Things to do in  South Island

Great way to see the sights of the Sounds. An added bonus was seeing dolphins following the boat. Sam did a great job and we really appreciated that this business is doing all it can to literally keep afloat! During our South Island travels we found many places who seemed to have given up so well done in adapting and keeping your cruises going.

Memorable trip led by superb pilot Tom Watson. Stunning aerial views followed by a wonderful cruise on a boat small enough to approach the waterfalls. Highlight of our time on the South Island. Worth every penny.

Fabulous trip and value from Viator, once again. Highly recommend this vendor and venue. An excellent way to see this part of the South island, both by rail and coach.

This is an excellent tour for a family who wants to see most of the South Island in a short time with less or no stress. You get the value for money and the tour was very well coordinated by the tour operator.

This tour was the ideal way to see all the highlights on the South Island. Everything went perfectly--every pickup, every coach ride, every hotel. Even the booking was easy. I highly recommend this tour!

This is a good way to see the South Island on a short stay. The bus drivers were quite good at explaining what we were seeing as well as giving us a general history of New Zealand. We even got a partly guided tour from one Inter City driver that was not part of the package.

Took this tour on Dec 26, 2015. It was one of the best activities we did on South Island. My kids didn't swim with dolphins but afterwards were whining for missing the best part. The staff was super friendly and polite. They provide swim suit which keeps warm and float.

We really enjoyed this tour! Mt Cook was beautiful, and so was the Tasman Glacier, and the Lakes. We would definitely recommend this tour company if you are staying in Christchurch, because outside of renting a car and trekking yourself, it is the easiest way to get out to see Mt Cook that we could find, and definitely the best value. The day was long, but very fun! If you are thinking that there will be a lot of time on this trip spent hiking or exploring the outdoors, this is not the trip for you. This is not a flaw per se, the distance from Christchurch to Aoraki necessitates quite a few hours on the road. You do get some time to hike around at both Aoraki and the Tasman Glacier, but it is no more than about 60 minutes at a time. Both the hiking and driving portions featured great views, but there is far more time spent on the road than on the trail. Be prepared for around 9 hours in the van, with smaller windows of time at each stop, ranging from 10 to 90 minutes outside of the transport at various stops. The van was comfortable, with great amenities (climate control, WiFi, phone charging, and on-board documentaries). The documentaries were fascinating, and helped make the car ride easier. The tour guides were friendly, approachable, professional, and provided a lot of interesting information. Both of our guides knew their way around a camera, and were happy to help take photos at the various photo opportunities throughout the trip. We do have a few suggestions on things that could be improved. First, the amount of time we had around lunch to explore the Alpine Center at the National Park didn't feel like enough to make the most of the cost of entry - when we were there we mostly wanted to use the 90 minutes allotted to enjoy the exquisite buffet, and take in the outdoor views of Mt Cook. Stopping to watch an in-door documentary or peruse the museum for too long felt like wasting the opportunity to take in the highlight of the day: the mountains themselves. No one in our trip party stayed for very long in the museum. We mention this because it definitely seems like the cost of the center is included in the package and we didn't really feel like it was necessary to the program - so maybe drop this item and the price of the package, or make it optional. Another small note, while the narration during the trip, on the van was welcome, there were moments where it would have been nice to have no narration or music or film, to allow us to better take in the majesty of our surroundings. Overall, we had a really great time. We are so happy we were able to see this natural wonder during our brief stay on the South Island. Would recommend!

We had an amazing experience on a tour with Mack (apologies if I misspelled the name). Even though it was raining off and on, we had a nice ride with with beautiful views, perfect stops with plenty of photo opportunities and time to stretch legs. On the cruise we enjoyed the natural beauty, lots of waterfalls, tiny penguins and seals. Milford Sound is a must when you are traveling in South Island New Zealand.

Peter our tour guide did a fantastic job planning the trip and arranging everything. Due to the recent cyclone we had to take a different inland route rather then driving along the ocean front. This made for a great time viewing the inland sights on our first trip to the South Island. The vehicle was very new and comfortable. Peter did the best running commentary of the four tours we did with a history of the areas and got into how the geography was created over time. The crew on the whale watching boat was great. We were able to see four sperm whales, porpoises, fur seals and many different sea birds. Overall it was the best tour we did while on the South Island. My best photo of the whales submerging watches the photo in the advert for the whale watching.

We had a perfect day - on our walk up Motuara we saw cute south island robyns which hopped around our feet, one saddleback, several piwakawaka fantails played hide and seek and swooped close. The one hour was about right. Ship Cove we had time to explore the waterfall track for a short way and to view the monument. We called into Resolution, Endeavour Furneaux and Punga and had an interesting commentary en route. A nice roomy ship with great viewing from the upper deck. It helped that the day was calm, warm and sunny which I understand cannot always be guaranteed!

The 7-Day South Island Coastal Splendor Tour was quite an experience. Disappointing for us that the Alpine train started running the day after we finished the tour. The Intercity buses take some getting used to, you need to be aware that if you do not leave something on your seat you may lose the seat when you get of at the comfort stops. The cliental that use the buses can be another issue. As this is the only means of transport between the towns on the South Island, they can stop just about anywhere that is requested. This does effect the timetable, there is also different degrees of comfort on the buses. The scenery from the bus and the drivers willingness to share the different aspects of the areas you are driving through can change rapidly. The transfers from the bus to hotels and tours was on time and well coordinated. The tour of Dunedin including the house tour was very good and I would highly recommend. The Eco tour was fantastic, BUT, We are in our middle sixties and were not aware of the level of fitness and or clothing requirements needed for this tour. After speaking to the operator of this tour prior to taking the tour, we were able to compromise the walking by having the four wheel drive take us to most areas. This is not always available and can only be used by one group on each tour. Make sure if you are unable to walk up and down steep hills for a prolonged period that this option is available to you. The tour started with Albatross sightings, then moved to seal sightings, then to sea lion sightings followed by penguin sightings. This tour takes about six hours and is worth going on. We were very lucky with the weather and the sights we experienced. The Scenic Hotel in Dunedin is comfortable and the restaurant produces lovely meals. The trip on the Taieri Gorge train was an experience not to be missed. It gives ample photo opportunities as well as a font of information from the guide on the history of the area and the train. The driver of the Eco taxi, Beryl that picked us up for the drive from the train to Queenstown was excellent. Quite informative and stopped for photo opportunities at different places along the way. Beryl also stopped for fresh fruit and the most beautiful ice cream I have had. This was a pleasant journey, though quite a long drive. The Heritage Hotel in Queenstown was a lovely choice and we had a suite with washer and dryer that was a lovely surprise and made a difference to what was available to wear on the trip. The restaurant at the Heritage is also to be recommended. Milford sound trip is a long day and quite tiring. This experience is not to be missed. We again had terrific weather for our day at Milford. The area had had rain the day before, so there were a lot of waterfalls on the journey to photograph. The cruise around Milford Sound was quit lovely and not to be missed in good weather. For our free day in Queenstown we chose to do the Steamer cruise and lunch at the sheep, farm. This for overseas and city Aussies is quite an experience. The food is good and the tour of the woolshed including shearing is enjoyable. Again having a lovely day made this an enjoyable experience. We chose to eat in a local restaurant that was not a good experience for us or the other dinners in our area as the table next to us was booked out by a tour group that made the dining experience unpleasant for all around them. The staff spent so much time catering to this group that the rest of us suffered. Another table and ourselves ended up talking as we waited for our service and they turned out to be locals who will not be returning to the restaurant again. The trip to Franz Josef was not a pleasant trip, the weather was not good and we stopped a lot. We arrived at Franz Josef and were dropped at our hotel. The Scenic Hotel in Franz Josef is not flash, but adequate. We did not enjoy our meal at this hotel. We were picked up for the trip to the glacier three quartes of an hour after our arrival in Franz Josef. We arrived at the starting point of the walks to the glacier around five o'clock. Again if you are unable to walk in steep terrain the trip is not for you. We chose the 20 minute walk and the terrain was quite steep. On arrival at the viewing platform, we had about 5 minutes before the mist obscured the glacier. You have to arrange with the driver when you wish to be picked up as the long walk is one and a half hours, so you may be stuck there for two hours waiting for a return pick up. The trip back to Christchurch by bus is a long trip. This would no longer be an issue as the train is now running. In inclement weather having to change buses with no shelter to wait for the new bus was not a pleasant experience. All in all we had a marvellous trip, the weather god smiled on us for all our tours and the hotels were better than expected. I would recommend the Heritage chain as we stayed in the Heritage in Christchurch as well for comfort and the Scenic in Dunedin for meals.

This is a must do trip if visiting the South Island of New Zealand! For those who don't know the drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound is 4 to 5 hours each way. That can make for a really long day especially if you do the 2 hour nature cruise. The flight was amazingly beautiful and Air Milford was a great company to fly with. On the 35 minute flight you get to see all of the huge mountain peaks as well as all of the lakes, things you won't see in a car or bus. Once landed the pilot walks you to the docks, which is beautiful, and gets the boat tickets for you. The lunch onboard the boat is buffet and is pretty good. The 2 hour nature cruise is awesome! You travel through the sound all the way to open ocean and back again. The captain took us under 3 waterfalls and if you were on the bow you got soaked! After the great cruise our pilot met us at the docks and walked us back to the plane for the 30 minute fly back. He flew a different route back so we got to see more beautiful scenery. We were in New Zealand a total of 16 days and we packed just about everyday with something and this is by far the best thing we did!

This was one of our first excursions on the South Island. Though we were catching the tail end of summer in February -the weather was all over the place. It turned out we had the best weather on this day- the rest of the week visitors had to endure rain or clouds. The visitor center was easy to find -exchanged our vouchers for passes to board, eat lunch, and lanyards for kayaking. We rode on the top of the boat which was chilly in shady spots and warm in the sun. Great views all around- saw several waterfalls. Then we were able to see some wildlife-NZ fur seals along with dolphins. Once we arrived at the Discovery center, we immediately met up with our kayak guide, Simon. It was my first time kayaking so I was unsure of what I could manage. Booking an hour was perfect for me as a beginner. Plus they had a lift that lowered us already in our kayaks into the water which made the whole process simple. We only had 4 total in our group and the views from the water were stunning -away from crowds and the boat engine noise-it was truly peaceful. Our guide said it was a catch-22 with weather- because while we had sun and great views, we had less waterfalls.Whereas if we had rain, the skies would be cloudy, but we'd have seen far more lovely natural waterfalls . So I say be prepared for either and you won't be disappointed in the least. I'd also recommend when kayaking to wear your camera on a lanyard around your neck. With a paddle it was too easy for me to drop in the water. And even though I didn't, I stopped taking pictures because of the fear. After Kayaking-we were in the underwater observatory which was fascinating because our guide was well versed on the sea life we saw.We learned some interesting things and saw creatures that I'd not seen before. Favorite part: kayaking. On the whole- I would definitely do this excursion again and recommend to family/friends. also-pictures do not do it justice.

Fantastic trip that I would highly recommend to anyone. We are New Zealanders and were touring the South Island with our children 17, 16 and 10. We booked this as we were aware Milford is a unique experience and we were keen for our kids to appreciate it in all it's splendour. It also gave us a break from driving where we able to enjoy the sights without working out where to go and what stops to make, etc. Our guide, Terry, was friendly and knowledgeable. He made a point of knowing everyone's names and interacting with each person at some point along the way. We appreciated this and interestingly enough so did our teenagers! Throughout the trip Terry shared insight into places we passed or stopped at, along with information about the local flora and fauna. The stops were all worthwhile, each time something new was seen or experienced. It was raining most of the time and while it limited visibility in some places the resulting waterfalls were spectacular and something we would not have experienced had it been fine weather. Excellent tour, well worth the expense.

We had a wonderful tour of the City of Dunedin and The Otago Peninsula with Matteo and a diverse group of travelers. From walking up the steepest street in Dunedin to observing penguins up close at The Peninsula I felt like I experienced one of the best places to visit on the South Island. Matteo was our guide and he is outstanding. It was great to have such an experienced and calm driver to take us on the tour who easily shared his extensive knowledge of the city, land and the wildlife on the peninsula. It was a fun, relaxing and really interesting day.

This tour was a perfect survey introduction to New Zealand's stunningly beautiful South Island. Canterbury Leisure Tours did a wonderful job with all the arrangements everything worked exactly as promised. I appreciate as well that they delivered final vouchers and itinerary to my hotel the day of my arrival. This tour allows you to see a lot of lovely scenery, and the coach drivers who also act as guide were all knowledgeable and friendly. The coaches have complimentary WiFi great for quickly sharing trip photos on social media, and the tour is organized with plenty of comfort stops. I would change only one thing. While there was plenty of time after arrival in Franz Josef to go see the glacier, the early evening arrival in Queenstown left very little time for exploring. I will take that as a good reason to visit New Zealand again, but those looking for more time at the overnight stops especially this one should be aware of the timing. Overall, though, kudos to Canterbury Leisure Tours for a most enjoyable tour.

The train Journey was interesting more from historical perspective than from sceneries. The running commentary was great with lot of information conveyed in a jovial manner to reduce the monotony of constant confrontation with boulders and Gorge. After motoring through various parts of South Island where there was abundance of greeneries and waterfalls this trip offered another side of boulders and Gorges. Yeah something different for sure!.

What a Fantastic trip we had! Thank You very much The Road Trip for organising this Amazing and Exciting tour for our family. My wife and I are very grateful for having a great tour guide, and he has become a friend of ours. Our tour guide was eager to show us all the beautiful scenery and activities that are available at the south Island. We can feel that he loves New Zealand and is passionate of New Zealand's natural wonders and cultures, and we feels that there is no better tour guide to have than someone who really knows and loves New Zealand. Thank You The Road Trip and Simon and we will be back.

This was a great way to see the highlights of the South Island and the free day in Queenstown was perfect for people wanting to try the various adventure sports The trip was very well organised and would be suitable for all types of traveller.