Your day begins with pickup from Christchurch — centrally located hotels or designated meeting points.
From here, the tour heads west toward the Great Alpine Highway (State Highway 73), the gateway to the Southern Alps and one of New Zealand’s most scenic drives. Wind your way past rolling farmland, river flats, and foothills as the landscape slowly builds in drama

As you leave Christchurch behind, you’ll enter the foothills of the Southern Alps. The road follows the turquoise Waimakariri River, with peaks rising sharply around you. This section of highway is famed for its sweeping views and is a favourite among photographers and nature lovers alike.

Photo Stops Include:

• Lake Lyndon: A serene alpine lake set against ridged hills — ideal for a quick stretch and snapshots.

• Lake Pearson: Often still and reflective, this body of water offers mirror-like photos of the surrounding mountains.

Arriving next at Castle Hill, also known as Kura Tāwhiti, you’ll find enormous limestone formations rising from rolling pastures. These ancient rocks are part of a unique conservation area celebrated for its remarkable shapes and cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu iwi.
Spend time walking among these giant boulders, discovering natural sculptures that feel almost prehistoric. Many visitors describe this landscape as otherworldly — perfect for creative photography or quiet reflection.

📌 Castle Hill has also featured as a filming location in international movies due to its dramatic backdrop

The next stop is the Otira Viaduct Lookout, where you’ll see one of New Zealand’s most impressive engineering feats — a long concrete viaduct supported on steep slopes that slice into the mountain side. The panorama here includes steep valley walls and rushing rivers far below, offering a striking contrast to the gentle lakes you saw earlier.

Stop for an extended stay in Arthur’s Pass National Park, a rugged alpine environment filled with native beech forest, mountains, and dramatic gorges. Here, you’ll have time for short walks, scenic viewpoints, and the chance to encounter the famous Kea — the world’s only alpine parrot, known for its intelligence and cheeky nature.

Whether you choose a brief stroll or simply enjoy the fresh mountain air, this stop highlights the heart of New Zealand’s rugged alpine scenery.

On select schedules, the tour passes by Cave Stream Scenic Reserve, known for its underground limestone cave and photogenic access points. Even if you do not enter the cave itself, the surroundings provide dramatic stone formations and a bubbling mountain stream

A brief stop at Porters Pass brings more wide-open scenery of tussock hills and distant peaks. This is a perfect spot for wide-angle photographs of sweeping South Island panoramas

With hearts full of alpine memories, your guide will begin the return journey through proud landscapes, past rolling valleys and farmland that seem untouched by time. Enjoy final glimpses of the Southern Alps before arriving back in Christchurch where the tour ends at your original pickup point.