Top South Island Unique Experiences

Enjoy an afternoon of drinking local wines and/or craft beers without worrying about getting home safely on this wine and craft beer tour. This small-group tour will take you to three wineries or breweries in the Gibbston region, with tastings at each and shared antipasto platters are provided at one of the locations. As you go, your guide will tell you all about the region’s history on the way, for an enjoyable and informative evening trip. Transfers from central Queenstown are included.

Discover some of the vineyards and wineries for which New Zealand’s fertile South Island is famous on this 4-hour wine tour from Queenstown. Travel from Queenstown into the South Island’s rolling hills with your guide. Visit a total of three wineries such as Gibbston Valley Winery, Mt Rosa, Waitiri Creek Winery or Chard Farm Winery. During your visits sample some of the delicious wines and cheese produced in the region, and gain insight into the delicate balances of scent and flavour at play in your glass.

New Zealand’s craft beer community is growing at an incredible rate, and this half day tour is a unique way to experience part of this community in Queenstown. Visit some of the region’s craft breweries and microbreweries and sample what they’re brewing free of charge. Enjoy a lunch of specially-matched beer and gourmet cuisine in the scenic Gibbston Valley, and get personalized hints and tips about where to explore next from your guide. A great tour for any hop-head.

The sunken river valleys, forested cliffs, and sandy bays of the Marlborough Sounds are one of the best places in New Zealand to spot dolphins in their natural environment, but increased tourism can often put wildlife at risk. This 4-hour cruise from Picton is run by certified Department of Conservation operators, allowing you to interact with dusky, bottlenose, and orca dolphins in a safe, fun, and eco-friendly way.

The Fox and Franz Josef glaciers are New Zealand’s largest and most magnificent glaciers, and many visitors find it hard to choose between them. This helicopter tour takes in both with a thrilling flight over snowy peaks and frozen waterfalls, and an unforgettable snow landing overlooking the glacier.

Central Otago is one of New Zealand’s most popular wine regions, producing well-respected reds and whites in alpine vineyards. On this afternoon tour, visit four boutique wineries in the region and taste some of their award-winning offerings. Learn the secrets behind these wines from the winemakers themselves, and stop at one winery for a gourmet food and wine matching – tasting dishes of local produce matched with wines from the vineyard.

Explore New Zealand's premier wine region on this half-day tour from Blenheim. Visit four wineries, each internationally-acclaimed for their blends of red, white and particularly Sauvignon Blanc grapes that flourish in the sun-drenched alluvial soils of Marlborough. Stroll through the vines and contemplate the meaningful things in life: less important things, like your round-trip transport to and from Blenheim, are all taken care of by your tour operator.

Taste the wines of the Marlborough region on a full-day tour from Picton. You'll visit six or seven wineries and a boutique chocolate factory, and have time to purchase lunch at a winery restaurant. Your tour includes pickup and drop-off from your accommodation in central Picton.

The Monteith’s Brewing Company is one of New Zealand’s oldest beer-makers and a West Coast icon. Go behind the scenes at the company’s Greymouth brewery on this exclusive tour and learn about the history behind West Coast brewing. See how Monteith’s make their beer and cider and sample some of it for yourself during a hands-on beer-tasting lesson with tasting notes to help you out.

Take a full-day wine tour from Blenheim to discover the wines of the Marlborough region, which are famous throughout New Zealand and the world. Your guide brings you to as many as seven wineries for tastings and a winery lunch (own expense), and tops it off with a stop at a chocolate factory. Relax on this comprehensive tour that includes pickup and drop-off from your accommodation.

See two remarkable glaciers from the air on a 30-minute helicopter tour of Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier. Lift off from a helipad at Fox Glacier, then fly across ice falls, formations, and crevasses on your way to Franz Josef Glacier, and touch down on a glacial snowfield for a photography session. Departures are available throughout the day for this 30-minute helicopter tour of two New Zealand glaciers.

Situated on the picturesque shores of Lake Whakatipu, Walter Peak High Country Farm is the perfect place to spend a relaxing few hours. The Walter Peak Eco Experience allows you to immerse yourself in nature and learn about conservation throughout New Zealand. Begin your trip with a 45 minute cruise aboard the Vintage TSS Earnslaw, an integral part of Queenstown’s pioneering history and to this day a Queenstown icon. You will be greeted by our rural host upon disembarking the vessel, who will give you a tour of the stunning Restaurant Garden and showcase the beautiful native plants. You will then have the opportunity to have a hands on role in Walter Peaks land restoration project by planting a native tree or shrub from our nursery. Next savour a delicious morning/afternoon tea made with local ingredients in the old charming woolshed. The Eco Tour is the perfect adventure for those who want to give back to the environment while immersing themselves in New Zealand’s native scenery.

Visitors to the Marlborough region often take the time to visit some of the region’s many wineries, but there’s always someone that has to draw the short straw and be the sober driver for everyone else. On this private tour, visit the wineries you want to visit without running the risk of being the sober driver and missing out. Sample different types of wine at several different wineries, all selected by your guide based on your tastes and your preferences.