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Plan your adventure:
- Explorer
- Group
- Fully Guided
- Operator
- Backyard Roadies
- Group Tour
- Join a group and forge lifelong friendships
- Fully Guided
- An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
- Guided in English
- Group Size 5 - 12
- Age range 18 to 39
Places You’ll See

Highlights
- Explore Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd
- Cruise through Milford Sound and spot local wildlife
- Stroll through historic Arrowtown and visit sweet shops
- Relax in Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa
- Discover Franz Josef Glacier and carve Maori greenstone
Itinerary
Expand All
- Introduction
- Day 1 Christchurch - Lake Tekapo
- Day 2 Lake Tekapo - Mt. Cook - Wanaka
- Day 3 Wanaka - Arrowtown - Te Anau
- Day 4 Te Anau - Milford Sound - Queenstown
- Day 5 Queenstown
- Day 6 Queenstown
- Day 7 Queenstown - Lake Hāwea - Haast Pass - Franz Josef
- Day 8 Franz Josef
- Day 9 Franz Josef - Hokitika - Punakaiki
- Day 10 Punakaiki - Castlehill - Christchurch
What's Included
Expand All
- 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

Operated by
Backyard Roadies
Number of tours
3
Age Range
18 to 39 years old
Response time
2 hours
Response rate
100%
Our tours are not only about experiencing the beauty of Aotearoa New Zealand,...
Read moreCustomer Reviews
- Overall RatingExcellent
- ItineraryExcellent
- GuideExcellent
- TransportExcellent
- AccommodationExcellent
- DCDiana· March 2nd, 2025Overall, it was an amazing experience. Ben was a great tour guide.Show moreTrip date: November 2023
- SBSaskia· March 2nd, 2025The tour was great! Would happily have carried on and seen more with BYR. Hannah was excellent and a great guide.Show moreTrip date: January 2024
- ̆손채연· March 2nd, 2025Good tour with Backyard RoadiesShow moreTrip date: February 2024
- KKaroline· March 2nd, 2025It was a great time and we saw a lot of the southern island. It was the perfect mixture of exploring and relaxing. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the tour.Show moreTrip date: February 2025
- AAnonymous· May 11th, 2023I loved the South Island, I was able to discover so much on this tour. Thanks Ben for driving safely, being punctual and caring. I’d definitely recommend backyard roadies to my friends !Show moreBackyard Roadies commented on this reviewThank you so much for your lovely review! We're so glad to hear you loved the South Island and that the tour allowed you to discover so much. Ben will be thrilled to know that his safe driving, punctuality, and care made your experience even better. We... Show moreTrip date: March 2023
- AAnonymous· May 11th, 2023As I’m 65 years so a lot older than the rest of the group I was nervous at the start. But I was made welcome and fitted into the group well. I avoided the adrenaline trips but was able to be myself and really enjoyed the trip. I was given bottom bunks and would definitely be recommending this group to my peers. Thank youShow moreBackyard Roadies commented on this reviewThank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re so happy to hear that you felt welcomed and enjoyed your time with the group, despite any initial nerves. It’s great that you were able to be yourself and take part in the trip in your own way,... Show moreTrip date: March 2023
- AAnonymous· May 11th, 2023I really enjoyed the trip! Thank youShow moreBackyard Roadies commented on this reviewThank you for your kind words! We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed the trip. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future! ????✨????Trip date: March 2023
- AAnonymous· May 11th, 2023The South Island explorer trip was so good! Ben was amazing throughout the whole experience! He told us some interesting and quirky stories and history about majority of the places we went to and was very helpful with what to do and see during the travels. Also really liked that Maori culture-related activities was included. Would go again!!Show moreBackyard Roadies commented on this reviewThank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a great time on the South Island Explorer trip and that Ben made it even more memorable with his interesting stories and helpful tips. We’re glad you enjoyed the... Show moreTrip date: March 2023
- AAnonymous· March 22nd, 2023It was a great experience. Ben - the tour guy showed great passion about the country. It made the whole trip amazing and more fun. Can't wait to travel with you guys again! Thanks for everything!Show moreBackyard Roadies commented on this reviewThank you so much for your awesome review! We’re thrilled to hear that Ben’s passion for New Zealand made your experience even more enjoyable and fun. It’s great to know you had such a memorable time, and we can't wait to welcome you back for another... Show moreTrip date: March 2023
- AAnonymous· March 22nd, 2023This has been an amazing experience! Meeting all the different people and experiencing NZ as a family style road trip. Ben was an outstanding tour guide who made the trip 10x better than I could have imagined. He helped push ourselves to complete activities we wouldn’t usually try. If you keep an open mind, this trip can be so fulfilling. Thank you backyard roadies!Show moreBackyard Roadies commented on this reviewThank you so much for your wonderful review! We're so happy to hear that you had such an amazing experience and that the trip felt like a family-style adventure. Ben will be thrilled to know that he made your journey even more special and helped you... Show moreTrip date: March 2023
Dates & Availability
10 days
South Island Explorer: Nature and Adventure
From Christchurch to Christchurch
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- Free eSim with every purchase
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Upcoming departures
- From Sunday11 May, 2025To Tuesday20 May, 2025This departure date is not available or sold outSold outFrom:$2,999
Good to Know
Tour ID: 234887
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