The white sail-like shells of the Sydney Opera House against a clear blue sky

Kosher Tour and Cruise to Australia and New Zealand, January 2027

Auckland to SydneyWhere

January 13 – February 2, 2027Dates

$8,900 per personFrom

The tour and cruise

Twenty-one days, Auckland to Sydney

Our kosher tour and cruise to Australia and New Zealand runs Wednesday, January 13 to Tuesday, February 2, 2027: four days touring Auckland and the North Island, then aboard Holland America's Noordam from Auckland to Sydney by way of the New Zealand fjords, Tasmania and Melbourne, and two days in Sydney and the Blue Mountains before you fly home. Every meal is Glatt Kosher Mehadrin, and three Shabbatot are kept together — one on land in Auckland, two at sea.

Four days in Auckland first: City touring, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Hobbiton, then Shabbat in Auckland before you board.
Aboard the Noordam: Board at Auckland on January 17 and disembark in Sydney on January 31: Tauranga, Rotorua, Napier, Wellington, the Marlborough Sounds, Christchurch, Fiordland, Hobart and Melbourne on the way.
Two days in Sydney after: The Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach on disembarkation day, then the Blue Mountains before you fly home on February 2.
The land package: An optional package covering the Auckland program, the Sydney extension and every shore excursion on the cruise, for $3,500 per person.

Round hobbit-hole doors set into a grassy hillside at the Hobbiton Movie Set, a still lake beyond — The Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata

Auckland's city skyline and the Sky Tower seen across the harbor — Auckland, seen across the harbor

A calm blue bay ringed by green forested hills at the Marlborough Sounds, near Picton — The Marlborough Sounds, Picton

The photograph at the top of the page: the Sydney Opera House.

What the tour and cruise includes

Twenty-one days from Auckland to Sydney, with taxes and port charges
Glatt Kosher Mehadrin meals, freshly prepared for the group, Pat Yisrael and Bishul Yisrael, Chalav Yisrael by request
An executive kosher chef on board with a team of chefs, and mashgichim responsible for the kosher kitchen
A dining area of our own for the group
Gratuities to our kosher supervisors

International flights, the optional land package above, and travel insurance are not in this list.

Kashrut

Kosher throughout, on land and at sea

Every meal is Glatt Kosher Mehadrin, freshly prepared for the group by an executive kosher chef and a team of chefs, under mashgichim who are responsible for the kosher kitchen. Everything is Pat Yisrael and Bishul Yisrael, with Chalav Yisrael by request, and the group has its own dining area aboard the ship.

Wellington's waterfront buildings and hills reflected in the still harbor water — Wellington, one of the ports on the way

Hotel and ship

Auckland, the Noordam, and Sydney

Four nights in Auckland, fourteen nights at sea, then two nights in Sydney — twenty days and nights in all across the twenty-one-day trip. On board, there are four kinds of cabin, prices per person, two to a cabin.

Auckland: Days 1–4, before the cruise, with a hotel check-in referenced in the day plan but no hotel named.
Interior and Oceanview staterooms: An inside cabin, or one with a picture window and natural light and sea views.
Balcony stateroom and Signature Suite: A private veranda in both; the Signature Suite adds a sitting area and a whirlpool bath.
Sydney: Days 19–21, after disembarkation, with a hotel check-in on the day you leave the ship but no hotel named.

Auckland Harbour Bridge spanning calm blue water on a clear day — Auckland Harbour Bridge, where the tour begins

Day by day

The Australia and New Zealand itinerary, day by day

Times shown are the ship's arrival and departure at each port once you are aboard.

Day 1 · Wed, Jan 13Arrive in Auckland and settle in with a city tour: the Harbour Bridge, Domain Park, Mission Bay and the Sky Tower, then hotel check-in.Overnight: Auckland
Day 2 · Thu, Jan 14The Waitomo Glowworm Caves and an underground boat cruise, then the Hobbiton Movie Set before the drive back to Auckland.Overnight: Auckland
Day 3 · Fri, Jan 15The Auckland Museum, the Botanical Gardens and Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium, then candle lighting, Kabbalat Shabbat and a festive Friday night dinner.Overnight: Auckland
Day 4 · Shabbat, Jan 16Shacharit, a Shabbat lunch, an afternoon walk and divrei Torah.Overnight: Auckland

Round hobbit-hole doors in a grassy hillside at the Hobbiton Movie Set — Hobbiton, Day 2

Auckland's skyline and the Sky Tower across the harbor — Auckland

Day 5 · Sun, Jan 17A last look at Auckland's highlights, then board the Noordam and sail away.Embarks 5:00 pm
Day 6 · Mon, Jan 18Tauranga, for Te Puia Geothermal Park and the Pohutu Geyser, the Māori Arts & Crafts Institute and the Waimangu Volcanic Valley.6:00 am – 5:00 pm
Day 7 · Tue, Jan 19Napier, for a guided walk through its Art Deco streets and the Hawke's Bay coast.12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Day 8 · Wed, Jan 20Wellington: a city lookout, the Botanic Gardens, Te Papa Museum and the Parliament precinct.8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Steam rising from the Pohutu Geyser over a volcanic landscape near Rotorua — The Pohutu Geyser, near Tauranga

A tall white Art Deco building with a balcony in Napier — Art Deco Napier

Wellington's waterfront across a calm harbor on a sunny day — Wellington

Day 9 · Thu, Jan 21Picton and the Marlborough Sounds: a scenic boat cruise and a panoramic land tour.8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Day 10 · Fri, Jan 22Christchurch: the International Antarctic Centre and the city's own highlights, before returning to the ship.8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Day 11 · Shabbat, Jan 23Shabbat at sea off Dunedin: services, festive meals, lectures and Havdalah.At sea, off Dunedin
Day 12 · Sun, Jan 24Scenic cruising through Fiordland National Park: Milford Sound and the fjords, waterfalls and wildlife.Scenic cruising

Ngakuta Bay on Queen Charlotte Sound in the Marlborough Sounds, green hills around still blue water — Queen Charlotte Sound, the Marlborough Sounds, Day 9

A bench under an autumn tree in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens — Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Day 10

Dunedin's white stone railway station under a blue sky — Dunedin, off which the ship keeps Shabbat, Day 11

Day 13 · Mon, Jan 25A day at sea: the spa, the pool, lectures and entertainment.At sea
Day 14 · Tue, Jan 26A second day at sea, with gourmet kosher dining and enrichment lectures.At sea
Day 15 · Wed, Jan 27Hobart, Tasmania: Mount Field National Park and Russell Falls, the village of Richmond and Hobart's own highlights.8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Day 16 · Thu, Jan 28A third day at sea, for leisure, wellness and lectures.At sea

Hobart's waterfront in early morning light, Tasmania — Hobart waterfront, Day 15

A tall waterfall over mossy rock at Russell Falls, Mount Field National Park, Tasmania — Russell Falls, Mount Field National Park

Day 17 · Fri, Jan 29Melbourne: Flinders Street Station, the Shrine of Remembrance and a city tour, then Kabbalat Shabbat and a festive dinner.8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Day 18 · Shabbat, Jan 30Shabbat at sea: services, festive Shabbat meals, lectures and Havdalah.At sea
Day 19 · Sun, Jan 31Disembark in Sydney: the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Bondi Beach, then hotel check-in.Arrives 7:00 am
Day 20 · Mon, Feb 1Featherdale Wildlife Park and the Blue Mountains: the Three Sisters, the Scenic Cableway and the Scenic Railway.Overnight: Sydney
Day 21 · Tue, Feb 2The Queen Victoria Building and free time in Sydney, a farewell dinner, then the transfer to the airport for your flight home.Departure

The Melbourne skyline above the Yarra River at sunset — Melbourne, Day 17

The steel arch of Sydney Harbour Bridge against a clear blue sky — Sydney Harbour Bridge

An aerial view of Bondi Beach and the coastal city of Sydney — Bondi Beach, Day 19

The rocky Three Sisters formation above the tree-covered Blue Mountains — The Three Sisters, Blue Mountains, Day 20

Shabbat and Torah

Three Shabbatot: one on land, two at sea

The first Shabbat is kept on land in Auckland, before the cruise begins, January 15–16: Shacharit, a Shabbat lunch, an afternoon walk and divrei Torah. The second and third are at sea, off Dunedin on January 23 and again as the ship nears Melbourne on January 30, both with Shabbat services, festive meals, lectures and Havdalah.

Auckland Harbour Bridge over calm water — Auckland, the first Shabbat

Dunedin's railway station under a blue sky — Dunedin, the second Shabbat, at sea

Who it suits

Who the tour and cruise suits

This is a long trip with a great deal of ground covered: four active days in Auckland and the North Island, then the cruise itself, combining touring days and days at sea, and two more days in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. A cruise carries you between the New Zealand and Australian ports while you sleep, and the days at sea are as restful as you make them.

New Zealand touring days include cave boats, boat cruises and walking through old towns and museums — steps, uneven ground and a full day on your feet
Six days at sea across the voyage give real rest between the touring days
The Blue Mountains day includes a cableway and a scenic railway
Shabbat is a full rest day, three times across the trip
The reservation form asks for a short health declaration, because some tours are more active than others

Hobart's waterfront in early morning light — Hobart, Tasmania

Price

What the tour and cruise costs, cabin by cabin

Prices to be confirmed. Per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, with taxes and port charges included.
Cabin	21 daysJan 13 – Feb 2, 2027
Interior stateroom	$8,900
Oceanview stateroom	$9,900
Balcony stateroom	$10,900
Signature Suite	$12,900

The price covers the tour and cruise, every kosher meal and our own program. The optional land package (Auckland, the Sydney extension and all shore excursions) is $3,500 per person, extra. Flights and travel insurance are also extra.

Deposit and terms

What you pay, and when

Payment

On booking$1,000 per person
Balance120 days before departure
Booking inside 120 daysPaid in full at booking

All prices and payments are in US dollars.

If you need to cancel

120 days or more before$500 per person
45 to 120 days before50% of the invoice
Within 45 daysNo refund

We strongly recommend travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage.

What happens after you inquire

You send a short inquiry
A few questions, with this trip already filled in.
We reply within one working day
The person for your region calls or emails you with the cabins still open and the reservation form.
We answer every question
Kashrut, cabins, Shabbat, the ports, flights and payment. Ask as many as you like.
Places are confirmed in order of booking
The group has a fixed number of cabins. Your reservation form and deposit confirm yours.

Your hosts

Who is looking after you

David Walles
Tours and cruises
David looks after our tours and cruises with Chana. Who from our team travels with this group is confirmed with your booking.
Chana Walles
Tours and cruises
Chana runs our tours and cruises with David.

Our guests all share a commitment to Shabbat and kosher observance, but there are no specific religious requirements to join. We won't ask about your personal religious practices. For anything before you travel, the simplest route is an email or a call to the line for your region; every missed call and message is returned.

The Sydney Opera House against a clear blue sky, where the trip ends — Sydney, where the trip ends

What our guests have to say

What guests said

“We would never have arranged all these logistics on our own.”

Gary and Michelle Perl · New York · Hawaii, December 2022

“We are just back from the China trip – tired and coldish but utterly exhilarated by all we have seen and experienced.”

Alan and Joyce Mays · China

Questions

Asked before booking the Australia and New Zealand tour and cruise

When is the kosher tour and cruise to Australia and New Zealand?

Wednesday, January 13 to Tuesday, February 2, 2027: twenty-one days, from Auckland to Sydney, aboard Holland America’s Noordam.

Where does the trip start and finish?

Four days touring Auckland and the North Island first, then you board the ship in Auckland on January 17 and disembark in Sydney on January 31, with two more days in Sydney and the Blue Mountains before you fly home.

Which ports does the cruise visit?

Tauranga (for Rotorua), Napier, Wellington, Picton and the Marlborough Sounds, Christchurch, Fiordland National Park (Milford Sound), Hobart in Tasmania, and Melbourne, with several days at sea.

Is every meal kosher?

Yes. Every meal on land and at sea is Glatt Kosher Mehadrin, Pat Yisrael and Bishul Yisrael, Chalav Yisrael by request, freshly prepared for the group by an executive kosher chef and a team of chefs, under mashgichim, in a dining area of our own.

How is Shabbat kept on this trip?

Three times: on land in Auckland before the cruise (January 15–16), then at sea off Dunedin (January 23) and again as the ship nears Melbourne (January 30), each with Shabbat services, festive meals and Havdalah.

What does the optional land package include?

The pre-cruise Auckland program, the post-cruise Sydney extension and every shore excursion on the cruise, for $3,500 per person.

Are shore excursions included in the cruise fare?

Shore excursions are covered by the optional land package; ask us how they work if you are not taking it.

Do I need travel insurance?

We strongly recommend insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage, bought as soon as you book so the cover is complete.

Also on our calendar

Our other kosher cruises

Every tour and cruise we run, with its dates, is on the kosher tours and kosher cruises pages.

Discover

The world beyond the ordinary.

Connect

Friendships that outlast the trip.

Enrich

Memories that touch the soul.

From$8,900 per person

Jerusalem at dusk, seen from the Inbal Hotel

Inquire

Speak to someone about your trip

Call the line for your region, or send an inquiry and we will come back to you.

info@koshertravelers.com

Speak to Shelley in reservations. Every missed call and message is returned.

Since 1991 · Glatt Mehadrin