The George, Christchurch
Located in the heart of Christchurch, The George Hotel is a small luxury boutique hotel just minutes from the city centre and main attrac... Read more
With spectacular glaciers, coastlines and a mountain railway, New Zealand’s South Island promises adventures at every turn. Ride on the world-famous TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth. Take an exhilarating helicopter ride and come face-to-face with a dramatic glacier. And discover the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown.
Journey Highlights
Arriving into Christchurch, meet your A&K guide and transfer by private vehicle to your luxury boutique hotel just steps away from the vibrant cultural precinct.
The George
Meet your A&K representative this morning for a full day adventure to the beautiful Banks Peninsula southeast of Christchurch. Travel via the high summit route which gives glorious views of expansive farmlands, Akaroa Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour, the Canterbury Plains, Christchurch City and the distant Southern Alps as well as remote bays indenting the coastline. On arriving at the main wharf in Akaroa, you will be briefed for your Swim with the Dolphins experience, before embarking on your cruise. This once in a lifetime experience lets you swim alongside the endangered Hector’s Dolphin, the world’s rarest and smallest, allowing a unique and memorable interaction.
Afterwards, spend some time wandering around the charming 175-year-old French harbourside village of Akaroa with its museum of settlers' history, art and craft shops and studios before enjoying lunch at an award-winning café. On the journey back to Christchurch, stop in at Barry’s Bay Cheese, the last outpost of traditional cheese making on the Peninsula and the Little River Art Gallery, where contemporary works by leading and emerging New Zealand artists are exhibited as well as sculpture, ceramics and jewellery.
The George | BL
Today is a journey on one of the world’s most famous trains, the TranzAlpine. Ride the rails through the vast Canterbury Plains and spectacular gorges and river valleys. Climb the majestic Southern Alps to Arthur’s Pass National Park, then descend through lush beech rainforest to Greymouth. Collect your rental vehicle and head south down the Great Coast Ride alongside ancient limestone cliffs and untamed native forest to glacier country. Stop in the historic village of Hokitika for its fascinating heritage of shipwrecks, gold miners and pounamu hunters. Arrive at your lodge in the heart of West Coast glacier country.
Te Waonui Forest Retreat | BD
An adventure in store this morning as you head out on a unique shared heli-hike expedition on Franz Josef Glacier. This dramatic glacier is 10.5 kilometres long and features ice pinnacles as high as multi-storey buildings, deep crevasses and stunning, pristine blue ice.
Take to the skies by helicopter and witness the majesty of the ice from the air. Then, land on the glacier itself and set off for your hike across the ice. Equipped with glacier boots and crampons, your guide will lead you through some of the glacier’s most stunning ice formations and pinnacles, immersing you in the world of the Franz Josef Glacier. To touch the ice and breathe in the fresh alpine air is a unique experience and one which you will never forget.
Return to your lodge with the afternoon at leisure. Optional activities in the area include kayaking, soaking in the hot thermal pools, short walks or a visit to Lake Mapourika and the coastal hamlet of Okarito.
Te Waonui Forest Retreat | B
Continue the road trip today as you make the journey to Queenstown discovering rugged wilderness along the way. Pass waterfalls and river scenery as you leave the coast behind winding your way to Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capital.
The Rees Hotel | B
Your appreciation for the country’s landscapes continues today, with a shared journey deep into the heart of the world-renowned Mt Aspiring National Park.
Departing Queenstown for the Dart River, you will get up-close with nature on a funyak tour, paddling on the crystal clear waters in an inflatable kayak. Be spellbound by the beauty of the Dart River as well as hidden side streams, rock pools and dramatic chasms. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of this stunning area at your own pace as you float downstream before a sumptuous buffet lunch. Travel onwards to Glenorchy taking scenic back-country routes to return to your start point, passing by iconic scenes used to depict famed Middle Earth locales.
The Rees Hotel | BL
A free day to explore Queenstown. Every type of adventure awaits in this world-famous alpine resort. From bungy and jet boating to horse rides, quad biking and ziplining. An exploration of the Central Otago wine region or a Milford Sound adventure. All of this, and much more, awaits.
The Rees Hotel | B
Farewell the adventure capital and drive to Queenstown Airport for your outbound flight.
B
Contact one of our Journey Designers to start planning your itinerary.
Located in the heart of Christchurch, The George Hotel is a small luxury boutique hotel just minutes from the city centre and main attrac... Read more
Quiet, private and sophisticated, The Rees Hotel Queenstown epitomises southern hospitality at its finest and an authentic New Zealand ex... Read more
As this suggested itinerary can be personalised to your specific requirements, it is not available for online booking.
Depending on your preferred dates and arrangements, final pricing will vary from low season to peak season travel.
Please call A&K on 1300 851 800, send us a booking enquiry to book this journey or contact your travel agent.
Tailor-Made Journeys
Over 10 days, journey from charming Nelson to the adventurer’s paradise of Queenstown, immersing yourself in breathtaking lakeside landscapes and magn...
Tailor-Made Journeys
Cycle, hike and jetboat over some of the most spectacular landscapes on New Zealand’s South Island on this adventurous escape.
Tailor-Made Journeys
Discover New Zealand’s North Island where world-famous vineyards vie with extraordinary volcanic terrain, on this self-drive journey to Rotorua.
Tailor-Made Journeys
Marlborough, New Zealand’s premier wine region and an adventurer’s dream, with the intricate waterways and breathtaking mountain landscapes of the Mar...
Tailor-Made Journeys
Fishing, wine and gourmet food – this exclusive self-drive journey through New Zealand’s North Island has it all.
Tailor-Made Journeys
New Zealand’s South Island is home to wild and sweeping landscapes of gushing rivers and epic rainforests, glaciers, fjords and extraordinary volcanic...
Tailor-Made Journeys
The alpine scenes of New Zealand are truly breathtaking, the magnificent mountain peaks and rolling valleys beckoning travellers to explore from the w...
Tailor-Made Journeys
This journey is a golf enthusiast’s dream travelling from the North Island to the South playing four of the country’s finest courses.
Tailor-Made Journeys
Experience Abel Tasman National Park from every angle as you hike, bike, kayak and cruise.
Tailor-Made Journeys
Embark on this self-drive discovery of New Zealand’s spectacular South Island, road tripping with the family from Christchurch to Queenstown.
Tailor-Made Journeys
Witness the natural wonders of Queenstown and nearby Wanaka on this 5-day escape.
Tailor-Made Journeys
Escape to cosmopolitan Wellington on this self-drive epicurean adventure.
It looks like you are located in Australia, New Zealand
or South East Asia.
Proceed to A&K Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia Proceed to website
