12-Day Winter Edition 2026

A tram-ride voucher is included at hotel check-in, so you can explore “The Garden City” Ōtautahi Christchurch at a leisurely pace. Tour registration to meet your fellow explorers and tour guides runs from 2.30pm – 5.00pm.

An “Ice-Breaker” welcome drink, tour briefing and dinner will be held at the hotel restaurant at 6.00pm.

Your journey begins at Christchurch Railway Station, where the iconic TranzAlpine awaits. Often regarded to be one of the world's great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes. The journey is 223 kilometres one-way, taking almost five hours. You will see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps, and see large tracts of native beech forest.

On arrival in Greymouth — the "Pounamu Pathway" is a newly opened immersive visitor experience highlighting the rich Māori Culture, history, and West Coast heritage — crafted by Wētā Workshop.

Luxury coaches await to transport you to your hotel in the ruggedly beautiful Franz Josef.

Wake up to enjoy the option for a helicopter tour of the Franz Josef glacier. Leaving Franz Josef, we travel down the West Coast through the Haast Pass, journeying through large tracts of native rain forest and over the Southern Alps. This remote area has a ruggedly beautiful landscape of vast rainforests, gushing waterfalls and snow capped mountains, with a lunch stop at the Hard Antler Café in Haast and a pause at the Thunder Creek Falls lookout. Continuing through Makarora on the border of Mount Aspiring World Heritage Park, we pass by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and Lake Dunstan.

The adventure playground of Queenstown then awaits! Cap off a special day as we take in The Remarkables Mountain Range and the view of Lake Wakatipu from the hotel.

Wake up to join a winter lake cruise with RealNZ across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet BBQ lunch, then enjoy the afternoon on your own exploring Queenstown.

Before departing Queenstown, enjoy unforgettable views sky-high on the iconic Queenstown Gondola, followed by a buffet lunch on top of the world at the Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar, looking out over Coronet Peak and The Remarkables. We then travel by luxury coach to Te Anau (via Mossburn), the gateway to Fiordland National Park.

Take in the breathtaking winter landscapes, and for those who wish to add a unique experience, an optional guided glow-worm cave tour at Te Anau makes for a truly magical evening.

Today we journey into the remote wilderness of Doubtful Sound — the deepest and one of the largest of the South Island fiords. From Te Anau we travel to Manapouri and cruise across the lake, then cross the Wilmot Pass by coach to reach the fiord, where a scenic cruise awaits. Far less visited than Milford, Doubtful Sound is a place of profound stillness — sheer cliffs, tumbling waterfalls and resident wildlife including fur seals, dolphins and, at times, penguins.

In winter, fresh snow on the surrounding peaks and quiet, mist-wrapped waters make the experience especially atmospheric. We return across Lake Manapouri to Te Anau in time for dinner.

As we depart Te Anau, the morning begins with a visit to the Takahē Bird Sanctuary. Takahē are the stars of the show, and meeting these prehistoric-looking characters is a 'must do' for Fiordland visitors — the sanctuary is a large part of the success of the Takahē Recovery Programme.

We then follow the Southern Scenic Route south, stopping for lunch at the Tui Base Camp Bar & Restaurant in Tuatapere before continuing to Riverton, one of the country's oldest settlements, where the Te Hikoi Museum showcases how Māori and Europeans adapted to life in this rugged southern region.

We continue to Invercargill — the southernmost city in New Zealand.

This morning, visit Invercargill's Bill Richardson Transport World, home to over 300 classic vehicles — an extraordinary private collection, lovingly restored and beautifully presented.

We then board a recently re-established train, "The Mainlander", which weaves its way through the rolling hills and lush rural landscapes of the deep south, to Dunedin.

In the morning, we explore the remote Taieri Gorge by Dunedin Rail over river gorges, weaving our way through a myriad of historic tunnels and guide you to the historic Wingatui Viaduct, a marvel of 1880s construction that remains the largest wrought iron structure in New Zealand.

An afternoon at leisure is planned, or there is the optional excursion to Larnach Castle for a decadent high tea & garden tour.

Departing Dunedin by The Mainlander Train, we continue to hug the coast towards Oamaru, with a lunch stop at the Harbour Street Café. We then detour inland via Waitaki Valley & Omarama by coach and onwards towards the spectacular Aoraki Mt Cook. Here, we find the home of the tallest mountain in New Zealand, which helped Sir Edmund Hillary to develop his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of Mt Everest. Recognised as part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area, the National Park is a breath-taking environment of glaciers, terminal lakes, turbulent rivers and Australasia's tallest peak, the mighty Aoraki Mt Cook soaring above at 3,724 metres.

Enjoy a leisurely morning and then a visit to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, which is a tribute to New Zealand's global icon as well as discovering New Zealand's colourful transport, climbing and hotel history. Followed by an afternoon scenic drive up the Hooker Valley through the National Park surrounded by the silent splendour of the Southern Alps. Morning optional activities include a glacier explorer cruise or a scenic ski plane flight with expert pilots navigating their way over the glacial lake, passing soaring mountain tops over NZ's longest glacier — the 600 metre thick, Tasman Glacier. Guest speaker is a Hillary family representative in the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Theatre before dinner. The optional Planetarium Show takes place in the theatre after the Hillary presentation.

Depart Aoraki Mt Cook by coach and travel back towards Christchurch via Tekapo, Geraldine and Rakaia, with a lunch stop at Barkers of Geraldine. On arrival in Christchurch, the tour comes to an end.