All South Island Tours &amp; Excursions in 2026

Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown

13 hoursFree Cancellation

Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour

2 hours 15 minutesFree Cancellation

Located on the eastern shores of New Zealand’s South Island, Kaikoura is famous for the spectacular array of marine wildlife living off its shores—but to see the best of it, you have to take to the waves. On this tour, cruise into Kaikoura’s deep waters by speedy catamaran with running commentary throughout from your guide, and spot dolphins, seals, and sperm whales in their natural habitat.

Whale Watching in Kaikoura by Boat

3 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

The TranzAlpine train is often referred to as one of the world’s most scenic train journeys, and this tour will allow you to experience it. Enjoy the convenience of a day trip where all transport is taken care of— round-trip transfers in a luxury minivan, and a TranzAlpine train ticket are included. See Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps, Lake Pearson, and get the chance to walk in Arthur’s Pass National Park.

TranzAlpine Train, Arthur's Pass and Castle Hill Day Trip

10 hoursFree Cancellation

Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Ride in Queenstown

25 minutesFree Cancellation

Take a scenic round-trip or one-way journey through the wilds of New Zealand’s South Island on the Taieri Gorge railway from Dunedin. Departing from downtown Dunedin’s attractive railway station, you'll gaze out over ever-changing corners of the New Zealand countryside inaccessible by road. With informative and entertaining live commentary on board, gain insight into the railway’s construction and the challenges faced by engineers—in addition to the epic views.

Taieri Gorge Scenic Railway Journey from Dunedin

Discover volcanic landscapes and breathtaking scenery on New Zealand’s South Island on this Akaroa day trip from Christchurch and avoid the need to self-drive. Ascend the Banks Peninsula for beautiful views over Akaroa Harbour and the volcanic crater. Sample locally made cheeses and admire colonial architecture around Akaroa. Cruise by catamaran into the harbor, where diverse marine and bird life thrives, including rare Hector’s dolphins. Hotel transfers are included.

Akaroa Full Day Sightseeing Tour from Christchurch

9 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Experience one of the South Island’s finest natural attractions on a Milford Sound cruise, boarding straight from the sound. A more intimate experience is guaranteed because the boat is only filled to half its capacity. Get up-close views of New Zealand fur seals, dolphins, and Fiordland-crested penguins while enjoying complimentary coffee, tea, and biscuits as you listen to the skipper’s narration.

Cruise Milford NZ Small Boutique Cruise Experience

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike

4 hoursFree Cancellation

Kaikoura Whale Watch Day Tour from Christchurch

11 hoursFree Cancellation

Take the opportunity to enjoy some guided stargazing with this tour at Lake Tekapo. Peer through a high-tech telescope to marvel at the stars and capture images using our eVscope 2. Savor hot chocolate, cozy blankets, and roasted marshmallows under the night sky. Listen to enchanting stories and fascinating facts about the celestial wonders from your guide in English or Mandarin. Plus, take home complimentary photos snapped during the tour.

Chameleon Stargazing Shared Tour

1 hour 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Discover one of the jewels in the crown of New Zealand's spectacular South Island on this full day Milford Sound hiking tour with cruise. Travel along the Milford Road from Te Anau and enjoy panoramic views over the beautiful countryside. Enjoy a relaxing boat cruise through the fjord and out to the Tasman Sea, and gaze over soaring clifftops and plummeting waterfalls. Afterwards, enjoy short guided walks and explore Fiordland's spectacular natural scenery with a local nature guide.

Full-Day Milford Sound Tour with Cruise and Walks from Te Anau

9 hoursFree Cancellation

Lord of the Rings Scenic Half Day Tour from Queenstown

4 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Glenorchy sits along a stunningly beautiful stretch of road from Queenstown to the (aptly named) rural settlement of Paradise. Instead of trying to negotiate these unfamiliar country roads on your own, get a driver who knows the region on a half-day trip. Spend time exploring Glenorchy’s shops and café, take advantage of some remarkable alpine photo ops, and see some of the locations where scenes from famous movies were filmed.

Glenorchy & Paradise Half-Day Scenic Tour from Queenstown

4 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Enjoy mountain and lake views from a different angle when you cruise from Queenstown aboard the vintage “TSS Earnslaw” steamship or the modern “Spirit of Queenstown” catamaran across Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak High Country Farm. Refuel with a gourmet barbecue lunch featuring Central Otago specialties, salads, desserts, and local cheeses at the Colonel’s Homestead. Learn about local rural life during sheep-shearing and sheepdog demonstrations at the farm.

Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Lunch & Queenstown Lake Cruise

3 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Ride a train through the Southern Alps on a remarkable scenic journey aboard the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth. Enjoy views of native beech forest, snow-sprinkled mountains, the powerful Waimakariri River, and Arthur's Pass National Park from a comfortable carriage and open viewing deck. For getting the history and context of the landmarks along the railway, GPS-triggered audio commentary is available through headphones at every seat.

TranzAlpine Train Journey: Christchurch to Greymouth

4 hours 50 minutes

4.3

(357)

from $140

Cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm aboard the TSS Earnslaw, a vintage steamship (or a replacement vessel when the steamship is undergoing maintenance). Stroll the lakeside gardens, watch a farm show, and see sheepdogs in action. Take a guided tour and enjoy free time to stroll. Savor a delicious afternoon tea with scones before heading back to Queenstown the same way you came.

Queenstown Lake Cruise and Walter Peak Farm Adventure

3 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Christchurch to Queenstown One-Way Tour via Mt Cook & Lake Tekapo

14 hoursFree Cancellation

Stargazing needs clear skies and little to no light pollution—usually at a remote location that’s hard to reach independently. Join a group and astronomer-guides as you travel from Tekapo to the University of Canterbury Mt. John Observatory, perched atop the mountain peak at 3,375 feet. At this world-class facility, powerful telescopes offer clear views of stars, solar systems, and constellations.

Tekapo: Mt. John Observatory Guided Stargazing Experience

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

Round-trip flights between Queenstown and Milford Sound save you hours of road-travel time in Fiordland National Park. Following a scenic flight with views of snow-covered peaks, remote valleys, and waterfalls, touch down for a cruise on Milford Sound. Traveling by both air and water takes you to dramatic places you'd miss by sticking to the road. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for selected central Queenstown accommodations.

Milford Sound Flight and Cruise Tour from Queenstown

4 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Instead of glimpsing snippets of extraordinary beauty from the Milford Road, travelers in the know enjoy the entire landscape in context on this cruise of Milford Sound. Turn your attention across the horizon to see glacier-carved cliffs rising from the inky waters below to frame up the perfect shot to preserve the moment. Opt for a shorter "classic" cruise, with multilingual commentary via app, or the longer "signature" cruise with live commentary.

Milford Sound Cruise - RealNZ

2 hoursFree Cancellation

Board the ‘Milford Mariner’ for a Milford Sound overnight cruise along this pristine waterway, situated in New Zealand’s impressive Fiordland National Park. Cruise the entire length of the fiord before your captain anchors in Harrison Cove. Then, spend the night in a private single or twin-share en suite cabin, including a 3-course buffet dinner and breakfast. Listen to a nature guide on board and make use of provided kayaks to explore waterfalls and glacial-carved cliffs like Mitre Peak.

Milford Sound Mariner Overnight Cruise

Avoid the risk of driving to Milford Sound yourself and being distracted by the views. This group tour from Queenstown makes it easy—and safe—to visit the must-see natural attraction for a day. After a handy hotel pickup, embark on a dramatic journey through mountains, gorges, and the incredible Homer Tunnel. Make scenic stops along the way. Cruise Milford Sound in a catamaran, looking out for wildlife along the way.

Milford Sound Coach and Cruise tour from Queenstown

12 hoursFree Cancellation

1 hour 45 minutesFree Cancellation

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Milford Sound Premium Coach & Cruise from Queenstown with Lunch

Tracey_O, Sep 2026

Wonderful experience, highly recommend .

Southern discoveries were amazing, went above and beyond. We got a complementary taxi to and from our lodge. Keith the driver/ tour guide was exceptional with his knowledge. He made the long journey fun. Nothing was a problem. Milford was amazing, even thought the weather rainy. Would highly recommend. Thank you!

Premium Milford Sound Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown

Adrian_B, Sep 2026

The whole experience was...

The whole experience was amazing. Our tour guide Benny was knowledgeable, accomodating, and friendly! His pop music selection is also goes unnoticed! The stops he made On the way to Milford sound is breathtakingly beautiful. Easy meeting point and drop off

Milford Sound Cruise - RealNZ

Liam_G, Sep 2026

Unforgettable

Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the journey into Milford and back. We went on a rainy day and there really were 1000’s of waterfalls. I don’t know how anything can better that experience. The Milford Haven was fantastic and the staff were excellent.

Milford Sound Premium Small Group Tour & Cruise from Queenstown

Helen_B, Sep 2026

Fantastic experience

This was a wonderful trip. Amy, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, stopping at some wonderful locations on the way to show us the key sights. It was great to travel to Milford with a professional driver as we were able to concentrate on the views rather than the road. I would highly recommend this trip to others.

Milford Sound Flight and Cruise Tour from Queenstown

Aileen_A, Sep 2026

Spectacular

Be prepared to have the best flight and cruise imaginable...the scenery from above and on water is spectacular. The staff are superb and fantastic. How enjoyable it is to travel with guides who are passionate about what they do makes the trip even more memorable. Thankyou to Jason in particular whom was our pilot who went above (no pun intended, lol) and beyond and gave us, what felt like a personal flight and an experience my sister and I will never ever forget. Thankyou thankyou so much 💓

Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike

Dakkota_M, Aug 2026

A once in a lifetime...

A once in a lifetime experience. Sarah was our guide and she was incredibly knowledgeable about the glacier, and made sure to take us on a fun and beautiful adventure across the glacier. The company was very honest about potential weather cancellations, and handled a surprise cloud cover with very practiced calm. Highly recommend doing this tour!

Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Lunch & Queenstown Lake Cruise

Emma_W, Jul 2026

A beautiful way to relax...

A beautiful way to relax on steam boat sailing along the lake Whakatipu it was interesting to see how the steam boat works as you can observe above them in a special viewing room beautifully maintained throughout the boat. Absolutely gorgeous views to Walter park Walter park was a great place to see some animals with a fun sheep shearing show An amazing buffet for lunch with all fresh Local ingredients Highly recommended !!!!

Milford Sound Coach and Cruise tour from Queenstown

Hiteshkumar_P, Jul 2026

Milford sound/ Heaven

It's unforgottable, feels like it's heaven as it was named originally. Can't explain in words, can't be captured in photoes or videos. Further to this the coach service was outstanding and road trip was fully filled with stunning views. Our Pure Milford coach driver "NAOKI" was excellent in providing live commentary through the way.

Milford Sound Cruise

Marianne_A, Jun 2026

Great Ship, Great Tour

This boat was an excellent one for the experience as it had many seats and table tables inside, along with a café to get food. It’s one of the only boats that tour Milford sound which offer this option. But even better, there are great viewing opportunities outside and up top, which we took full advantage of. The tour took us all around the sound, and we saw all the waterfalls, as well as going out into the Tazman Sea for a ways, and then turning around to come back into the sound. The captain talked quite a bit, although it was more difficult to hear outside, but overall, I highly recommend this tour, which was also a very competitive price.

Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Ride in Queenstown

Trudi_M, Apr 2026

Must-do when in...

Must-do when in Queenstown. Did this first when I visited in February with my sisters, and enjoyed it so much, I had to take my now husband on the way to our wedding. Both of us were really nervous before the first time we both went, but the drivers are absolutely amazing (I think they said they train for 18mths before they take passengers). Ngāi Tahu tourism are an extremely professional operation, and their safety record is impeccable. They are the best for a Queenstown jet boat experience - don't skimp and go for a cheaper operator - Shotover Jet have the exclusive rights to the section of river that's best for this. So much fun - you really won't regret it (and like us, will probably want to go again as soon as you get off!)

2-Hour Milford Sound Scenic Cruise

Andrzej_B, Mar 2026

Wow!,,

Top notch trip! We were lucky that it rained overnight so, while it was cloudy and not too warm, the waterfalls were spectacular. A wonderful activity, one not to be missed. A couple of criticisms, however. We were warned that parking could be a problem and that was so true. However, the information about a shuttle operating every 15 mins was not true… there wasn’t one at all. Also, apparently there are several overflow parking lots which staff are supposed to manage.… but we did not see that happen.