Queenstown To Franz Josef Via Wanaka Small Group Day Tour (1-way)

Fabulous tour. Nikki our tour guide was amazing, funny, knowledgeable and made everyone feel welcome. Lots to see during the trip and the day went so quickly.

This particular trip happened on 9th October 2026 starting from Queenstown to Franz Josef via the picture perfect town of Wanaka. The trip started on time and to my surprise, and to some extent excitement also, I was the only traveller that day. Although all the time these kind of small group tours offer you the chance to engage with people from different countries, share your moments and have a great time,however,travelling as the only passenger definitely blessed me with specific advantages,more on this later. We had a quick coffee stop at the iconic cardrona restaurant,soon after that we started piercing through the golden glaze of early morning with the evergreen willows welcoming us alongside the road. Arriving at Wanaka was pretty swift, since I was the only traveller I found myself alone in the shore of wanaka lake..I rushed towards the famous wanaka willow tree, the land of long white clouds truly kept its promise which you can experience from the photos below. The reflecting surface and the heavenly ambience followed by absolute solitude with only birds chirping, made me so excited,for a long time I could not have such joy. God bless this country, its beauty.The dept of conservation is doing fantastic. After Wanaka there are few other stops but the sea was calling me & we arrived at the ship creek. The mighty Tasman sea with its roaring waves and long stretched lonely beach was truly magnificent. But to me the most awaited part was still pending, the Bruce Bay which was among my top 3 attraction in New Zealand, beacuse of its serenity & the legend of ancient Maori landing here,but my guide Jay, from cheeky kiwi travel was generous enough to keep an additional 20 minutes just for Bruce Bay. When I arrived, dont know why tears came out from my eyes, there was almost nobody on the shore, the long stretched beach and the beech trees far stretched as far as eyes can go, was opening a gateway to another dimension. I was hugging the nature and every moment quenched the thirst of my soul. Being a solitude lover, you might guess my ecstasy. After Bruce Bay we said good bye to the west coast and headed inland towards east,within 45 minutes the weather changed drastically as we approached near the fox glacier, eventually stopping at lake Matheson walking track. There is also blue pool and river valley which is depicted well from the photos I captured, like I said, if you love exotic places with nature all around you this trip in New Zealans would be a great "detox" for you. I am especially grateful to Cheeky kiwi, and to my guide Jay, who was kind enough to tolerate constant "chat" with me all the way in many topics, he even offered me a beer during lunch. I am grateful for his hospitality & super friendly gesture. I will remember this trip & all the great moments as an escape from all the stress of life. 100% recommended to everyone. Thank you very much.

Fantastic Tour with beautiful scenery and short forest walks, stops at convenience and a nice lunch. Tour Guide Jess is exceptionally good.

I am very satisfied with the arrangement of this trip. The tour guide girl explained in great detail. I hope to continue traveling next time.

This tour was fabulous, thanks to a great guide, Hanna. She was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, personable and cheerful. Everything you could want in a tour guide and more. She went above and beyond to inform us all about the history and relevance of every stop of the tour, as well as most of what we were driving past. Our 12 hour tour, from Queenstown to Franz Josef, went by in a flash and we even managed around 16000 steps at the various stops along the way. Plenty of comfort stops, a great lunch at the Hard Antler, in Haast, just added to the value of this tour. Thanks Hanna, and Cheeky Kiwi.. it was a great day.

Great way to transit with intentional sightseeing along the way. Good, quick hits and none of the stops feel overly long.

Great tour, great guide and a back office that solved all challenges. They know what they are doing and they are good at it ☺️.

We love the kind guide/driver. We like all spots to visit

It was amazing! The nature was impressive even in a rain. The car was comfortable and I really feel myself good with our guide Hannah who was very smart and passionate with her work. She was really interested in telling and sharing with us more about Nzee's animals and plants, nature and it all. I really liked Cheeky kiwi company and will recommended it to all.

We were just 2 people so it was basically a private tour and it was awesome! Udi came with us on the walks pointed out different plants and showed us cool things such as blue mushrooms. He also told us a lot about New Zealand’s history and culture and I could fire away all my questions. The scenery was just gorgeous and we saw some breathtaking places. My personal favorite was our walk at Ship Creek and generally crossing the Alps and entering this lush and dense vegetation! To sum it up: I saw beautiful places, I learned a lot about New Zealand, and we had a lot of laughs on the trip :)

Martin was knowledgeable and he took us to plenty of places. Lunch is included and it’s a good value for money as we stopped by plenty of places. The fee for this tour is only a hundred dollars more than the intercity bus but you get to see places that you wouldn’t normally see. We were lucky to have a good weather and had a glimpse of the glacier in Fox Glove

Wonderful trip, amazing landscapes, very well organized, and Shura is a really nice and friendly driver.

Hanna was a wonderfully enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and personable guide for our day trip to Franz Joseph! She expertly paced our day so we could take in all the dynamic and stunning sights along the way: lakes, mountains, forests, beaches, waterfalls, and glaciers! Hanna did this all while safely driving and traversing the roads. She made a long day feel so memorable and worthwhile with her easygoing nature, extensive knowledge of New Zealand and deep respect for the Māori people and culture. Thank you Hanna!

Fantastic, intimate tour taking in lots of incredible sights on the road between Queenstown and Franz Josef. Colin was a wonderful guide, the lunch was spot on at Hard Antler in Haast (I can recommend the venison burger) and the complimentary WiFi on the minibus was a nice touch. Cheeky Kiwi Travel really do offer a more personalised experience than most and utilising smaller transport means they can get to places the larger buses can’t access. Also, do not pass on the freshly-baked cheese scones at the Cardrona Hotel for breakfast!

Couldn't have wished for a better day to appreciate the Geography. Culture and history given to us by a driver who parted with a world of knowledge and pride and some very clever (and some corny)humour. All the makings of a great day..

Despite of the rain and skipping most of the longer hikes Jess did an amazing job keeping us entertained. A lot of activity packed in it including hikes and the included lunch at the pub in Hast was very yummy! Highly recommended. I also recommend to spend two nights in Fran’s Joseph to be able to do a hike or scenic flight to see the glacier. Glacier not visible from the town.

Excellent driver. She knew all details. She wanted to help. She went out of her way to show the glacier

A lovely relaxed tour up to Franz Josef, Shura was super accommodating, going above and beyond to be flexible and helpful throughout the trip and always checking in with the group to ensure everyone was happy with the schedule and the coach was super comfortable, the best we have had in New Zealand! We had snacks and water provided and the lunch stop was also delicious - a local restaurant with flexible menu options. The stops were all well timed and super scenic and we had ample time to stretch our legs and take photos, previous tours have been much more rushed. Our group ranged from mid 30s to mid 80s for a range of backgrounds. Shura’s commentary was interesting and knowledgeable and she made the effort to chat with the group and get to know us all - it was a great day!

Collection from our motel was on time. We joined a full minibus, but there was ample room for our large suitcases. The seats were very comfy. Logan was a fabulous host on out trip very informative. The toilet stops,coffee stops and lunch were all great. Logan looked after us when we met up with friends in Greymouth. Lunch options were great. He brought our pre ordered lunch out to us so that we could spend every minute with our friends who live in Greymouth. They had come to meet us at Speighs. You can book the trip but not the weather but we enjoyed the best of both today. So glad we booked the trip. I would highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi and especially Logan as your guide . Thanks 👌

This was a fantastic trip, filled with different stops, walks and views. So much packed into one day and with a friendly, welcoming and informative guide. With limited time in New Zealand this gave me a great taste of lots of different areas I'd love to come back to.

Nice small group experience. Informative guide. Great stops for walking, sights, meal & bathroom breaks. Speaker in back would be helpful or connection to ear buds (wired or wireless). Combination of poor sound volume & unclear voice resulted in most of commentary missed (sitting in back row)

Kristina and Shura were wonderful and knowlegeable. Took us to wonderful places and gave us a thorough enjoyable experience. Thank you for a fantastic day.

Informative fun tour guide/s and a very well designed itinerary with enough time to really get the feel of the location stops. Enjoyed the walks and commentary.

Lynnette was our driver/guide for our tour from Queenstown to Franz-Jozef. She was wonderful and we had lovely time learning about the different areas we passed through and stopped at. The walks we did were so enjoyable and Lynnette was so good at telling what to look for. And thank you for the tip on the glow worms in Franz-Jozef. What a neat experience!!

Kristina gave an excellent tour with lots of relevant commentary, she is very knowledgeable! She was also great at interacting with all the guests.

CheekyKiwi, wow! Our tour guide Martin was fantastic! We got picked up on time for part 1 of our tour, Queenstown to Franz Josef. What an excellent tour, and Martin was spot on for the entire day. Made the best recommendations and drove like a pro. Thank you!!!

Great guide and driver, friendly and knowledgeable. The route was scenic and feels like I saw so much of the South. Loved the walks and appropriate number of stops so didn’t feel rushed but felt like we packed in a lot. Very much enjoyed.

It’s a nice and pleasant trip to Franz Josef with enough stops to rest and stretch as well as to look around the places. Guide is very informative and helpful. Thank you

I had a truly memorable experience on my Queenstown to Franz Josef tour, thanks to the outstanding service from Cheeky Kiwi Travel and our incredible guide, Hannah. From the moment the trip began, Hannah impressed us with her deep knowledge, warm personality, and genuine sincerity. She was friendly, hospitable, and consistently attentive to everyone’s comfort throughout the long journey. Her driving skills were exceptional — smooth, confident, and safe — which made the entire trip feel relaxing and enjoyable. It’s clear she is both highly experienced and passionate about what she does, and her professionalism elevated the entire tour. The day itself was filled with stunning highlights: the crystal-clear waters of Blue Pool, the iconic beauty of Lake Wanaka, the refreshing spray of Thunder Creek Falls, and the breathtaking views of Franz Josef Glacier. Each stop was made even more meaningful through Hannah’s stories, insights, and enthusiasm. Overall, this tour became especially unforgettable because of Hannah’s dedication and passion. Cheeky Kiwi Travel is incredibly fortunate to have such a remarkable guide on their team. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a smooth, scenic, and enriching journey across the South Island.

Our guide Jonathan was very knowledgeable and friendly. He has a good sense of humour and made our whole journey very enjoyable. Highly recommend to anyone who is gg Franz Josef.

I was little worried as traveling with family but Cheeky Kiwi travel made everything easier. Timely pickup, attention to details, snacks, water, lunch, live commentary and most important our tour guide Noah made sure we cover each attraction. Overall this was a pleasant trip and I’m going to book again with Cheeky Kiwi Travel when I visit NZ next time. Thanks Noah and team for the great experience 👍

Hanna was so sweet and thoughtful.We were a family of three and thankfully the tour was not called off.West Coast is so beautiful and peaceful.Wanaka,was terrific and photogenic.There were many walking trails in Blue pools walk,Lake Mathson and absolutely loved the experience

Hanna was amazing! Very positive friendly made our tour awesome. An incredible experience would highly recommend Hanna. Fantastic! Loved every bit of it.

We were very satisfied with having Lynettes as our driver and guide! She was indeed competent, dynamic and vivid. We enjoyed the tour and had great benefit of being with her on this tour.

West Coast is rarely mentioned on most tourism websites. If you want to go to the Glacier at Fox and Franz Josef and visit Wanaka Lake or some famous spots at West Coast, this is the right tour. We had a lovely tour with our tour guide.

Brilliant trip. So many incredible stops en route. We saw everything from waterfalls to wild dolphins, rainforest to reamekable views. Colin was a helpful, friendly guide and felt exceptionally safe having him drive us. He was also very willing to make frequent stops at interesting spots, to use facilities, for coffee etc. As well as being on hand with interesting facts and downtime to take in all the views. Water and snacks provided, as was a delicious lunch with plenty of choice on the menu. A really nice bonus. Spacious, clean bus with lage windows for views of the scenery on the trip. We even had a bonus stop at Fox Glacier. A really incredible day.

Great Tour! April 2025 This was an amazing tour with gorgeous landscapes, our guide Hanna was spectacular, she was very knowledgeable about NZ and take care of us at all time! Highly recommend to do it with them!

Absolutely amazing day from Queenstown to Franz Josef. Our tour guide is the excellent Graig. Extremely professional , knowledgeable and friendly. Graig was very informative throughout the tour, while also answering any questions that arose. As it was just a small group of 5 , our tour bus was extremely comfortable . The tour itself, wonderful amazing views every corner you turned

Very convenient way to tour the countryside without the worryIng about renting your own car and figuring out which sites are worth visiting! Highly recommend. Fun and informative.

So glad we found this tour. Jonathan, our guide, was terrific and as it was a wet day, he gave us choices along the way. Highly recommend as you can get picked up and dropped off at your accommodation. Luggage is no problem. We will be travelling with Cheeky Kiwi again tomorrow to get the Tranz Alpine train to Christchurch Overall a informative and entertaining tour

Took a transfer from Franz Joseph to Queenstown and had such an amazing day - by some stroke of luck I was the only passenger that day and had the best guide in Greg. In the end felt more like a road trip with a friend than a transfer / tour. The itinerary became flexible and we managed to squeeze in some huge trip highlights for me, which I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise - thank you!! Would definitely recommend / book with Cheeky Kiwi again! Thanks for an awesome day

This was a long journey in a mini bus, with many enjoyable and worthwhile stops on the way. NZ $30 per head lunch was included which got me and my wife an excellent fish sandwich, Antler (venison) burger french fries and a wonderful local draft craft beer! Our guide/driver Greg was extremely knowledge and kept us well informed about the local nature, heritage and history. He made this trip memorable. Thanks Cheeky Kiwi for sharing Greg with us.

The best thing about this company is their guides. Hannah was wonderful all the way to the end when she did the hike with us to Lake Matheson, even though it was raining. Lots of great stories told about New Zealand as she drove us around. Beautiful smile which made us at ease with her. The shuttle is just the right size. Just a comfortable small group so when there is a stop for a visit, it doesn’t take very long for everyone to get out and come back in, which makes it more efficient than a large bus. Very punctual. The sites that were chosen for stops were great. Delicious lunch and snacks included in the price.

The driver Greg was very friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating! Views were great and the ride was smooth. Top marks!

It was a Wonderful time in exploring New Zealand from Queenstown to Franz Joseph glaciar view. Amazing lakes, amazing sightseeing’s, deep Information supplied for one well experienced and very competent guide Ana. She is actually very well skilled and knows the area keeping attention in the best spots for the climate and diversified top to see. I really advise to book this tour with Cheeky Kiwi because they only operate small groups and they use safe and good cars. The driving was careful and very well done with safety and efficiency. Congratulations to Ana and the company where she is doing so well. All the best.

Our guide Jonathan was excellent!! He drive / walked us through all the major highlights between Queenstown and Franz Josef in a brand new mini bus and was always ready to give us information along the way and answer all our questions. Overall an excellent and highly recommend experience!

The tour is excellent and we are very happy with our guide soap who explained Maori culture and showed all the attractions and also helped to take photos and showed many lookouts based on weather Upendra Maganti

Great way to see lots of amazing places in the south island. Perfect if you're struggling to fit everything into your trip. Lots of stops, not too physically demanding and a fantastic guide. Highly recommend!

Excellent tour with Jonathan. We enjoyed the many stops where we could get out and stretch our legs while seeing the sights. It was a leisurely pace, and the hikes were optional and very manageable. We had a pleasant surprise stop to view the glaciers, which was not on the itinerary. The small group van was accommodating and much better than the large coaches that we passed up. Thank you.