no alt text

Best experiences:

Whale-watching in Kaikoura [kayaking]

Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Whale-watching in Kaikoura [kayaking]

See the world’s largest toothed predator, the sperm whale, close up on these Maori-run tours, boasting a 95% success rate. You can whale-watch on kayaks too.

Adult price: £92

Best for ages 6+

Duration: 3 hours

Marlborough Wine Region

Blenheim, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Row of beautiful grape yard before sunset with mountain in Blenheim, New Zealand

New Zealand’s largest, prettiest and most celebrated wine region boasting over 80+ intimate, welcoming wineries.

Best for ages 18+

White-water rafting on the Shotover River

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Close up of inflatable raft with 6 passengers on white water

Adrenaline-pumping white-water rafting for scaredy cats and daredevils, with guaranteed thrills and spills aplenty. Choose either the grade 2-3 rapids of the Kawarau River, or the grade 3-5 rapids of the Shotover River.

Adult price: £105

Min age 13

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 4-5 hours

Bungy jump off the Kawarau Bridge

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Bungy from the Kawarau Bridge, the home of Bungy Jumping. Leap 43m from the historic Bridge. Near Queenstown in the Ogo region on the south island of New Zealand

The original bunjy jump, from a 43m-high bridge over the Kawarau River, plus valley swings and human catapult experiences alongside. Adrenaline rush guaranteed and spectacular scenery to boot.

Adult price: £100

Min age 10

Best for ages 10+

Duration: 4-5 hours

Swim with dusky dolphins in Kaikoura

Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
A Pod of Dusky Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) swimming off the Kaikoura Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand

Swim amongst hundreds, if not thousands, of wild dusky dolphins, surrounded by the jaw-dropping scenery in Kaikoura’s bay, Tours are responsibly operated and educational.

Adult price: £100

Min age 8

Best for ages 8+

Duration: 3-4 hours

Climb a waterfall at Lake Wanaka

Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Climb a waterfall at Lake Wanaka

A brilliantly unique via Ferrata course that requires you to climb to the top of a free-flowing waterfall. Three levels suit different ages and abilities.

Adult price: £110

Min age 10

Best for ages 10+

Duration: 3-7 hours

Jetboating on the Shotover River

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Tourists enjoy a high speed jet boat ride on the Shotover River in Queenstown, New Zealand. Queenstown is one of the most popular summer resort in NZ.

Exhilarating 85km/h jetboat ride (with 360-degree spins) through the striking canyons of the Shotover River.

Adult price: £60

Best for ages 8+

Duration: 4-5 hours

Hike on or helicopter over the Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Franz Josef Glacier in Westland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand.

‘Heli-hike’ onto and under, and take flight over, this awe-inspiring glacier, set amidst a wild, pristine landscape of snow-covered mountains. One of the best places in the world to explore these extraordinary natural wonders.

Adult price: £300

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 4 hours

Underworld rafting in Te Ananui

Charleston, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Underworld rafting in Te Ananui

Unique and fascinating cave tours to a vast underground lake, lit by glow worms, followed by a float out on gentle rapids into the surrounding rainforest. Only in New Zealand.

Adult price: £100

Min age 10

Best for ages 10+

Duration: 4 hours

Hike the Routeburn Track

South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
A hiker pauses for a rest at a clearing while ascending into the mountains

A 32km, 2- to 4-day world-renowned hike, through forested valleys, crystal-clear alpine lakes, and mountain passes with sweeping views.

Adult price: £150

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 2-4 days

Hike the Milford Track

South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Hike the Milford Track

Historic 4-day walk through some of New Zealand’s most sublime landscapes. A magnificent, world-class hike.

Adult price: £120

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 4 days

Stewart Island

Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Stewart Island

Wild, magical island wilderness that offers natural beauty, serenity and the freshest seafood anywhere. And a chance to see the Southern Lights.

Best for ages 4+

Mountain bike the Otago Trail

Otago, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
family out mountain bikers on the Otago Trail

A superb 150km mountain bike adventure across Central Otago following a converted railway track. New Zealand’s most popular cycling trail.

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 3-5 days

TranzAlpine Train

South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Arthur's Pass National Park, New Zealand, KiwiRail TranzAlpine scenic train, riding among beautiful plains and mountains, popular tourist transportation on South Island

A superb 5-hour (one-way) coast-to-coast train journey that takes you through New Zealand’s ‘Great Divide’, the spine of mountains running down the island’s centre.

Adult price: £100

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 5 hours

Skydive over the Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Skydive over the Franz Josef Glacier

One of the world’s greatest skydives, over a spell-binding panorama of snow-capped mountains, ocean, rivers, forest and the magnificent snaking form of the Franz Josef Glacier.

Adult price: £140

Min age 13

Best for ages 13+

Duration: 3 hours

Magic Mail Run

Picton, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Paranomic view of Picton, New Zealand, View from Tirohanga Track.

A charming traditional ferry excursion along one of the finest natural waterways in New Zealand – a dramatic landscape of steep cliffs, thickly wooded hills and remote coves and inlets.

Adult price: £50

Best for ages 10+

Duration: 4 hours

Kayak on Lake Wanaka

Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

|
Bucket List Experience
Kayak on Lake Wanaka

Kayaking doesn’t come much better than this, amid the stunning setting of Lake Wanaka. Hire kayaks and go it alone, or book onto this guided 1-hour excursion across to Ruby Island. You’ll then spend two hours (or longer) picnicking on the island, before returning by their water taxi.

Adult price: £35

Best for ages 6+

Duration: 3 hours

Website >
More details >

Stargazing at the Mount John Observatory

Takapo, South Island, New Zealand

View of Mount John University Observatory, view of lake Alexandrina, Tekapo Lake in New Zealand

New Zealand’s premier astronomical research observatory, sited 1,029m up, sits in the largest accredited International Dark Sky Reserve in the world – offering unrivalled star-gazing. 1 hour 45 mins tours from Takapo allow you to spy through 16-inch optical telescopes. Operates daily, all year round, weather permitting.

Adult price: £90

Min age 7

Best for ages 7+

Website >
More details >

Hike the Inland Pack Track

Punakaiki, South Island, New Zealand

Hike the Inland Pack Track

This 25km (2- to 3-day) hiking trail follows an old miners’ walking track through forested limestone canyon and fern-filled beech forests of the Paparoa National Park. There are no huts; camping only. You can, however, do shorter stretches of 1-3 hours.

Best for ages 6+

Duration: 1 hour - 3 days

Website >
More details >

Arrowtown

Arrowtown, South Island, New Zealand

Tourists are walking around the main street of Arrowtown

This charming town showcases New Zealand’s gold-mining history – a rare taste of heritage in this modern nation. Founded in 1862, at its height it was home to over 7,000 residents (today around 3,000). Many of the original buildings have been preserved, creating a character-filled main street – that’s now home to some excellent shops and restaurants.

Best for ages 13+

Website >
More details >

Classic Car Museum

Nelson, South Island, New Zealand

Retro cadillac 1923 in the classic car museum in Nelson

Museum home to over 150 iconic classic cars, beginning with a 1908 Renault AX and then showcasing the development of motor vehicles through the decades. Vauxhalls, Triumphs, Cadillacs, Jaguars and Ferraris also feature.

Adult price: £10

Best for ages 6+

Website >
More details >

Boat tours of Okarito Lagoon

Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand

Boat tours of Okarito Lagoon

Nature lovers, especially bird lovers, should not miss a cruise on this huge estuarine lagoon, filled with birds and other wildlife. Two-hour guided tours on a flat-bottomed jetboat allow you access even to shallow areas, where you can spot iconic white herons, godwits and oystercatchers. All to a magnificent backdrop of Mount Cook. Daily tours Nov-May.

Adult price: £50

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 2 hours

Website >
More details >

Marlborough Flyer Tourist Steam Train

Blenheim, South Island, New Zealand

Marlborough Flyer Tourist Steam Train

Train fans and sightseers will love the half-day trips on this heritage train pulled by a World War I locomotive (circa 1915), with authentic carriages to match. Morning and afternoon tours make the return trip (1 hour each way) from Blenheim to Seddon, with an hour layover in Seddon.

Adult price: £30

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 3 hours

Website >
More details >

Steamship TSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

Steamship TSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu.

This 1912 Edwardian twin screw steamer – the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere – offers 1.5-hour scenic cruises on Lake Wakatipu. Passengers can view the engine room, and read onboard displays about the boat’s history, as well as soaking up the jaw-dropping scenery.

Adult price: £40

Best for ages 4+

Duration: 1.5 hours

Website >
More details >

Pancake Rocks & Blowholes [walking]

Punakaiki, South Island, New Zealand

pancake rocks and blowholes at Punaiki

These striking 30-million-year-old limestone rock formations, located at Dolomite Point, are worth a stop if you’re driving the rugged West Coast. Blowholes, fed by underground caves, provide a daily show as sea spray canons into the air. There’s a special designated circular walk that takes 20-45 minutes to complete.

Best for ages 4+

Website >
More details >

Royal Albatross Centre

Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand

Royal Albatross Centre

This small wildlife centre is dedicated to understanding and conserving the Northern Royal Albatross, a magnificent bird with an incredible 3m wingspan. Inside there are interactive displays, just up the hill is a special glass observatory that allows you to watch the birds at home in the only mainland breeding colony in the world. 1-hour guided and private tours available. Open daily.

Best for ages 4+

Website >
More details >

Air Force Museum

Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

The new Air Force museum shows classic aircrafts of New Zealand

This national museum for New Zealand’s Air Force (RNZAF), dedicated to the country’s aviation history, occupies 37 hectares in a Christchurch suburb. The six display buildings feature historic aircraft, engines and components, enemy memorabilia, informative and interactive displays and even a Mosquito plane simulator. Open daily.

Best for ages 8+

Website >
More details >

Onsen Hot Pools

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

Onsen hot pool in South island NZ

Inspired by the Japanese tradition of onsen, these cedar-lined hot tubs are filled with local mountain water heated to 38.5°C. Both indoor and outdoor tubs are available for up to 4 people per tub (they have special couples ones too), and all come with views of the Shotover River. Perfect for post-adrenaline-activity recovery.

Adult price: £40

Min age 5

Best for ages 8+

Website >
More details >

Christchurch Art Gallery

Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

Art Gallery in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. Modern architecture.

The South Island’s major art museum houses an excellent collection of artworks throughout the ages, from old masters to modern art. Unsurprisingly, it’s also the place to see the best local and national art. Check the website for free guided tours.

Best for ages 13+

Website >
More details >

Riverside Market

Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

Riverside Market eatery and food market in Christchurch city centre. Popular tourism attraction in Christchurch city with restaurants and food stalls.

This vibrant indoor farmer’s market and foodie hub was initially meant as a temporary pop-up type facility in a shopping mall damaged by the Christchurch earthquake. Seven years on it’s now one of the city’s top shopping and dining destinations, and a real post-tragedy success story.

Best for ages 8+

Website >
More details >

Speight’s Brewery

Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand

Group beer tasting led by host at Speights' Brewery in Dunedin

This Dunedin institution, founded in 1876, is recognised internationally for its outstanding craft ales and beers. One hour 15 minute guided brewery tours take you behind-the-scenes and explain the process, and finish with tastings and purchases at the in-house shop. Children 5+ are welcome.

Adult price: £15

Min age 5

Best for ages 8+

Website >
More details >

Quake City

Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

Quake City

This small museum tells the story of the terrible 2010 & 2011 earthquakes that destroyed much of Christchurch and the Canterbury Plain. A sobering reminder of the power of nature, and our dependence on her goodwill.

Adult price: £5

Best for ages 8+

Website >
More details >

Cardrona Distillery

Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

Cardrona Distillery

This artisan, family-run distillery is renowned for its handcrafted single-malt whisky, gin, vodka and liqueurs. 75-minute guided tours take you behind the scenes to see the production process, and of course, to sample some of the outputs.

Min age 18

Best for ages 18+

Website >
More details >