3 Days Bay of Islands

Itinerary: day by day

Day1 - Auckland to Paihia

We depart Auckland at 7am and head north to Paihia, with stops on the way to view giant kauri trees, snorkel at Goat Island Marine Reserve and then to hike to the beautiful waterfall of Piroa.We arrive into the Bay of Islands in the afternoon, where you have the option to visit the historic Waitangi Treaty grounds (own expense) before settling into our accommodation for the night. The evening is yours free to relax and get to know your fellow travellers. (Meals at own expense).

Day 2 – Paihia to Urupukapuka Island to Auckland

Tonight we uniquely stay on Urupukapuka Island - 20 minutes by boat from the mainland and the largest island in the Bay. On the way to the island we enjoy a wildlife cruise to explore the Bay of Islands taking in many of the other 144 islands, which gave the place its name. We almost always see dolphins and other marine life on this trip! The boat then drops us at the island in the late afternoon for us to have time settle in for the night! (D)

Day 3 - Urupukapuka Island to Auckland

You have the morning free to explore the island and experience one of its many great walks, relax on one of the golden beaches or go swimming or kayaking (own expense). There are also historic Maori Pa sites on the island that you can visit. At midday we leave via boat to head back to the mainland. We make a stop at the Native Bird Recovery Centre to see more native birds up close, before reaching Auckland around 7pm. (B)