Guided Hiking and Biking Tour in the Southern Alps

Departing from Christchurch, drive across the Canterbury Plains to your first hike at Mt. Somers. This volcanic mountain and the adjoining range stand out with its rock formations and a deep canyon. Climb through beech forest and high tussock slopes until you reach Woolshed Creek Hut, your lunch stop. Return on the Rhyolite Ridge Track, featuring views deep into the canyon as you climb high above on the slopes of Mt. Sommers. As the day draws to a close, settle in the village of Methven, usually a ski town in the winter and a cool rural Canterbury town the rest of the year. There’s also a restaurant and a bar there.
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Distance: 10 km / 6 miles
Hiking: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Ski Time Methven

Get transferred to the edge of Canterbury Plains at first, and then into the Mackenzie Country and Lake Tekapo. The lake is famous for its turquoise waters and the quaint Church of the Good Shepherd, set against the backdrop of zigzag peaks. Once you reach Aoraki/ Mt. Cook, go for a hike up the Hooker Valley, where you get to marvel at views of glaciers looming above on Mt. Sefton and The Footstool, as well as the imposing south face of Aoraki beyond your turnaround at Hooker Lake. The next two nights are spent in a lodge in the village that boasts views of Aoraki (group style in shared bunk rooms).
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 10 km / 6 miles
Hiking: 3-4 hours
Accommodation: Unwin Lodge

Walk up the famous steps (2,200 of them!) to Sealy Tarns, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the views of the Hooker and Mueller glaciers, as well as the ice-carved peaks of Aoraki, Mt. Sefton, and The Footstool. If conditions permit, continue hiking up on to the Sealy Range and along to Mueller Hut. Before descending back down, rest for a while and enjoy panoramic views of the glaciers, ice cliffs, and vertical rock faces of New Zealand’s highest mountains. You also have the option this afternoon to join the Glacier Explorers boat tour on the Tasman Glacier Lake, which is a spectacular experience where you get close to New Zealand’s longest glacier. This is an optional activity, so let us know if you’d like to go!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 10 km / 6 miles
Hiking: 6-7 hours
Accommodation: Unwin Lodge

Continue driving south to nearby Twizel and get fitted for your bikes to cross a section of the impressive Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail. Pedal along quiet canal roads before crossing the Lake Ohau weir and circling your way around the lake along cycle tracks. There will be plenty of time for breaks, photos, and admiring the mountains set against the glacially-fed Lake Ohau. Leave your bikes at the Ohau Lodge and meet your vehicle before going on an afternoon hike—another great opportunity to soak in the views of mountains, lakes, and rivers.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 5 km / 4 miles | 2-3 hours
Cycling: 38 km / 24 miles | 3 hours
Accommodation: Lake Ohau Lodge

Drive over to Lindis Pass in the Central Otago region and onto Wanaka, which is a resort town sitting next to the namesake lake. This is a vast wilderness area filled with beech forests, glaciers, rivers, and lakes. Arriving there in the late morning, you’ll have enough time to relax and enjoy lunch, even take a quick stroll along the lakefront before heading off on the afternoon hike along Sawyer Burn Track. Walking along a well-marked trail, you’ll veer off to the Kidds Bush Nature Walk and zigzag up through the forest to the bushline before sliding across to the Sawyer Burn Hut. From the summit, you’ll have panoramic views of Lake Hāwea and its surrounding mountains.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 8 km / 5 miles
Hiking: 3 hours
Accommodation: Oakridge Resort

A special hike is saved for the last day—the Rob Roy Track. Start off with a drive up to the Matukituki Valley, where sights of sheep, cattle, and deer farms will follow you along the way. Start your hike from Raspberry Flat and cross a suspension bridge across the Matukituki River before climbing through beech forest alongside the raging boulder-strewn Rob Roy Stream. The track then emerges above the tree line in an alpine meadow with a great view of the Rob Roy Glacier. Have lunch before wandering down the valley to the vehicle. In the afternoon, drive over to the Crown Range and down into Queenstown where the tour ends. This region is known for its spectacular vistas, vineyards, and many adventure activities. Feel free to stay longer, just ask your guides for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Distance: 10 km / 6 miles
Hiking: 4 hours