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Tours and Tailor Made Holidays to

Arthur's Pass

NEW ZEALAND
  • CURRENCY New Zealand Dollars
  • LANGUAGE English
  • WEATHER
  • FLYING TIME 24 hrs 25 mins
  • TIME ZONE GMT + 12

Down the middle of 'the great divide' is an alpine dreamland of snow-covered peaks, glaciers and scree slopes

Tailor Made Holidays to Arthur's Pass

At Travel Concierge, we pride ourselves on tailoring holidays to Arthur's Pass that are designed around your needs and expectations and not ours. We have a range of Arthur's Pass holiday offers that we have negotiated special or exclusive deals on. We can also arrange multi centre Arthur's Pass holiday itineraries as well as tours and excursions in Arthur's Pass. For more information on our Arthur's Pass holidays, call an Travel Concierge tailor-made expert on 0161 729 0099 and speak to one of our reservation experts who will be able to help you plan the perfect holiday in Arthur's Pass.

Destination Overview

Arthur's Pass is the highest pass over the Southern Alps. Long before surveyor Arthur Dudley Dobson found his way over the pass in 1864, it was known to Maori hunting parties as a route between east and west.

The eastern side of Arthur's Pass National Park is characterised by wide, shingle-filled riverbeds and vast beech forests. The western side of the park, where wet weather is more common than dry, has deeply gorged rivers flowing through dense rainforest. Down the middle of 'the great divide' is an alpine dreamland of snow-covered peaks, glaciers and scree slopes.

The park includes many peaks over 2000 metres - the highest is Mount Murchison at 2,400 metres. All the main valleys of the park are deep and steep sided, with the U-shaped profile typical of glacial action. Above the sub-alpine shrublands, there are enchanting alpine fields with wild flowers. Most people arrive in Arthur's Pass National Park by road - a spectacular piece of extreme civil engineering involving viaducts, bridges, rock shelters and waterfalls redirected into chutes. When Arthur Dobson first encountered the precipitous Otira Gorge, the pass was almost impassable - he had to leave his horse at the top and lower his dog on a rope. The village at Arthur's Pass is the starting point for many short walks. The entrance to the historic Otira rail tunnel can be seen here - an epic engineering feat through 8.5 kilometres of rock.

The Department of Conservation provides 30 hikers' huts and 'Basic' shelters (bivouacs) within the park, linked by an excellent track system. Arthur's Park village offers a good choice of accommodation styles - from backpacker lodges to hotel rooms. The city of Christchurch is just under two hours drive from Arthur's Pass village, on the eastern side of the Southern Alps. On the western side of the mountains, the town of Greymouth is an hour's drive away.

Walks invariably begin at the edge of the highway and take you to amazing natural attractions. The Devil's Punchbowl Falls, Bridal Veil Track, Historic Village Walk, Temple Basin and the Dobson Nature Walk are some of the recommended short walks. Full day walks include Cons Track, Avalanche Peak, Mount Aicken and Mount Bealey. You'll probably meet the park's most famous inhabitant - the kea, a comical alpine parrot famous for its inquisitive nature.

The Temple Basin Ski Area is located on the slopes of Mount Temple above Arthur's Pass. The skifield is open each winter from late June to early October and caters for all levels of skiing. In recent years, it has become very popular with snowboarders.

Arthur's Pass National Park is a mountaineering mecca, offering a huge choice of classic climbing routes, including specialised challenges for ice climbers and rock climbers.

When to visit Arthur's Pass

Arthur's Pass

Do you need inspiration for when to go on holiday to Arthur's Pass? Give the team of experts at Travel Concierge a call and we will help you plan your Arthur's Pass holiday at the best time of year for your requirements. Although our Arthur's Pass holiday search tool will allow you to search for Arthur's Pass holiday prices upto 11 months in advance, we can also price holidays to Arthur's Pass for 2025 and 2026. We can advise on the best time to travel on your Arthur's Pass holiday based on Arthur's Pass weather, special events in Arthur's Pass or even when the crowds in Arthur's Pass are at their lowest.

Arthur's Pass

Located in the mountains of the South Island, Arthur's Pass can be colder than elsewhere in New Zealand due to its high elevation.

However, this should not stop you from visiting the park anytime of the year, as long as you are adequately prepared for the temperature. In the spring and autumn, mornings and evenings can be brisk. Winters can be a wonderland of snow.