Compare New Zealand South Island Family Journey by Classic Journeys vs New Zealand: See & Experience it ALL in 10 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours by Charlie The Traveler
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 9 days | 10 days |
| Price From | $ 4,995 | $ 4,545 |
| Price Per Day | $ 555 | $ 455 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Luxury | Luxury |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
Along with lunch on Day 8, a traditional Maori (native) dinner is included on this tour on Evening 9. We do our best to ensure you are being offered healthy and tasty local cuisine. |
| Description |
We have four words for you: Lord of the Rings. The movies were shot on New Zealand’s spectacular South Island. While you won’t spot any Hobbits, your local guides will lead the whole family to plenty of miraculous discoveries. You'll walk on amazing beaches and explore a parrot-filled jungle with its own glacier. At a high country sheep station, you’ll spend the day checking on baby lambs and watching the sheepdogs do their work. There’s even a jet boat ride on the Dart River. The adults will enjoy sipping their way through award-winning wineries as well as some of the most scenic walks on earth and fine shopping in Queenstown. New Zealand is a friendly country that captures the imaginations of all ages. |
You absolutely will not find another tour out there as packed with activities and attractions as this one, provided by CharlieTheTraveler. You will also not find another tour out there that offers it all "FIRST CLASS," yet for a relatively low price. We have thousands of travelers taking this specific tour every year-and that's because no competitor can beat us on quality, price & substance. |
DAYS 1-2 - CHRISTCHURCH / ARTHUR'S PASS
Meet in Christchurch. If you’re an early riser and a train-lover, consider boarding the TranzAlpine Express for the scenic ride to Arthur’s Pass. Or join our guide for the equally spectacular drive to Arthur’s Pass. Either way, you’ll cross the lovely Canterbury Plains—featured in the film The Lord of the Rings.
Into the Southern Alps, spend a day on a working merino sheep station near Arthur’s Pass (2 nights). Kids have been known to feed and name the baby lambs. Adults like birding in wildflower meadows. Everyone enjoys watching our hosts put the sheepdogs through their paces.
DAY 3 - FOX GLACIER
The next day, grab your ice pick! It’s on to dramatic Fox Glacier (1 night) for a walk that starts, of all places, in a parrot-bedecked rain forest.
DAYS 4-5 - LAKE MOERAKI
At your lodge at Lake Moeraki (2 nights) you have canoes to paddle, fishing gear and great guide-led walks on an easy rainforest track to wide and beautiful Munro Beach. Kids love exploring and gold panning in the historic gold mining village of Arrowtown. Adults enjoy even more the walk through the vineyards to an acclaimed winery for a tasting.
DAYS 6-7 - QUEENSTOWN
Settle in to your lakeside hotel in Queenstown (2 nights). If you must, today is the day to bungy jump. A more “reserved” activity finds us on a jet boat ride on the Dart River, followed by a walk in Fiordland National Park and a guide-led talk about the original Maori settlers.
DAYS 8-9 - MILFORD SOUND / QUEENSTOWN
Your grand finale is Milford Sound (1 night), the gateway to the World Heritage Fiordland National Park. It’s a true natural wonder, and we’ll see it in the very best way – from the decks of the Milford Mariner. It’s not just a ship. It’s what some travelers call the ultimate bed and breakfast. From the observation lounge and the large open deck, you’ll have a front-row seat for the waterfalls, rainforests, mountains and wildlife. Experienced onboard naturalists offer commentary and answer your questions. We’ll cruise the entire length of the sound, all the way to the Tasman Sea, and enjoy some of the best stargazing you’ve ever experienced. On final day you return to Queenstown where we part company.
Day 1: A Cable Car Ride Over Stunning Landscape & the Country's Most Popular Destination
Our tour starts in Queenstown, a vibrant resort which serves as New Zealand’s most popular destination. This evening we head to a nearby place called Skyline Queenstown. There we take a cable car ride to the top of a mountain called Bob’s Peak. Beautiful views can be seen in every direction. While there, a buffet-style dinner can be purchased at a restaurant called Stratosfare. The cable car ride is included on the tour.
Day 2: Flight-Seeing Over Fjords & a Majestic Boat Ride
Today we make a daytrip to Milford Sound, getting to there and back to Queenstown by scenic flight. Upon arrival, we go on a boat tour cruising atop clear waters and in between postcard-perfect mountains. Milford Sound has been judged the world’s top travel destination in an international survey taken by TripAdvisor, receiving the Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards. Milford Sound is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist attraction.
Please note that due to unpredictable weather conditions in and around Milford Sound, it is common our customers get to there or return from there by land. When this happens, stops are made so we can enjoy Lake Te Anau, Mirror Lakes, the mountainous Monkey Creek and a national park called the ‘Chasm’.
Day 3: Rapid Jet-Boating, Zip-Lining, Exploring a Gorge & a Cruise on a Vintage Steamship
We start our day with a quick drive to a picturesque gorge called Skippers Canyon. It is mostly one-way, narrow and steep with sheer drops of several hundred meters. After our scenic land expedition, we head to the nearby Shotover River. There we go on a very fast and swerving jet-boating ride. Following lunch, we go zip-lining near the village of Glenorchy.
Our day ends with a cruise on the historic TSS Earnslaw steamship. While on the tour, we make a stop at a homestead which is known for its sheep, alpacas and a beautiful garden. After dinner, we visit a purpose-built amphitheater. There we see a farmyard of sheep shearing (cutting the sheep’s wool) and otherwise watch a ‘sheepdog round-up’ (the dog makes the sheep walk together as a group).
Day 4: Approaching the Highest Mountain in New Zealand
Today we relocate from Queenstown to Mount Cook Village. Upon arrival, we are provided with a guided tour inside Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park’s Hooker Valley Track. The lookout point at the end of the track is the closest any walking track comes to seeing the highest mountain in New Zealand (Mount Cook). The end of the track reveals completely unobstructed views, with Hooker Glacier seen in the valley below.
Day 5: A Plane Landing on Tasman Glacier & Visiting Ice Grottoes and Caves
Before relocating to the city of Christchurch, we make a daytrip to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park’s Tasman Glacier. We get to there and back to Mount Cook Village by scenic flight. Of New Zealand's 20 peaks over 3,000 meters, all except one lie in this park. Glaciers cover 40 percent of the park area, notably the Tasman Glacier. After landing on this glacier, we go on a guided snow shoeing hike, seeing blue ice grottoes and caves.
Please note that due to unpredictable weather conditions in and around Tasman Glacier, it is common our customers get to there or return from there by land. When this happens between September and May, we replace the flight-seeing tour with a popular boat ride which visits icebergs. When this happens between June and August, we replace the flight-seeing tour with a four-wheel drive expedition around Tasman Valley.
Day 6: The Historic Architecture of Christchurch & Sightseeing
Before relocating to the town of Nelson by flight, we are provided with a guided tour around Christchurch. This city was established in 1850 by Anglican English settlers. The heritage shows in its fine older buildings, especially the neo-gothic ones. The city highlights are the cathedral, riverside market and botanical gardens.
Day 7: The Finest Beaches on This Tour
Before relocating to the city of Auckland, we make a daytrip from Nelson to Abel Tasman National Park. There we are provided with a scenic boat tour. Abel Tasman National Park is in one of the sunniest places in the country, with over 2,000 hours of sunlight per year. The most notable features of this park are its golden-sand beaches, arguably the finest in New Zealand.
Day 8: Where Lord of the Rings was Filmed & Glowworm Grottoes
When relocating from Auckland to the town of Rotorua, two important stops are made along the way. The first is at the Hobbiton Movie Set, home to the internationally acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. There we are provided with a guided tour and lunch. The other important stop before reaching Rotorua is at the Waitomo Caves. There we are provided with a boat ride through glowworm grottoes. The site is spectacular, to say the least.
Day 9: A Mud Bath, Volcanic Craters, Hot Water Springs & a Native Show with Dinner
This morning starts with a daytrip to the nearby Waimangu Volcanic Valley, which includes Lake Rotomahana. On a self-guided tour, there we see volcanic craters, hot water springs and other geothermal features. Upon returning to Rotorua, we are taken to the so-called Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa. There we bathe in a mud pool. The evening ends at the nearby Tamaki Maori Village. There we learn about native rituals, watch a show and have a traditional dinner. The meal is included this evening.
Day 10: Our Tour Ends Today
Rotorua is the final destination on our tour around New Zealand. Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport.
Note that you can extend this standard 10-day tour by one day if you wish to engage in some extreme sports activities near Queenstown. Specifically, on this added day, you would jump off a 43-meter (141-foot) bridge called Kawarau as well as run off a 60-meter (196.85-foot) cliff. It is called the Fox Jump. Obviously, these two activities are not for everyone. This is why we are offering it as a one-day extension to our standard 10-day tour around New Zealand. Let us know if you are interested.
Also, note that you can extend this standard 10-day tour by returning to and visiting Auckland once done in Rotorua. Some customers want a day or two to go sightseeing in New Zealand’s largest city. We offer guided tours upon request. Ask us for details.
