12 days
The Expedition
Walk on a glacier, kayak a fiord, sleep under skies with no cities in them.
Active couples · Adventure seekers · Thrill lovers · November–March (summer) · June–August (winter skiing)
Before the day has warmed, a helicopter sets you down on the Franz Josef glacier. That is the kind of morning this journey is made of. Twelve days in the South Island's wildest country, from Queenstown to the West Coast, Aoraki and Fiordland, with the comfort never far away.
Every day has a gentler version and a bigger one, and you choose over breakfast: walk the valley floor, or fly to the ice. Kayak Milford Sound in the early stillness, before anyone else is on the water. Stand under the Aoraki sky at night, in a dark-sky reserve with one of the darkest skies on earth. Our guides are mountaineers, pilots and naturalists who have spent their lives here, which is why the bigger version is never the reckless one.
For guests who want to feel the scale of this place, and then sleep well.
Key experiences
- Glacier heli-hike on Franz Josef
- Shotover Canyon jet boat
- Milford Sound kayaking
- Dark sky stargazing at Aoraki
- Skydive over Queenstown (optional)
Your route
Day by day
Arrive into Queenstown and transfer to your adventure lodge. Evening briefing on the journey ahead over dinner.
- Welcome dinner and journey briefing
Overnight Azur Lodge, Queenstown
What's included
- All premium lodge accommodation
- All adventure activities as described
- Helicopter transfers and scenic flights
- Expert guides throughout
- All meals at selected restaurants and lodges
Health and safety in New Zealand, what to know before you come.
Every journey is fully customisable
Your composition, 12 days
The Expedition
Every journey is fully customisable.
The journey in photographs
The regions this journey passes through
In experienced hands
By PPG Tours
A curator replies personally. Every journey is private and composed around you.
Named New Zealand's Leading Destination Management Company
World Travel Awards, 2025 and 2026
Trusted by the finest cruise lines
Silversea, Ponant, Celebrity and more
Two decades of private journeys
New Zealand owned and operated
Two weeks in New Zealand, how we plan it
The planning guide, sent by email
Pace, the islands, how many places to stay and the season. What to decide before we speak, and what our first conversation covers. A short read.