This tour is conducted at a medium-fast pace. Some long travel days may be required to complete this itinerary and you will typically spend two nights at each destination, with some one night stays required. This trip includes a mix of sightseeing and free time to explore at your own pace. You will be required to move about unassisted, including getting on and off vehicles, walking up and down stairs and some activities will be conducted on uneven or steep terrain. You will be required to handle your own luggage.
On these packages you will travel from city to city on your own, exploring at your own pace. We have arranged transportation in most cases and day tours for you to see the destination. Enjoy the time and flexibility to linger longer or pick up the pace and see as much as possible. The choice is yours.
Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised for its customer response during the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety and well-being of our customers has always been our highest concern and, with 7 day expert support, flexible terms and low deposits, you can be certain that your next adventure is booked with confidence.
These tours are our proudest creations. They have been crafted for Inspiring Vacations travellers exclusively, with personal and unique experiences in mind. Please see the Important Information on your selected tour for exact group size. Enjoy features such as hand-picked accommodation, a sampling of the region’s best culinary delights, and a range of optional activities to choose from to best suit your travel style.
✓ Incredible sightseeing, visit Lake Tekapo, declared UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, cruise the waters of spectacular Milford Sound, visit New Zealand’s famous glaciers and national parks and travel on the Tranzalpine, one of New Zealand's most picturesque train rides
✓ Enjoy the flexibility of independent travel
✓ 7 days Compact SUV Holden Trax (or similar) car rental including unlimited kilometres & nil damage excess
✓ 7 nights accommodation in quality 4 star hotels
✓ 7 breakfasts and 1 lunch
✓ Cruise Milford Sound, New Zealand’s most stunning natural attraction
✓ Travel on board the TranzAlpine from Greymouth to Christchurch
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to Christchurch! Please make your way to the Budget airport depot to collect your car. Once you collect your car, make your way to your starting point hotel.
After you check-in at your hotel, you can head out and explore Christchurch. Why not step back in time to a grand era of transport and relax as the Christchurch Tram takes you around the 'must-see' central attractions (not included). The tram drivers provide a live commentary throughout the loop, identifying points of interest.
Car Hire Pick Up
Collect your car from Budget airport depot
After breakfast, drive to Lake Tekapo. Lake Tekappo is in the Mackenzie Basin. The town faces north across the spectacular turquoise coloured lake and towards the snow-capped Southern Alps. Lake Tekapo gets its intense milky-turquoise colour from the fine rock-flour (ground by glaciers) which is suspended in the water.
Approximate driving distance: 227km, 3hrs
Enjoy breakfast and hit the road; today your destination is the stunning town of Queenstown. We strongly recommend you to pay Wanaka a visit along the way. The quaint town of Wanaka is picture perfect, complete with snow capped mountains views, wilderness of glaciers, beech forests and alpine lakes. It should take you between two to three hours to reach Wanaka, making it a perfect lunch stop.
Once ready, continue driving to Queenstown. Weather permitting, make sure you drive along the Crown Range - the highest main road in New Zealand. Be aware, between May and September this road is often covered in snow and ice when we recommend against driving on this road. In such conditions, please take the slightly longer route through Cromwell.
Approximate driving distance: 260 km to 280 km, 4hrs to 6hrs
Depart Queenstown by coach and travel to Milford Sound via Te Anau. Take the time to enjoy the best of Milford Sound on a leisurely cruise. Exploring the length of the fiord you’ll learn about the history of the region and benefit from the knowledge of your specialist nature guide. Experience the cool spray of a waterfall as you move in close to sheer rock faces or watch out for dolphins, seals and, in season, the rare Fiordland crested penguins.
Our experienced skippers tailor the cruise to take into consideration weather and recent wildlife sightings, ensuring you’ll see the best that Milford Sound has to offer on the day.
Informative, participative and relaxed, this is the perfect way to experience what’s been called the “eighth wonder of the world”. Return to Queenstown by coach by mid/late afternoon.
Today is at your leisure to do as little or as much as you want. With literally hundreds of activities to choose from, Queenstown will sure have something to offer you. From helicopter rides, to hiking, fishing, winery visits, cycling...cycling through wineries, you will find it hard to settle for just one of them.
This half day wine and food experience delivers an unforgettable taste of Central Otago’s wine region, showcasing its superb local produce. Your winery lunch consists of several tasting dishes each perfectly matched by the Chief Winemaker and Head Chef, using estate wines and fresh local produce. Enjoy wine tasting and presentations at 3 wineries, generally visiting one larger well-known winery and two boutique style wineries. An underground wine cave tour & tastings gives you inside information about our great wines and the Central Otago wine industry.
This half day self-guided tour begins with an afternoon pick up from our shop at 9 Duke Street in central Queenstown and a scenic transfer to the Kawarau Suspension Bridge, the home of bungy and the beginning of the Gibbston Wine Region.
After bike fitting, helpful winery and trail information from your knowledgeable driver, you’re free to set off riding the Gibbston River Trail at your leisure using our informative trail map with exclusive offers to visit as many of the amazing wineries, a cheesery and brewery linked throughout this section of easy riding trail.
We will pick you up from the Gibbston Tavern (or another pre-arranged point in the valley) for your relaxing vehicle transfer back to Queenstown. Total biking distance is 5-12 kms depending on how many wineries you wish to visit.
After breakfast, continue driving north to the hospitable town of Fox Glacier. Once more, you will have the opportunity to drive through the Crown Range via Wanaka. As mentioned before, whilst an stunning road to drive through, please avoid during bad weather.
This afternoon, you may want to consider one of the below helicopter rides over the glaciers. These activities require a minimum of 3 travellers to run and are weather dependent. Your flight time may vary from 4pm this afternoon to 9am tomorrow morning.
Approximate driving distance: 330km, 4.5hrs
Fly over two of New Zealand's most famous glaciers and land at the head of either the Franz Josef or Fox Glacier. View the incredible natural phenomenon of the glacier as it winds slowly down the carved valleys from its origin in the mountains high above you.
Duration: 30 minutes
Fly over the legendary Fox Glacier and snowfields and discover the crevasses and ice forms being exposed below you. Land in the snow above the icefalls of the glacier and experience the magnitude of the scenery surrounding you. Then let the impressive presence of Aoraki/Mount Cook amaze you as you explore its majestic west face, before descending into the valleys below.
Continue driving the West Coast until arriving in Greymouth. On arrival in Greymouth, drop your car at the Budget depot by 1pm before boarding the TransAlpine train to Christchurch.
Considered one of the world's greatest train journeys, this journey you’ll see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest.
The train has panoramic windows, open-air view carriage, a fully licenced cafe plus commentary allowing you to connect the scenery all around you.
On arrival in Christchurch, disembark your scenic train and make your way to your hotel. We recommend a short taxi service which can be found easily when exiting the station.
Approximate driving distance: 200km, 2.5hrs
Today your New Zealand South Island Deluxe Road Trip comes to an end. Farewell Christchurch as you make your own way to the airport for your onward flight or to continue the next part of your journey.
If you may wish to extend your stay in Christchurch, we can assist you to book additional accommodation.
TranzAlpine, between Greymouth and Christchurch
Scenic Class carriage experience combines comfort and panoramic views, making our trains the perfect way to explore New Zealand.
At the heart of our Scenic Class experience are spacious reclined seats, panoramic windows, glass shelves and skylights. These details bathe our carriages in light and bring New Zealand's famous landscapes to your seat.
Our Scenic Class carriages deliver extremely wide viewing angles by spacing the seating out. This spaciousness also creates generous amounts of legroom and comfort.
Driver License Requirements
All drivers must be 21 years old or over and hold a Full, current non probationary drivers licence (with an English translation shown on the driver licence) for their home country. If the licence is not issued fully (i.e. every single endorsement) in English, it must be accompanied by either an international driver permit or an approved translation. There is no maximum age for hiring a vehicle in New Zealand.
Additional Authorised Driver have to be registered on the rental agreement. All additional drivers must meet the above criteria.
Deposit
A credit card issued in the renter’s name must be provided at time of collection. A minimum of $100 NZD pre-authorisation will be charged plus total value of any optional extras elected
Rates Include
Goods and Services Tax (GST), currently at 15%, Unlimited kilometres, Standard Motor Vehicle Damage Waiver (Subject excess) & Additional Driver Fee
Rates Exclude
Special Request Delivery Fees, Optional Extras (GPS, child safety seats, etc), Fuel, Damage Excess Reduction (NZD$29.00 + GST per day to reduce excess to NZD $550 + GST. Exception: Chip on windscreen will incur a $60+GST fee)
Cost of tyre replacement is not covered unless the Road Side Assistance is purchased at the counter.
These above items are to be paid directly by the clients on car collection. Budget Standard Terms and Conditions can be found here
This package is sold as land only, however you do have the option of adding international airfares to your booking. Simply click on’ book now’, and under upgrades , you will be asked “Would you like us to contact you around our flight service?”
By selecting this option Inspiring Vacations will contact you to discuss adding flights to your chosen destination. We can assist with flying the airline of your choice to turn your booking into a flight inclusive package.
We would be more than happy to provide you with a quote for the following requests:
We are currently unable to provide a quote for the following requests:
Online check-in
Some airlines may not permit online check-in where flights have been booked by a travel company. Where unavailable to do so online, you will be required to check-in at the airport. Inspiring Vacations cannot check-in online on behalf of our customers.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a “3”.
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $1,818.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Available on request
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Group Size
This package is made up of multiple components which will be provided by different operators throughout your trip. As such, group size will differ between operators and can be as intimate as 2 people or as lively as up to 60 people, depending on the activity and advertised inclusions. There may be unique cases where your selected travel date exceeds the expected group size for special events or types of activities, particularly during popular times of travel. For packages that include a train or cruise, you will be travelling with other passengers up to the capacity of this component.
When travelling with a group, no matter the size, we ask you to be understanding of the various needs and preferences of your group - patience with your fellow travellers is sometimes required for the benefit of everyone's travel experience.
Bedding requests
We do our best to meet your bedding preference, however, bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only and cannot be guaranteed. All efforts will be made to meet your preference, however, any changes are beyond our control and limited by the hotel facilities and availability.
Tour Styles
This package is an Independent style.
To meet the needs of various types of travellers, we choose to operate various types of tours and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
Who is operating this package
We have partnered with a wide range of third party operators who assist in fulfilling your booking and delivering an enjoyable on-tour experience. Each package will consist of multiple operators meaning both guides and fellow travellers may change day to day. But don't worry, regardless of the operator, you'll be in good hands to experience the most out of each destination.
You can enhance your holiday by arriving or departing before or after the tour. On this tour you can choose from the following options:
Pre Tour Accommodation
Post Tour Accommodation
Please select the number of extra nights required in the 'Additional Nights Accommodation' field when making your purchase. The additional cost for these arrangements will be added to your final payment invoice and are subject to availability.
To enhance your journey, we are offering guests a choice of the following optional activities (prices are per person):
Optional tours can be selected once you have finalised your tour purchase and paid your deposit. When completing your Passenger Booking Form, you will be asked if you would like to add Optional Tours, where any applicable cost will be added to your final balance. If you choose not to select them at this time, you can choose to add them later by logging in to your Account online.
Please note that you must select your Optional Tours no later than 70 days before departure, after which you will be required to purchase them on tour. Please keep in mind that anything purchased on-tour is subject to availability and prices may vary as you will be paying in local currency. We appreciate your understanding.
Compact SUV Holden Trax or similar
No upgrade offered
