10 Day South Island Luxury Guided Tour

Experience the top destinations of New Zealand’s South Island on this luxury guided tour. Luxury private small group tours of New Zealand offer the chance to indulge in exclusive activities and premium accommodation.

Your private guide will meet you at the airport and take you on one of the best New Zealand escorted tours on the market, with luxury accommodation and special personalised experiences that will elevate your holiday experience to something truly incredible.

Read on for more details on our luxury small group tours of New Zealand.

10 Day South Island Luxury Guided Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Christchurch

Your fantastic guided holiday begins in Christchurch, New Zealand’s “Garden City.” 

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.

Explore Christchurch with your guide, options include; visiting the International Antarctic Centre, venturing to Sumner Beach or the Riverside Market.

In the evening, experience the luxury of a 36-seater colonial-style dining tram. Enjoy fabulous dining at your private table with a sightseeing tour showcasing Christchurch’s inner-city vibrancy and heritage.

Stay 1 night in Christchurch.

Day 2 Lake Tekapo + Mount Cook + Mount Cook Helicopter Tour & Glacier Landing

Travel time Christchurch to Mt Cook Village – 4 hours 

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

You will pass an amazing smoky turquoise lake, which is called Lake Tekapo. Take a break in Lake Tekapo, if you wish visit the most photographed church in New Zealand – the famous Church of the Good Shepherd. Other attractions in Lake Tekapo include the spa complex Tekapo Springs and of course the world-famous Mt John Observatory. 

Continue past Lake Pukaki on your way to Mt Cook Village, nestled at the foot of New Zealand’s highest mountain. 

In the afternoon, explore the length of the majestic Tasman Glacier on a helicopter tour around Mt Cook, and land atop the glacier itself to experience the immense scale of this alpine paradise.

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park forms the majority of New Zealand’s only International Dark Sky Reserve. The stargazing here is magnificent and stargazing tours can be added to your tour.

Stay 1 night in Mt Cook Village.

Day 3 Wanaka + Best Things To Do In Wanaka

Travel time Mt Cook Village to Wanaka – 2.5 hours 

Continue to Wanaka, an alpine town boasting panoramic views and a relaxing atmosphere. 

Wanaka has a reputation for great food and wine, with a wide variety of lakefront bars, cafés and restaurants serving exceptional local cuisine.

The crystal-clear water of the lakes and rivers are ideal for kayaking, fishing, lake cruises, and jet-boating, or to get an aerial perspective of the region and take a scenic helicopter flight.

Explore Wanaka with your guide – you may want to visit the Wanaka Lavender Farm where you can experience 20 acres of beautiful lavender fields, farm animals & display gardens.

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.

Stroll the streets and be inspired by galleries and stylish shops, visit ‘That Wanaka Tree’ for the perfect photo, or enjoy one of the many famous walking tracks such as Mt Iron.

For adventure seekers, you can go skydiving, canyoning and there are hundreds of kilometres of tracks for hiking or biking.

Stay 1 night in Wanaka.

Day 4 Te Anau + Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Travel time Wanaka to Te Anau – 3.5 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, take the magical Te Anau Glowworm Caves Tour. Explore a mysterious underground world of rushing water before drifting in silent darkness beneath the luminous shimmer of thousands of glowworms. In this mysterious underground world, discover fossils and rock formations, and view rushing waterfalls and whirlpools. Learn how the caves are still being carved out by the incredible and relentless power of nature before gliding through silent darkness to the glowworm grotto. The delicate incandescence of thousands of tiny glowworms is a magical sight! 

Stay 2 nights in Te Anau.

Day 5 Milford Sound Boat Cruise

Enjoy a scenic journey through heartland New Zealand to reach Milford Sound. The Milford Road is one of the finest alpine drives in the world. The scenery is exceptional, ranging from dense rainforest, and towering mountains through to glacial lakes and alpine herb fields. The schedule includes plenty of time for short nature walks and photo opportunities along the way.

Upon reaching Milford Sound, you will enjoy a 2 hour Milford Sound Nature Cruise. With specialist nature guides on board, RealNZ Nature Cruises offer a close-up experience of Milford Sound. See rainforest, soaring rock walls, towering snow capped mountains, cascading waterfalls, hanging valleys and wildlife. Throughout the cruise, the guides share stories of the fiord’s history and are happy to answer your questions. After your cruise, relax while your guide delivers you back to Queenstown.

Option to upgrade to a Milford Sound Overnight Cruise, a once in a lifetime experience!

Day 6 Dunedin + Catlins Coast

Travel time Te Anau to Dunedin via the Catlins – 5 hours 

Along the way to Dunedin, your guide can take you on a tour of the remote Catlins coast, where you will find pounding waterfalls, an iconic lighthouse, lush native bush, a petrified forest, and maybe even penguins and dolphins! Stop for a number of nature walks and photo opportunities along the way, and soak in the wild natural beauty (option to take the direct route).

Dunedin offers a diverse range of experiences including the Emerson’s Craft Brewery and Speight’s Brewery, Larnach Castle, Olveston House and of course the stunning Otago Peninsula.

After a day of sightseeing, one of the best things to do in Dunedin is to get cosy in one of the city’s many pubs and enjoy a local beer. To go one step further, indulge in a tour and tasting at Emerson’s craft brewery or the historic Speights Brewery.

Stay 2 nights in Dunedin.

Day 7 Dunedin + Larnach Castle + Otago Peninsula

Today, venture to Larnach Castle which is situated on the spectacular Otago Peninsula. This castle was built by William Larnach in 1871 offering scandalous and tragic stories, incredible tower views and a exquisite Victorian interiors complete this magical castle. The gardens at Larnach Castle have been rated by the New Zealand Gardens Trust as a Garden of International Significance.

From adorable penguins, albatross, port towns, wild costal beaches and biking trails, Dunedin is a great destination to explore.

Dunedin is home to rare wildlife. On the Otago Peninsula, you can spot little blue penguins, yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals and sea lions. You can also visit the world’s only mainland breeding colony of Northern Royal Albatross. Elm Wildlife Tours visits the far reaches of the peninsula for close encounters with the wild inhabitants. To get a different perspective, join a Monarch Wildlife Cruise for a unique view via sea.

Explore Dunedin’s stunning beaches. St Clair is a popular surf beach, but other beaches have good breaks too – including Aramoana and Karitane. If you just want to swim, Brighton Beach is a beautiful choice, just 20 minutes drive from Dunedin. Tunnel Beach features a spectacular sandstone sea arch, which is best visited at low tide.

Day 8 Queenstown + Arrowtown + Queenstown TSS Earnslaw Cruise & Dinner

Travel time Dunedin to Queenstown – 3.5 hours 

Your adventure continues through the ever-changing hills of Central Otago, past bluffs and gorges, farmland and vineyards, to Queenstown.

Visit Arrowtown prior to reaching Queenstown. Arrowtown is charming and quirky – a delightful gold rush village. The historic buildings in this lovely precinct house shops, galleries, bars and restaurants.

Let Queenstown awaken your inner-explorer. Whether you’re interested in exploring trails, indulging in food and wine, teeing off stunning fairways or seeking adrenaline thrills – there are adventures to be found here of all tastes and tempos.

In the evening board the TSS Earnslaw for a stunning cruise across Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu. Then disembark at Walter Peak High Country Farm, one of the first farms set up in the region.

Relax in the charming ambience of the Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant, you’ll enjoy gourmet dining prepared by the chef in front of you. You can choose from an expansive array of New Zealand and local produce. After dinner, an entertaining and informative demonstration gives you a glimpse of life in the high country. The night-time cruise home is magical. Sing-a-long with the ship’s pianist or simply breathe in the fresh night air on the moonlit decks as the lights of Queenstown draw nearer.

Stay 3 nights in Queenstown.

Day 9 Private Central Otago Wine Tour

An indulgent and varied full-day tour seeing local sights, enjoying fresh cuisine and tasting a selection of fine wines, cheeses and handcrafted chocolates. Venture into the heart of Central Otago and enjoy exclusive tastings at 4 vineyards over 2 contrasting wine sub-regions including luxurious treatment at

Cloudy Bay winery. Included is a tour of New Zealand’s largest underground wine cave, a splendid cheese and wine presentation, a divine wine barrel-cooked lunch matched with wines and a visit to historical Arrowtown with some take-home artisan chocolates.

Day 10 Queenstown Must-Do Activities + Onsen Hot Pools

Push your adventure limits. From the Kawarau Bridge Bungy – to jet boat thrills through the Shotover River. Skydiving, Zip-Liping and Quad Biking, add anything you desire to your tour.

Explore one of the many walking or biking trails.

Enjoy an iconic Queenstown experience and take the Queenstown Gondola up 450 metres to Bob’s Peak. Try your hand at the Queenstown Luge. Enjoy lunch or dinner at Stratosfare Restaurant.

Tee off at one of New Zealand’s impressive golf courses.

Come evening relax in the Onsen Hot Pools in your own private pool for one hour. Onsen Hot Pools is located high on a cliffside overlooking the magnificent Shotover River canyon, providing views over breathtaking alpine scenery and the perfect vantage point to watch the Shotover Jet boats on the river below. A unique feature of Onsen Hot Pools are the retractable picture windows: Convert your pool room from indoor to outdoor and back again at the touch of a button!

Day 11 Depart Queenstown

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

Planning Luxury Small Group Tours of New Zealand

We work with all levels of luxury operators around New Zealand. These include 5-star hotels, luxury lodges, luxury holiday homes and villas, and wilderness retreats. No matter what you want from your experience, we can make it happen. We work with each client to customise your tour to match exactly what you want.

In addition, we offer a range of activities, from popular experiences through to exclusive tours. For more inspiration on luxury small group tours of New Zealand, view our New Zealand Luxury Escapes brand.

Are you hoping to see the North Island on your New Zealand tour? Take a look at our 10-day luxury tour or our 10-day north island tour.