The Perfect 12-day New Zealand South Island Itinerary

12-Day South Island Itinerary

South Island is the larger of the two main New Zealand Islands, less populous, and definitely more spectacular. With rainforests, mountains, lakes and glaciers, the drives will leave you absolutely spellbound! It doesn’t matter if you aren’t doing many activities here; just standing amid surreal nature will be enough to enliven your day!

Given below is our 12-day South Island road trip map. It gives you a good idea of how to move around the country.

South Island Road Trip Route

Day 1: Christchurch

You will also probably get there after a long and tiring journey (unless you are travelling from Australia), as New Zealand is quite remote. All we suggest doing this day is to walk around, orient ourselves in this new country, and get ready for the New Zealand South Island road trip: buy a sim card (if you haven’t already purchased an e-sim, pick up your pre-booked rental car or a campervan, and buy snacks and groceries for your road trip. Pick up a croissants/bread, spreads, fruits, cheese, cookies, chips, juice, wine and such to have picnics on your road trip.

Day 2: Kaikoura

Christchurch to Kaikoura- 180 km (2 hours 20 minutes)

Set off on a beautiful drive towards Kaikoura. If you’d like, you can stop at a winery on the way.

Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway: On reaching Kaikoura, check into your hotel, grab lunch and set out for the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway. Park your car at Point Kean Carpark and head atop the cliffs, which offer a panoramic view of the Seaward Kaikoura Range and the Pacific Ocean. You’ll surely get lost in the vast expanse of the ocean, the distant yet loud sound of waves and chirping of a huge colony of seagulls on the rocks below.

You’ll have plenty of time to walk the entire walkway which should take about three hours to complete without stops. You can also choose to walk along the elevated path on the rocks below for a closer view of wildlife. Remember to maintain distance from seals- they may seem lazy but they are fast and their bites are lethal!

Kaikoura (in the Māori language, ‘kai’ means food, ‘koura’ means crayfish) is famous for its namesake, popularly known as rock lobsters. Try some out at the Nin’s Bin, which is close to the walkway.

For more suggestions on lip-smacking foods to eat, read 10 Must-Eat Foods in New Zealand.

Accommodation: Jandals on Otago is an excellent stay option in Kaikoura.

Day 3: Whale-watching and Arthur’s Pass

Whale-Watching: The whole reason why Kaikoura is on this South Island itinerary is for going whale-watching in the whale-watching capital of New Zealand. On a whale-watching tour, you can spot giant sperm whales all year round. Depending on the season, you may also see humpback whales, blue whales, pilot whales, southern right whales, and orcas (including the world’s smallest and rarest, the Hectors). There is just so much wildlife to spot here, from fur seals to pods of dolphins and the endangered wandering albatross.

There is only one company that does whale watching tours, so do book the activity prior as it can sell out.

If you’ve been whale watching by boat before, I recommend either going whale-watching by flight for a totally different perspective of the friendly giants. Or even going swimming with dolphins – an absolutely thrilling adventure.

Kaikoura to Arthur’s Pass Village- 303 km (4 hours)

After your morning adventure, head to your next destination – a small village in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. The drive from Kaikoura to Arthur’s Pass National Park begins with vistas of the vast ocean and ends with splendid mountains having scree slopes and barren valley river beds strewn with pebbles.

Stop enroute at Castle Hill, a scattering of monolithic limestone rocks. This area formed the backdrop of the battle in Chronicles of Narnia- The Witch and the Wardrobe. You can walk around and explore the place and maybe even have a picnic. It makes for a nice pitstop.

On reaching Arthur’s Pass Village, walk the Devil’s Punchbowl Falls Track as it is short and easy to do this evening. Another short option is the Bealey Valley Track.

Accommodation: Arthur’s Pass Motel and Lodge offers private rooms in a lodge. They’re very proactive and communicative, which we found very helpful.

Day 4: Franz Josef Glacier Village

On the way to Franz Josef, make a stop at Hokitika Gorge. It’s just a 15-minute walk to a gorge with beautiful blue water!

Arthur’s Pass Village to Franz Josef Glacier Village- 233 km (3 hours)

Not far from Arthur’s Pass Village, you will cross the often photographed Otira Viaduct that spans a stretch of unstable terrain. As you descend toward the West Coast, the scenery will gradually transform into lush rainforests. The diversity of landscapes you will see in these three hours will be awe-inspiring – mountains, rainforests, glacier, rivers, beaches, and ocean.  You will be left wondering how it is even possible for all of these to exist within a few kilometres of each other.

You’ll finally reach the town of Franz Josef, a small one centred around its main attraction – the Franz Josef Glacier. There isn’t much to do in town except to try the cafes and bar and shop for souvenirs.

So after checking-in into your hotel, go see the Franz Josef Glacier Terminal Face. It is an easy 1.5-hour walk from the glacier valley car park. It takes you through a forest, and past a waterfall along a wide river stone track. The glacier once covered the valley you will walk on. However,  you can’t get too close to the glacier face anymore. It has receded too far due to global warming.

Where to eat: Eat at Alice May and do try Pavlova (a meringue-based dessert)

Accommodation: We stayed at a motel here that we wouldn’t recommend. Instead, you can stay at Aspen Court Franz Josef

Day 5: Franz Josef- Heli-hiking

Heli-hike: Gear up for an exciting activity: heli-hiking! Its a four-hour tour that includes a helicopter ride to the glacier and a 2 hour hike on it. The experience is phenomenal albeit expensive! The helicopter ride to and back from the glacier offers impressive views of the glacier valley. On landing on the glacier, you will explore ice formations like glacier walls, ice caves, crevasses etc. Do pre-book the heli-hike months in advance as they are quite popular.

Heli-hikes often get cancelled due to bad weather. We were aware of such situations arising frequently and had accordingly designed this 12-day South Island itinerary. And guess what, our did get cancelled!

If this happens to you, you’ll have to arrive at the heli-hike company early next morning to put yourself on standby list incase tours are happening that day. You might have to wait a lot depending on your standby number. We waited for hours and just as we were about to leave we enquired for one last time if there were two spots on the next tour and to our surprise, the person at the counter said ‘yes’. So don’t give up easily and keep enquiring. If you aren’t able to go for some reason, you have the option of book a helicopter tour instead in Franz Josef or Queenstown or you can ask for a refund.

Options of things to do if your glacier hike gets cancelled this day:

1. Alex Knob Track – If you aren’t going for the glacier heli hike and want a good view of the glacier from a mountain opposite it, then try this 17 km hike. You will also be rewarded with views of the Tasman Sea.
2. Lake Matheson Walk – A 30-minute drive brings you to this lake that is famous for mirror reflections of New Zealand’s tallest mountain, Mount Cook.
3. Tartare Tunnels Walk – An 80-minute round trip on foot to see glowworms in a non-commercial setting.
4. Kayaking in Lake Mapourika – Spot wildlife and take in the beautiful scenery.
5. West Coast Wildlife Centre – See rare kiwis, tuataras and walk through their interactive glacier display. This centre is located in the town itself.

If you have a heli-hike booked, then a dip in the Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools comes complimentary. Later in the evening, head here to unwind and mend your muscles.

Day 6: Wanaka

If your heli-hike got cancelled the previous morning, try your luck this day. If it didn’t, head straight to Wanaka!

Franz Josef Glacier Village to Wanaka: 286 km (4 hours)

The drive to Wanaka is mind-blowing. This is where we thought New Zealand’s true beauty began and that all the drives henceforth were beyond impressive. Today’s drive had in store for us another glacier (Fox Glacier), the ocean, and forested mountains. But the best bit was the seemingly endless drive by Lakes Hawea and Wanaka. You will want to stop over and over again at various lookout points and your trip of four hours will turn to over five. It just can’t be helped; it is that beautiful.

Note that the drive to Wanaka can also be made into a full day trip as there is enough to explore midway. If you’ve left for Wanaka early, you’ll have all the time to explore these mid-way spots.

Finally you’ll get to our favourite town on our New Zealand trip, Wanaka, which offers brilliant views over Lake Wanaka and a chill culture with cafes, restaurants and bars dotting the centre which is situated beside the lake.

Accommodation: The Hunny Nook and Treble View Guest House are excellent places to stay in Wanaka.

Day 7: Wanaka

Roy’s Peak hike – Wanaka is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. So it’s only fair that you do at least one hike here. The most famous hike in the region is the 16-km hike which has the most picture perfect views.

However, Roy’s peak can get super crowded because it’s done the rounds on Instagram. If you’d like to do a quieter hike, then do the Isthmus Peak hike instead which is again 16-hike just like Roy’s peak.

Alternative: Since we didn’t do the hike, we simply walked around and explored what the town had to offer. Had lunch at Big Fig where we filled our plate with slow-cooked foods that are great for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Then, got ice cream from Black Peak Gelato nearby and sat by the lake to savour it. We didn’t mind missing the hike at all!

With a happy tummy, we then visited the Wanaka Lavender Farm. It is a cute farm with not only lavender fields but also animals like alpacas, pigs, sheep, hens, yaks etc. They also have life-sized ‘Four in a Row’ and ‘Tic Tac Toe’ games. We ended our time here devouring honey-flavored ice cream and lavender tea at their café.

During sunset check out The Wanaka Tree, a 100-year old willow tree that stands alone in the water of Lake Wanaka with the Southern Alps as its backdrop. A popular spot for photographers!

Day 8: Arrowtown and Te Anau

Wanaka to Arrowtown – 54 km (50 minutes)

On the short drive from Wanaka to Arrowtown, you can stop at Cardrona Bra Fence: a wire fence lined with bras since 1999.

Arrowtown is a historical town from the gold-rush days that has retained its colonial-era style buildings to this day. It wasn’t hard for us to imagine ourselves in long gowns and tailored suits walking down the lane of this one street town. A lip-smacking lunch at The Chop Shop Food Merchants will be the cherry on the cake.

Winery: Since you’re in the area famous for its wineries, make another stop at the Wet Jacket Cellar Door which used to be a sheep shearing shed. They have some exquisite wines to taste and cheese to buy. You can also step back in time and explore the 150-year-old woolshed. In addition to the tasting, they host events (sessions) in their garden. We were there for a summer session where people were having a laid-back time chilling on bean bags, playing games (cornhole), eating delicious food from a food truck and relishing beverages prepared by Wet Jacket.

Arrowtown to Te Anau- 180 km (2 hours 10 minutes)

Continue your drive to Te Anau, the gateway to the Fiordland National Park. Most people do the Milford cruise as a day trip from Queenstown. However, choosing to make a stop-over at Te Anau will not only cut down the drive time but also enable you to cruise around Milford Sound before the crowd from Queenstown arrives.

On reaching Te Anau and settling in your accommodation, take a stroll by the impressive Te Anau lake lake. There are shaded routes and picture perfect views. It’s amazing to see people relax here as if on a lazy Sunday evening. Have I mentioned this before- I love New Zealand’s lakeside towns and their ability to put everyone at ease so effortlessly.

Accommodation: Dusky Retreat and Mayflower Cottage are excellent options.

Day 9: Milford Sound and Queenstown

Te Anau to Milford Sound- 118 km (1 hour 45 minutes)

Milford Sound is not really a Sound (valley carved by a river), but a Fjord (valley carved by glaciers). It is referred by some as the Eighth Wonder of the World because of it’s sheer beauty and magnificence, making visiting this place a must-visit! It receives an average of 182 days of rain per year. We love sunny days hence I though we were lucky to have been here on a sunny day but some would disagree with me. While giant fjords are clearly visible on sunny days, the brilliance of Milford waterfalls is magnified on rainy ones! The best part is, not matter the weather, you’ll have a brilliant time.

The early morning drive to Milford will be supremely spectacular, with clouds suspended low over not only lake Te Anau but also the ginormous mountains and fjords. You’ll be aching to stop over and over again to absorb the view fully but don’t do it just yet as your have a cruise to do. Make all the stops you want on the way back to Queenstown. 

The fjords are best seen through a cruise on a small boat at the earliest time possible: 8:45 AM. You’ll be able to leave earlier than everyone else and get really close to wildlife and waterfalls. And when you see the crowd on the bigger cruises, you’ll be thanking your stars you’re not on that boat.

After you cruise, be sure to hang around the shore and see the brilliant views of Mitres Peak from the pebble beach.

Milford Sound to Queenstown- 287 km (3 hours 50 minutes)

On the drive to Queenstown, we give in to what our hearts wanted to the way to the fjords- multiple stops and more pictures of mountains around. There are 20 such stops on the way. We stopped at Mirror Lake where perfect reflections of the Earl Mountains can be seen and for a nap on Eglington Valley Viewpoint’s vast grass field.

You’ll reach Queenstown late afternoon so just walk around the centre exploring this incredibly beautiful city. It is the party hub and the adventure capital of New Zealand-where the first-ever commercial bungee was established. Owing to its popularity and convenience, accommodation in Queenstown is highly expensive year-round for the most basic of hotels and B&Bs.

Despite how crowded and expensive Queenstown was, we thoroughly enjoyed our New Year’s Eve here– bar hopping, trying out food from cafes and street stalls while watching the concert that went on even beyond the midnight fireworks. Ah! The dazzling fireworks over the lake stole our hearts, what a welcome to the new year!

Accommodation

Starlight Retreat had everything we could ask for, except that it was a little bit outside of the town. The hosts are really kind and the place wasn’t as exorbitantly priced as all the others in town. Despite our adventures, I am glad we were able to find this listing on Airbnb.

Day 10: Queenstown- Glenorchy, Luge, Hot Pools

Queenstown to Glenorchy – 46 km (45 minutes)

The drive to Glenorchy from Queenstown is known to be one of the most beautiful in the whole wide world. The road takes you along the endless Lake Wakatipu toward Glenorchy beyond which there is a place called Paradise. That’s right, Paradise! The best bit is that lake Wakatipu is astonishingly beautiful and serene no matter the weather.

At Glenorchy, stopp by the Glenorchy Wharf which has a boat shed – the red paint of which, pops quite beautifully against the colours of nature.

If you’re hungry you can stop for a coffee, cake or sundae at Mrs Wooly’s General Store, a quaint souvenir and general store, visible as soon as you enter or exit Glenorchy.

Tip
The gondola ride is quite expensive at 44 NZD. So, it is better to do all activities you wish to do on Bob’s Peak on the same day and save on repetitive gondola ride costs.

If you’d like to save money in this rather expensive country, read these essential money-saving tips.

Onsen Hot Pools: For sunset, set out for Onsen Hot Pools which offers spa services with an astounding view overlooking the Shotover River Canyon. Physically and visually soaking in the marvels of nature in a candle-lit private cedar-lined pool while sipping wine is a must-have experience, especially if you are travelling with your better half! Do make sure to pre-book your slot, as it sells out fast.

Food– Fergburger is famous for its gourmet burgers. We would have loved to try a burger from here but the queues outside were so long always, with people gobbling them up while sitting on benches outside. The whole scene did not appeal to us! If you have more patience than us, try their burgers. Also, have some chocolates, coffee and ice cream at the lakeside Patagonia Chocolates.

Day 11: Mount Cook and Tekapo

Bungy Jumping: Today’s your day to go bungy jumping. You cannot come to the birthplace of commercial bungee jumping and go back without getting your adrenaline levels up!

There are three bungees you can choose from in Queenstown – The Kawarau Bridge Bungy which is the first commercial bungee in the world with a fall of 43 meters, The Ledge Bungy which offers awe-inspiring views over Lake Wakatipu with a drop 47 meters , and The Nevis Bungy which is the highest bungy & swing at a whopping 134 meters.

We chose the Ledge because it’s the least time taking, has the best view over Queenstown and is freestyle (so we could just run into the unknown without having to look over ‘the ledge’).

Queenstown to Mt. Cook – 264 km (3 hours 15 minutes)

The drive takes you through vast expanses of vineyards of the famous wine-making Otago region. On the way, you will be tempted to stop at lake Pukaki as its waters are a brilliant bright turquoise, a result of the sun reflecting glacial particles in the water.

Mt. Cook, also known as Aoraki is the tallest mountain in New Zealand, at 3,724 meters. The village is quite expensive and it is quite tough to find accommodation. For that reason, we actually stayed in Tekapo!

Whether you stay here or in Tekapo, I highly recommend doing one of the famous New Zealand hikes here- the Hooker Valley Track, a10-km return hike in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park that’ll take about 3 hours. If you get late this day to do the hike, you can easily do it next morning.

Star-gazing: The region (Mt.Cook and Tekapo) is part of the Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve, one of the only 16 such reserves in the world. Low levels of light pollution make it perfect for stargazing. You’ll literally be able to see the milky way as soon as you step of your accommodation.

There are a bunch of ways to do stargazing at Lake Tekapo: you can take a tour to Mt. John Observatory, do a guided stargazing experience to make more sense of that brilliant sky, stargaze while soaking in hot pools and more.

Accommodation: Both Tekapo and Mount Cook so not have a lot of stay options. Lakeside Apartment is superb place to stay in Tekapo. It’s a historical house with the perfect location by the lake. And Aoraki Court Motel is perhaps one of the only places to stay in Mount Cook Village.

Day 12: Christchurch

At Tekapo, visit the Church of the Good Shepherd, an old stone church located on the banks of Lake Tekapo and surrounded by purple lupins. It is known for its location next to the lake, which makes it an ideal spot for photographers.

Tekapo to Christchurch- 226 km (2 hours 50 minutes)

The drive from Tekapo to Christchurch is dotted with pretty purple lupins along the road and never-ending undulating green hills beyond. Stop at Fairlie for some pies from the famous Fairlie Bakehouse or at Geraldine for some fresh berries sold right on the roadside.

Christchurch, a resilient city hit by earthquakes time and again, has a quaint artsy charm to it. There is street art in every corner of the city, some to cover up the damage done by the 2011 quake, some as a canvas for creativity and hope in times of distress.

Walk around New Regent Street- a walking street built in the Spanish Mission Style in the 1930s, with a distinct pastel colour theme. The only vehicle that passes through is the city tram. Do visit here, there are plenty of shops, restaurants and bars to keep you occupied. For dinner head to Little High Eatery which has local businesses serving international cuisine with shared seating amongst them.

Accommodation: Milano Motor Lodge is an excellent mid-range stay and if you’re looking for something more luxurious then The George will be perfect.