The Southern Drift (Base, 2026/2027, 10 Days)

10 days
•
Start and end in Christchurch
4.3
111 traveler reviews
  • A rustic wooden cottage surrounded by autumn trees.
  • Vintage stone building surrounded by green trees and vibrant flowers.
  • Fountain in front of a historic stone building set against a blue sky.
  • Cityscape with a cable car overlooking green hills and water.
  • Lake with reflections of mountains and a lakeside town.
    View all
  • Scenic view of a lake with snow-capped mountains in the distance.
  • Mountain biker riding with a view of a lake and mountains.
  • Pathway leading to a scenic view of peaks and a lake surrounded by mountains.
  • People posing on a mountain peak with a stunning valley view.
  • Scenic sunset view over a tranquil fjord with mountains in the background.
    View all

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Plan your adventure:
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

  • Christchurch
    Christchurch
  • Queenstown
    Queenstown
  • Milford Sound
    Milford Sound
  • Wanaka
    Wanaka
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Explore Christchurch and Lake Tekapo
  • Enjoy High Tea at Mt. Cook Lakeside Retreat
  • Taste wines at Gibbston Valley's Kinross
  • Cruise on Lake Wakatipu aboard the TSS Earnslaw
  • Stay overnight on the Milford Mariner cruise

Itinerary

View Full Itinerary
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 Welcome to Christchurch
  2. Day 2 Christchurch - Lake Ohau
  3. Day 3 Lake Ohau - Queenstown
  4. Day 4 Queenstown
  5. Day 5 Queenstown - Milford Sound
  6. Day 6 Milford Sound - Wanaka
  7. Day 7 Wanaka - Franz Josef
  8. Day 8 Franz Josef
  9. Day 9 Franz Josef - Christchurch
  10. Day 10 Farewell from Christchurch
Want to read it later?

Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar 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

All accommodations are subject to change

  • Hotel Montreal Christchurch

    Hotel
    Days 1, 9

  • Lake Ohau Lodge

    Hotel
    day 2

  • The Rees

    Hotel
    Days 3, 4

  • Milford Mariner

    Hotel
    day 5

  • Edgewater Lake Wānaka Hotel

    Hotel
    day 6

  • Te Waonui Forest Retreat

    Hotel
    Days 7, 8

Operated by

AAT Kings

4.3
(111 reviews)
This operator has high review ratings and responds promptly to enquiries

Number of tours

393

Age Range

5 to 99 years old

Response time

within 2 days

Response rate

91%

Since 1912, AAT Kings as a tour operator has been helping people from all...

Read more

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Kathleen
    · March 3rd, 2025
    Optional activities should be scheduled in advance and not as the tour progresses. That way we can know whether or not we can get the activity. If not, it can be scheduled online. I had no access to these activities from Tour Radars website and didn’t know they existed. Luckily I scheduled on my own and got to see what I wanted. Others did not.
    Show more
  • Lorne
    · February 25th, 2025
    Excellent, guide and driver were exceptional.
    Show more
  • Rhonda
    · September 14th, 2025
    This was my first trip on a guided tour. Was feeling nervous - but it ended up being a great experience. Everything went smoothly. The communication from Tour Radar was good.They responded promptly to my queries. It was well organized. The itinerary gave an opportunity to see and have a range of experiences, The tour guide Joe from Down Under Tours (AAT) was fantastic. He really enjoyed his job and was passionate about sharing the places we visited. He was very knowledgeable too. Joe was very friendly and respectful to all of us on the tour.
    Show more

Dates & Availability

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2027

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1 Adult2 Adults, 1 Child2 Children

Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0
Upcoming departures
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Ends on 12 Nov, 2025
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More benefits
Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at AAT Kings with your enquiry, they usually respond within 2 days.

No departure dates available

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Plan your adventure:

Good to Know

Tour ID: 298217

  • Currency
    $
    New Zealand Dollar
    New Zealand
  • Plugs & Adapters

    Type I
    New Zealand
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before January 8th, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after January 8th, 2026, a minimum payment of $200 is required to confirm your booking with AAT Kings. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and AAT Kings will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "AAT Kings" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.
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Who is travelling?

AdultsAges 18 or above

2

ChildrenUnder 18

0

Select departure month

2025

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2026

Jan
Feb
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Apr
May
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Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

2027

Jan
Feb
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