07 Day South Island Family Guided Tour

Experience the best of New Zealand with our small group tours of the South Island. This family escorted tour is fully customisable, with no date restrictions.

Travel with a private guide and explore at your own pace. Our private small group tours of the South Island of New Zealand are suitable for children of all ages. We will help tailor your tour to suit your family.

Read on for more details on the 7 Day South Island Family Guided Tour.

7 Day South Island Family Holiday Guided Tour Itinerary | Small Group Tours New Zealand

Day 1 Christchurch

Your South Island family guided holiday begins in Christchurch, New Zealand’s “Garden City.” 

Discover the vibrant and picturesque garden city, renowned for its natural beauty, lively entertainment scene, and strong cultural heritage.

Explore Christchurch with your guide, options include; experiencing Christchurch Tramway, Gondola, Botanic Gardens, visiting the International Antarctic Centre or venturing to Sumner Beach.

In the evening option to add dinner aboard the Christchurch Tram, enjoy a three-course meal whilst touring the inner city, the perfect way to start your New Zealand tour.

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 2 Lake Tekapo

Travel time Christchurch to Lake Tekapo – 3.5 hours 

Your scenic journey through the Mackenzie Basin begins today. As the Southern Alps loom before you, there will be photo opportunities around every corner.

Picturesque by day and dazzling by night, Lake Tekapo is part of a UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, making it the perfect spot for stargazing and booking a stargazing tour.

Lake Tekapo has many things to do and explore. Visit the historic Church of the Good Shepherd, one of the most photographed places in the country. Around the corner from the Church is the Mackenzie Sheep Dog Statue, another great photo opportunity in an extraordinary setting.

One of the most popular attractions in town is Tekapo Springs. With hot pools, spas, water slides, steam rooms, saunas and more, they have everything covered for everyone.

Stay 1 night at Lake Tekapo.

Day 3 Queenstown Activities, Queenstown TSS Earnslaw Cruise, Dinner & Farm Tour

Travel time Lake Tekapo to Queenstown – 3.5 hours 

As you continue the spectacular drive south, you have the option to make a trip to Mt Cook Village – ask your guide.

Along the way to Queenstown, your guide will take you to sample fresh fruit from the orchards of Cromwell. You also have the option to visit several top wineries with your guide on the drive through the Kawarau Gorge.

Option to visit Arrowtown prior to reaching Queenstown. Arrowtown is charming and quirky – a delightful gold rush village. The heart of its history is Buckingham Street, a procession of heritage buildings that stretches into a tree-lined avenue. The buildings in this lovely precinct house shops, galleries, bars and restaurants. Continue on to Queenstown, New Zealand’s stunning alpine resort and adventure capital.

In the evening, relive the elegance of turn-of-the-century travel with a cruise aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw. Disembark at Walter Peak High Country Farm for a stunning gourmet BBQ meal and farm tour.

Stay 2 nights in Queenstown.

Day 4 Milford Sound Scenic Flight & Cruise + Queenstown Activities

Milford Sound is an area of extraordinary beauty. It offers a majestic fiord, dramatic and awe inspiring scenery and prolific flora and fauna.

Enjoy panoramic views as you fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound over mountains, glaciers, and the stunning World Heritage landscapes of Mt. Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. Your expert pilot provides fascinating commentary throughout this unforgettable journey.

Descend into Milford Sound with breathtaking aerial views of Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, and sheer alpine cliffs before landing at the remote airstrip.

Board a modern catamaran for a 1 hr 45 min cruise through the Fiord, discover the natural wonders of Milford Sound. Keep an eye out for fur seals, penguins, and dolphins while enjoying complimentary tea, coffee, and water.

After your cruise, rejoin your pilot for a spectacular return flight to Queenstown via a different scenic route – the perfect finale to an incredible day.

In the afternoon option to explore wineries, film locations, adventure activities or spoil yourself with a trip to a spa.

Day 5 Wanaka + Things To Do In Wanaka

Travel time Queenstown to Wanaka – 1.5 hour

Enjoy the scenic drive over the Crown Range to Wanaka – your guide will stop for photos at panoramic viewing points. Option to stop at the historic Cardrona Hotel and the Cardrona Distillery.

Wanaka has a reputation for great food and wine, with a wide variety of lakefront bars and restaurants serving exceptional local cuisine.

The crystal-clear water of the lakes and rivers are ideal for kayaking, fishing, lake cruises, and jet-boating, or to get an aerial perspective of the region and take a scenic helicopter flight.

You may want to visit Puzzling World, Wanaka’s illusional attraction; the National Toy and Transport Museum or the Wanaka Lavender Farm located just a few minutes from Wanaka, where you can experience 20 acres of beautiful lavender fields, farm animals & display gardens.

Stroll the streets and be inspired by galleries and stylish shops, visit ‘That Wanaka Tree’ for the perfect photo, or enjoy one of the many famous walking tracks such as Mt Iron.

Stay 1 night in Wanaka.

Day 6 Franz Josef + Glacier Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing

Travel time Wanaka to Franz Josef – 4.5 hours 

The Haast Pass Highway is one of the most scenic alpine routes in New Zealand. Explore the pass with your guide, stopping to view cascading waterfalls, broad alpine meadows, craggy snowcapped mountains, and the turquoise depths of the Blue Pools.

Continuing along the West Coast, your guide will take you to Lake Matheson, where you can take a 20 minute walk (one-way) to the jetty, to admire the reflected views of the Southern Alps on the surface of the lake.

In the afternoon, take a 20 minute scenic helicopter flight sweeping above Westland National Park as you explore Franz Josef Glacier before landing in the snow to enjoy exceptional views of the majestic Southern Alps. There’s nothing like having your feet on the ground at this elevation and really feeling like you’re part of the beautiful landscape. A very popular option to look at the spectacular glacier landscapes.

Stay 1 night in Franz Josef.

Day 7 Hokitika + TranzAlpine New Zealand Train + Christchurch

Travel time Franz Josef to Greymouth – 2.5 hours

Scenic train travel time Greymouth to Christchurch – 4.5 hours

Enjoy more West Coast beauty today. You may wish to visit Hokitika Gorge, where an impressive turquoise river flows through a narrow canyon. Also closeby you will find a great attraction in the West Coast Treetop Walk. The walkway is 450 metres in total and reaches heights of 20 metres giving you fantastic panoramic views. Hokitika is a great location worth exploring, famous for its rugged beach and arts and crafts scene. Carry on to Greymouth, which is located 30 minutes north of Hokitika.

Travel north to reach Greymouth where you will climb aboard the TranzAlpine Train, one of the world’s most famous train journeys. Ascend through thick stands of native beech forest before traversing the mighty Southern Alps, where spectacular views of the chiselled alpine landscape will take your breath away at every turn. Enjoy thrilling vistas over deep gorges as you travel alongside the ice-fed Waimakariri River, then cross the fertile farmlands of the Canterbury Plains, before arriving in the Garden City of Christchurch.

Your guide will be waiting for you at Christchurch Railway Station ready to take you to your Christchurch City accommodation.

Choose from your guide’s range of restaurant recommendations as you celebrate your final night in paradise.

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 8 Depart Christchurch

Your guide will deliver you to Christchurch Airport for your departing flight.

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