Questions and answers

For the long alpine drives and journeys between regions, most guests find a driver-guide well worth it. Everyone watches the scenery instead of the road, the guide knows the weather, the stops and the stories, and on a journey one guide stays with you from the first morning to the last. Driving yourself costs less and suits confident drivers. We compare the two honestly in self-drive or a private driver-guide.

We guide across the South Island: day tours from Christchurch and Queenstown, and private journeys linking Christchurch, Marlborough, the West Coast, Aoraki Mount Cook, Queenstown, Fiordland and Dunedin. We do not hire out our vehicles or sell TranzAlpine tickets on their own, though the train is part of several of our tours, and our touring does not reach the North Island. Accommodation we can book for you, as part of your journey.

There are two classic routes. Inland, by Lake Tekapo and Aoraki Mount Cook, is high, open country with turquoise lakes, with nights in the Mackenzie. The West Coast route crosses Arthur's Pass, often by the TranzAlpine, to the glaciers and rainforest, with nights in Glacier Country. You can travel inland in one long day, or take two to four days by either route. Every route compared, or see our journeys.

Yes. Our journeys all run one way, between Christchurch, Marlborough, Queenstown and Dunedin, and we run private transfers to and from the airport, high country lodges and the ski fields, or a one-way scenic drive with stops along the way. Tell us where you are starting and finishing, and when, and we will quote for your party.

More on this Private transfers

Very likely, though wild sightings can never be guaranteed. Sperm whales live off Kaikoura all year and are seen on most whale watch cruises, or from the air on a scenic whale flight, and the rare Hector's dolphin is seen on most Akaroa harbour cruises. The operators decide each day whether the sea or the weather allows them to go, and your guide reshapes the day if not. Kaikoura and Akaroa.

You ride the train one way between Christchurch and Arthur's Pass while your guide drives round to meet you at the other station, so the rest of the day is guided by road, and on a journey your luggage stays in the vehicle. Your train ticket is included, and Scenic Plus, the premium carriage, is an optional upgrade priced the same for every age. The TranzAlpine, guided or on your own.

Yes. We can add scenic flights, helicopter flights, jet boating, stargazing and other activities run by trusted local operators, and fit them into your day or journey. They cost what the operator charges, so you pay no more than booking direct, and your guide plans the day around them. Flights depend on the weather on the day, so your guide always has another plan ready. Tell us what appeals when you enquire.

On our small group wine tours your guide chooses three boutique Waipara Valley cellar doors, and on a private wine tour we choose them with you. The full day includes a long vineyard lunch, and the half day is tastings only. Some cellar doors deliver only within New Zealand, so for wine to enjoy at home overseas, plan to pack it in your suitcase and look up your own country's allowance. Wine tours to the Waipara Valley.

No. Akaroa is about 90 minutes from Christchurch by road, over the volcanic hills of Banks Peninsula, and the drive is one of the highlights of the day, with a stop at the Hilltop lookout for the first view of the harbour. Our Akaroa tours collect you from your Christchurch accommodation and bring you back. Akaroa and Banks Peninsula.

Every season has its own reasons. Summer, December to February, brings long warm days and the busiest weeks of the year. Autumn, March to May, is settled and golden. Winter, June to August, brings snow on the Alps, clear light and quiet roads. Spring, September to November, brings blossom, lambs and the most changeable weather. Canterbury is far drier than the West Coast and Fiordland. Our month by month Canterbury calendar.

Two days covers Christchurch comfortably, and three or four lets you add Akaroa, Waipara or Arthur's Pass at a relaxed pace. Christchurch to Queenstown can be one long day, but two to four days lets you stop properly at the lakes, the mountains or the glaciers. Five to seven days covers the South Island once in one direction, and ten allows a loop by two different routes. How to plan a South Island itinerary.

Accommodation, breakfasts and evening meals, any optional activities such as scenic flights, and travel insurance. Each tour page lists exactly what its price covers, including any lunches and entry tickets. On New Zealand public holidays a surcharge applies, and card payments carry a card fee of 3% of the tour price. On a journey your guide's own accommodation and meals are always included, so there is nothing to add for them.

More on this How a multi-day journey works

Small group day tours are paid in full when you book online. A few include a partner operator and are confirmed by email once that operator has accepted the booking, so please wait for that email before booking anything around it.

For private tours and multi-day journeys we quote in writing first. Your quote sets out the payment terms, including any deposit and when the balance is due, and your payment holds your guide and vehicle for those dates. We accept Visa and Mastercard, and card payments carry a card fee. Our cancellation terms are in our Terms of Service.

For day tours, there is no fee if you cancel more than 7 days before departure, a 50% fee from 7 days to 48 hours, and the tour is non-refundable within 48 hours. For multi-day journeys, there is no fee more than 30 days before departure, a 50% refund from 30 to 15 days, a 25% refund from 14 to 7 days, and the journey is non-refundable within 7 days. Full details are in our Terms of Service.

Usually, yes, with reasonable notice outside the peak season. Tell us as soon as you know, and we will move your booking to another date or departure when a guide, a vehicle or a seat is free. For private tours and journeys, the exact terms come with your written quote.

All our prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST at 15%. We accept Visa and Mastercard, and card payments carry a card fee of 3% of the tour price. Small group day tours are paid when you book online, and private tours and journeys as your written quote sets out. Your card provider converts the amount into your own currency.

You do not have to. Tipping is not expected anywhere in New Zealand, and guides' wages do not depend on it. If your guide made the day, a tip at the end is a welcome way to say thank you, and a review that names them is valued just as highly. Tipping in New Zealand.

Yes, we tour year round, and winter is one of the best times for the alpine days. On New Zealand public holidays a surcharge of NZ$70 per person applies for each day of touring that falls on the holiday, or NZ$75 from Good Friday, 26 March 2027. The Christmas and New Year fortnight is the busiest of the year, so book those dates early. Christmas and New Year in the South Island.

For December to February, book 6 to 12 months ahead, and about 12 months for the Christmas and New Year fortnight. March to May and September to November need 2 to 4 months, and winter 4 to 6 weeks, with private multi-day journeys at the longer end of each range. Short notice often works too, especially outside summer, so do ask us. How far ahead to book.

Yes. We make up gift vouchers on request, so a day out or a journey with us can be a birthday, anniversary or Christmas present. Tell us which tour you have in mind and who it is for, and we will arrange the voucher with you. Ask us about a gift voucher.

Yes. A party of up to eight can fill one of our small group day tours, and a larger party travels privately, with the vehicles and guides planned around your numbers so you can share the same day. Tell us how many are travelling, and their ages, and we will quote for the whole party.

Yes, and occasions like these are a big part of why guests travel privately. The pace and the stops are shaped around you, and your guide can plan in a long lunch at a winery, a quiet lookout at the right moment or a stargazing evening at Lake Tekapo. Tell us what you are celebrating when you enquire. A South Island honeymoon or anniversary.

On a small group day tour you share the vehicle with other guests, never more than eight in all. On a private tour or journey, the vehicle and the guide are yours alone. Our fleet is mostly Mercedes-Benz, including luxury Sprinters whose individual reclining leather seats give everyone a window, and two Tesla electric vehicles. On boat days you share the cruise with other guests. Our fleet.

Yes. Tell us about any dietary needs or food allergies when you book, and we will arrange your lunches to suit. For the meals that are not included, your guide knows the cafés and restaurants along the way and can point you to good choices.

Yes. The TranzAlpine has a licensed café carriage serving fresh lunches, light snacks, hot drinks, and New Zealand wine and beer, open from shortly before the train leaves. On our TranzAlpine day tours a café lunch in Arthur's Pass village and afternoon tea are already included, so on board you need little more than a coffee as the train climbs into the Alps. The TranzAlpine, guided or on your own.

Yes. Your guide plans regular stops at cafés and other places with good facilities, and will always stop sooner if you ask, with no need to wait for the next planned break. On a private tour the timing is entirely yours.

On a private tour or journey, yes. The vehicle and the guide are yours, so the day can be reshaped for the weather, your energy or something you spot along the way, within the legal limits on a driver's hours. A small group day tour follows its published itinerary, so that everyone gets the day they booked, at an easy pace.

Ask us when you enquire, and tell us which language you would prefer. Our tours are guided in English, and when we can match your party with a guide who speaks your language, there is no extra charge for it.

There is no luggage limit per guest. Tell us how many large cases and smaller bags your party is bringing when you enquire, so we can plan the right vehicle. On a journey your luggage travels with your guide in the vehicle, even on the days you ride the TranzAlpine, so you only carry what you need for the day.

We rarely cancel, and never for a poor forecast alone. Your guide reshapes the day around the conditions, and a tour only stops when roads are closed or unsafe. Boat and flight operators decide on their own trips, and if part of a tour cannot run, our office works through the adjustment with you, or your travel agent, afterwards. When the weather changes on tour day.

Yes. When a ship anchors off Akaroa and brings guests ashore by tender, we meet you in the village and build the day around your time ashore. Send us your ship, your date and your all-aboard time, and we will tell you what fits.

More on this Cruise ship days

Most visitors from visa-waiver countries, including the United States, need an NZeTA before they fly, and pay the NZ$100 visitor levy at the same time. On arrival you must declare all food, plant and animal products, and outdoor gear such as walking boots. Declaring never earns a penalty, but failing to declare can bring an instant fine. Arriving in New Zealand.