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, visiting the Botanic Gardens, the Christchurch Cathedral, and the Canterbury Museum.

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 2 Mount Cook + Tasman Glacier

Travel time Christchurch to Mt Cook Village – 4 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 evening, visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre to view the displays and watch any of a wide offering of films and planetarium shows on New Zealand.

Stay 1 night in Mt Cook Village.

Day 3 Queenstown – The Adventure Capital of New Zealand!

Travel time Mt Cook Village to Queenstown – 3 hours

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.

Explore Queenstown independently in the evening.

Stay 3 nights in Queenstown.

Day 4 Remarkables Helicopter Flight + High Country Farm 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 Glenorchy Lord of the Rings Tour

In the morning explore the Lord of the Rings film locations around Queenstown on a spectacular half–day 4WD adventure! This scenic safari offers breathtaking mountain and forest views along the shore of Lake Wakatipu towards Glenorchy and the Paradise Valley. Beyond Glenorchy travel up the Dart Valley to the filming location for Isengard, set amongst snow-capped mountains beside the turquoise waters of the Dart River This setting offers views of Mt Earnslaw and it’s hanging glacier, used in the first instalment of The Hobbit trilogy. Explore the Paradise Forest, the location for the Forest of Lothlorien. Leaving Glenorchy and returning towards Queenstown we stop at 12 Mile Delta to explore the location of the Ithilien Camp.

In the afternoon explore downtown Queenstown with your guide.

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.

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

Travel time Te Anau to Milford Sound – 2.5 hours (each way)

Embark on a fantastic journey along the Milford Highway today to New Zealand’s most iconic fiord – Milford Sound. Stopping along the way for countless scenic photo opportunities and short walks. At Milford Sound, enjoy a scenic nature cruise that takes you up close to the majesty of the fiord – you might even spot keas, seals, dolphins, or the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin!

Day 8 Wanaka

Travel time Te Anau to Wanaka – 3.5 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 – your guide could take you to Puzzling World or Rippon Winery, or you could simply relax on the lakefront and do a bit of boutique shopping.

Stay 1 night in Wanaka.

Day 9 Franz Josef Glacier + Hot Pools

Travel time Wanaka to Franz Josef – 4 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, craggy snowcapped mountains, and the turquoise depths of the Blue Pools.

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.

In the evening, soak in the Glacier Hot Pools to unwind and rejuvenate.

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.

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.