Explore the rugged reaches of the South Island on this six-day trip beginning and ending in Queenstown. Crafted to give the right balance of active adventure and time to relax, this southern getaway takes you from glacier-carved Fiordland to remote, kiwi-filled Stewart Island.
Sail the silent waters of Milford Sound, cross to the sometimes forgotten Catlins to hike to coastal caves and waterfalls, then span the gap to untouched Stewart Island, where you can listen out for the call of the kiwi in one of New Zealand's wildest corners.
Days
- 6 days, 5 nights
Age
- 15+ — under 18s must travel with an adult
Group size
- Small group
Start / finish
- Queenstown / Queenstown
Return
- See itinerary for details
Accommodation
- 5 nights in hotel and lodge-style accommodation.
Transport
- Overland travel with a local leader, plus the scenic ferry across to Stewart Island and back.
Meals
- Five breakfasts. Every other meal is at your own cost.
Route
Included experiences
- Lake Wakatipu — scenic drive round to Te Anau
- Milford Sound — nature boat cruise and a leader-led walk to Milford Lookout
- Mirror Lakes and Lake Gunn
- The Catlins — leader-led walk to Nugget Point lighthouse
- McLean Falls — forest hike
- Stewart Island — Foveaux Strait crossing, Rakiura National Park and a free day of coastal walks
Pictures / Videos
Reviews
4.9
Based on 28 reviews
Verified from
Real reviews from travellers who've done this tour, gathered from around the web and paraphrased.
AI summary of 28 reviews
Travellers consistently praise the tour's carefully selected itinerary that reaches remote and lesser-known parts of the South Island, particularly the Catlins, Stewart Island and Milford Sound, alongside the stunning scenery and abundant wildlife encountered throughout. The guides' knowledge, friendliness and attentiveness to group dynamics stand out most often, with travellers noting their excellent organisation, safe driving on challenging roads and ability to adapt plans when needed. The main caveat is that accommodation on the tour includes shared facilities at some locations, and travellers should pack layers for variable weather and be aware that meals are not a major component of the tour cost, so budgets should reflect this; additionally, some note that Queenstown itself is not part of the main itinerary and vegetarian options may be limited at certain stops.
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. Some longer trips are made up of shorter tours we also sell, run back to back — where a review was written about one of those legs, the review says so.
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.
Did the Queenstown Southern Loop guided by Tim and I couldn't speak more highly of the places we went and the whole experience. Wonderful.
A great trip exploring some of the remoter parts of the South Island - some parts feel like going back in time 50 years. Superb scenery and a good chance to see native wildlife and fauna.
Great trip with amazing sights to visit, and a little out of the way of most tourists. Some longer drives, but nothing unmanageable. Our leader Dawn was fantastic at keeping everyone energised while also organising everything to a very high level. Definitely recommend.
I like that this tour is very organised, communication is very clear, and everything is taken care of.
Definitely recommend this trip if you need a nature getaway. Megan was our guide and she was absolutely incredible. Lots of wildlife and short nature walks, with the chance to do some yourself too. Meals aren't really a big part of it so factor that into your budget, but all the included activities and extras were amazing. Great for anyone travelling to the South Island for the first time.
The trip content was remarkable and our guide Krieg was excellent. My favourite part was the visit to Milford Sound, especially the cruise around the Sound that brought us up close to the waterfalls and wildlife.
Loved this trip. We had beautiful weather and a fantastic tour guide. The only information missing was that you need a small backpack to take a few clothes over to Stewart Island. What a beautiful part of the world the South Island of New Zealand is!
Short trip, but it took us to corners of the South Island that most people miss. Lovely leader, and scenery you simply won't beat.
The Southern Loop tour was a great opportunity to relax and learn about a part of NZ I didn't know much about. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and brought the sights to life with vivid stories and local insights. Highly recommended for the curious traveller who wants to see interesting places and meet interesting people along the way.
Really enjoyed this trip. It was short but we had a grand time, with a group of nine of us including me. Connor our tour leader was brilliant at everything. My favourite parts were the Catlins, the Te Anau jet boating and beautiful Stewart Island - the lesser known parts of New Zealand.
Not a thing out of place from start to finish, and it's hard to think of a prettier country anywhere. New Zealand has my heart.
Thanks to Pete for taking us round the bottom end of the South Island. Between the views, the walking and the animals we came across, I had a brilliant few days.
We were very impressed with this tour. The smaller group size, the accommodation, the itinerary and our amazing tour leader made it a very positive experience. We would definitely recommend it.
Wonderful, well planned trip with beautiful scenery during September. Take extra layers if you need them.
This was my first time in New Zealand and an experience I'll never forget. I love the country, the people and the landscape. It was my first time seeing so many herds along the way to Stewart Island, and the World Heritage site of Milford Sound. At Te Anau we went jet boating on the river, which was exciting. Overall I loved the experience, and now I have something to tell my granddaughter.
Enjoyed seeing the South Island of my own country for the first time, and enjoyed all the locations. Milford Sound was so beautiful, and Stewart Island too. Totally recommend Intrepid for organising everything, and thanks to Lexi our tour guide for her knowledge and for driving us.
The trip gave us a good overview of areas of beauty, nature and plenty of different experiences.
I joined this trip late, and an unforeseen natural event shuffled the itinerary around. The guide and the people behind him made quick and very good adjustments to make sure we still had a great time. Well done!
This trip was awesome. We visited beautiful places with a great group of people, and our trip leader was so friendly and knowledgeable. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring the south of NZ.
A great way to see the more remote areas of the South Island with a guided group - nice for solo travellers. You can get all types of weather in one day, so pack layers. The pace is fairly quick, with more time to relax on Stewart Island. Recommend the glow worm cave tour and the kiwi bird experience as add-ons.
A lovely short loop around the bottom of New Zealand, and the country down there is gorgeous. Cruising Milford Sound and heading out after dark on Stewart Island to look for wild kiwi (an optional extra) were the two things that stuck with me. Where it fell short was the rooms: the Catlins cabins had bathrooms shared across the complex, and Stewart Island is shared facilities too, so go in expecting that. Vegetarians won't get much choice at some stops either. Queenstown isn't part of the itinerary, so tack a couple of days on at the end.
This trip featured some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. If you can, it's worth extending the trip to experience everything Queenstown has to offer.
What sold me on the Southern Loop was how far off the usual track it goes on the South Island, the Catlins and Stewart Island especially. Even the driving is lovely to sit through, and Stewart Island has a real charm to it, all native birds and coastline.
A really excellent week on the Southern Loop. Lexi, who led us, knew her stuff, had endless energy and kept everything running to plan. She deliberately got us talking to one another early on, so the group gelled fast. She drives well too, and there are plenty of narrow mountain roads on this route, yet I never once felt nervous. We were taken to some of the loveliest spots I've ever stood in and saw wildlife I'd never come across before. She paid attention to what each of us wanted and worked it in where she could. Worth booking, and worth hoping you get her.
Brilliant trip. The people running it knew their subject and were genuinely good with a group, and every spot we pulled up at was a stunner. Intrepid gets a thumbs up from me.
Short, sweet and good fun poking around the bottom end of the South Island. You walk a bit, take in gorgeous country, and unwind.
