Queenstown Private Tour Specialists

Private and small group tours from Queenstown, for over twenty years.

ABOUT

Private and Small Group Tours from Queenstown

Private Discovery Tours has been showing guests the country beyond Queenstown since 2003. We hold exclusive access to Mt Earnslaw Station, a high country sheep and beef farm in Glenorchy, with private farm visits and guided access to the Mt Alfred Terrace walk. Neither is open to the public.

Our guides are long-term locals or Kiwis. We don’t fill seats, we host guests. Every journey is focused on getting the best out of your day.

Tours

Explore Our Tours

Multiple guided tours, from a working high country farm to a full day on the Routeburn. Take any of them privately, or join a small group departure capped at eight.

Exclusive Access Tours

Paradise Discovery and High Country Discovery. Private access to Mt Earnslaw Station, a working high country station closed to the public. Private, or a small group departure.

Hiking Tours

Paradise Day Walks and the Routeburn Valley Walk. Guided day walks without a multi-day commitment, private or in a small group.

Private and Custom Tours

Multi-day touring across the South Island, and private charters with your own vehicle and driver-guide. Planned around you, by enquiry.

Scenic Tours

Milford Sound Discovery, Queenstown Local Area and Southern Lakes Discovery, across the region’s best-known routes and Central Otago wine country.

Exclusive Access Tours

Paradise Discovery and High Country Discovery. Private access to Mt Earnslaw Station, a working high country station closed to the public. Private, or a small group departure.

Hiking Tours

Paradise Day Walks and the Routeburn Valley Walk. Guided day walks without a multi-day commitment, private or in a small group.

Private and Custom Tours

Multi-day touring across the South Island, and private charters with your own vehicle and driver-guide. Planned around you, by enquiry.

Scenic Tours

Milford Sound Discovery, Queenstown Local Area and Southern Lakes Discovery, across the region’s best-known routes and Central Otago wine country.

Why Us

Why Choose Us?

Experienced Local Guides

Local knowledge from guides who know the country, not a script read into a microphone.

Exclusive Access

Private access to Mt Earnslaw Station, a high country farm closed to the public.

Small Groups

Shared departures capped at eight. Designed for 8, not 18. Private tours have no set limit, up to 11 per vehicle.

Tailored Tours

Built around what your group wants from the day.

Testimonials

Stories From Our Guests

Felix Fong

2 months ago

We highly recommend Lucy! She was such a friendly driver and shared so much amazing local culture and highlights along the way. She took us to the private farm to see cattle and sheep, and walked us through how sheep shearing works in real life. The hiking route she picked was perfect — not too hard, not too easy. She also taught us loads about the native bush and trees. It was such an unforgettable experience with her!

Mona He

2 months ago

The bespoke hike Sarah and her team put together for us was great. Combining 4 separate walks we saw lakes mountains and much more. Thank you! Lucy and Lee were fantastic on the hike and shared their local history and botanical knowledge with us. Could not have asked for a better day for a team bonding hike. Thank you.

Rose Maisano

6 months ago

We had Lucy Snelgrove as our tour guide for a private hike on the route burn trail and she was amazing 🙂 we came from the US and didn’t have rain jackets. Knowing it would be rainy, she had extra jackets and ponchos for us, made our hike sooo much more enjoyable! She kept a great pace and was very knowledgeable about the trail, plants and birds we saw along the way. Would very highly recommend!! We had some extra time and instead of bringing us back to our hotel right away, she went out of the way to bring us to some more view points to check out the beautiful scenery.

Kirsten Mackey

7 months ago

My husband and I took a tour through a section of the Routeburn track and we had a great time! Lucy provided us with so many interesting facts about the area and was a great guide! We thoroughly enjoyed our walk through the track and would definitely recommend!

Phileas Fogg

11 months ago

My wife and I spent a fantastic day in Paradise Valley, guided by Charles. A journey through fairytale locations. Now we understand why The Lord of the Rings was filmed here. We come from a big city. Unspoiled places like those we saw today, where the sound of silence and the absence of people reign supreme, are a unique opportunity. Charles showed us places that are technically impossible to reach on our own. Breathtaking views, views of the lake, mountains with snow-capped peaks, forests, valleys... it's almost impossible to describe the details. Even the photographs don't do the reality justice. Congratulations to Charles, thank you very much.

Syd Gernstein

2 years ago

My wife and I had a full day Milford Sound tour with Charles. We could not have scripted a more perfect day of travel. Of course, the trip to Milford Sound was fantastic. The journey itself was great—we stopped at a ton of viewing points, one more beautiful than the next. And I really don’t have words to describe how impossibly beautiful Milford Sound itself is. But it was Charles who truly tied this day together and made it so memorable. Charles is everything you’d want in a travel guide—knowledgeable, interesting, and an amazing conversationalist. He also is just the consummate professional: the day was perfectly timed so that we were constantly doing things without ever feeling rushed. My wife and I have had an amazing time in Queenstown. Seriously, if we had any more time here, what we would do would be an absolute no-brainer: book another tour with Charles. In sum, I can’t recommend Charles more highly. A class act.

Sharon F.

2 years ago

Charles Fraser was the ultimate professional guide. He was totally knowledgeable & informative on all aspects of New Zealand. He knew so much about the country, its culture, its people, and the history. We spent two days with him & had a most memorable time hiking & exploring Milford Sound & the countryside of New Zealand. He is remarkably upbeat & happy and you feel like you’ve known him forever. He made a most favorable impression on us, and made the day’s exciting. We will never forget his graciousness. We highly suggest hiring him and his company to experience the very best of New Zealand.

Regions

Our Tour Regions

Our tours cover five areas around Queenstown. Each area page covers what to see, how to get there and when to go so you can get a good feeling of which one is best for you.

Queenstown: things to do, and how to plan a day
Glenorchy: Bennett’s Bluff, the Dart River, and one of New Zealand’s great scenic drives
Arrowtown: The historic village, gold mining heritage, and local charm
Milford Sound: Getting there from Queenstown, and the weather
Mt Cook: The scenic drive, alpine landscapes, and how to get there from Queenstown

Not sure where to start? Use the regions to plan ahead, or leave it to your guide on the day.

View All Regions

Articles