Southern Pioneer

BM-36588

Best price guaranteed

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E-ticket/Mobile-voucher

Carbon neutral

10 daysDuration

Small Group TourUsually 8-12 participants

16 peopleMaximum group size

18 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Starts

Ends

Christchurch, New Zealand

Select Date

Best price guaranteedNo credit card or booking fees.Carbon neutral tours.

Highlights

One of the world’s most scenic Rail Journeys

A Boat Cruise to the Remote Mou Waho Island Nature Reserve

Carve Your Own Greenstone/Pounamu Pendant

Itinerary

Picture yourself circling New Zealand’s South Island, uttering “Wow!” at every turn. The "Southern Pioneer" tour is a 10-day city sightseeing trip that showcases mountains, lakes, glaciers, and rainforests, designed for travelers eager to tick off bucket list experiences while savoring the comfort of boutique hotels and rainforest retreats.

Begin in Christchurch and journey through Aoraki, Kaikoura, Wanaka, and beyond. Marvel at Central Otago’s lakes, traverse the mighty Haast Pass, and witness the pristine wilderness of Franz Josef. Opportunities abound to swim, kayak, jet boat, hike, bike, or simply relax in hot pools. With flexible options, you can customize your adventure—pre-book your must-do activities or decide as you go.

The unique aspect of this tour package is its adaptability: each participant shapes their trip, ensuring a personalized adventure. The mix of structured highlights and free-choice activities makes this the ideal journey for those who want both guidance and independence in discovering New Zealand’s breathtaking South Island.

day 1Day 1 Christchurch

Welcome to Christchurch!

Settle into your accommodation and be ready for the 6pm pre-tour meeting. Here you will get to know your Tour Manager and be introduced to your new roadtrip friends.

Afterwards, the evening is yours to enjoy. We recommend checking out the Christchurch Art Gallery, located in the heart of the city in a landmark building featuring flowing glass. Or how about heading to New Regent’s Street for an ice cream where you will find vintage buildings painted in pastel colours.

day 2Day 2 Christchurch to Ohau (via Lake Tekapo)

day 3Day 3 Ohau to Queenstown

day 4Day 4 Queenstown

day 5Day 5 Queenstown to Wanaka

day 6Day 6 Wanaka

day 7Day 7 Wanaka to Franz Josef

day 8Day 8 Franz Josef

day 9Day 9 Franz Josef to Christchurch

day 10Day 10 Christchurch

What's Included

Accommodation

Stay each night in twin-share 3–4 star accommodation: a mix of hotels, motels, lodges, and rainforest retreats.Stay 9 nights in twin-share 3–4 star accommodation: a mix of hotels, motels, lodges, and rainforest retreats.

Meals

Feast on daily hearty breakfasts and 2 dinners.

Transport

Comfortable and air-conditioned bus transport

Guide

Passionate and knowledgeable local Kiwi guide

Others

Orientation tour of each and every locationSmall groups of maximum 16 peopleExperiences to teach you about our unique Māori cultureTake in the stunning Southern Alps and the vast Canterbury Plains aboard the TranzAlpine, New Zealand’s finest inland rail journey.Enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Wanaka to the remote Mou Waho Island nature reserve.Carve your own pounamu (jade) pendant in Franz Josef.

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a good tour as it is run by a trusted travel specialist who has received 1 review for other tours with an average 5.0rating.

Availability

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Good to Know

Travel Insurance

Visa

Do you need help from our trip consultants?

If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Our travel experts are ready to help.

Why Book with Bookmundi

No credit card or booking fees.

Best price guaranteed.

Carbon neutral tours.Algorithms and machine learning enables Bookmundi to calculate the carbon footprint for each tour. We then subsequently offset carbon emissions for all tour bookings on Bookmundi via investments in carbon reduction projects to help combat climate change.

25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.

What are customers saying about Bookmundi

4.67/5

Excellent based on 848 customer reviews from

Bronwyn

Booking with Bookmundi is so easy. The website is straightforward and easy to use. Peter Adley is an absolute star! He is quick to respond to my many queries and to offer helpful guidance. I am looking forward to the 2 tours I have booked!

2 weeks ago

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Southern Pioneer

Highlights