DAY 1

Arrive Christchurch
Discover the delightful fusion of modern design and the elegance of yesteryear in Christchurch, your gateway to South Island. Transfer to your hotel (flights to arrive prior to 4pm), then spend time at leisure before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers for an evening Welcome Reception.
Hotel: Distinction
Meal: Welcome Reception

DAY 2

Christchurch – Twizel
‘Connect with Locals’ and immerse yourself in New Zealand country life at Morelea, joining Angie and Stan Taylor in their home for a Be My Guest barbecue lunch, complete with Angie’s famous pavlova. Leave their home-grown Kiwi hospitality behind bound for Lake Pukaki and the Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Continue your journey to Mount Cook National Park and soak up the alpine scenery. There’s even time for an Optional Experience scenic flight over Mt. Cook (weather permitting).
Hotel: MacKenzie Country
Meal: Buffet Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner with wine

DAY 3

Twizel – Dunedin Sightseeing
Your day starts with a journey along the Waitaki River and a photo stop at the Waitaki Hydro Power Scheme and Benmore Dam. Travel through to the township of Oamaru, with its famous white limestone buildings, and on to the soaring spires and Victorian façades of Dunedin. This afternoon your choice of sightseeing: tour Larnach Castle; ride the Taieri Gorge Railway; take the Monarch Wildlife Cruise to see the Penguins and the Royal Albatross or experience an interactive tour of Speight’s Brewery.
Hotel: Scenic Southern Cross
Meal: Buffet Breakfast,Dinner with wine

DAY 4

Dunedin – Te Anau
Spend the morning connecting with the Scottish heritage of Dunedin, departing this southern city in the afternoon bound for Te Anau, the gateway to Milford Sound. Journey through lush pastoral lands dotted with sheep farms, arriving on the shores of Lake Te Anau for an evening at leisure. Consider a Trafalgar Highlight this evening, joining an Optional Experience to the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves.
Hotel: Distinction
Meal: Buffet Breakfast,Dinner with wine

DAY 5

Te Anau – Queenstown (2 Nights)
Savour a day filled with pinch-me moments as you explore the extraordinary natural splendour of the UNESCO-listed Fiordland National Park. Keep your camera close at hand as you journey through rainforest, ancient glaciers and mountain ranges before driving through the hand-hewn Homer Tunnel. Pass the Mirror Lake, Pop’s Lookout, Cleddau Valley and the Chasm. Take to the still waters of Milford Sound, cruising past such highlights as Bowen Falls and Mitre Peak. Later, journey over the Devil’s Staircase, along the shores of Lake Wakatipu bound for Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capital. Enjoy an evening at leisure after an orientation tour.
Hotel: Millennium
Meal: Buffet Breakfast

DAY 6

Queenstown Sightseeing
Expect a thrill a minute on your choice of sightseeing today. Ride the Shotover Jet boat; take a gondola to Bob’s Peak for thrilling luge rides; embark on a minibus excursion through Skippers Canyon or visit Kiwi Birdlife Park. This evening, you’ll board the TSS Earnslaw, New Zeakand’s oldest steamship, cruising across Lake to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet barbecue Regional Meal at the Colonel’s Homestead. Gain a deeper understanding of high-country farm live during an entertaining farm show, then return to Queenstown to sample the festive nightlife.
Meal: Buffet Breakfast,Regional Meal

DAY 7

Queenstown – Franz Josef
A morning visit to Arrowtown reveals its rich gold mining heritage, before your journey continues to Cromwell, where you’ll have an opportunity to savour the juicy flavours of local stone fruit. See a trio of lakes, Dunstan, Hawea and Wanaka, then cross Haast Pass to Thunder Creek Falls in Mt Aspiring National Park. Here you’ll stretch your legs and embark on a short rainforest walk before continuing to the luminescence of the Franz Josef Glacier, the world’s most accessible glacier.
Hotel: Scenic Franz Josef Glacier (Douglas Wing)
Meal: Buffet Breakfast,Dinner with wine

DAY 8

Franz Josef – Punakaiki
Take some time this morning to explore the icy depths of this white wilderness that has retreated from the sea over millennia. Later, journey to Hokitika. Here, you will delve into the delicate craft of greenstone carvery during a visit to a factory and jewellery demonstration by a ‘Local Specialist’ master carver. Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and Blowholes are your destination today. Spend the night at one of Trafalgar’s ‘Stays with Stories’ – the eco-friendly Punakaiki Resort located right on the waterfront. Dinner is served against the backdrop of the thundering Tasman surf.
Hotel: Punakaiki Resort
Meal: Buffet Breakfast,Dinner with wine

DAY 9

Punakaiki – Christchurch
A leisurely start to your day will see you journey across Arthur’s Pass where you’ll board the TranzAlpine train for one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys across the snow-capped Southern Alps and and Canterbury Plains. Arrive in Christchurch and admire the city’s efforts to rebuild itself after a devastating earthquake. Later this evening, you’ll join newfound friends for a Farewell Dinner to toast to your trip.
Hotel: Distinction
Meal: Buffet Breakfast,Farewell Dinner

DAY 10

Depart Christchurch
Your holiday concludes this morning after breakfast. You will be transferred to Christchurch Airport for your onward flight (flights anytime).
Meal: Buffet Breakfast

Sightseeing Highlights

• City tour in Dunedin and Christchurch.
• Cruise on Milford Sound and Lake Wakatipu
• See spectacular sights in Fiordland National Park en route to Milford Sound
• View the Southern Alps from the TranzAlpine train
• Visit Franz Josef Glacier, historic Arrowtown, and the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Punakaiki

Dining Highlights

• 9 hot buffet breakfasts.
• 1 lunch (Connect with Locals)
• 7 dinners.

First class travel Highlights

• Luxury air-conditioned coach with WiFi in most regions or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
• Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
• Hand-picked Insider Experiences
• Optional Experiences and free time
• Porterage is not provided at airports in Australia and New Zealand
• Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
• An expert Travel Director and separate Driver, Driver Guide only on Mini-Stays
• All hotel charges and local taxes
• Airport transfers on the first and last day of your guided holiday
• VIP entry to many sights