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Lake Wakatipu from Cecil Peak, looking across to Queenstown and the Frankton Arm

Luxury private day tours from Queenstown

Nine private days from Fiordland to the Southern Alps, each one for your party alone.

Plan a private day
Luxury private day tours from Queenstown

Nine private days from Fiordland to the Southern Alps, each one for your party alone.

Plan a private day

From NZD $200 per person

Every tour is private, for your party alone, and runs on demand.

One guide, your party alone

Canterbury Trails has guided private tours in the South Island for more than thirty years. Every day here belongs to your party alone, with one driver-guide from start to finish and a private luxury vehicle that is never shared with another group.

Your guide collects you from your Queenstown hotel, shapes the day around what you want from it, and brings you back. If you would rather linger at a cellar door or wait for the light on the lake, that is simply what happens.

A private Mercedes-Benz vehicle beside Moke Lake, with snow-capped peaks reflected in the water

Fiordland and the high country

Three full days that go deep into the mountains: the road through Fiordland to Milford Sound, north through the Mackenzie Country to Aoraki Mount Cook, and along Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy and up the Dart River by jet boat.

Wine, farm and table

Central Otago is the southernmost wine region in the world, and its Pinot Noir is celebrated wherever it is poured. Taste it in the Gibbston Valley over a half day, carry on into Bannockburn over a full one, or spend a day on a working high country station with a private tasting and a chef-catered lunch.

Lakes, trails and gold-rush towns

A grand circle to Wanaka and home over the Crown Range, the best-preserved gold-rush town in the country, and a guided walk on a trail chosen with you on the morning itself.

Every private day

  • One driver-guide

    The same guide from pick-up to drop-off, for your party alone.

  • A private luxury vehicle

    Yours for the day, and never shared with another group.

  • Door to door

    Pick-up from your Queenstown hotel, and back again at the end of the day.

  • Lunch or tea

    Lunch on every full day. Morning or afternoon tea, or a shared platter, on the half days.

  • Activities included

    The cruise, jet boat, tastings and farm tour named in each tour are in the price shown.

  • An unhurried pace

    Stay longer somewhere, skip something, or ask your guide for the version they would choose.

What a private day costs

Prices are per person in New Zealand dollars and include GST. Because the vehicle and the guide are the same whether there are two of you or six, the price per person falls as your party grows. The from-prices on this page are for parties of six or more, and a party of two pays more per head.

Royalburn is the exception, at one rate per person for any size of party. Scenic flights and helicopter upgrades can be added to some days on request.

Frequently asked questions

What is a private day tour?

A day for your party alone, with your own guide and vehicle, rather than a departure shared with other guests. The pace and the stops are shaped around what you want from the day.

Who are Canterbury Trails?

Canterbury Trails has guided in the South Island for more than thirty years. We are Qualmark Gold rated, hold Department of Conservation guiding concession 102171-GUI, and are rated 4.9 on TripAdvisor from more than 550 guest reviews.

Where do the tours start?

At your hotel in Queenstown. Every tour includes pick-up and return, door to door.

Which tours are half days?

The Arrowtown tour, the Gibbston half day wine tour and the guided walk. Each takes about four to four and a half hours, and runs in the morning or the afternoon.

Which is the longest day?

Milford Sound, at about twelve and a half hours door to door by road, then Aoraki Mount Cook at about twelve. Flying home from Milford Sound instead brings that day down to about eight to eight and a half hours.

Can we make a full day from two half days?

Yes. The Arrowtown half day pairs naturally with a wine tour to make a full day. Tell us what you have in mind when you enquire.

Is the guide with us all day?

Yes. One driver-guide stays with you from hotel pick-up to drop-off, and the vehicle is yours alone for the day.

Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu at dusk in winter, beneath the snow-capped Remarkables

Tell us what you would like to see

Send us your dates, the size of your party and what appeals, and we will come back with a private day shaped around it.

Enquire now
Tell us what you would like to see

Send us your dates, the size of your party and what appeals, and we will come back with a private day shaped around it.

Enquire now