New Zealand Nature Tour

Begin your New Zealand nature tour in Christchurch. We've chosen a boutique hotel steps from the Avon River and Hagley Park—a greenspace as old as the city itself. If you’re up for it, explore Christchurch by tram or go for a punt ride (the city’s Edwardian version of a gondola). Enjoy a casual dinner at Riverside Market, sampling local makers and toasting your first night with a craft beer or local wine. 

Self-drive to Akaroa. Clasped within an ancient volcanic crater, this coastal town with dualling French and British influences blends romantic charm and character in equal measure. For a sense of place, you’ll stay in a B&B with sweet Carpenter Gothic embellishments. Your breezy afternoon makes no serious demands of you; stroll darling street fronts, scout marine life in the harbor, sample artisanal cheesemakers, and enjoy unhurried meals in French-forward bistros.  

Today delivers a double serving of cute. Cruise Akaroa Harbour past dramatic sea cliffs and fur seal colonies. If Hector’s dolphins appear, don a wetsuit to swim alongside the world’s smallest and rarest species. In the afternoon, tour Shamarra Alpaca Farm where you’ll hand-feed and even cuddle a herd of fleecy alpacas. Delight in their goofy antics, learn how cashmere-soft knitwear is made, and soak in the sweeping Banks Peninsula views. 

Cross the Canterbury Plains, past braided rivers and rural towns to arrive in Oamaru, famed for limestone Victorian architecture. Your home-away-from-home is Pen-y-bryn Lodge (circa 1889). Be warmly welcomed by the owner and then head to Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. As twilight descends, watch the world's smallest penguin species waddle from the seashore to their nests. It’s a hundreds-strong parade of tuxedoed comics that brings the day to a heartwarming close. 

Arrive in Dunedin, a university town steeped in Māori, Scottish, and gold-mining heritage with access to the wildlife-rich Otago Peninsula. Drive the coastal route, making memorable stops at Moeraki Boulders and Katiki Point. Check into Fable Dunedin, a heritage hotel with dollhouse charm. Use the afternoon to admire the town’s Victorian architecture, visiting Larnach Castle and the grandiose Dunedin Railway Station before a complete dinner experience at The Press Club. 

A private guide collects you for a full day of coastal immersion across the Otago Peninsula. Follow the high road for postcard views, visiting inlets, wetlands, and a remote beach. Later, cast off from Wellers Rock Wharf for a wildlife cruise. With luck, spot spy sea lions, royal albatross, fur seals, sea birds, whales, and blue penguins. Make a final stop to see how an inspiring conservation project protects rare, yellow-eyed penguins. 

Drive the last leg of the Southern Scenic Route on what will feel like a Catlins scavenger hunt for wildlife and natural wonders. Highlights include Nugget Point Lighthouse, Surat Bay’s resident sea lions, and ethereal McLean Falls. Detour to Curio Bay for Hector’s dolphins and a petrified forest, or continue to windswept Slope Point, the South Island’s southernmost tip. Overnight in Invercargill. 

Ferry to Stewart Island, a pristine island cast off the South Island. Hike to Tokoeka PurePod, a glass-walled cabin draped in the seclusion of dense native flora. Savor a dinner hamper stocked with local provisions before setting off on a twilight cruise for a nocturnal encounter with wild kiwi. Follow your guide on a torch-lit walk through hushed forest to glimpse the elusive Southern Brown Kiwi—a species found nowhere else. 

Dedicate your morning to Ulva Island, a predator-free island in Paterson Inlet. Absent human settlement, Ulva’s unspoiled native bush is a sanctuary for rare birdlife. As you cruise to the island, naturalists share Māori history and conservation initiatives. On a gentle forest walk, look—and listen—for woodhen, bush robins, saddlebacks and yellowheads. Later, return to the solace of your PurePod or paddle Stewart Island’s wild coast in a sea kayak (optional). 

Drive to your Doubtful Sound cruise embarkation point. We’ve chosen Doubtful for you—the quieter, wilder heart of Fiordland. Instead of a typical day trip, you’ll overnight in this wilderness of towering peaks. Drop anchor in a secretive cove to kayak and swim, or simply marvel from the deck as seals, dolphins, and penguins possibly make guest appearances in this elemental landscape. Dinner is served with views of starlit fiords. 

Spend a gentle morning exploring the hidden arms of Doubtful Sound before making the scenic return journey to Te Anau—a town seated on the hem of majestic Fiordland National Park. Receive a warm welcome from your hosts at Dunluce B&B and settle into your suite. Set high up on a ridge, imbibe panoramic lake and mountain views for a relaxed evening before your multi-night hike.

Spend three days tramping the 20-mile Routeburn Track, a New Zealand Great Walk that leads hikers through ice-carved valleys beneath a crown of Southern Alp peaks. The route wends through beech forest overlooked by the Humboldt Mountains, along the Routeburn River, through sublime alpine, and past quicksilver lakes. Each evening, retreat to a fully staffed lodge where dinner is a hearty three-course meal. And since this is luxe hiking, take a hot shower and sip a crisp New Zealand white at the bar.  

This morning, complete the final scenic miles of the Routeburn Track; a gentle descent. Afterward, you’re fetched and transferred to the storybook village of Glenorchy. Check into your Scandi-chic chalet at Headwaters Eco Lodge. Wrapped in mountain views, your post-hike self will appreciate the walk-in rain shower and luxurious linens. It’s a quiet, luxurious exhale after Routeburn.

Board a jetboat for an unforgettable journey along the braided and glacier-fed Dart River. Experience breathtaking scenery and exhilaration as you zoom deep into Mount Aspiring National Park. In the afternoon, you’ll saddle up to ride into the outstanding beauty of the Rees Valley, crossing gin-clear streams and meadows. If the setting feels cinematic—it is. Scenes from Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia were shot here.  

A driver collects you for a private transfer to Queenstown Airport. Continue your onward journey—might we tempt you with a diversion through Australia’s Golden Triangle?—or if this is Haere rā (farewell), board your international flight home.