New Zealand North Island Railway Adventure View Basket

Special Heritage Train Journey around New Zealand’s stunning North Island

AUCKLAND • OHAKUNE • PALMERSTON NORTH • NAPIER • NEW PLYMOUTH • WELLINGTON

"The trains in any country contain the essential paraphernalia of the culture …"
Paul Theroux – The Great Railway Bazaar

There’s no better way to see the wonders of New Zealand than in your very own privately chartered heritage train. Starting in Auckland, and heading southwards to Wellington, this magnificent rail adventure meanders through many of the North Island’s historic and vibrant towns and cities and some of its most dramatic countryside.

Your tour is interspersed with great meals, fine hotels, fascinating culture, wonderful people, and sublime scenery from the window of our wonderful heritage train. .

This is a special ‘slow travel’ adventure which will take you down the main lines then branches off to explore those rails less travelled, including several freight only lines, where a passenger train is a rare thing.

Discover the natural beauty of the North Island Main Trunk Line, along with the Palmerston North-Gisborne Line, Marton-New Plymouth Line, and the Wairarapa railway lines.

Onboard, you’ll have ample space, cheerful catering and the joy of old world travel with your special heritage carriages offering observation platforms and opening windows to enhance the charm of the trip.

The off-train activities include enjoying New Zealand’s stunning natural world, its food and wine, comfortable hotels and cultural and artistic history.

This journey is part of our commitment to supporting historic railways around the world – on this occasion it’s the dedicated and hardworking Glenbrook Vintage Railway (GVR), one of New Zealand’s premier rail heritage organisations. To that end, we’ve invited members and guests of the GVR to join us on the train legs of our adventure, so you’ll be able to have a chat with the locals, learn the history of the train and life in New Zealand. Or you can just relax in your private carriage, watching the world go by from the picture window, and with separate luggage transport.

See some of New Zealand’s best scenery, its rich history and culture and some of its greatest engineering feats on this unique, extensive, and entertaining rail heritage adventure.

Railway Adventures' fully escorted small group train tours will take you on an endless variety of rail experiences. Inspired by the hit TV show, Railway Adventures across Australia, these special heritage train journeys and packages reveal the culture and character of a country from the window of a train.

Check out these luxury group railway tours and climb aboard for an unforgettable experience. Small group guided tours take you on Rail adventures to Queensland, Tasmania, and all across Australia. Specially crafted International tours span the globe and the most popular include train tours of Switzerland, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, to name a few.

The Railway Adventures Story

Railway Adventures was launched in 2012 by well-known Australian TV personality and self-confessed rail fan, Scott McGregor. A lifelong passion for travel has taken Scott to scores of countries and his preference for rail has seen him exploring many of the world's great train journeys, confirming his belief that the most relaxing, romantic and engaging way
to see a country is by rail. He even has his own life-sized, fully restored opulent train accommodation atop the Great Dividing Range near Mudgee, offering guests a rare and special bush retreat experience.

Since 2012, Railway Adventures has thrilled and delighted more than 1200 travellers on over 100 tours from Sweden to Sri Lanka, Tasmania to Transylvania, Britain to Burma, Venice to Vietnam and all manner of shorter adventures in our own wonderful country. Scott's numerous rail-themed TV documentaries, his ongoing involvement in rail heritage and his extensive connections with private train owners around the world, guarantee that every Railway Adventures tour is exclusive, entertaining and authentic.

About Railway Adventures

The joy of travel is not confined to the destination. How you travel is a large and rich part of the experience. Railway Adventures offers a truly unique perspective on some of the world's most spectacular holiday destinations, with the confidence that the journey will be just as magical and memorable as what you find at the end of the line.

• Unique itineraries — each itinerary has been meticulously developed by a team of expert travellers with many years' experience, an intimate knowledge of the destination, and with great cultural awareness. You are guaranteed to experience the best that each destination has to offer.
• Authentic local experiences — whether it's a little-known yet impressive steam railway, a small boutique hotel or an authentic restaurant, you can be sure of experiencing something special on these tours.
• Expert local guides and operators — Railway Adventures employs local guides to share their passion and knowledge of the places they call home, while partners on the ground provide the best possible support and backup all the way.
• Small group sizes — a small number of guests per trip guarantees an intimate experience with less time spent queuing, more time with your guide, and better access to sightseeing destinations.
• Fully escorted – tour leaders are experienced and capable, entertaining and considerate, and together with local guides have your needs well covered. They help with everything along the way, providing peace of mind, and enabling you to relax and enjoy the journey. And you'll find them jolly good company, to boot!
• Customer satisfaction — Railway Adventures testimonials speak for themselves. Customer satisfaction ratings show that over 97% would recommend Railway Adventures to others.

ON THE RAILS

Variety is the spice of life on the rails and that is what you'll get in spades with Railway Adventures. Character-filled, zig-zagging railways of Sri Lanka, opulent hotels on wheels in India and South Africa, steam heritage trains in some of the most staggeringly beautiful parts of the world, dinky little carriages in outback Queensland, bullet trains in Japan— if it travels on a rail track, Railway Adventures is there!

OFF THE RAILS

It's not just the trains, boats and planes; it's the warm, comfortable beds at night, the culinary delights, the immersion in a new culture and the people you meet that makes travelling so enjoyable. Railway Adventures strives to create the most intriguing and memorable itineraries, with hand-picked hotels, restaurants, local guides and cultural experiences to make sure you experience the best possible rail journey in a safe, comfortable and pleasurable way.