12 Days South Island New Zealand

Our trip begins in Christchurch where we’ll meet you at our joining hotel. After a briefing with our guide, we'll head out for an afternoon exploration of Christchurch city and it surrounds.

Christchurch is a city on the move - after the devastating earthquake in 2011, the rebuild of the city has produced a modern vibrant centre with exciting eateries, galleries and squares. A great start to your New Zealand experience, and a chance to shake off the jet-lag!

We'll have time to relax before meeting again for dinner in the evening.

Camelot Hotel, Christchurch
Lunch, Dinner

This morning we’ll drive straight into the Southern Alps. The Arthurs Pass region is the main divide and access to the South Islands West Coast. It’s home to some BIG mountains and classic beech forests. We’ll stop en route to Arthurs Pass to hike through the incredible boulder structures of Castle Hill. These boulders, known as tor formations, are the result of erosion wearing away the softer limestone layers, leaving behind the harder rocks. Some of these boulders are massive in size and a sight to behold!

Later we’ll continue through to the west coast, where we’ll head North along the coast to Punakaiki. Before heading to our accommodation, we'll hike down to Truman Beach. We'll walk through unspoiled sub-tropical rainforest to a a secluded and stunning beach surrounded by massive cliffs.

We'll settle into our accommodation and meet later for dinner at a local pub.

Paparoa Park Hotel, Punakaiki
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hiking: 7 kilometers (4.5 miles), 3 hours, elevation +/- 130 meters (425 feet)

This morning we'll kick things off with a hike through a spectacular river gorge - the Pororari river. We'll follow the river upstream while passing between dramatic limestone cliffs and through sub-tropical forest. You'll feel as though you've stepped back in time a couple of million years as this rainforest is ancient, pristine and untouched. This is truly a special place!

After making our way back, we'll make a short stop at Punakaiki's Pancake rocks - a limestone landscape of pancake-shaped rock formations overlooking the Tasman Sea.

Later, we'll head south along the West Coast road to Franz Josef Glacier, our home for the evening.

Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we’ll take a short journey over to Okarito, a little-known beach community on the coast. We’ll take to the water in sea kayaks and glide along a picturesque lagoon, set against a stunning backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Okarito is home to the only native white heron colony in New Zealand, as well as a host of other interesting birds.

Later, we’ll hike to the Okarito Trig – a steep trail up through virgin forest to an absolutely classic view point. As well as the highest peaks in the Southern Alps, you’ll be afforded views all the way up and down the west coast, as well as the Okarito lagoon.

Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we’ll continue down the west coast, and follow the spine of the the Southern Alps.

Our first hike for the day is around the stunning ''mirror'' lake - Lake Matheson. Shrouded in dense native forest, this stunning trail circumnavigates the lake with beautiful mountain reflections!

Later, we'll continue down the West Coast and hike through coastal forest to Munro Beach - a pristine beach famed for penguins. Keep your eyes peeled!

After our hike, we'll continue South through Haast Pass to Makarora, in the heart of the Mt Aspiring area. One of the most pristine areas of New Zealand.

Makarora Lodging
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We'll make an early start this morning and head straight seep into the beech forest of the Blue Valley. We'll begin with a gentle walk to a swingbridge overlooking the crystal clear and beautiful blue pools of the Blue River. This is a popular site for tourists (for good reason) but we'll leave the masses behind and heads into a beech forest world of our own! The trail takes us into a pristine river valley with lush moss-covered beech forest leading to an alpine basin framed by snow-capped peaks and idyllic meadows.

We'll have lunch here in the wilderness before making our way down the valley and continuing our journey to Queenstown.

Autoline, Queenstown
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand (if not the world!) and all the comforts of civilisation are packed into this tiny resort town: restaurants galore, sidewalk cafés, stylish lounge bars, day spas and boutiques.

You’ll also find incredible optional activities here including horse trekking, a gondola, kayaking, fishing, winery tours, hang gliding, mountain biking, bungy jumping, jet boating and skydiving, as well as some great hiking opportunities. Or you can just soak up the atmosphere or lounge about reading a book.

Your guides will happily share their favourite haunts and point you in the right direction for your free day today.

Autoline, Queenstown
Breakfast

On this day there is an option to take a scenic flight and cruise in Milford Sound.

You'll take off from Queenstown, and fly above the rugged backcountry of Central Otago, before heading westward to where the glacial-fed rivers empty into Lake Wakatipu. Witness what the power of nature has created over the years, as you journey over two remarkable National Parks; Mt Aspiring and the world heritage listed Fiordland National Park.

Upon landing at Milford Sound Airport you’ll be welcomed with a view of Mitre Peak, standing tall at the head of the fiord. Surrounded by some of the most magnificent scenery in the world, you’ll board the Mitre Peak Cruises vessel and begin a voyage cruising the length of the 16km fiord out to the Tasman Sea. You’ll complete the journey with a scenic flight over the Southern Alps back to Queenstown.

Autoline, Queenstown
Breakfast

We'll follow the shores of lake Wakatipu for short distance and arrive in Glenorchy - a picturesque village nestled at the Northern end of the lake.

After a relaxed coffee stop in town, we'll head across the dart river and on to the Kinloch where we'll begin our hike.

We'll kick off with a steep hike through native beech forest before arriving in the magnificent Glacier Basin. We'll follow the creek further up where we’ll be treated to views of the Humboldt Mountains and the Glenorchy area, a great spot for a lunch and a rest to soak it all in!

We'll head down and make our way back to Queenstown.

Autoline, Queenstown
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning there’s an option to hike on the Mount Crichton Loop Trail – a local secret classic through gorgeous beech forest. Part of this loop walk passes Sam Summers' Hut - providing a fascinating glimpse of life as a gold prospector. This area was mined off and on between the 1860s and the 1930s. In the early days of the gold rush, water was used as a tool to blast gravel off the cliffs. The gold-bearing gravel was then washed through a tail race tunnel. The tunnel we'll see on this walk is spectacular - 24 metres long, a metre wide and 10 metres high.

Later we'll drive North over the iconic Lindis Pass and on to Lake Ohau where we'll havr the late afternoon to kick back, relax and take in the incredible Southern Alps views over Lake Ohau.

Ohau Lodge
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An old school and lesser known guide's favourite trail awaits today. We'll follow the shores of lake Ohau north for a short distance before turning into the entrance of the Temple Valley.

We'll follow the temple river up a valley shrouded in untouched beech forest. We'll gradually make our way out of the forest and into the most impressive and magnificent alpine amphitheater - a sight to behold!

We'll take lunch here before making our way down the valley, dip our feet in the cool river, and head back to Ohau Lodge for a well-deserved drink and dinner.

Ohau Lodge
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A short drive north this morning brings us to New Zealand's most dramatic national park and highest mountains - Aoraki National Park. This home to our highest peak - Aoraki - the mountain where Sir Edmund Hillary trained to climb Mt Everest in 1953.

We'll hike into the heart of the national Park, and these mountains, up to Hooker Lake, at the face of Hooker Glacier. The icebergs on the lake are impressive, along with the mountains rising straight above us - turn 360 degrees and you'll be surrounded by otherworldly peaks. we'll follow the thunderous Hooker river back down before driving a short distance north to the quaint canerbury town of Fairlie.

We'll celebrate our final evening with dinner at a fine local restaurant.

Musterers lodge, Fairlie
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is the last day of your Conqueror Adventures exploration of New Zealand’s BEST day hikes and excursions. Our aim is to create incredible moments that count with like-minded people, and build lifelong friendships through physical activity and shared experiences in some of the world's most beautiful places.

We'll head drive to Christchurch and have you back in time for outbound flights, or if you're staying in Christchurch, we'll drop you off at your accommodation. Speak with us if you're in need of extra accommodation.

Breakfast

• All meals as per itinerary
• All transport and shuttles
• Guiding and hosting
• All park entrance fees
• All accommodation
• Luggage transfers

• International and domestic flights
• Travel Insurance
• Personal hiking gear
• Luggage
• Personal snacks
• Alcoholic beverages

We understand the importance of a good nights rest. We have carefully chosen only locally owned lodgings that understand the importance of a place to unwind and share the experience with your fellow travelers. While you won’t be glamming it up at the Ritz (that’s not our style), you’ll enjoy a comfortable accommodation with amazing local hosts.

Arriving in Christchurch is simple. International flights into New Zealand arrive into Auckland, where you can easily add a domestic flight to Christchurch. Because this tour begins in the morning, we recommend you arrive by 9am at the latest on day 1, or the night before. The tour ends in Christchurch on day 12. There are numerous flights leaving throughout the day, and returning to Auckland or directly to your international port of residence. Talk to us about flight arrangements – we’re here to help!