Our New Zealand team have carefully selected their idea of ‘gold’ in the South Island, but always with a traditional Wendy Wu Asian flair! Journey from the spectacular Otago Peninsula to Fiordland National Park for a breath-taking overnight cruise. Explore charming Arrowtown with its gold rush history, and tranquil Lake Wanaka. Head up to Mt Cook for a Big Sky Experience and a visit to the glacier terminus, before ending our tour with Hector's dolphins and eclectic art in Akaroa.
Our Hidden Gold of the South tour will see you exploring the most iconic sites, delving into deep-rooted culture and dining on delicious cuisine.
Take a trip to another era
Spot penguins in the beautiful surroundings
Test your courage at this adventure wonderland
Our Hidden Gold of The North Tour has been thoughtfully designed and thoroughly researched to bring you a range of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, many of which are entirely exclusive to us.
This wilderness cruise is perfect for travelers who want to dive into a remote corner of New Zealand and encounter its scenery, wildlife, and nature in utter seclusion away from the tourist circuit. It's a one-night experience that you will never forget.
Discover New Zealand's only Castle, built 1871 by William Larnach, merchant baron and politician, for his beloved first wife Eliza. Enjoy a meal in the grand dining rooms of the Castle.
Experience the Glacier Explorers tour to Mt Cook terminal lake. This lovely half hour alpine walk through the National Park will be a highlight for any South Island trip plus you will also take a short boat ride amongst icebergs of all shapes and sizes, to view the glacier ice face.
This adventure is ideal for traveller's with less time to spend and who want to see the very best bits of the South Island Island. We have designed the tour to make the most of the time available to showcase the key highlights and cities.
Fly to Dunedin, on arrival transfer to your hotel where you will have a welcome briefing and dinner.
This morning walk to the Lan Yuan Chinese Gardens for a guided tour of this culturally unique facility. Afterwards, we head out to Larnach Castle for a guided tour followed by lunch in the castle’s Ballroom Cafe. Tonight, on the Peninsula at dusk, we will bear witness to the brave little blue penguins coming ashore to find their nests - but not before a casual Dinner along the dramatic waterfront of St Clair Beach.
Fiordland National Park, stopping briefly in Gore along the way. Depending on availability, our overnight cruise will either be in Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound. Both just as magnificent as the other! If Doubtful Sound, we will grab our picnic lunches before boarding a smaller boat which crosses the waters of Lake Manapouri. A coach will then take us up and over the Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove where we will board The Navigator. If Milford Sound, we will lunch in the small lakeside village of Te Anau before driving further into the National Park to meet our overnight vessel, the Milford Mariner. This evening after our activities on-board, a buffet dinner will be a served.
After breakfast, enjoy the rest of the morning exploring other parts of either Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound before returning to our respective starting point and driving to our lunch spot at the Five Rivers Café & Art Gallery. Later, we will continue the scenic journey along Lake Wakatipu to our luxurious accommodation for the next two nights. This evening, we will enjoy a dinner and a glass of wine produced from the area.
This morning, take an exciting 4WD safari tour through Skippers Canyon, visiting the famous suspension bridge, the original Skippers Township and a chance to try your luck panning for gold. No doubt this will be a huge highlight! Lunch today will be in Arrowtown at a café set in historic stables on the Village Green. You will also enjoy some free time to relax or explore Arrowtown’s quaint shops and scenic walking trails. This evening, we drive to Queenstown for a stroll along the stunning waterfront and have dinner in our favourite Asian-fusion restaurant.
After breakfast this morning, re-live the Gold Rush and take a fascinating guided tour of the Lakes District Museum & Chinese Settlement in Arrowtown. We will then drive the scenic country roads, passing many vineyards along the way, to Bannockburn for a platter style lunch and wine tastings at dramatic Mt Difficulty. Later, we will continue driving to Lake Wanaka in time to check-in to our hotel. Enjoy dinner tonight in the Township and consider walking back to the hotel afterward along the serene lakefront.
This morning we will meet our vessel on the Wanaka waterfront and cruise to Mou Waho Island for a challenging and guided nature walk. Here you can see first-hand results of conservation efforts including the rare flightless Buff Weka (extinct on the mainland since 1920) and the Mountain Stone Weta. After lunch back in Wanaka, we will drive to Mount Cook with a brief stop en-route at Omarama. Check-in to the famous Hermitage Hotel, located within the National Park itself, and enjoy dinner in one of their exclusive restaurants tonight
After a hearty breakfast, join the Glacier Explorers tour which includes a moderate 40 minute alpine walk through the National Park, plus a boat ride amongst icebergs of all shapes and sizes, to view the Tasman Glacier ice face. Enjoy lunch back at the Hermitage, and afterward use your free time to visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Museum and Digital Dome Planetarium within the hotel’s complex. Dinner tonight will again be at the Hermitage
After breakfast and a last glimpse of Mt Cook, drive to Lake Tekapo for a stop at the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd, Sheep Dog Memorial and the new suspension bridge over the glacier fed turquoise waters. Lunch will be a bit further down the road in Geraldine. Once arriving in our final destination of the tour, Christchurch, we will have a short city tour of the CBD and its iconic places both pre and post earthquake. Dinner will be on trendy Victoria Street this evening
Enjoy an early breakfast before driving along picturesque Banks Peninsula to the French colonial township of Akaroa, stopping briefly at Little River Café & Gallery on the way. In Akaroa, we will embark on a Dolphin & Nature Cruise like no other and hopefully see the world’s smallest (and friendliest) Hector's dolphins. Lunch is on the waterfront, followed by a walk through the quirky mosaic gardens at The Giant’s House before returning to Christchurch. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner
After breakfast, transfer to Christchurch Airport for your flight to Australia
Places Visited: Dunedin (2N), Fiordland Boat (1N), Arrowtown (2N), Lake Wanaka (1N), Mt Cook (2N), Christchurch (2N)
All of our tour departures (Excluding Antarctica and Australia tours) include international flights and taxes in the price. If the dates we have available for this tour don't suit your needs, or you are not sure travelling as part of a group is for you, maybe a Private Tour would be more ideal. If your tour departs in less than 30 days, please call our travel experts to book.
With our Book with Confidence guarantee you have peace of mind with low deposits, free changes and extended final payment. Plus, find a tour with the same inclusions cheaper and we will match it AND give you a reward. See full terms and conditions.
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There are no dedicated Solo departures for this year. You can enjoy any of our tours with no Single Supplement on our Happy to Share option or explore the solo departures in other years.
