Discover the awe-inspiring Milford Sound, Hollyford Valley and unspoiled natural beauty of the wildlife-rich Stewart Island on foot
7 Days from
$
Introductory to Moderate
49kg of CO2-e PP per day
(291kg of CO2-e PP entire trip)
The deep south of New Zealand is home to some of the country's most pristine and spectacular landscapes with an exceptional array of day hikes, which we feature on this superb week of walking. This trip begins in the 'adventure capital' Queenstown where we hike the lower slopes of Ben Lomond for extensive panoramic views over Lake Wakitipu before travelling to Invercargill. Crossing over to Stewart Island you will enjoy some short walks as well as a free day to explore this remote island on foot, kayak or even try to sight New Zealand's iconic flightless bird - the Kiwi. Returning to the mainland, travel to Te Anau for walks in Fiordland National Park before boarding a breathtaking helicopter flight over Milford Sound and dramatic peaks into uninhabited Martins Bay, the heart of the Hollyford region. We enjoy an afternoon walk along the rugged coastline, which is frequented by penguins and seals in season, before settling into our cosy lodge for the night. The trip continues with a walk along the Hollyford Valley and a section of the Routeburn Track before heading back to Queenstown.
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Meals: L,D
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Meals: B,L,D
Meals: B
Meals: B,L
6 scheduled departures between 9 Dec 2026 and 14 Mar 2028.
Our guides are one of our biggest assets. We pride ourselves on the standard and quality of these great people who you will be spending your holiday with. They come from all walks of life but they all have a common desire to give you the best possible experience, heaps of fun and lots of fond memories to take home with you. We provide you with the services of two guides for many of our trips, (this may depend on the size of the group). All are certified in first aid and CPR and many are advanced mountain guides.
New Zealand Hiking Holidays | Adventure South NZ
The most amazing guides who gave 200% and without them we could not have completed some of the walks
They when over and above any expectations to assist with our tour changes
A credit to themselves and your organisation
We had a fabulous trip visiting Milford, Hollyford and Stewart Island with excellent guides Rob and Peter who enhanced our experience by educating us on the flora, fauna, landscape and stories of the areas.
This trip ranked among our top 10 ever. The South Island is magical and the trip hit some wonderful high spots. Rob and Peter complemented each other so well. Rob had extensive knowledge of NZ - ist history, culture, flora and wildlife. Peter our ex policeman was an amazing raconteur with so many stories. If one walk did not pan out they made other graet suggestions and allowed us to chose.
We could not have done this on our own - Stewart island, helicopter over Hollyford River to Martins Bay Lodge and then our trek out.
Our 2 guide Rob and Mike were outstanding. Great sources of local and nature knowledge. Great company. Everything ran extremely smoothly. Highlight was helicopter ride from Milford Sound to Hollyford Sound with overnight stay at the Martin Bay lodge.
Rob and Peter were terrific leaders for the trip. Only criticism is that the plan for the last day would have entailed 3 extra hours in the bus. Luckily Rob and Peter came up with an alternative plan that allowed us to have a good home and still get to Queenstown at a reasonable hour
My wife and I did the 7-day Milford, Hollyford and Stewart Island Trip in late January. This was an excellent way of sampling day walk sections of the Rakiura, Kepler, Hollyford and Routeburn tracks. Over the 7 days we walked over 70 km, mostly on fairly flat tracks, but occasionally steep pinches. We were in a group of 7 - a very compatible group of people. Our guide Rich was excellent, providing us with comprehensive information about each day's activities, as well as recounting information about Maori and European history along with botanical and environmental details. Perhaps a highlight of the trip were seeing wild kiwis at night (with a guide) on Stewart Island and the helicopter flight down Milford Sound then up the coast to Martin’s Bay Lodge, where the accommodation and food (not to mention the hot tub!) were excellent. The 30 km jet boat ride the next day to the start of our 20 km walk along a section of the Hollyford Track was exhilarating. For this section of the trip our guide was Shonagh from Hollyford Wilderness Experience. Shonagh was excellent, with detailed environmental information about the Hollyford Track. Overall accommodation and meals were excellent. The trip was a most enjoyable experience (fortunately the weather was good).
This was a well chosen route to give a "taster" experience of some of the great walks in the South Island. Guides were well informed, patient, gave equal attention to all participants and a great sense of humour. Our group was small & like minded which increased our companionship. It made it easy to move as one and we accepted any variations or extensions to our itinerary with enthusiasm.
We had a spectacular trip with Rich. Knowledgeable, engaging, and funny too. Everything worked like clockwork. The food and his driving was excellent and the small group very cohesive. Fantastic from first day to the last.
A very enjoyable and satisfying trip. Highlights included the visit to Stewart and Ulva Islands and the Hollyford Experience including the helicopter ride in to Martin's Bay, the overnight at the Martin's Bay Lodge, the jet boat trip down Lake McKerrow and the 19km walk down the Hollyford River with an outstanding guide in Shonagh. The whole trip was well organised, the meals and accommodation were good and the travel group were a lot of fun and enjoyable company.
Often family run, motels range from 3 to 4 stars and provide access to local living thanks to your hosts. The hospitality is generous and their local knowledge is invaluable. Rooms are spacious, warm and comfortable and they have ensuite bathrooms with tea and coffee making facilities. Where possible, we choose locations that add to your experience.
You'll get your first glimpse of the exclusive wilderness Martins Bay Lodge as you arrive by helicopter from Milford Sound. The lodge is well appointed with warm dining and lounge areas, an open fire and drying room. Bedrooms are all ensuite with bedding, towels, hot water bottles, soap, shampoo, conditioner and hair dryers also provided. A delicious 3 course evening meal and cooked or continental breakfast will be provided by your lodge hosts.
Every departure date advises whether the date is confirmed, and roughly how full it is. Here is what each one means.
If a date shows Guaranteed to go, it runs regardless of further bookings.
It means two travellers are enough to confirm the departure. It could be 2 more to add to the group, or the date only needs 2 people to run. Either way, if you book for two people, the date will become guaranteed to run.
You will know the status before you book. Every date on this page is labelled, and dates marked “Guaranteed to go” are running regardless of further bookings. Where a date has not reached its minimum we either offer a surcharge to operate for a smaller group size so it can still run, or we cancel it. We contact you directly either way.
If we cancel a departure due to not meeting minimum trip numbers, you receive a full refund of everything you have paid us less any non recoverable costs, where insurance may cover you. We cannot refund money committed elsewhere – additional non refundable deposits advised at the time of booking, flights, visas, vaccinations, gear - which is why it is worth waiting for “Guaranteed to go” before booking other arrangements around this trip date. Please read our Booking Terms and Conditions before you book.
Each trip closes online a set time before departure. Permits, internal flights and hut or campsite bookings all have to be arranged before we take payment. Call or enquire as it might still be possible to organise last minute places.
Cancellations happen and places do open up on closed dates, so it is worth being on our list. We can also tell you which nearby date on the same trip has space, which is usually the faster route.
Yes, as a private departure. We can run this trip on a date you choose, for your own group - family, friends, a club, or in many cases, just for the two of you. Tell us when you want to travel and who is coming, and we will build it around that.
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Carbon Footprint
So what does 100 kg of carbon look like? Here is a rough guide to help put it into perspective:
Discover how we're working to cut carbon emissions from our adventures by exploring the Climate Action page within our Responsible Travel hub.
Please note trip footprints do not include flights to and from the tour.
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