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10 Days | Scenic beauty and delicious adventures in the South Island
4.8
Excellent
10 reviews
10 days
Start
Christchurch, New Zealand
Finish
Queenstown, New Zealand
Trip Code
PHPS
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 12
Physical Rating
Meals
9 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
Private vehicle, Jet boat, Cruise boat
Accommodation
Hotel (6 nights), Homestead (2 nights), Cruise boat (1 night)
From £4,675(10 days)
Trip Informations
Taking you from Christchurch to Queenstown via glaciers, wineries, lakes, and an overnight cruise on Milford Sound, this 10-day tour showcases the natural beauty and thriving food and wine scene in the South Island of New Zealand. Forage for fresh ingredients with a local chef in Otago, set your pulse racing during a jetboat ride in Queenstown and come face to face with endangered species at a wildlife centre on the West Coast, including New Zealand’s rarest kiwi. With a friendly leader to guide the way, you’ll experience a landscape that has been shaped by the elements over thousands of years.
Why you’ll love this trip
Experience some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery during your Feature Stay on Milford Sound aboard a purpose-built vessel.
Savour the flavours of the Otago region with a chef-led food and foraging Exclusive Experience on an expansive and stunning New Zealand deer station.
Take an exhilarating jetboat ride on the Kimi Akau (Shotover River). This Exclusive Experience takes you deep into the spectacular Shotover Canyons, with the Ngai Tahu - the Maori people of this land.
Enjoy a ranger-guided walk around the aptly named Blue Pools that feed the Makarora River and learn about the important work of the Aspiring Biodiversity Trust to reduce predators and save some of New Zealand’s rarest species.
Take a 'backstage tour' of the West Coast Wildlife Centre, helping bring the critically endangered Rowi and Haast tokoeka kiwi back from extinction. Come face-to-face with these rare creatures.
By travelling on this trip, you’ll learn about our Tuuur Foundation partner, Forest & Bird. Donations help them give nature a voice - protecting wildlife and wild places in Aotearoa New Zealand by advocating for conservation on the ground and at a government level. Tuuur will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Tuuur Foundation.
Is this trip right for you?
The diversity of the seasons here makes for incredible scenery, but the weather in this region can be unpredictable. It’s best to wear layers at all times of the year in case conditions change during the day. At night the temperature can really drop, so bring your warm clothes.
There are walking opportunities throughout this trip. We recommend you bring good quality walking shoes if you're keen to enjoy a hike - or two!
Itinerary
Inclusions
Meals
9 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Transport
Private vehicle, Jet boat, Cruise boat
Accommodation
Hotel (6 nights), Homestead (2 nights), Cruise boat (1 night)
Activities
Christchurch - Welcome Dinner
Complimentary Arrival Transfer
Greymouth - Monteith's Brewery Tour & Tasting
Greymouth - Pounamu (Greenstone) Studio Visit
Christchurch - Leader-led Orientation Walk
Lake Brunner - Nature Walk
Hokitika - West Coast Treetops Walk
Franz Josef - West Coast Wildlife Centre Visit with Ranger
Punakaiki - Rocks & Blowhole Visit
Franz Josef - Glacier View Walk
Makaroa - Aspiring Biodiversity Trust Lunch
Makaroa - Guided Flora and Fauna Walk with Local Ornithologist
Wanaka - Criffel Station Foraging & Lunch Experience with Local Chef
Milford Sound - Overnight Boat Cruise
Queenstown - Shotover River Jetboat Experience
Gibbston Valley - Wine Cave Tour
Arrowtown - Leader-led walk
Queenstown - Farewell Aperitivo
Add on activities
Franz Josef - Lake Mapourika Scenic Cruise - NZD120
Franz Josef - Waiho Hot Tubs - from - NZD89
Franz Josef - Heli-Hiking Tour - from - NZD695
Franz Josef - Kayaking Excursion - from - NZD145
Dates and availability
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Important notes
1. A Single Supplement is bookable on this trip, subject to availability at the time of booking. The price of the single supplement does not include the following nights, where a single room does not form part of the package. In this case you will be matched up with another traveller of the same gender: Day 7 - Milford Sound Cruise
Please also note that due to the small properties we use there is only a limited amount of single supplements available per trip departure. If you would like to book a single supplement and enquire about availability please speak to your booking agent.
2. The Milford Sound Cruise is seasonal and weather dependent. Some departures may require a slight shift in itinerary to make sure the cruise is included. If the Cruise has finished for the season, the Feature Stay will instead be the Milford Sound Lodge.
3. Travel is always an adventure and, as destinations reopen, there are a few challenges as everyone gets back up to speed and adjusts to the new normal. Our leaders are experts when it comes to dealing with anything unexpected along the journey, so pack your understanding and flexibility, sit back and relax while they take care of the rest.
4. Some changes will be required for departures over Christmas and New Years. On PHPS231219 and PHPS231221, the visit to Aspiring Biodiversity on Day 5 will be replaced by a boat ride to explore islands on Lake Wanaka, and Criffel Station on Day 6 will be replaced by Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Dining on the final night.
5. Criffel Station will be closed during the following departures: PHPS231228, PHPS240130, and PHPS240201. Instead, the visit will be replaced by Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Dining on the final night.
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