Arthur’s Pass National Park Day Tour with TranzAlpine Train

I was told this was one of the finest train trips in the world. I was very excited until I found to hear the descriptions along the way required a headset and to download the app. I downloaded the app only to find it would not play without a headset. A note on my reservation would have fixed the problem. I had hoped to take pictures but the windows had hard rain spots and the open air camera area was not mentioned until they said it would be closed through the tunnels. I felt bad for the Chinese group that had no way to hear anything with no warning. The view was spectacular! Just don't expect to get any photos. The tour guide at Arthur's pass rushed us along the view points with barely enough time to make it up and back. The sheep shearing was neat and the couple wonderful. The locally made wool items at the sheep shearing were wonderful. It is hard to find locally made things these days. My disappointment was primarily the lack of information to be prepared for the commentary during the train and the water spots which would have allowed photos. It was a perfectly clear day. Bring your ear phones and enjoy the ride.

We had a wonderful day tour with Jude! She offered a sense of humor and interesting tidbits as we drove along in the tour van after our train ride. The train ride was very enjoyable as was the lunch afterwards at a beautiful secluded restaurant that had a beautiful landscape and interesting animals. Jude made sure we got to see the keas, a native bird to New Zealand, and also took us to see a sheep shearing demonstration at a local sheep farm, where snacks and tea were served, and there was a chance to buy New Zealand's items such as wool and lanolin products.

Nice sceneries and Graham the guide so friendly and full of knowledge.

Thank you terry for taking care of everyone, highly recommend ohThe scenery on the way is beautiful, you can feel the unique charm of the high-mountain train, but also enjoy a delicious lunch, sheep are adorable

There was such great information learned about the plains area of New Zealand. The open car on the train was small and always quite crowded so hard to enjoy that part. Our guide, Terry, was so fun and knowledgeable and eager to make sure we enjoyed all parts of the journey! The lunch in Grasmere was PHENOMENAL and the sheep farm was authentic and precious!

Fantastic experience. Smooth train ride w narration on your own Bluetooth headphones, beautiful views, combined with 2 hikes (lengths of your choosing)in the National Park followed by sheep farm visit, with sheep dog performing happily, and demo of sheep shearing and wool processing. Driver Terry was very informative about culture, ecology, and history of New Zealand. He is also a good driver and very upbeat and friendly.

Scenic views and comfortable seating on train. Great way to get to Arthur’s Pass. Able to purchase food and drink on the train. One of the cars is open air for taking pictures/videos of journey.

It was a lovely trip, well organised, beautiful scenery and the guide was great. Highly recommend and will definitely go again

The tour guide was very nice, she picked us up and was a little early so we didn‘t have to wait. The bus was very modern, nice and clean. The Train was very nice as well, the wifi was good and the menu in the board restaurants as well. The spots the guide took us to were great to enjoy nature and take breathtaking photos. We had lunch in a cute cafe and then headed to Castle Hill. We also visited a sheep farm. Both very good experiences. The tour guide then dropped us off where we wanted to be dropped off. Definetely worth it

My husband and I and two friends took this tour in late August. We had a great time! Pickup was seamless, our driver/guide was knowledgeable and funny, the train was practically empty, and the scenery was amazing. The advice to take the train in the morning and in winter was spot on--the snow on the mountains was beautiful and with fewer people we certainly enjoyed the trip more. We left the train at Arthur's Pass and our driver was waiting for us. We enjoyed a short hike up to the waterfall, followed by lunch at the cafe. The keas where there, trying to sneak food from people's plates. The drive down the mountain was lovely, and we stopped a few times for photos. The visit to the sheep ranch was delightful and we enjoyed meeting Trevor and Heather and Ned. Trevor is an amazing sheep shearer. We highly recommend this tour.

Scotty the guide was amazing and provided so many insights into the landscape culture and people of the area. The food from the cafe was delicious. I would highly recommend!

Highly recommend this tour whilst visiting Christchurch.Carmen was our local guide for the day - very outgoing and knowledgeable and kept us on time for the whole day.TranzAlpine Express - amazing journey especially with low clouds. Staff on the train provided excellent service - excellent selection at the cafe on board with reasonable prices. Open observation car could become quite crowded at times. Wonderful views.Unfortunately lunch at Arthurs Pass Cafe and Store (included in fee) was disappointing and terrible service.Visit to Castle Hill after lunch then onto Toby Hill Farm where Ned the dog showed his skills in rounding up sheep - Trevor and Heather were friendly hosts and provided a lovely afternoon tea.

Scotty was a fantastic host. Very knowledgeable and great fun. Trip went very smoothly. Would highly recommend it. Thanks Scotty

Enjoyable day out with experienced company punctual pickup comfortable clean minibus friendly and knowledgeable driver the weather obviously plays a part in the views from the train but the train staff make the journey as memorable as they can

Excellent trip - I would highly recommend it. Well worth the cost. Carmen, our guide, was excellent. Stunning views, train ride was amazing. Farm visit was great. Thank you for a wonderful day!

Carmen our host for the day was amazing, she had fabulous time keeping, was super informative and knowledgeable was a very safe driver. We had a slight hiccup with our train seats so take a photo of your seat info to avoid any confusion with seats. Definitely experience the open carriage, this was the highlight of the train. Carmen met us at Arthur’s Pass and took us to see a waterfall and the viaduct before lunch. The scenery on the drive back was almost more stunning on the drive back and the walk up to castle Hill was a definite highlight. The farm bit was OK but didn’t add to the day. Overall we loved it, saw some great sights and enjoyed meeting fellow travellers. (Take some cash to tip your host)

A must do trip when touring the South Island. The train trip from Arthur’s Pass to Christchurch was amazing…the views were spectacular and travelling by train was very comfortable. Highly recommend.

Peter was more than just a guide - he was a hero, straightening out a mixup of duplicate tickets on the train, tolerating and humoring a little girl on the tour who bought a "talking" kiwi and insisted on playing it over and over, and entertaining us with stories and fun facts and recommendations along the way. Although the views from this train ride were not as spectacular as the ones from the train to Zermatt, the latter half of the journey was beautiful. Lots of photo opportunities at Arthur's Pass too. But my favorite part of the tour by far was the visit to the Toby Hill Farm, Trevor and his wife were fantastic hosts and their dog Toby loved showing off his sheep herding skills for us.

Very enjoyable trip. Our guide Pete was amazing and very informative. You will get a great education on a wide variety of New Zealand subjects, while seeing a beautiful country. Highly recommend .

Graham was a great driver and guide full of commentary for the area.This is a great way to experience the TranzAlpine train to Arthur’s Pass which took a bit over two hours from Christchurch.Graham was right there to meet us.He did have a mishap with the van on the way up as a side window was shattered by a passing logging truck.I say this as he had already coordinated a replacement van and our tour’s safe travel was paramount.We hiked the Devils punchbowl which had spectacular views and returned to to have a lunch coordinated in advance.We visited various overlooks and photo stops in route back to Christchurch.We were not able to visit the sheep farm as there was a medical incident related to the farmhouse that was communicated to us the day prior to the tour. We wish them full and speedy recovery and appreciate the communication prior to the tour.Would recommend this full day tour, well worthwhile with spectacular scenery.

Scenic train journey to Arthur’s Pass. Pleasant trip with tour guide Graham. I know the afternoon did not have the farm visit due to a medical event but a simple cup of tea/coffee would have been nice. I am not sure the lunch was value for money

Scott was a great driver and guide full of information and enthusiasm for the area.Would recommend this full day tour well worthwhile

Good way to take alpine train part way (2+ hours) toward the west coast. Beautiful scenery. Then off at Arthur’s pass into a minibus for ride back to Christchurch. Stops at waterfalls with steep hike and sheep farm to watch interesting shearing and herding by super friendly dog Toby. Guide Jude ran a tight ship and kept things moving.

We booked this trip with Leisure Tours and had Pete as I guide. We had so much fun and learned a great deal about NZ history from Pete along the way. The train ride was amazing. We did the Devils Punchbowl hike and also did the loop at Castle Hill on the way back to Christchurch. Our favorite part of the trip was visiting the Toby Hill sheep farm. It was so fun to see Toby the herding dog steering the sheep to our group for photos. The shearing demonstration was very informative and we got some great merino wool apparel from their shop. What an awesome way to spend a day learning about NZ. We would highly recommend Pete and the Leisure Tours team for your next tour.

The train was very clean and it was a pleasant ride with great views. Our tour combined the train trip up and a coach return. It was a great way to see the big views and the closeup scenery.

Let me start Peter is amazing, he is the best tour person we have ever had. He has so much information and really makes it fun. The train ride was beautiful, and it’s nice as you can grab a coffee and something to eat on the train. We then joined Peter and he continued the tour in his van, which was a good size, he was loud enough so we could hear him very well. He made the trip fun, and again he gave us so much information which was greatly appreciated. When he didn’t talk his music was great. I would recommend tour, but I would really try and get Peter as your tour operator . Have fun

Carmen accompanied us with her cheerfulness, great information about country, people, culture and life in NZ.We were 8 people and not 30 which we liked a lot.Weather has ordered Carmen perfectly: Sun - rain - sun !The stops at sight very well chosen, the highlight for me was the farm visit with demo of a sheep shearing. Trevor (82) a quaint farmer his wife Heather adorable, open-minded !Unforgettable excursion - thank you very muchHans&Sonya

We completely misunderstood what we booked (our mistake for focusing on the activity title and not reading the details closer). For anyone else thinking this is a full day of riding a train to and from Arthur's Pass while making a few fun stops, note that this is actually a 2 hour train ride one direction with a 4ish hour van ride the other. Lunch was included, there were plenty of Kea to see, there were some lovely stops along the way back in the van (including a steep hike to a waterfall), and our guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. Overall a nice experience, but not at all what we were looking for.

Heavy rain but apart from that very enjoyable trip.if it wasn't for the rain it would be a 5.great experience at the farm watching a working sheepdog and sheep shearing

I can’t say enough positive things about our tour! Carmen our guide and driver was excellent! The views from the train ride were amazing! Our short hikes were exactly the right length and difficulty for the group. The stop at Castle Hill was extraordinary! The sheep farm was a delightful experience! I highly recommend this tour! Thank you Leisure Tours and Carmen for an excellent day!

Tour was amazing! This was our first activity in NZ vacation, and it did not disappoint. If you're looking to see the majesty of NZ South Island landscape then this is a solid choice. I did drop one star because of the narrow seating in the mini-bus that was used to transport us home. If you're a small person then it's not likely to be a problem, but for larger folk you will quickly discover that the seat belt receptacles jam into your hip when sitting, and they can't be moved (at all). Kind of uncomfortable for a 3.5 hour ride.

It was a great trip, and Pete was a wonderful guide and driver. The views were spectacular and the sheep farm was an interesting stop. Pete had great stories to tell and was very knowledgeable about everything we saw.

The church at Arthurs Pass with the waterfall behind the window was special Our Guide was excellent well informed and orgainised and friendly The farm visit was very good. Especially interaction with the farmers. Loved seeing the sheep dog in action and sheep being shorn interesting.Slight delay in losing the train driver did not diminish the quality of our trip back.Castle Rock trek was a great interlude.Guide was sensitive to our need to take photos

The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. She introduce Christchurch very well. I really enjoyed the farm we visited and the Alpine train.

Spectacular views. This trip was the highlight of our visit to NZ. We are so glad we did it. It involved some hiking at Arthur's pass, but it is not difficult, and all worth it to see the falls and the Castle Hill Conservation Area.

Arthur’s Pass trip was a fabulous day. The tour guide was fabulous and really tried to make the day great despite the rain. The trip home on the train was a highlight with fabulous views of the spectacular scenery. Was glad we did bus to pass and train home so we could enjoy a wine and beer on the train home. Would highly recommend.

Embark on the unforgettable Arthur's Pass Full-Day Tour, complete with a scenic journey aboard the renowned TranzAlpine Express Train departing from Christchurch. This exceptional tour not only treats you to awe-inspiring landscapes of the South Island but also delivers impeccable service. From the attentive staff to the comfortable amenities, every detail is taken care of, ensuring a seamless and truly remarkable experience.

We had an amazing journey to Arthur’s Pass from Christchurch with Jude! She was kind and hilarious! We had our 8 month old son with us and she was very accommodating. The farm tour was also a sweet stop with a very lovely family (and dog, Toby) to greet us and make us feel welcome. Overall, I would recommend this tour for anyone who wants to see amazing views and meet some great locals. THANK YOU JUDE!!!!

A fantastic way to travel from East to West. Great van, attentive driver wirh sense of humor and vast knowledge ( yea! JUDE). THE TRAIN RIDE is just awesome...do not miss this opportunity

Fantastic day touring Arthur’s pass with leisure tours and Sally for our guide . Scenery was amazing as was Sally. Finished the tour with a jet boat ride. Totally enjoyed the whole day.

It was a small group of 6 so time was easy to manage. The train rude was good but impt if u get good sears. We were grouped to seat with another group member for our family so couldn't say that was great. The subsequent photos stops were great as the guide, Scotty explained the details and helped us to better understand the surroundings. Lunch was ordinary with one 1 cafe open. The visit to the sheep farm was good too. Amazing to see the sheep dog in action. Overall, a cosy and nice day tour for all.

The tour guide was excellent, very informative and stopped at interesting places for photos during the drive. I enjoyed our conversations with the sheep farmer and his wife. He not only sheared a sheep, but explained to us about the differences in the wool coming from different parts of the sheep's body, something new to me.Lunch was included and we could order anything we wanted off the interesting menu. There was enough time to wander around the area before continuing the trip.Views from the train were nice. Food/drink was available on the train, also.A nicely balanced day of travel, sites, and interesting information. The small size of the group really met our needs, also.

We enjoyed the whole trip,amazing scenery and the weather was perfect.My wife really enjoyed the sheep Farm experience and I got to try jet boating which was exhilarating.

Thank you Kevin for our wonderful day, and for going that extra mile to describe all of the surroundings to Charlie who is blind, we learnt so many new things because of your extensive knowledge of the area. Otira Hotel was such a great experience. If your considering doing this tour then go for it! You will not be disappointed. visiting the farm of Trevor and Heather was such a delight.