10 Day South Island Discovery Private Guided Tour

Explore the South Island with one of our fantastic New Zealand tours. Our private guided tours are personalised to suit your group. Our private guided tours are hosted by one of New Zealand’s leading tour guides. Your guide will meet your group at the airport and chauffeur your group to explore the destinations and activities included in your personalised tour package. They will tend to your needs and share valuable local knowledge with your group to enhance your holiday experience. We can cater for groups between 1-40 people.

Our private guided New Zealand tours are flexible and are booked to suit your group’s travel dates and interests.

Read on for more information on the 10 Day South Island Discovery Private Guided Tour.

10 Day South Island Discovery Private Guided Tour | New Zealand Tours

Day 1 Arrive Christchurch

Your fantastic guided holiday begins in Christchurch, New Zealand’s “Garden City.” With a thriving restaurant scene, a string of beautiful parks, and a historic town centre, Christchurch is an excellent holiday destination.

Explore Christchurch with your guide, options include; experiencing the Christchurch Tramway, Gondola, Botanic Gardens, Punting on the Avon River, visiting the International Antarctic Centre, venturing to Sumner Beach or dining and shopping at the Riverside Market.

In the evening, you have the option to add dinner aboard the Christchurch Tram. The Tramway Restaurant offers curated seasonal dining combined with evening sightseeing in central Christchurch for a truly unique experience!

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 2 Glaciers Explorers Tour + Mount Cook

Travel time Christchurch to Mt Cook Village – 4.5 hours

Your scenic journey through the Mackenzie Basin begins today as you cross over Burkes Pass. As the Southern Alps loom before you, there will be photo opportunities around every corner.

Continue past Lake Pukaki on your way to Mt Cook Village, nestled at the foot of New Zealand’s highest mountain. Your guide will take you to a viewpoint over Tasman Glacier, lying at the base of the spectacular Tasman Valley.

In the afternoon, join the Glaciers Explorers Tour. The only tour of its kind in New Zealand and one of the only accessible glacial lakes containing icebergs in the world. Explore and learn about the ever-changing glacial landscape as you journey across the terminal lake in boats with experienced guides. Icebergs of every shape and size periodically tear away from the face of the glacier into the rapidly growing lake.

Stay 1 night in Mt Cook Village.

Day 3 Queenstown – The Adventure Capital of New Zealand!

Travel time Mt Cook Village to Queenstown – 3.5 hours

This morning, venture back past Lake Pukaki. Along the way, you have the option to visit the High-Country Salmon Farm – floating on the glacial waters of Wairepo Arm, High Country Salmon is ideally situated on State Highway 8 just south of the town Twizel. You will have the opportunity to purchase salmon, feed the fish, and relax and take in the beautiful scenery.

Continue south to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. Along the way, your guide will take you to sample the fresh fruit from the orchards of Cromwell. You also have the option to visit several top wineries with your guide on the drive through the Kawarau Gorge.

Stay 3 nights in Queenstown.

Day 4 Remarkables Helicopter Flight + TSS Earnslaw Cruise & High Country Dinner

Discover the rugged Remarkables mountain range today with a breathtaking scenic helicopter flight, and land on a remote alpine ridge to soak in the spectacular views.

Visit Arrowtown with your guide in the afternoon, and explore the quaint historic mining settlement. If there are any Lord of the Rings fans in the group, your guide will show you the filming locations for Minas Tirith, Argonath, the Misty Mountains, and the Ford of Bruinen.

In the evening, relive the elegance of turn-of-the-century travel with a cruise aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw. Disembark at Walter Peak High Country Farm for a stunning gourmet BBQ meal and farm tour.

Day 5 Queenstown Lord of the Rings Tour + Glenorchy

Step into the world of Middle-earth, this immersive adventure brings the magic of the films to life, inviting travellers to explore dramatic landscapes, uncover behind-the-scenes secrets, and even don authentic costumes for unforgettable photos.

The journey winds through the charm of Arrowtown, the sun-kissed vineyards of the Gibbston Valley, and the breathtaking heights of the Skippers Canyon lookout (weather permitting). Along the way, iconic film locations reveal themselves: the Ford of Bruinen, the towering Pillars of the Kings, the mist-shrouded Gladden Fields, and more.

Travellers can enjoy a refreshing morning or afternoon tea and make use of an impressive collection of licensed replica props, perfect for capturing your own heroic moments. Copies of original scripts and production call sheets add extra depth, enriching the experience with the lore and creativity behind the films.

A must-do for fans and adventurers alike, this tour blends cinematic wonder with real-world beauty. An unforgettable journey across the landscapes of Middle-earth!

Explore Glenorchy with your guide this afternoon.

Day 6 Te Anau Glowworm Caves + Te Anau

Travel time Queenstown to Te Anau – 2.5 hours

Your scenic tour will continue as you make your way past Lake Wakatipu on your way to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park.

While you relax in Te Anau, you may wish to visit Fiordland Cinema and watch Ata Whenua – Shadowland, which was filmed by helicopters flying over the remote reaches of Fiordland National Park. You could also visit the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre for displays on the natural wonders of the region. Take a stroll along the lakefront to the Wildlife Park, where you can view endangered native birds, or visit the nearby Lake Manapouri for even more impressive views.

In the afternoon, explore a mysterious underground world of rushing water and glittering glowworms on a tour of the Te Anau Glowworm Caves.

Stay 2 nights in Te Anau.

Day 7 Milford Sound Cruise

Enjoy a scenic coach journey through heartland New Zealand to reach Milford Sound. The Milford Road (between Te Anau and Milford) is one of the finest alpine drives in the world. The scenery is exceptional, ranging from broad grassy flats, dense rainforest, and towering mountains through to glacial lakes and alpine herb fields. No other road in Fiordland offers such a diverse glimpse into New Zealand’s alpine zone. The schedule includes plenty of time for short nature walks and photo opportunities along the way.

When you take a boat trip with Cruise Milford, you’ll be getting close to New Zealand fur seals basking on the rocks, massive rock faces rising for hundreds of metres out of the sea and see waterfalls cascade from ancient rainforest high in the mountains.

Fiordland is a designated World Heritage Area that takes you back in time to a magical wilderness that you may have thought no longer existed. Driving from Queenstown to Milford Sound, you will see why the Lord of the Rings was filmed in this stunning scenery.

Day 8 Wanaka

Travel time Te Anau to Wanaka – 3 hours

Return past Lake Wakatipu to Queenstown, where you will stop for lunch before enjoying the scenic drive over the Crown Range to Wanaka. Your guide will stop along the way for photos at fantastic viewing points.

Explore the alpine town of Wanaka in the afternoon. You may want to visit Puzzling World, Wanaka’s illusional attraction; the National Toy and Transport Museum or the Wanaka Lavender Farm located just a few minutes from Wanaka, where you can experience 20 acres of beautiful lavender fields, farm animals & display gardens.

Alternatively, test out your fishing skills at “Hook”, Wanaka’s very unique interactive Lake to Plate dining experience. Catch a Chinook salmon from the scenic spring-fed fishing lakes and then relax as the team prepares it for you. No experience is necessary and fishing equipment can be hired on the day.

Stay 1 night in Wanaka.

Day 9 Franz Josef Glacier

Travel time Wanaka to Franz Josef – 4.5 hours

After the Milford Highway, the Haast Pass Highway is one of the most scenic alpine routes in New Zealand. Explore the pass with your guide, stopping to view cascading waterfalls, broad alpine meadows, and craggy snowcapped mountains.

Continuing along the West Coast, you may like to visit Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier, where you can take a 20-minute walk (one-way) to the jetty, to admire the reflected views of the Southern Alps on the surface of the lake.

Arrive in Franz Josef this afternoon. Franz Josef’s cloak of ice once flowed from the mountains right to the sea. Following millennia of gradual retreat, the glacier is now 19 km inland and accessible only by helicopter. A glacier experience is a crowning moment for thousands of annual visitors with helicopter flights which land atop Franz Josef Glacier (option to add on a Scenic Helicopter Flight to your package).

Stay 1 night in Franz Josef.

Day 10 TranzAlpine Train Journey + Christchurch

Travel time Franz Josef to Greymouth – 2.5 hours
Train travel time Greymouth to Christchurch – 4.5 hours

Leave the rugged West Coast behind today as you board the TranzAlpine Train for a fantastic journey through Arthurs Pass. Travel past the soaring peaks and braided rivers of the Southern Alps, through the gorges of the Waimakariri River, and past the rolling Canterbury Plains.

Your guide will meet you at the train station and bring you to your accommodation.

Enjoy your last evening in Christchurch and celebrate a fantastic New Zealand Guided Tour!

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 11 Depart Christchurch

Your guide will deliver you to Christchurch Airport for your departing flight.

Planning New Zealand Tours

Our New Zealand tours are fully customisable. In other words, you can change the schedule, inclusions, accommodation level, and travel dates to suit your preferences.

As you begin planning your holiday, your personal travel consultant will work with you to tailor the package to match your requirements. If you have any special interests or must-see destinations, we will be sure to include these.

For further inspiration, you may wish to browse our full range of tour packages offered through our New Zealand Guided Tours brand.

Contact New Zealand Travel Organiser today to begin planning your privately guided tour.