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Route Rating Level 1 to Level 3

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Premiere Inns
  • From $4,498
    To $5,198 pp dbl. occ.
  • Heli-hiking, flight seeing and boat cruise are not included in trip price.
  • (+From $1,020 To $1,320
    for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

10 DAYS, 9 NIGHTS
ROLLOVER DATES BELOW FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
2008 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
2009 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
2010 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
ROLLOVER DATES ABOVE FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
TRIP NOTES

All meals except 2 lunches and 2 dinners.

Cancellation Policy

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Meet / Depart

Christchurch, New Zealand/Queenstown, New Zealand

Special Interest

Boat, Cruise, Geological Wonders, Heli-Hike, Natural Beauty &/or Wildlife, Rainforest Exploration, Tropical/Winter Sunshine

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Contact Us

Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
E-mail us

801 Cedar St.
Berkeley, CA 94710

Business Hours:
7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

Or contact your travel agent

New Zealand Walking Tour

New Zealand Hiking

South Island Paradise

New Zealand is a compact natural extravaganza, and this Backroads trip is a sampler of the country’s stunning natural diversity. Native New Zealanders - known as Kiwis, after the unique flightless bird - are wild about "tramping" (that’s hiking in Kiwi-speak). Foot trails abound on the South Island, revealing spectacular beauty: snowcapped mountain summits, forest-fringed lakes, lush river valleys and tumbling glaciers. Combine the country’s extraordinary beauty with the effortless hospitality of its people and the expertise of Backroads leaders, and you’ve got a destination that's perfect for exploring for the first time, or returning to again and again.

View other trips in Asia & the Pacific

Days 1-2 Arthur's Pass

Meet in Christchurch Hike Godly Head out to Taylor's Mistake for beautiful views of Lyttleton Harbor and the South Pacific  Head into the mountains and watch a sheepshearing demonstration at a working farm  Hike high in Arthur's Pass National Park for inspirational views of the surrounding snowcapped mountains, sweeping forests and braided rivers.

Day 3 Punakaiki

At the summit of Arthur's Pass, walk through alpine wetlands to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls for inspirational views of the 131-meter cascade Travel to the Tasman Sea and observe exploding blowholes at the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks Hike through luxuriant tropical rain forest along the Porari River, where native tree ferns and nikau palms abound.

Days 4-5 Franz Josef

In the gold-rush town of Hokitika, shop for hand-carved greenstone jewelry and other local crafts Follow the Hari Hari Coastal Walkway to the Tasman Sea and through native kahikatea forest Discover the dramatic Franz Josef Glacier, where ice meets rain forest, or helicopter to the glacier and explore its incredible features up close. 

Days 6-7 Lake Moeraki

View the famous reflections of Mounts Tasman and Cook in the dark surface of Lake Matheson Explore the Fox Glacier and the amazing glacial valley it created  From Lake Moeraki, hike through protected rain forest to the pounding surf at spectacular Munro Beach and search for pounamu, the native jade of New Zealand  Head out on the lake in a canoe trip with a resident naturalist or go hiking or swimming.

Days 8-10 Lake Wanaka

Challenge yourself on a hike up Diamond Lake Trail for incredible vistas of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding mountains  Take an optional scenic flight to Milford Sound, New Zealand’s most famous fjord, or choose to hike along Lake Wanaka  An early-morning excursion to the top of Mount Iron offers 360-degree views. 

Route Rating What's this? Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Each offers options for more or less activity, so you can decide exactly how much you want to do day by day.

Lodging What's this? Our lodgings are divided into three different categories.

Premiere Inns:These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.

Casual Inns:These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the areawith such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.

Deluxe Camping:We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.

Detailed Itinerary

Reserve This Trip!

Guest Trip Reviews

While we have traveled around the world with other tour companies and Backroads, this by far was the most enjoyable trip. New Zealand provided not only an extraordinary background, and having two of our adult children and their spouses along make it uniquely enjoyable, the trip leaders were just the best. Attentive, friendly, sharing of their knowledge, generous with their time, consciously sharing their attention among all the travelers, and full of flexibility and suggestions (getting a fishing guide, arranging bungee jumping, juggling the schedule to get it all in) all of which made this a very special trip. Bravo!
Don Tucker - Landrum, SC

More Reviews of this Trip

All Guest Reviews

For 30 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the New Zealand tour experts. For walking tours and hiking tours in Asia & the Pacific, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Asia & the Pacific walking tours and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Asia & the Pacific biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Asia & the Pacific multisport tours click here.

New Zealand Hiking

KIWI COMFORTS: Premiere Inns

Wilderness Lodge

Arthur's Pass (2 nights): Under the gracious proprietorship of Gerry McSweeny, this cozy mountain retreat and high-country sheep station is surrounded by beech forest and frosted peaks.

Punakaiki Rocks Hotel

Punakaiki (1 night): Designed to complement the area’s stunning natural beauty, this inn offers unparalleled views of the Tasman Sea.

Westwood Lodge

Franz Josef (2 nights): Spacious, warmly finished guest rooms overlook the rugged terrain at this  inviting and secluded lodge.

Wilderness Lodge

Lake Moeraki (2 nights): Cozy guest rooms, a riverside lodge and excellent cuisine in a remote rain forest setting.

Edgewater Resort Hotel

Lake Wanaka (2 nights): Spacious suites, a host of amenities - including tennis courts, a putting green, a sauna and hot tub - and lush grounds on the shore of mountain-rimmed Lake Wanaka.

New Zealand Hiking New Zealand Hiking

Westwood Lodge

New Zealand Hiking

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • 2 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Levels 2 to 3  2 Route Options Available 
  • 7, 9 miles
  • 1500 - 3000 feet elevation gain
Day 3
  • Levels 1 to 2  3 Route Options Available
  • Morning hike 3 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain  
  • Afternoon hike 3, 5 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 4
  • Level 1 2 Route Options Available
  • 3.5, 5 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 5
  • Levels 1 to 2 3 Route Options Available
  • 2.5, 3.5, 5.5 miles
  • 0 - 1500 feet elevation gain
  • Optional heli-hiking
Day 6
  • Levels 1 to 3  4 Route Options Available
  • Morning hike 3, 6 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
  • Afternoon hike 3, 6.5 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 6
  • Levels 1 to 3  2 Route Options Available
  • 4.5, 8.5 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 8
  • Levels 2 to 3 1 Route Option Available
  • 5.5 miles
  • 1000 - 1500 feet elevation gain
Day 9
  • Level 2 1 Route Option Available
  • 6 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 10
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • 2.5 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
New Zealand Hiking New Zealand Hiking

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours		 10-20
miles		 2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours		 21-30
miles		 5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours		 31-40
miles		 7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours		 41-55
miles		 9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours		 56-75+
miles		 11-13+
miles