Essence of the South Island

14 days
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5/5 Excellent
78 reviews  
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Group Tour
This is an action-packed adventure where you’ll explore some of New Zealand’s most iconic and remote wilderness. It works well if your vacation time is limited, since you can fly from North America on a Friday evening, sleep on the plane, and be back at work ten days later to share your photos and stories on Monday morning. For a great way to see the North Is...
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Hike Routeburn Track
    • Cruise Milford Sound, hike Kepler Track
    • Visit Cromwell Old Town, journey over Lindis Pass
    • Experience the hike Aoraki Mt Cook National Park
    • Awesome hike Cape Foulwind and Punakaiki rainforest

What's this trip about?

    This is an action-packed adventure where you’ll explore some of New Zealand’s most iconic and remote wilderness. It works well if your vacation time is limited, since you can fly from North America on a Friday evening, sleep on the plane, and be back at work ten days later to share your photos and stories on Monday morning. For a great way to see the North Island too, combine this trip with our 11-day 'Kauri' (5-day 'Kauri' options available).

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Details

Itinerary focusActive and Outdoor Sports
Group sizeIntimate group - 12 max
Age range12 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityAuckland
End CityTekapo

Travel Themes

  • High Adventure
  • Hiking & Walking

Destinations

  • New Zealand

Attractions

  • Fiordland National Park
  • Mount Cook
  • Queenstown

Activities

  • Bird watching
  • Culture
  • Dolphin Swim
  • Hiking
  • Nature
  • Wildlife viewing
  • Skiing, Snowboarding & Snow Sports

Trip includes

    • All guiding services Two experienced guides per trip. In New Zealand you'll have a lead guide and a co guide. All accommodations A range of hotels, lodges, chalets, inns, sheep stations and backcountry huts, depending on which trip you choose. All meals Breakfast, lunch and dinner on all days, except where indicated on the itinerary (usually 1 day per trip is a free day, allowing you to choose your own dining location). All activities Hiking, kayaking, biking, rafting, scenic flights, jet boating and more! All transport Airport transfers. When you're not travelling under your own steam, they'll be comfortable air-conditioned vans to stretch your legs.

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Arrive, visit Gore Bay and hike Kaikoura Peninsula

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Kaikoura Lodgings, Kaikoura

Most people leave the Northern Hemisphere on a Thursday evening, arriving into Auckland early Saturday morning. You’ll lose a day crossing the dateline – but you get it back on the way ho...

Day 2: Wine Tasting and hike Pelorus Track

Accommodation: Abel Tasman Lodge, Marahau

From Kaikoura, we’ll travel along the coast to Blenheim, a town in the Marlborough wine region. We’ll visit Forrest Estate Winery to sample some of their fantastic wines and have a picnic lunch, before we head back into...

Day 3: Boat ride and hike Abel Tasman National Park

Accommodation: Abel Tasman Lodge, Marahau

Abel Tasman National Park is famous for its golden beaches, sculptured granite cliffs and the world-renowned Abel Tasman Coast Track. This morning, we’ll take a water taxi through crystal clear, sheltered waters - we’re...

Day 4: Hike Cape Foulwind and Punakaiki rainforest

Accommodation: West Coast Lodgings, Punakaiki

Today we journey to Cape Foulwind on the West Coast, where we’ll hike a spectacular track that takes us to a view point overlooking a New Zealand fur seal breeding colony, then on to a lighthouse, taking in panorami...

Day 5: Hike Truman Track, visit Hokitika, explore West Coast Treetop Walk

Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef

We’ll begin the day travelling on the coast to Te Miko and the start of Truman Track, rated one of New Zealand’s finest short walks. We’ll hike through dense native forest with tall flax stands near the ocean, even...

Day 6: Hike coastal forest and beach, kayak Okarito Lagoon (optional)

Accommodation: Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef

This morning we’ll take a short journey over to Okarito, a little-known beach community on the coast. We’ll take to the water in sea kayaks and glide along a picturesque lagoon, set against a stunning backdrop of s...

Day 7: Hike at Franz Josef Glacier

Accommodation: Makarora Lodgings, Makarora

With some 140 glaciers making their way down from the Southern Alps, this area is fittingly known as glacier country. Few sights equal the spectacle of two of these giant frozen rivers (Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers) im...

Day 8: Hike Mt Iron, visit the Kiwi Birdlife Park

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Queenstown

The landscape this morning changes rapidly from dense beech forest to semi-arid terrain before transforming to an impressive vista of lakes and mountains. At Lake Wanaka, we’ll hike...

Day 9: Free day in Queenstown

Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand (if not the world!) and all the comforts of civilisation are packed into this tiny resort town: restaurants galore, stylish lounge bars, day spas, and boutiques. You’ll also find incredible optional activities here in...

Day 10: Hike Routeburn Track

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, we set off for our largest and perhaps most spectacular national park, Fiordland. We’ll hike part of the Routeburn Track for unsurpassed views of the Hollyford Valley, as well as Lake Marian and Mt Christina. We’...

Day 11: Cruise Milford Sound, hike Kepler Track

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today you’ll have the opportunity to explore Milford Sound and hopefully spot some friendly fur seals and dolphins. We’ll jump on board a boat cruise, where you’ll gaze in wonder at the waterfalls tumbling down enormous vertic...

Day 12: Visit Cromwell Old Town, journey over Lindis Pass

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Carefully relocated or lovingly reconstructed, the buildings of Cromwell Old Town represent the character of Cromwell’s gold-mining history. We’ll explore the intriguing buildings and eat lunch here together. Then we’ll drive ...

Day 13: Hike Aoraki Mt Cook National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning you won’t have to pack your bags as we’ll be returning to this wonderful setting in the evening. The highest mountain in New Zealand, Mt Cook was first named Aoraki or ‘cloud piercer’ by South Island Maori. This r...

Day 14: Visit Tekapo, depart for home

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast we’ll head north past Lake Pukaki to Lake Tekapo. With yet more views of Aoraki Mt Cook to your left, you’ll be amazed at the sheer scale of these lakes and their cobalt blue allure. We’ll stretch our legs with a visit...

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,999
Price per day$286
Last Updated: 2/1/2019

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Active Adventures New Zealand.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Active Adventures New Zealand Reviews & Ratings

5/5  Excellent
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Other Active Adventures New Zealand Reviews

Larry

Nov 2019

Active Adventures New Zealand Company Reviewsby Active Adventures New Zealand

A Magical Land

New Zealand is one of the more remarkable locations I have had the opportunity to visit. It is truly a magical kind of place for me and seems to have had all the lan...

S

Stephen

Nov 2019

Active Adventures New Zealand Company Reviewsby Active Adventures New Zealand

Each trip has been a learning experience for us

This is our third Active Adventures trip and we have never been disappointed. Each trip has been a learning experience for us. The beautiful sights and people we hav...

H

Heidi

Nov 2019

Active Adventures New Zealand Company Reviewsby Active Adventures New Zealand

Wow!!!!

This adventure was action packed from the get go. Food was amazing! Hikes, bike, and kayak excursions were beautiful and the people we traveled with were the best. G...

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Tour Operator

Active Adventures New Zealand

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We challenge you to find a country that packs more untouched, dramatic and diverse scenery into a smaller space than New Zealand. The light here is different somehow, making the fiords, glaciers, rainforest, volcanoes, beech forests and rugged coastlines crisper, brighter and a bit more intense than you'd ever expect.

You'll find yourself surrounded by some of the best scenery on the planet with few signs of civilisation and no one else around. As an independent nation that lies across the Tasman Sea from Australia, New Zealand is home to only four and a half million people. About a third of them reside in Auckland city and the rest are spread out around two main islands, which together are about half the size of California, leaving vast tracts nearly uninhabited. It's no wonder a lot of visitors find it hard to leave!

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Logistics

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
12 years and up
Additional Information

Activity level: The ‘Tui’ suits people of a wide range of fitness levels and outdoor experience, particularly if you enjoy a variety of activities. Typically hikes on the ‘Tui’ trip range between two and six hours to complete.

Trip ID
active-EssSouAct

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