New Zealand · TRANZALPINE & SCENIC RAIL
Good scenic rail journeys fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, then return by minibus for waterfalls, alpine walks, Lake Pearson, and Castle Hill.
“It was a fabulous day out. Our guide AJ was wonderful and explained everything perfectly. We would definitely recommend this tour.”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth through the Southern Alps, with open-air viewing, café service, and GPS audio commentary.
“Great train ride to greymouth, just wished we had more time there. The scenery was beautiful. All in all the t was a good day!”
Ride the TranzAlpine to Arthur’s Pass, walk through alpine forest, see Cave Stream and Castle Hill, then return to Christchurch by minivan.
“As a kiwi I highly recommend Canterbury Trails and the Trans alpine rail trip Joko was amazing and made us all feel safe and very informative Catering for all of our needs Amazing”
Ride the TranzAlpine to Arthur’s Pass, hike to waterfalls, meet kea, and return via Lake Pearson and Castle Hill for $245.
“Excellent day trip, the hike to devils punchbowl does require moderate fitness and proper shoes (which I wasnt aware of). Our guide was wonderful! The whole tour is well organised and the train is definitely worthwhile.”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, hike to waterfalls, cross the Southern Alps, and visit a working sheep farm.
“This was a terrific tour and our tour guide, Carmen, was EXCEPTIONAL! She had the trip planned down to the minute with every detail thought through such that we had no worries at all. Carmen was/is warm, personable, knowledgeable and very energetic - a true pleasure to be around. We traveled via train to Arthur's Pass and back to Christchurch via van with plenty of scenic and interesting stops along the way to include a 300 step climb to a view of a beautiful waterfall. To say the scenery was breath-taking would be an understatement. This is a great tour to get you outside the city of Christchurch. I 100%…”
Review of Cheeky Kea’s Arthur’s Pass tour from Christchurch, with Castle Hill, mountain scenery, lunch, and a TranzAlpine train return.
“My trip was very enjoyable and our driver, Clive, provided commentary along the way. It was a full day packed with activities, exploring the beautiful Canterbury region of NZ. We did a bit of hiking, visited a very interesting hotel, made friends with Peggy the merino sheep and also took the scenic train ride from Arthur's pass. Definitely would recommend if you want to see as much as possible and have fun while doing so.”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Greymouth to Christchurch through Arthur’s Pass, with Southern Alps views, open-air decks, and onboard commentary.
“It was a lovely experience, very different. The beautiful views after Arthur’s Pass are extraordinary! Truly memorable”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Springfield to Arthur’s Pass, hike among waterfalls and mountains, enjoy a picnic, and return to Christchurch by car.
“Our guide Craig was incredible!! So knowledgeable about the history of the countryside and made our trip so special with his flexible relaxed style!”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Arthur’s Pass, hike to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls, and explore Castle Hill on a full-day tour from Christchurch.
“This was a fantastic tour, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Phil, our guide, was very knowledgeable, had a great sense of humour and was great at answering random questions when asked. The stops were all very scenic, we were lucky enough to have lots of snow on the mountains and it snowed while we were there too. Absolutely beautiful scenery, the right balance of time on transport and getting out and walking. We had a good amount of time to hike at Arthur's pass which was very much appreciated. The TranzAlpine train back was also worth doing though may be better later in the year as it became dark on the…”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth, then follow beaches, rainforest, and turquoise gorges to Franz Josef.
“Our tour guide(s) Grant and Jannis were amazing hosts. The van is very comfortable, they are very knowledgeable and engaging. They kept our spirits high. The provided lunch was okay; for most people, chicken is better than ham, so perhaRead more”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth, then explore Hokitika Gorge and the West Coast before arriving in Franz Josef.
“Absolutely fantastic tour! The itinerary was a perfect balance of sight seeing and stops to break up the day. The train was a definite highlight for us, and not to be missed. Shoutout to Joel who was a fantastic tour guide, very engaging and friendly :)”
Review of the Arthur’s Pass small-group tour from Christchurch, with Castle Hill, alpine stops, lunch, and an optional TranzAlpine train ride.
“We went to castle hills, see the hills and did some exploring. Tour guide Ingi was fantastic. It is a bit pricey, it is better if Arthur s Pass is added.”
Ride the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth, then return through Arthur’s Pass, Castle Hill, and the Southern Alps with a small group guide.
“The pick up was on time and the very friendly driver ensured we had everything before getting on the train. The train journey was amazing but the driver, Grant, on the coach back had so many interesting facts and observations about the area that it certainly finished the day off. The only hiccup was the pick up at Greymouth as it was not clearly shown. It was not a major issue as we only had a ten minute wait but clearer information would be helpful. Apart from that I would highly recommend the trip.”
Review of the Arthur’s Pass tour from Christchurch, with a jet boat ride, alpine stops, Devil’s Punchbowl Falls, and the TranzAlpine train.
“Enjoyed this tour. I absolutely recommend doing it including the jet boat and alpine train for return! It might seem a bit boring without.”
Travel Dunedin to Queenstown by Taieri Gorge Train, then cross Central Otago gold country with a small-group guide and hotel drop-off.
“The two part tour started with a train ride through the Taieri Gorge with an excellent guide who narrated the sites along the way At the end of the line, our tour guide Jonathan met us and drove the rest of the way to Queenstown. He was a delightful guy with many interesting stories and lots of humorous trivia about the towns that we passed through.”
Pick an island, a lake or a cave.
