Alpine Romance South Island Honeymoon Itinerary

Haere Mai—welcome to the ‘Garden City’, Christchurch.

Relax, you’re officially on holiday. On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation. The remainder of the day is yours to unwind, adjust to the time difference, and ease into your New Zealand adventure. Enjoy discovering the city at your own pace with an all day tram pass on the Christchurch Tramway.

Accommodation: Christchurch - 2 Nights

Set out on a guided city meander tour through Christchurch, discovering the stories, culture, and creativity that shape this evolving city. Led by a knowledgeable local guide, explore hidden laneways, vibrant street art, and key landmarks while gaining insight into Christchurch’s history, regeneration, and Māori heritage. This relaxed walking tour offers a deeper connection to the city, blending storytelling with authentic local perspective

Included Meals: Breakfast

Pick up your rental car and leave the city behind as the spectacular Southern Alps await.

Travel across the sweeping Canterbury Plains before entering the Mackenzie Basin, where the stunning turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo are set against a backdrop of rugged alpine peaks. This peaceful high-country region, framed by the Southern Alps and views toward Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, showcases some of the most dramatic scenery in the country. Stop at the iconic lakeside church at Lake Tekapo, a picture-perfect landmark where the vivid blue lake and snow-capped mountains create an unforgettable setting.

Continue your journey into Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and settle into its dramatic alpine environment. Take time to explore this world-renowned mountain region at leisure, surrounded by towering peaks and glacial landscapes. As night falls, experience the unforgettable Big Sky Stargazing, where expert guides reveal the brilliance of the southern night sky in one of the world’s premier dark sky regions. A truly awe-inspiring encounter with the stars and the natural wonder of Aoraki / Mount Cook.

Approximate Distance: 330 km | 205 miles  Total Driving Time: 4 hours 30 mins

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Mount Cook National Park - 2 Nights

A day in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park offers a rich connection with nature. Explore alpine trails, glacial rivers, and scenic lookouts with breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks. Prefer a slower pace? Enjoy a peaceful picnic or simply soak in the dramatic surroundings. Whether you seek adventure or quiet reflection, this spectacular landscape caters to every nature enthusiast with unforgettable moments.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

The drive to Queenstown is stunning. Take your time and enjoy the scenic lookouts en route - your camera will get a workout. Clutha River, Lake Dunstan, and the Shotover River. The vineyards of the Gibbston area and bungy jumpers at the Kawarau River Bridge are interesting distractions along the way.

The alpine resort of Queenstown is exciting, sophisticated, and fantastically scenic. It’s the place to source almost any kind of adventure including bungy jumping, jet boating, horse trekking, rafting, and river surfing. It’s also a destination for luxury experiences – gourmet food and wine, spa treatments, and leisurely games of golf.

This evening you are booked in for a relaxing soak at the Onsen Hot Pools.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Approximate Distance: 265 km | 164 miles  Total Driving Time: 3 hours 30 mins

Accommodation: Queenstown - 4 Nights

Depart from Queenstown for an unforgettable aerial journey over the South Island’s most spectacular landscapes. Soar above the dramatic peaks of Fiordland National Park and the iconic fjords of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, where sheer cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and deep glacial valleys create one of the world’s great natural wonders.

Continue over the breathtaking “Big 5” glaciers, witnessing vast icefields and rugged alpine terrain from a perspective few ever experience. This scenic flight offers a truly awe-inspiring way to appreciate the scale and beauty of New Zealand’s remote wilderness before returning to Queenstown.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a free day at leisure in Queenstown, the adventure capital set on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by dramatic alpine peaks.

Today is yours to explore at your own pace—wander the lively waterfront, relax at a lakeside café, or take in the stunning mountain scenery that defines this vibrant town. For those seeking activity, Queenstown offers endless options from scenic walks to adrenaline experiences, or simply take time to soak up the atmosphere in this spectacular alpine setting.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Journey from Queenstown to the remote and breathtaking landscapes of Glenorchy, located at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu. Here, experience an exhilarating wilderness jet boat adventure through the pristine rivers of the Dart River Valley, surrounded by towering mountains, ancient beech forests, and untouched alpine scenery.

This thrilling experience combines high-speed jet boating with moments of serene beauty deep within a World Heritage–listed landscape, offering an unforgettable way to explore one of New Zealand’s most spectacular wilderness regions. After your adventure, return to Queenstown.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Set on the shores of New Zealand’s second-largest lake, Wānaka is often considered a more relaxed alternative to Queenstown, offering equally impressive lake and mountain scenery that makes it a standout stop on any South Island journey.

The drive is an experience in itself, crossing the dramatic Crown Range Road—the highest main road in New Zealand—where sweeping alpine vistas and scenic lookouts unfold along the way.

Once in Wānaka, this welcoming lakeside town is easy to explore on foot. Enjoy a leisurely stroll or cycle along the picturesque lakefront, framed by striking alpine scenery. Don’t miss the iconic “That Wanaka Tree,” a lone willow growing

Approximate Distance: 70 km | 43 miles  Total Driving Time: 1 hour 15 mins

Included Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Wanaka - 2 Nights

Experience the natural beauty of Wānaka from the water on a scenic lake cruise across Lake Wānaka to the remote and pristine Mou Waho Island.

On arrival, enjoy a guided island nature walk through this predator-free sanctuary, where native flora and birdlife thrive in a peaceful alpine setting. One of the island’s highlights is the hidden lake at its summit, offering a truly unique viewpoint surrounded by untouched wilderness. This immersive experience combines tranquil cruising with an easy walking exploration of one of the region’s most special conservation sites.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Travel from the South Island’s alpine heart into the wild beauty of the West Coast on one of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenic drives.

Journey through ever-changing landscapes as you cross the dramatic Haast Pass, where sweeping valleys, crystal-clear rivers, and dense native rainforest unfold at every turn. Along the way, enjoy short woodland walks and admire cascading waterfalls—ideal spots to pause and take in the untouched wilderness.

As the road descends toward the coast, the scenery transforms dramatically, revealing lush rainforest and rugged mountain terrain as you enter glacier country. Set within a rainforest clearing, Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere lies at the heart of Westland Tai Poutini National Park, surrounded by one of the most dynamic and diverse natural environments in New Zealand.

Welcome to a region where rainforest, mountains, and glaciers meet in unforgettable contrast.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Approximate Distance: 285 km | 177 miles  Total Driving Time: 4 hours

Accommodation: Franz Josef - 2 Nights

Steep and dramatic or vast and remote? The Twin Glacier flight means you don’t have to choose—you’ll experience both, along with a breathtaking snow landing. This unforgettable journey reveals two of New Zealand’s most iconic glaciers, Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe and Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, offering a rare chance to take in their contrasting ice formations and the dramatic alpine surroundings. 

Soar above vast icefalls, deep crevasses, and dramatic alpine peaks, with sweeping views of the surrounding rainforest and rugged Southern Alps. A snow landing (conditions permitting) offers a truly magical moment to step onto ancient ice and take in the pristine wilderness from a perspective few ever experience.

Afterwards, a visit to Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier is highly recommended. Here, nature has perfectly combined still waters and alpine scenery to create some of the most stunning reflections in New Zealand, with the Southern Alps and Aoraki / Mount Cook mirrored beautifully across the lake on calm days.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Begin your day with a scenic coastal drive north toward Greymouth, where rugged shoreline meets the wild Tasman Sea. Along the way, consider stopping in Hokitika, a creative West Coast town known for its artisan workshops and locally carved pounamu (greenstone), a stone of deep cultural significance to Māori - an ideal keepsake from your journey.

Continue on to Greymouth, where you’ll return your rental vehicle before boarding the iconic TranzAlpine for one of the world’s great rail journeys across the Southern Alps to Christchurch. On arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to your accommodation.

Approximate Distance: 175 km | 109 miles  Total Driving Time: 2 hours 30 mins

Rail Journey | 5 hours 

Included Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Christchurch - 1 Night

"Haere rā" Goodbye! and Bon Voyage!

We know you will enjoy touring New Zealand and our promise is to make your travels through New Zealand as hassle-free and hospitable as possible - ensuring that today you leave with a memory card full of photos, and huge smiles on your faces when recalling your time in New Zealand! Have a great homeward journey, farewell, and hope to see you again soon in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Included Meals: Breakfast