My Cook Islands with Erin
Rarotonga and Aitutaki
23 - 31 July 2027
My Cook Islands with Erin
Join Erin to discover ‘her’ Cook Islands.
Some places you visit. The Cook Islands you feel.
Over eight nights Erin will take you through the islands the way she knows them — not from a bus window, but from the plastic chairs at her favourite roadside kitchen, the back of a boat on Aitutaki’s lagoon, and the shade of a mango tree where someone’s aunty is telling you her life story before you’ve finished your meal.
We’ll start in Rarotonga, circling the island at island pace: the Saturday morning Punanga Nui Market, ika mata eaten where the locals eat it, the inland valleys most visitors never see, and long, slow afternoons on the sand because that’s the whole point.
Then we fly to Aitutaki, where the lagoon does the thing no photograph has ever managed to explain properly.
There’s no rushing. There’s no schedule that outranks a good conversation. What there is: real food from real people, some of the warmest hospitality anywhere in the Pacific, and a small group travelling together with someone who knows where to go — and who to ask.
Come for the beaches. Stay for the people. Leave on island time.
Tour Inclusions
- Transportation throughout the tour
- Return flights between Rarotonga and Aitutaki
- Return airport transfers (for arrival and departure with the tour host/group arrival and departure)
- Five nights’ 4-star accommodation in Rarotonga, twin share
- Three nights’ 4-star accommodation in Aitutaki, twin share
- Meals as follows
- Breakfast daily
- Three lunches
- Four dinners
- Visit to Punanga Nui Market to meet local makers, taste and shop
- Reef-to-ridge or inland island walking experience with Ariimoana Walkabouts
- Cook Islands cultural show
- Half-day Rarotonga lagoon cruise with snorkelling
- Half-day hands-on Cook Islands culture and craft experience, including pareu screen-printing, ei katu making, painting, and an ura dance lesson
- Visit to Maire Nui Tropical Gardens
- Private turtle-swimming experience
- Whale-watching tour
- Fire show in Aitutaki
- Full-day Aitutaki Lagoon cruise, including Honeymoon Island and One Foot Island
- Leisure time in both Rarotonga and Aitutaki for swimming, spa treatments, shopping or doing absolutely nothing at all
Tour Pricing - Twin Share
NZD$6,995 per person (based on a minimum of ten people travelling)
Rooms are based on twin share. A guaranteed single room is available for an additional NZ$3,295 per person.
Airfares and Exclusions
Return airfares to Rarotonga are not included in the package price and can be booked directly with Her Tribe Travels.
As an indication, direct return economy airfares on Air New Zealand start from NZ$895 per person from Auckland, including airport departure taxes. This fare includes a meal, drink, movies and 23kg checked luggage per person. A Her Tribe Travels booking fee of NZ$150 applies for any flight bookings.
The tour price does not include items of a personal nature such as spending money, food and beverages (other than those specified in inclusions), pre- and post-tour arrangements, optional tours and activities not specified, tips/gratuity, laundry, telephone/fax calls, spa treatments, still and video camera fees at sights, excess luggage for flights, medical expenses, visa fees and travel insurance.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
Saturday 24 July — Depart New Zealand
Friday 23 July — Arrive Rarotonga
Depart New Zealand and cross the International Date Line, arriving in Rarotonga the day before you left — one of the small pleasures of travelling to the Cook Islands.
After clearing customs and collecting our luggage, we’ll transfer to our accommodation in Muri, with rooms available for check-in from 3pm.
Our tour begins this evening with drinks at Ukulele Bar before dinner at Tamarind House, a beautifully restored colonial home overlooking the ocean and one of Erin’s favourite places to watch the sun go down.
Tonight is about settling in, meeting the women you’ll be travelling with and easing into island time.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: None
Day 2
Saturday 24 July
It’s an early start this morning as we head to Punanga Nui Market, the place to be in Rarotonga on a Saturday morning.
We’ll wander through stalls filled with local art, jewellery, clothing, natural body products and plenty of things you didn’t know you needed until you got here. Bring some spending money — there’s every chance it will get used.
From the market we’ll continue into town for a look through the local boutiques and stores before making our way to Charlie’s for lunch by the beach. This is the place for fresh ika mata — raw fish marinated in citrus and coconut cream — or a FOB — fresh-off-the-boat fish sandwich — and a very good introduction to how we’ll be eating on this trip.
After a few hours at leisure, we’ll meet our hosts from Ariimoana Walkabouts. Depending on the tides and weather, we’ll either explore from reef to ridge or head inland for an easy island walk with locals Kura and Jack, discovering a side of Rarotonga that most visitors never see.
Tonight we continue the stories of the island over dinner and a Cook Islands cultural show at Te Vara Nui in Muri.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3
Sunday 25 July
Sunday in the Cook Islands is traditionally a day of rest, and we’re not going to argue with that.
After breakfast, we’ll spend the morning out on the lagoon, with the option to snorkel before enjoying a BBQ lunch on one of Rarotonga’s beautiful motu.
The afternoon is completely yours. Find a spot by the pool with a book, swim, walk along the beach, book a spa treatment or do very little at all.
This evening we’ll wander down to the Muri Night Markets, where local cooks serve everything from traditional Cook Islands favourites to familiar comfort food. Choose whatever takes your fancy and find a spot to sit, eat and take in the evening.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4
Monday 26 July
After breakfast at leisure, today is about getting our hands into some of the traditions, crafts and culture of the Cook Islands.
We’ll spend the morning in the garden of a lovely local café, where we’ll try our hand at screen-printing our own pareu (sarong), making an ei katu — a traditional flower crown — painting a tropical landscape and learning the art of ura, Cook Islands dancing.
We’ll stop for lunch, compare our handiwork and no doubt discover who among us has been hiding some previously undisclosed artistic talent.
The afternoon is yours at leisure before we meet again for a very special evening.
Tonight we’ll leave the restaurants behind for a progressive dinner hosted in local homes. Over three courses, we’ll meet some of the people who call Rarotonga home, eat around their tables and hear their stories — exactly the sort of evening that stays with you long after the trip is over.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Tuesday 27 July
After breakfast, we’re heading back to the water.
This morning we’ll join a private one-hour tour to swim alongside the green and hawksbill turtles that inhabit the lagoon. We’ll take our time in the water, watching these beautiful creatures in their natural environment.
We’ll return to the hotel afterwards for a few hours to have lunch, shower, relax and get ready for the afternoon.
Then we head beyond the reef and into the deep blue in search of the humpback whales that migrate past Rarotonga between July and October. As with any wildlife encounter, nothing is guaranteed — but this is the right time of year to look, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for a breach, tail slap or perhaps just the unmistakable sight of a whale surfacing nearby.
For our final evening in Rarotonga, we’ll head to Antipodes for dinner and sunset drinks — a fitting place to raise a glass to our first five nights together.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6
Wednesday 28 July
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before we check out and head to the airport for our flight to Aitutaki.
On arrival, we’ll transfer to our beachfront resort and settle in.
And then? Nothing you have to do.
Take out one of the resort’s complimentary water toys, book a massage, go for a swim or sit on your balcony and discover just how quickly you can adjust to the considerably slower pace of Aitutaki.
We’ll meet again this evening for a pre-dinner cocktail, followed by dinner and a fire show.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7
Thursday 29 July
Breakfast is at leisure this morning — as is the rest of the day.
We’ve deliberately left today free. Aitutaki is not somewhere that needs to be scheduled within an inch of its life, and after nearly a week together, this is your chance to completely stop.
Swim. Read. Sleep. Wander. Or, if sitting still really isn’t your thing, we can help arrange optional activities for you.
In the early evening we’ll regroup for happy-hour cocktails and dinner at the beautiful Pacific Resort.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8
Friday 30 July
We’ve saved something rather special for our final full day.
After breakfast, we’ll join Teking Lagoon Cruises and head out onto the Aitutaki Lagoon — the place Erin has been waiting all week to show you.
We’ll snorkel among giant trevally and colourful lagoon fish, visit the giant clam farm and gently snorkel over coral reefs alive with marine life.
From there, we’ll make our way to Honeymoon Island for a BBQ lunch before continuing to One Foot Island, a tiny uninhabited island sitting in the middle of all that extraordinary blue.
There is a reason people struggle to describe the Aitutaki Lagoon without resorting to superlatives. Today you’ll understand why.
We’ll return to the resort in the afternoon, salty, sun-kissed and very happy after our final day on the water.
Tonight we’ll gather for one last dinner together at a locally owned outdoor restaurant — good food, a relaxed island setting and plenty of time to relive the moments that have made the past eight nights ours.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel, Lagoon View Room (twin share)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9
Saturday 31 July
Enjoy one last breakfast at the resort before we transfer to the airport for our flight from Aitutaki to Rarotonga, connecting with onward flights to New Zealand.
For those not quite ready to leave, there is always the option to extend your time in the Cook Islands. We’d be very happy to help with arrangements.
Meals: Breakfast
End of Tour
Ready to Join Us?
To reserve your place on the My Cook Islands tour, please register here.
If you'd like to chat to Erin or Nicola before booking, please email hello@hertribetravels.com and we'll arrange a time to call.
Once we've received your registration, we'll be in touch to confirm your place on the tour and provide your payment schedule.
We'll also need a copy of the photo page of your passport. Once you've completed your registration, please email a clear copy to hello@hertribetravels.com.
To confirm your booking, a non-refundable deposit of NZ$1,000 per person is required within seven days of Her Tribe Travels receiving your registration and contact details.
A progress payment of NZ$3,000 per person is due by Friday 19 February 2027.
A final balance payment of NZ$2,995 is due by Friday 21 May 2027.
At confirmation stage, please indicate whether you wish to book your flights with Her Tribe Travels (additional airfare cost applies and will be required to be paid upon booking flights) and any pre- and post-tour extension requirements (payment terms for pre- and post-tour extensions will be advised once quoted). Airfares and pre- and post-tour accommodations booked with Her Tribe Travels receive full service benefits with regards to flight changes, flight cancellations, and rebooking.
Note: Any applicable entry visa (if required) and travel insurance is the responsibility of each traveller, however Her Tribe Travels would be very happy to assist with any requirements (fees may apply).
Terms and Conditions
Minimum Traveller Numbers
Tour activities and pricing are based on a minimum of ten (10) travellers. If the minimum number is not reached, Her Tribe Travels reserves the right to cancel the tour, in which case all deposits paid will be refunded. Alternatively, we may offer the tour with fewer travellers, subject to any necessary adjustment to the tour price.
Accommodation
All rooms are priced on a twin share basis (two people sharing a room with two beds). A guaranteed single room is available for an additional NZ$3,295 per person. Hotels and accommodation are subject to change depending on final traveller numbers and availability.
Pricing Adjustments
Tour pricing is based on current exchange rates, local government taxes and applicable supplier costs. In the event of currency fluctuations, changes to government taxes or increases in fuel costs, Her Tribe Travels reserves the right to adjust the tour price accordingly. Any increase or decrease will be communicated to travellers.
Cancellations
If a traveller cancels after their booking has been confirmed, the non-refundable deposit will be retained by Her Tribe Travels. If cancellation occurs after full payment has been made, full cancellation fees will apply. Comprehensive travel insurance covering cancellation, medical expenses and emergency evacuation is mandatory. Travellers are strongly encouraged to arrange insurance as soon as their booking is confirmed.
Unforeseen Circumstances and Force Majeure
In the event of circumstances beyond our control that prevent the tour from proceeding, including natural disasters or force majeure events, local suppliers may waive their standard cancellation policies and charge an administration fee. Travellers will remain responsible for any non-recoverable amounts already paid to third-party suppliers, together with any applicable bank transaction fees.
Credit Card Payments
Payments made by credit card will incur a 2.5% credit card surcharge.
Medical and Evacuation Costs
Travellers are responsible for any additional medical or evacuation costs incurred during the tour.
A Word From Her Tribe Travels
Every Her Tribe Travels itinerary is created with a great deal of thought, care and experience. From where we stay and the places we eat to the experiences we include and the little details along the way, each tour is thoughtfully put together to create something we think you'll love.
Like what you see? We'd love you to share this tour with friends or family who might like to join you. We just ask that you don't share this itinerary with other travel providers or agents for the purposes of comparison or replication. The itinerary and its content remain the intellectual property of Her Tribe Travels, and we appreciate your understanding.
We hope you'll join us for My Cook Islands with Erin. If you have any questions about the tour or would like to talk through any of the details, we'd love to hear from you.
Come as you are. Leave with a Tribe.
Please contact us at any time to discuss our tours or associated travel arrangements.
Erin +64 21 931 995 (Mobile or WhatsApp)
Nicola +1 310 627 6739 (Mobile or WhatsApp)
E hello@hertribetravels.com
