Sir Edmund Hillary Winter Explorer

Duration: 12 Days

Price: from NZ$6,995

Departure From: Christchurch

Departure Date: June-September 2025

Tour Type: Escorted

Meal Plan: B+B and selected meals

Physical Grading: 2/5

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Inspired by one of the greatest and most iconic adventurers of our time, the Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Winter Edition invites you on an epic 12 day journey by rail and luxury coach through the majestic scebery and snow-capped mountains of New Zealand’s South Island.

Starting and finishing in Christchurch, you will enjoy this 12 day tour by luxury coach and train will touch on many of the highlights of New Zealand. Your journey will start with a journey on the eponymous TranzAlpine train which weaves its way through the heart of the Southern Alps.

Time on the West Coast including Franz Josef Glacier, a couple of days in the mountain resort town of Queenstown, a trip to New Zealand’s fabled Fiordland and some time in Invercargill will warm your travel days with a couple of terrific attractions. Highlights still await with a journey on the famous Taieri Gorge Railway and an exclusive charter train from Dunedin to the very quaint Victorian stone town of Oamaru.

From the east coast you will travel inland back to the Southern Alps and on to Aoraki Mt. Cook, enjoying a couple of nights in the Hermitage where a member of the Hillary family will speak to you about the man whose tour you have travelled on. Seats will sell fast so be sure to book soon!

“Adventure for the sake of a dream, for the pleasure of searching”

Edmund Hillary Explorer Winter

Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Winter Edition Tour Highlights

  • Christchurch City Tram
  • TripTranzAlpine Train journey
  • RealNZ Cruise Lake Wakatipu by TSS Earnslaw steamship
  • Walter Peak Homestead Goumet BBQ lunch
  • Skyline Gondola and Stratosfare lunch in Queenstown
  • Doubtful Sound Day trip & cruise
  • Takahe Sanctuary
  • Te Hikoi Museum
  • Bill Richardson Transport Museum
  • Taieri Gorge Train Trip
  • Dunedin Railways Train Journey to Victorian Oamaru
  • Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre at Aoraki Mt Cook visit
  • Hillary family guest speaker presentation
Sir Edmund Hillary – Aoraki/Mount Cook

Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Winter Edition Optional Excursions

Franz Josef Helicopter Flight – Enjoy a sensational helicopter flight over the Southern Alps and famous West Coast Glaciers. A real highlight for the adventurers.

Te Anau Glow Worm Tour – A special experience crossing Lake Te Anau by boat and then enjoy heading underground into glow-worm caves which were only rediscovered in 1948

Larnach Castle Tour & High Tea -Enjoy a guided tour of New Zealand’s only Castle including the tower, gift shop, Castle gardens, grounds, historic stables and outbuildings. Your ticket also includes High Tea served in the Ballroom Cafe, a real treat!

Tasman Glacier Flight – Enjoy a flight in a helicopter or plane in Mt. Cook to explore the stunning snow covered mountains and glaciers in Tasman Valley.

Larnach Castle Dunedin situated on the beautiful Otago Peninsula – an optional excursion

Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Winter Edition Tour Dates

Prices are based on per person sharing. Single supplements apply to all tour prices, rates shown below.

All tours depart from and conclude in Christchurch across 12 days, 11 nights and include 28 meals.

  • 28 June 2025 – $6,995
  • 12 July 2025 – $6,995
  • 26 July 2025 – $6,995
  • 9 August 2025 – $7,495
  • 23 August 2025 – $7,495
  • 6 September 2025 = $7,495
TranzAlpine Travelling through the snow
Traverse the Southern Alps on the TranzAlpine train – possibly with snow!

Please see below for a detailed itinerary and booking conditions.

For a detailed brochure dedicated to the Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Summer Tour contact us and we are happy to email this to you. Departures run regularly through the summer months.

LOCO Journeys can offer you pre-tour and post-tour departure activities, flights and accommodation, just ask at the time of booking.

Click here for alternate New Zealand scenic train and railfan tours.

Tour Inclusions

  • Four star hotel accommodation
  • 11 cooked breakfasts, 8 sumptuous dinners and 9 lunches
  • South Island rail journeys as shown.
  • Sightseeing and entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary
  • Tips and gratuities to local guides, drivers, train staff etc.
  • Deluxe air-conditioned coach transportation
  • Baggage handling of one suitcase per person
  • Lunches include gourmet BBQ lunch at Walter Peak Homestead and a buffet at Skyline Queenstown Stratosfare Restaurant.
  • Services of experienced Tour Leaders

Pricing Notes

  • Advertised price based on per person, twin share
  • Non-refundable deposit of 20% of tour cost per person is due at time of booking. You date of full payment will be advised at the time of booking.
  • A single supplement is available upon request
  • Price is subject to change unless paid in full
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Tour Itinerary

Day 1 | Christchurch
Your Tour Registration starts at 2:30pm and then spend the afternoon exploring Christchurch by Tram at a leisurely pace. The “Ice- breaker” Welcome Dinner and Tour Briefing will be held at the hotel restaurant at 6pm.
Your journey begins at Christchurch Railway Station, where the iconic TranzAlpine awaits. Often regarded to be one of the world’s great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes. The journey is 223 kilometres one-way, taking almost five hours. You will see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the majestic Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps, and see large tracts of native beech forest. Luxury coaches await in Greymouth to transport you to your hotel in the ruggedly beautiful Franz Josef.
Wake up to enjoy the option for a helicopter tour of the Fox Glacier. Leaving Franz Josef, we travel down the West Coast to Fox to enjoy the option of a helicopter tour of the Fox Glacier. Continuing on through the Haast Pass, journeying through large tracts of native rain forest and over the Southern Alps. This remote area has a ruggedly beautiful landscape of vast rainforests, gushing waterfalls and snow-capped mountains. Continuing through Makarora on the border of Mount Aspiring World Heritage Park, we pass by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and Lake Dunstan. The adventure playground of Queenstown then awaits! Cap off a special day as we take in The Remarkables Mountain Range and the view of Lake Wakatipu.
Wake up to join a winter lake cruise which takes us across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a gourmet BBQ Lunch. Enjoy the afternoon on your own exploring Queenstown.
Before departing Queenstown enjoy unforgettable views sky high with a trip up the iconic Queenstown Gondola, followed by a delicious buffet on top of the world at Stratosfare Restaurant and Bar. We then travel by luxury coach to Te Anau, known as the gateway to Fiordland National Park. Take in the breathtaking landscapes and for those who wish to add on a unique experience, take part in a guided Glowworm cave tour for a truly magical experience.
Traveling from Te Anau to Doubtful Sound is one of the finest scenic drives in the world.The scenery is exceptional, ranging from glacial lakes, deep fiords, towering mountains and dense rainforest. Board the coach and travel through stunning scenery from Te Anauand into Fiordland, where it is a short cruise across Lake Manapouri to get you to the base of Wilmot Pass. After travelling over Wilmot Pass by coach, you will find the remote & magical Doubtful Sound. The tour includes a cruise around the fiord so you can experience its wonders up close and see waterfalls and amazing wildlife, such as dolphins and seals. Cruise the inner most reaches of Doubtful Sound to the open Tasman Sea and back. A one-day itinerary is enough to see all the beautiful views along the way, take a scenic cruise around the fiord, and get back to Te Anau in time for dinner.
As we depart Te Anau for Invercargill, we start the morning with a visit the Takahe Bird Sanctuary. Takahe are the stars of the show and meeting these prehistoric-looking characters is a ‘must do’ for the Fiordland visitors.The sanctuary is a large part of the success of the Takahe Recovery programme. Driving to Riverton via the small rural town Tuatapere we stop at Te Hikoi Museum which showcases the history of how Māori and Europeans adapted to life in this area. Arriving in Invercargill we will stay at the brand new Distinction Invercargill hotel.
In the morning, we will visit Invercargill’s Bill Richardson Transport World which features over 300 classic vehicles. On board our luxury coach we then venture via The Caitlins towards Dunedin. With stops along the way to soak in the lush rainforest, waterfalls and wildlife. Known as the wildlife capital of New Zealand, Dunedin prides itself on its beautiful built heritage, stunning scenery and unique biodiversity.
In the morning, we explore the remote Taieri Gorge by Dunedin Rail over river gorges, weaving our way through a myriad of historic tunnels and guide you to the historic Wingatui Viaduct, a marvel of 1880s construction that remains the largest wrought iron structure in New Zealand. An afternoon at leisure is planned or there is the optional excursion visit to Larnach Castle for a decadent high tea & garden tour.
Departing from Dunedin by rail, we continue to hug the coast towards Oamaru. We then detour inland via Waitaki Valley & Omarama by coach and onwards towards the spectacular Aoraki Mt Cook. Here, we find the home of the tallest mountain in New Zealand, which helped Sir Edmund Hillary to develop his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of Mt Everest. Recognised as part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area, the National Park is a breath-taking environment of glaciers, terminal lakes, turbulent rivers and Australasia’s tallest peak, the mighty Aoraki Mt Cook soaring above at 3,724 metres. There is the option after dinner to enjoy star-gazing at the Planetarium, digitally immersed in what has been voted the world’s largest “International Dark Sky Reserve”.
Enjoy a leisurely morning and then a visit to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, which is a tribute to New Zealand’s global icon as well as discovering New Zealand’s colourful transport, climbing and hotel history. Followed by an afternoon scenic drive through the National Park surrounded by the silent splendour of the Southern Alps. Morning optional activity includes a scenic ski plane or Helicopter flight with expert pilots navigating their way over the glacial lake, passing soaring mountain tops over NZ’s longest glacier – the 600-metre thick, Tasman Glacier. A true highlight to round of a magical day is a Hillary family representative presentation in the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre Theatre before dinner. The optional Planetarium show takes place in the theatre after the Hillary Presentation.
A morning departure from the hotel leaving Aoraki Mt Cook by coach, we journey back to the coast via Tekapo, Geraldine and Rakaia on the way to Christchurch. On arrival in Christchurch, This brings us to the end of the tour.

For more information about this tour, price queries and updates on specials, please Enquire Now.