15 Day Full South Island Christchurch to Christchurch Winter Tour

All about the 15 Day Full South Island Christchurch to Christchurch Winter Tour

15 Day Full South Island Christchurch to Christchurch Winter Tour Itinerary - 15 days

• Day 1 Christchurch to Picton
  Depart from the Christchurch International Airport at 8:00am. Once out of the city, we head north across the Southern Alps through scenic Lewis Pass and drive past Nelson Lakes National Park on our way to our next destination Picton, a picturesque town nestled on the edge of the stunning Marlborough Sounds. Feel free to unwind this evening in the spa pool at the accommodation.
  Accommodation: Cosy villa.
  Free activities: Relax in the accommodation’s spa pool.
• Day 2 Day in Picton
  You have a full free day in Picton to discover the charms of the Marlborough Sounds. We highly recommend catching a water taxi to walk or mountain bike a section of the unbelievably beautiful Queen Charlotte Track. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the free fishing gear and bikes at your Picton accommodation.
  Accommodation: Cosy villa.
  Optional paid activities: Water taxi to the Queen Charlotte Track.
  Free activities: Queen Charlotte Sound view walk, go fishing, biking around town.
• Day 3 Picton to Marahau
  You will meet your group at the hostel at midday and we will cruise through the famous Marlborough vineyard area and the coastal town of Nelson, before heading through Motueka to our amazing overnight stop of Marahau, right on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.
  Accommodation: Unique accommodation on the edge of the national park
  Optional Activities: Wine tasting, skydiving
  Free activities: Swim, walk, mussel tasting around the fire
• Day 4 Day in Marahau
  You have the entire day free to explore this stunning coastal national park. Whether by land, sea or air, there are tons of fantastic options for getting around.
  Accommodation: Unique accommodation on the edge of the national park.
  Included Activities: Walk part of the Abel Tasman track and catch an Aqua Taxi home.
  Optional Activities: Full day sailing trip, kayaking, skydiving, hang gliding.
• Day 5 Marahau to Westport
  Today we head south towards the ‘wild’ West Coast passing through Buller Gorge and down a stretch of road that was rated one of the Top 10 drives in the world by Lonely Planet. We stop at Cape Foulwind to visit the seal colony and then head for the historic coal mining town, Westport. The sunset from our accommodation tonight is a must see if the weather is clear!
  Accommodation: Charming character villa in the centre of town.
  Optional Activities: Surfing, caving, craft brewery tour.
  Free activities: Westport seal colony, West Coast sunset.
• Day 6 Westport to Franz Josef
  An early start takes us down the rugged West Coast to the spectacular limestone Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and blowholes. We’ll stop to take a short walk and grab refreshments at the café before we head for the historic gold mining town, Greymouth. We do pick-ups in Greymouth and make a stop in Hokitika before heading to the quaint little town of Franz Josef, home to the mighty Franz Josef Glacier.
  Accommodation: Lodge in the middle of the rainforest
  Free Activities: Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and their mighty blowholes, Truman Track walk.
• Day 7 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 8 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 9 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 10, 11 and 12 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 10 and a full day trip to jaw dropping Doubtful Sound on Day 11. Day 12 is free for you to do as you please.
  Accommodation: Central hostel
  Included Activities: Shotover Jet (Day 10) and Doubtful Sound day trip (Day 11)
  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 13 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 14 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 15 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! This astounding 15 day adventure journeys through all the best bits of New Zealand's South Island.

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