Southern Spectacular
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Experience Overview
Just like the name suggests, the New Zealand South Island tour showcases this spectacular island in-depth. Find yourself exploring South Island’s cities, gliding across Milford Sound, seeing the beauty of the wild West Coast, topped off with the TranzAlpine train and beyond in 10 incredible days.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 9 Breakfast (B)
- 7 Dinner (D)
- 1 Lunch (L)
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Pure Wilderness at Lake Manapouri
- Discover Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown
- Visit Franz Josef/Waiau, historic Arrowtown, and Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Punakaiki
- View Franz Josef Glacier, Southern Alps, and Mt. Cook
- Scenic Cruise on Milford Sound, and Lake Wakatipu
- Scenic Train Ride on the TranzAlpine
Be My Guest
- Be My Guest Afternoon tea with Pavlova Queen Angie at Lake Tekapo
- Lake Tekapo: Join your hosts, former farmers Angie and Stan Taylor, for a Pavlova afternoon tea in their home on the shores of Lake Tekapo.
Stays With Stories
- Stays With Stories Scenic Hotel Punakaiki
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Pure Wilderness at Lake Manapouri
- Fiordland National Park: Enjoy an exhilarating jet boat ride on Lake Manapouri, home to Pomona Island, where you'll help conserve a sanctuary for native plants and animals
Dive into Culture
- Walter Peak: Get up close to sheep and working dogs with a farm show at Walter Peak on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in the New Zealand high country.
Trafalgar Difference
- Punakaiki: Situated on idyllic Punakaiki Beach, the environmentally friendly retreat offers views of the ocean and rainforest. Designed in harmony with the environment, your stay gives you a unique insight into local ecology and nature.
Trip Details
Product Code: 34538
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Explorer, Budget
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 184.438B
Starts: Christchurch (Nz), New Zealand
Finishes: Christchurch (Nz), New Zealand
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- Porterage where hotels provide this service
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing
- All land transport shown. All transfers shown
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences and free time
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $5737 ($574 /day)
Itinerary
Welcome to Christchurch! (Flights to arrive prior to 4pm). Kick off your New Zealand South Island tour in this city that is rebuilding itself after the devastating 2011 earthquake. There’s plenty to see and your hotel near Cathedral Square in the heart of the city is the perfect jumping off point. Meet your Travel Director and travel mates for drinks before a free evening to get to know Christchurch as you like, perhaps exploring the Avon River, Botanic Gardens, Christchurch Casino, and Cashel Mall.
Accommodation: Distinction
Begin your day with a sightseeing tour of Christchurch featuring the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Earthquake Memorial, Bridge of Remembrance, and streets lined with bars, cafes, and riverside markets. Then go from city to country as you make your way to the quaint farming town of Geraldine. Grab a tasty sample at the famous Talbots Forest Cheese, sit down for lunch, and pop into the cute shops before journeying through the Canterbury Plains to the shores of Lake Tekapo. Afterwards, make a scenic stop at the little stone-hewn Church of the Good Shepherd. Next up, you’re in for a treat as you pull into the lakeside home of Angie and Stan Taylor for a Be My Guest experience over afternoon tea. Enjoy the Taylors’ insights from a lifetime of farming as well as a bit of real New Zealand hospitality as Angie invites you into her kitchen. You’ll get to watch and learn as she prepares the New Zealand specialty dessert, Pavlova before having a taste for yourself. After this sweet visit, you'll arrive in Twizel for the evening. Soak up the vibe of this cute town and popular holiday destination dining on classic New Zealand fare.
Accommodation: Distinction Mackenzie Country Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
A day of epic natural landscapes and cute colonial towns await you on your journey to Scottish inspired Dunedin, travelling along the Waitaki River en route to the quirky town of Oamaru. You'll feel like you’re stepping back into the Victorian era as you stroll the tree-lined streets past white limestone buildings and 19th century architecture. Take a tea break and browse the shops and galleries of traditional crafts before continuing your journey to the city of Dunedin, built as a 'mini Edinburgh' and vibrant university town. You have the rest of the day free to explore more of Dunedin town, or select from some tempting Optional Experiences. You could visit the famous Speight's Brewery, or tour Larnach Castle, New Zealand’s only castle. Later tonight swap stories with the group over dinner in the heart of the city where you’ll be spoilt for choice of fresh seafood or a specialty from the butcher’s block.
Accommodation: Scenic Southern Cross
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy plenty of stunning scenery as you make your way through farmlands to Te Anau. Travel through sheep farms into forested, rugged mountains into the Fiordland National Park and the South Island's largest lake to Te Anau. A truly memorable thrill awaits you next, exploring the islands on a jet boat ride down the Waiau River to Lake Manapouri savouring its many tranquil spots. Take in the birds and swimming trout as you learn about this unique environment’s history. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience is not only scenic but supports the Pomona Island Charitable Trust’s conservation efforts to restore the largest inland island in New Zealand to its natural state where native birds can thrive. If you’re still keen to see more, you could learn more about the area on an Optional Experience to the fascinating, glittering glowworm caves before ending a delightful day with dinner at your hotel.
Accommodation: Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Begin your day travelling through Fiordland National Park past native rainforests, beech forests, alluvial flats, and meadows. Passing Mirror Lakes, catch the reflection of the surrounding mountains shimmering in the water. Wind your way through the Homer Tunnel, where the sheer rocky ranges have been cut through, to the Cleddau Valley. Then get right in the middle of the stunning scenery cruising the tranquil waters of the Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Watch Bowen and Stirling Falls cascade from hanging valleys into the sea and the sheer pinnacle of Mitre Peak rising from the deep waters of the fiord. With photo ops at every turn and maybe a fur seal or two popping up, it’s a gorgeous afternoon on Milford Sound and a must-do experience on your New Zealand South Island tour. On arrival, excitement is sure to be at an all-time high as we arrive in the adventure capital of Queenstown at your picturesque hotel on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.
Accommodation: Millennium
Meals: Breakfast
Explore Queenstown that you’ve been dreaming of today with plenty of adventure-filled Optional Experiences to choose from. Join a tour to Skippers Canyon, or go for maximum adventure riding the adrenaline pumping Skippers Jet. This evening it’s time to relax and Dive Into Culture on a cruise aboard New Zealand's oldest steamship, the TSS Earnslaw, across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm. You’ll be warmly greeted at the Colonel's Homestead by a gourmet barbecue dinner piled high with ribs and fresh vegetables. Sit back and be entertained by an after-dinner farm show, that will give you a glimpse into high country farm life. After a fun-filled evening at the homestead, board the Earnslaw and head back to Queenstown, maybe taking a spin on their polished wooden dance floor.
Accommodation: Millennium
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
It’s a day of epic scenery into untamed wilderness as you head through Central Otago to the West Coast. Your first stop is the restored gold mining settlement of Arrowtown. As you walk down its tree-lined avenues and have a look at the 19th-century wooden buildings, you’ll feel as if you’re in a movie set of the Old West. You’ll then travel to Cromwell on the shores of Lake Dunstan for a visit to the Jones Family fruit stall. Take a break sampling of some of the town's juicy stone fruit including apricots, nectarines and peaches before journeying further into Central Otago where the vivid blue waters and willow-lined shoreline of Lakes Hawea and Wanaka call. Take to an ancient greenstone trail, cross Haast Pass, and bid farewell to the alpine scenery of the Southern Lakes as you meet the rainforests of the West Coast for the first time. Stunning scenes await as you approach your destination of the famous Franz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere. Perhaps join an optional helicopter flight for unforgettable views of take in its majesty from the ground.
Accommodation: Scenic Franz Josef Glacier
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Awaken to a day filled with natural and man-made beauty. You have time to explore Franz Josef/Waiau, soaking up the charm of this alpine village. Pause at a scenic lookout for a glimpse of the mighty Franz Josef Glacier, then browse the quirky shops of Hokitika before joining Rachel, a Local Specialist, for a guided walk through Hokitika Gorge, where brilliant blue-green waters weave beneath a swingbridge and through lush native bush. Onwards to the eco-friendly, Stays With Stories waterfront Scenic Hotel Punakaiki, where you’ll dine on local specialities and wine as the surf rolls and churns just outside your window.
Accommodation: Scenic Punakaiki
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
It’s your last full day in New Zealand and it’s a big one full of local tastes and sights. Travel to Greymouth’s Pounamu Pathway, for history and culture celebrating local Māori. Enjoy a pub-style lunch at local institution Monteith's Brewery, proud to operate in Greymouth since 1868 and perhaps try one of their summer ales or a crushed pear cider. Now that you’ve wet your whistle, board the famous TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch on one of the world’s most scenic train trips through tunnels and over viaducts with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, beech forests, gorges, and river valleys. This journey across the South Island along the Waimakariri River and across the Southern Alps is a grand finale to the landscapes you’ve come to love. Celebrate the highlights of your trip joining your Travel Director and new friends for dinner showcasing food from the Canterbury region.
Accommodation: Distinction
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
It’s been a beautiful time but sadly all good things must come to an end. Your New Zealand South Island tour concludes this morning after breakfast with a fond farewell before your transfer to the Christchurch Airport (flights anytime).
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Jennifer Sloman - Traveled, April 2025
Tour Report. It was very good, well organized, with a very competent tour guide. *Personal information removed by Feefo*. It is a very good itinerary.*Personal information removed by Feefo*, our Tour guide, was excellent, very informative and extremely well organized. Everything flowed along beautifully. We covered a lot of ground in a very short time. The hotel accommodation was very good also.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/04/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
Southern NZ tour. There was a mix up at the Christchurch airport when we arrived a bit t after midnight. We were taken to the Distinction Hotel, but we were actually booked in to the Sudima. Comprehensive look at New Zealand's South Island with an excellent guide in Isabelle who went to great lengths to make our trip both enjoyable and informative.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/02/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, March 2025
Loved the Southern Spectacular. Everything was clear and easy. It was a great itinerary. I think we did a tremendous tour of what the South Island has to offer. But our guide *Personal information removed by Feefo* and driver *Personal information removed by Feefo* made it over the top for us. Everything was so well done and easy for everyone. They were kind and generous with their time and patient with us. I think everyone on the tour felt the same way. They were terrific.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/24/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, October 2024
Great itinerary that hit the highlights of the Southern Island and also provided a deep appreciation for New Zealand, its people and culture.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/20/2024
John Carroll - Traveled, February 2025
Thank you Nathen for a great trip! Lots of fun. Great experience! I wish I could spend days at every stop. Perhaps book excursions in advance to secure them.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/20/2025
Marjorie Grier - Traveled, February 2025
Guide and driver were the best! A lot of time on the coach, but fabulous tour. Feel like I saw all the highlights!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/18/2025
Arlene Shemaka - Traveled, January 2025
New Zealand South Island was truly spectacular. Our itinerary was paced just right and the optional experienced gave us the opportunity to customize the trip. Our director was well informed and kept us entertained the whole trip. Great driver as well.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/20/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, September 2023
Awesome Southern Spectacular! Saw so much of the beauty that is the South Island of New Zealand! Enjoyed the included and optional experiences. *Personal information removed by Feefo*, travel director, and *Personal information removed by Feefo*, driver, were exceptional; so much fun and took care of every detail! The itinerary covered all the highlights in only 9 days.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/20/2023
Harvey Hove - Traveled, November 2024
Nice rooms, and tour guide was great. Great tour.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/20/2024
Monika Mcshane - Traveled, September 2024
First but not last Trafalgar tour. The tour was great. Had some emails from Trafalgar prior to departure with helpful info etc. but most of my trip was organized by my travel agent. The trip was excellent from start to finish. You are extremely well looked after in terms of food, accommodation etc. There is a good balance of activities. You do cover a lot of ground. The tour guide was knowledgeable, helpful and very entertaining. Good sized group, plenty of ‘bathroom stops’, no rushing or stress anywhere. Highly recommend this trip. Good value for money.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/20/2024
