3.5 hour journey across the Cook Strait named after Captain James Cook, the first European commander to sail through it. It connects the North & South Islands in New Zealand, the Tasman Sea on the north-west and the South Pacific Ocean on the south-east.
Transfer to a hotel, check-in, and refreshment.
Guided city tour in the afternoon. You will visit The Parliament’s grounds (Beehive), Cable car, Botanic gardens, Te Papa Tongarewa museum, Mount Victoria lookout.
Day 11
15 March, Friday
Place: Wellington – Taupo
Itinerary:
08:00 – 09:00 Vinyasa Energizing Class
09:30 – 10:00 Transfer to Weta Cave and tour check-in.
10:00 – 11:30 Visit the legendary film studio Weta Cave! Get up close to the props, weapons and costumes created for The Lord of the Rings, Power Ranges, The Great Wall, Avatar, District 9, and more. See artists at work on our tour stage and peek through windows that look directly into the workshop. Hear stories from the Weta Workshop crew. Many have worked on the films themselves!
11:30 – 18:00 Driving to Taupo, Tauhara Retreat and Conference Centre with a stop for lunch on the road.
Evening yoga session
Day 12
16 March, Saturday
Place: Taupo
Itinerary:
07:30 – 08:30 Yoga session
08:30 – 09:30 Breakfast.
09:30 – 10:00 Driving to SPA park, Taupo.
10:00 – 12:00 Short easy track along Waikato River to Huka Falls. We will relax in some free hot pools on the way.
12:00 – 13:30 Try delicious fresh prawns at the restaurant of Huka Prawn Park (own expenses). You'll enjoy not only the taste but great views of Waikato River as well. When you are waiting for the meal don't miss out a chance to take the foot SPA bath outside of the restaurant space.
13:30 – 14:00 Driving to Taupo marina.
14:00 – 16:00 Cruise to Māori Rock Carvings. Take in the stunning surrounds of beautiful Lake Taupo, listen to a very informative commentary and enjoy a free coffee/tea and homemade muffin.
16:00 – 16:15 Driving to Wairakei Terraces.
16:15 – 17:00 Enjoy Mineral and Silica Enriched Thermal Pools at Wairakei Terraces.
Day 13
17 March, Sunday
Itinerary:
07:45 – 08:15 Driving from Rotorua to Wai-O-Tapu geothermal park.
08:15 – 09:45 Tour to Wai-O-Tapu geothermal park which has been named "One of the 20 Most Surreal Places on the Earth".
09:45 – 10:45 Driving to Agrodome Rotorua.
10:45 – 11:00 Tour check-in
11:00 – 12:00 The world-famous Farm Show is a must-see for any visitor.
12:00 – 12:15 Driving to Skyline Rotorua.
12:15 – 12:30 Riding the gondola to Skyline Rotorua, high on the side of Mount Ngongotaha gives you stunning panoramic views of Lake Rotorua, the town and the surrounding forest and geothermal areas.
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch at Stratosfare Restaurant
14:00 – 14:15 Going down by the gondola.
14:15 – 15:15 Visiting 3D Trick Art Gallery, the first and only 3D gallery in the country. Switch on your imagination and immerse yourself in a bottomless fantasy world.
15:15 – 16:00 Driving to Te Puia. Tour check-in
16:00 – 17:30 Guided Tour at Te Puia, an iconic destination for those wishing to immerse themselves in Māori culture and tradition and witness first-hand the power and spectacle of the geothermal forces that New Zealand is built on.
17:30 – 19:00 Dinner in Pataka Kai Restaurant.
19:00 – 19:45 Cultural Performance – traditional Maori songs and dances including the world famous Haka.
19:45 – 20:30 Hot Chocolate and Steamed Pudding at Geyser. See the world-famous Pohutu geyser unleash vapour jets up to 30 metres high.
20:30 Transfer to the hotel.
Day 14
18 March, Monday
Place: Rotorua
Itinerary:
Today we will practice yoga in the serene setting of Hamurana Springs, a sacred Māori space
Hot pools in the evening. Options are: Polynesian SPA and Secret Hot SPA (own expenses).
Day 15
19 March, Tuesday
09:20 – 10:20 Driving to Hobbiton
10:20 – 10:40 Tour check-in
10:40 – 12:40 Tour to Hobbiton. Open a door to the most famous fiery tail in the world.
12:40 – 14:10 Lunch at Shire Rest Café (own expenses).
14:10 – 15:40 Driving to Waitomo Caves.
15:40 – 16:00 Tour check-in.
16:00 – 17:00 Tour to Waitomo Glowworm Cave with boat ride on the underground river.
17:00 – 19:30 Driving to Auckland. Hotel check-in.
Day 16
20 March, Wednesday
Place: Auckland
Itinerary:
Morning in leisure.
11:00 – 12:00 Driving to Sacred Earth retreat located on fantastic Karekare beach in Western Auckland.
12:00 – 14:00 We welcome you to the Botanical Printing Workshop, a great way to create Art with a little help of Mother Nature.
14:00 – 15:00 Lunch in the retreat (included in the tour cost)
15:00 – 19:30 Closing ceremony in the retreat and on the beach
Day 17
21 March, Thursday
Place: Auckland
Itinerary:
Transfer to Auckland airport by taxi. International flight back home.
Thank you for spending these amazing days with us!
Price per person in twin/double share rooms: 7,990 NZD (4,795 EUR)
Single room surcharge 400 NZD (240 EUR)
Price includes:
1. Accommodation and meal:
1.1. 5-7 March, Queenstown, Nugget Point Resort and Spa (4*) including breakfast.
1.2. 7-8 March, Manapouri Lakeview Motor Inn (3*) without breakfast.
1.3. 8-10 March, Dunedin, The Victoria Hotel (4*) including breakfast.
1.4. 10-11 March, Twizel, Mountain Chalets Motel (3*) without breakfast.
1.5. 11-12 March, Christchurch, BreakFree on Cashel (4*) including breakfast.
1.6. 12-14 March, Blenheim, Mountainview Villa Luxury Lodge (5*), including breakfast (entire villa, swimming pool and sauna).
1.7. 14-15 March, Oaks Wellington Hotel (4*) including breakfast.
1.8. 15-17 March, Taupo, Tauhara Retreat and Conference Centre including breakfast and dinner.
1.9. 17-19 March, Rotorua, Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort (4,5*) including breakfast.
1.10. 19-21 March, Auckland Rose Park Hotel (4*) including breakfast.
2. Yoga master, guide-driver, transport:
2.1. Services of guide-driver for 16 days, including accommodation and meal
2.2. Services of yoga master for 16 days, including accommodation and meal
2.3. 12-seater Mercedes Benz van including insurance and petrol for 16 days
2.4. Ferry from Picton to Wellington
3. Activities:
3.1. All yoga practices as per the itinerary
3.2. TSS Earnslaw cruise to Walter Peak farm including BBQ dinner.
3.3. Doubtful Sound scenic cruise including cold lunch.
3.4. Larnach castle tour in Dunedin.
3.5. Penguin tour in Dunedin.
3.6. Weta Cave tour in Wellington.
3.7. Cruise to Maori Rock Carvings in Taupo.
3.8. Wairakei Terraces walk + hot pools.
3.9. Wai-O-Tapu geothermal park.
3.10. Farm show at Agrodome Rotorua.
3.11. Skyline Rotorua: gondola + buffet lunch.
3.12. 3D Trick Art Gallery.
3.13. Te Puia experience: guided tour, buffet dinner, cultural show, tea/hot chocolate near Pohutu geyser.
3.14. Hamurana Springs admission.
3.15. Hobbiton Movie Set tour.
3.16. Waitomo Glowworm Cave tour.
3.17. Sacred Earth retreat hire including lunch.
4. GST
Not included:
1. International and domestic flights
2. NZ visa
3. Insurance
4. Transfer to Auckland international airport on the 21st of March
About the yoga master
Hello, I am Ksenia - a certified specialist in Hatha yoga, pranayama, and meditation. I have been practicing for over 15 years and it has changed me for the better. I will be happy to share the magic of spiritual practices with you and become your guide!
My story
My yoga journey began almost 20 years ago when I bought my first book on yoga with the hope to heal my back. At the time I was suffering severe back pains after many years of performing in a circus. I was very determined and did my practice every day. After a year I noticed a shift in my mind and my body was free of pain. That change was delightful and I continued my sadhana at home, in different studious and in India. Only after many years of personal practice, I decided that it was time to structure my knowledge and share it with others, so in 2013 I completed my 200-hour teacher training. Since then I was teaching on and off until I finally took my passion to a full-time job three years ago. I love teaching Hatha flow with detailed alignments and freedom for self-expression. My style is about the connection of the body, the mind, and the soul. My classes include pranayama, meditation, and savasana to have this wrapped-up experience.
Booking, payment, and cancellation terms and conditions:
1. The main settlement currency is New Zealand Dollar (NZD).
2. Payment is made by the Customer in NZD/USD/EUR to the Contractor’s account in a New Zealand bank. The invoice is issued at the exchange rate on the day of issuance and must be paid by the Customer within 3 banking days.
3. The payment can be made by bank transfer or by debit/credit card (Visa or MasterCard +3% to the payable amount) or by PayPal (+4% to the payable amount).
4. To book the tour, the Customer must deposit 25% of the tour’s cost into the Contractor’s bank account.
5. When canceling a tour at the initiative of the Customer, the following penalties apply:
5.1. 30 or more days before the start of the tour - 1000 NZD + expenses actually incurred by the Contractor, if any.
5.2. 29-15 days before the start of the tour - 25% of the tour price.
5.3. 14-8 days before the start of the tour - 75% of the tour price.
5.4. 7 or less days before the start of the tour - 100% of the tour price.
6. Services paid but not claimed by tourists are non-refundable.
7. In case of the tour cancellation at the initiative of the Contractor, the Contractor returns 100% of the paid services to the Customer.
8. If an activity is cancelled during the tour due to weather conditions, the rules of a provider apply. Usually, 100% of an activity’s cost is refundable in these cases.