My New Zealand South Island trip with Topdeck was absolutely incredible from start to finish. If you’re looking for a mix of jaw-dropping scenery, unforgettable activities, and an awesome crew of fellow travellers, this is the trip to book.

From cruising through Milford Sound to soaking in Lake Tekapo, every day felt like stepping into a postcard. Our trip leader was energetic, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate, always going the extra mile to make sure everyone was having the best possible experience. The itinerary was perfectly paced and the included experiences were excellent value.

The group vibe was awesome too, fun, friendly, and full of people ready to make memories. By the end of the trip, it felt like we’d all shared something pretty special together.

I can’t recommend the Topdeck South Island adventure enough. I’d go again in a heartbeat!

Our trip leader Blair was excellent. He was always in a good mood and looking for ways to help us have fun. He knew a lot about the destinations so he always had activities to suggest or even when food wasn’t included he would book somewhere or give us suggestions on places to go. I was surprised by how easy he made everything.

We made plenty of stops between destinations so we were always kept busy with activities or sightseeing. The locations were amazing and the group was kind and easy to talk to.

The only thing I can fault was a communication mishap. I’d never used WhatsApp, which was chosen for our group chat and it required phone number 2FA to verify registration. I did not have access to my Australian number and the Topdeck ESIM was data only (no number) so I ended up buying a NZ sim just to be included in the group chat. If the allocated app could be communicated to us before departing for NZ I could have prepared this before I arrived.

Otherwise a 10/10!!!

Amazing holiday and well worth the price. The dinners included are amazing (especially the last one). Topdeck pack a lot of stuff into the itinerary which always makes it like you have something to do. Also our tour guide was ace. Although there is a lot of driving since New Zealand is a big country so worth being prepared for that.

i loved the trip in every aspect!! had the best group and leader. the stops we had were absolutely beautiful and so was our program! would recommend anyone

I had the best time of my life! Met some amazing people and got to step outside my comfort zone! Would highly recommend this trip! Thank you top deck!

Our trip leader Mel was the absolute best. She truly did everything to make our trip memorable! On the other hand, the communication from Topdeck prior was non-existent other than inform us of the whale watching that we could book through the app. Most of us on the trip were unable to book on the app and missed out on the activity. Also, in previous trips I did, I was able to use the chat function and talk to my trip mates and leader prior to the start of the trip. This did not happen this time around. The trip itself is structured good, but could be better. Lots of days driving which is not 100% avoidable. But I would honestly skip Frank Josef or offer a different optional. There really isn’t much to do there. Also I would start the trip earlier in the day instead of having the trip start in Christchurch at 6pm. Really a waste of a day.

Excellent tour, well organised with good food and accomodation for the price. Trip leader was great ☺️ would recommend to new travellers.

Tim was an excellent guide and his intricate knowledge of all components of the trip was great. Trip went for a good amount of time and accommodation was overall amazing with the exception of the last night at the ski lodge. Highly recommend this trip.

Very good trip. Your guide Dylan was amazing

Loved everything except The Kiwi Experience place

Good service and good accomodation but as we could not pre book activities we missed out. If Topdeck could allow pre booking that would have fixed this issue.

The places were beautiful. but the trip overall was very rushed. On a number of occasions we would get to a destination late afternoon and then be on the road again midday the next day. There wasn’t enough time to explore and do things. We had four days in Queenstown which was nice but every other destination was rushed and there was no time to do anything. The itinerary also didn’t work and so we never had an idea or timeline of what was happening. The guide Bridgette was absolutely amazing! We hit gold with her she was insightful, funny, caring, and just such a great vibe. She was brilliant!

Accommodation in Queenstown stuffed up. I was in a room for an hour and got dragged out while they fixed it 2 hours later. At almost midnight I got put back in the same room.

I enjoyed the trip only because NZ itself is stunning and everyone should go visit. My tour group was also a really lovely bunch. But would I go again with Topdeck?

Absolutely not. Given my awful experience with the tour guide, the cost of the 7 day tour (it was almost $2.5k) and the poor accommodation choices (bunk beds in pen style hostels for some locations), I would recommend you spend your money elsewhere and go with another tour group. Alternatively, hire a car and drive around NZ yourself for the money we spent!

The tour itself was really well planned and for the days we couldn’t do what was on the itinerary the guides came up with fun things to do and see. I did feel like drinking was encouraged a lot on this tour by the director and myself and friend are not big drinkers. The places that we did get to see where amazing and the guide and director where incredibly knowledgeable.

Fantastic locations and incredible scenery

The trip was amazing, everyone on the trip was friendly and had a love of adventure. It was easy to make new friends and explore the South Island of NZ. The scenery is some of the most remarkable and captivating I’ve ever seen. Would definitely recommend!

The price was perfectly reasonable for all that was included: food, accommodations, activities, etc.

Awkward to join a group that’s already been bonding for a month. But the trip was BEAUTIFUL seriously gorgeous. Perfect escape for a nature lover.

Fed tur sammen med en fantastisk gruppe af forskellige nationaliteter🇩🇰

The places we visited were spellbinding. The only thing I would change is the accommodation in Queenstown, where we stayed for four nights. The rooms were freezing cold and there was no Wi-Fi included.