Christchurch to Milford Sound and Queenstown
Day 1 - Christchurch to Mt. Cook (lunch at the Hermitage) then to Queenstown
Christchurch to Queenstown with GreatSights (Includes Lunch)
Leaving Christchurch in the morning, travel through the fertile farmland of the Canterbury Plains to the shores of the stunning, glacier-fed Lake Tekapo, where you can view the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd and take in the sights of the spectacular Southern Alps. Then continue to the location of New Zealand's tallest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook, situated in a national park and UNESCO World Heritage site. Rising to 3,754 metres high, Aoraki certainly lives up to its name, which in Māori can be translated as 'cloud piercer'.
At Mt Cook Village you'll enjoy lunch at the famous Hermitage Hotel. After lunch you'll have time to explore the village and soak up the view. The tour continues south, past Lake Pukaki and through the tawny tussock of the Mackenzie Country. En route, enjoy a stop in the quaint village of Omarama. Your tour concludes in the evening upon reaching Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand.
Your accommodation: Heartland Hotel Queenstown
The Heartland Hotel Queenstown is the ideal place to stay if you want to be close to all the action of Queenstowns main centre, yet be elevated enough to take advantage of the spectacular views over Lake Wakatipu to the mountains. Meals included: Lunch
Day 2 - Queenstown to Milford Sound including a 2 1/2 hour nature cruise
Milford Sound Nature Cruise with return luxury coach transfers from Queenstown
Return luxury coach transport from Queenstown to Milford Sound, with an extended 2.5 hour Nature Cruise along the full length of the fiord. On board a Real Journeys luxury glass-roofed coach in Queenstown, you will enjoy a relaxing trip along the shores of Lake Wakatipu and through the rolling countryside to Te Anau. The coach driver provides an informative commentary. After a morning tea break in Te Anau, where you have the option of purchasing refreshments, the coach continues along the spectacular Milford Road. There is time for photo stops and short walks along the way. On reaching Milford Sound, you board the Milford Mariner for a leisurely extended cruise of the fiord. The cruise provides excellent viewing opportunities and plenty of time is available to enjoy waterfalls, rain forest, mountains and wildlife with extensive commentary by the on board nature guide. Includes picnic boxed lunch.
Your accommodation: Heartland Hotel Queenstown
The Heartland Hotel Queenstown is the ideal place to stay if you want to be close to all the action of Queenstowns main centre, yet be elevated enough to take advantage of the spectacular views over Lake Wakatipu to the mountains. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 - Queentown to Christchurch with Great Sights, includes lunch at the Hermitage, Mt Cook
Queenstown to Christchurch with GreatSights (Includes Lunch)
Travel to the foothills of New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook, on a full-day sightseeing tour from Queenstown to Christchurch. Setting off from Queenstown, travel through ruggedly beautiful landscape and over the Lindis Pass into the Mackenzie Country. Enter the amazing Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park, home to New Zealand's highest mountain, where there is time to stop for lunch and a chance to enjoy the amazing alpine scenery. During your stop at Mount Cook Village, enjoy a delicious lunch at the famous Hermitage Hotel. In the afternoon, travel past Lake Pukaki to Lake Tekapo, where you can view the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd against the backdrop of this vivid blue glacier-fed lake. Then continue through the diverse farmland of the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch, the Garden City, where your tour concludes.