New Zealand’s South Island

Download a full trip itinerary » Tell a friend » Email a trip coordinator » Make a reservation »

One of our most treasured travel snapshots is from New Zealand. It's us, as happy as we've ever been, picnicking royally in a tropical rainforest…at the foot of a glacier. No double exposure. It’s just the gorgeous, startling South Island. How can you not love a place where you can lunch at a provençal-style vineyard and swim with the world’s rarest dolphins by teatime? The real South Island posed as the fantasy setting for The Lord of the Rings movies, so spectacular scenery is to be expected. But Classic Journeys will also introduce you to a land you wouldn’t find on your own. We’ll spend a day with a family as they work their vast sheep station. Our local guide has also arranged for naturalists, historians and other experts to share their knowledge about their utterly unique home. As you sample the native green lip mussels…learn about the Maori culture…and punt along the Avon River, you’ll remember this as one of the most unique journeys of your life.