Close your eyes and picture your family on a dream holiday to New Zealand. Are you swimming with the world’s smallest dolphin? Building sandcastles on Awaroa beach? Cycling from mountains to oceans? Wandering through ancient rainforests? Listening to the Maori people's stories passed down from generation to generation? Watching in awe as your kids have a close encounter with a Kiwi? The possibilities are limitless.
Planning a family trip to the other side of the world is time-consuming, and your time is precious. Let us do the work for you so that you can spend more quality time with your kids and yourself! A well-organised holiday, designed by locals, means that you'll avoid making common travel mistakes and get the most out of your time Down Under. Are you ready to conquer one of the safest and most beautiful countries in the world? Let’s put your dreams on paper.
"After living in New Zealand for four years, one of the things that really stuck with me was the close relationship many New Zealanders have with the outdoors. I enjoy providing travellers with an authentic experience of the unique culture and varied landscapes on offer. I take pride in building you a bespoke itinerary and look forward to helping you make the most of your time in this fantastic country!"
Contact KieranWhether you have young children who love the outdoors, teenagers who crave adventure and new experiences, or grandma and grandpa coming along for the ride. Time together in New Zealand will create new stories that you'll be talking about for years to come. A trip of a lifetime that represents who you are as a family.
Stay at small-scale accommodations with the perfect blend of space that everyone needs while still being able to bond as a family. Soak up the Kiwi hospitality and meet the friendly local hosts who are happy to help with anything. Short drives and mapped-out routes will ensure that you are travelling at a relaxed pace. While your kids enjoy new and fascinating experiences along the way.
Do you need a pram? A car seat? Easy to access cooking facilities? Consider it taken care of. We'll take the time to get to know you to match your fully bespoke holiday with your family's pace, interests, and anything desired. Combining the small details with first-hand local knowledge, you'll receive a mapped out itinerary from us - but the process isn't done until you are 100% satisfied.
This means you can focus on relaxing, rejuvenating and reconnecting with your family and the world around you. Get in touch to get started now.
"At TravelEssence, we don’t just plan your dream family holiday to New Zealand. We are with you every step of the way, from the moment you leave your front door to the moment you arrive home a changed person. We take care of every detail so you can focus on having the journey of a lifetime.”
Andrew Morten, Founder and New Zealander
Experience the Kiwi lifestyle with your family in rare and beautiful places. Enjoy undisturbed nature and discover wildlife at your doorstep. Whether you prefer a farm stay in the Southern Alps or the beach as your backyard, experience hand-selected accommodations that allow you to absorb the local lifestyle.
Staying at small-scale accommodations with local hosts and renowned Kiwi hospitality is the greatest way to see New Zealand. Whether you need a kitchen for preparing home-cooked meals, a baby bed or an extra bathroom for your teenagers. Your travel specialist will ensure that your needs are catered for so that you can spend more time enjoying your holiday.
We have approximately 2000 small-scale suppliers and are in direct contact with each of them. We continue to build strong relationships and because we pay them before you arrive, we have also built trust. We are frequently visiting New Zealand to catch up with our suppliers and also to continue to discover unique small-scale accommodations and activities around the country.
Booking carefully selected, authentically local activities and experiences will engage your children’s curiosity and spark their love for travel. After all, immersing them in a culture different from their own is the best learning experience there is. With the diversity of New Zealand, you can see and do just about anything your family desires. Let us know what excites you and discover the best Kiwi activities for some fun-filled days.
Spot the rare yellow-eyed penguin on the Caitlin Coast of South Island. Cycle along an old railway line, through tunnels and over bridges between Dunedin and Central Otago. Learn about the Maori people. Go whale-watching in Kaikoura. Kayak through Fiordland National Park. Your options are endless, with child-friendly private or small-group local activities, ranging from easy-going to adventurous.
New Zealand is a great place and a beautifully diverse country perfect for travel year-round. Are you looking to relax on the beach? Explore the cities? Discover the wilderness? The options are endless. We understand that with school-age children you’re more likely to travel during the UK summer months. This is during the New Zealand winter which is a great time because you'll feel like you get the whole country to yourself.
Your travel specialist will get a sense of your family’s interests and make personal recommendations on the best places to go and the best travel time. We recommend booking about 9-12 months in advance. This ensures that you will secure the best accommodations for the best prices at the time you would like to visit. However, if you'd like to embark on your journey sooner we can still make it happen.
You could spend months travelling the ever-changing landscape of New Zealand and not see the same place twice. For your holiday, the question becomes, "How long do we have together?" We highly recommend travelling slower as a family - stay in each place for two to five nights, drive less, and explore more. No need to rush from highlight to highlight with tired, unhappy kids at the end of the day.
To truly experience the essence of New Zealand, a minimum of five weeks would be ideal. However, if you have slightly less time, your travel specialist can help you choose the best regions that suit your wishes.
A British passport entitles you to no less than a six-month stay in New Zealand. This allows you plenty of time to discover all the hidden gems and take it easy to experience the real New Zealand lifestyle.
With every turn of the road, New Zealand’s landscape changes. A dramatic array of scenery that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. From coastal roads to panoramic rainforest passes, and awe-inspiring mountainous landscapes - New Zealand is best explored by car. For families, we recommend a self-drive holiday in a large SUV with plenty of space for the kids in the back. This allows you to explore off the beaten track places that group trips and campervans often cannot reach.
A relaxed travel pace is the greatest way to see New Zealand. And your travel specialist will design your holiday with two or more nights at each location. Explore each local area and get the most out of where you are. This way you get to drive less but see more. Because that's what a great holiday is all about at TravelEssence.
If you are thinking of renting a campervan, talk to us now and discover why driving in a rental car is the best way to see New Zealand.
Would you like to discover more about New Zealand? Let us inspire you on a virtual journey through the country and answer all of your questions.
Join us at an online presentationFinal destination: New Zealand! A comfortable flight makes all the difference, no matter which class you fly. Travelling to New Zealand with children may seem as though it's a bit of a mission. But it isn’t. We’ve experienced it first-hand ourselves and can offer you some great tips.
As a specialist in travel to New Zealand, we can offer you the best route options, airlines, seats onboard, connections and time to travel for young families.
If you’re worried about the length of the journey, a stopover is a great way to break up the flight to relax and revive. Enhance your holiday by adding an extra cultural experience to your journey. From visiting the rice fields, white-sand beaches and temples in Bali to exploring the markets in Hong Kong and tasting the local cuisine. Stay at special accommodations that have all the extra ingredients for you and your family to indulge in.
Your trip to New Zealand will represent you as a family. Take a look at some favourite past trips to get inspired for your own journey. With holidays ranging from three to seven weeks based on various themes, you can change comfort levels, and add activities, rental cars, and flights to sense the possibilities that await.
Bring your ideas to us, take advantage of our local knowledge, and together we will create your unique, personalised holiday that is yours and yours alone. Get in touch with us here.
Dear TravelEssence, We have just arrived home after a really wonderful trip to New Zealand! There were so many… read more
Specialist knowledge means the details that need specific attention are always taken care of - you don't have to worry about anything. But of course, you may have a lot of questions right now as you get an idea of the possibilities that await you. Find the answers to your questions here.
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When you book your family trip with us, your travel specialist has only one goal: to create your dream holiday through New Zealand and to do it properly. Make the most of your time Down Under by choosing a travel specialist that has local experience and knows New Zealand like the back of their hand. We are travel nerds and from our first-hand experience believe that small details lead to big differences. Get in touch to make your holiday dream become a reality.
At TravelEssence, we specialise in crafting custom-made holidays that take you off the beaten path and create memories to last a lifetime. We believe in connecting with the heart and soul of a place, introducing you to the locals who call it home. Engage in conversations with fascinating individuals who will share their stories, traditions, and way of life, leaving an indelible mark on your journey.
Questions? Speak to one of our specialists by phone Mon - Sat 0900 until 2100. You can discuss your travel plans in detail where and when it suits you, also in the evenings and on weekends on a no obligation basis.
020 36 95 95 69
