Kaka Select: The South Island Rail & Alpine Expedition (Christchurch Start)

This nine-day South Island loop starts and ends in Christchurch, combining one of the world's great train journeys with a guided road trip through the Southern Alps, the West Coast glaciers, and down to Fiordland.

You travel by panoramic rail on the TranzAlpine before switching to a private coach for the rest of the route, staying in proper hotels and alpine lodges rather than backpacker digs. There's a good mix of guided activity and free time, with a hike at Mount Cook, a Milford Sound cruise, and a stretch of the Kepler Track by water taxi among the set pieces.

It suits travellers who want the scenery and the walks without roughing it — rooms are twin-share as standard, with the option of your own room, and a guide handles the logistics throughout.

What you'll do

• Cross the Southern Alps on the TranzAlpine train
• Explore the glacier country around Franz Josef
• Hike the Hooker Valley Track at the base of Aoraki/Mount Cook
• Cruise Milford Sound and reach part of the Kepler Track by water taxi
• Watch the Ata Whenua film at Fiordland Cinema
• Free time in Queenstown with a Mercure hotel and pool to come back to