Ultimate Hiking Tour of New Zealand’s South Island

Meet your guides and fellow hikers in Nelson i-Site at 9:30 am and head out of town to Kaiteriteri, the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. Your guide will advise you on how to pack smart and light as you ready yourself for the first adventure, a 2-night stay in the park. A boat cruise around the coast takes you to Tonga Quarry, where you’ll enjoy your snack. Follow the Abel Tasman Coast Track south to Bark Bay, where your tents and gear will be waiting for you. Pitch your tent, enjoy a delicious meal, and fall asleep to the sound of waves lapping the shore.

Distance covered: 7 km / 4 miles
Hiking time: 2 hours
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Campsite (tents)

Depart from Bark bay through contrasting stands of manuka and luxuriant mixed forest, over a low saddle, and across a high and airy suspension bridge above the Falls River. You can take a side trip to the Falls River Cascades or Cleopatra’s Pool, both awesome swim spots. If you’re in the mood, you can also join your guide for a boulder hop among the idyllic pools and waterfalls, before settling at the bright blue inlet of Anchorage. Relax and go for a swim before meeting in the evening to cook and eat together.

Distance covered: 8.5 / 12 km
Hiking time: 3-5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Campsite (tents)

Explore Abel Tasman’s coastline by Waka (Maori canoe). Learn about local waka teams and their customs before climbing aboard and paddling. Explore several coves on the mainland and the wildlife refuge of Adele Island to observe a breeding colony of New Zealand fur seals—beautiful animals that were almost hunted to extinction in the 1800s. Along the way, hear stories of local Maori history and customs. Paddle into the beautiful Kaiteriteri beach, have a picnic lunch, and restock on supplies in Motueka before driving to a private campsite near Murchison, overlooking the Buller and Maruia rivers.

Distance covered: 15 km / 9.3 miles
Paddling time: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Campsite (tents)

After driving through the Buller Gorge, your first stop on the wild West Coast is Charleston. Take a short hike through lush West Coast bush checking out the dramatic headlands, wild waves, and secluded bays. After a picnic lunch, hike to the spectacular limestone river canyon in Paparoa National Park. The first half of the trail is on a relatively flat well-formed track, while the second half involves multiple river crossings and sections where the riverbed itself is the route! Some boulders are a bit slippery, so apart from good hiking shoes, what’s also essential is learning from your guide how to cross rivers safely. Collect some firewood, and set up camp under the massive Ballroom Overhang fluviatile cave. Hungry for some more hiking? Join your guide for an extra hike!

Distance covered: 8 km / 5 miles
Hiking time: 4 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Campsite (tents)

After breakfast, head to the West Coast town of Punakaiki to check out the famous Pancake Rocks and seawater blowholes, before retreating down to tonight’s accommodation in Hokitika, a gold-rush town full of cool local jewelry. Hokitika is now a great place to buy pounamu (greenstone), which was once highly valued by early Maori for tools, jewelry, and weapons. Tonight’s lodging is centrally located and just a short walk from the beach. Tuck in to traditional Kiwi fish and chips or eat at one of the many spots in this bustling seaside town. As you reach Hokitika, get fitted for tomorrow’s bikes!

Distance covered: 6 km / 3.7 miles
Hiking time: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation: Hotel

Enjoy group breakfast at one of the great cafés in town before leaving for a cycling tour of the awesome West Coast Wilderness Trail between the Arahura River bridge and the historic township of Kumara. Pedal your way through majestic native forest, cross crystal-clear rivers, and pass old reservoirs and water races dating back to goldrush days. Today’s ride is unguided, but the trail is very well marked, and local partners will give you a very thorough briefing on the trail. Celebrate your ride with a drink at the Theatre Royal Hotel in Kumara! After the ride, sit back and take in the landscapes as you drive into the Southern Alps and the quaint mountain village of Arthur’s Pass. Eat and spend the night in a private hut (with showers and electricity), preparing for tomorrow’s hiking trip into Edwards Valley.

Distance covered: 39 km / 24 miles
Biking time: 4-5 hours
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Lodge

While not as famous as some of the other National Parks visited on the tour, Arthur’s Pass will amaze you with rugged peaks, wild rivers, and adventurous trails. The overnight hike takes you up the Edwards River to the Edwards Hut which sits just above the bushline with a great view of the alpine valley. It’s a challenging hike on a real “kiwi-style” track—there are several river crossings and parts where you will need to use your hands for extra grip. Camp outside or stay in the hut, depending on how many hikers are out there. Fall asleep listening out for the call of the Kiwi, New Zealand’s national bird that is known to inhabit this valley.

Distance covered: 9 km / 5.6 miles
Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Backcountry hut

Make the most of this alpine valley with an optional hike before packing up and hiking back out to the road. This hike takes you up towards the Falling Mountain, where views of surrounding peaks open up right before you. Have lunch on the way. Watch the scenery change dramatically, with the steep forested slopes of the west replaced with wide braided rivers, tussock grassland, mountains flanked with scree, and the surreal limestone formations of Castle Hill. Leave the main highway and follow an inland route to the tiny village of Methven, where you’ll spend the night.

Distance covered: 9 km / 5.6 miles
Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation: Hotel

Spend the morning driving along the western margin of the Canterbury Plains and into the Mackenzie Country, an intermontane basin of huge glacial lakes and snow-capped mountains. Arrive at Aoraki/Mt. Cook village and get ready for a hike to Sealy Tarns, and maybe even Mueller hut. Enjoy views across two valley glaciers to icefalls on Mt. Sefton and Aoraki/Mt. Cook. Experience the towering moraine walls, glacial lakes, and the frequent rumbling of distant avalanches, before returning to your accommodation in a private hut. With luck, you can watch se summit of Aoraki/Mt. Cook turn from white to pink with the sun’s last rays.

Distance covered: 10 km / 6.2 miles
Hiking time: 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Lodge

After a relaxed breakfast with a postcard view of Aoraki/Mt. Cook from the dining room window, you get the option to join a local operator for a guided heli-hike* on the Tasman Glacier. At an additional cost, a helicopter will take you onto the upper glacier where you’ll attach crampons to your boots and explore ice formation, ice caves, and marvel at the jagged landscape. Alternatively, join the guide for a hike up the steep slopes of Sebastopol to the Red Tarns for more stunning views. If you feel like you need to rest today, relax at the hut—or you can take a walk on the valley floor and visit the info center to learn more about the park’s natural history and the feats of pioneering mountaineers. By mid-afternoon, reunite with the group and continue south through the Mackenzie Country and over Lindis Pass into the Central Otago region. Spend the night near the shores of the glacial Lake Hawea, ringed by the mountains, and enjoy a meal in a local restaurant.

*Please note that the heli-hike is very weather-dependent and therefore not guaranteed. If you’re interested, the guide will call ahead a day or two in advance and book the tour if possible. You will then pay the local heli-hike operator directly on the day of.

Distance covered: 4 km / 2.5 miles
Hiking time: 2 hours
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation: Campsite (cabins)

Drive to the Wanaka township where you’ll grab a coffee and wander around this vibrant lakeside resort town. Then, head on up the Matukituki Valley to the road end. Shoulder your pack and enjoy stunning Matterhorn-esque views as you hike across grassed flats to Aspiring Hut. There’s another optional steep, yet rewarding climb here—climb through beech forest to the bush line on the Cascade Saddle Track. Cheeky and inquisitive kea (alpine parrots) may check out your group as you rest to take in the uninterrupted view across the upper Matukituki to Mt. Aspiring and the Southern Alps. Keep an eye on your things (kea love shiny zips)!

Distance covered: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Hiking time: 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Mountain hut

Start your return hike early, enjoying pretty views and easy walking along the floor of this wide glacially formed valley. Back in Wanaka, recharge with a lakeside picnic and a dive into the lake. Drive over the remarkable Crown Range and take in summit views of the Wakitipu Basin and lakes. By late afternoon, you’re past Te Anau and well on your way to Milford sound. Camp for the next two nights at the beautiful Eglinton Valley campsite, relaxing and making the most of the hot showers.

Distance covered: 9 km / 5.6 miles
Hiking time: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Campsite (tents)

Drive beneath imposing granite cliffs and hanging valleys into the heart of Fiordland National Park. This World Heritage Site is one of the largest national parks in the world, with its huge glacial lakes of Te Anau ad Manapouri and spectacular fjords. Then you reach Milford and join one of the world’s great day cruises. The vessel takes you out to Anita Bay and the entrance to Milford Sound. Enjoy views of cascading waterfalls and the iconic Mitre Peak, soaring 1,722 m above the sea. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, Fiordland crested penguins, and fur seals! Then take a hike to Key Summit, the final section of the famous Routeburn Track. An informative nature walk passes through a transition from forest to alpine vegetation and prolific birdlife, while the views over the Hollyford Valley to the Darran Mountains are spectacular.

A kayaking option is also available. If you choose that, you will be picked up at 6:30 am by the kayak company to travel to Milford Sound. Paddle for 3 hours in double kayaks to waterfalls, spotting rare wildlife. Returning to land, you will be reunited with the group after their cruise.

Distance covered: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Hiking time: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Campsite (tents)

After breakfast, take a short hike to check out a beautiful waterfall near our campsite, where you may want to soak up one last little bit of Fiordland by jumping under a bracing shower. Make your final drive to Queenstown in the early afternoon. Afterward, celebrate the great adventures you’ve had for the past two weeks with your new friends.

Distance covered: 2 km / 1.2 miles
Hiking time: 45 minutes
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation: Hotel

Your guide departs early for Christchurch, marking the end of the tour. If you’re staying in Queenstown, keep in mind that it’s known as the adventure capital of New Zealand, so there are a ton of superb hiking and cycling tracks in the area! Don’t hesitate to ask your guides for tips on great hikes and other activities to do in the area!