South Island Twin Trains & Glacier Loop — 8 Days / 7 Nights
Friday departures, October 2026–March 2027. Small group limited to 25 guests. 3–4-star itinerary; advertised adult fare NZD 2,860 per person.




Highlights
- TranzAlpine scenic train (limited to 10 guests)
- Shantytown gold panning and steam train
- Pancake Rocks and Blue Pools
- Skyline gondola and Larnach Castle
Daily Itinerary
Meet your guide in Christchurch, the Garden City. Visit the historic Arts Centre, the Avon River and the Bridge of Remembrance. Hotel: Hotel Elms Christchurch or similar 4-star hotel. Lunch and dinner at own expense.
Ride the TranzAlpine scenic train, named among the world’s ten most beautiful rail journeys; capacity is limited to 10 guests. Cross the Canterbury Plains, Waimakariri Valley and Southern Alps, seeing glacial-blue rivers, forests and mountains. At Arthur’s Pass, meet the guide and continue west to Shantytown, a recreated 19th-century gold-rush town. Tour its old post office, blacksmith and barber, ride the heritage steam train at 12.30 pm or 2.00 pm through forest and gold-mining remains, and try gold panning; each person receives a small bottle of gold flakes. Overnight at Ashley Hotel Greymouth or similar 3-star hotel. Breakfast: Western-style; lunch: three-course buffet; dinner at own expense.
Visit the West Coast’s Pancake Rocks, layered limestone shaped over millions of years. See waves rush into sea caves and rise like natural fountains, and walk the scenic coast. Travel south toward Fox Glacier on Highway 6 through lush rainforest. If weather permits, stop at a glacier viewpoint. Arrive in Haast, the remote gateway between the West Coast and southern lakes. Dinner features local whitebait fritters with egg, plus a burger and fries; ingredients may vary seasonally or be substituted. Hotel: Heartland Hotel Haast or similar 3-star hotel. Breakfast: Western-style; lunch at own expense.
Travel the scenic Makarora route through Haast Pass/Tioripatea National Scenic Reserve. Walk through forest and swing bridges to the clear glacial Blue Pools. Enjoy free time in Wānaka, with lakeside cafés, handmade ice cream and the famous That Wānaka Tree. Drive Crown Range Road, one of New Zealand’s highest roads, and arrive in Queenstown. Ride the Skyline gondola to Bob’s Peak at 790 metres for views of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and Glenorchy. A luge ride and summit café are optional at own expense. In bad weather, the Blue Pools walk may be replaced by the Wānaka lakeside track. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel & Resort Lakefront Queenstown or similar 4-star hotel. Breakfast: Western-style; lunch and dinner at own expense.
Enjoy a free day in Queenstown, described as one of the world’s most beautiful holiday destinations. Optional ideas include visiting Glenorchy, filming location for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding or jet boating; the gondola, helicopter flights over snowy mountains and glaciers, or wine tasting. You may stroll the town, watch street performers, enjoy cafés, sunshine and lake breezes, and try the handmade Fergburger. Hotel: Copthorne Hotel & Resort Lakefront Queenstown or similar 4-star hotel. Breakfast: Western-style; lunch and dinner at own expense.
Drive to Dunedin, the Edinburgh of the South. See St Paul’s Cathedral, the University of Otago (established in 1869), Dunedin Railway Station, and Baldwin Street, recognised by Guinness as the world’s steepest street. Lunch is a two-course Western meal at the Speight’s brewery. Visit New Zealand’s only castle, Larnach Castle, and its Victorian interiors, gardens and family history. Hotel: Scenic Hotel Southern Cross or similar 4-star hotel. Breakfast: Western-style; lunch: two-course brewery meal; dinner: Chinese hot pot.
Travel to Mount Cook National Park, with an optional self-paid tasting at a well-known five-star salmon farm en route. Explore the alpine landscape. Weather permitting, you may take an optional self-paid helicopter flight to the Tasman Glacier and land on the ice. Continue to Lake Tekapo, whose Māori name means “night-time sleeping mat,” also described as a place to sleep under the stars. Walk by the lake and visit the Church of the Good Shepherd; enjoy the renowned dark-sky reserve at night. Overnight in a distinctive holiday home; it may be two bedrooms for two guests or three bedrooms for three guests. Each group is guaranteed a private bedroom, not a separate house. Breakfast: Western-style; lunch at own expense; dinner buffet.
Photograph Lake Tekapo’s vivid “emerald blue” water after breakfast, then drive to Christchurch Airport for drop-off, concluding the South Island tour. Book a flight departing after mid-afternoon. Breakfast: Western-style; lunch at own expense.
Price Table
| Item | Price NZD |
|---|---|
| Adult | NZ$2860 |
| Child aged 4–12 sharing with 1 adult (child rate) | NZ$2574 |
| Child aged 4–12 sharing with 2 adults (child rate) | NZ$2288 |
| Child aged 2–4 | NZ$2002 |
| Infant under 2, no bed (seat only; no other services) | NZ$1200 |
| Single-room supplement | NZ$1015 |
Departure Dates
2026-10-02 2026-10-16 2026-10-30 2026-11-13 2026-11-27 2026-12-11 2026-12-25 (Christmas surcharge NZD 260) 2027-01-08 2027-01-22 2027-02-05 (Lunar New Year surcharge NZD 260) 2027-02-19 2027-03-05 2027-03-19
Included
- 1. Accommodation: 6 nights in hotels with breakfast and 1 night in distinctive holiday-home accommodation with breakfast.
- 2. Meals specified in the itinerary. Chinese group-meal standard for groups over 6: 6 guests receive 6 dishes and 1 soup; 7 guests, 7 dishes and 1 soup; groups of 8 or more, 8 dishes and 1 soup.
- 3. Transport throughout by 7–39-seat vehicle with Chinese-speaking driver-guide, working ten hours per day; overtime is NZD 150, paid in cash to the guide.
- 4. First-entry admission to 4 attractions: TranzAlpine scenic train; Shantytown gold-panning and steam-train experience; Skyline gondola; Larnach Castle.
- 5. Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year holiday surcharges apply to adults and children; ask sales for details.
Not Included
- 1. Guide tips (recommended NZD 6 per person per day).
- 2. Lunches and dinners not specified as included, airfares, visas and optional activities.
- 3. Additional costs caused by circumstances beyond human control, such as weather or hotel-room issues.
- 4. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Notes
2026.10–2027.03 (Friday departures). Small-group tour for no more than 25 guests. 3–4-star itinerary, NZD 2,860 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.