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South Island Tours

New Zealand South Island Central Route Food Tour – 5 Days

NZ$1790from / per person

Travel from Queenstown to Christchurch via Milford Sound, Te Anau, Dunedin and Oamaru, with regional dining and scenic South Island experiences.

Highlights

  • Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu
  • Free day in Queenstown with optional adventure activities
  • Optional Milford Sound cruise with buffet lunch
  • Dunedin landmarks and blue penguin colony in Oamaru
  • South Island journey from Queenstown to Christchurch

Daily Itinerary

Day 1Queenstown (guide arrives at around 5 PM; guests may wait at the airport or make their own way to the hotel)

Arrive in Queenstown, New Zealand’s best-known resort town on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. The lake and mountain scenery creates a romantic, idyllic setting. Hotel: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park or similar Dinner: at own expense

Day 2Queenstown

Enjoy a free day in picturesque Queenstown, a town between mountains and lakes regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful resort destinations. Plan the day to suit your interests: visit storybook Glenorchy and filming locations for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; try skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding or jet boating; ride the gondola, take a helicopter flight over snowy mountains and glaciers, or visit a winery; or stroll the town, enjoy street performers, coffee, sunshine and the lake breeze. Try the famous Fergburger as well. Hotel: Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park or similar Breakfast: Western-style at hotel; lunch and dinner at own expense

Day 3Queenstown – Milford Sound (optional, 4 hours 15 minutes, 290 km) – Te Anau (2 hours, 120 km)

After breakfast, travel to Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most striking natural wonders. The road is celebrated as one of the world’s most scenic high-country routes, crossing valleys and temperate rainforest. Board the Milford Sound cruise and enjoy its buffet lunch while viewing steep mountains, waterfalls and cliffs. The vessel approaches a waterfall; seals and dolphins may also be seen. In the evening arrive at Lake Te Anau and check in. Optionally take a boat to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves at own expense. Hotel: Kingsgate Hotel Te Anau or similar Breakfast: hotel Western-style; lunch: cruise buffet; dinner: Fiordland lobster meal

Day 4Te Anau – Dunedin (3 hours 45 minutes, 295 km) – Oamaru (1 hour 45 minutes, 120 km)

Depart after breakfast for Dunedin, known as the ‘Edinburgh of the South’, with Scottish culture and architecture. Visit the University of Otago, Dunedin Railway Station, churches and city landmarks, then Baldwin Street, listed by Guinness as the world’s steepest street. Pass the scenic Moeraki Boulders coast. In Oamaru visit the blue penguin colony from the viewing seats. Enjoy a Māori hangi-style stone-grill buffet dinner. Hotel: Heritage Court Motor Lodge Oamaru or similar Breakfast: hotel Western-style; lunch: Chinese hot pot; dinner: Māori stone-grill buffet

Day 5Oamaru – Christchurch (3 hours 30 minutes, 255 km); flights from Christchurch after 3:30 PM recommended

After breakfast, leave Oamaru for Christchurch through South Island countryside. At the airport, take your onward flight with memories of the South Island journey. Breakfast: hotel Western-style; lunch: at own expense

Price Table

ItemPrice NZD
AdultNZ$1790
Child aged 4–12 sharing with one adult (per child)NZ$1611
Child aged 4–12 sharing with two adults (per child)NZ$1432
Child aged 2–4NZ$1253
Under 2, no bed (infant receives a seat only; no other services)NZ$580
Single-room supplementNZ$600

Departure Dates

2026-10-06 2026-10-13 2026-10-20 2026-10-27 2026-11-03 2026-11-10 2026-11-17 2026-11-24 2026-12-01 2026-12-08 2026-12-15 2026-12-22 (Christmas surcharge NZD 260) 2026-12-29 (New Year surcharge NZD 380) 2027-01-05 2027-01-12 2027-01-19 2027-01-26 2027-02-02 (Lunar New Year surcharge NZD 180) 2027-02-09 (Lunar New Year surcharge NZD 260) 2027-02-16 2027-02-23 2027-03-02 2027-03-09 2027-03-16 2027-03-23 2027-03-30

Included

  • 1. Accommodation: 3 nights in 3–4-star hotels with breakfast and 1 night in a specialty lodge with breakfast.
  • 2. Meals listed in the itinerary. Chinese group-meal standard for groups over 6: 6 guests get 6 dishes and 1 soup; 7 guests get 7 dishes and 1 soup; groups of 8 or more get 8 dishes and 1 soup.
  • 3. 12–41-seat vehicle throughout with Chinese-speaking driver-guide (the guide works full days; overtime costs NZD 150, paid in cash to the guide).
  • 4. First-entry tickets for 2 attractions: Milford Sound cruise and lunch, and the blue penguin reserve.
  • 5. Adults and children pay a holiday surcharge during Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year. Ask sales for details.

Not Included

  • 1. Guide gratuities (recommended NZD 6 per person per day).
  • 2. Lunches and dinners at own expense, airfare, visa fees and optional activities.
  • 3. Additional expenses caused by non-human factors (for example, weather or hotel-room circumstances).
  • 4. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Notes

2026.10–2027.03 (Tuesday departures). 3–4-star itinerary, NZD 1,790 per person. Twin-share price per person; prices in NZD. Bookings within 10 days of departure may incur hotel surcharges. Contact your sales consultant with questions. Special reminders: 1. Hotel ratings may change with booking availability. If rooms are unavailable or hotel surcharges apply during major events or public holidays, the final confirmed quotation prevails. 2. If three guests request the same room, the company will arrange a triple room accommodating 3 adults. Configurations include, but are not limited to, 3 single beds, 2 double beds, or 1 double bed with 1 small bed, sofa bed or rollaway. For two guests requesting a double room, the bed is New Zealand standard double size, 137 cm × 187 cm. Twin-room configurations include, but are not limited to, 2 single beds or 1 double bed with 1 small bed. State special requests at booking; the company will try to accommodate them. The company retains final interpretation of room allocation; guests may not object or withdraw on this basis. 3. Complimentary airport transfers are provided only on the tour start and end dates. See the itinerary for transfer times and locations. Guests who miss the scheduled meeting time must catch up with the group at their own expense. 4. The company may adjust the itinerary because of flights, hotels, weather or other circumstances beyond human control. 5. Guests are strongly advised to purchase travel and personal belongings insurance. The local operator does not bear the resulting costs. Cancellation and changes: A 50% deposit per person is payable on quotation confirmation; the balance must be paid 21 days before departure. Cancellation for any reason or booking changes 30–15 days before departure, inclusive, incur a charge of 30% of the tour fare. At 14–8 days before departure, inclusive, the charge is 50%. Cancellation or changes within 7 days before departure, inclusive, receive no refund. The same refund rules apply if an epidemic prevents travel. The company is not responsible for guests who fail to meet the guide on time for personal reasons. All activities depend on local conditions. Weather or flights may require sightseeing adjustments; the company retains final decision and interpretation rights. Fully booked listed hotels may be replaced with hotels of the same standard. Booking conditions: Hotel ratings may change with availability. If rooms are unavailable or surcharges apply during major events or public holidays, the final confirmed quotation prevails. Smoking is prohibited inside hotel rooms and on balconies. Hotel smoking fines start at NZD 500. The person responsible for the room must pay any fine issued. If payment is refused, the operator's agreement with the hotel allows the hotel to submit the matter to the New Zealand small claims tribunal. Subsequent fines, litigation, visa and entry or exit issues are the individual's responsibility. Guests prone to motion sickness should bring medication and a sick bag. Conditions and limitations: The itinerary may change because of weather. If force majeure prevents an attraction visit, its fee will be refunded or a product of equivalent value arranged. Shopping during free time is a personal activity unrelated to the operator. Insurance: Travel insurance is strongly recommended to cover unexpected costs, including extra transport, cancellation fees and lost valuables. Guests who voluntarily decline insurance must bear resulting costs, including extra transport, accommodation, cancellation fees and lost valuables. If weather, war, strikes, earthquakes or other force majeure prevents travel, unused attraction tickets will be refunded according to the travel agency agreement. Other items follow supplier policies. No refund applies when guests voluntarily abandon the tour for personal reasons. The operator has limited responsibility for only the listed services and matters. It does not accept responsibility for matters outside this description, including interpersonal or personal issues, unforeseen incidents, legal or criminal matters and religious beliefs. All prices marked NZD or $ are New Zealand dollars. All conditions, limitations and itinerary descriptions are governed and protected by New Zealand laws and regulations. All text, pictures, logos and icons are copyrighted by the operator; unauthorized copying is prohibited. If an updated itinerary is available, its latest description prevails. Booking conditions.

Why choose us

A local Mandarin-speaking team, fully licensed (Qualmark / TAANZ / IATA), with itineraries you can verify.

How to book

Tap “Book now” for live departure dates, or message our WeChat team and we will arrange it for you.

Departure info

Prices are indicative only; the live price and confirmed departure status on this site apply.