A self-drive loop from Christchurch across the Canterbury Plains to Lake Tekapo and Aoraki Mount Cook, over to Wanaka, down to Fiordland for Milford Sound, and four nights in Queenstown to finish. Short driving days, long walks.
Open any day for the detail. Everything here can move: add a night, swap a hotel, change the order.
After the long flight from London, a driver meets you and takes you to a small hotel near the Botanic Gardens. Walk by the Avon River in the evening and sleep off the journey.
Collect the car and drive across the Canterbury Plains into the Mackenzie Basin. The lake is milky blue with glacial flour, and the sky above it is protected for stargazing, so book a night tour.
Drive along Lake Pukaki to the foot of New Zealand's highest mountain. Walk the Hooker Valley track across swing bridges to the glacier lake at the end, best in the early morning.
Over the Lindis Pass to Wanaka. Climb Roys Peak or the shorter Rocky Mountain track for views over the lake, and taste the Central Otago pinot noirs at a vineyard.
Drive south to Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland. The road to Milford Sound is one of the great drives, and the cruise takes you past waterfalls and seal colonies to the Tasman Sea.
Four nights to finish. Take the gondola, ride the jet boats on the Shotover if you want to, or drive the lake road to Glenorchy. The wineries of the Gibbston Valley are a short drive away.
Drop the car at Queenstown airport for the flight home to London Heathrow, connecting on the way.
Fly back from Milford Sound to Te Anau or Queenstown in a light aircraft or helicopter, weather permitting.
Break the long flights with two nights in Singapore or Hong Kong in one direction.
Upgrade the long-haul flights to business class in both directions. We quote the fare at the time of booking.
Planned for November to March, when New Zealand is at its best. Outside those months it still works, with different trade-offs; ask us.
When to go to New ZealandTell us your dates and who is travelling, and your specialist will send a tailored version of this route.
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