7-Day New Zealand South Island Tour
Experience the Spirit Of The South
What’s the best way to experience the South Island in one week?
Our 7-Day Spirit of the South Private Tour brings together the beauty of the South Island in one well-planned journey, from glacial lakes and high-country landscapes to Queenstown, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Fiordland.
Planned by Queenstown-based travel specialists and local guides, this itinerary is shaped around your pace, accommodation style and the experiences you most want to include, so your South Island holiday feels relaxed, personal and easy from start to finish.
South Island (Reversible)
A Real Client Experience
“We can’t say enough about the exceptional experience we had using Kathy and Wayne to help plan and orchestrate our magical trip to New Zealand! Kathy helped us curate a plan for the South Island that included Milford Sound, Mount Cook, a helicopter ride to a hanging glacier in Earnslaw Burn, complete with wine and cheese picnic lunch, a haunted hotel, lake Wanaka and SO MUCH MORE! Wayne was our driver and tour guide extraordinaire, with unique and fascinating stops along the way, and an entertaining flow of puns and dad jokes that honestly were the icing on the cake. So glad that after trying to plan the trip ourselves, we turned it over to them for such a well planned, well spent itinerary. They are both fantastic, and worth their weight in gold in our book!”
Mariam DePriest
7-Day Spirit of the South Private Tour
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Christchurch – Aoraki/Mount Cook – Lake Tekapo – Queenstown – Milford Sound – Wānaka – Hooker Valley Track – Big Sky Stargazing – TSS Earnslaw – Scenic Flights
Travel Style:
Private Driver | Self-Drive Option | Tailored Private Touring
Accommodation Style:
Quality Hotels | Boutique Stays | Premium Lodges | Luxury Upgrades Available
What We Arrange For You
We take care of the details that make your South Island journey feel easy, including:
Route planning through Christchurch, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Queenstown and Milford Sound
Accommodation selected to suit your style, comfort level and budget
Private transfers between airports, hotels and key locations
Guided touring days with local knowledge and scenic stops along the way
Self-drive arrangements if you prefer more independence
Activities and special experiences matched to your interests
Timing between each destination so the journey feels relaxed and well planned
Local recommendations for places to pause, explore, dine or enjoy the views
Flexibility to shape the itinerary around your travel dates, pace and preferences
ITINERARY
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Explore: Christchurch
New Zealand's garden city is steadily being transformed into a vibrant urban destination. Encompassing a large green belt, it's known for its wide tree-lined avenues and lush gardens. Christchurch is also known for many great restaurants, with the local delicacy being fresh-caught crayfish.
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Today you'll drive through the heart of the South Island, crossing the vast Canterbury plains. Catch your breath in Geraldine before continuing through Fairlie. Ascending Burkes Pass, you'll come to the picturesque lakeside town of Tekapo. Follow the road and take in the view of Aoraki Mount Cook (New Zealand's tallest mountain) from the shores of Lake Pukaki, known for its glacier-fed turquoise blue color. Continue along the lake to your final destination, Mount Cook Village.
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Scenery: Heli or Ski Plane FlightThis Mount Cook helicopter tour or ski plane adventure is the ultimate way to see the Southern Alps. Traverse the Main Divide to the West Coast and view the magnificent landscape of the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Track north along the Tasman Sea before recrossing the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps to the Tasman Glacier.
Nature: Big Sky Stargazing
Take a mesmerizing journey through the cosmos as you explore the wonders of New Zealand's night sky; home to planets, stars and a whole other world we only dream about. Our resident astronomy guides will take you on a 90-minute tour of the night sky through high powered telescopes along with discussing incredible features visible to the naked eye.
Scenery: Glacier Explorer
Cruise around the Tasman Glacial Lake and experience the enormity of NZ's largest glacier. The towering ice wall is really quite incredible, with an astonishing history.
Scenery: Hooker Valley Walk
Walk one of New Zealand’s most loved alpine trails in the Hooker Valley, with views of glaciers, swing bridges, mountain peaks and Aoraki/Mount Cook on a clear day.
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Leaving the alpine region of Aoraki Mt Cook, you'll travel through the lakeside town of Twizel, then a little further to Omarama the gliding capital of New Zealand. Continue on over the Lindis Pass, one of New Zealand's highest roads with a summit of 971 metres. Arrive in the quaint village of Tarras, then continue on a short way to the historic Bendigo Reserve, one of Otago's original gold mining settlements.
Follow the road to Cromwell, and keep going through the sheer cliffs of the Kawarau Gorge towards Gibbston, one of New Zealand's premier wine growing regions. See the historic Kawarau Bridge where you can bungy jump or relax and watch others take the plunge. Approaching Queenstown, the Remarkables mountain range comes into view as you arrive into the adventure capital of New Zealand
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Suggested activities
Explore: Queenstown and surrounds
Celebrated as New Zealand's adventure capital, Queenstown offers far more than a fast-paced action-packed holiday. Settled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu beneath a soaring panorama of the Remarkables Mountain Range, this alpine town is surrounded by a plethora of historic, gastronomic, and scenic wonders.
Adventure: Arrowtown and Skippers Luxury 4WD Private Tour
Embark on an immersive journey through the historic charm of Arrowtown and the exhilarating adventure of Skippers Road on our luxury 4WD private tour. With the comfort and safety of our premium vehicle, you'll experience the thrill of this historic route like never before
World Famous: TSS Earnslaw cruise to Walter Peak including gourmet BBQ dinner and a farm tour
Enjoy a quintessential Kiwi experience – a delicious gourmet BBQ buffet meal and a farm demonstration in a stunning lakeside setting.
Take in the stunning views of Lake Wakatipu and its surroundings as you cruise across the lake to the historic Walter Peak high country farm aboard the TSS Earnslaw Steamship.
After dinner, watch the farm dogs in action with a sheep-herding demonstration and say hello to the other farm animals.
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Suggested Activity
Nature: Milford Mariner Overnight Cruise
Onboard the Milford Mariner you will cruise the full length of this spectacular fiord to the Tasman Sea, leisurely exploring on the way many points of interest.
After reaching the open sea, subject to weather and favourable conditions the sails are hoisted for a period. The vessel returns to the calm and shelter of Harrison Cove for your overnight stay.
Accompanied by a nature guide, you can go exploring in the tender craft and kayaks or simply relax on deck. After the day's activities, you enjoy a delicious evening buffet in the spacious saloon before retiring to your private cabin. There is plenty of time to view the waterfalls, rainforest, mountains and wildlife and the experienced nature guide on board will be able to answer any questions you may have.
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Enjoy the wonderful drive along the Milford Road as you head back towards Te Anau. Crossing the rolling tussock lands, pass through Mossburn, the deer capital of New Zealand. Following the lake north, the Remarkable mountain range towers over you as you approach the adventure capital of Queenstown. Once you arrive back in Queenstown, it is time to say goodbye to your South Island journey.
Want to adjust the pace?
This itinerary is only a starting point. We can add extra nights, upgrade accommodation, adjust activities, or slow the journey down to suit your travel style.
Is this tour right for you?
This tour is ideal if you want to experience the heart of New Zealand’s South Island in one well-planned week, without having to work out all the details yourself.
We take care of the planning, from your route and accommodation to private transfers, guided touring days, activities, special experiences and the timing between each location. Everything is carefully arranged so your journey feels smooth, relaxed and thoughtfully planned from start to finish.
It suits travellers who want the comfort of a personalised itinerary, with local guidance and the confidence of knowing the important details have been handled properly. We know the roads, the distances, the best scenic stops and how to balance famous South Island highlights with quieter local moments along the way.
This is a wonderful option if you want to experience Christchurch, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Queenstown, Milford Sound and the South Island’s dramatic alpine scenery, without joining a large coach tour or trying to piece everything together on your own.
FAQs
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This itinerary is a starting point and can be customised to suit your travel dates, pace, interests and accommodation style. We can adjust the route, add extra nights, upgrade accommodation, include more private touring, or change activities depending on what you would most like to experience.
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This tour is ideal for travellers who want to experience the heart of the South Island in one well-planned week, without having to organise every detail themselves. It suits couples, families, small groups and travellers wanting a personalised journey with local guidance.
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As a general guide, this tour starts from around NZD $6,000 per person, based on two people travelling and staying in quality accommodation.
The final price will depend on your travel dates, accommodation style, number of travellers, transport style, private touring and the activities or special experiences you would like included.
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Accommodation is flexible and selected to suit your preferences and budget. We can include quality hotels, boutique stays, premium lodges or luxury upgrades, depending on the style of journey you would like.
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This tour can include private guided touring, private transfers, self-drive sections and selected local experiences. We will shape the travel style around your comfort level, budget and how much guidance you would like along the way.
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We take care of the planning so the journey flows properly. This includes your route, accommodation, transfers, touring days, activities and timing between each location. With our local South Island knowledge, we help create a smoother, more personal holiday than simply booking separate pieces online.
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Yes. Extra nights can be added if you would like more time in places such as Queenstown, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Christchurch, Milford Sound or Wānaka.
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Get in touch with us and we will start with a relaxed conversation about your travel dates, interests, accommodation preferences and the experiences you would like to include. From there, we can prepare a personalised itinerary and quote for your South Island holiday.