Island of Delight - 12 Day South Island Small Group Tour

Tranz Alpine Train & West Coast Glaciers
Rated as one of the top six scenic train journeys in the world, the famous Tranz Alpine train will take you deep into the heartland of the South Island, a coast to coast journey through some of New Zealand’s most extreme and beautiful scenery. Travel along rugged the West Coast to the glacier township of Franz Josef where there is the opportunity to experience optional scenic flights over the glaciers. View incredible scenery as you pass the native forests and pristine lakes of the Westland National Park.


Queenstown & The Fiordland National Park
View incredible scenery as you travel past the untouched forests and pristine lakes of the World Heritage Westland National Park. The beautiful alpine resort village of Queenstown is regarded as NZ’s premier holiday destination and boasts leisure and adventure activities in all forms, from extreme to relaxed exploration. It is also a great base from which to explore the Fiordland National Park, home to the stunning fiords of Milford & Doubtful Sounds.

Central Otago & World Heritage Mt Cook National Park
Journey through the historic gold rush routes of Central Otago to Dunedin, the ‘Edinburgh of the South’. Take the opportunity to enjoy the cultural riches and abundant nature and wildlife before setting off to the world heritage listed Mt Cook National Park. Optional ski-plane and helicopter fl ights are available (subject to weather conditions) before returning to the garden city of Christchurch, alive with colour, atmosphere and world-class attractions.

Your Small Group Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Christchurch
‘Haere Mai’ … welcome to New Zealand

Having cleared customs & immigration formalities, you will be met by our representative & transferred by limousine to your city hotel.
Stay Hotel Grand Chancellor

Day 2 Tranz Coastal train to Picton & the Marlboropugh Sounds (B)
This journey is a scenic feast of New Zealand, with the Kaikoura mountain ranges on one side of your train and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline on the other. Travel through some of New Zealand’s finest horticultural and farmland areas and see amazing wildlife such as dolphins, seals and penguins from the comfort of your train carriage. The TranzCoastal travels through 22 tunnels and crosses 175 bridges, one of them being New Zealand’s only road-rail bridge. As on the TranzAlpine, the TranzCoastal includes an open air viewing carriage where all your senses are awakened with the clean, fresh, sea air. On arrival in Picton, join your water taxi transfer to Torea Bay & transfer over the saddle by resort vehicle to your hotel.
Stay The Portage Resort

Day 3 Stunning Kenepuru Sound (B)
A day to relax & marvel at the magic that is the Marlborough Sounds. Resort staff will share their love of the Sounds with you through the range of water and nature based experiences they put at your fingertips. The wide beach access is great for fishing, boating, sailing, swimming & sea-kayaking and there is a wealth of walks and meanderings in the immediate vicinity. There is also the opportunity to visit the vineyards & wineries that are located in the famous Marlborough wine region.
Stay The Portage Resort

Day 4 Kaikoura Coast, Christchurch (B)
Return by water taxi to Picton. Rejoin your coach and travel through Blenheim to Kaikoura, world-renowned as the whale-watching centre of New Zealand. Continue south to Christchurch, the nation’s second largest city and because of its extensive gardens and the Avon River meandering though it, is regarded as the most English of New Zealand cities.
Stay Hotel Grand Chancellor

Day 5 Spectacular Tranz Alpine Train, Franz Josef & Fox Glacier (B)
The Tranz Alpine is described as "The Great New Zealand Rail Adventure" and is rated as one of the top six scenic train journeys in the world. After crossing the huge and fertile patchwork farmlands of the Canterbury Plains, the Tranz Alpine winds its way over massive viaducts, through spectacular river gorges and the stunning Waimakariri River valley. It tracks its way up and across the spectacular Southern Alps via the alpine village of Arthur’s Pass situated 737 metres above sea level. Here you reboard your coach and then travel along the dramatic West Coast, steeped in history dating back to the gold rush era of the 1800's, to the township of Fox Glacier for our overnight stay.
Stay Te Weheka Inn

Day 6 Haast, Wanaka, Queenstown (B)
There is the opportunity to experience an optional scenic flight over this remarkable region (subject to weather conditions) before our departure this morning. Today, view incredible scenery as you travel past the untouched native forests and pristine lakes of the World Heritage Westland National Park and Haast Pass. We then travel over the magnificent Southern Alps to the Southern Lakes District. Time to wander around the popular lakeside townships of Hawea and Wanaka before travelling on to Queenstown, a beautiful alpine resort regarded as New Zealand's premier holiday destination.
Stay Heritage Queenstown

Day 7 , 8 & 9 Explore Queenstown & Fiordland National Park (B)
Enjoy three full days to experience this magnificent resort. Surrounded by majestic mountains, Queenstown boasts adventure activities in all forms, from extreme to relaxed exploration. Here you can take a thrilling jet boat ride, pan for gold, raft the white water rapids, take a wine trail, fish for trout, play golf or 4WD sheer canyons. It is also a great base from which to explore the Fiordland National Park, and optional day tours & overnight cruises to the awesome Milford & Doubtful Sounds are available. There are numerous activities from which to choose and your Tour Host will be pleased to offer advice and help you in your selection.
Stay Heritage Queenstown

Day 10 Arrowtown, Mt Cook National Park (B,D)
Set beneath the rugged Crown Range is Arrowtown, a fascinating collection of mining cottages with an atmosphere straight out of last century. Enjoy some time to stroll through this historic village located beside the Arrow River, once a haven for the gold prospectors of the 1860’s. Later, we travel through the towns of Omarama & Twizel before driving up the western side of Lake Pukaki to the Mt Cook National Park, a World Heritage listed site. Mt Cook is Australasia's highest mountain at 3764 metres. The park covers over 70,000 hectares of breathtaking alpine scenery and is also home to the Tasman Glacier, the longest in the Southern hemisphere (optional Ski-plane & helicopter flights are available subject to weather conditions).
Stay Mt Cook Hermitage – Aoraki Wing

Day 11 Tasman Glacier, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch (B)
Experience the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s largest, in the most unique way possible. An experienced guide will whisk you away in a stable MAC Boat to explore the melting ice-face of the Tasman Glacier where you will also get to touch & taste 400-year old icebergs that have been carved into the murky waters of the lake. Later we visit beautiful Lake Tekapo and view the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd, built of local stone and oak in 1935. Leaving the High Country, cross the vast Canterbury Plains to the 'Garden City' of Christchurch.
Stay Hotel Grand Chancellor

Day 12 Depart Christchurch (B)
Sadly, your holiday is at an end and you will be transferred to Christchurch airport today for your onward flight. Here, we bid you ‘Haere Ra’, a fond farewell and hope you leave with many happy memories of your stay in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Click here for a printer friendly version of this itinerary

 What's Included

Departure Dates

Tour Prices
Per Person in NZ$