Best Buys

Southern Wonders

9 Day Guided Vacation | Christchurch Return

A little bit city, a little bit country. A whole lot of nature, and just as much culture. Oh, and plenty of opportunities to indulge in food and wine. This tour of the South Island of New Zealand delivers the perfect recipe for a taste of the country. Look forward to Franz Josef Glacier tours, Milford Sound cruises and glimpses into cosmopolitan life on Christchurch and Queenstown tours.

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Adult Twin i A person 16 years and over (note a person 16–17 years must be accompanied by a person 18 years and over). All prices are per person, land only unless otherwise indicated.
Above lowest price is based on 2024-12-09 departure

$4343

Single i A person, who must be 18 years and over, travelling alone, must pay the single room price. All prices are per person, land only unless otherwise indicated.
Above lowest price is based on 2024-12-09 departure
Prices above are per person in USD
Single rooms are limited and subject to availability
Child prices may be available on request

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Trip Details

trip-details-whats-includedWhat's included

  • • Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
    • 1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Fiordland National Park
    • Centrally located premium hotels
    • National Park entrance fees

trip-details-diningDining

  • • 8 Full Breakfasts
  • • 3 Dinners
  • • 1 Highlight Dinner
  • • 1 Farewell Dinner

trip-details-flight-infoFlight Information

  • Day 1 – flights to arrive prior to 4.00pm into Christchurch Airport
    Day 9 – flights to depart any time from Christchurch Airport
    Flights are not included in the holiday price
    Return airport to hotel transfers are not included in the holiday price

trip-details-what-to-bringWhat to Bring

  • • Water bottle
  • • Warm layers in cooler months
  • • Camera
  • • Comfortable walking shoes
  • • Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat

trip-details-fitness-level-requirementsFitness Requirements

    Low level of fitness required

Itinerary Generating PDF...

image map

You don’t have to arrive in Christchurch early, but we recommend you do – this South Island city has some of New Zealand’s most innovative architecture, not to mention forward-thinking restaurants and bars. You may choose to spot them aboard the Christchurch Tram, linking some of the city’s most legendary attractions. Tonight, it's time to meet your Travel Director and travelling companions for a Welcome Reception. 

  Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch

Your South Island New Zealand Tour starts on a literal high as you jump aboard the TranzAlpine train, crossing the Canterbury Plains towards the Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass. This is one of the world’s most scenic rail experiences, through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges and river valleys. At the other end of the line is Hokitika, the home of pounamu (native greenstone or jade). Just when you thought your day couldn't get any better, Franz Josef town twinkles on the horizon. This afternoon, you may choose to fly over Franz Josef Glacier/ Roimata o Hine Hukatere.

  Hotel: Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier

  Included Meals: Dinner, Breakfast

Over the Haast Pass, alpine drama awaits. The Southern Lakes deserve their name: there are almost more waterways here than you can count. First up there’s lovely Lake Wanaka, with its Instagrammable shoreline of poplars and willows. Followed by oh-so-blue Lake Hawea and Lake Dunstan, where you’ll pause to refuel on flavour-packed stone fruit. As tempting as it is to linger in Arrowtown’s movie-set-like streets, lined with trees and character-filled boutiques, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables await in Queenstown.

  Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort

  Included Meals: Breakfast

The adventure capital of New Zealand doesn’t disappoint when it comes to activities that are fast and furious. Take your pick, you could explore the natural drama of Skippers Canyon. Prefer life at a more leisurely pace? Opt to step onto a Lord of the Rings movie set or sip your way through surrounding vineyards. Wherever you wander, make sure you’re back in time to glide across Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Highlight Dinner.

  Hotel: Copthorne Hotel and Resort

  Included Meals: Highlight Dinner, Breakfast

Nature rules today as you motor from the Mirror Lakes through the Cleddau Valley. But this is just a teaser of what’s to come: World Heritage listed Milford Sound. A Milford Sound cruise across this dreamy expanse will give you goosebumps, its string of waterfalls creating a misty curtain across sheer escarpments. Look out for dolphins and fur seals – they’re a common sight here. The road back through Fiordland National Park is an intoxicating union of beech forests, alluvial flats, meadows and gin-clear rivers, carving up the countryside en route to Te Anau. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any more magical, nestled on the edge of the South Island's largest lake, Te Anau is the perfect place to savour some peace and relaxation after the spectacle of the day.

  Hotel: Distinction Luxmore Hotel

  Included Meals: Dinner, Breakfast

The South Island’s biggest lake is a blissful place for an invigorating morning walk. If it doesn’t set your pulse racing, than your outlook of rolling green hills dotted with doe-eyed sheep surely will. This pastoral countryside surrounds the city of Dunedin. While away the afternoon in atmospheric art-lined alleys or sipping a lager or two in Speight’s Brewery (a national institution), or visit grand Larnach Castle. You could venture further afield to discover the wildlife that thrives in this pretty pocket of the country – fur seals and penguins among them.

  Hotel: Scenic Hotel Dunedin City

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Time is on your side this morning. Sleep in or take a stroll. Visit Oamaru, known for its stately tree-lined streets and limestone buildings.

  Hotel: Heritage Gateway Hotel

  Included Meals: Dinner, Breakfast

If there’s a lake with a more vivid turquoise colour than Tekapo, we’re yet to see it. It’s made even more dramatic by snow-capped mountains, the quaint Church of the Good Shepherd and atmospheric towns that surround. Your Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy Experience at Tekapo, hosted by passionate guides, will forever change the way you see the night sky. You'll see for yourself it may be one of the quietest spots on the planet, yet it has one of the busiest skies in the universe. Back on earth, you’re becoming reacquainted with Christchurch, your in-the-know Travel Director pointing out the city’s miraculous transformation over the last decade. Local spirit is strong here.

  Hotel: Ibis Hotel Christchurch

  Included Meals: Farewell Dinner, Breakfast

If you feel like you’ve only seen the tip of the South Island’s iceberg, you’d be correct. This beguiling part of the country could keep travel enthusiasts entertained for eons. Thankfully, we have more itineraries – ask your Travel Director and start planning your next trip to New Zealand. 

  Included Meals: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary may be subject to change.


Southern Wonders

Best Buys

9 Day Guided Vacation

Christchurch Return

A little bit city, a little bit country. A whole lot of nature, and just as much culture. Oh, and plenty of opportunities to indulge in food and wine. This tour of the South Island of New Zealand delivers the perfect recipe for a taste of the country. Look forward to Franz Josef Glacier tours, Milford Sound cruises and glimpses into cosmopolitan life on Christchurch and Queenstown tours.

Highlights

Flexible Vacations

We love leading you to NZ’s top attractions. But we also give you the freedom to discover at leisure. Ask us about Queenstown’s best restaurants, or enjoy an unplanned adventure.

Iconic Sites

The TranzAlpine train ride has been described as one of the most scenic cross-country jaunts in the world. But don’t take our word for it.

Sustainable Travel

Your journey deep into Fiordland National Park is helping sustain this wild and wonderful part of New Zealand for future generations.

Natural Wonders

The Dunedin coast dials up the natural drama, its wind-carved cliffs and beaches attracting wild seabirds, sea lions and penguins.

Accommodation

Your Guided Holiday includes a range of quality accommodation for your comfort.
The accommodation you will enjoy on this tour includes:

Optional Experiences

Please note, prices for Optional Experiences are subject to change.

To ensure your holiday is filled with memorable experiences, we have included a range of quality Optional Experiences for you to choose from and partake in, if you wish, during your holiday. The experiences can be booked on tour through your Travel Director.

Air Safaris - Grand Traverse Scenic Flight (Mt Cook)

NZ$470 Adult NZ$375 Child

Explore the alpine wonderland of the Southern Alps’ highest peaks and glacial lakes on this 45-minute scenic flight, including Murchison Glacier, Tasman Glacier, Main Divide, Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier, westland coastal rainforests and Mount Cook.

Air Safaris - Grand Traverse Scenic Flight

Haast River Safari (Franz Josef Glacier)

NZ$119 Adult NZ$69 Child

Travel on a purpose built fully enclosed river jet boat with front-loading access. Great visibility is ensured, yet you remain warm, dry and comfortable, making this a unique and safe experience suitable for anyone of any age to participate in and enjoy.

Haast River Safari

Pure Glenorchy - Lord of the Rings Scenic Tour (road-Queenstown)

NZ$189 Adult NZ$99 Child

Lord of The Rings Scenic Tour: Visit the stunning locations from Lord of The Rings. Encounter lsengard, Lothlorien Forest, The Misty Mountains, Ithilien and many more. Experience the absolute beauty of the Dart River Valley and our closest world heritage area. Learn about the remarkable history and unique culture of Glenorchy. Our tour feature’s some of the world’s most spectacular scenery visiting Mt Aspiring World Heritage Area, Glenorchy, The Dart River Valley and Paradise. Encounter ancient beech forest, braided rivers and glacier carved valleys.

Pure Glenorchy - Lord of the Rings Scenic Tour

The Helicopter Line - Neve Discoverer Flight 20mins (Franz Josef Glacier)

Adult: $330.00 NZD

Lift off and fly up over the Franz Josef or Fox Glacier to land amongst this alpine wonderland on a 20-minute scenic flight. Highlights include landing at the head of the Franz Josef or Fox Glacier and a snow or icefall landing.

The Helicopter Line - Neve Discoverer Flight 20mins

Larnach Castle Tour (Dunedin)

NZ$91.00 Adult NZ$54.00 Child

Let your local driver take you on an exciting Otago Peninsula drive to New Zealand’s only castle. Your guided tour of the Larnach family home will give you insight into not only the architecture and style of the stately building, but also into William Larnach’s family life and the restoration done by the current owners during the past three decades. Enjoy views from the tower and marvel at the immaculate gardens before your return to Dunedin.

Larnach Castle Tour

City to Sea Tour (Dunedin )

Adult: $105.00 NZD
Child: $45.00 NZD

Meet our unique local wildlife and discover why Dunedin is NZ’s nature capital. Enjoy a special wildlife experience around Taiaroa Head and out to sea. Enjoy uninterrupted views of the royal albatross nesting colony, the world’s only mainland breeding site for albatross. Watch as these huge birds glide in from the ocean on three metre wings and then soar high above the hillside. The boat will get close to spectacular volcanic cliffs for postcard views of a historic lighthouse. Below the cliffs you’ll watch as NZ fur seals play, swim and interact around their breeding rookery. A short way out to sea and we may spot rarely seen ocean birds, like other albatross species, cormorants and petrels. On some trips we come across sea lions, blue penguins, dusky dolphins, hectors dolphins and other marine mammals.

City to Sea Tour

Speights Brewery - Guided Tour (Dunedin)

Adult: $35.00 NZD

No visitor to Dunedin should leave without taking the Speight’s Brewery Tour. Since 1876 the brewery has been proudly producing Speight’s legendary ales from the same site in Rattray Street. On the Speight’s Brewery Tour you’ll see, smell, touch and taste the ingredients that go into making Speight’s beers – and of course, get to sample “The Pride of the South” for yourself!

Speights Brewery - Guided Tour

The Helicopter Line - Mountain Scenic Flight 40mins (Franz Josef)

Adult: $580.00 NZD

Discover the gigantic expanse of the Franz Josef and Fox snowfields on this 40-minute scenic flight. Cross the main divide for breathtaking views of Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak. Highlights include a snow landing, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and Mt Cook.

The Helicopter Line - Mountain Scenic Flight 40mins

The Helicopter Line - Twin Glacier Flight 30mins (Franz Josef Glacier)

Adult: $425.00 NZD

From a mantle of pure white snow, massive rivers of ice wind their way down glacier valleys. Explore the glaciers, an incredible natural phenomenon on this 30-minute scenic flight. Highlights include a snow landing at the head of the Franz Josef or Fox Glacier.

The Helicopter Line - Twin Glacier Flight 30mins

Kiwi Birdlife Park (Queenstown)

Adult: $52.00 NZD
Child: $26.00 NZD

The Kiwi Birdlife Park is a wildlife sanctuary found in the heart of Queenstown. They hold and display over 20 species of native NZ wildlife in our 5 acre Park, all of which are part of nationally managed programmes. Your entry fee supports their conservation work. They offer guaranteed kiwi viewing in our specially constructed nocturnal houses, audio tours (available in English and Japanese; allow 45min), Conservation Shows (11am, 3pm; allow 30min) and Kiwi Feedings (10am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 4.30pm; allow 15min). They offer an all-day pass and the park can be enjoyed in all weather. Experience conservation in action!

Kiwi Birdlife Park

Skippers Canyon Scenic Tour & Jet Boat (Skippers Canyon)

Adult $189  Child: $115

The Skippers Canyon Scenic Tour offers a great balance of stunning scenery and local history just a short drive from central Queenstown. The trip includes a guided drive into historic Skippers Canyon via the infamous Skippers Road, on board commentary from knowledgeable drivers about the history of the area including the miners who battled the harsh New Zealand conditions to extract gold from the richest gold bearing river in the world.

Skippers Canyon Scenic Tour & Jet Boat

Te Anau Glow Worm Caves (Te Anau)

NZ$119 Adult NZ$59 Child

2.5 hour tour incorporating a cruise across Lake Te Anau to Cavern House. Enjoy a guided tour (in small groups) through the limestone caverns, waterfalls and the glow worm grotto. Complimentary tea & coffee is available at Cavern House

Te Anau Glow Worm Caves

Altitude Wine Tours - Twilight Wine & Craft Beer Experience (Queenstown)

Adult: $209.00 NZD

It’s always 5 o’clock at Altitude Tours. Join our Twilight Wine and Craft Beer experience for a fun and entertaining late afternoon tastebud tingling adventure! Visit three unique locations around Queenstown and Gibbston with a minimum of 12 tastings of some of the finest drops in the region. Now, here’s the twist, if beer is more your thing then bounce from vines to hops and taste some local craft beers instead.

Altitude Wine Tours - Twilight Wine & Craft Beer Experience

Appellation Central Wine Tours - Gourmet Food & Wine Tour (Queenstown)

Adult: $269.00

Experience an indulgent and diverse full-day tour showcasing the very best sights and tastes from the Central Otago region. Let your experienced wine guide lead you on a tasting journey through three contrasting Central Otago wine sub-regions; Gibbston, Bannockburn and Cromwell. Enjoy a guided tour through New Zealand’s largest
underground wine cave, indulge in a cheeseboard which accompanies a wine tasting, and savour a unique lunch perfectly matched with five wines. You will also have an opportunity to retrace history with a visit to the historical settlements of Arrowtown and Old Cromwell (when time permits). Learn about the early pioneering history and how the wine region was formed through an array of fun facts and interesting stories from your knowledgeable wine guide.
Appellation Central Wine Tours - Gourmet Food & Wine Tour

Bread to Bottle Tour MTM Experience (Dunedin)

Adult: $25.00 NZD

Visit Dunedin Craft Distillers, the first distillery in Aotearoa New Zealand and one of only a handful worldwide, to produce botanical spirits from surplus bread and bakery products that would otherwise go to landfill. Discover on this Make Travel Matter Experience, how owners, Jenny McDonald and Sue Stockwell do it in a ‘Bread to Bottle Tour’ which takes you through the process used to turn bread into spirits.

Bread to Bottle Tour MTM Experience

KJET (Queenstown)

NZ$135 Adult NZ$69 Child

Take on the mighty Shotover River with Kawarau Jet (KJet) – Queenstown’s original Jet boat ride. Only KJet offers a 60 minute Queenstown Jet boat experience with unforgettable thrills, spins & exhilaration across three waterways in one of the world’s most stunning locations.

KJET

Monarch Wildlife Cruise & Larnach Castle Tour (Dunedin)

NZ$160 Adult NZ$80 Child

Let your local driver take you on an exciting Otago Peninsula drive to New Zealand’s only castle. Your guided tour of the Larnach family home will give you insight into not only the architecture and style of the stately building, but also into William Larnach’s family life and the restoration done by the current owners during the past three decades. Enjoy views from the tower and marvel at the immaculate gardens before your return to Dunedin. Join our invigorating Wildlife Cruise around Taiaroa Head, home to the world's only mainland nesting place of royal albatross. Watch as these huge birds glide in from the ocean and soar high above their hillside nests.

Monarch Wildlife Cruise & Larnach Castle Tour
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