Expedition Down Under

  • 11 Days
  • Classic Trip

We're always ready to personalize
a tour to your unique needs

Expedition Down Under Get Started

Map & Route

Depart

Overnight Flight

2 2 Nights

Rotorua

2 2 Nights

Queenstown

3 3 Nights

Christchurch

1 1 Night

Sydney

2 2 Nights
Return
map Expedition Down Under

What's Included

Our itineraries reflect 40 years of experience in crafting exceptional educational tours. That means we know exactly how to make the best of your time abroad—incredible destinations, immersive activities, centrally located hotels, and smart, well-traveled tour managers who ensure your educational goals are met. Here are some of the exceptional features of this tour.

ACIS Guarantees

We have high standards, which is why we take care to include these features in every tour.

Round-Trip Flights

Leave the airlines to us.

3- or 4-Star Hotels

After a busy day, comfort is key.

Centrally Located Hotels

Save the commuting time, beat the morning crowds and keep right on exploring after dark when your hotel is in the heart of the city.

Daily Breakfast and Dinner (unless otherwise noted)

Delicious, authentic, multi-course dinners at local restaurants with meal times tailored to maximize your experience.

24-Hour Tour Manager

Part guide, part educator, part engineer, part mind-reader, part magician—ACIS Tour Managers are your travel partner.

Start Exploring

Never wait hours at the airport to share a transfer with other later groups.

Service Guarantee

We're so sure you're going to love your tour, we guarantee it!

Global Network

24/7 on the ground support whenever and wherever you need it.

All Local Transportation

Urban transportation is on us, allowing you to explore each destination with ease.

Exceptional Experiences

Our tours are designed to help you and your students be in the moment and experience everything the world has to offer.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

What’s that glow? Students will enjoy this guided tour of the Waitomo Cave featuring a boat ride on an underground river to view thousands of glow worms. Glowworms are unique to New Zealand and this tour is truly a unique experience. Students will be mesmerized when they see these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as our expert guides provide informative commentary on the Caves' historical and geological significance. The Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must see for any traveler.

Learn More

What’s that glow? Students will enjoy this guided tour of the Waitomo Cave featuring a boat ride on an underground river to view thousands of glow worms. Glowworms are unique to New Zealand and this tour is truly a unique experience. Students will be mesmerized when they see these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as our expert guides provide informative commentary on the Caves' historical and geological significance. The Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must see for any traveler.

Australian Bush Walkabout

Australian Bush Walkabout

Get closer to nature and wildlife as you experience firsthand what makes Australia so special. Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, koalas, dingoes, emus, kookaburras and bearded dragons galore—you’ll meet a lot of native animals during our tour. You’ll also get to touch, taste and learn a lot about the native flora with an interactive experience of bush medicine. Have a cold or headache? You will taste different types of bush nectar and discover which native Australian plants can be used to cure common ailments. Learn how to repel insects using sap from a plant and more. Your ranger will also take you for a short walk to visit the ancient Aboriginal sites of the Darkinjung people who once hunted and lived in the area. You will be taken back to the Dreamtime with stories of their culture and lifestyle.

Learn More

Get closer to nature and wildlife as you experience firsthand what makes Australia so special. Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, koalas, dingoes, emus, kookaburras and bearded dragons galore—you’ll meet a lot of native animals during our tour. You’ll also get to touch, taste and learn a lot about the native flora with an interactive experience of bush medicine. Have a cold or headache? You will taste different types of bush nectar and discover which native Australian plants can be used to cure common ailments. Learn how to repel insects using sap from a plant and more. Your ranger will also take you for a short walk to visit the ancient Aboriginal sites of the Darkinjung people who once hunted and lived in the area. You will be taken back to the Dreamtime with stories of their culture and lifestyle.

Rainbow Springs

Rainbow Springs

Lake Rotomahana Boat Ride

Lake Rotomahana Boat Ride

Tamaki Maori Village

Tamaki Maori Village

Arrowtown

Arrowtown

Lakes District Museum

Lakes District Museum

Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park

Cruise on Milford Sound

Cruise on Milford Sound

Safari of the Rings

Safari of the Rings

Mount Cook

Mount Cook

Christchurch-Sydney Flight

Christchurch-Sydney Flight

Sydney Harbour Cruise

Sydney Harbour Cruise

Sydney Tower Revolving Restaurant

Sydney Tower Revolving Restaurant

Video

Travel Changes Lives

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Itinerary

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: Overnight Flight

Cross the International Dateline.

Day 3: Rotorua

Arrive in New Zealand and meet your ACIS Tour Manager. On the way to the hotel in Rotorua, drive to Waitomo, for an adventure through the Glowworm Caves, which are lit by thousands of glowworms. The journey continues to Rotorua, the heartland of Maori culture.

Day 4: Rotorua

This morning depart for local sightseeing of this popular tourist town. Visit the National Kiwi Hatchery Your visit here will showcase how Kiwi recovery programmes are playing their part to bring this treasured icon back from the brink of extinction on the New Zealand mainland. Waimangu Valley is the next stop on your journey. After a picnic lunch and a Lake Rotomahana boat cruise, visit Tamaki Maori Village and indulge in a traditional feast.

Day 5: Queenstown

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a flight to Queenstown, nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Then board your coach for a tour of Queenstown, which includes a visit to Arrowtown and the Lakes District Museum. A gondola takes you to the Skyline Restaurant for dinner today.

Day 6: Queenstown

Today head to Fiordland National Park, through Hollyford Valley and into Milford Sound. Experience the fiord in the best way—from the water—with a scenic cruise featuring spectacular views of Mitre Peak and Stirling Falls. Then return to Queenstown.

Day 7: Queenstown

A 4-wheel drive vehicle picks you up this morning for your Safari of the Rings tour. The safari brings you to the heart of New Zealand's high country and gives you a spectacular look at the diverse scenery of the area, where much of The Lord of the Rings was filmed.

Day 8: Christchurch

Your journey continues today along the inland route through New Zealand's beautiful hill country to Mount Cook, the highest mountain in the country. You'll continue along the coast of Lake Tekapo and across the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch.

Day 9: Sydney

This morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Sydney. A Sydney Harbor Cruise aboard a luxurious ship will allow you to view the magnificent sights of the harbor. Enjoy a visit to Sydney Tower, where you will be treated to dinner and the 360-degree views of Sydney and the harbor from the revolving restaurant.

Day 10: Sydney

After a free morning to explore more of Sydney's treasures at your own pace, head on an Australian Bush Walkabout Tour for an interactive experience of bush tucker, bush medicine, friendly native animals and ancient Aboriginal sites. After an Australian BBQ dinner and bonfire, take a walk to meet Australia’s fascinating nocturnal creatures

Day 11: Departure

Depart for the USA.



Optional Extensions and Extra Nights:

Enhance your Aussie experience with a three-night extension to coastal Cairns—explore the nearby Great Barrier Reef and relax in breathtaking natural surroundings.

Price This Tour

Price This Tour

Due to the unique nature of this destination, please contact us for a custom price quote for this trip.

Optional Extras

Ultimate-Plus Protection Plan

Most Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $550

Add to Tour

Ultimate Protection Plan

Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $385

Add to Tour

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