About this trip
Nine days through New Zealand's South Island, starting in Christchurch and taking in Mount Cook, Wanaka, Queenstown and Milford Sound. It's built around the region's outdoor reputation, with a mix of scenery, hikes and adrenaline activities along the way.
You'll travel as a small group with a guide throughout, staying in shared accommodation and covering a fair bit of ground as you move between the South Island's main adventure hubs.
What you'll do
- Cruise through Milford Sound
- Jet boat through the scenery made famous by Lord of the Rings
- Explore the adventure towns of Wanaka and Queenstown
- Hike to lookout points with views over Mount Cook
- Travel from Christchurch through the heart of the South Island
- Moderate pace with a mix of activity levels
- Shared rooms throughout, so expect to room with other group members
- Fully guided with a group leader for the whole trip
Worth it if you want South Island highlights efficiently covered with quality guides. Think twice if you need downtime or prefer smaller groups.
- Guide quality stands out consistently—Tommy, Sean, Alex, James, Danny all praised for knowledge, patience, and genuine care.
- Packs main South Island attractions plus activities into 9 days without feeling rushed; time to actually explore at stops.
- Nomad's hostel accommodation noted as poor; check where you're staying on specific nights before committing.
- Tour covers a ton of ground quickly—brilliant for time-limited travellers, less ideal if you prefer slower pace.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Sep is cheapest — from £1,150, about 9% below the priciest month (Jul).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Christchurch · 9 Sept – 10 Sept
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