07 Day Essential South Island Family Package

This 7 day New Zealand family vacation package is the perfect self-drive option for an unforgettable South Island family vacation. This is a great way for you and your family to visit some of the South Island’s best vacation spots and top destinations. With fun activities to entertain the kids, and the planning stress taken away, this vacation package will offer a unique family holiday to NZ.

Including family-style accommodation, kid-friendly activities, and a rental car, this family holiday to NZ offers affordable, stress-free travel.

Read on for the full details of the 7 Day Essential South Island Family Package.

7 Day Essential South Island Family Holiday Package NZ

Day 1 Arrive Christchurch

Discover the vibrant and picturesque garden city, renowned for its natural beauty, lively entertainment scene, and strong cultural heritage. With its stunning botanical gardens and tree-lined avenues, Christchurch is both a sophisticated city and beautiful place to relax.

Recommended activities include Christchurch Gondola, Tramway or Punting on the Avon River, and your children will love the impressive Margaret Mahy Family Playground, which is well worth a visit!

For kids with a great sense of adventure then the Christchurch Adventure Park is the place to get to. It has a number of different attractions including the longest chairlift in New Zealand (1.8km), ziplining, mountain biking (including lessons) and hiking trails.

Christchurch is also home to the International Antarctic Centre, an award-winning attraction that explores all the mysteries of the Antarctic. There’s a whole range of fascinating interactive displays and exhibitions inside that will keep all members of the family entertained for hours. One of the most popular is the Hagglund Ride, a snow vehicle that negotiates an Antarctic like obstacle course. Another is the Antarctic Storm which allows visitors to experience what a storm in the Antarctic is really like!

The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is great for kids and is where you can see some of our most precious native species. This includes the world-famous Kiwi, who live in their own special nocturnal Kiwi house. On top of this, they also have Kea, Kaka, Morepork, Takahe, Whio and our own native reptile, the Tuatara, that’s been around since the time of the dinosaurs!

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 2 Lake Tekapo

Driving time Christchurch to Lake Tekapo 228 km / 141 miles, 3.5 hours

Depart Christchurch and travel south across the Canterbury Plains before heading inland towards the Southern Alps to reach Lake Tekapo, an amazing turquoise lake. Tekapo presents many world–class attractions, from the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd and Mt John Observatory to scenic flights exploring NZ’s highest mountains and largest glaciers, including Mt Cook, Tasman Glacier, and Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.

Stay 1 night in Lake Tekapo.

Day 3 Wanaka

Driving time Lake Tekapo to Wanaka 200 km / 124 miles, 2.5 hours

Travel through the dramatic Lindis Pass, which links the Mackenzie Basin to Central Otago. Arrive in Wanaka, an alpine town boasting panoramic views, a relaxed atmosphere and myriad walking tracks.

Stay 2 nights in Wanaka.

Day 4 Wanaka

Wanaka has the buzz of a genuine alpine town and is the ultimate hub for outdoor adventures, and with Mount Aspiring National Park located close by it’s the perfect destination for exploring the Southern Alps.

Relax and explore Wanaka – you may want to visit Puzzling World, Wanaka’s illusional attraction, or the National Toy and Transport Museum. Other options include strolling along one of Wanaka’s stunning walking tracks, relaxing on the lake’s edge or browsing through Wanaka’s boutique shops.

You could also visit Rippon Vineyard and Tasting Room to sample local wines or catch a film at Cinema Paradiso, Wanaka’s quirky local theatre.

Day 5 Queenstown

Driving time Wanaka to Queenstown 70 km / 43 miles, 1.5 hours

Drive over the beautiful Crown Range, New Zealand’s highest State Highway, and admire the vistas from fantastic viewing points. Arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capital.

In the afternoon, get a taste of New Zealand’s farming lifestyle at Walter Peak High Country Farm. Situated on picturesque Lake Wakatipu’s southwestern shores, the farm is the perfect place to spend a relaxing few hours.

The farm tour itself is a wonderful, interactive experience for the whole family, with something to keep everyone entertained and happy. Your rural host will meet you after you disembark from the TSS Earnslaw and take you for a walking tour of the farmyard. The first stop is the holding pens, where you can help feed the sheep and deer and even get up close to the Scottish Highland Cattle. Then stroll through the lakeside gardens to the charming Colonel’s Homestead for afternoon tea. Afterwards, the farmer will lead you over to the shearing shed where you can watch the farm dogs rounding up sheep from the hill paddocks and see the farmer shear a sheep. You will then board the TSS Earnslaw for your cruise back to Queenstown.

Stay 3 nights in Queenstown.

Day 6 Queenstown > Milford Sound

Enjoy a scenic coach journey through heartland New Zealand to reach Milford Sound, where you will enjoy a 2.5 hour Milford Sound Nature Cruise. Milford Sound is sure to impress! Sheer cliffs, towering snow capped mountains, cascading waterfalls, hanging valleys, sub-tropical rainforest, marine life… words just don’t do it justice, you have to see it for yourself! After your cruise, relax while your coach returns through stunning scenery before delivering you back to your Queenstown accommodation.

Day 7 Queenstown

Relax in Queenstown for the day, enjoying this stunning family destination. You might like to make a trip to Arrowtown. You’ll be enchanted by historic Arrowtown, a New Zealand treasure located 20 minutes from Queenstown. Arrowtown is charming and quirky – a delightful gold rush village nestled below the beautiful peaks that surround the sparkling Arrow River. The heart of its history is Buckingham Street, a procession of heritage buildings that stretches into a tree-lined avenue of tiny miner’s cottages. The buildings in this lovely precinct house shops, galleries, bars, and restaurants – many classy, most individual, and not one from an international chain.

Go out for a lovely evening meal and celebrate a family holiday to remember!

Day 8 Depart Queenstown

Drop your rental car off at Queenstown Airport and depart Queenstown.

Plan a Family Holiday to NZ

From planning to booking, we take care of every detail of your New Zealand family holiday. Based in Wanaka, New Zealand, we are here to support and help you throughout your travels if necessary.

Our family holiday packages are fully customisable. In other words, you can change the inclusions, amend the schedule, or upgrade the accommodation to suit. We will work with you to tailor your itinerary until it matches exactly what you are looking for. For more inspiration, browse our other 7 Day New Zealand Family Holiday Packages.

Contact New Zealand Travel Organiser today to begin planning your next family adventure.