South Island Gems. 7 days.
Updated: Aug 27
Route: Christchurch - Lake Tekapo - Mount Cook - Clay Cliffs - Oamaru - Moeraki Boulders - Dunedin - Invercargill - Slope Point - Te Anau - Milford Sound - Te Anau - Queenstown
Day 1
Place: Christchurch – Lake Tekapo
Itinerary:
10:00 – 13:00 Christchurch city tour: Cathedral Square - Transitional Cathedral - 185 white chairs – Botanic gardens. Canterbury museum as an option.
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch at Curators House. Pay direct.
14:30 – 18:30 Driving to Tekapo.
Stargazing tour is optional in the evening.
Day 2
Place: Lake Tekapo – Mt Cook - Twizel
Itinerary:
09:00 – 10:30 Driving to Hooker Valley parking. We’ll stop on viewpoints near stunning Pukaki lake.
10:30 – 13:30 Hooker Valley track, 10 km return through the flat valley, we’ll pass 3 suspended bridges. Mount Cook views are stunning. An option is Abel Tasman Glacier heli tour or any other heli-tour (booking is essential).
13:30 - 14:40 Driving to High Country Salmon farm.
14:40 - 15:30 Lunch at a local cafe. Pay direct.
Way to Twizel.
Day 3
Place: Twizel – Clay Cliffs - Oamaru – Moeraki boulders - Dunedin
Itinerary:
09:00 – 09:40 Driving to Clay Cliffs
09:40 – 10:30 Hiking in Clay Cliffs.
10:30 – 13:00 Driving to Oamaru.
13:00 – 14:00 Short Oamaru city centre tour. It attracts tourists with its Victorian architecture, the Steampunk Museum and the Victorian Fete festival which is held annually in November. Oamaru is an atmospheric place with old limestone shipping warehouses lining the waterfront, streets named after the English rivers, plus museums, workshops and cosy restaurants.
Optional: Steampunk HQ Oamaru Musem: you will acquire an unforgettable museum experience! (pay 10 NZD entry fee direct)
14:00 – 15:30 Lunch at a local café (pay direct).
15:30 - 16:00 Driving to Moeraki beach.
16:00 – 17:00 Time on Moeraki beach. It's your chance to take cool Insta photos with the mysterious boulders.
17:00 – 18:00 Driving to Dunedin.
Hotel check-in. Dinner at the Speights brewery restaurant, the oldest brewery in the country. Pay direct.
Day 4
Place: Dunedin
Itinerary:
09:30 – 11:00 Dunedin city tour: Octagon square, The First Church, railway station, Otago University, Baldwin Street – the steepest street in the world.
11:00 – 11:40 Driving to Larnach Castle, the only castle in our country with a tragic story.
11:40 – 13:15 Tour at Larnach castle, the historical labour of love built by politician and merchant, William Larnach, for his beloved first wife Eliza. Tour price includes entrance to the castle, its gardens and the Ballroom Café
13:15 – 13:30 Driving to Glenfalloch restaurant.
13:30 – 15:00 Lunch. Pay direct.
15:00 – 15:30 Driving to the Penguin Place.
15:30 – 15:45 Tour check-in.
15:45 – 17:15 Dunedin Penguin Tour. This 90-minute tour introduces you to the conservation efforts of Penguin Place, a private conversation reserve dedicated to the survival of the rare Yellow-Eyed Penguin.
17:15 – 18:00 Drive back to the city. Free evening in Dunedin.
Day 5
Place: Dunedin – Invercargill – Slope Point – Te Anau
Itinerary:
08:00 – 11:00 Driving to Invercargill, the most southern New Zealand town.
11:00 – 13:00 Invercargill city tour. We’ll visit spectacular local Botanic gardens and E Hayes museum which has a unique collection of motorbikes including the legendary Burt Munro’s The World fasters Indian.
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch at a local café. Pay direct.
14:30 – 15:30 Driving to Slope Point, the most southern point of New Zealand.
15:30 – 17:00 It will take us 30 minutes on foot to reach the Slope Point from the car park. There we’ll take photos with the famous sign «Equator - South Pole».
17:00 – 20:00 Driving to Te Anau.
Day 6
Place: Te Anau – Milford Sound - Te Anau
Itinerary:
09:00 – 11:00 Driving to Milford Sound.
11:00 – 11:30 Cruise check-in.
11:30 – 13:10 Milford Sound Scenic Cruise.
13:10 – 15:10 Returning to Te Anau.
15:10 – 18:00 Walking along the lakeshore to the beginning of the Kepler Track. The route is flat and beautiful. On the road we’ll see endangered Takahe birds which play a significant role in the life of local Maori tribes.
Day 7
Place: Te Anau - Queenstown
Itinerary:
09:00 – 12:00 Driving to Queenstown.
12:00 – 14:00 Skyline Gondola & Buffet Lunch
Free afternoon in Queenstown. You can do anything you want in the world capital of adventure. You are welcome to fly back home in the evening or stay in Queenstown for an extra day or even more. This is a great chance to enjoy local slopes.
The End of the Tour