10 Day Best of South Island Christchurch to Christchurch Winter Tour

All about the 10 Day Best of South Island Christchurch to Christchurch Winter Tour

10 Day Best of South Island Christchurch to Christchurch Winter Tour Itinerary - 10 days

• Day 1 Christchurch to Franz Josef
  Take the ’Atomic Shuttle’ over the stunning Arthur’s Pass to the historic gold mining town of Greymouth, where you have 30mins free before meeting up with the Stray bus. This afternoon we’ll make a stop in Hokitika then head to Franz Josef, a quaint little town squashed between the Tasman Sea and the mighty Franz Josef Glacier.
  Accommodation: Lodge in the middle of the rainforest.
• Day 2 Day in Franz Josef
  Enjoy a full free day to explore the glacier. Live your glacier walking dream with a guided tour on the glacier or hike to view it from below, then unwind in the spa pools afterwards.
  Accommodation: Lodge in the middle of the rainforest
  Optional Activities: Ice Explorer Trip (short helicopter flight onto the glacier), Glacier Valley Walk
  Free Activities: Many bush walks in the area
• Day 3 Franz Josef to Wanaka
  Depart at 8am. We head to Lake Matheson for a walk at the amazing mirror lake, stop at Fox Glacier for pickups, and then travel through the mountainous Haast Pass and Makarora. We pass by the beautiful Lake Hawea and arrive in Wanaka late afternoon.
  Accommodation: Central hostel
  Free Activities: Lake Matheson walk, Ship Creek walk, Blue Pools walk, Thundercreek Falls walk, explore Wanaka.
• Day 4 Wanaka to Queenstown
  This morning, head out on a guided bike tour around the lake before we depart Wanaka at 10.30am and cruise down to the famous A.J. Hackett bungy site, where you can take the plunge - if you dare! Then, it’s on to the ‘Adventure Capital of the World!’ Queenstown offers an optional big (make that huge) night out with excellent restaurants, pubs and live music.
  Accommodation: Central hostel
  Included Activities: Guided Bike Tour
• Days 5, 6 and 7 Queenstown
  With so much to see and do in and around Queenstown, you need three full days to take it all in! To get you started, a couple highlight activities are included – an exhilarating Shotover Jet Boat ride in the morning on Day 5 and a full day trip to jaw dropping Doubtful Sound on Day 6. Day 7 is free for you to do as you please.
  Accommodation: Central hostel
  Included Activities: Shotover Jet (Day 5) and Doubtful Sound day trip (Day 6)
  Optional Activities: Any adventure activity that we mad Kiwis can dream up (bungy, swing, jetboating, skydiving, mountain biking, zipline, horse riding…), trip to Milford Sound.
  Free Activities: Sleep in, great walks, take in beautiful views from this cool resort town.
• Day 8 Queenstown to Aoraki/Mt Cook
  Depart from 8.40am. We head over the Lindis Pass through the beautiful Mackenzie Country and past Lake Pukaki, then head north to our amazing stop at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain Aoraki/Mt Cook, arriving in the early afternoon.
  Accommodation: Stunning alpine lodge
  Optional Activities: Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
  Free Activities: Take photos of awe-inspiring scenery, do one of the many great short walks to the Hooker Glacial Lake.
• Day 9 Mt Cook to Christchurch
  Today we make our way through a landscape made famous by the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films. We head past turquoise Lake Tekapo, where we stop for ice-skating, snow tubing or a swim at the hot springs. We arrive in Christchurch later in the afternoon, giving you time to explore parts of the South Island’s largest city.
  Accommodation: Purpose built backpackers near the city centre
  Optional Activities: Ice skating, snow tubing or soak in the hot springs
  Free Activities: Take photos of stunning scenery, go for a walk around central Christchurch
• Day 10 Day in Christchurch
  Christchurch is where your journey ends - if you are catching a flight today, you can be dropped off at the International Airport at 8:00am. Otherwise, you can take an optional free day to spend more time exploring the South Island's largest city. We especially recommend checking out the Re:Start Mall, Quake City exhibition, Canterbury Museum or the gorgeous Botanical Gardens.
  

Real Kiwi Says:

During the winter our Real Kiwi Adventures tours are operated with our partners on the hop on hop off network, so you can guarantee we depart with a good group of travellers every week. There is plenty to see in New Zealand in the winter, with some saying its even better at that time of year!

Please contact us with any questions

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