Tours & day trips

One great day, or the whole trip.

Day trips from the towns you'll base yourself in, multi-day journey ideas we shape to your dates, and an honest guide to the ways of getting around.

Day tripsHalf-day and full-day tours with a set price per person — Milford, Hobbiton, whales, wine, glaciers. 29 to choose from, grouped by where you're staying.Browse day trips Multi-day journey ideas8 routes with a realistic range of nights, shaped to your dates and quoted in writing. No fixed packages, no fixed price.See journey ideas

Day trips

Start from where you're staying.

Pick your base town and see what's within a realistic day — with honest notes on the long ones.

South Island · 9 day trips

From Queenstown

In and around town · Milford Sound is a 12–13 hour day by coach and cruise · An hour over the Crown Range

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North Island · 5 day trips

From Auckland

City walks · Ferry to the island of vineyards · Hobbiton and the Waitomo caves

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South Island · 3 day trips

From Christchurch

Akaroa and Banks Peninsula · Whales and crayfish · The TranzAlpine to Arthur's Pass and back in a day

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North Island · 6 day trips

From Rotorua

Geysers · Hobbiton is an hour · An hour south

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South Island · 7 day trips

From Wānaka

The lake · An hour over the Crown Range for the big-name activities · A long but spectacular day via the Lindis Pass

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South Island · 6 day trips

From Te Anau

Milford in half a day · Two hours back to the lake for an afternoon

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How you get around

Five ways to travel New Zealand — and who each one suits.

Every journey idea can be done any of these ways. We'll say plainly which one fits your group.

Self-drive

We book the car, the stays and the experiences; you get realistic drive times, not map-app ones.

Best for: Couples and small families who want freedom and don't mind the wheel.
Not for: Anyone landing off a long-haul flight and driving the same day.

Private driver-guide

A local drives, guides and handles everything. Everyone sees the view.

Best for: Families, multi-generation groups, luxury trips and the alpine roads.
Not for: Travellers on a tight budget for a long trip — it's the dearest per day.

Small-group day tours

Scheduled departures with a fixed price per seat, adult and child.

Best for: Single big days — Milford, Hobbiton, the TranzAlpine — inside a self-drive trip.
Not for: Whole trips; we rarely build a full itinerary on scheduled coaches.

Motorhome

We book the van and the holiday parks, and slip a lodge night in where the route earns it.

Best for: Longer trips, outdoors-minded travellers, and anyone who likes waking up somewhere new.
Not for: Winter in the South Island, or travellers who want a hot shower guaranteed.

A mix

Tell us how you feel about driving and we shape the rest.

Best for: Most of our trips: self-drive on the open roads, a driver for the passes and wine days, a train or flight to skip the long bits.
Not for: Nobody — this is usually the answer.

Most requested