Get Your Adrenaline Pumping in this 7-Days New Zealand vacation

Arrive in the beautiful city of Christchurch to start the New Zealand vacation package which will take you to many locations throughout the Island nation. After spending some time in Christchurch, you will be visiting MacKenzie County, Queenstown, Wanaka, Franz Josef while coming back to Christchurch to end the trip. Check out the details of the trip given here in the itinerary – 

Day 1: Arrival in Christchurch and transfer to MacKenzie County

On the first day of the tour, you will be arriving in the beautiful city of Christchurch to start the New Zealand vacation package. Here, you will be meeting your tour operator who would take you to the pre-booked hotel where you can have some meal and get freshen up as well. Once you are fresh, you can come out to see some of the places as your tour guide helps you understand how the city went under massive reconstruction post the forgettable 2011 earthquake that struck here and changed lives forever. The first destination for the day would be to the Transitional Cathedral which has been created from cardboard and is completely inspirational. In the afternoon, you will be traveling to Lake Tekapo which has impressive turquoise color and has a mountain on its back as well.  You must not forget to visit the small Church of the Good Shepherd which stands right at the edge of the water and making the scenery worth seeing. The couple from across the world travel here for a pre-wedding shoot in front of the chapel. This place has been declared an International Dark Sky Reserve and the clear blue sky and water make it the best place in the country to see the stars and galaxies on a clear night. Stay here for the night. 

Day 2: Travelling from Mackenzie Country to Queenstown

On the morning of the second day, you must have the energy to hike up to the summit of Mt. John where you can have some of the amazing views of the Southern Alps and you will feel to be on the top of the world. From there, you will get on a scenic drive to Queenstown and the route of the drive can blow away anyone’s mind. On this route, there have been shootings of multiple films such as The Return of the King was filed at the golden tussock lands of Mackenzie country as well as some portions were shot at the dramatic peaks of the Southern Alps. Stop at the Kawarau Gorge which happens to be the World Home of Bungy jumping. Here, you can get into the adventurous act or can see the jumpers getting ready to get the ultimate adrenalin rush. Then, you can go for some wine tasting or scenery driving in Queenstown when you reach there in the evening to stay for the night. 

Day 3: Visiting Queenstown

The third day of the tour would entirely be dedicated to one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Queensland. This place is home to adventure and you can choose from the activities which would be available such as paragliding over the lake, mountain bike parks and trails to die for, bungy jumping, horse riding through Lord of the Rings scenery, and swinging through a canyon. Once you are done with the adventure, you can then hop on to visit Milford Sound which has some awesome scenic settings which are a must-see one. It is said about New Zealand that scenery would never leave you behind whether you fly or drive. Once you have reached Milford Sound, you can go sailing beneath the waterfalls and cliff faces. Some people call this the “8th Wonder of the World”. In the night, you can choose from a series of 40 bars where you can have some interesting conversations with the fellow tourists over some local and international drinks available. 

Day 4: Travelling from Queenstown to Wanaka

You will be spending another quaint morning in the beautiful settings of Queenstown where other activities await you as well. The list for today would be a canyoning experience, Lord of the Rings 4x4 safari or a jet boat ride along the Shotover River. Once you decide among the options, your travel guide will help you get on board the adventure. After finishing the adventures, you will head to Wanaka which is slightly quieter than Queenstown and is situated only one hour away. On the way, you will stop at the Arrowtown which is a historic gold rush village with several characters from the ancient times. The place is blessed with some great peaks and glacial blue lake and the reason why Wanaka is considered to be one of the most beautiful mainland towns of New Zealand. You can also choose to go on hiking and bike rides here as well. Stay the night here in Wanaka. 

Day 5: From Wanaka to Franz Josef

The morning of the fifth day of the New Zealand vacation package would all be about exploring the city of Wanaka. There will be plenty of optional activities available here as well such as a flying lesson, skydiving, a bike tour along Wanaka’s lakeside, or a lake cruise and nature walk on Mou Waho Island. Apart from all these, you can also choose to go on scenic short walks in the area including a visit to #thatwanakatree which has become mandatory these days. Once you are done with these adventures, you can then get on the journey to reach Franz which has some awesome routes as well and certainly would become the best drive for you in New Zealand. You will stop in the middle near Lake Hawea or called Lake Wanaka where you can see some cascading waterfalls of Haast Pass to classic Kiwi coastal views. You will arrive at Franz Josef in the evening and immediately notice this UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its preserved glaciers which are situated just 5 km from the town. Stay here for the night to explore these glaciers the next day. 

Day 6: Exploring in Franz Josef

Franz Josef is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas of New Zealand and is home to many glaciers as well. Set on the backdrop of Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, its glaciers are amongst the oldest in the world. Te Wahi Pounamu (which means ‘the place of greenstone’ in M?ori) is the name given to this part of the West Coast because of the abundance of pounamu (greenstone/jade) to be found here. Today, you will have the opportunity to carve out your pounamu pendant at a local gallery to make it completely yours. Get on the bluest ice where you can take a scenic helicopter flight and hike onto these glaciers as well. You can prefer to Kayak on a glacial lake nearby or rather choose to relax in a steamy hot spring near the glaciers as well. All these activities would take a lot of your time as well and hence relax in the evening at some of these local cafes and enjoy it. 

Day 7: Departure from Christchurch

Today is the last day of the tour and you would have to bid adieu to the fantastic experience but before that, you will head further along the west coast on the scenic drives in the country a rugged, primeval landscape of luxuriant rainforest juxtaposed against the breathtaking beach and ocean waves. You will stop at Hokitika to visit the greenstone factory which is a great place to buy some souvenirs to take back. You can also choose to visit the National Kiwi Centre where you can see some rare kiwi birds in their nocturnal homes. In the afternoon, you will take the stunning TranzAlpine Train Crossing and cross the South Island to reach Christchurch. Here, the tour operator, depending upon the timing of the flight will help you get transferred to the airport and complete the departure proceedings as well.