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South Island Tours

New Zealand South Island Central Route Food Tour — 5 Days

NZ$1350from / per person

Explore Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Lake Pukaki, Wanaka and Queenstown, with a high-altitude salmon sashimi buffet and a free day in Queenstown. No airport drop-off is provided on day 5. Optional activities and most lunches and dinners are at your own expense.

Highlights

  • Christchurch city sights and the Avon River
  • Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd
  • High-altitude salmon sashimi buffet
  • Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and Lake Pukaki
  • Lake Wanaka and the iconic Wanaka Tree
  • Two nights in Queenstown, including a free day
  • Sunday departures from October 2026 to March 2027

Daily Itinerary

Day 1Arrive in Christchurch (airport pickup 10:00 until 18:30)

Arrive in Christchurch, known as the “Garden City”, where your dedicated guide will meet you at the airport. Transfer to the hotel and rest; later, explore the green city or stroll nearby at your leisure. Pickup may need confirmation for flights arriving before 12h or after 17h; sightseeing cannot be guaranteed for arrivals after 14. Hotel: 3–4-star Christchurch hotel Lunch: At your own expense; Dinner: At your own expense

Day 2Christchurch – Lake Tekapo (3 hours, 230 km)

After breakfast, tour Christchurch, including the historic Arts Centre, the Avon River and the Bridge of Remembrance. After lunch, travel to turquoise Lake Tekapo, coloured by glacial rock flour and surrounded by mountains. Visit the lakeside landmark, the stone Church of the Good Shepherd. In the evening, enjoy a high-altitude salmon sashimi buffet. Overnight in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with an opportunity to see the Milky Way and stars. Accommodation: Character holiday-home accommodation; one private bedroom per party is guaranteed, but a whole holiday home per party is not guaranteed. Breakfast: Western-style hotel breakfast; Lunch: At your own expense; Dinner: High-altitude salmon buffet

Day 3Lake Tekapo – Aoraki/Mount Cook (1h 30m, 105 km) – Wanaka (2h 30m, 200 km) – Queenstown (1h 10m, 70 km)

After breakfast, travel to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in the heart of the Southern Alps. If weather permits, an optional helicopter flight over glaciers offers views of the snow-covered mountains and Aoraki/Mount Cook. Continue to vivid Lake Pukaki, a favourite place to photograph Mount Cook’s reflection, then to New Zealand’s fourth-largest lake, Lake Wanaka. See the iconic “That Wanaka Tree”, standing alone in the lake, and enjoy a lakeside stroll. Arrive in Queenstown, beside Lake Wakatipu, in the evening. Hotel: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park or similar Breakfast: Western-style hotel breakfast; Lunch: At your own expense; Dinner: At your own expense

Day 4Queenstown

Enjoy a free day in Queenstown, a scenic resort town between mountains and lakes. Choose your own activities: visit Glenorchy, a Lord of the Rings and Hobbit filming location; try skydiving, bungy jumping, paragliding or jet boating; ride the gondola, take an optional helicopter flight over mountains and glaciers, visit a winery, or simply stroll among cafés and street performers. You may also try the famous Fergburger handmade burger. Activities and meals are at your own expense unless stated otherwise. Hotel: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park or similar Breakfast: Western-style hotel breakfast; Lunch: At your own expense; Dinner: At your own expense

Day 5Queenstown (no airport drop-off)

After breakfast, check out independently. Enjoy free time in Queenstown and make your own way to the airport according to your flight time. No airport drop-off service is provided. Breakfast: Hotel breakfast

Price Table

ItemPrice NZD
AdultNZ$1350
Child aged 4–12 sharing with one adult (per child)NZ$1215
Child aged 4–12 sharing with two adults (per child)NZ$1080
Child aged 2–4NZ$945
Under 2, no bed (seat only; no other services)NZ$480
Single-room supplementNZ$600

Departure Dates

2026-10-04 2026-10-11 2026-10-18 2026-10-25 2026-11-01 2026-11-08 2026-11-15 2026-11-22 2026-11-29 2026-12-06 2026-12-13 2026-12-20 (Christmas surcharge NZD 260) 2026-12-27 (New Year surcharge NZD 380) 2027-01-03 2027-01-10 2027-01-17 2027-01-24 2027-01-31 (Lunar New Year surcharge NZD 180) 2027-02-07 (Lunar New Year surcharge NZD 260) 2027-02-14 2027-02-21 2027-02-28 2027-03-07 2027-03-14 2027-03-21 2027-03-28

Included

  • 1. Accommodation includes 3 nights in 3–4-star hotels with breakfast and 1 night in character accommodation with breakfast.
  • 2. Meals listed in the itinerary. For Chinese group meals with more than 6 participants: 6 guests—6 dishes and 1 soup; 7 guests—7 dishes and 1 soup; 8 or more—8 dishes and 1 soup.
  • 3. Transport throughout in a 12–41-seat vehicle with a Chinese-speaking driver-guide. Driver-guide workday is ten hours; overtime is NZD 150, payable in cash to the guide.
  • 4. Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year holiday surcharges apply to adults and children; enquire with sales.

Not Included

  • 1. Guide gratuities (suggested NZD 6 per person per day).
  • 2. Lunches and dinners at your own expense, airfares, visa fees and optional activities.
  • 3. Additional costs arising from circumstances beyond human control, such as weather or hotel-room issues.
  • 4. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Notes

2026.10–2027.03 (Sunday departures). 3–4-star itinerary, NZD 1,350 per person. Twin-share price per person; prices in NZD. Bookings within 10 days of departure may incur hotel surcharges. Contact your sales consultant with questions. Special reminders: 1. Hotel ratings may change with booking availability. If rooms are unavailable or hotel surcharges apply during major events or public holidays, the final confirmed quotation prevails. 2. If three guests request the same room, the company will arrange a triple room accommodating 3 adults. Configurations include, but are not limited to, 3 single beds, 2 double beds, or 1 double bed with 1 small bed, sofa bed or rollaway. For two guests requesting a double room, the bed is New Zealand standard double size, 137 cm × 187 cm. Twin-room configurations include, but are not limited to, 2 single beds or 1 double bed with 1 small bed. State special requests at booking; the company will try to accommodate them. The company retains final interpretation of room allocation; guests may not object or withdraw on this basis. 3. Complimentary airport transfers are provided only on the tour start and end dates. See the itinerary for transfer times and locations. Guests who miss the scheduled meeting time must catch up with the group at their own expense. 4. The company may adjust the itinerary because of flights, hotels, weather or other circumstances beyond human control. 5. Guests are strongly advised to purchase travel and personal belongings insurance. The local operator does not bear the resulting costs. Cancellation and changes: A 50% deposit per person is payable on quotation confirmation; the balance must be paid 21 days before departure. Cancellation for any reason or booking changes 30–15 days before departure, inclusive, incur a charge of 30% of the tour fare. At 14–8 days before departure, inclusive, the charge is 50%. Cancellation or changes within 7 days before departure, inclusive, receive no refund. The same refund rules apply if an epidemic prevents travel. The company is not responsible for guests who fail to meet the guide on time for personal reasons. All activities depend on local conditions. Weather or flights may require sightseeing adjustments; the company retains final decision and interpretation rights. Fully booked listed hotels may be replaced with hotels of the same standard. Booking conditions: Hotel ratings may change with availability. If rooms are unavailable or surcharges apply during major events or public holidays, the final confirmed quotation prevails. Smoking is prohibited inside hotel rooms and on balconies. Hotel smoking fines start at NZD 500. The person responsible for the room must pay any fine issued. If payment is refused, the operator's agreement with the hotel allows the hotel to submit the matter to the New Zealand small claims tribunal. Subsequent fines, litigation, visa and entry or exit issues are the individual's responsibility. Guests prone to motion sickness should bring medication and a sick bag. Conditions and limitations: The itinerary may change because of weather. If force majeure prevents an attraction visit, its fee will be refunded or a product of equivalent value arranged. Shopping during free time is a personal activity unrelated to the operator. Insurance: Travel insurance is strongly recommended to cover unexpected costs, including extra transport, cancellation fees and lost valuables. Guests who voluntarily decline insurance must bear resulting costs, including extra transport, accommodation, cancellation fees and lost valuables. If weather, war, strikes, earthquakes or other force majeure prevents travel, unused attraction tickets will be refunded according to the travel agency agreement. Other items follow supplier policies. No refund applies when guests voluntarily abandon the tour for personal reasons. The operator has limited responsibility for only the listed services and matters. It does not accept responsibility for matters outside this description, including interpersonal or personal issues, unforeseen incidents, legal or criminal matters and religious beliefs. All prices marked NZD or $ are New Zealand dollars. All conditions, limitations and itinerary descriptions are governed and protected by New Zealand laws and regulations. All text, pictures, logos and icons are copyrighted by the operator; unauthorized copying is prohibited. If an updated itinerary is available, its latest description prevails.

Why choose us

A local Mandarin-speaking team, fully licensed (Qualmark / TAANZ / IATA), with itineraries you can verify.

How to book

Tap “Book now” for live departure dates, or message our WeChat team and we will arrange it for you.

Departure info

Prices are indicative only; the live price and confirmed departure status on this site apply.