Tours and Tickets
7-Day North to South Island Grand Tour from Auckland
4

7-Day North to South Island Grand Tour from Auckland

By Leisure Tours
About

Ages 0-99, max of 20 per group
Duration: 7 days
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English


  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off for all destinations listed in itinerary
  • Commentary by local guides
  • Four star accommodation in Rotorua, Wellington, Kaikoura & Christchurch
  • Admission fees and all transport/tour fees listed in itinerary
  • All transport listed (Note that the train is not available from May through to September)
  • Entry/Admission - Waitomo Glowworm Caves
  • Entry/Admission - Agrodome
  • Entry/Admission - Te Puia
  • Entry/Admission - Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village
  • Entry/Admission - Interislander
  • Entry/Admission - Picton Sound
  • Entry/Admission - Kaikoura
  • Entry/Admission - Waipara Hills
  • Entry/Admission - Christchurch Cathedral
What's not included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities (optional)

Departure details
  • Traveller pickup is offered.
  • We pick up from all hotels within Auckland city. If you are based outside the city, or if your hotel is not listed, then please advise for pick up instructions.
  • Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Return details
  • Returns to original departure point

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2950P87

  • Most travellers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers

  • If you cancel at least 7 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
  • If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
  • If you cancel within 2 days of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.

A note from 7-Day North to South Island Grand Tour from Auckland
  • Follow the safety guidelines as issued by the New Zealand Government and maintain good hygene and social distancing measures. Do not travel if you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms. If the city in which you are departing from is in alert level two, then please wear a facemask for all transport.
  • Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 2950P87

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Itinerary
Overview
Full Map
10 stops
Day 1
Auckland – Waitomo Caves – Rotorua
Day 2
Rotorua
Day 3
Rotorua – Wellington
Day 4
Wellington – Picton – Kaikoura
Day 5
Kaikoura – Christchurch
Day 6
Christchurch
Day 7
Christchurch – Mount Cook –...
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About the operator
Leisure Tours
538
Christchurch, New Zealand
Joined in July 2010

#3 of 28 Boat Tours & Water Sports in Christchurch
  • reubz027
    reubz027
    0
    0
    A memorable trip... with lots of laughs.
    Amazing experience, Tanya was an absolute blast and a really good sport putting up with our lot of rather loud personalities. We had a lot of fun and got to hear some interesting facts about the countryside, and Tanya too! None of us were huge wine coinsures, but found the experience to be both hilarious and educational - tasty little wineries that made us appreciate the art of wine making..
  • Jay C
    Jay C
    0
    0
    Wine tour cancelled
    I can’t really leave an accurate review as the wine tour was cancelled 19 hrs before departure due to a lack of (2) people attending. I have attended many different wine tours from Wanaka and Queenstown with just 2 people so I was a little disappointed not going.
  • Daman1992
    Daman1992
    0
    0
    A fun afternoon of wine in Waipara!
    Joined the Leisure Tours "Waipara Wine Trail Afternoon Tour" on a Sunday afternoon in Christchurch and had an excellent time! Comms from Leisure Tours prior to the tour day were excellent and I was advised I would be picked up at 11:55am from my hotel. I came down a few minutes early to find the minibus ready and waiting, given there were only five of us on the tour for the day the pickups were very quick. Our guide Jude was excellent, providing commentary on the way to and from Waipara and looking after us at each of the wineries. We stopped at four wineries, Waipara Hills, Georges Road, Torlesse Wines and Pegasus Bay. At each stop we were given a sampling of wines and lunch was served at the first stop, Waipara Hills. The included lunch was a ploughman's platter with a variety of breads, crackers, cheeses, figs and sausages. Drinks not included with lunch but I don't think this is an issue, for most guests there is more than enough drinking over the course of the day! It was universally agreed that Georges Road was the highlight of the day, made even better by sitting outdoors and enjoying the sun. It was considerably warmer in Waipara than Christchurch to the point it felt almost summery on what had been a wintry day in Christchurch. The number of tastings offered at each stop was very generous. One recommendation would be to cut back the time spent at the first winery and increase the time spent at the others. While none of the experiences felt "rushed" it did seem that the time spent at Waipara Hills could be reduced a bit. We were back in Christchurch on time and dropped off back at our hotels. All in all a great day and would recommend Leisure Tours for any touring needs around Christchurch!
  • kajames2016
    kajames2016
    0
    0
    lovely day out
    great trip, Joseph was our driver and was very informative. we visited 4 vineyards, all quite different all with a variety of wines to suit every palette. Can recommend.
  • Amelia H
    Amelia H
    0
    0
    Amazing day at the Waipara Winery
    5/5! The Winery tour was fantastic and a lovely activity for a Sunday afternoon. The tour guide was so very passionate and all wineries were outstanding.
  • WEGL81
    WEGL81
    0
    0
    Packs a lot in too short of a time
    This had the potential to be much better than it was. We got started more than an hour late due to waiting for people from the cruise ship. Throughout the tour, the guide pointed out things we weren't going to be able to see because of the late start. It made it seem like we were missing out on a lot. Otherwise, the tour was interesting, though rushed in most every area. I would have liked to have spent more time downtown. The visit to the Antarctic Center was the highlight. One tip- If you have any back or neck problems at all, DO NOT go on the Hagglund vehicles. They take you on an "obstacle" course and the ride is extremely rough if not jarring. I seriously worried that I had injured my back after that ride and would not have gone on it had someone warned me how rough it was. So here is your warning. One other warning- the ride from Lyttleton harbor to Christchurch is a bit harrowing as you follow a narrow road with no guard rails around the harbor to get "over the hill" to Christchurch. Overall, the trip is worthwhile and probably more so if you are able to start on time. Christchurch itself is worth spending more time outside of a time crunched tour.
  • Manoj S
    Manoj S
    0
    0
    Unforgetable journey on Transalpine Express Train
    Embark on the unforgettable Arthur's Pass Full-Day Tour, complete with a scenic journey aboard the renowned TranzAlpine Express Train departing from Christchurch. This exceptional tour not only treats you to awe-inspiring landscapes of the South Island but also delivers impeccable service. From the attentive staff to the comfortable amenities, every detail is taken care of, ensuring a seamless and truly remarkable experience.
  • bkh2014
    bkh2014
    0
    0
    Eco tour of Lyrtlwton & Akaroa
    If this was the Eco tour-it was the most amazing day! Our tour guide and driverTania put her heart and soul into making sure everyone was taken care of, didn’t get lost, had the best experience and treated us like family. We saw lots of dolphins, seals, shore and sea birds, helicopters spraying the mountainside, Tania is a valuable asset to leisure tours and I hope to do another excursion with her! Awesome day Thank you
  • cheryllT4742NO
    cheryllT4742NO
    0
    0
    Highly recommend
    Our tour guide Joe was wonderful. Love that it was a small group. Chosen wineries were lovely! Would highly recommend.
  • 48gayathrim
    48gayathrim
    0
    0
    Fantastic experience!!
    This was one of the best tours we did in NZ. Each winery had a wonderful sekection of wines and the vineyards themselves were absolutely stunning! Tania was especially attentive and fun, making the whole experience well worth the money.
  • Darlene W
    Darlene W
    0
    0
    Great experience
    The Albatross colony was an absolute must. We enjoyed observing the albatross chicks being fed by returning parents. This is an experience not everyone gets to see, and we actually watched two parents return to two separate chicks. Amazing!
  • FarAway51203312799
    FarAway51203312799
    0
    0
    Lost in the Walpara Valley
    The most fun we had on our visit to Christchurch. The luncheon was very good and the wine tastings were excellent, mostly white wines. We were six Aussies, two Canadians and two from the U.S. At the end of the "tour" we were all drinking buddies and having a blast!
  • IsabelleM1228
    IsabelleM1228
    0
    0
    What a mess and a disappointment!
    If I were you reading this review, I would seriously reconsider other options for a tour provider and find any agency to organise my tour other than "Leisure Tours", unless you want to risk your day being ruined. We were unable to hop on the bus due to out-of-control delays in disembarking the cruise; so I can't comment on the tour itself. However, more important than the tour and sightseeing is customer care. We were literally left behind in the middle of nowhere, despite having our friends on the bus begging the tour guide to wait or get in touch with us as we were experiencing delays disembarking the cruise. We tried everything to get hold of the guide or a customer care representative to find alternative ways to join the tour or get some options on whether we can get on an alternative tour to profit from the only one day we are spending in Christchurch. Our family included 2 adults and 2 kids, aged 8 years and 3 years; imagine how horrible it was for us to run from one bus to another and ask every person around for our tour bus without getting any direction or response from the customer service, who decided to just leave the meeting location after waiting for some time (which is understandable) BUT without even trying to get in contact with us to ask our whereabouts or give us any alternative option (that is horrible!!) I appreciate that they waited and had to leave; however, what annoyed me was their lack of responsibility, their negligence and their ignorance of the basic fundamentals of running a tourism agency. On top of all the frustration they caused, they have even refused a refund (a total of $460), and not even offered a partial refund. Certainly, I don't recommend this agency; we bumped into another family who was also left behind in Christchurch. This family was also supposed to join "Leisure Tours" group for a different tour to ours. The whole experience was so disappointing! I will definitely stay away from and not recommend "Leisure Tours" in any of their destinations as customer care is core to any business, and they don't seem to know this principle.
  • 392michellez
    392michellez
    0
    0
    A relaxing afternoon with good NZ wine!
    This tour was well worth the time and cost... a great addition to our visit in Christchurch. The tour company who organized the wine tour was Leisure Tours and they made a great effort to expose us to a variety of wines. We were taken to four wineries and tasted their lovely wines. As expected, some wines and wineries were better than others and having been to other wine tours it becomes easier to be more discerning. The winery that provided lunch was Vaipara HIlls, Their wines were lovely and their lunch delicious and generous. My only critique would be that the tasting should have been combined with the lunch. It would have been better appreciated. We had a similar tasting at a winery on Weiheke Island and that is how they organized the wine tasting and it was much more enjoyable and appreciated. We really enjoyed the wines at Torlesse Winery, the presenter was so enthusiastic and knowledgable. The winery was smaller and unpretentious and we were thoroughly relaxed and charmed. George Road Winery to me was not very creative as evidenced by their name which was taken from the name of the road they are on. It was an overall unimpressive winery even though our driver enthusiastically promoted the winery and wine. The most impressive winery of our tour was Pegasus Bay. Everything about it was impressive, from the lush gardens, interesting architecture of the building, each promising more to come. The most impressive was the tasting room. It was rich in history of the family who established the winery while being modern in innovation. The wines were a great compliment to the surroundings and our experience there. Overall, a winning afternoon with a friendly driver. (His attempt to use a speaker system in our small bus was a failure for those of us in the back of the bus. It cut out often or was garbled. However he was happy to repeat himself if we asked.) The bus?van was comfortable and the drive smooth and safe.
  • Calum B
    Calum B
    0
    0
    Great Experience would do again
    Wine tasting and all the hosts at the wineries were very knowledgable and great wines to taste. View at all the wineries was also fantastic.
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4.0
1 review
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Abdullah880
Klang, Malaysia9 contributions
Oct 2019
I just returned from a 8-day North to South Island tour. Lizzy was helpful and professional in her dealings with my bookings. The driver in Christchurch by the name of Graham was very very friendly and informative. I strongly advise all visitors to look for Graham if they are visiting Christchurch. I hope Leisure Tours will give him a good bonus!!
Written 6 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Canterburyleisure
Thank you for such a great review, Abdullah. It's awesome to hear that you enjoyed your North to South Island Tour of New Zealand. It has certainly been a pleasure accommodating you both! I have gone ahead and passed on your lovely comments to both Lizzy, our office manager, and Graham, your driver/guide in Christchurch, and they are thrilled to hear such positive feedback. Graham was particularly fond of you both during your stop over in Christchurch! :) Thanks again for the great review and I hope you get to visit us in New Zealand again in the future.
Written 12 November 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

7-Day North to South Island Grand Tour from Auckland provided by Leisure Tours