Active New Zealand Trip for Families

Touch down in the adventure capital of Queenstown to kick off your active New Zealand trip. A private driver awaits your family’s arrival at the airport and transfers you to The Rees Hotel where floor-to-ceiling windows frame picture views of Lake Wakatipu. With the afternoon left open, grandparents, parents, and kids alike can settle in and unwind at their own pace after a long journey. When your dinner appetite stirs, Queenstown’s buzzing food scene is within easy reach. 

Today, your family steeps in the rugged beauty and history of New Zealand’s high country. A driver brings you to remote Ben Lomond Station, a privately-owned range, for a moderate hike that rewards with sweeping views of the Shotover River, Mt. Dewar, and Skippers Canyon. Pause at Moonlight Lodge for a gourmet picnic and personal stories shared by station owner, John Foster. End this outing on a memorable high: a scenic helicopter flight tracing the tumbling Shotover River returns you to Queenstown.

Collect a rental vehicle and self-drive to Wanaka, a gateway town to New Zealand’s Southern Alps. After lunch, take a joyful e-bike ride along New Zealand's largest and most powerful river. Check in a three-bedroom cottage at Lake Hawea Station, a regenerative working farm sitting on the doorstep of wild backcountry. With room for everyone and thoughtful gathering spaces, it’s a luxurious setting for quiet moments of family bonding.

Detour along backroads into west Wanaka Station for a full-day adventure in high country that you will share with few others. Accompanied by a guide, follow alpine trails, wend through hidden valleys, and learn about conservation efforts before pausing for a hilltop picnic lunch. A 4WD support vehicle makes the journey possible for all generations; grandparents, parents, and kids can walk as much—or as little—as they like on this splendid outing.

Set out from Wanaka for a full-day journey into postcard-perfect Mt. Aspiring National Park. After a scenic 4WD drive through the Matukituki Valley, fording creeks and pausing for photo stops, you arrive at the trailhead. With your guide, walk through storybook terrain of rainforest, alpine herb fields, gin-clear streams, waterfalls, glaciers, and across a swing bridge. A picnic lunch overlooked by Rob Roy Glacier—the park’s crown jewel— becomes a treasured family memory. Return to Lake Hawea Station for a memorable dinner in an edible paddock and some deep sky starbathing.

Drive from Wanaka to Franz Josef, a small-town springboard to New Zealand’s famed glacier country and the wild west coast. Your sanctuary for the next two nights is a treehouse-style retreat, nestled within six acres of native rainforest in the heart of the village. Check in, get settled, and then wander charming streets lined with inviting restaurants.

This is a day that will go down in family history. Kickstart the morning with a helicopter flyover of Franz Josef Glacier for jaw-dropping cinematic views. Next, land on the main ice fall and spend a few spellbinding hours crunching across a frozen landscape of caves, crevasses, and pinnacles. In the afternoon, trade crampons for paddles on a private kayaking tour, gliding through pristine, rainforest-fringed waterways. Navigate hidden creeks, spot native birdlife, and experience kiwi conservation in action. It’s an extraordinary day that balances adrenaline and serenity in one of New Zealand’s most wonderous places. 

Drive from Franz Josef to Hokitika, a creative, coastal town with a deep connection to Māori culture. After lunch, the grownups are reminded of the childhood impulse to play in trees. Clip into a harness for pulse-racing zipline thrills, whizzing through the Rimu forest canopy. Then, explore a suspended treetop walk to enjoy cantilevered views of Lake Mahinapua and the snowcapped Southern Alps. Later, check into Rimu Lodge where the owner, Sue-Ellen, graciously welcomes your family into her Scandi-chic lodge.

A morning jaunt brings you to a swing bridge suspended above the impossibly milky-blue, waters of the Hokitika River. Later, step into a local studio for a hands-on carving workshop using Māori carving techniques. Choose from pounamu (jade), kōiwi (bone), or anga (shell)—each with its own wairua (spirit)—to create a meaningful Aotearoa taonga (New Zealand treasure). In the evening, commune on the terrace as a family for star-spangled dark sky viewing. 

Dedicate your morning to the geological wonders of the Pancake Rocks and blowholes in nearby Punakaiki. In the afternoon, the final chapter of your active New Zealand trip brings your family from the west coast to Christchurch by one of the world’s great rail journeys: the TranzAlpine Train. The landscape views are sublime—a kaleidoscope of gorges, rivers, peaks, and plains. In Christchurch, retreat into the refined embrace of Otahuna Lodge, a historic Victorian mansion. 

Forgo the alarm and ease into your unscheduled morning. In the afternoon, eat your way through Christchurch on a private food tour that braids local history with culture. Begin with a mihi whakatau welcome, then walk riverside paths and laneways as your guide shares Māori traditions of manaakitanga (hospitality), whanaungatanga (connection), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship). Along the way, you’ll sample iconic Kiwi flavors and modern creations while learning how sharing kai (food) has long united people here. 

Haere rā! Your active New Zealand trip comes to a close. A private driver transfers to Christchurch Airport. Continue your journey with a family trip to Australia or board your international flight home.