Your morning is free to explore Aoraki Mt Cook National Park with New Zealand’s best short walks right out the front door or take an optional flight up onto the Tasman Glacier. After lunch, we head south over the Lindis Pass and onto Queenstown.

• Take a short walk to explore the stunning alpine scenery of Aoraki Mt Cook
• Get up close to the Tasman Glacier on an optional helicopter flight
• Settle in for three nights in Queenstown and enjoy the vibrant mountain scene

We follow the shores of the great lakes Wakatipu and Te Anau into the mountains and waterfalls of Fiordland National Park. We cruise on Milford Sound dominated by iconic Mitre Peak and home to seal colonies and dolphins. A magnificent scenic flight back over the Southern Alps to Queenstown ends this fantastic day.

• From Lake Te Anau through Fiordland National Park on the Milford Road
• Small Boat Cruise on Milford Sound, under waterfalls, and out to the Tasman Sea
• A memorable scenic flight from Milford Sound back to Queenstown

Today is yours to make the most of the infinite choice of day tours and activities Queenstown has to offer. From lakeside walks, galleries, bike tours, food & wine, and of course the famous adventure activities like jet boating and bungy jumping, there’s something for everyone!

• Take your pick from literally hundreds of activities and tours on offer in Queenstown
• Take a leisurely walk or cycle on the excellent trails in the Wakatipu basin
• Enjoy dinner at one of the many award-winning restaurants on the lakefront

Today is a highlights reel of the Southern Lakes beauty, from Arrowtown, we climb up the Crown Range for our last views of the beautiful Wakatipu basin before calling into picture-perfect Cardrona Hotel and on to our lakeside accommodation in Wanaka.

• Gold mining history comes to life in Arrowtown
• Relax in the garden at the Cardrona Hotel
• Short walks or an optional activity in Wanaka
• Stroll along the lake at Wanaka, we’re staying right on the lakeside tonight

Today is a quintessential kiwi day, where else in the world can you visit the seaside, a rainforest, and a glacier all in the same day? From Lakes Hawea and Wanaka over the Haast Pass and out to the West Coast before ending our day in Franz Josef Glacier, your camera will be working overtime today!

• The stunning World Heritage Highway
• Short walks in the subalpine zone, rainforest and on the beach
• Wake up by the lakeshore in Wanaka, go to sleep surrounded by rainforest in Franz Josef

Your morning is free to discover Glacier Country and Westland with a walk to the Franz Josef Glacier Valley lookout or a visit to Okarito, home of the revered Kotuku – White Heron. After lunch, we head north via Hokitika to Punakaiki and Paparoa National Park.

• Franz Josef Glacier walks, or the option of a heli glacier landing
• An optional wildlife cruise on Okarito Lagoon
• Explore Hokitika, the ‘pounamu’ or jade capital of New Zealand
• Sunset views from our hotel right on the beach at Punakaiki

Paparoa National Park is very different from any other area on the trip, with towering limestone cliffs and karst rock formations with beautiful river valleys draped in subtropical forest.

• Discover the Pancake Rocks and blowholes
• Exciting West Coast optional tours like the glowworm caves in Charleston
• A few “guides favorites” like Denniston Plateau or the Brunner Mine site

Travelling north up the West Coast we call into Tauranga Bay and Cape Foulwind. Turning inland, we continue through the rugged Buller Gorge to Nelson, known for its arts and crafts scene.

• Enjoy an easy stroll to see the Cape Foulwind seal colony
• Pass through the rugged Buller Gorge to Murchison and on to Nelson
• Nelson is home to vineyards, orchards, and a lively arts and crafts scene

Abel Tasman is a highlight of the entire tour for many people. A picnic lunch is included so you can take your pick from a full scenic cruise or a cruise/walk combo to explore a section of the coastal track, one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, with time to relax on the beach or even jump in for a swim.

• Cruise the crystal clear blue waters of Abel Tasman National Park
• A guided walk and picnic lunch on the Abel Tasman coastal track

We call into Havelock at the head of Pelorus Sound to appreciate the spectacular views. In Marlborough, enjoy a private lunch and wine tasting at Wairau River Wines in this renowned wine region.

• Private lunch and wine tasting at Wairau River Wines in this renowned wine region
• Be awed by the coastline between the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikoura Ranges

(The “Celebrate our travels with dinner out on the town” bullet should be removed here, since the farewell has moved to the Midhurst Farm lunch on Day 12 below.)

We join Jane and Andy Gilchrist at Midhurst Farm on the Canterbury Plains to celebrate our travels with a delicious farewell lunch. Hear about their third generation family farm, a lamb fattening, cattle grazing and mixed cropping enterprise. Wander the farmhouse gardens and stroll to the lake before we depart for Christchurch, where we say our final goodbyes.

• Farewell lunch and farm tour with Jane and Andy Gilchrist at Midhurst Farm
• Arrive in Christchurch for our final goodbyes