This morning board the TranzAlpine, renowned as one of the great train journeys of the world. Travel over massive viaducts, river valleys and spectacular gorges as you ascend to Arthur’s Pass located in the centre of the Southern Alps. Board your Ultimate Coach and travel to Hokitika, famous for its Greenstone before continuing via Franz Josef to the township of Fox Glacier where time is available to experience a scenic flight (optional, weather permitting) over the spectacular glaciers.
Climbing to more than 900 metres, Arthur's Pass is the highest and most spectacular pass across New Zealand’s Southern Alps. This remarkable feat of engineering is surrounded by the spectacularly scenic Arthur’s Pass National Park, an exquisite alpine landscape with some excellent trekking opportunities that range from easy walks to challenging overnight hikes. At the heart of the park, in a lush green valley, the tiny Arthur’s Pass Village offers a surprising number of services. Visitors will find the National Park headquarters here, as well as a range of restaurants, cafes, shops, and services.
Hokitika, or ‘Hoki’, as locals have affectionately named this little town, is located on a stunning, driftwood-strewn beach on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Presided over by the towering Mount Cook and the Southern Alps, this idyllic little town functions primarily as a gateway to the South Westland World Heritage National Park. However, the town itself offers plenty to keep visitors engaged. Hokitika is well-known for its excellent local crafts and has developed a prolific artistic community with an array of open studios and galleries, where visitors can watch skilful artisans in the process of weaving, greenstone carving and glass blowing. Enjoy the fabulously fresh local seafood, or have a picnic on the banks of the picturesque Lake Kaniere, surrounded exquisite snow-capped mountains.
The quaint west coast town of Franz Josef has a few hundred permanent residents, but numbers swell during the holidays to around 2000 visitors per day. This is glacier country, and Franz Josef glacier (after which the town is named) and Fox Glacier, some 23 kilometres further south, are the main attractions. The town offers myriad options for cosy accommodation, especially after the snow and ice activities on offer – combine a helicopter tour with a guided walk on the glacial terrain to view ice caves, and spectacular crevasses and pinnacles. Helicopter tours over the two glaciers are also available, with a stop off at the head of either glacier so you can experience the frozen landscape up close.
Departure Location
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Arrival Location
Arthur's Pass, New Zealand