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South Island Tours

Discover the stunning landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island. Explore majestic snow capped mountains, deep fiords, immense glaciers and sparkling lakes. Experience world renowned wineries, heart stopping adventure sports and the purest air imaginable. Indulge your senses on one of our 54 South Island coach tours and small group adventures, and if time permits venture further and explore all of New Zealand.

Popular Tours View all

The Southern Drift

12 or 10 Days Christchurch to Christchurch

Operator: Inspiring Journeys

From 8,839

Save 1,767

Ultimate South Island

10 Days Christchurch to Christchurch

Operator: Grand Pacific Tours

From 6,182

Save 337

NZ Adventure South

9 Days Queenstown to Queenstown

Operator: Intro Travel

From 1,861

Save 46

Southern Wonders

9 Days Christchurch to Christchurch

Operator: AAT Kings

From 4,733

Save 918

Discover Must do experiences and highlights on New Zealand's South Island

Queenstown from the Water

Set off across Lake Wakatipu on the vintage steamship, TSS Earnslaw, taking in the alpine scenery and soaring peaks that frame the shores of this serene lake.

Heli-Hike on Franz Josef

Enjoy a scenic helicopter flight over this icy wonderland coupled with a guided walk on Franz Joseph, discovering frozen caves and pillars of glacial ice.

Explore Mt Cook National Park

Travel through this stunning alpine landscape home to permanent snow fields, opaque lakes and towering peaks, crowned by Mt Cook at 3,724m (12,217ft).

Ride the TranzAlpine

Cross the Canterbury Plains and climb into the Southern Alps on this breathtaking rail journey. Watch from the outdoor viewing carriage as glistening rivers carve their way through the dramatic landscape.

Cruise Milford Sound

Discover the tranquil waters, soaring granite peaks and snow capped mountains of Fiordland National Park. Set off on a cruise to marvel at the tumbling waterfalls and lush vegetation visible through the mist.

Recent Reviews What our clients are saying about their journeys through New Zealand's South Island

APT Southern Tourer - NZ South Island Barry and Anne, ACT, Australia, Apr 2024

A nine day tour of the bucket list of NZ spectacular scenery including the Tranzalpine train to Arthur’s Pass, Queenstown steamer lake cruise and dinner, a spectacular scenic drive to a cruise on Milford Sound, and then on to Mt Cook Lake Tekapo and back to Christchurch. A journey worth every minute of enjoyment. Well organised. Efficient tour guide. ...read more

Southern wonders of New Zealand Jean, QLD, Australia, Mar 2024

I had a wonderful time travelling with a lovely bunch of people on this AAT Kings tour of the South Island of New Zealand. Most of the accommodation was wonderful and the included dinners were great. Our tour director and driver were fantastic. The only drawbacks were that the front page showing the itinerary with scenic stops was misleading as it ...read more

New Zealand Father & Son Trip Ryan and Liam, OH, United States, Mar 2024

First and foremost Hannah at Global Journeys was AMAZING! Quick to respond to every single minute question I had and every time with a servile happy attitude. Many others on the trip booked Haka tours through other people and complained about some small issues. I had zero! Every single thing we planned happened (aside from one weather related excursion.) ...read more

South island 101 Gayathri, New Zealand, Jan 2024

Maisie from Global Journeys made this trip possible in a very short time as I couldn't finalise things with the Operator quickly. This tour is great if you want a quick glance at all top spots of South island so that you can plan an extensive trip later to spots you liked.

Explore More Explore more Your guide to travelling through the South Island of New Zealand

20 March, 2024
Discover Top of the South Island
Have you travelled with Grand Pacific before and are now looking for a tour that’s a little bit different? Look no further than Grand Pacific's Top of the South Island itinerary. Offered as both small group and mid-size coach holiday options, this itinerary promises unforgettable experiences...

12 August, 2020
Want to Heli Ski New Zealand’s Southern Alps? Do it with Haka Tours
The Southern Alps of New Zealand are considered one of the top 10 places to heli ski in the world. A heli skiing adventure may be something you dream about, did you know you don’t need to be an expert alpine skier to take on a heli skiing holiday? If you are an intermediate level skier who can...

30 July, 2020
5 Awesome Walking Trails on NZ’s South Island
New Zealand’s South Island is incredibly scenic. Raw beauty enchants at every turn and visitors are drawn to the impressive displays of nature that unravel between soaring peaks, glistening glaciers, and dramatic coastlines. Surround yourself with these incredible landscapes on a dedicated...

08 June, 2018
5 Reasons To Take A TranzAlpine Journey
The South Island is hard to traverse from east to west, with less than a few places where you can drive across the centre of the island. Starting in Christchurch on the east coast and travelling to Greymouth on the west – or the other way – the TranzAlpine Railway is a five hour train journey...