Southern Spirit
Overview
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Trip includes
- Specialist team of two highly experienced Travel Director and Driver Guide
- Centrally located premium 3.5-star hotels
- National Park entrance fees
Itinerary
Arrive early to get your bearings on a self-guided Christchurch tour. The best way to do that? Aboard the Christchurch Tram. Your journey not only takes you past jaw-dropping attractions – like the Transitional Cathedral, made largely of cardboard, and Turanga, the go...
We peel off a couple more layers on a guided Christchurch tour before setting the GPS for Lake Tekapo, a blinding shade of turquoise accented by the soaring snow-capped peaks and wildflower-strewn fields that surround. It’s quite the backdrop for the stone-hewn Church...
Limestone put the pretty town of Oamaru on the map – its stately tree-lined streets are a parade of grand buildings. But it’s just as popular today for nurturing New Zealand’s oldest public gardens. Architectural drama of a different kind awaits in Dunedin, in the for...
If you find yourself humming a Garth Brooks tune en route to Gore, you’re probably not alone. Fun fact: this is the country music capital of NZ. Invercargill is obsessed with something else: motor vehicles. Tributes to speed legends colour the town, telling the story ...
Invercargill is the gateway to the southernmost community in the country. Welcome to Stewart Island, a wild and wonderful drop of land that is 97% national parkland. Naturally, it’s a magnet for endemic flora and fauna, as you’ll discover touring valleys and bays with...
Adventure, nature, food and wine, relaxation – Queenstown is like New Zealand’s chocolate box; there’s something for everyone. Talk to your Travel Director then head off in your own direction, perhaps to feel the wind in your hair on the high-octane Shotover Jet or bu...
We wouldn’t blame you for using today to linger by the banks of Lake Wakatipu, marvelling at sky-scraping Remarkables. But if you want to venture further afield, we have a few ideas. Top of our list today is an epic journey through Fiordland National Park to Milford S...
Atmospheric Arrowtown was born from gold, and its movie-set-like streets still shimmer today. It’s hard to tear yourself away, but the Alpine country of the Southern Lakes is calling, from Lake Dunstan – pause for juicy stone fruit picked fresh from the tree – to oh-s...
On the wild West Coast, Hokitika may be small in size, but boy is it big in personality, not to mention natural attractions. Wander the windswept coast before discovering the town’s other beauty: pounamu (native greenstone or jade). In Māori tradition, it’s bad luck t...
After action-packed days, all you need to do today is sit back and enjoy the drama of the Heritage Highway en route to Nelson. Gaze over Buller Gorge – a deep canyon home to New Zealand’s longest swingbridge – and Kahurangi National Park, a place of wild rivers, high plateaus, alpine herbfields and coastal forests.
The Rutherford Hotel
The South Island’s oldest city, Nelson is the ideal starting point for outings through Abel Tasman National Park. This pocket in the north of the island is a beguiling union of golden beaches framed by sculpted granite cliffs. It’s home to one of the country’s most le...
Your tour of the South Island is about to take you to the North Island. All aboard the Interislander for a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound, up the Tory Channel and across Cook Strait, from the South Island to the North, navigating a maze of arms and inlets into N...
Wellington also knows a thing or two about good coffee, and you’ll need a strong one to get you through today’s sightseeing. You may wish to linger in town, discovering Māori culture at Te Papa museum. Or head further afield on a Lord of the Rings movie tour or visit ...
It’s hard to say goodbye to your tour of the South Island of New Zealand. If you can’t bear to leave, we have a few ideas up our sleeve to extend your holiday…
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with AAT Kings.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
AAT Kings Reviews & Ratings
Other AAT Kings Reviews
Karen Baker
May 2024
South Australian Outback Adventure
The guides and driver were great and friendly. The places and a...
Jane & Matthías Annisius
May 2024
Tastes of Southern Australia
The tour was well organized. The seat arrangement was very good. Accommodations were good to very good. Some days we were driving a lot but there were always good br...
Jane & Matthías Annisius
May 2024
Kangaroo Island, sheep farm , great ocean road, blue Pinguins
The service from driver/guide were very good, funny and helpful. Always up to date. Never any iffies. Hotels were good to very good. Food was good as well with over ...
Tour Operator
A century ago, the Australian outback was but a twinkle in most travelers’ eyes. But thanks to visionaries like the Pyke family and Bill King, the way we explore the Land Down Under was about to change in unimaginable ways. Over the coming decades, maps were unfolded, desert cruisers and coaches were customized, and guides were trained. From humble beginnings, the company now known as AAT Kings was going places few had gone before, pioneering new paths across Australia and New Zealand and taking intrepid travelers on a wild and wonderful ride. We’ve come a long way and clocked a few kilometers in the process. But some things will never change. Like our spirit for adventure. Our oh-so-knowledgeable Travel Directors. The local characters we meet (and will never forget) along the way. The epic, goosebump-inducing stories we’re told by First Nations guides. The life-changing experiences on offer – the kind that only 100 years of exploring affords. We’ve never been more passionate about our next discovery. Join us and fall in love with Australia and New Zealand all over again. #aatkings
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