11 Day New Zealand Winter Escape: Snow, Soaks & Coastal Flavours
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Step Into a Cosy Winter Escape with “Snow, Soaks & Coastal Flavours: An 11 Day South Island Winter tour”
Designed for the cooler months from June through September, this immersive winter journey celebrates the quieter, more atmospheric side of New Zealand. Instead of focusing purely on skiing (which can be added), this experience blends snow play in high country landscapes for beginners, alpine hot pools, glowworm caves, wild coastlines, and deeply local food experiences. Ideal for couples, families, and travellers who want winter beauty without extreme adventure, it showcases the South Island at its best.
Why This Tour Stands Out:
Winter Without the Pressure to Ski: This itinerary is built around snow play and alpine scenery rather than full ski days. At Rainbow Ski Area, enjoy dedicated snow play zones with optional skiing or snowboarding available if conditions suit.
Hot Pools in the Heart of the Alps: Spend two indulgent nights at Maruia Hot Springs with unlimited access to thermal pools, saunas, and mountain serenity. Winter is when these experiences feel most magical. Plus, there are fewer bugs!
Deeply Local Food Experiences: From a four-course long lunch in Waipara to a full day seasonal cooking class at Hapuku Kitchen, this journey connects you to the land through taste. Winter menus highlight local produce, slow cooking, and comforting flavours.
Wildlife & Glowworms in Crisp Winter Air: Kaikōura offers year round whale watching, with winter migrations adding extra excitement. On the West Coast, drift beneath thousands of glowworms in one of New Zealand’s most impressive cave systems.
Coastal & National Park Beauty Without Summer Crowds: Explore Punakaiki’s dramatic coastline and Abel Tasman’s golden beaches in a quieter season, when walking trails and kayaking routes feel peaceful and unhurried.
Bespoke Winter Flexibility: Whether you want more spa time, a heli snow landing, upgraded boutique lodges, or a fully guided private experience, this winter tour can be shaped around your style, pace, and comfort level.
Build your own custom tour
The activities listed are just a glimpse of what’s possible! We pride ourselves on creating bespoke experiences tailored to your interests and desires. If you have specific activities or destinations in mind, let us know, and we’ll craft a personalized itinerary just for you. Every journey is unique, and we’re here to make yours perfect. Dream big – your adventure is waiting to be customised!
BUILD YOUR TOUR
Top attractions in this tour
Your winter wellness road trip itinerary
11-day journey exploring 7 key destinations across New Zealand's diverse landscapes.
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DAY 1
- Christchurch Arrival (Āmiki Culture Tour)
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DAY 2
- Christchurch to Kaikōura via Waipara (Tram & Greystone)
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DAY 3
- Kaikōura (Cooking Class at Hapuku Kitchen)
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DAY 4
- Kaikōura to Maruia Hot Springs (Whale Watch)
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DAY 5
- Maruia Hot Springs
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DAY 6
- Maruia Hot Springs to Punakaiki (Via Pounamu Pathway)
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DAY 7
- Punakaiki to Murchison via Underworld Adventures
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DAY 8
- Murchison to Nelson Via Nelson Lakes Snow
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DAY 9
- Nelson to Abel Tasman National Park Via Golden bay
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DAY 10
- Abel Tasman National Park - Kayak Walk & Cruise (Abel Tasman Platter)
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DAY 11
- Abel Tasman National Park to Nelson + Departure
What’s included?
Your choice of accommodation. Silver (4 star), gold (5 star) or platinum (luxury lodge) options available
Most breakfasts, select lunches and dinners
A choice of self-drive and privately guided transport
In-depth and detailed custom travel guide
Listed activities (the list is fully customisable)
Full insurance coverage on rented vehicles
Overnight parking where necessary
Custom tour creation with one of our travel experts
What’s not included?
Return international flights
Personal travel insurance
Some lunches and dinners
Individual shopping and souvenirs
Extra, optional activities
Why book a privately guided road trip
Bespoke Itineraries
Bespoke Itineraries
Personalised tours tailored to your preferences
Authentic Kiwi Experiences
Authentic Kiwi Experiences
Genuine insights into New Zealand's culture
Flexible Bookings
Flexible Bookings
Secure and adaptable travel arrangements
Private Travel Safety
Private Travel Safety
Safe, crowd-free, intimate exploration
Local Expertise
Local Expertise
In-depth knowledge from a Kiwi-owned business
New Zealand's Top Awarded Tours
New Zealand's Top Awarded Tours
Winner of Tripadvisor’s ‘Travelers choice’ over multiple years & our 100+ 5 star reviews
I invite you to explore the winter landscapes of New Zealand with me, a place I know deeply and love sharing. With a private guide, you can relax knowing the driving, mountain roads, timing, and logistics are all taken care of. As you’ll see from the photos, Matt and I have personally explored these places ourselves, we know the roads, the seasons, and the small details that make each stop worthwhile. I’ll introduce you to hidden lookouts, local food spots, and the moments you might otherwise miss. Together, we’ll create a winter escape that feels seamless, personal, and built on genuine experience.
Alex
General Manager
Frequently Asked Winter Tour Questions:
Is this South Island winter tour suitable as a winter wellness escape?
Yes. While this journey includes snow play and nature adventures, it is equally designed as a restorative winter experience. With two nights at Maruia Hot Springs, unlimited access to thermal pools, slow food experiences, coastal walks, and relaxed pacing, this tour blends gentle adventure with genuine winter wellness. If you would like to elevate the wellness focus further, we can add spa treatments, private hot pool sessions, extended lodge stays, or additional relaxation time to suit your preferences.
Is whale watching good in winter?
Yes. Kaikōura offers year-round whale watching thanks to its deep offshore canyon. In winter, you may see migrating humpbacks alongside resident sperm whales, making it a fantastic time to visit.
Will weather affect the itinerary?
Weather in New Zealand can influence travel at any time of year, not just in winter. Alpine passes, coastal regions, and even summer conditions can shift quickly. We design this South Island winter tour with flexibility in mind, focusing on regions that are generally reliable while allowing buffer time where needed. If snow, rain, or road conditions require adjustments, we provide thoughtful alternatives that preserve the quality of your experience without compromising safety. When you travel with us, you are not navigating these changes alone. We are on hand throughout your journey to assist, adapt plans where required, and ensure your trip continues smoothly regardless of what the weather decides to do.
Do I need to ski or snowboard to enjoy this tour?
Not at all. This itinerary is designed around snow play rather than full ski days. Rainbow Ski Area has a dedicated snow play area, and skiing or snowboarding is entirely optional depending on conditions and interest. We can extend your time here too if you want to add in more snow time!
When is the best time to travel on this winter tour?
This itinerary is ideal from June through September, when alpine regions receive reliable snowfall and hot pools feel especially inviting. July and August offer peak snow conditions, while June and September provide quieter roads and slightly milder temperatures.
When is the best time to travel on this winter tour?
This itinerary is designed specifically for the winter months of June through September, when alpine regions receive reliable snowfall and hot pools feel at their most inviting. July and August typically offer the best snow conditions, while June and September can provide quieter roads and slightly milder temperatures.
That said, the route itself works beautifully year round. If you prefer to travel outside winter, we can easily adapt the experience by replacing snow play with scenic alpine walks, additional wildlife encounters, or extended food and wellness experiences. The core concept is winter focused, but the journey can be reshaped to suit your timing and interests.
Real and Independent Traveller Feedback
Read reviews on Tripadvisor
Amazing well planned vacation
The experience with The Road Trip New Zealand was fantastic. Matt made planning easy, incorporating all preferences to ensure everyone had a great New Zealand vacation. Unlike standard itineraries of larger tour companies, the ability to customize the trip was what we wanted. Chris, the tour guide, became like family, making him a perfect fit for the group. He was flexible and joined in the adventures. If considering a trip to New Zealand, The Road Trip is an excellent company that takes the stress out of planning. They adjusted the schedule to maximize time, despite the challenges of winter weather. Their local base in New Zealand allowed them to tailor unique excursions, resulting in more personal experiences as they often knew the companies personally. Activities included golf, hot springs, wineries, archery, atv tours and helicopter. The vacation was amazing, and a return for summer adventures is planned. Kia Ora until we meet again!"
dimple d
Jul 2025
Amazing South Island Adventure
We had an amazing experience on the South Island planned by the Road Trip. Matt really listened to what we wanted to do and after a couple of back and forth messages we settled on an itinerary. We chose to self-drive and are glad we did, as it added to the experience. The planning was perfect…plenty of time to enjoy the many activities and the unique areas we visited. The app provided us with a great resource and ideas for exploring. The selection of activity providers was ideal as we experienced a myriad of unique adventures including a helicopter, a jet boat, whale watching, and an island hike. We stayed in some amazing locations and enjoyed some fantastic meals. We were also pampered with some relaxing spa experiences. We look forward to returning to New Zealand, and will certainly call on the Road Trip to create another delightful experience.
Popovova
Jun 2025
The Road Trip - North Island this time.
We were two couples and had a wonderful time on our trip to the North island of New Zealand. We hired The Road Trip for a second time, we used them last year for trip to the South Island. Our tour guide, Constance was amazing and requested her from our previous trip. She is very knowledgeable about all the history and culture and conveyed that info in an engaging, interesting and entertaining way. She also had vast knowledge of the film industry of NZ, which we didn’t know much about. She also has an easy personality with a great sense of humor.
Our tour started in Wellington and we took a quick drive to the southern tip of the island to the lighthouse there and beautiful rocky beaches. Then drove north to Napier and visited wineries around the Martinborough and Hawke’s Bay wine regions, then off to Lake Taupō region for some time around the lake and a great hike to waterfalls along the way, then to Rotorua where we went to the Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland, which we enjoyed and Māori Cultural experience which was OK and the Redwoods Tree Walk which was fun. The highlight of our stay in Rotorua was a Twilight Kayak Glow Worm tour by Taiao Adventures. We had been on other glow worm tours, one in the South Island as well as one in the north on a previous trip. The Kayak trip was by far the best of them all. Then off to Whitianga and the Coromandel Peninsula which was gorgeous. Unfortunately, we had some rain, so would have enjoyed the beaches more on a sunny day. Our stay in Whitianga included a glass bottom boat tour to Cathedral Cove which was wonderful. On the drive of the Coromandel peninsula we stopped at a quirky place we would never have booked on our own, it was called the Driving Creek Railway. It is such a unique place and shouldn’t be missed. We ended our trip in Waiheke Island which was not part of the tour, but would highly recommend a stop there. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would highly suggest hiring The Road Trip with a guide to drive you around.
One other thing I should mention is about the Road Trip’s reservation department. They reserve all the hotels ahead of time based on hotel class, we chose Silver which you’d expect to be decent. The hotel they booked for us in Rotorua was not acceptable on many levels given that we didn’t have a car of our own. We stayed at the Regal Palms Resort, which was not a resort although listed as a 5-star resort online. It was basically a motel with a “gym” and “spa” with no view, no food or drink amenities or any place to walk to within a mile. Our back patio was basically a table and chairs surrounded by a tall wall, which we joked was the solitary confinement space. We chose The Road Trip so we wouldn’t have to drive so you need to stay somewhere within walking distance of a restaurant or something to do as the driver needs time off. As we used The Road Trip before without any issues we didn’t double check the locations of the hotels as much as we should have done, which is on us. However, the online presence of this hotel is very misleading and they should have known that. Other than this hotel though, the other accommodations they booked for us were good and besides the long explanation of the accommodation faux fas, I would still recommend using The Road Trip.
AliT-SoCal
May 2025
Remarkable Honeymoon Adventure
Alex Cameron and the Road Trip Team helped plan the most remarkable, memorable, and amazing honeymoon for my wife and I. We did a self-drive tour. We travelled throughout the South Island with incredible hikes, excursions, activities, and lodging throughout, all made seamless by The Road Trip team. When preparing the itinerary, Alex met with us frequently, fine-tuning the itinerary and ensuring it met all of our wishes. He gave great advice and every part of the trip was meticulously thought out. We highly reccomend this team. It was a pleasure to plan with them.
alex m
May 2025
Wonderful trip to New Zealand with the Road Trip
We did the Lord of the Rings Tour with the Road Trip, and we had a fantastic time. When we were researching the trip, it came down to a company that does small (10-20 people) tours on a bus, or the Road Trip, which customizes the tour and transportation to the size of your group. We're so happy we chose the Road Trip for the four of us. The main selling point was flexibility, both in the creation of the itinerary (we started with the LOTR itinerary, and customized from there) as well as during the trip, where we could make substitutions or side trips to explore other interesting sites. That flexibility came into play when our Milford Sound trip got rained out - we were able to rebook for the next morning and skip some things the next day. That kind of flexibility probably wouldn't exist on a larger tour.
The trip was amazing; jaw-dropping scenery, great weather, and excellent food and drink. The best part of our trip was our guide, Bruce. Not only did he know all of the LOTR info, but he also was fully versed in New Zealand history and culture. He was very good at reading our interests, and made sure to make stops that were of interest to us. So while the tour was LOTR-based, when he found out I was interested in wine and beer, we made stops at local pubs that had a lot of local beer selections. And when we were in Marlborough, he recommended the Wine Kitchen for dinner, and it was the culinary highlight of our trip. Bruce clearly loves sharing insights and info on his home country, and his presence made the trip one of the best we've ever taken.
Thanks to Bruce and all the staff at the Road Trip for putting together an amazing trip!
David A
Jan 2025
Family Trip of a Lifetime over Christmas and New Year
I would highly recommend using The Road Trip New Zealand for your adventure. We spent two weeks in this wonderful country. We split our time between the North and South Islands. The Road Trip had planned all the details and it was such a smooth process. We had a couple of issues pop up with two of our bookings, and the staff were quickly available (even though it was a holiday) and sorted it out.
I would recommend not booking too many activities and making sure to build in downtime. This country is so beautiful and there will be things pop up that you want to explore.
Terri M
Jan 2025
The experience of our lives
We chose New Zealand as our honey moon emphasizing in visiting some Lord of the Rings filming locations as well as experiencing other NZ wonders. The team of The Road Trip made a great job in designing a perfect itinerary for us. First, Alex worked with us for months during many backs and forwards, never forcing us towards any set or standard itinerary, but always adapting the itinerary to our preferences and making sure we made the most of our time. We finally settled a part guided and part self-driven itinerary. We also indicated that we where not willing to spend a lot of money in fancy hotels, and he made sure our accommodation was always nice but affordable. The time and effort he put into it was really remarkable. The whole booking process was smooth and straightforward, and we always received all the help we needed from them, always keeping quick and easy communication.
Once there, our guide Bruce was really kind and helpful. We learned a lot about NZ with him and he was always willing to do all in his power to make sure we could do all our planned activities, even when we needed to react to unfavourable weather conditions. Also, Shani from the reservations team was always reachable to make any changes or adjustments needed. We constantly felt cared and supported, and we don't have any doubts that they all did their best to help us enjoy our time. It was truly a memorable trip and we need to thank all of them for it. We fallen in love with New Zealand. We will return there, and we will definetly do it with The Road Trip.
Alfredo LL M
Nov 2024
New Zealand North Island Lord of the Rings Tour
Pick these guys if you are interested in a great tour of New Zealand - they know what they are doing. Had a fantastic time in the North Island tour that started in Auckland and ended in Wellington. Our group visited many Lord of the Rings film locations, including Hobbiton, Helms Deep, etc. and special effects wizards Weta Workshop. We learned about Maori culture and traditions. We went white water rafting and enjoyed sumptuous meals at River Valley Rafting. Our guide, Bruce, was very knowledgeable and accomodated our various requests ("Can we get ice cream?"). I am already planning to use them for a tour of the South Island. Highly recommended.
sn-traveller-AUS
Oct 2024
Exploring New Zealand aka Middle Earth
"It has been a dream of ours to visit New Zealand for many years and The Road Trip exceeded all of our expectations. From the start of planning our trip, months prior to visiting New Zealand, Road Trip answered all of our questions and concerns. The Road Trip put our minds at ease through the organization of creating our 12 day itinerary, providing transportation from and to each airport, and by booking each hotel and tour. Through booking each daily activity for our stay in New Zealand, Road Trip also took the time to cater the tour to focus on our interests and our love for Lord of the Rings movies (filming locations).
Furthermore, we cannot be remiss in thanking our tour guide, David, who went above and beyond to ensure we were able to see and experience as much of ‘Middle Earth’ as possible. We will forever be grateful for David as he truly brought our dream holiday to life. His recommendations and knowledge of local restaurants, trails to hike, wineries, and cafes were spot on. It was unbelievable that each day seemed better than the last.
As we continue to reminisce about our trip by looking back at photos and sharing our experiences with family and friends, our hearts are full. With beautiful weather each day during our stay (which many shared with us is unusual during winter months), we were able to take in all of the beauty New Zealand holds. David said it best, “you guys had the picture-perfect brochure every day,” and he couldn’t be more accurate. Thank you, Matt, David, and The Road Trip for your unwavering efforts in creating the perfect holiday!"
With grateful hearts,
James and Lindsey
Lindsey B
Jul 2024
Trip of a lifetime!
We can’t say enough positive things about The Road Trip. From our initial contact with Alex we (group of four) felt well taken care of, like we were the only ones they were assisting. Other companies were happy to provide plans but The Road Trip were the only ones to develop a plan that captured our interests (i.e. culture, landscape, wine, culinary), in other words, they listened. The unique dining in Christchurch was a special treat – it was such a fun evening. In retrospect there is not a single accommodation, dining, or tour we would have changed, a testament to the great planning The Road Trip team did. Of note is the great job they did in providing support, the Reservation Team (thanks Denina!) were on top of every detail (hotels, transfers, car rental, meals, excursions …) and subsequently the trip was seamless, we just focused on enjoying ourselves. The app used for the trip plan included all our itinerary and reservation information (with links) and worked extremely well. It included information on dining, activities, and shopping that we consulted many times for dining and hikes.
Our trip was spectacular with great memories, The Road Trip was a key reason why!
Tom C
Jul 2024
Fantastic Road Trip in the South Island
Just had 21days in NZ south island. The Road Trip crew organised everything and it was faultless! The tour was tailored to our wants and what we were into. The App was just great so we were never concerned about if we were on time or what to see on the way.Cannot recommend this crew enough! The month of May is perfect for what we wanted to do. Again thanks to the Road Trip crew for a great holiday. There is not enough room here to write about all the great things we saw and did. The Kiwis are great!
Ian S
Jun 2024
Wonderful time touring the South Island of New Zealand. Highly recommend The Road Trip Tour Company!!!
A little late in posting this review, but it was such a wonderful experience I wanted to make sure I let Alex and our guide Constance know what a great time we had. Kudos to Alex for putting together a fantastic itinerary on such short notice and to Constance for her knowledge, wit, and patience with the four of us spry 60+ year olds. She was an amazing host who loves her country and loves to share its history, she was a fantastic driver as well, she knew when we needed to get on the road and knew so many short cuts during rush hour traffic, she made us so happy we weren’t driving. As a side note, being from the States, I would highly recommend not driving, we’ve driven NZ and Australia before and having a driver is sooo much more enjoyable. We highly recommend The Road Trip!!! Thank you again Alex for making our vacation amazing!!!
AliT-SoCal
May 2024
The Road Trip is the best way to organize a great trip to New Zealand
The Road Trip team did an outstanding job organizing and scheduling our recent visit to New Zealand. There were no issues communicating with them from the States and they made it easy to schedule a video call and discuss what would best match our interests and priorities. Alex and the team then sent us a first draft itinerary to review .They had excellent suggestions and many great options. Lastly, they sent a final itinerary and an app to use throughout our trip.
Communication throughout the process and the trip was easy and the app was fantastic --it had all the information we needed each day – hotel reservations, activities, meals etc. and we appreciated the many suggestions in the app for places to visit and activities so we could tailor each day to our liking.
Because our trip was so successful, we’re planning to use The Road Trip to return to New Zealand in 2025. It’s by far the best way to organize a great trip to New Zealand that is tailored for you.
Janet S
May 2024
Wonderful trip
I had a great trip with my friends. New Zealand is beautiful. This time I experienced it. The views and scenery were spectacular. I hope I can comeback to NZ again.
Tiến H
Apr 2024
Wonderful, custom made New Zealand road trip with "The Road Trip"
If you are looking for a bespoke tour of New Zealand's South Island, I would recommend going with the Road Trip. Other than for day trips, my wife and I avoid bus trip tours. We want my own agenda and dislike waiting for a large group of people to assemble and don't like being part of herd following a flag around and having to be rushed to the next place. After doing extensive research about the places we wished to visit and after looking at several companies, We decided to go with the Road Trip. We were able to talk directly with Matt about our interests and he put together a two week tour agenda. After reviewing, I added some things and changed others to get exactly the route and agenda we wanted.
Chris M. was our guide and excellent driver and quickly learned what we liked and the types of things we wanted to do and see. We were able to make changes on the fly and spend as much or little time at each place as we wanted and arrive at our next lodging spot early - or later if we wanted more time someplace. When our whale-watch tour was cancelled, Chris suggested a steamboat tour and BBQ lunch as an alternative which was an excellent choice. He also knows interesting local and out of the way places to stop for views, walks, breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks, many which we likely would not have discovered on our own or at a convenient time. Chris was very personable, accommodating and polite and had a great sense of humor. He is well versed in NZ flora and fauna and can identify native birds and plants and provide a lot of info about them. He is also quite knowledgeable about Maori culture, history and lore. He is well travelled and has many interesting life experiences and stories to relate. We spent many hours in the car so I believe we got to know one another quite well.
Thanks again to the Road Trip and to Matt and Chris for taking good care of us and giving us a truly memorable experience!
usclapps
Mar 2024
An amazing service! Highly recommend!
Having never been to New Zealand before we wanted to self drive and asked the Road Trip to suggest an itinerary. We spoke to Matt via Zoom and discussed our interests, time lines and budget. Within a short period of time Matt sent us a suggested itinerary. We met again via Zoom and discussed the plan. Each day we looked forward to opening the App and following the suggested route as we explored NZ. Points of interests, suggested cafes and rest stops along the route did not disappoint. All of the accommodation and activities were excellent. Wonderful to arrive in a city and look at the suggested restaurants, etc. we followed the the Road Trips suggestions most evenings for dinner and were delighted we did! On a couple of occasions, timings for activities were altered by the provider and our App was immediately updated and a email was also sent to us.
We loved New Zealand, we thoroughly enjoyed The Road Trip’s staff and services. This is the way to travel!! Highly recommend! 10/10!!!
Vacationer588794
Mar 2024
Had the trip of a lifetime thanks to The Road Trip!
Highly highly HIGHLY recommend The Road Trip to plan your New Zealand adventure. Everything was planned perfectly between the hotels and the adventures. Their recommendations were spot on and we had the trip of a lifetime. There were 8 of us ranging from teens to late 60s and the adventures we had were perfect from climbing to jet boating to staying on the Milford Sound. We didn’t have any hiccups, everything was booked perfectly and made to be so easy! We just showed up and everything was good to go! We will be back one day and have The Road Trip team plan another vacation for us! Well done team and THANK YOU SO MUCH!
KCaissey
Mar 2024
