15-Day Wilderness Encounter South Island New Zealand

Experience New Zealand your way with a fully customised, private itinerary. Every tour is guided by a dedicated local expert and designed just for you. We specialise in exclusive journeys that create genuine connections with New Zealand’s people and landscapes—unforgettable moments you won’t find anywhere else.

Day 1 | Christchurch to Kaikōura

• Personal airport meet-and-greet and private transfer.
• Travel to the coastal town of Kaikōura, which perfectly blends giant, deep-sea marine life with towering snowy mountains.
• On-road stop at a roadside caravan—like the iconic Nins Bin—boasts a "sea-to-table" experience.
• Walk the dramatic peninsula coastline.
• Discover seals, seabirds, and spectacular ocean views.

Day 2 | Kaikōura Wildlife Encounters

• Choose between swimming with wild pods of dolphins, whale-watching giant Sperm Whales, or taking part in an exhilarating coastal eco-zipline adventure.
• Encounter dusky dolphins, fur seals, and marine wildlife.
• Optional: Sunset sea kayaking adventure along the coastline.

Day 3 | Marlborough & Abel Tasman

• Travel through the Marlborough region and coastal landscapes.
• Step ashore on Motuara Island — one of New Zealand’s most successful predator-free wildlife sanctuaries, alive with rare native birds and breathtaking coastal scenery.
• Continue to Abel Tasman National Park for a two-night stay.

Day 4 | Abel Tasman National Park

• Choose between guided hiking, walking through lush, green native forest and along sandy beaches in a protected marine reserve.
• Optional: Take a journey through the ecosystem of the Abel Tasman National Park. Explore the wondrous Islands, forests, beaches, rivers and seas.
• Or sea kayaking, which lets you paddle through crystal-clear, turquoise water to reach hidden caves.

Day 5 | Punakaiki & Paparoa National Park

• Experience pristine, "unmodified" walking in one of the country's largest cave systems, free from electric lights or paved walkways.
• Visit Punakaiki's famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes, 30-million-year-old limestone formations
• Explore unique flora and fauna,rainforest-fringed beaches, and coastal wilderness.

Day 6 | West Coast & Franz Josef

• Visit Hokitika Gorge, with its brilliant turquoise waters fringed by stark white limestone cliffs and lush green rainforest. 
• Experience the White Heron Sanctuary and protected wetland habitats.
• Continue to Franz Josef Glacier and Westland National Park.
• Choose between sunset kayaking on Lake Mapourika or a rainforest cruise through the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary.

Day 7 | Haast Wilderness & Wānaka

• Embark on the only jet boat tour in New Zealand that takes you from the Ocean to the Alps within a UNESCO World Heritage Area. 
• Journey from the rugged beaches of the Tasman Sea, through deep, green rainforests, and past bright blue lakes. 
• Stop at the Blue Pools, with its stunning, crystal-clear glacial water that glows a vibrant, electric blue. 

Day 8 | Mt Aspiring National Park

• Cruise to a predator-free nature reserve. It features a unique "lake on an island on a lake", rare flightless birds, and hands-on conservation.
• Enjoy guided wildlife walks and spectacular alpine scenery.
• Explore Mt Aspiring National Park and surrounding wilderness trails, like the world-famous Roy's Peak.

Day 9 | Fiordland National Park

• Travel to Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park, the country's largest national park. a rugged, glacier-carved wilderness. Famous for Milford Sound, deep tannin-stained lakes, and massive black coral colonies, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Area.
• Scenic flight over the Milford Track, Sutherland Falls, and Milford Sound.
• Discover one of New Zealand's most dramatic wilderness regions.

Day 10 | Overnight Doubtful Sound Cruise

• Experience an overnight cruise through remote Doubtful Sound, and experience absolute peace, known as the "Sound of Silence".
• Explore pristine fiords, waterfalls, rainforest, and wildlife habitats in spectacular ice-carved fiords, lakes and valleys, rugged granite tops and pristine mountain to sea vistas.
• Enjoy complete immersion in one of the world's great wilderness areas.
• Optional: A kayak trip paddles past giant cliffs, roaring waterfalls, and dense rainforest.

Day 11 | Stewart Island

• Fly to New Zealand's southernmost inhabited island.
• Explore Rakiura National Park, which is a pristine, remote wilderness where untouched ancient forests meet the sea. 
• Search for native wildlife, as the island offers special opportunities to spot native kiwi birds in the daytime and rare yellow-eyed penguins in their natural habitat. 

Day 12 | Ulva Island Wildlife Sanctuary

• Visit predator-free Ulva Island, never logged or cleared by humans. 
• Discover one of New Zealand's most important bird sanctuaries.
• Explore thriving native forest, birdlife, and marine ecosystems.

Day 13 | The Catlins

• Journey through one of New Zealand's most remote coastal regions.
• Stop at Curio Bay, where you can walk on the remains of a petrified forest that is over 160 million years old, dating back to the Jurassic period.
• Visit this remote region, which is full of lush temperate rainforests and spectacular waterfalls.

Day 14 | Dunedin & Otago Peninsula

• Discover unique wildlife and dramatic southern landscapes, including Nugget Point and its spectacular coastal scenery.
• Explore Dunedin, with its majestic Scottish-inspired Victorian architecture and the prestigious University of Otago, which anchors a lively student culture.
• Continue to the Otago Peninsula for a two-night stay.

Day 15 | Otago Peninsula Wildlife

• Encounter royal albatross, the only place in the world where a Royal Albatross breeds on a mainland coast.
• Join a guided wildlife and conservation experience and learn about yellow-eyed penguins, sea lions, and fur seals.
• Discover one of the richest wildlife habitats in New Zealand before your onward journey