Splendid South: New Zealand's South Island Circuit
Duration
7 Days 6 Nights
Destinations
New Zealand, Christchurch, Queenstown
New Zealand's South Island is one of the few places on Earth where the landscape genuinely earns the descriptions usually wasted on lesser destinations. This 7-day seat-in-coach circuit runs from Christchurch south through the Mackenzie Basin, across to Queenstown, out to Milford Sound, and back — covering the terrain that makes the South Island worth the flight. The route is deliberately structured. You arrive in Christchurch, a city still in the long process of reinventing itself after the 2011 earthquake, and head inland the following morning. Lake Tekapo appears after two hours of Canterbury farmland — a glacially fed lake whose startling turquoise colour comes from suspended rock flour, not from any photographic treatment. Lake Pukaki, on the approach to Aoraki Mt Cook, is the same colour at greater scale. Queenstown serves as the base for two nights: one day on the road to Milford Sound, another free for the optional activities that have made the town famous as an adventure hub. The Milford Sound day is the one that demands honesty: it is a 12-hour round trip, long by any measure, but the fiord itself — walls of granite rising 1,200 metres out of the water, waterfalls running year-round, and silence once the boat moves away from the dock — makes the drive worth it. This is a tour for you if you want the South Island's main arc covered properly, with enough time at each stop to understand what makes it different from everywhere else.
- ◆Lake Tekapo — turquoise glacial lake under some of the darkest skies in the Southern Hemisphere
- ◆Aoraki Mt Cook — New Zealand's highest peak, framed by Lake Pukaki
- ◆Queenstown — two nights in the South Island's adventure capital
- ◆Milford Sound — fiord cruise through Fiordland's granite walls and waterfalls
- ◆Christchurch — gateway city set between the Pacific and the Southern Alps
Day-by-Day
Your arrival in Christchurch is a private transfer from the airport to your hotel — a straightforward start that gives you the afternoon to orientate yourself. Christchurch sits between the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Alps, and its city centre has been substantially rebuilt since the 2011 earthquake. The result is a city that feels newer than most New Zealand cities, with a riverside walkway along the Avon and inner-city gardens that have survived intact.
Christchurch City Centre — The post-earthquake rebuild has produced some genuinely interesting architecture alongside the restored heritage buildings. The central botanic gardens and the Avon River precinct are within easy walking distance of most accommodation.
Optional: Christchurch Tram Tour — a heritage tram circuit of the central city with commentary; Punting on the Avon River — a 30-minute pole-punt along the tree-lined river through the botanic gardens (own expense, bookable at the hotel).
Overnight: Christchurch
Meals: Independent.
Included
- check_boxMeet and greet arrival transfer in Christchurch
- check_box6 nights accommodation
- check_boxChristchurch to Lake Tekapo and Aoraki Mt Cook guided tour
- check_boxMt Cook to Queenstown guided transfer
- check_boxMilford Sound day tour with fiord cruise and lunch
- check_boxQueenstown to Christchurch coach transfer
- check_boxDeparture transfer to Christchurch Airport
Not Included
- disabled_by_defaultInternational and domestic flights
- disabled_by_defaultTravel insurance
- disabled_by_defaultMeals not specified in the itinerary
- disabled_by_defaultOptional activities and entrance fees
- disabled_by_defaultPersonal expenses, laundry and minibar
