A lesser operator would have said no. Fanny, our Reservations Manager, put the vehicle and guide on standby, arranged an 8am weather call for the following morning, and made clear the fee would be waived if the trip didn't run — while also protecting the business contractually in case it did. It required trust from our guide, care from our reservations team, and clear communication with the agent. The guests got flexibility; the agent got a partner they could count on.
For Inbound Operators and Agents
Your South Island partner of choice
When your clients reach the South Island, they carry your reputation with them. Canterbury Trails is the premium private, bespoke and small-group operator built specifically to honour it — whatever the day brings.
Watch Our Story5★
Consistent rating — Google & TripAdvisor
2
Guest minimum — true exclusivity
9
Seat configuration — business class comfort
Who We Are
The team behind the experience
Canterbury Trails operates private, bespoke and small-group tours across the South Island — built from the ground up to serve the inbound market. We understand that when you book with us, your reputation travels with your clients.
We take that seriously.
The Partnership
How we work together
We've built our operation to make your job easier and your clients happier. Here's what working with Canterbury Trails looks like in practice.
01
Booking & Quotes
Contact our reservations team directly by email or phone. We respond to quote requests same day wherever possible. Bookings are confirmed in writing with full details — pickup times, pax, reference numbers and any special notes.
02
Weather & Contingencies
We monitor conditions proactively and contact you early — never the morning of. When activities cancel, our guides pivot on the spot. We keep the invoice consistent with the original booking wherever we can, absorbing the complexity so your clients don't feel it.
03
On the Day
Guides carry full guest details and are reachable throughout the tour. Your clients are met professionally, on time, in a groomed vehicle. Any changes to plan are communicated to your team promptly — you're never left in the dark.
04
Invoicing
We invoice cleanly at month end. Any variations from the original booking are itemised and explained. We operate on net wholesale rates and can supply a full rate card on request. No surprises.
05
Minimum Numbers
We operate with a two-guest minimum — making us the right partner for private couples, solo travellers and small families who want genuine exclusivity rather than a shared group experience.
06
Compliance & Permissions
Canterbury Trails holds full Department of Conservation permissions across every area we operate. We are carbon positive — going beyond neutrality to actively contribute to New Zealand's environment. Your bookings are legally secure.
Where We Operate
The full breadth of the South Island
From Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains to Akaroa, Kaikōura, Arthur's Pass, Mount Cook, the West Coast, Queenstown and beyond — we cover the South Island's most iconic destinations with the same standard of care and guiding.
Private transfers, small group day tours, bespoke multi-day itineraries. Built around your clients' programme, not a fixed schedule.
The Fleet
Business class on the road
Our Mercedes Sprinters are configured as nine-seaters — not twelve or fifteen. Every guest travels in a reclining leather captain's chair. Vehicles are groomed by a dedicated on-site team before every departure and overseen by a full-time Fleet Manager.
We do not put your clients in minivans.
Above & Beyond
What we look like when it matters most
"This is not exceptional. This is standard."
What truly sets us apart is what happens when things don't go to plan — and in the South Island, they sometimes don't. Below are twelve real stories from our reservations team and guides. No embellishment. Just what we do.
Story 01 "The one where we held the door open — without charging for it" With just hours to go before a confirmed lodge transfer, the agent needed flexibility on a weather-dependent helicopter experience.
Story 02 "The one where our fly-fishing guide vanished — so we found another one" A confirmed fly-fishing experience fell apart when the original operator cancelled at the last minute — after having confirmed they'd run it.
What followed was days of searching by Fanny, back-and-forth on pricing and logistics, and Mandy stepping in to craft a tour description from scratch. Hugo joined the effort. The guests had no idea any of this was happening — they simply arrived and had a genuinely memorable experience on the banks of a braided river. That's the job.
Story 03 "The one where the sea was rough, the guests were ruder, and we saved the day anyway" The kayak operator cancelled. One guest was rude to our team on the phone. We saved the day regardless.
Instead of sending everyone home, our guide offered an alternative on the spot — Hanmer Springs hot pools and a winery visit on the way back. The guests loved it. What followed was a weeks-long invoicing dispute with the agent. Fanny handled it with patience and clarity: the extra mileage was covered by the kayak refund, no additional cost passed to the agent. The guest experience was rescued — and the relationship preserved.
Story 04 "The one where we wrote a four-page guide — in French" A solo French traveller was booked onto our Akaroa tour. We didn't just confirm the booking and move on.
Mandy put together a detailed guest information document, and Fanny translated all four pages of it into French. The result? A traveller arriving in a foreign country, joining a tour conducted in a foreign language, with everything he needed to feel informed and welcome before he even stepped into the vehicle. It's a small gesture that speaks volumes about who we are.
Story 05 "The one where we became street art experts overnight" A family asked whether Christchurch had a street art scene. Fanny researched it, curated a route, and built it into both transfers.
A family of six — including a four-month-old — were arriving on New Year's Eve en route to a lodge stay. Fanny curated a lunch-stop itinerary woven through the best murals, sourced maps, recommended specific cafes, and noted her personal favourite on Cashel Street. What started as a straightforward transfer became a cultural highlight of the trip. The agent's response: "This is amazing!!!"
Story 06 "The one where we shipped a backpack to Kansas City" A guest left her green backpack on the train. Our team retrieved it, navigated a dangerous goods declaration, and shipped it to the US.
Our guide flagged the missing bag, another collected it from Christchurch station before his next tour, and Fanny handled everything — shipping quote, payment, a dangerous goods declaration for a lithium battery, and getting the parcel on its way. When it arrived, the guest wrote back to say her guide had been incredible and that she'd be telling her travel agent. For us, it was simply what you do.
Story 07 "The one where we squeezed in the lunch they'd given up on" Two food-loving guests had quietly written off a vineyard visit. Mandy rearranged the day on the spot and secured a reservation.
Two food-loving guests were on a two-day Christchurch to Tekapo itinerary. When the weather outlook turned poor, Mandy shifted the scenic flight forward to make the most of clear skies. During the drive the guests mentioned they'd been hoping to visit a well-known vineyard restaurant but couldn't see how to make it work. Mandy rearranged the timings on the spot and secured a reservation. A lunch they'd quietly written off became one of the moments they talked about most.
Story 08 "The one where the boat didn't sail — and it didn't matter" A whale watching cancellation in Kaikōura is no match for Ollie. He has a personal toolkit built for exactly these moments.
Ollie's toolkit: a coastal sailing option that has still produced whale sightings; seal colonies at Ohau Point and Goose Bay, often teeming with pups; a walk to the peninsula head with its dramatic raised seabed — one of the most visible reminders of the 2016 earthquake anywhere on the coast; lunch at the Pier Hotel; a Hokey Pokey ice cream on West End; vineyard visits on the return. Ollie's approach is simple — get guests engaged from the moment the Pacific comes into view.
Story 09 "The one where three days of bad weather produced three perfect days" Three disruptions. Three recoveries. Three memories they'll talk about for years.
Day one: the Akaroa cruise was cancelled — Mandy took them to an alpaca farm instead. The daughter left utterly charmed. Day two: Mandy hit a weather window just in time for a scenic flight that easily could have been missed. Day three: miserable conditions at Mount Cook. Mandy had learned the mother's favourite wine was pinot noir and that she was a budding artist — so they visited a winery, then stopped at a local artist's studio on a whim.
Story 10 "The one where New Year's Eve had other ideas — so we found a ski lodge" Every hotel in Wānaka was fully booked on New Year's Eve. Our guide found one remaining room — and shared it with the guests.
Guests wanting to leave Franz Josef on New Year's Day presented a near-impossible accommodation challenge. Every hotel was booked solid. After an extensive search, the guide found one remaining unit at the lodge on the Cardrona ski field. The catch: he'd need to share it with the guests. He agreed without hesitation, drove extended hours to get them into Wānaka for dinner, then back up to the ski field. The guests woke up on the mountain, right where they needed to be.
Story 11 "The one where a Sumner beach visit turned into a surf lesson" Standing at the water's edge in Sumner, the husband half-joked he'd love to get in the surf. The guide didn't hesitate.
It started as a straightforward city tour with a couple from California. The husband mentioned — half hoping, half joking — that he'd love to get in the surf. The guide didn't hesitate. A board and wetsuit were hired on the spot, the husband paddled out, and the guide arranged a nearby shower afterwards. It wasn't on any itinerary. It was simply reading the moment and saying yes.
Story 12 "The one where we drove back an hour to find the phone — and it was still there" At the Hilltop lookout, a guest realised his phone — with all his financial details — was back in Akaroa. The guide turned around.
A Romanian-Canadian couple had spent a wonderful day in Akaroa. At the Hilltop lookout, the husband couldn't find his phone — it had all his personal and company financial details on it. The guide calmly asked where he'd last used it: a park with a war memorial, back in Akaroa. An hour later, they pulled up at the park. The phone was sitting exactly where he'd left it, on the bench. Sometimes above and beyond means turning around.
What Guests Say
The proof is in the experience
Consistently rated five stars across both Google and TripAdvisor — not because we ask for reviews, but because the experience earns them.
"Hugo had a twinkle in his eye and was always conscious of all eight of us. By the end of the day we were hugging each other goodbye as if we were old friends. He made the whole day memorable."
Google Reviews · Arthur's Pass & TranzAlpine
"Maureen was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, kind, flexible, curious, and passionate. She is clearly a proud New Zealander. By the end of the day we felt it too. We highly recommend this tour."
Google Reviews · February 2026
"Grant was very knowledgeable, professional, and had a great sense of humour. He took us to a beautiful restaurant on a local farm — he knew the chef! Thank you for a wonderful day."
Google Reviews · Arthur's Pass Tour
Why It Matters
Built on solid ground
Full DOC Permissions
Licensed across every conservation area we operate — a standard many competitors cannot meet.
Carbon Positive
We go beyond carbon neutrality — actively contributing to New Zealand's environment through our operations.
Premium Fleet
Nine-seat Mercedes Sprinters with leather captain's chairs. Groomed before every departure. Overseen by a full-time Fleet Manager.
Two-Guest Minimum
True exclusivity for private travellers. No group compromises. Just your clients, their guide, and the South Island.
Start the Conversation
Let's talk about your clients
Whether you have a specific booking in mind or simply want to understand what we can offer your programme — we'd love to hear from you.
