The South Island of New Zealand offers a wealth of experiences, with so much to see it can be difficult to know where to start when planning. This itinerary covers the highlights alongside some hidden gems to make it a trip you’ll remember forever.
If you have more time? Check out our other upcoming blog posts for more itineraries and details!
- Day 1: Christchurch
- Day 2: Akaroa
- Day 3: Lake Tekapo
- Day 4: Aoraki/Mount Cook
- Day 5: Timaru, Oamaru, Moreaki
- Day 6: Dunedin and tunnel beach
- Day 7: The Catlins
- Day 8: Te Anau
- Day 9: Mildford Sound
- Day 10-11: Queenstown
- Day 12: Arrowtown
- Day 13-14: Wanaka
- Day 15: Haast Pass and Fox Glacier
- Day 16: Franz Joseph Glacier
- Day 17: Hokitika, Pancake Rocks
- Day 18-19: Nelson and Abel Tasman
- Day 20: Picton and Marlborough Sounds
- Day 21: Bleheim
- Day 22: Kaikoura and Christchurch
Day 1: Christchurch
Depending on your arrival time in Christchurch, you can choose from a variety of exciting activities! We were lucky enough to live in Christchurch for 3 months, and we loved exploring the area. If you have just one day, we highly recommend spending some time discovering Christchurch town, then taking a scenic drive through the beautiful Port Hills. Make sure to stop at the charming pull-in points along the road and soak in the stunning views at the Sign of the Kiwi Café. You can opt to take the convenient Gondola up or drive yourself. Don’t miss the delightful short walk at the Rapaki Track! If time allows, head to Sumner Beach for a lovely stroll or to catch some waves.
If you’ve arrived on a rainy day, don’t worry there are also some great indoor activities! Spend some time at Quake City and learn about the devastating earthquake that hit Christchurch in 2011 and hugely impacted the city. Check out the Antarctica Centre and watch the penguins or experience a blizzard! Or head into town to Dice and Slice for some amazing HUGE pizzas and a great selection of board games.
Day 2: Akaroa and Banks Peninsula
Drive 1.5hrs through the stunning scenery of the Banks Peninsula and arrive in Akaroa, a quaint french inspired town popular with holiday makers from Christchurch. Make sure to stop in at Pot Pourri Fudge Shop where you can sample delicious free fudge and walk from Akaroa Harbour to the lighthouse.
Take a visit to Takamatua Valley Vineyards to experience a wine tasting with magnificent panoramic views of the harbor and surrounding countryside. Another must stop for foodies is Barrys Bay Traditional Cheese shop, where they have been making traditional cheeses since 1895! Drop by to sample some cheese and see how its made through the large viewing window in the shop.
Take a boat trip to see Hectors Dolphins – the worlds smallest dolphins! We recommend booking with Akaroa Dolphins, a local family run business. The dolphins love to play in the waves created by the boat so you can see them really close! You’re also likely to see fur seals and if you’re lucky white flippered penguins!
There are several walk options throughout the banks peninsula with our favourite being the short walk along Ōnawe Peninsula. For other walk options, we recommend using Alltrails to pick a length and difficulty suited to what you’re looking for.
Day 3: Lake Tekapo
Get an early start for a long 4 hour drive to Lake Tekapo – luckily this drive has beautiful scenery so the time will fly by. If you need to stop to stretch your legs, pull into Farlie for a delicious Farlie Pie.
Stroll through the small town in Tekapo and along the riverside path. If you can time your trip Nov-Jan you can see the famous lupins blooming alongside the lake and on a sunny day the lake goes a beautiful bright blue. On your walk, you’ll pass the Church of the Good Shepard, a cute old church that makes for a good photo opportunity. Tekapo has very limited light pollution so is an amazing place to go star gazing and try out some astrophotography.
Day 4: Aoraki/Mount Cook
A beautiful hour and a half drive along Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki will take you to Aoraki/Mount Cook. This is the location of the famous Hooker Valley Track, a scenic hour and a half out and back walk, crossing several swing bridges before leading to a glacial lake. On a clear day you can get fantastic views of New Zealand’s tallest mountain, Aoraki. This is a very popular day hike so we’d recommend starting early if you want to beat the crowds!
Another great alternative is the Sealy Tarns hike which gives some of the best views we saw in New Zealand, as pictured above. This is a much longer and more strenuous hike, taking around 3-4 hours with a lot of steps! If you have extra time, we’d highly recommending continuing to the Mueller Hut and even spending the night to view Aoraki in the beautiful sunrise and sunset colours!
Day 5: Timaru, Oamaru and Moreaki
Head down the east coast towards Dunedin, with optional stop offs at Timaru or Oamaru to watch the little penguins come in from the sea to their burrows at dusk. There is a small colony in Timaru that you can watch for free or a larger colony in Oamaru with ticketed seating areas. Make sure to listen to the volunteers advice, don’t get too close or use any flash photography.
Have a brief stop in at the Moeraki boulders and learn about the Maori legends and geographic explanations of how they arrived there.
For any wildlife lovers Katiki point lighthouse gives the opportunity to spot yellow eyed penguins and fur seals. This is a significant breeding site for yellow eyed penguins so keep noise to a minimum and stick to the formed paths.
Day 6: Dunedin and Tunnel beach
Dunedin is a small city with plenty of character. Some of the top attractions include Larnach Castle and The Royal Albatross Centre. For a more budget friendly activity, take a run up Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world – we will let them keep fighting the title with Ffordd Pen Llech, in Harlech, Wales! You can also visit Nichols Creek Glow Worms, take your time through the short walk and let your eyes adjust to the glow worms lighting up the moss covered dells.
A short 30min drive south of Dunedin takes you to the famous Tunnel beach. The walk takes you down to the unique entrance through a tunnel before opening. out onto an equally unique beach with moss covered stones and rugged cliff edges. This beach is a resting spot for fur seals and an occasional sea lion! The walk is around an hour return with steep steps and hills.
Day 7: The Catlins
The catlins is an under appreciated stretch of coast, with beautiful scenery and spectacular waterfalls. Start your Catlins road trip early with the sunrise at Nugget Point.
The drive through The Catlins from Nugget Point Lighthouse to Invercargill includes endless waterfalls. Here are our favourites in the order you’d come across them:
- Purakaunui Falls: 20min return walk (pictured below)
- Matai Falls: 25min return walk
- McLean Falls: 40min return walk
- Koropuku Falls: 20min return walk
Gaze at the 180 million year old fossilised trees in the Petrified forest at Curio Bay before heading to the most southern point of the south island of New Zealand, Slope Point.
After Curio Bay you can continue and see Invercargill if you have extra time, but we recommend heading straight up to Te Anau which will take around 2.5hrs.
Day 8: Te Anau
Te Anau is the perfect place to base yourself for day trips to both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.
Optional activities include the Te Anau Glowworm caves. These ticketed caves are a great place to see glowworms but if you’re on a budget there are free glowworm caves in Dunedin and Hokitika.
If you have more time, this is also the start of one of New Zealands 10 Great Walks, The Kepler Track (Pictured above).
Day 7: Milford Sound
Milford Sound is often referred to as the 8th natural wonder of the world and is a bucket list activity when visiting New Zealand. Leave 3 hours for the scenic drive from Te Anau, this gives plenty of time to pull in at the many scenic viewpoints along the way.
- Eglinton Valley
- Lake Gunn
- Pops view lookout
- Monkey Creek
The best way to soak in the breathtaking views of Milford Sound is by embarking on a boat tour through the sounds. We highly recommend Mitre Peak Cruises, as their smaller boats bring you right up close, allowing you to feel the magic of the waterfalls up close and personal!
Top tip – cover up and bring plenty of bug spray as Sandflies inhabit Milford Sound!
If you have extra time:
Near Milford Sound is the start of 2 of the great walks of New Zealand; The Milford Track and The Routeburn Track. Both 3-4 day hikes take you through the heart of the fiordlands, with The Milford Track often being referred to as the best walk in the world!
Lake Marian is a 3-4 hour challenging return hike through bushland before opening out into the lake where you can cool down with a dip if you’re brave enough! When it’s clear, the lake creates a mirror making a perfect photo opportunity.
Day 9-10: Queenstown
Queenstown is a beautiful little town set along the front of Lake Whakatipu with a picturesque backdrop of The Remarkables Mountain Range. If you wanted to slow the pace here, you could enjoy a couple of days relaxing by the lake, strolling through Queenstown Gardens and taking in the scenery.
If you’re looking for more high adrenaline activities you can go jetboating, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, canyoning and riding the luge – Queenstown has options to suit everyone! If you’re travelling in winter (which we weren’t lucky enough to experience!), Queenstown becomes a Skiing hot spot.
Around Queenstown, you’ll find some spectacular hikes including our favourites:
Ben Lomond: This is a challenging day hike but has some of the best views we’ve seen in New Zealand! The entire track takes around 8 hours to complete and is a challenging route with steep rocky sections at the summit. There is an option to skip out a large section of the hike by taking the gondola part way up and continuing from there.
Queenstown Hill: This is an easier walk but still challenging, it takes around 2.5hrs and climbs 500m and will still reward some amazing views!
Lake Alta: After driving up scenic winding roads through the remarkables, this short 1.5hr return hike starts at the ski chalet and is a real hidden gem. Always check the weather conditions before attempting to drive and hike here.
If you’re looking for a way to wind down after one of those longer hikes, take a trip to the Onsen Pools for spa treatment a hot tub with a spectacular view!
Where to eat? Queenstown is full of amazing places to get food but some of our favourites include The Blue Kanu and of course the famous Ferg Burger!
Where to drink? We always enjoy a drink with a view the most, so Perky’s Floating Bar, Little Blackwood and Pier Bar come highly recommended!
Day 11: Arrowtown
Arrowtown is a short drive 20min drive from Queenstown and definitely worth the visit. It’s a cute little historic town with charming old buildings. It’s beautiful all year but if you’re passing through in Autumn, the autumnal colours are truly breathtaking.
Take a stroll down Buckingham Street, in and out of the boutique stores and along the riverside. As it is a historic gold mining town, you can hire a pan for $5 and try your luck and some gold panning in the river.
We’d highly recommend Dorothy Browns, sit on their balcony and have a gin from the gin bar, browse their selection of books and they even have an old school cinema too if you get stuck on a rainy day!
Day 12-13: Wanaka
We were lucky enough to housesit and spend a month enjoying Wanaka in the summer. Similar to Queenstown, it’s a lovely small town set alongside the lake with mountains filling the background. This is another place you could just slow down and enjoy the scenery without the need for activities. However, if you’re looking for activities, Wanaka offers plenty!
Take one of the many mountain biking trails or just cycle the path running alongside the lake. Our favourite stretch to cycle was from the Wanaka Tree, following the lake around and ending with an amazing pastry from The Pembroke Patisserie.
Hire a paddleboard or a kayak and take in the sites from a different perspective. Hire a disc from the i-site and try your luck at one of the free disc golf courses, our favourite was at Eely Point, with Lismore Park being a close second.
More of an adrenaline junkie? Climb the via feratta up the side of a waterfall, choosing form 3 levels to whichever difficulty suits you.
Stuck on a rainy day? Take a visit to the Cinema Paridiso and catch a movie – they’ll bake fresh cookies made to order for you to enjoy in the interval.
If you’re feeling fancy, a visit to the Rippon Estate Winery is a good chance to sample some good wine whilst taking in a view of the town across the lake. Bookings are essential, especially at peak times.
A hike you’ve likely heard of and for good reason, Roys Peak. Roys Peak is a 6 hour return steep hike with well formed track. You’ll see a little line of head torches starting this hike from as early at 3am in the summer to catch the sunrise! The photo below speaks for itself on if it’s worth the early start.
If you’re looking for a quieter hike to Roys Peak, we also had Isthmus Peak highly recommended by the locals!
And of course, snap the famous photo of That Wanaka Tree!
Day 14: Haast Pass and Fox Glacier
Set off early for the 3.5 hour drive to Fox Glacier through the Haast Pass. This scenic drive starts by weaving through Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea, make sure to leave time to pull into some of the scenic viewpoints along the way.
The next stop along the way is The Blue Pools, a short stop in and walk to some strikingly blue lakes. There’s then plenty of pull in points and short waterfall walks along the way to stretch your legs, with the Haast Pass Lookout not to be missed!
For the best views of Fox Glacier, hike 1.5hr return along the Southside walkway to the viewpoint. Unfortunately when we passed through this walkway was closed, always check the DOC website for up to date track information.
Another recommended walk is the 1.5hr loop around Lake Matheson, which on a clear day gives a beautiful reflection of the glacier and mountains.
Day 15: Franz Josef
The easiest way to view Franz Josef glacier is the Forest Walk which is a 30min return walk. You can also go to Sentential Rock along the way to get a glimpse from this angle too. Unfortunately because of climate change the glacier has retreated and continues to retreat so it is difficult to see much from either of these viewpoints.
For cleared views there’s a couple of longer walk options:
- Roberts Point Track: This is a beautiful 5.5hr return hike, with changing terrain and several swing bridges before opening out to a viewpoint of the glacier.
- Alex’s Knob: This is a challenging 8hr return hike with a few view points along the way before opening up to panoramic views at the top. Our favourite was the view from Christmas Lookout, which you can see in the photo above.
Its worth noting that cloud rolls in almost everyday by midday so if you want a good view of the glacier it’ll be worth the early start!
Day 16: Hokitika and Pancake Rocks
Continue up the west coast for a few hours and head to Hokitika Gorge. This is a short 30min return walk alongside striking blue water. If you have extra time, stay a night hear and visit the free Glow Worm Dell just after dark.
If you continue another hour up the coast, you can visit the unique rock formations at Pancake Rocks. The North West coast of New Zealand is super underrated and often missed but turned out to be one of our favourite spots!
A few minutes drive from pancakes rocks is the Pororari River Track. This is a long out and back track where you can decide how far you want to go. The track runs alongside the river surrounded by white cliff, lush foliage and abundant bird life.
Day 17/18: Nelson and Abel Tasman
Drive 3.5hrs to Nelson and explore the small town. This is the perfect place to stop off before accessing the Abel Tasman.
Kayak or hike a section of another of New Zealands great walks, the Abel Tasman Track. We spent 3 days doing a combined kayak and hike of the track through Abel Tasman Kayaks who we’d highly recommend! We got super lucky and spent about a hour with a pod of dolphins breaching and playing in the waves. For shorter hike and kayaking options, check out the Abel Tasman website for heaps of itinerary options to suit your needs.
Day 19: Picton and Marlborough Sounds
Drive around an hour to arrive in the small town of Picton and the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Hire a kayak or take a boat tour through the tranquil waters or hike part of the Queen Charlotte Track and hop on a boat back to Picton.
Day 20: Blenheim
Blenheim is known for it’s wine regions and for being the sunniest town in New Zealand. This makes it the perfect location to sip wine in the sunshine. With heaps of wineries to chose from here are a few of our faves:
- Wairau River
- Cloudy Bay
- Allen Scott
- Saint Clair Family Estate
Book yourself onto a tour or if you’re feeling a slower pace, rent a couple of bikes and cycle your way around, taking in the scenery.
Day 21: Kaikoura and Christchurch
For your final day, on the road head back towards Christchurch via Kaikoura. If you’re a wildlife lover Kaikoura is full of fur seals! Ohau Point is on the drive from Blenheim to Kaikoura and has an excellent viewing area where you can watch the seals playing in the rock pools.
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway is a 3hr walk where you can admire the fur seals! It’s an out and back coastal walk so you can make it as long or as short as you like. There are also some great tour options available for whale and dolphin watching!
Between Kaikoura and Christchurch, stop off in Waipara wine region, where for laid back winery vibes we’d recommend Waipara Springs Winery and Restaurant.
After three unforgettable weeks exploring the South Island, from the snow-capped peaks of Mount Cook to the wild beauty of Fiordland and the rugged coast of Marlborough sound , it’s clear why New Zealand captures the hearts of travellers worldwide. Whether you’re a nature lover, adventure seeker, or road trip enthusiast, the South Island is the perfect place for you.
Ready to plan your own journey? Feel free to drop your questions in the comments, save this post for later, and check out our upcoming posts for other helpful tips!
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