South Island Photo Tour - New Zealand

South Island Photo Tour - New Zealand

Fiordland National Park – Misty Fiords and Alpine Peaks

Fiordland National Park is one of New Zealand’s most dramatic landscapes, and it offers breathtaking opportunities for photography. Towering granite cliffs rise above deep, mist-filled fiords, creating a mystical setting at sunrise and sunset. Moreover, you can capture sweeping vistas from high vantage points, while waterfalls tumbling into dark waters reveal intimate details. Because the light shifts constantly in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, each visit brings fresh creative possibilities for both wide landscapes and moody close-ups.

Lake Tekapo – Starry Skies and Turquoise Waters

Lake Tekapo contrasts vividly with its turquoise glacier-fed waters and colorful lupin fields. During the day, the Southern Alps provide a majestic backdrop. However, at night Tekapo transforms into a haven for astrophotography, offering some of the clearest skies in the world. In addition, the Church of the Good Shepherd beneath a canopy of stars has become an iconic image of New Zealand. As a result, this destination is always a highlight of any South Island Photo Tour, New Zealand, combining beauty by day with wonder by night.

Mount Cook National Park – Glaciers and Alpine Landscapes

Mount Cook National Park, home to New Zealand’s tallest peak, delivers an awe-inspiring alpine setting. Photographers can explore rugged valleys, shimmering glaciers, and winding trails that showcase the Southern Alps in all their grandeur. Furthermore, sunrise and sunset paint the peaks in golden hues, while changing weather adds dramatic moods to your shots. Consequently, this location is a cornerstone of any New Zealand photography tour, blending adventure with powerful visual rewards.

Otago Coast – Wildlife and Coastal Beauty

The Otago Coast combines wild seascapes with remarkable wildlife encounters. Rugged cliffs, windswept beaches, and tidal flats create striking natural compositions. Meanwhile, fur seals, sea lions, and rare yellow-eyed penguins bring life and character to every frame. Not only does the coastal light enhance colors and textures, but it also shifts throughout the day, ensuring variety in your images. Therefore, this coastline allows photographers to balance both wildlife and landscape photography in a single, unforgettable setting.

UNUSUAL EXPEDITION’s South Island Photo Tour, New Zealand combines iconic landscapes with hidden gems. From alpine peaks and turquoise lakes to remote beaches and starlit skies, every location has been carefully chosen to provide exceptional photography opportunities. In the end, you will return home not only with a diverse portfolio, but also with unforgettable memories of New Zealand’s South Island.

Photography Tour

Tour Price

Single Room

Price Per Person*

$10500

Singapore Dollars

Share Room

Price Per Person*

  • Twin sharing based on same gender
  • Subject to availability 

$8750

Singapore Dollars

Tour Duration

11 Days

Tour Start

April 18, 2026

Tour End

April 28, 2026

Tour Status

Guaranteed Departure

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Photography Tour Leader: Joseph Mak

Photography Tour

Itinerary

Day 1 - 4
CHRISTCHURCH | LAKE TEKAPO REGION

Your journey begins in the wide, open landscapes of the South Island, where the vast Mackenzie Basin sets the stage for dramatic alpine scenes and crystal-clear night skies. After arriving in Christchurch, you travel south toward Lake Tekapo, a high-altitude lake town renowned for its serene beauty and iconic night skies. This area serves as your base for four days of photography, with flexible access to nearby highlights like Twizel and Mount Cook National Park.

Each morning begins quietly, with soft pastel skies unfolding over mountain lakes. Daytime hours can be spent exploring glacier-fed valleys, scenic roads, and high-country lookouts. Afternoons often bring dramatic shifts in light as clouds roll over snow-capped peaks and reflections settle into still waters.

The real magic unfolds after dark. With three nights in one of the world’s premier dark-sky reserves, you’ll have ample opportunities to photograph the Milky Way arching over the Church of the Good Shepherd or mirrored in the calm waters of nearby lakes. This section offers the time and stillness needed to work with light, weather, and stars at your own pace.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - 7
LAKE TEKAPO REGION | QUEENSTOWN

The trip continues into the Southern Lakes region, where Queenstown becomes your base for a three-day exploration of Central Otago’s vibrant autumn landscapes. Here, golden foliage meets deep alpine blues, and the landscape constantly transforms with the shifting light of late April.

Mornings often begin at reflective lakes and mist-covered valleys. One of the highlights during this time of year is Arrowtown, a nearby village where the autumn colours create a palette of gold, rust, and fire across hillsides and tree-lined paths. The simplicity of walking these quiet streets with a camera in hand is one of the great joys of this region.

Afternoons are ideal for drives toward surrounding mountains and lakes, or for taking in panoramic views from above Queenstown itself. Sunset shoots may find you high above the town, overlooking The Remarkables, or down by the water’s edge where long shadows stretch across the landscape.

By staying in one location over multiple days, this section offers you the creative freedom to return to favourite spots in changing conditions, and to fully embrace the rhythm of mountain light.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - 10
QUEENSTOWN | MILFORD SOUND | MOERAKI

Leaving Queenstown behind, the journey ventures deeper into the wilderness, passing through Fiordland to reach the iconic landscapes of Milford Sound. Steep cliffs rise from the dark waters and waterfalls spill from unseen heights. A mid-day cruise reveals the full scale of this dramatic fjord, but the quiet moments before and after are what make this experience unforgettable.

Staying late allows you to photograph Milford Sound at sunset, when the crowds disperse and golden light slips across the peaks. The sound becomes a place of stillness and scale, a moment to feel small and connected to the raw power of nature.

The next day, the journey turns inland and east, crossing the island toward the Pacific Coast. After a full day of travel, you arrive at Moeraki, a small fishing village best known for the mysterious boulders scattered across its beach. With low tide at sunrise, these ancient stones emerge from the sand like fossils, offering a quiet, surreal final shoot by the sea.

That evening, you’ll continue north to Christchurch for your final night in New Zealand, preparing for the journey home.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11
CHRISTCHURCH | SINGAPORE

After two weeks immersed in the silence, light, and grandeur of the South Island, the journey comes to a close. On the morning of April 28, you’ll depart from Christchurch for your return flight to Singapore.

Your camera is full, but more importantly, so is your memory — of golden hills at sunrise, quiet lakes under stars, waterfalls hidden in mist, and coastal stones that seem older than time. This trip was more than a photography tour. It was a slow movement through one of the most beautiful corners of the earth, where light guided the way and nature set the pace.

Meals: Breakfast

Tour Notes

Tour Includes

Hotel accommodation

Tour guide

Entrance fees

Land transportation in destination

Group transfer to airport

All meals as stated in itinerary

Tour Excludes

Return International Air Ticket

Return Domestic Air Ticket (If Any)

Guide & Driver Tips – NZD 150  for the entire trip.

Any Private Expenses, Room Service, Porter Service

Visa Fees (If Applicable)

Beverages / Alcohol Drinks during Meals

Personal Travel Insurance (Compulsory – Self Purchased)

Photography Setup Fee (If applicable)

Registration

Tour Start

April 18, 2026

Tour End

April 28, 2026

Tour operated and managed by:

 

Unusual Expedition Pte. Ltd.

Company Registration: 201400451K

Travel Agent License: 02513

Email: contact@unusualexpedition.com

Office: (+65) 6591-8811

 

 Terms & Conditions applies

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