Journey through the natural wonderland of New Zealand's South Island on a relaxed 7-day loop from Christchurch. Travelling in a small group of no more than 14 in a custom-outfitted Mercedes sprinter, we take in turquoise lakes, glacier country and the adventure capital at a personal pace.
We pause at Lake Tekapo and the world's largest Dark Sky Reserve, lunch and taste wine at Mt Difficulty Vineyard, cruise the fiord at Milford Sound, spend free time in Queenstown, then head up the west coast to the glaciers of Franz Josef before returning through Arthur's Pass and Castle Hill.
Days
- 7 days, 6 nights
Group size
- Small group, max 14
Start / finish
- Christchurch / Christchurch
Return
- See itinerary for details
Accommodation
- 6 nights in 3-4 star hotels, twin share — one at Lake Tekapo, one at Te Anau, two in Queenstown and two at Franz Josef.
Transport
- A Mercedes Sprinter mini-coach with your guide throughout, plus the cruise boat on Milford Sound.
Meals
- A welcome dinner at Lake Tekapo on the first night, an included lunch with wine tasting at Mt Difficulty Vineyard, and lunch on board the Milford Sound cruise.
Route
Included experiences
- Milford Sound — a scenic cruise past waterfalls and towering cliffs, with lunch on board
- Mt Difficulty Vineyard — an included lunch and wine tasting in Central Otago
- Lake Tekapo — turquoise water, views to the Southern Alps, and the Dark Sky Reserve
- Franz Josef — a free day for a guided glacier walk, the thermal pools or a helicopter flight
- Queenstown — a free day for bungy, skydiving, jet boating or just the streets
- Castle Hill — limestone rock formations on the drive back
- Arthur's Pass — mountain landscapes crossing the Southern Alps
- Hokitika — the town known for its jade carving
- Rakaia Gorge, and a lunch stop in Geraldine on the first day
- Wanaka — a lakeside stop on the way up the coast
- Lake Te Anau — the largest lake in the South Island
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
5.0
Based on 18 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 18 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the guides for their knowledge, friendliness and organisational skills, with the tour's itinerary, pacing and scenic highlights such as Milford Sound, Lake Tekapo, Franz Josef and Queenstown earning particular appreciation. The extensive range of optional activities—including bungy jumping, skydiving, helicopter flights, jade carving and hiking—stands out as a significant draw, with small group sizes and the quality of accommodation throughout the tour also regularly mentioned as strengths. The most common caveat is that the tour involves substantial time spent on the bus, though most reviewers felt the scenery and overall experience justified this aspect.
How we collect and publish reviews
Where they come from. Our reviews are gathered from independent review sites and from guests who share feedback with us directly after their trip. They come from people who have actually travelled on the tour.
Why some are edited. Many of our guests travel in their second or third language. Where a review is hard to read, we lightly edit spelling, grammar and punctuation, or paraphrase a sentence for clarity. We never change the rating, the meaning or the sentiment, and we never write a review on a guest's behalf.
Reading the originals. Reviews sourced from public review sites appear there in their original form, and can be read in full at their original source at any time.
This reviewer found the South Island Escape tour awesome, with guide Ben doing a great job. She says the trip was very well organised and well paced, covering a lot of highlights in just seven days, and highly recommends it.
This reviewer took the 7 day Southern Escape tour with guide Ben, calling the scenery from Milford Sound to Queenstown, Lake Tekapo and Franz Josef stunning. Group meals throughout the trip helped everyone bond, and there were plenty of optional add-ons like bungee jumping, paragliding, helicopter sightseeing and hiking. He especially enjoyed making his own greenstone pendant with a local expert, calling it the ultimate New Zealand souvenir, and highly recommends the tour.
The South Island Escape tour ticked every box for this reviewer, thanks in large part to guide Tom, who was knowledgeable, outgoing and fun. He went out of his way to get the group booked into their chosen excursions. Despite some weather delays and the Chinese New Year rush, they still managed to do nearly everything on their list.
The premium South Island Escape delivered a blast of a trip, with guide Tom and a great group of fellow passengers covering all the must-see South Island sights. A scenic flight over Lake Tekapo was a particular highlight, and the brave among the group added on a wilderness quad bike tour. Tom's smooth handling of logistics meant the reviewer could just relax and enjoy the ride, and he's now keen to book a North Island tour too.
Yajuan praised Big Ben at Wild Kiwi for providing clear, timely booking details and being easy to reach by email and phone. As a first-time TourRadar user, the process gave real peace of mind before the trip even started.
This South Island Escape tour was a wonderful experience, with guide Ben proving helpful, knowledgeable and fun throughout. The reviewer also loved the group of people met along the way and highly recommends Wild Kiwi.
“South Island Escape”
Caoimhe and her husband called this the trip of a lifetime for their honeymoon, with a comfortable bus that had charging points for the long days of photos and videos. Guide Ben was knowledgeable and full of great stories through the South Island, and his relaxed humour helped the group gel. The trip to Milford Sound and a helicopter scenic flight over Franz Josef were the standout moments, and the accommodation throughout was high quality.
“Fantastic South Island Scenery!”
This reviewer loved the South Island Escape for its stunning lakes and snow-capped mountains, noting the big drives but plenty of chances for photos, hikes and local food. Guide Tom was knowledgeable and even helped with solo-travel recommendations for after the tour, and the scenic flight over Franz Josef was a highlight.
Took Wild Kiwi's premium South Island tour with guide Ben, who was knowledgeable, personable and a safe driver for a group of 14 travelling from all over the world. Highlights included bungy jumping at the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, jade carving at Te Koha Gallery in Franz Josef, and a helicopter glacier tour. The hotels were clean and central, breakfasts were generous, and the reviewer highly recommends the premium option, planning to book the North Island version next.
The South Island Escape tour exceeded expectations thanks to guide Robbie, who offered good options and ensured the group had the best possible experience on the South Island.
“An excellent experience with Wildkiwi.”
This reviewer did the Premium South Island Voyager over 7 days with a mixed-age group aged roughly 30 to 70. The minivan and luggage trailer were comfortable, and the route hit all the well-known highlights, though one hotel felt cramped. Guide Ben was knowledgeable, well organised and never pushy about optional activities.
“South Island escape premium tour-march 2025”
On the South Island Escape premium tour, this reviewer praised guide Ben for details like playing Lord of the Rings soundtracks on the Milford Sound drive and building a group Spotify playlist, plus his deep knowledge of New Zealand's geography, history and Māori culture. Ben was organised, safe, and went the extra mile with bookings and phone calls. Highlights included jade carving, skydiving in Franz Josef, the Shotover jet in Queenstown, a winery lunch, and the Callery Gorge hike.
Spent a week exploring the South Island, taking in Lake Tekapo, Wanaka, Queenstown, Franz Josef, Fox Glacier, Hokitika, Milford Sound and Castle Hill among other stops, with more added along the way than expected. Accommodation was excellent throughout, including a lake-view stay at Tekapo, and onboard wifi meant a local SIM wasn't essential. Guide Daisy's love for New Zealand came through in her local knowledge, including a memorable Milford Sound playlist, and the reviewer rated the whole trip highly.
Helen and her group thoroughly enjoyed their well-organised South Island tour, largely thanks to guide Telli, who she describes as knowledgeable, kind, funny, and always going the extra mile. They skipped most of the paid extras but still saw plenty, travelling with a great group and staying in clean, comfortable accommodation, with Telli offering good food and drink recommendations along the way. She wouldn't hesitate to recommend Wild Kiwi.
This reviewer joined the Wild Kiwi South Island Escape tour in December and called it one of the best ways to see New Zealand. They enjoyed travelling with a small, wonderful group and gave special thanks to guide Daisy for making the trip so memorable.
This reviewer recently completed the South Island Escape tour with a friend and highly recommends Wild Kiwi. The admin team was responsive ahead of the trip, and the tour exceeded expectations with stunning places and plenty of activities. Guide Ben was praised as knowledgeable, organised and funny, and the small group size made the trip feel like a fun road trip with a friendly mix of ages and backgrounds.
This reviewer joined the South Island Escape tour and called it one of the best weeks of their life, including finally ticking skydiving off their bucket list. Guide Ben was described as friendly and full of great recommendations for spots to visit, and they're now considering booking the North Island tour too.
This reviewer had an amazing time on the Premium Southern Escape tour, praising the comfortable hotel rooms and guide Tom's high energy and knowledge. The mix of couples and solo travellers in the group worked well, and when weather cancelled some plans Tom helped arrange good alternatives. They noted there's a fair amount of time spent on the bus but felt the scenery made it well worth it.
