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Top Things to Do in South Island

We compared all 375 experiences in South Island so you can choose in minutes — real prices, verified reviews and our editorial picks.

4.8 375 experiences from NZ$ 20 Free cancellation on most experiences
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Private Family Bike Tour Wanaka: Self-Guided E-Bike Trails
Private Family Bike Tour Wanaka: Self-Guided E-Bike Trails6h–8hA private family e-bike tour in Wanaka where you select the trail and ride self-guided while a Guest Experience Manager handles pickup, briefing and support. The tour runs 6 to 8 hours and includes up to 11 e-bikes, helmets, repair kits and a trunk bag on each bike; food and drink stops are arranged along the way, though meals are not included in the price. Riders must be at least 8 years old and taller than 130cm, with moderate fitness.Is it for me?At 6 to 8 hours, the tour leaves room for breakfast before pickup or a late lunch after, so it slots into a full day without taking over the whole one. The self-guided format means your family rides at its own pace and stops when it wants to, which works for groups with mixed fitness or ages — the manager can arrange pickups for anyone who needs them without holding everyone back.Free cancellationfrom · per groupNZ$ 2,000View ›
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Luxury Van & Meet-Greet
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Luxury Van & Meet-Greet20mYou get picked up at your Christchurch hotel by a professional driver in a disinfected luxury van, with 20 minutes of free wait time and luggage help included. The van holds up to six passengers, so families or small groups travel together. Fixed pricing is confirmed before you book, and you arrive at Christchurch Airport (CHC) without having driven or navigated the route yourself.Is it for me?Book this if you want to arrive at Christchurch Airport without driving, arranging a rental, or negotiating with a taxi driver — the fixed price and professional service mean one less thing to organize on travel day.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 193View ›
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Private Door-to-Door Service
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Private Door-to-Door Service30mYou're picked up at Christchurch Airport or any city location by a professional driver in a modern vehicle. The service includes flight tracking, luggage assistance, and door-to-door transport to your hotel, attraction, or residential address within Christchurch City. You avoid public transport lines, taxi queues, and parking hassles, with a fixed price agreed before you travel.Is it for me?Choose this if you land in Christchurch with luggage and want to reach your hotel without arranging public transport, parking a rental car, or waiting for a taxi—the fixed price and tracked pickup time mean your journey is settled before you leave home.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 38View ›
Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Flight: 3 Snow Landings
Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Flight: 3 Snow Landings1h 30mA 90-minute helicopter flight over Franz Josef, Fox and Tasman Glaciers in Westland Tai Poutini and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Parks, with three snow landings that let you step out onto the ice and photograph remote terrain most visitors never reach. The pilot is a local professional who speaks English and knows the hidden valleys and rarely seen approaches to New Zealand's highest peak.Is it for me?Book this flight if you want to land on the glaciers themselves rather than view them from the air alone, or if you're traveling as a small group or family and want a local operator who knows the remote corners of both national parks.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 1,495View ›
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Business Car & Meet-Greet
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Business Car & Meet-Greet20mA driver meets you at Christchurch Airport arrivals with your name on a sign and handles your luggage; you ride in a private, disinfected business car with complimentary water and hand sanitizer. The transfer includes 60 minutes of free waiting time with flight tracking, so delays don't cost you extra. All taxes, parking, and the driver's service are included in the fixed price confirmed before you book, and the car accommodates up to three passengers.Is it for me?Book this if you land with luggage and want to skip the taxi rank or app-based guessing game—the driver waits for you, the price is locked in, and you're in a private car within minutes of clearing arrivals.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 170View ›
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Private SUV with Pickup & WiFi
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Private SUV with Pickup & WiFi1h–2hYou get picked up at Christchurch Airport with a name board and a confirmed meeting spot; ride in a clean, air-conditioned SUV with complimentary water and WiFi; and arrive at your destination without arranging transport or negotiating a fare. Most trips take under two hours, and the price is fixed before you land.Is it for me?Book this if you land with luggage and want the transfer sorted before you arrive — the fixed price and flight tracking mean you step out of the airport into a waiting car instead of into a negotiation.Free cancellationfrom · per groupNZ$ 115View ›
Queenstown & Wanaka Airport Transfer: Mercedes Sprinter & WiFi
Queenstown & Wanaka Airport Transfer: Mercedes Sprinter & WiFi1h 30m–2hYou get picked up at Queenstown Airport arrivals with your name on a sign and dropped directly at your Wanaka hotel; the driver handles luggage and the route while you have WiFi and water for the 1.5–2 hour journey. Return transfers work the same way, so your departure is just as straightforward as your arrival.Is it for me?Book this if you want to skip the rental car counter and arrive in Wanaka without navigating unfamiliar roads yourself — the fixed pickup and drop-off means you're not arranging transport logistics, just getting in and being driven where you need to go.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 349View ›
Christchurch Airport to City: Fixed-Price Shared Transfer
Christchurch Airport to City: Fixed-Price Shared Transfer★★★★★★★★★★ 3.89 (81)45mYou book online 48 hours ahead with your flight and hotel details, get instant confirmation, and meet your driver in arrivals at Christchurch Airport. The minivan holds up to eleven passengers and includes luggage help, air conditioning, and a fixed price that doesn't climb if traffic slows you down. You're dropped at your Christchurch City Centre hotel with no meter running and no surprises.Is it for me?Book this if you want to skip the taxi rank and arrive knowing exactly what you'll pay—the shared minivan and fixed price are what make the transfer both affordable and predictable, and the 48-hour pre-booking is what keeps the driver tracking your flight so you're not waiting in arrivals.Free cancellationTravelers' pickfromNZ$ 36View ›
Akaroa Shore Excursion: Wildlife Reserve Tour
Akaroa Shore Excursion: Wildlife Reserve Tour★★★★★★★★★★ 3.65 (26)6hThis guided shore excursion from Akaroa covers Banks Peninsula, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, a city tour, and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in a single 6-hour loop timed around your ship's schedule. Pickup and drop-off at Akaroa Wharf are included, along with entry to the wildlife reserve and a guided walk through its Natural New Zealand section to see kiwi, deer, wallabies, otters, gibbons and lemurs. The operator guarantees on-time return to your vessel.Is it for me?You're on a cruise ship and need the whole day planned and timed for you—this tour picks you up at the wharf, covers four separate stops, and returns you with time built in for your re-boarding, so the logistics are already solved and you're not watching the clock.Free cancellationKids −43%fromNZ$ 209View ›
Waipara Valley Wine Tasting: 4 Wineries, Private Car
Waipara Valley Wine Tasting: 4 Wineries, Private Car★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (3)A private wine-tasting activity in Waipara Valley, North Canterbury, departing from Christchurch with hotel pickup and return. You visit 4 boutique wineries, taste their cool-climate wines, and optionally enjoy a 2-course gourmet lunch made from local produce at one of them. Transport is by air-conditioned Mercedes with a driver; complimentary light refreshments and WiFi are included.Is it for me?A half-day activity suits a free afternoon or morning in Christchurch without eating into a full day of other plans. The private vehicle and included driver mean you taste at your own pace and never worry about managing the 40-minute drive or calculating who can drive home afterward.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 650View ›
Kaikōura Helicopter Whale Watching Tour with Crayfish Lunch
Kaikōura Helicopter Whale Watching Tour with Crayfish Lunch★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (2)2h 30mThis private helicopter tour flies up to five passengers over the Hikurangi Marine Reserve near Kaikōura, where a marine biologist narrates sightings of sperm, humpback, orca and blue whales, plus dolphins and fur seals. The flight lands at an alpine location in the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges for a crayfish lunch with ocean views, then returns over the 2016 earthquake's geological aftermath—fault lines, diverted rivers and landslides reshaping the landscape. The tour runs 2.5 hours and includes the biologist guide, life jackets, headsets and the meal. Minimum age is 13.Is it for me?This is a private tour, so you control the group and the pace without sharing the helicopter or the guide's attention. Choose it if you want marine education woven through the sightseeing—the biologist explains what you're seeing rather than just pointing—and if a crayfish lunch at altitude matters more than a standard meal stop on the ground.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 7,850View ›
Heli-Fish Marlborough Sounds: Catch and dine on D'Urville Island
Heli-Fish Marlborough Sounds: Catch and dine on D'Urville Island★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (1)5hA helicopter fishing and dining experience from Nelson that combines a scenic flight over the Marlborough Sounds and Tasman Bay with a mountain landing on D'Urville Island, where you fish and then dine on what you catch with local wine and beer. The full experience runs about five hours and includes the flight, the mountain landing, national park fees, and all food and beverages. Infants sit on an adult's lap; the activity is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or during pregnancy.Is it for me?Book this if you want to fish and eat your catch on the island itself—it's a full-morning commitment with a mountain landing, not a quick scenic flight.Free cancellationfrom · per groupNZ$ 11,186View ›
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Luxury Car & Meet-Greet
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Luxury Car & Meet-Greet20mA driver meets you at your hotel with a name sign, loads your luggage, and drives you directly to Christchurch Airport in a disinfected luxury car. You get 20 minutes of free wait time, bottled water, and all-inclusive pricing locked in before you book. The whole transfer takes the guesswork out of getting to the terminal on time.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to skip the airport shuttle queue and the uncertainty of shared minibus timing—a fixed-price direct transfer means you arrive calm, on time, and without arranging transport logistics yourself.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 234View ›
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Luxury Car & Meet-Greet
Christchurch Airport Transfer: Luxury Car & Meet-Greet20mYou get picked up by name in the arrivals terminal, ride in a disinfected luxury car with complimentary water, and enjoy a full hour of free waiting time if your flight is delayed or luggage is slow. The driver handles your luggage, the pricing is fixed before you book, and all airport fees are included. You're in your hotel or accommodation without arranging transport or negotiating a fare.Is it for me?Book this if you're landing in Christchurch with luggage or traveling with others and want to skip the taxi queue and fare negotiation—the fixed price and flight tracking mean you know exactly what you're paying and when your ride will be ready.Free cancellationfromNZ$ 234View ›
Milford Sound to Te Anau: Helicopter Flight & Doubtful Sound
Milford Sound to Te Anau: Helicopter Flight & Doubtful Sound2h 30mYou fly from Milford Sound across Fiordland's two largest fiords, landing at remote alpine sites with a live guide narrating the route. The helicopter makes multiple stops so you can step out and photograph the landscape from ground level; headsets let you hear clearly throughout. Ground transport returns you to Te Anau or Manapouri at the end, so the whole experience — flight, landings, and the ride back — is arranged in one booking.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see the scale and remoteness of Fiordland without spending days hiking or arranging separate transport between fiords — the helicopter and the landings do the work of covering half the national park in one morning, and the return ride is already included.Free cancellationInfants freefromNZ$ 1,995View ›
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