Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
New Zealand South Island: Queenstown, Milford Sound and the glaciers
10 days round trip from Christchurch: two nights at Lake Tekapo with Aoraki/Mount Cook, three in Queenstown with Milford Sound, two at Franz Josef Glacier and the TranzAlpine home.
10 days · Round trip from Christchurch · up to 12 guests
Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu from Bob's Peak, at the top of the Skyline Gondola Photo: Lawrence Murray from Perth, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queenstown_from_Bob%27s_Peak.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Christchurch
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 8 h on day 5
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 1 to 3 hours on most days on formed tracks that can be wet or uneven; the longest is the Hooker Valley Track, about 10 km on a mostly flat path with three swing bridges. Drives are 3 to 3.5 hours with stops, except one day of 5 to 5.5 hours over the Haast Pass and the 12-hour Milford Sound day by coach, both mostly seated. Every walk has a shorter choice, and you can sit any of them out.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,095 (estimated price)
- Season
- October to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Hooker Valley Track to an iceberg lake below Aoraki/Mount Cook, over three swing bridges
- Guided stargazing in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve, with a second night kept as a backup
- Milford Sound by coach and cruise, beneath Mitre Peak and close under Stirling Falls
- Three nights in Queenstown: the Skyline Gondola at the end of the day, a free morning and gold-rush Arrowtown
- Over the Haast Pass to the West Coast, with the Blue Pools and Thunder Creek Falls on the way
- Lake Matheson in the still of the morning and the walk up the Franz Josef glacier valley
- The TranzAlpine train over Arthur's Pass back to Christchurch
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 8 h, on day 5.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,095 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 8 h, on day 5.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Christchurch
Christchurch International Airport to your hotel in the city centre
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Christchurch
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Christchurch International Airport (CHC), about 12 km north-west of the city, where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the 20-minute transfer to your central hotel.
Evening
Most flights from Canada connect through Auckland after a long night in the air, so today is kept light: check in, rest, and if you have the energy, walk to the Botanic Gardens beside the Avon River, a few minutes from the centre. Christchurch lost much of its old centre in the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, and the rebuilt city mixes new buildings, street art and open sites still waiting for theirs. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the ten days ahead: what to pack for the mountains and the West Coast, how the long days are paced, and what we do if the weather closes the road to Milford Sound. Then we walk to a welcome dinner together at a restaurant in the centre.
Included
- Pick-up at Christchurch International Airport (CHC)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Across the Canterbury Plains to Lake Tekapo
Christchurch to Geraldine, then over Burkes Pass to Lake Tekapo
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lake Tekapo
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
After breakfast your guide leads a walk of about 90 minutes through the rebuilt centre: the Transitional Cathedral, built of cardboard tubes and opened in 2013 after the stone cathedral was wrecked, the pastel shopfronts of New Regent Street, and the Avon River where punts drift under the willows.
Afternoon
Late morning we drive south-west across the Canterbury Plains, about 3 hours and 225 km in all, with a sit-down lunch in the country town of Geraldine. Past Fairlie the road climbs over Burkes Pass into the Mackenzie Basin, a wide tussock plain ringed by the Southern Alps. We reach Lake Tekapo by mid-afternoon, when the water shows its milky turquoise, coloured by rock flour ground fine by glaciers. Walk down to the small stone Church of the Good Shepherd, built on the shore in 1935, and the rest of the afternoon is free. After dark, if the sky is clear, a local astronomy guide takes us stargazing in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
Evening
If it is cloudy, tomorrow night is the backup.
Included
- Guided walk in central Christchurch: the Transitional Cathedral, New Regent Street and the Avon River
- Sit-down lunch in Geraldine
- Church of the Good Shepherd and the Lake Tekapo shore
- Guided stargazing in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve (weather permitting; night 3 is the backup)
Optional experiences
- Tekapo Springs hot pools
Free time: Late afternoon free at Lake Tekapo
Activity: In December and January it is not fully dark until after 10:30 pm, so stargazing starts late; your guide sets the time with the astronomy guides on the day.
Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Hooker Valley
Lake Tekapo to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village along Lake Pukaki, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lake Tekapo
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A short morning on the road and a long walk. We leave at 8 am and drive about 1 hour 20 minutes, 105 km, around the south end of Lake Pukaki and up its western shore to Aoraki/Mount Cook Village, where the road ends below New Zealand's highest mountain, 3,724 m. The national park is part of Te Wāhipounamu, the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. We start walking soon after we arrive, because mornings are often calmer and the summit is more likely to be clear before cloud builds. The Hooker Valley Track is about 10 km return and 3 hours on a mostly flat, well-made path, crossing three swing bridges over the Hooker River to Hooker Lake, where small icebergs float below the face of Aoraki.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the village. In the afternoon we drive a few minutes to the Tasman Glacier viewpoint, a short climb on steps past the Blue Lakes, then back along Lake Pukaki to Tekapo, with a stop at Peter's Lookout for the view up the lake to the mountain.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Hooker Valley Track to Hooker Lake with your guide
- Sit-down lunch at Aoraki/Mount Cook Village
- Tasman Glacier viewpoint
- Peter's Lookout over Lake Pukaki
Optional experiences
- Scenic flight from Aoraki/Mount Cook Airport over the Tasman Glacier (weather permitting, booked on the day)
Easier option: Walk the Hooker Valley only as far as the first swing bridge (about 1 hour return), or the Kea Point Track to a lookout over the Mueller Glacier moraine, then spend the rest of the morning in the village.
More active option: Instead of the Hooker Valley, climb the Sealy Tarns Track, about 2,200 steps up to small alpine lakes with views over the Mueller Glacier and Aoraki; about 3 to 4 hours return.
Free time: Evening free at Lake Tekapo
Activity: About 10 km on a mostly flat path with three swing bridges. The track can close in high wind; your guide checks the conditions each morning. The Tasman Glacier viewpoint is a short uphill walk on steps, about 20 minutes each way.
Over the Lindis Pass to Queenstown
Lake Tekapo to Omarama, over the Lindis Pass to Cromwell, then through the Kawarau Gorge to Queenstown
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Queenstown
- Drive about 3.5 h
About 3.5 hours and 260 km of driving today, split into four short legs.
Morning
First stop is the south end of Lake Pukaki, where on a clear morning Aoraki stands at the head of the lake. We pass through Twizel and stop for coffee in Omarama, a small town known for gliding.
Afternoon
Then the road climbs over the Lindis Pass, 971 m, through wide slopes of golden tussock, and drops into Central Otago, where Cromwell sits among orchards and vineyards beside Lake Dunstan; lunch is a sit-down meal there. The road follows the Kawarau Gorge, and we stop at the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge, where commercial bungy jumping began in 1988, to watch the jumpers. We reach Queenstown, on Lake Wakatipu below the jagged Remarkables, by mid-afternoon and check in for three nights, so you unpack once. Late in the day we ride the Skyline Gondola up Bob's Peak, about 450 m above the town, for the view over the lake as the light softens.
Evening
The evening is free in town.
Included
- Lake Pukaki viewpoint and coffee stop in Omarama
- The Lindis Pass
- Sit-down lunch in Cromwell
- Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge
- Skyline Gondola to Bob's Peak in Queenstown
Optional experiences
- Kawarau Bridge bungy jump (book ahead)
Free time: Evening free in Queenstown
Milford Sound by coach and cruise
Queenstown to Milford Sound by coach via Te Anau and the Milford Road, a cruise on the fiord, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Queenstown
- Drive about 8 h
This is the trip's long day, about 12 hours door to door, because Milford Sound, Piopiotahi, is about 290 km and 4 hours by road from Queenstown each way. We keep it rather than move to a Te Anau hotel so that you stay three nights in one Queenstown room, and you can shorten it with the optional flight back, which saves about 4 hours and is charged only once the pilots confirm the weather. Our van rests today: we ride a shared scheduled coach with other travellers and a professional driver, and your guide comes with the group. Scheduled coaches leave Queenstown early, usually between about 7 and 8 am; we confirm the time with your final itinerary. The coach follows Lake Wakatipu, stops in Te Anau, then climbs the Eglinton Valley past the Mirror Lakes and through the Homer Tunnel to the sea.
Afternoon
On a cruise of about two hours we sail to the Tasman Sea beneath Mitre Peak, 1,692 m, and close under Stirling Falls, with lunch on board. Fur seals rest on the rocks. If the road is closed, Milford moves to tomorrow.
Included
- Shared scheduled coach from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back, with your guide
- Stops at Te Anau, the Eglinton Valley and the Mirror Lakes
- Milford Sound cruise of about two hours, with lunch on board
Optional experiences
- Flight back from Milford Sound to Queenstown in place of the return coach (weather permitting)
- Fly-cruise-fly from Queenstown in place of the coach (weather permitting)
Easier option: The whole day is seated except short stops; stay on the coach at any stop you like.
Activity: About 12 hours door to door, leaving Queenstown between about 7 and 8 am. Day 6 is the backup day if heavy rain, snow or avalanche risk closes the Milford Road.
A free morning in Queenstown, then Arrowtown
Queenstown, then Arrowtown and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Queenstown
- Drive about 42 min
Afternoon
Nothing is planned before lunch, and after yesterday that is the point. Sleep in, walk the Queenstown Gardens on the point beside the lake, or take one of the optional outings your guide can book: a jet boat through the narrow canyons of the Shotover River, a cruise on the TSS Earnslaw, a coal-fired steamship that has worked the lake since 1912, or a half-day drive up the lake to Glenorchy, where the mountains framed scenes in The Lord of the Rings. Lunch is on your own in town. At 2 pm we drive about 20 minutes to Arrowtown, where gold was found in the Arrow River in 1862. Your guide walks you down Buckingham Street, with its stone and timber shopfronts from the gold-rush years, to the Chinese Settlement, the restored huts and stores of Chinese miners who came to the goldfields from 1866. The Lakes District Museum fills in the story.
Evening
We are back in Queenstown by late afternoon, and the evening is yours. If Milford moved to today, we see Arrowtown tomorrow morning on the way to Wanaka.
Included
- Guided walk in Arrowtown: Buckingham Street and the Chinese Settlement
- Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown
Optional experiences
- Shotover River jet boat
- TSS Earnslaw cruise on Lake Wakatipu
- Glenorchy half-day drive
- Gibbston Valley wine tasting
Free time: Morning and evening free in Queenstown
Activity: The backup day for Milford Sound.
Wanaka and the Haast Pass to Franz Josef
Queenstown over the Crown Range to Wanaka, past Lake Hāwea and over the Haast Pass, then up the West Coast to Franz Josef
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Franz Josef
- Drive about 5.5 h
The longest road day: about 350 km and 5 to 5.5 hours of driving, more than our 4-hour cap. There is no good place to break it, because the only road from Central Otago to the glaciers crosses the Haast Pass and the settlements on the way are tiny, so we split it into short legs with a real stop at each. We leave at 8 am over the Crown Range Road, at 1,076 m the highest sealed main road in New Zealand, to Wanaka for coffee and a walk along the lakefront to the willow growing in the water at Roys Bay.
Afternoon
Then we follow Lake Hāwea to Makarora for a sit-down lunch, and walk through beech forest to the Blue Pools, where a swing bridge crosses water of a startling clear blue. Over the Haast Pass, 562 m, we stop at Thunder Creek Falls, then follow the wild coast past Knights Point to Franz Josef, arriving around 6:30 pm.
Evening
Dinner together tonight. If Milford moved to day 6, Arrowtown comes first this morning and we arrive about an hour later.
Included
- Crown Range Road and a stop in Wanaka
- Sit-down lunch at Makarora
- Blue Pools walk
- Haast Pass, Thunder Creek Falls and Knights Point
- Dinner in Franz Josef
Easier option: Stay at the Blue Pools car park or walk only to the first viewpoint, about 10 minutes.
Activity: About 5 to 5.5 hours of driving with four long stops, arriving about 6:30 pm, or about 7:30 pm if Arrowtown moves to this morning. A private trip can add a night in Wanaka to split the day. Heavy rain can close the road over the Haast Pass; your guide checks before we leave.
Lake Matheson and Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef to Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier and back, then the Franz Josef glacier valley
- Breakfast
- Stay in Franz Josef
- Drive about 1 h
We leave at 8 am for the 30-minute drive south to Lake Matheson, near Fox Glacier.
Morning
Its dark water, stained by the forest, makes a famous mirror: on a still, clear morning Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman stand upside down in the lake, and the wind usually rises later in the day, which is why we go early. The loop around the shore through the rainforest is about 4.4 km and an hour and a half. Back in Franz Josef we walk the glacier valley track, about 1.5 hours return across the riverbed, past waterfalls spilling off the valley walls, to a viewpoint below the ice of Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. The glacier has retreated a long way in recent decades, so the view is from a distance.
Afternoon
Lunch is on your own in the village and the afternoon is free. Your ticket for the West Coast Wildlife Centre, where young rowi and Haast tokoeka kiwi are raised for release, is included.
Included
- Lake Matheson walk in the morning
- Franz Josef glacier valley walk with your guide
- West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef
Optional experiences
- Heli-hike on Franz Josef Glacier
- Scenic flight with a snow landing
- Glacier lake kayaking
- Waiho hot tubs
Easier option: Walk Lake Matheson only as far as the jetty viewpoint, about 20 minutes each way, and skip the valley walk for the Wildlife Centre and a slow lunch.
More active option: Spend the free afternoon on the Roberts Point Track, about 11 km and 5 hours return, with swing bridges and a lookout high above the glacier.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Franz Josef
Activity: Flights and heli-hikes are booked by your guide and paid only after the operator confirms the weather that morning. The valley track closes after heavy rain or rockfall.
Hokitika and the TranzAlpine to Christchurch
Franz Josef to Hokitika and Greymouth, then the TranzAlpine train over Arthur's Pass to Christchurch
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Christchurch
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave Franz Josef at 8 am and drive about 2 hours, 135 km, north through rainforest and dairy country to Hokitika, a gold-rush town of the 1860s that is now the home of pounamu, the greenstone that Māori have long treasured.
Afternoon
Watch carvers at work in the studios, walk out to the driftwood-strewn beach, and sit down to an early lunch. Then it is 40 minutes up the coast to Greymouth to board the TranzAlpine, which leaves in the early afternoon and crosses the island to Christchurch in about 5 hours. The train runs up the Grey valley past Lake Brunner, through the 8.5 km Otira Tunnel to Arthur's Pass, then down beside the braided Waimakariri River and its gorges and across the Canterbury Plains. The open-air viewing carriage is the place for photos; watch for kea near the pass. This replaces a long drive with a day you can spend at the window. Our van carries the luggage over the pass and meets you at the station; on the few dates the train does not run, we all drive over the pass instead.
Evening
Farewell dinner in Christchurch.
Included
- Hokitika: pounamu carvers and the beach
- Sit-down lunch in Hokitika
- The TranzAlpine from Greymouth to Christchurch over Arthur's Pass
- Farewell dinner in Christchurch
Activity: Train times change by season and are confirmed with your final itinerary. The TranzAlpine does not run on Christmas Day or around Labour Weekend in late October and can stop for engineering works; on those dates we drive from Hokitika over Arthur's Pass instead, about 3.5 hours more with stops at Arthur's Pass village and Castle Hill, so about 6 hours on the road that day. Your luggage travels in our van.
Depart from Christchurch
Christchurch to Christchurch International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
A last breakfast together and the morning to yourself. If your flight is later in the day, walk the Botanic Gardens and the Avon River one more time, browse the stalls of the Riverside Market, or ride the heritage tram around the central loop. Your hotel will store your bags after check-out. When it is time, our van takes you to Christchurch International Airport, about 20 minutes from the centre, and your guide checks your flight before saying goodbye. If you have more time in New Zealand, Christchurch is a good place to start an independent extension: we can quote extra hotel nights, a few days at Kaikōura for whale watching on the coast to the north, or a flight to Auckland for the North Island. Most flights home to Canada connect through Auckland, so allow at least two hours for the domestic connection there. The trip ends after the airport drop-off.
Included
- Drop-off at Christchurch International Airport (CHC)
Optional experiences
- Extra nights in Christchurch
- Kaikōura extension
Free time: Free morning
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 11 am; we time the airport drop-off to your flight.
- Christchurch1 night
- Lake Tekapo2 nights
- Queenstown3 nights
- Franz Josef2 nights
- Christchurch1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: The season runs from October to April. December to February is the warmest and busiest, with long evenings that push stargazing past 10:30 pm; October, November and April are cooler, with more snow on the peaks and a higher chance of Milford Road closures. Rain falls on the West Coast in every month and keeps the rainforest green, and after heavy rain Milford Sound fills with waterfalls. Fur seals are likely at Milford Sound, dolphins sometimes swim with the boat, kea, the alpine parrot, are often seen near Arthur's Pass, and kiwi are seen at the Wildlife Centre rather than in the wild.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors who want the South Island's big sights in ten days without driving themselves
- Walkers who like 1 to 3 hour walks with an easier choice each day
- Travellers who want fewer hotel changes: two or three nights in each base
- Solo travellers who want a fixed, published single price
Not for you if you want
- Multi-day hikers: no Great Walks are included
- Step-free access: tracks are uneven and include swing bridges
- Travellers who want a slow trip with no long days: the Milford Sound day and the Haast Pass day are long
- The North Island: see our two-island trip instead
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Christchurch1 night
- Lake Tekapo2 nights
- Queenstown3 nights
- Franz Josef2 nights
- Christchurch1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights in central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard: Christchurch 1, Lake Tekapo 2, Queenstown 3, Franz Josef 2 and Christchurch 1
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Christchurch International Airport (CHC)
- Our own air-conditioned van and driver for the group, with your luggage carried door to door
- Shared scheduled coach from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back, with your guide
- The TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch (on dates it does not run, our van over Arthur's Pass)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- Local specialists where they add most: an astronomy guide at Lake Tekapo and the nature guides on the Milford Sound cruise
Activities
- Guided walk in central Christchurch
- Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo
- Guided stargazing in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve
- Hooker Valley Track and the Tasman Glacier viewpoint, Aoraki/Mount Cook
- Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge
- Skyline Gondola, Queenstown
- Milford Sound cruise
- Arrowtown guided walk and the Lakes District Museum
- Wanaka lakefront and the Blue Pools walk
- Lake Matheson walk, near Fox Glacier
- Franz Josef glacier valley walk
- West Coast Wildlife Centre, Franz Josef
- Hokitika pounamu carvers
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 6 sit-down lunches: Geraldine, Aoraki/Mount Cook Village, Cromwell, on the Milford Sound cruise, Makarora and Hokitika
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Christchurch, dinner in Franz Josef and a farewell dinner in Christchurch
Not included
- International flights to and from Christchurch
- The NZeTA and the NZ$100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Optional activities: flights from Milford Sound, glacier heli-hikes and scenic flights, jet boats, the TSS Earnslaw, Glenorchy, wine tastings, bungy and the Tekapo hot pools
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,095 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 12% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 5,010 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 5,355. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 5,695.
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels, 9 breakfasts, 6 sit-down lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers, our own van and driver, the Milford Sound coach and cruise, the TranzAlpine train, guided stargazing at Lake Tekapo, the Skyline Gondola, the West Coast Wildlife Centre, the Lakes District Museum and a See Sight Tours guide for all ten days.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so everyone hears the guide on the Hooker Valley Track, fits around one table at lunch and boards the van quickly. Most coach tours of the South Island carry far more, and some small-group operators take up to 16.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all ten days, from the airport pick-up to the airport drop-off, with our own van and driver. Local specialists add what they know best: an astronomy guide at Lake Tekapo and the crew and nature guides on the Milford Sound cruise. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. The longest walk is the Hooker Valley Track, about 10 km on a mostly flat path. Day 8 has two walks of about 1.5 hours each. Every demanding day has an easier choice written in, such as walking to the first swing bridge only, and you can sit out any walk.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own costs CAD 1,095 more, the same for everyone travelling alone, and it is shown before you book, not added later. If you would rather share a room, ask us when you request to book.
When is the best time to go?
October to April, New Zealand's spring, summer and early autumn. December to February is warmest and busiest, with lupins around Lake Tekapo in late November and December. October and April are quieter and cooler, with snow on the peaks and a higher chance of road closures on the Milford Road.
How long is the Milford Sound day, and can I fly instead?
About 12 hours door to door: roughly 4 hours each way on a shared scheduled coach from Queenstown, leaving between about 7 and 8 am, and a two-hour cruise. You can swap the return coach for a flight back to Queenstown, which saves about 4 hours, or fly both ways. We quote flights when you book and charge them only after the weather is confirmed.
What happens if the weather closes the Milford Road or grounds the glacier flights?
Day 6 in Queenstown is kept free of fixed plans, so if heavy rain, snow or avalanche risk closes the Milford Road, Milford moves to the next day. Glacier flights and heli-hikes are optional, booked by your guide and paid only once the operator confirms they will fly that day.
How long are the drives?
Most drives are 3 to 3.5 hours with stops. Day 7, Queenstown to Franz Josef over the Haast Pass, is the long one: about 5 to 5.5 hours of driving, split by Wanaka, Makarora and the Blue Pools; a private trip can add a Wanaka night. The TranzAlpine takes us back to Christchurch, and on dates it does not run we drive over Arthur's Pass, about 3.5 hours.
Do I need a visa for New Zealand?
Canadians and visitors from many other visa-waiver countries need an NZeTA, NZ$17 in the official app or NZ$23 online, and pay the NZ$100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy when they apply. Neither is in the trip price. Check the current rules for your passport before you book flights.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and van. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the same hotels, cruise and train.
How do I book, and when do I pay?
Pick your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and nothing is charged until then. The small group starts from CAD 5,695 per person sharing, with taxes, and the private trip from CAD 10,250 per person.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.