5-Day South Island Tour from Christchurch

Christchurch, New Zealand

See all the highlights of New Zealand's scenic South Island on a five-day guided sightseeing tour. You'll travel by coach from Christchurch to Queenstown, experience the majesty of Milford Sound, view the glacier at Franz Josef and travel aboard the famous TranzAlpine Express train.

Your five-day exploration of New Zealand's spectacular South Island begins with the stunning scenery of the foothills of the Southern Alps and a lunchtime visit to Mt Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain. After spending the night in Queenstown, you'll take an unforgettable cruise on majestic Milford Sound, surrounded by rock walls scarred by glaciers rising vertically from the sea.

You'll have a day free to explore Queenstown on your own, then travel along New Zealand's most stunning highway to the World Heritage Westland National Park. The route up the West Coast takes you past soaring mountain ranges, native forests and lakes to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. A "living river of ice", the Franz Josef Glacier is more than 7,000 years old and a must-see for any visitor to New Zealand.

On the final day of your South Island tour you'll travel along the rugged West Coast to Shantytown, a faithful reconstruction of a Westland gold-rush town. You'll also stop at Greymouth, the center for thousands of diggers during the historic gold strikes of the 1860s. Your five-day tour concludes with a trip to Christchurch aboard the famous TranzAlpine Express, one of the top 10 train journeys in the world.

USD $1,172.08

Review by: Sophie S	June 2011
Really great way of seeing the S Island with so much beautiful scenery. I just wish it had been longer, or there was an easy way of making it longer. For an adrenaline junkie like me, one free day in Queenstown wasn't enough. Also, the drive to the Franz Josef glacier is a long one, so if you go in winter, you don't end up with much time there, which was a shame.

Review by: Radhecka R	May 2011
Everything was great and perfectly arranged. Prior info and opt ins for additional components (e.g. The helicopter rides) would have made it better.

Review by: Clare F	March 2011
This was a great way to see the highlights of the South Island and the free day in Queenstown was perfect for people wanting to try the various adventure sports The trip was very well organised and would be suitable for all types of traveller.

Review by: John S	March 2011
Overall a fantastic trip which is worth the considerable time spent travelling by coach. Amazing scenery and great hotels. Would have liked a little more time at Fran Josef .Thanks for a great holiday.

Review by: Nora S	February 2011
It was very well organized and we loved it

Review by: Judy M	January 2011
I did your 5 day tour with my grand daughter recently, and enjoyed it all thoroughly. The weather was a bit wet, so we missed seeing Mitre Peak and Mt Cook. However, mircaculously it was fine at Franz Josef, and that was great. Having the extra free day at Queenstown was great. We really used that! The coaches were comfortable, and all the drivers friendly. The motels were fine too. having meals not included was a bit of a shame, but I guess that is the nature of the trip Regards Loved NZ Judy

Review by: Charles H	December 2010
Main features of tour (Milford Sound Cruise, TransAlpine train ride,etc) were very enjoyable and impressive. Guides were mostly very informative and sometimes funny. Free day in Queenstown was great. But...I guess we are not really guided tour people. We enjoyed not having to drive ourselves but we would have liked the flexibility of doing our own thing.. I guess we should have kept the rental car after all. For example it was pouring as we headed for Mt. Cook.. Could not see mountain at all and could not go walking as we had planned. If we were on our own we would have skipped Mt. Cook and just headed for Queenstown. That would have gotten us in much earlier. _br/_ That reminds me: One of my biggest complaints was that the first 2 days were really long driving days - about 12 hours on the road. Maybe you should consider having people stay in Te Anu as a starting point for Milford Sound. It is lots closer,

Review by: L R M	November 2010
Because our original flight from Sydney was cancelled we had to ask that our travel arrangements be modified by 24 hours .and this was done swiftly and efficiently . Well done !.On each leg of our trip we found the Driver/couriers to be courteous and knowledgable .We particularly enjoyed our free day in Queenstown....shangri la hidden in the mountains.Atruly memorable trip..

Review by: L R M	November 2010
Because our original flight from Sydney was cancelled we had to ask that our travel arrangements be modified by 24 hours .and this was done swiftly and efficiently . Well done !.On each leg of our trip we found the Driver/couriers to be courteous and knowledgable .We particularly enjoyed our free day in Queenstown....a shangri la hidden in the mountains.Atruly memorable trip..

Review by: David R	October 2010
Had a wonderful time. Buses were very comfortable. drivers were friendly and informative. We learned a lot about New Zealand and were very well looked after.All the hotels we stayed at were well maintained and in central locations. People's needs were well looked after. Once again thank you for a great trip.

Review by: Jeff B, Canada	March 2010
Queenstown hotel could have been a little nicer, but it was close walking to anything in town. The driver fron Christchurch to Queenstown was great...he had great knowledge and was fun and nice to everyone.

Review by: Jyothi D, Australia	November 2009
Everything was so well organized by Viator. Overall the trip was fantastic. We had a great time in NZ.

Review by: Jyothirmayi Subhadra D	November 2009
Everything was so well organized by Viator. Overall the trip was fantastic. We had a great time in NZ.