Top South Island Private Sightseeing Tours

Make the most of your time at shore and discover Akaroa on this fun shore excursion. Alongside a private guide, enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of the township and its inner bays. Visit a local cheese factory, drive along the volcanic rim, and visit the famous Giants House in just a few hours.

Private guided tour in a luxury Tesla Model X. Our knowledgeable guides offer personalized tours into the world-renown Milford Sound. Every tour includes a 2-hour cruise that takes you past the iconic Mitre Peak.

Get aerial views of Fox Glacier or Franz Josef Glacier on this air flight, including a snow landing. Take fantastic photos of the pinnacles and sheer crevasses, then make a snow landing for more shots of you and your party. Multiple departure times throughout the day make for a flexible outing, and you'll learn about the glaciers through your guide/pilot's informative commentary.

The rarest dolphins in the world live in the waters around Akaroa, and you can get up close to them on this eco-friendly sailing tour. Feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you board the vintage wooden sailboat. Glide quietly through the waters, leaving the dolphins, penguins, seals, and albatross relatively undisturbed. This is a private tour, so grab your friends for a fun day on the water, or your significant other for a romantic experience.

This tour is the perfect way to explore Marlborough's world-renowned wine region. Led by a guide with over 20 years of experience in the industry, you'll get an inside look at some of the area's most iconic wineries. From tastings and tours to behind-the-scenes access, this is a comprehensive way to discover all that Marlborough wine has to offer.

Travel from Akaroa Harbour on this shore excursion through the Banks Peninsula to Christchurch, whose city center was devastated by the 2011 earthquake. Drive past city landmarks in the old CBD and stroll the Christchurch Botanic Gardens with a knowledgeable guide. En route, take in the scenic splendor of the Southern Alps and the Canterbury Region.

Located in the heart of Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Explore the stunning fiord by air and water during a half-day excursion. The exhilarating, round-trip helicopter flight from Queenstown includes a glacier landing on Mt. Tutoko. Perhaps spot dolphins, seals, and penguins during an unforgettable cruise.

End your trip to Queenstown the easy way with this shared departure transfer to Queenstown Airport. You will be picked up from your accommodation doorstep and transferred by spacious minivan to the airport. It’s a budget-friendly alternative to the pricey private taxi rides.

Let a professional and courteous driver collect you from the Queenstown airport, help you with your luggage and drop you off at the doorstep of your accommodation. This shared transfer to your Queenstown hotel offers a hassle-free arrival. Shuttles stop just outside baggage claim. Airport transfers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The glacial waters, soaring cliffs, and thundering waterfalls of Milford Sound are spectacular from all angles, and this half-day tour takes in all the highlights. Enjoy thrilling aerial views of the Fiordland National Park on a round-trip flight from Queenstown, and marvel at Mitre Peak, Bowen Falls, and Mount Pembroke on a scenic Milford Sound cruise. Hotel pickup and drop-off is included.

Visit ‘The Lord of the Rings’ filming locations in Glenorchy, traveling by 4WD with an informative guide. Departing Queenstown for Middle-earth in the morning or afternoon, this half-day tour includes stunning countryside landscapes chosen by director Peter Jackson. See where famous scenes were filmed, such as the Fortress of Isengard, Lothlorien, Ithilien Camp and Forest of Amon Hen. Enjoy light refreshments and personalized attention on this small-group tour, limited to six passengers per vehicle.

Visit four boutique wineries of North Canterbury on a half-day wine-tasting tour with optional lunch. Departing Christchurch, you’ll taste a quality selection of wines in the up-and-coming Waipara wine region, including stops at Pegasus Bay, Waipara Hills, Torlesse Wines and Waipara Springs. Learn from a knowledgeable guide about Waipara’s unique terroir as you sip a range of superior reds and whites.

This Akaroa shore excursion takes you sightseeing in Christchurch via a scenic drive through the Banks Peninsula. See the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and other city highlights before a visit to the International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch's top attraction. Feel arctic winds at the Snow and Ice Experience and observe New Zealand wildlife at the Penguin Encounter. Finish with an all-terrain adventure on a thrilling ride by amphibious Hagglund vehicle.

Pair the fine wines of Central Otago with a gourmet lunch platter on this small-group wine-tasting tour from Queenstown. Visit at boutique wineries during your tour and drive through verdant valleys and vine-clad foothills rich in gold mining history. Numbers are limited to 12 people to ensure an intimate experience with other wine lovers.

Arguably the most scenic destination in New Zealand, Milford Sound offers a sweeping landscape of jagged snow-capped mountains, shimmering fjords and lakes, towering waterfalls and emerald greenery. Travel with a small group by coach from Queenstown to Fiordland National Park to explore this lush wilderness, including a boat cruise on the Milford Sound. You also see The Remarkables mountain range, Lake Wakatipu—New Zealand's longest lake, and Lake Te Anau—the South Island’s the largest lake.

Board the TSS "Earnslaw," a vintage steamship, for an evening cruise on Queenstown’s scenic Lake Wakatipu. Arriving at Walter Peak High Country Farm, you’re treated to a sumptuous barbecue dinner at the Colonel’s Homestead. Sink your teeth into roasted meats and seafood, homemade desserts, and a New Zealand cheeseboard. After dinner, see farm demonstrations or purchase a drink and simply relax in the bar.

Enjoy the tastes of the winemaking region of Central Otago without the stress of choosing a sober driver. Get picked up from your hotel and dropped back again at the end of the tour on this lunchtime drive around several celebrated wineries in the Gibbston Valley. Go behind the scenes at the country’s oldest wine cave and sample a range of varietals at each winery’s cellar door, from pinot noirs to a range of white wines.

Take a jet boat ride on the Shotover River during an extreme ride, and make use of transport from Queenstown. Experience adrenaline-fueled fun as the jet boat skims the water’s surface at high speed and fishtails into 360-degree spins. Hold on tight as the captain maneuvers the jet boat over rapids and through narrow canyons during one heart-pounding adventure you won’t soon forget.

Combine top Dunedin experiences into a single day of sightseeing on a Port Chalmers shore excursion that includes a city tour, Larnach Castle Garden, and a 90-minute ride on a coastal train through the scenic Otago Peninsula. A flexible mix of guided and independent activities gives you the best of both worlds: you’ll get a fascinating, guided introduction to Dunedin highlights, but enjoy the freedom to explore on your own.

Experience heart-racing fun on an exhilarating Queenstown jet-boat ride. The expert captain races across Lake Wakatipu, navigates tricky turns on the Kawarau River and speeds through the milky waters of the Shotover River. Grab hold of your seat as the jet boat makes 360-degree spins and fishtails on a rollercoaster ride over the water.

Enjoy two trips in one on this good-value jet boat tour: a guided tour of Skippers Canyon and a thrilling ride on the Shotover River. Zip up some of the narrowest canyons on the Upper Shotover, and learn about the gold mining history of the area from your knowledgeable guide on the journey there. This combined tour is ideal for history buffs and adrenaline seekers.

Discover some of New Zealand's finest wines on a full-day tour of the Central Otago wine region from Queenstown. Visit multiple wineries, sip wine in Australasia's largest wine cave, enjoy a gourmet lunch, and sample locally made cheeses. You also visit the Cromwell Heritage Precinct and learn about the Otago Gold Rush. Numbers are limited to 12 people on this small-group wine tour that includes wine tastings, lunch, transportation, and hotel pickup and drop-off.

Travel along the spectacular Milford Road on a full-day Milford Sound tour from Te Anau. Have the chance to see native wildlife like the endangered kea (an alpine parrot), seals, dolphins, and the Fiordland crested penguin. Visit Gunns Camp, take short walks to beautiful sights including the Chasm and Marian Cascade, and take a sightseeing cruise on Milford Sound. Includes entrance fees, boat cruise with live commentary, morning tea, and hotel pickup and drop-off.

Depart Queenstown aboard the TSS ‘Earnslaw’ for a cruise across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm. Travel round-trip by vintage steamship and dig into a gourmet barbecue lunch at the Colonel’s Homestead. Enjoy chef-prepared Central Otago specialties accompanied by salads, desserts, and local cheeses. Don’t miss the sheep shearing demonstration or showmanship by the farm’s sheepdogs.