Join AAT Kings for this special 11-day tour of the South Island. Starting in Wellington and travelling south this itinerary highlights two hand-picked cruises - Milford Sound and the Tasman Glacier. Gain an insight into farming in the Mackenzie country as you visit a property near Tekapo and dinner at a stunning winery in the famous Marlborough region. As with all AAT Kings products all you need to do it turn up and the rest is taken care of.
Escorted coach tour
This suggested tour costs from NZD$5,145 per person (twin share, low season)
Starts in Wellington, finishes in Queenstown
11 days/10 nights
Hotel 4 star
Pre and post tour options? YES
Viewed 14 times in the last 7 days
10 breakfasts
6 dinners
1 Lunch
Wellington City Sights Tour
Day 1: Start your tour in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. Accommodation: Novotel Wellington
Day 2: Spend a day discovering Wellington. Accommodation: Novotel Wellington
Day 3: Head into New Zealand's most famous wine region, Marlborough. Accommodation: Scenic Hotel Marlborough (or similar)
Day 4: Choose how you enjoy your time in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Accommodation: Scenic Hotel Marlborough (or similar)
Day 5: Heading South, soak up the ocean views on your way to Christchurch. Accommodation: Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square (or similar)
Day 6: Experience true kiwi hospitality at the home of Angie and Stan Taylor. Accommodation: Hermitage Hotel (or similar)
Day 7: Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring Mt Cook National Park. Accommodation: Hermitage Hotel (or similar)
Day 8: Enjoy a scenic journey into the Fiordland National Park. Accommodation: Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas (or similar)
Day 9: Cruise the bewitching Milford Sound. Accommodation: Millennium Hotel Queenstown
Day 10: It's your last day and time to choose your adventure. Accommodation: Millennium Hotel Queenstown
Day 11: The time has come to bid your travel companions a fond farewell.
Welcome to Wellington, New Zealand's Capital City. Flights can arrive any time prior to 4.00 pm and you will be transferred from the airport to your Wellington hotel. This evening, meet your fellow travellers and your AAT Kings Travel Director at a welcome reception at your hotel.
On arrival into Wellington, you will be transferred to your hotel.
This evening meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers for a welcome reception and dinner.
Your accommodation: Novotel Wellington
Novotel Wellington is conveniently located in the heart of the city, close to the Te Papa Museum, Convention Centre, Parliament, Westpac Stadium and the waterfront as well as the many other attractions of the city.This morning you will head out with a local specialist on a walking tour of quirky cultural capital of Wellington. You’ll discover an in-depth guide to Wellington’s culture and the vibrant food and drink scene. This afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore Wellington on your own.
Your accommodation: Novotel Wellington
Novotel Wellington is conveniently located in the heart of the city, close to the Te Papa Museum, Convention Centre, Parliament, Westpac Stadium and the waterfront as well as the many other attractions of the city.Meals included: Breakfast
This morning, you will board the Interislander for a cruise across the Cook Strait, from the North Island to the South. Surprisingly it takes longer to cruise up the Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton than it does to cross the open ocean of Cook Strait. You will meander through a maze of arms and inlets into the sleepy seaside village of Picton, Later it is onto Blenheim for an orientation tour before heading to your accommodation. Later we visit one of the regions famous wineries, Hans Herzog Estate for a tasting and 3-course dinner. (winery may change).
Your accommodation: Scenic Hotel Marlborough (or similar)
Scenic Hotel Marlborough is centrally located in Blenheim, in the heart of Marlborough's wine growing region. Just minutes walk from the city centre.Meals included: Breakfast, Speciality Dinner
Explore Blenheim your way. You could choose from optional experiences on land or sea. Indulge in a half-day winery tour of the best wineries in the region or take the Greenshell mussel cruise into the magnificent water of the Marlborough Sounds where you will learn about the local history of the area and visit a mussel farm to learn all about this local industry. Tonight, enjoy dinner at your hotel.
Your accommodation: Scenic Hotel Marlborough (or similar)
Scenic Hotel Marlborough is centrally located in Blenheim, in the heart of Marlborough's wine growing region. Just minutes walk from the city centre.Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Travel to Kaikoura, where Sperm Whales can often be seen not far from shore (an optional whale-watching flight is available). Travel along the Pacific Ocean coast and across the colourful Canterbury Plains to Christchurch.
Upon arrival see how Christchurch is rebuilding after the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, and pop into the Transitional Cathedral in Latimer Square, the temporary home of the Christchurch Cathedral. It is the worlds only cathedral made substantially of cardboard and has to be seen to be believed. Tonight, speak with your Travel Director about dining recommendations in Christchurch's inner city.
Your accommodation: Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square (or similar)
A modern hotel tower built alongside an historic heritage-listed building, Novotel Christchurch is perfectly located in the very heart of Cathedral Square. Featuring spacious rooms with contemporary design and double glazed windows, you're just a short walk to restaurants and entertainment.Meals included: Breakfast
Today is another day to get some warm kiwi hospitality at Morelea, the home of Angie and Stan Taylor, indulge in a Be My Guest barbecue lunch and hear about a lifetime spent farming in New Zealand. The famous Pavlova dessert will also be on offer and you'll also get to witness how this is made by Angie. From here it's on towards the spectacular scenery of the Southern Alps and then along the shores of majestic Lake Pukaki, before arriving in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Mt. Cook, the mountain that helped Sir Edmund Hillary hone his skills in preparation for his conquest of Everest. Tonight, enjoy dinner with a breathtaking mountain view.
Your accommodation: Hermitage Hotel (or similar)
The Hermitage Hotel ringed by magnificent snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, is a world-renowned tourist destination and has been an icon of superior accommodation and dining since 1884.Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
First up you’ll get to experience the Tasman Glacier - New Zealand's largest glacier by boat. After a half-hour walk to the terminal lake of the Tasman Glacier, explore the melting ice face of the Tasman Glacier and icebergs that have carved into its murky waters. The lake feels eerie and magical as the boat cruises slowly for one hour, from one point of interest to the next whilst the guide shares the history of the glacier, lake and Mount Cook National Park, allowing you to build your own picture to the unique nature of the area. All this plus an awesome backdrop of New Zealand's highest and most spectacular mountains, including Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.
Later you will have time to enjoy your surroundings back at the Hermitage before you spend the night star gazing. (optional experience)
Your accommodation: Hermitage Hotel (or similar)
The Hermitage Hotel ringed by magnificent snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, is a world-renowned tourist destination and has been an icon of superior accommodation and dining since 1884.Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Today is another scenic day where you will travel over the Lindis Pass through Central Otago. You'll get to visit Cromwell, situated next to the sparkling pristine waters of Lake Dunstan, where you will stop in at a local orchard for a taste of some of the town's delicious stone fruit. On the way into Queenstown, you will stop and visit the perfectly restored gold mining settlement of Arrowtown. As you amble down the beautiful tree-lined avenues, past the 19th-century wooden buildings, you will feel like you have stepped into a movie set.
After, make your way to Fiordland National Park to the South Island's biggest lake and the town of Te Anau. This afternoon, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy the thrill of jet boating down the majestic trout filled Waiau River, to the serene Lake Manapouri, step foot into ancient beech forests and learn all about this unique location among Fiordland National Park. Tonight, enjoy dinner at your hotel.
Your accommodation: Distinction Te Anau Hotel & Villas (or similar)
Ideally located on the lakefront the hotel is just a few minutes stroll for the shops, cafes and activities on offer.Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
After leaving Te Anau, you will journey through the Fiordland National Park and out to Milford Sound on one of the most scenic roads you could hope for. Travel through native rainforests, beech forests, alluvial flats and meadows. You will stop at Mirror Lakes where, as the name suggests, you can see the stunning mountain scenery perfectly reflected in the waters of the lakes. Then on to the Homer Tunnel, man's attempt to master the sheer rocky ranges still left rough-hewn around the edges. As you emerge out the other side of the tunnel, you are presented with one of the world's most dramatic alpine drives, down through the Cleddau Valley.
You will have a stop at the Chasm, where the roaring Cleddau River has carved its way through solid rock, and then it's on to South Island's unmissable Milford Sound, where you will cruise the waters of this natural wonder. Your cruise meanders down the sound, taking in the Bowen and Stirling Falls as these plummet from glacial hanging valleys sharply into the sea, and the sheer pinnacle of Mitre Peak, rising from the deep waters of the fiord. After this unforgettable experience, you will travel on to the beautiful sights of the adventure capital, Queenstown. An orientation tour around the shores of Lake Wakatipu takes you into the city centre before arriving at your hotel.
Your accommodation: Millennium Hotel Queenstown
Millennium Hotel Queenstown is located in the heart of Queenstown within minutes of the central shopping and entertainment area.Meals included: Breakfast
Spend time in Queenstown either relaxing or exploring on an optional experience. Venture out on a Scenic Tour visiting the many filming locations of the Lord of the Rings, alternatively sit back and enjoy a peaceful cruise across Lake Wakatipu aboard New Zealand's oldest steamship, the TSS Earnslaw, to Walter Peak Station. Indulge in a gourmet BBQ Highlight Lunch at Walter Peaks; Colonel's Homestead overlooking the lake. This evening, join your Travel Director for dinner at Queenstown's Boatshed. Set in the restored historic Railway Shipping Office and relocated to its lakefront setting in 1936, The Boatshed with its spectacular views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, it is the perfect venue for your exclusive dinner with wine.
Your accommodation: Millennium Hotel Queenstown
Millennium Hotel Queenstown is located in the heart of Queenstown within minutes of the central shopping and entertainment area.Meals included: Breakfast, Speciality Dinner
Say farewell to your fellow travellers when your holiday comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Throughout today you will be transferred Queenstown Airport for your onward flight.
Starts | Status | Twin/Double (2 people sharing) | Single occupancy | You save | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oct 23, 2021
Hot deal
(Saturday) |
was NZD$5,360
now
NZD$5,165
|
was NZD$6,930
now
NZD$6,735
|
save
NZD$195pp
|
Enquire Book | |
Nov 6, 2021
Hot deal
(Saturday) |
Guaranteed
departure date
|
was NZD$5,360
now
NZD$5,165
|
was NZD$6,930
now
NZD$6,735
|
save
NZD$195pp
|
Enquire Book |
Dec 11, 2021
Hot deal
(Saturday) |
was NZD$5,360
now
NZD$5,165
|
was NZD$6,930
now
NZD$6,735
|
save
NZD$195pp
|
Enquire Book | |
Jan 22, 2022
Hot deal
(Saturday) |
was NZD$5,360
now
NZD$5,165
|
was NZD$6,930
now
NZD$6,735
|
save
NZD$195pp
|
Enquire Book | |
Feb 19, 2022
Hot deal
(Saturday) |
Guaranteed
departure date
|
was NZD$5,360
now
NZD$5,165
|
was NZD$6,930
now
NZD$6,735
|
save
NZD$195pp
|
Enquire Book |
Mar 5, 2022
Hot deal
(Saturday) |
was NZD$5,360
now
NZD$5,165
|
was NZD$6,930
now
NZD$6,735
|
save
NZD$195pp
|
Enquire Book |