View allIt was very well organised, good accommodation, tasty meals.
Marina, traveled in January
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- Gold Operator
- AAT Kings
- Explorer
- Curated to ignite your sense of adventure
- Group Tour
- Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
- Fully Guided
- An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
- Low Intensity
- Travelers can expect some light physical activities
- Guided in English
- Group Size 20 - 48
- All Ages Welcome
Places You’ll See
Highlights
- Explore Christchurch's innovative architecture
- Stargaze at Lake Tekapo's Dark Sky Reserve
- Cruise the dramatic Milford Sound fjord
- Ride the TranzAlpine train through stunning landscapes
- Discover Dunedin's Scottish heritage and wildlife
Itinerary
- Introduction
- Day 1 Welcome to Christchurch
- Day 2 Christchurch - Omarama
- Day 3 Omarama - Dunedin
- Day 4 Dunedin - Te Anau
- Day 5 Te Anau - Queenstown
- Day 6 Queenstown Free Time
- Day 7 Queenstown - Franz Josef/Waiau
- Day 8 Franz Josef/Waiau - Christchurch
- Day 9 Farewell from Christchurch
What's Included
- Accommodation
- Guide
- Meals
- Additional Services
- Transport
- Free eSIMTourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.
What's Not Included
- Flights
- Insurance
- Optional
- Additional Services
Where You'll Stay
Ibis Hotel Christchurch
HotelDays 1, 8Distinction Heritage Gateway Hotel
Hotelday 2Scenic Hotel Dunedin City
Hotelday 3Distinction Luxmore Hotel
Hotelday 4Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown
HotelDays 5, 6Scenic Hotel Franz Josef Glacier
Hotelday 7
Customer Photos
Operated by
AAT Kings
Number of tours
405
Age Range
5 to 99 years old
Response time
within 2 days
Response rate
80%
Since 1912, AAT Kings as a tour operator has been helping people from all...
Read moreSustainability Initiatives
Reduce Carbon Emissions
Animal Welfare
Supporting Destinations
Sustainability Programs
Customer Reviews
- Overall RatingGood
- ItineraryExcellent
- GuideExcellent
- TransportExcellent
- AccommodationExcellent
- FoodExcellent
- Marina· January 6th, 2026We were very happy with our tour! It was very well organised, good accommodation, tasty meals, and with tour director and driver doing the best job of looking after people!Show moreTrip date: December 2025
- DGDavid· December 3rd, 2024Beware, this tour does not operate fully throughout the year and if, like us, the Tranz Alpine Railway is not running on your specific tour then bad luck. This is not even mentioned in their prospectus!Show moreTrip date: October 2024
- DADianne· December 20th, 2023Isobel was an outstanding tour guide, full of amazing and interesting information, funny, down to earth, a wonderful story teller, competent, organised, nice to everyone. We've done two other Trafalgar bus tours and she has been our favourite tour guide. Darrell was a superb bus driver, always calm, navigating different terrains and weather with ease. We felt 100% safe in his competent hands. I liked that so much of the good stuff was included in the tour, e.g. the cruise on Milford Sound, and the wonderful ferry ride and dinner on the farm in Queenstown. It was fast paced, but we did cover an incredible amount in 8 days.Show moreTrip date: November 2023
- MGMoumita· March 10th, 2020We had a great guide but the tour itself had a very brief covering of the Franz and fox that was very dissappointing. Also the accomodations at some places were just average.Show more
AAT Kings commented on this reviewHi Moumita, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed travelling with our Travel Director, but we are sorry to hear that other parts of the Guided Holiday did not meet expectations. If you would like to... Show moreTrip date: March 2020 - RCRosemary Diana· February 26th, 2020Very good tour, excellent tour director and driver. Itinerary super, fantastic scenery, food mostly very good, hotels good.Show moreAAT Kings commented on this reviewHello Rosemary, Thank you very much for your feedback. We are looking forward to welcoming you on an AAT Kings time again in the future. Many thanks, AAT KingsTrip date: February 2020
- Show moreGGingerSutton· February 8th, 2019AAT Kings commented on this reviewHi Ginger, Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! We hope to see you again soon on another AAT Kings tour! Many thanks, AAT KingsTrip date: January 2019
Dates & Availability
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- 5 Other Unavailable Departures
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- Free eSim with every purchase
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What our customers ask about this tour
The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.- K
Ken
Asked on September 13th, 2025Are you able to give options yet? Will there be any children on your tours?
AAT KingsOperator•Written September 2025Are you considering any other tours aside from Southern Spotlight? Regarding children traveling on the tour, it is certainly possible for families to join if some of the travelers include their children.
- B
Ben
Asked on August 22nd, 2025Do you have spots available for 28 December? Is this tour using train? Where the tour ends? How we can get to airport? Can we pay for an extra night?
- AAT KingsOperator•Written August 2025
This tour will include a train ride at TranzAlpine at the day 8 of the trip. The tour will ends at Hotel Ibis Christchurch after your breakfast. You have to arrange your transfer or transportation going to the airport after the tour. You can get an extra night accommodation with us either pre or post accommodation for your trip. Both pre and post accommodation will be at Hotel Ibis Christchurch.
- B
Ben
Traveler•Written September 2025Please confirm how much a pre tour accommodation cost?
- AAT KingsOperator•Written September 2025
Pre-Hotel: Hotel Ibis Christchurch. Amount: $149.00 per night and per person for a twin room. Status: On-Request.
- B
Ben
Traveler•Written September 2025Does it include breakfast?
- AAT KingsOperator•Written September 2025
Yes, the pre and post accommodations will include a breakfast for the guests.
B4 more answers - M
Megan
Asked on February 13th, 2025Do you have trips available for April 2026 for New Zealand which includes the train
- AAT KingsOperator•Written February 2025
Are you looking to visit only the South Island in New Zealand, or are you looking to visit both islands? I'll be happy to take a look at some options for you that include the TranzAlpine train
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Good to Know
Tour ID: 289306
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