Fox Glacier, Milford Sound, the Catlins and two nights on Stewart Island — plus Sydney at either end.
The trip in a nutshell
Most New Zealand tours run Christchurch–Queenstown and call it done. This one keeps going: down the wild West Coast through Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks and Hokitika Gorge, over to Fox Glacier and Lake Matheson, through Wanaka and the Crown Range to Te Anau and Milford Sound — and then, crucially, into the Catlins and across Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island.
Stewart Island is where New Zealand runs out. Eighty-five percent of it is national park, there are more kiwi than people, and the night sky is a designated Dark Sky Sanctuary. Two nights there, with optional kiwi spotting and an Ulva Island cruise, is the reason to book this over anything else.
Sydney is built in at both ends, so you get the harbour as a bonus.
“Everything is arranged. Every flight, every transfer, every hotel, every big-ticket experience. All you have to do is turn up at the airport.”
Kirketon Sydney (2 nights, B&B) · Drifter Christchurch · Westport · Kumara · Fox Glacier (2 nights) · Wanaka (2 nights) · Te Anau (2 nights) · The Catlins · Stewart Island (2 nights) · Marriott Sydney Harbour at Circular Quay (final night)
Live availability on Travelodeal's site · low deposit · ABTA & ATOL protected
The moments you'll remember
New Zealand's third island: Rakiura National Park, empty beaches, rare birds and a Dark Sky Sanctuary overhead.
Mitre Peak, waterfalls and the Mirror Lakes and Lake Gunn walks on the road in.
A glacier reaching down into rainforest, and the most famous reflection in New Zealand.
Punakaiki's blowholes and layered limestone, plus a fur seal colony on the wild West Coast.
A rainforest railway and a historic gold-mining town tour with a storyteller and billy tea.
Turquoise glacial water and New Zealand's largest unmodified wetland.
The Catlins at its best — a lighthouse on a knife-edge headland and a waterfall in deep bush.
Two nights on the lake, then the highest sealed road in the country down into Queenstown.
Two nights on the way out, and a final night at the Marriott on Circular Quay on the way home.
Where you'll go
Every stop below is included — with all internal flights, transfers and ground travel arranged for you.
1 stops, with every internal flight and transfer between them arranged for you.
Sydney
Both islands, north to south, with the Cook Strait ferry and the TranzAlpine railway.
ChristchurchWestportFox GlacierWanakaTe AnauMilford SoundThe CatlinsStewart IslandQueenstown
Day by day
Tap any stage to open it. Meals included at each stage are marked in green.
Fly to Australia and spend two nights at The Kirketon before the internal flight across the Tasman.
2 breakfastsArrive in the South Island's largest city and check into the Drifter for the night.
A historic tour of Reefton and the Goldfields Museum with a storyteller, billy tea with the miners, and the option of the Hanmer Springs hot pools.
BreakfastThe seal colony at Cape Foulwind, the Nile River Rainforest Train, and the Pancake Rocks and blowholes at Punakaiki.
BreakfastHokitika Gorge and the Okarito Lagoon walk, then two nights at Fox Glacier with the Lake Matheson walk and optional glacier exploration or a greenstone workshop.
2 breakfastsShip Creek and Thunder Creek Falls on the drive through Haast Pass, then two nights on Lake Wanaka with a free day for biking, walking or a lake cruise.
2 breakfastsThe Crown Range scenic drive past Lake Wakatipu to Te Anau, with the option of the Glow Worm Cave cruise. Next day: Milford Sound, the lookout walk, the Mirror Lakes and Lake Gunn.
2 breakfastsSouth to the Catlins for the Nugget Point lighthouse and the walk in to McLean Falls.
BreakfastThe ferry across Foveaux Strait for two nights on Rakiura. A free day to explore the national park, with optional kiwi spotting, an Ulva Island cruise or the Village & Bay trip.
2 breakfastsFerry back to the mainland and on to Queenstown, then the internal flight to Sydney for a final night at the Marriott on Circular Quay before flying home.
BreakfastItinerary summarised from the operator's published programme and correct at the time of writing. Order of stages can vary by departure date — confirm the exact schedule for your date on the operator's site.
Photo tour
Photography from Wikimedia Commons contributors under Creative Commons licences — full credits here.
The detail
A genuinely wild New Zealand itinerary that keeps going after the point where most tours turn back. Stewart Island is the reason to book it — almost nothing else sold in the UK includes it.
Before you fly
Airport parking, a night at the terminal, lounge access and travel insurance are all cheaper booked early — and on a 16-day trip, the parking alone is a serious line item.
On a four-week trip, airport parking is one of the biggest add-on costs of the whole holiday — and one of the few that gets cheaper the earlier you book.
Long-haul to Australia usually means an early or awkward departure. A night at the terminal beforehand turns a 3am start into a lie-in.
Before a 20-hour flight, three hours of quiet, free food and a proper seat is worth considerably more than it costs.
Non-negotiable on a trip this long and this far away. Check the medical cover limits and that your full trip length and any activities are included.
Skip the roaming charges. An Airalo eSIM gives you data the moment you land, and our referral link takes £2.50 off your first one.
Your flights leave from London Heathrow. Parking, hotels, lounges and insurance are booked through Holiday Extras; eSIMs through Airalo, using our referral link (you get £2.50 off, we get credit too). Both are commercial links — see our disclosure.
Not sure this is the one?
Here's how this compares with the other multi-centre holidays we rate. See all 20 holidays →
| Tour | Days | Australia | New Zealand | Cook Islands | From (pp) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth, Rottnest & Margaret River | 11 | ✓ | — | — | £3,339 | View |
| Sydney, Alice Springs & Melbourne | 9 | ✓ | — | — | £3,429 | View |
| Sydney, Brisbane, Whitsundays & Cairns | 15 | ✓ | — | — | £3,499 | View |
| Sydney, Uluru & Melbourne | 13 | ✓ | — | — | £3,639 | View |
| Australia Bucket List Adventure | 15 | ✓ | — | — | £3,849 | View |
| Singapore & Queensland multi-centre | 16 | ✓ | — | — | £4,019 | View |
| NZ South Island & Stewart Island You're viewing this | 16 | ✓ | ✓ | — | £5,749 | View |
| Ultimate East Coast Explorer | 21 | ✓ | — | — | £7,249 | View |
Before you book
Departures run from October 2026 through to September 2028. Long-haul escorted tours of this length sell out early — the best-value departure dates and preferred room types typically go 9–12 months ahead, so it pays to secure your place sooner rather than later.
Return flights are included from your chosen UK airport. Regional departures are available on most dates, sometimes for a small supplement — you'll see the options for your date when you check availability.
Yes — this is a fully escorted small-group tour with a Travelsphere Holiday Director travelling with you throughout. They handle the logistics, the check-ins and the local know-how, so your job is simply to enjoy it. Groups are typically modest in size and overwhelmingly British.
British passport holders need an Australian ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) and an NZeTA for New Zealand where applicable — both are straightforward online applications. Your passport should have at least six months' validity remaining. Always check the latest FCDO and official government guidance before you travel.
A moderate amount. You should be comfortable on your feet for sightseeing, uneven ground at Uluru and Kakadu, and getting on and off coaches and boats. There is plenty of free time built in to rest, and most active elements are optional.
Very. Escorted touring is one of the friendliest ways to travel solo, and single rooms are available on request — check current availability and any supplement when you view the departure dates.
If you are already flying 10,000 miles, adding New Zealand is the single best-value decision you can make. You get both islands — Bay of Islands, Rotorua's geothermal theatre, the TranzAlpine, Milford Sound and Queenstown — in one continuous, fully-organised itinerary. Most people only make this trip once.
Live availability, departure dates from your local airport and current offers are on the operator's booking page. Deposits are low, the balance isn't due until much later, and every booking is ABTA and ATOL protected.
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