Day Trips & Excursions in New Zealand

This one-way coach trip to Wanaka departs Christchurch in the morning, stopping for free time in Mount Cook village along the way. Enjoy fully narrated sightseeing as you skirt Otago's Canterbury Plains, travel across Burkes Pass and the Mackenzie Basin, visit Lake Tekapo, and enjoy tea breaks in small farming townships. Marvel at the grandeur of UNESCO-listed Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, a South Island highlight of the Southern Alps. Opt for lunch and, if you'd like, take a helicopter or ski-plane flight (own expense).

Leave bustling Queenstown behind for the scenic beauty of Skippers Canyon on a half-day 4WD tour of the historic gorge. An experienced guide traverses Gorge Road and follows an old mining route toward Coronet Peak and into Skippers Canyon for outstanding views over the Wakatipu Basin and the Shotover River. Enjoy short walks and stop for scrumptious morning or afternoon tea including chilled wine, cookies and homemade cheese.

Visit four boutique wineries of North Canterbury on a half-day wine-tasting tour with optional lunch. Departing Christchurch, you'll taste a quality selection of wines in the up-and-coming Waipara wine region, including stops at Pegasus Bay, Waipara Hills, Torlesse Wines and Waipara Springs. Learn from a knowledgeable guide about Waipara's unique terroir as you sip a range of superior reds and whites.