Escorted Tours South Island New Zealand

Experience the best of New Zealand on escorted tours of the South Island, New Zealand. We offer the best flexible New Zealand escorted tours with no date or itinerary restrictions.

See the highlights with a private guide on escorted tours of the South Island, New Zealand. Each tour is all-inclusive and fully customisable.

7 Day South Island Guided Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Christchurch

Your fantastic guided South Island 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, Canterbury Museum or venturing to Sumner Beach.

In the evening option to add dinner aboard the Christchurch Tram. The Tramway Restaurant offers curated seasonal dining combined with evening sightseeing in central Christchurch for a truly unique experience!

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 2 Lake Tekapo + Mount Cook + Big Sky Stargazing Tour

Travel time Christchurch to Mt Cook Village – 4.5 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.

You will pass an amazing smoky turquoise lake, which is called Lake Tekapo, take a break in Lake Tekapo if you wish and visit the most photographed church in New Zealand – the famous Church of the Good Shepherd. Other attractions in Lake Tekapo include the spa complex Tekapo Springs and of course the world-famous Mt John Observatory.

Continue past Lake Pukaki on your way to Mt Cook Village, nestled at the foot of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mt Cook.

At 27 kilometres in length, the mighty Tasman Glacier is a powerful place to visit. While it slowly carves the valley sides, it provides a landing place for helicopters making it one of the best places in the country for a scenic flight or glacier heli-hike. You can also explore Tasman Glacial Lake in a small boat and experience the enormity of NZ’s largest glacier as you weave in and out of floating icebergs.

You may like to visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. Immerse yourself in captivating exhibits celebrating New Zealand’s pioneering spirit, or sit back and enjoy one of the inspiring films and planetarium shows on offer.

As night falls, prepare for an unforgettable adventure under the stars with Big Sky Stargazing. Gaze in awe at the dazzling southern skies above Aoraki Mount Cook National Park – the shining heart of New Zealand’s only International Dark Sky Reserve, one of just eight in the world. It’s a truly magical way to end your day in Mount Cook.

Stay 1 night in Mt Cook Village.

Day 3 Queenstown + Arrowtown + Queenstown TSS Earnslaw Cruise, Dinner & Farm Tour

Travel time Mt Cook Village to Queenstown – 3.5 hours

queenstown activities escorted tours south island new zealand — Queenstown TSS Earnslaw Cruise, Dinner & Farm Tour

Continue south to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. Along the way, your guide will take you to sample fresh fruit from the orchards of Cromwell. You also have the option to visit top wineries 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 nestled below the beautiful peaks that surround the sparkling Arrow River. The heart of its history is Buckingham Street, a procession of heritage buildings that stretches into a tree-lined avenue of tiny miner’s cottages. 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

Travel time Queenstown to Wanaka – 1.5 hours

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.

fall colors in Wanaka--the best time to travel to New Zealand for autumn scenery — Lake Wanaka

Wanaka has a reputation for great food and wine, with a wide variety of lakefront bars, cafés 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.

Explore Wanaka with your guide – 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.

Test out your fishing skills at “Hook”, Wanaka’s very unique interactive Lake to Plate dining experience. Catch a Chinook salmon from the scenic spring-fed fishing lakes and then relax as the team prepares it for you. No experience is necessary and fishing equipment can be hired on the day.

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 + Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Flight

Travel time Wanaka to Franz Josef – 4.5 hours

new zealand glaciers escorted tours south island new zealand — Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter

After the Milford Highway, 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 can 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 Scenic Plus – New Zealand Train + Christchurch

Travel time Franz Josef to Greymouth – 2.5 hours

Train travel time Greymouth to Christchurch – 4.5 hours

tranzalpine escorted tours south island new zealand — TranzAlpine Train ‘Ranked amongst the best train journeys in the world’

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.

Leave the rugged West Coast behind today as you board the TranzAlpine Train for a fantastic journey through Arthurs Pass. Travel past the soaring peaks and braided rivers of the Southern Alps, through the gorges of the Waimakariri River, and past the rolling Canterbury Plains. Scenic Plus transforms your TranzAlpine journey into a full sensory experience. As you take in the landscapes, enjoy a menu inspired by the very regions you travel through. Fresh, seasonal ingredients are prepared in the onboard kitchen and served at your seat, course by course, with matching New Zealand wines and beverages.

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.