This top of the South Island tour takes you on a journey from beaches and sounds to wine tasting, whale watching and iconic coastal scenery. Visit the Abel Tasman National Park, experience a Tranz Alpine Rail Journey as well as an overnight stay in the Marlborough Sounds.
The Christchurch Tram is a unique experience combining history and sightseeing. The beautifully restored heritage trams are one of the city’s best loved attractions.
Hop-on hop-off tickets allow you to visit the central city sights at your leisure. And the friendly and knowledgeable drivers keep you updated about the latest city changes in informative live commentaries.
Explore the best of the central Christchurch from the 17 stops enroute. Hop off at The Canterbury Museum & Botanic Gardens. Visit Turanga and the Margaret Mahy Playground. Enjoy many retail stores, bars and eateries at The Terrace, Cashel Street & Riverside Market. And the Arts Centre and New Regent Street offer fantastic shopping and dining options for all.
Every Whale Watch tour is a unique experience and the sightings vary. Giant sperm whales are the stars of the show and year-round residents. A typical Whale Watch tour may encounter New Zealand fur seals, pods of dusky dolphins and the endangered wandering albatross.
Depending on the season you may also see migrating humpback whales, pilot whales, blue whales and southern right whales. Kaikōura often hosts the orca and dolphins – and is home to the world’s smallest and rarest – the Hector’s. Kaikōura also attracts the largest concentration and variety of seabirds on mainland New Zealand including 13 species of albatross, 14 varieties of petrels and 7 types of shearwater.
Dolphins are some of nature’s most extraordinary and captivating creatures. They’re even more amazing close-up. Choose swimming or watching and immerse yourself in their world with Dolphin Encounter; an unforgettable experience in one of New Zealand’s most breath-taking destinations.
Kaikōura is one of the best places in the world to encounter dolphins in their natural environment. It’s just you, the open ocean… and Kaikōura’s wild Dusky Dolphins. One of the most interactive and acrobatic species of dolphin, they’re thrilling to watch and magical to interact with. Here the encounter is all on their terms. With one of the highest success rates in the world, this bucket list experience is one you will never forget!
If you prefer to stay dry, watching the dolphins and the people swimming with them has an appeal all of it’s own.
The curious Dusky Dolphins are often as interested in the boat and those swimming as we are in them! Our purpose built vessels allow ample space to take in the spectacle. It is not unusual to see large numbers of dolphins; and their antics both above the water and in it with the swimmers create one of the best wildlife shows you can see anywhere!
With more than 30 cellar doors offering tastings, the best way to explore the region’s wine trail is on a Marlborough wine tour. Sample some of Marlborough’s stunning wines right next to the vines the grapes were grown on. And learn about the distinctive flavours and arts of viticulture and winemaking that go into each glass.
New Zealand’s largest and most famous wine region, Marlborough produces over 75% of New Zealand’s wine. It is the undisputed home of Sauvignon Blanc — world famous for its intense and pure flavours.
Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand’s smallest national park. But it is one of the most easily accessible and beautiful coastal paradise settings. And you’ll see all the highlights along the coast on board this cruise.
See granite outcrops, golden sands and lush forest. Take in Split Apple Rock, Tonga Island Marine Reserve and Adele Island Wildlife Reserve. View sea birds and seals, with a chance to spot little blue penguins. Then relax with a comfortable Vista Cruise back to Kaiteriteri.
Enjoy a very special view of the South Island’s striking natural landscape. Take the Tranz Alpine train between Christchurch and Greymouth. See epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.
You’ll cross the remarkabley flat Canterbury Plains overlooked by the majestic Southern Alps before eventually crossing the aqua-blue Waimakariri River. Tunnels, viaducts and feats of railway engineering take you across alpine passes where you’ll then travel through lush lake valleys towards the West Coast of the South Island. This iconic train trip is the journey of a lifetime.
The TranzAlpine is acknowledged as one of the world’s great train journeys. The 223 kilometre (139 mile) one-way trip takes just under 5 hours and connects Christchurch and Greymouth on the West Coast via Arthurs Pass through the Southern Alps.
We can customise any of our Self guided drive tours to your needs
Christchurch is an fascinating city to explore. It was once a historic garden city. Since the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes it has turned into a fascinating city of regeneration and growth.
The central city is filled with cutting-edge architecture alongside some of the oldest buildings in New Zealand. But Christchurch is constantly evolving, always giving locals and visitors something new to explore. Expect street art and innovative projects, a bustling hospitality scene and established green spaces.
The Avon River runs through the city, bringing a natural landscape to the urban environment. Cruise along the picturesque river on a flat bottomed punt. Take a ride on a historic tram through the city. With wonderful parks and botanic gardens to explore Christchurch is a great place to visit.
There are few places on earth like Kaikōura. A small coastal village, with a relaxed beachside vibe, it has some stunning views of both mountains and sea. And it offers to enjoy the bounty of the sea whether eating local kai moana or encountering local sale sea life off the coast.
The nearby Seaward Kaikōura Mountains, a towering snow-clad mountain range, provide a stunning backdrop over the town centre. Meanwhile, the town extends out to the Kaikōura Peninsula, where the waves of the Pacific Ocean roll in.
These mountains rise to heights of 2600m. And the undersea canyon that comes to meet them, plunges to depths of over 1200m very close to shore. These two factors alone make Kaikōura unique.
Stand on top of a snow-capped mountain in the morning. Whale watch or dolphin / seal swim in the afternoon. Then take in a gorgeous sunset while feasting upon fresh seafood beside the sea.
Blenheim sits in the heart of the wine-growing Marlborough region. It is known as one of the sunniest towns in New Zealand. Mountains frame the area and trap the summer heat (temperatures over 30°C are quite normal in February and March).
Rows of vines thrive in this environment and produce the majority of New Zealand’s famous Sauvignon Blanc.
In and around Blenheim you’ll find an array of cafes, restaurants, wineries, bars, shops, artisan food outlets and golf courses along with popular walkways along the Taylor River Reserve.
Aircraft enthusiast are in for a treat. A 10 minute drive from the railway station and you will be outside enormous airport hangers, about to enter a world of flight and excitement. Omaka Aviation Heritage is home to Peter Jackson’s personal collection of WW1 planes and memorabilia.
With 1500km of coastline, the Marlborough Sounds is a collection of ancient sunken river valleys now filled by Pacific Ocean waters right at the top of the South Island. Access them from the seaside townships of Picton and Havelock.
Forested hills rise steeply from the sea around an intricate coastline of sheltered inlets and sandy bays. The area has three main bodies of water – Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds.
‘The Sounds’ can be explored in many ways. Take a guided tour aboard a cruise, charter boat or kayak. Or drive the picturesque Queen Charlotte Drive and experience panoramic views of the vast, sea-drowned valleys.
Travel further out into the Sounds by boat and visit d’Urville Island. Spot dive-bombing gannets. Go dolphin watching or swimming. See sunbathing seals and even cruising orca. And keep an ear out for native birdsong from the bush-clad hills surrounding beautiful bays.
Seventy percent of NZ’s greenshell mussels and 75% of our farmed salmon comes from Marlborough. There are some fantastic seafood cruises — sample local seafood delicacies matched with a glass of award-winning Marlborough wine.
On land, the iconic Queen Charlotte Track can be explored by foot, mountain bike or sea kayak over one or several days. The 72km track passes through stunning landscapes, with accommodation and restaurants along the way.
Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand’s smallest national park. But it’s one of the most easily accessible and is unmatched for beautiful coastal settings and beaches.
The park is at the north end of New Zealand’s South Island near Motueka and Nelson. It’s known for the Abel Tasman Coast Track. This long trail, a 3-5 day walk, winds over beaches and across ridges between Marahau in the south and Wainui in the north.
This beautiful coastal area abounds with NZ wildlife. The headland at Separation Point is home to New Zealand fur seal colonies. Little blue penguins, bottlenose dolphins and seals inhabit the Tonga Island Marine Reserve.
Explore the park from land, on the water, or in the air, with cruises, water taxi services, kayaking options, heli-tours and sailing catamarans through its beautiful coastal waters.
Nelson is the main centre of the Tasman region. This is an extraordinary, vibrant region where art and businesses thrive together among a stunning natural landscape.
It is renowned for its sunny climate, produce and stunning natural landscapes. Indeed, its diverse geography captures everything from long golden beaches to untouched forests and rugged mountains.
Nelson Tasman has one of the largest concentrations of working artists and galleries in the country. You’ll find an array of traditional, contemporary and Māori, craftspeople living in the region.
And you’ll also find many ways to find something extraordinary to take home with you. Visit artist’s studios. Explore the weekend craft markets. Taste the delicious locally made artisan products.
Punakaiki is a small community on the West Coast of the South Island, between Westport and Greymouth. The community lies on the edge of the Paparoa National Park.
The Pancake Rocks are a very popular tourist destination. At Dolomite Point south of the main village you can explore a limestone landscape of pancake-shaped rock formations, blowholes and surge pools on a short, paved walk.
This all-weather walk takes you through curious limestone formations of ‘Pancake Rocks’ and blowholes.
The blowholes form from a mixture of compressed water and air from caverns below being forced upwards. They create a huge wall of spray and are at their best around high tide when there is a south-westerly swell.
Spectacular views, geological oddities, coastal forest, rich birdlife and marine mammals are highlights along this walk.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. This allows us to improve the customer experience and meet our audience's needs.
We also collect information required to respond to enquiries and facilitate the sales process via, our customer service solution, Active Campaign. Rest assured, this information is not shared with anyone, except where necessary to facilitate a tour booking or respond to an information request.
Keeping these cookies enabled helps us to improve our website and provide you with great service and support as you find your perfect New Zealand tour.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
More information about our Cookie Policy
