11 days tour

11 Day ’Takahe’ South Island Select Tour

$ 2,267 .94 USD

Total price per person

Reserve with $2,267.94

11 Day ’Takahe’ South Island Select Tour

This tour includes:

Others

Activities and services included as stated in the itinerary

Hygieneprotocol

Health and Safety COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES To minimise risk to our travellers, staff and operators we will be doing everything we can to reduce the risk of transmission and we will be playing it safe. Handrails and surfaces inside the bus will be wiped down daily Disinfectant will be used on the air conditioning filters in the bus daily Hand sanitizer will be available on the bus

Accommodation

You’ll stay in comfy 3-4 star hotels for most of nights and high country farm or scenic lodges close to waterfront or national park in our unique destinations. Hotel rooms are with ensuite, while shared facilities are in Strademark places. Upgrade to solo occupancy may be possible and subject to availability.

Transport

Private coach transport Take the pressure off, kick back, relax, soak up the scenery and let someone else do the driving. You’ll travel by private, air-conditioned bus.

Guide

Expect entertaining anecdotes, great recommendations, extra support and local insider knowledge from your charismatic guide. They know every inch of this country. You can’t get this from a google search!

Not included:

Insurance

Travel insurance is not included but strongly recommended

Flights

International flights are not included

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Optional

Marahau: Wine tasting (usually $5-10) Marahau: Kayaking, skydiving, water taxi, canyoning Franz Josef: Shuttle to the track Queenstown: Puzzling World, skydiving, mountain biking, pilot your own stunt plane or learn to fly and take a friend for free, bungy jumping Queenstown: Any adventure activity that we mad Kiwis can dream up (bungy, swing, jet boating, skydiving, mountain biking, zipline, horse riding…) Mt Cook: Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, 4WD Tasman Valley tour, Scenic flight.

Meals

Daily breakfasts are included

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip 11 Day ’Takahe’ South Island Select Tour

  • Day 1 Christchurch To Marahau (Abel Tasman)
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Christchurch To Marahau (Abel Tasman)

      Kia Ora (hello) and welcome to Christchurch, where you’ll begin and end your tour. Depart early this morning aboard a public bus service (unguided) to Picton where you’ll meet your Stray Guide and group. We’ll depart outside the Interislander Ferry Terminal or from Picton i-SITE bus stop, and set off through the picturesque Marlborough region. We’ll continue through to Marahau, situated right on the edge of the spectacular Abel Tasman National Park where we’ll spend our evening relaxing around the campfire and looking at the stars.


      Accommodation:The Barn or similar

      Optional paid activities: Wine tasting (usually $5-10)

      Meal options: We’ll stop at a supermarket to stock up on supplies - Self-cater or join the optional group dinner

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Free activities: Stargazing

  • Day 2 Marahau (Abel Tasman)
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Marahau (Abel Tasman)

      Today is a full free day to explore New Zealand’s most popular national park. From our accommodation we can hike straight into the park (no water taxi required) and then it’s a cool 12kms to Anchorage. The walk is absolutely beautiful with the park’s natural golden sand beaches and brilliant blue waters visible throughout. The walk is approx. 4 hours each way but there’s enough photo stops en-route to spend an entire day exploring, checking out Cleopatra’s Pools (yes there’s a natural water slide there), enjoying a picnic on the beach, relaxing in the sunshine - the world is our oyster.


      Accommodation: The Barn or similar

      Optional paid activities: Kayaking, water taxi, canyoning

      Meal options: Pack a picnic lunch and lots of snacks for your hike, Self-cater in the kitchen or use the BBQs

      Meals included: Continental Breakfast

      Free activities: Hike in the national park, relax on the golden sand beaches, see Cleopatra’s Pools

  • Day 3 Marahau (Abel Tasman) To Hokitika
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Marahau (Abel Tasman) To Hokitika

      We’re buckling up for an awesome day driving down the incredibly scenic ‘wild’ West Coast, an area known for its untamed beaches and masses of lush rainforest. Through Buller Gorge and down a stretch of road named one of the top drives in the world by Lonely Planet, there’s not much cell phone reception but we’re not going to need it. This road offers views for days and we won’t want to stop looking out the window for a second. We’ll stop at the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and blowholes to explore this unique part of coastline before continuing on to the vibrant, artistic township of Hokitika. Our accommodation tonight is absolute beachfront, located on the shores of the Tasman Sea. Treat yourself to some dinner in their Ocean View restaurant or go for a walk and explore Hokitika.


      Accommodation: Hokitika Beachfront Hotel or similar

      Meal options: Local eateries

      Meals included: Continental Breakfast

      Free activities: Head down to Hokitika Beach for sunset

  • Day 4 Hokitika To Franz Josef
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Hokitika To Franz Josef

      It’s a short drive today towards the charming little village of Franz Josef. The landscape will change from coastline to dramatic, lush rainforest so basically another day of incredible views and stunning scenery (have your phone charged for pics). We’ll get to Franz Josef around lunchtime and we’ll have the rest of the day to explore the town or relax at our accommodation.


      Accommodation: Franz Josef Motels or similar

      Meal options: Local restaurants

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Free activities: Relax in Franz Josef

  • Day 5 Franz Josef
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Franz Josef

      Ice, ice baby! Today is about experiencing Franz Josef Glacier, an iconic highlight of the West Coast and New Zealand in general. We can get a shuttle to the beginning of the track and then hike through native bush and across glacial streams to the terminal face of the glacier for spectacular photos or just relax in the township and enjoy the views. If you’d like to see the glacier up close (before that pesky climate change melts it for good) you can go for an incredible heli-hike and actually stand on the glacier!


      Accommodation: Franz Josef Motels or similar

      Optional paid activities: Shuttle to the track, heli-hike to the glacier

      Meal options: Local restaurants

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Free activities: Glacier Valley hike, bush tracks

  • Day 6 Franz Josef To Queenstown
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Franz Josef To Queenstown

      This morning we’ll go for a scenic walk around Lake Matheson, known for its stunning views and mirror-like quality on particularly still days, and then we’ll make our way to Queenstown. Known in New Zealand as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’ and the spiritual home of bungy jumping, Queenstown is a crazy combination of adventure and entertainment. We’ll stop at Kawarau Bridge on our way into town a.k.a. the first commercial bungy jumping site in the world and watch people jumping off with only a rope tied to their ankles. We highly recommend ticking this off your list if you’re feeling brave but otherwise we’ll just cheer on our mates from the viewing platform! When we get to Queenstown we’ll head straight to our accommodation. Stay at the Mercure Resort will provide a touch of luxury to your Queenstown adventure, with a swimming pool, fitness centre and sauna, it’s the best way to relax and ease yourself into life in this truly stunning resort town.


      Accommodation: Mercure Queenstown or similar

      Optional paid activities: The Puzzling World

      Meal options: Local restaurants and cafes

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Free activities: Lake Matheson "Mirror Lake" scenic walk, watch people "jumping off" a bridge to the Blue Pools or Kawarau River!

  • Day 7 Day Trip To Milford Sound
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Day Trip To Milford Sound

      Today we’ll hop aboard a Coach which will take us to the iconic Milford Sound. We’ll drive along one of the most scenic alpine roads in the world and then cruise across the Sound (fun fact: it’s not actually a sound, it’s a fjord!) to see towering Mitre Peak plus rainforests and waterfalls, as well as spotting some amazing wildlife like Fur Seals, Penguins and Dolphins. Once we’ve snapped as many pics as we possibly can, it’s back to Queenstown. This evening, we recommend checking out the buzzy nightlife and sampling a famous Fergerber or just checking out one of the many restaurants Queenstown has to offer.


      Accommodation: Mercure Queenstown or similar

      Meal options: Local restaurants

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Included activity: Milford Sound Day Trip including Scenic Cruise

  • Day 8 Queenstown
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Queenstown

      Yaaaasssss Queen(stown)! We’ve got a full day in the adventure capital today. With beautiful mountain scenery and plenty of outdoor activities, it’s easy to understand why so many backpackers refuse to leave this place. We’ll have brekkie at the hotel and then the rest of the day is freeeee.


      Accommodation: Mercure Queenstown or similar

      Optional paid activities: Any adventure activity that we mad Kiwis can dream up (bungy, swing, jet boating, skydiving, mountain biking, zipline, horse riding…)

      Meal options: Local restaurants

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Free activities: Hike Ben Lomond, the Queenstown Hill, or Bob’s Peak

  • Day 9 Queenstown To Mount Cook
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Queenstown To Mount Cook

      We’ll depart Queenstown early to drive over the Lindis Pass and through the Mackenzie Country, past the vivid blue waters of Lake Pukaki on the way to our amazing stop at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki/Mt Cook. We’ve made this drive sound great but honestly - we reckon it’s one of the most stunning days you’ll have in the whole of NZ.

      We arrive in the early afternoon with time to do an optional experience like a boat tour on a glacial lake surrounded by snow capped alps (sounds epic? It is.) Alternatively we can check out the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre or do one of the many great short walks in the park. We would be remiss if we didn’t recommend the Hooker Valley track (weather dependent) which in our opinion is in the top 3 day walks in NZ. If it’s a clear night, head outside to experience one of the best stargazing spots in the country.


      Accommodation: Stunning alpine lodge

      Optional paid activities: Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, Glacier Explorer boat tour

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Free activities: Take photos of awe-inspiring scenery, do one of the many great short walks to the Hooker glacial lake (weather dependent), stargazing

  • Day 10 Mount Cook To Christchurch
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Mount Cook To Christchurch

      Leaving Mount Cook we make our way through a landscape made famous by the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films. We’ll stop to check out the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd (an iconic photo stop) and if you like you can go and relax in the Tekapo hot pools, do some snow tubing or ice skating (winter only) or hike up to the Mt John Observatory for incredible views of the lake from above. After lunch, we’ll continue to our overnight stop in Christchurch where we’ll spend the afternoon wandering the city streets and laneways to discover creative street art intended to bring cheer and colour to a city once buried in rubble.


      Accommodation: Bealey Quarter Christchurch or similar

      Meals included: Breakfast

      Free activities: Hike to Tekapo Mt John Summit, check out the historic Church of Good Shepherd, Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Hagley Park

  • Day 11 Depart Christchurch
    • 12:00 am - 11:59 pm

      Depart Christchurch

      Today our adventure comes to an end, we’ll say goodbye (or see you soon) to our mates and go our separate ways for now. We hope everyone had a blast and remains Stray Mates for 4ever!


      Meals included: Breakfast

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Experience Style

Experience Style

Mixed

There will be challenging activities such as hiking, biking, canyoning and trekking, but you’re also going to have other means of transportation and relaxed moments to just chill.

Accomodation level

Accomodation level

Medium

This accommodation includes essential services like a hot shower, electricity, and a nice and comfy bed.

Experience Type

Experience Type

Small Group

You’ll be accompanied by a small group of travelers just like you.

Physical Rating

Physical Rating

Basic

Almost everyone is fit for these activities. Every hike or physical exercise last less than 30 minutes, such as paragliding and horseback riding. Please ask about specific conditions.

Age range

Age range

Min: 18 / Max: 65

This experience is only available for adults within this age range.

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