Outdoor Activities in New Zealand

Experience one of the wonders of New Zealand's natural world on this 3-hour glowworm caving adventure in Waitomo. Choose a morning or afternoon tour, then pult on your boots and helmet before heading through the pretty Mangapu Gorge to the Mangarongapu Cave with a guide. With your headlamp to light the way, hike around huge boulders and through shallow streams, and marvel at the millions of bright green glowworms illuminating the rocky limestone. Enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to six people.

Feel your heart pumping as you sway into a wide arc on the Nevis Swing, suspended from a high platform above the Nevis River. The world's largest swing lets you free-fall before swooping through the air at high speed. Enjoy a 40-minute drive from Queenstown before starting your daredevil experience in New Zealand's adventure capital. Ride solo or with a friend, but if you'd prefer to watch you can select the Spectator Pass at booking.

Observe yellow-eyed penguins in their nesting habitat on a small-group tour from Dunedin to the Otago Peninsula. Hear informative narration about this wildlife sanctuary and enjoy great photo ops from various lookouts. First, take a sightseeing tour of Dunedin's main landmarks including the University of Otago and Dunedin Botanic Garden. Upgrade your experience with a 1-hour stop at the Royal Albatross Center for a look at a royal albatross colony nesting area with a specialist guide. Includes pickup and drop-off from your hotel or cruise port.

While in Rotorua, take a wild and wacky ride in an Outdoor Gravity Orb (OGO). You’ll love ‘orbing’ downhill as you slide around inside an inflatable ball. Choose from three different runs — a straight slope, a multipoint harness or a curvy water ride — and get instruction before enjoying twists and turns. Document the latest thrill with a provided hand-held go pro, and relax between rides in the on-site hot tubs.

On this Franz Josef Glacier helicopter tour and hike, you'll land atop the glacier and explore ice caves and pinnacles with a small group. Soar above New Zealand's Southern Alps during a scenic flight, then grab your crampons and make your way through dramatic ice formations during a moderately difficult 3-hour hike. After your return flight, rejuvenate with a complimentary blissful soak at Glacier Hot Pools. Numbers are limited to 11 to ensure personalized attention from your expert guide.

Ride along dirt tracks and trails on a 30-minute or 1-hour 4WD adventure in Rotorua, and experience New Zealand off-roading. You'll explore rolling farmland and scenic native forests with an professional guide who will drive you to a viewpoint overlooking Lake Rotorua and Mokoia Island. This small-group 4WD tour is limited to five participants per buggy.

Ensure a great day in the Remarkables Ski Field with this private transfer service from Queenstown. Travel in style with private transportation suited to your group's size, such as a 4-wheel drive Land Cruiser or larger vehicle. Assistance with equipment rental, timing, and activities is also available.

Let a guide navigate the once-treacherous Skippers Canyon on this 4WD tour, round-trip from Queenstown. The route affords dramatic views over the Wakatipu Basin and Shotover River Valley. You'll cross Skippers Bridge into the namesake township and stop at Deep Creek to try your hand at gold panning. The 4-hour trip includes light refreshments and hotel pickup.

Experience a Franz Josef Glacier heli-hike as you explore ice caves and other glacial terrain with a professional guide.  Then don provided boots, jacket and ice axe for a 2-hour guided hike past deep crevasses and towering ice-blue pinnacles before the return chopper ride down. Choose from seasonal departure times to suit your schedule.

The sunken river valleys, forested cliffs, and sandy bays of the Marlborough Sounds are one of the best places in New Zealand to spot dolphins in their natural environment, but increased tourism can often put wildlife at risk. This 4-hour cruise from Picton is run by certified Department of Conservation operators, allowing you to interact with dusky, bottlenose, and orca dolphins in a safe, fun, and eco-friendly way.

Explore the New Zealand countryside on horseback on this 1-hour horse trekking tour from Rotorua. Climb onto your horse and head into the foothills of Mt Ngongotaha with a guide. Follow winding trails over working farmland and through native bush, and admire beautiful views over Lake Rotorua. Stop along the way to capture the views on camera, then descend back through the green paddocks to base. This horse trek is suitable for beginners and experienced riders alike, with horses and ponies to match all riding abilities.

Fall to Earth from 15,000 feet (4,570 meters) on this tandem skydiving adventure at Lake Taupo, New Zealand's original drop zone. Get picked up in a stretch Hummer, and prepare for your flight with an orientation and professional gear. After cruising to altitude, summon your courage and jump from the plane with a tandem master over the shores of Lake Taupo. During 60 unforgettable seconds of freefall, catch views of both coasts and the snowy peaks of Tongariro National Park before gliding back to solid ground via parachute.

Explore the rustic Kaikoura countryside by quad bike on this action-packed off-road adventure. You're driven from Christchurch through the eastern landscapes of the South Island to Kaikoura, where you'll take the helm in your own all-terrain vehicle, following your guide in a caravan after some free time to explore the town. Motor over a backcountry route of winding trails, grassy slopes and the Haumuri Bluffs with views of the Pacific Ocean.

Get introduced to one of New Zealand's Great Walks with a 2.5-hour hike on the Routeburn Track. This half-day tour departs Queenstown for the awe-inspiring scenery of Mt Aspiring National Park. Walk across a swing bridge and follow your guide at a relaxed pace through a beech forest lush with ferns and mosses. Experience the tranquility of the Routeburn River and its waterfalls while you learn about native birdlife and cultural history.

Experience the thrill of freefalling from 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) above Lake Taupo on this New Zealand tandem skydiving adventure. Prepare for your flight with pickup in a stretch Hummer, then gear up and gather your courage on the flight up to altitude. After jumping from the plane with a tandem master, enjoy 40 exhilarating seconds of freefall followed by unbeatable views of both coasts and the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park as you glide back to earth by parachute.

Surrounded by rocky slopes and tussock grass, with dramatic views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountains, Jack's Point Golf Club offers a premiere golfing experience. Spend a leisurely morning or afternoon at one of the top-rated golf courses of the South Island, located just minutes from central Queenstown. The 18-hole green challenges as an impressive par 72 championship course. Round-trip hotel transport by private vehicle included.

Get up close to nature and explore one of the top spots on New Zealand's South Island on this half-day Milford Track guided walk. Take a boat ride across Milford Sound to Sandfly Point with your guide and admire soaring cliffs and cascading waterfalls. Hike along the banks of the Arthur River and Lake Ada, and enjoy panoramic views over the pristine countryside. Admire the mighty Giant's Gate waterfall from the swing-bridge over the river and enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to 12 people.

Hit the slopes at Coronet Peak with private transfer in a vehicle for six, 11, or 22 passengers. The schedule is tailored to you, so you can ski and ride as long as you want, with options for large and small groups and departure times throughout the day. Simply meet a driver at your location in Queenstown, head to the snow with an experienced mountain guide behind the wheel, then return to town between two and 8 hours later.

Zip through the towering rocks walls of Tutukau Gorge on a Waikato River jet-boat ride. You'll make a stop at the Orakei Korako geothermal reserve for a walk on a raised boardwalk past boiling mud pools and New Zealand's largest geyser. Then it's back on the jet boat for another thrilling high-speed ride as your driver maneuvers 360-degree spins and fishtails through the water.

Experience an exhilarating Tasman Glacier heli-hike adventure. You'll soar over the Southern Alps and UNESCO-listed Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, then land atop New Zealand's largest glacier for a 2-hour guided walk. Ice axe in hand, follow your guide over this frozen natural wonder to get up close to pinnacles, ice caves, crevasses and seracs. Choose from three departure times per day to suit your schedule. Snow gear and round-trip hotel transport are included.