3 epic South Island New Zealand road trip itineraries

Plan the perfect driving trip of the New Zealand's South Island with our hand-curated itineraries.

Updated May 11, 2020

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We've done all the work for you and made three unbeatable South Island New Zealand itineraries for road trips as short as a week or as long as two weeks.

All our itineraries start in Christchurch as many airlines, including Jetstar, fly into this hub from Australia. If you're flying into Queenstown, you can tweak your trip to start here instead as all these itineraries are round-trip drives that pass through the adventure capital.

What's in this guide?

7-day South Island road trip
10-day South Island road trip
14-day South Island road trip
Car hire deals in South Island New Zealand

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7-day South Island road trip

Christchurch – Franz Josef – Queenstown – Milford Sound – Christchurch

Distance: 1,352.8km (or 1,927.6km including Milford Sound)
Highlights and attractions: Queenstown, Milford Sound, Arthur's Pass, Lake Tekapo
Landscape: Mountains, glaciers, lakes and coastal scenery
Recommended vehicle type: Economy or mid-sized/sedan (recommended for winter)

Day	Itinerary
Day 1 Distance: 248km Approximate drive time: 3.5 hours	Christchurch to Hokitika Head off to Arthur's Pass National Park where you can hike Devil's Punchbowl Falls On your way stop briefly at Castle Hill Continue onwards to Hokitika to walk to Hokitika Gorge Spend the night in Hokitika
Day 2 Distance: 134km Approximate drive time: 1 hour and 40 minutes	Hokitika to Franz Josef Make your way to Franz Josef for a full day of active sightseeing Choose to hike the glacier by a heli landing, walk through the valley or kayak Spend the evening in Franz Josef village and check out the hot springs
Day 3 Distance: 286km Approximate drive time: 3 hours and 30 minutes	Franz Josef to Wanaka Drive Haast Pass Road to Wanaka with stops at Blue Pools and Thunder Creek Falls Once in Wanaka spend the day exploring the area by kayaking, hiking to Roy's Peak, canyoning or even skydiving Spend the night in Wanaka
Day 4 Distance: 67.2km Approximate drive time: 1 hour and 10 minutes	Wanaka to Queenstown On the way to Queenstown stop in Arrowtown, a gold rush town Spend the afternoon with adrenaline pumping activities (Nevis swing, paragliding or bungy jumping to name a few) or take it easy and do a wine tour Spend the night in Queenstown
Day 5 Distance: 0km Approximate drive time: 0 If you add Milford Sound onto your trip, you'll add 574.8km. The return drive is 7 hours	Day trip to Milford Sound We recommend taking a break from driving and joining a day tour to Milford Sound that includes a cruise
Day 6 Distance: 255.6km Approximate drive time: 3 hours	Queenstown to Lake Tekapo Another scenic drive will lead you to Lake Tekapo but first stop at Lake Pukaki to hike to Hooker Track Continue to Lake Tekapo to spend some time in the Tekapo Springs Stay up late to catch the starry sky at the Mt John Observatory Spend the night in Lake Tekapo
Day 7 Distance: 362km (including trip to Akaroa) Approximate drive time: 5 hours	Lake Tekapo to Christchurch Head back to Christchurch to explore the city for a day Another option is to make a side trip to Akaroa where you can see the world's smallest dolphins and penguins

Our recommended hotels

Hokitika: Bella Vista Motel Hokitika

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Franz Joseph: Terrace Motel

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Wanaka: Wanaka View Motel

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Queenstown: Heartland Hotel Queenstown

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Lake Tekapo: Lake Tekapo Scenic Resort

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10-day South Island road trip

Christchurch - Tekapo - Queenstown - Te Anau - Wanaka - Franz Josef - Arthur's Pass - Christchurch

Distance: 2,079km
Highlights and attractions: Queenstown, Wanaka, Franz Josef Glacier, Arthur's Pass, Te Anau, Milford Sound
Landscape: Mountains, glaciers, lakes and coastal scenery
Recommended vehicle type: Economy or mid-sized/sedan (recommended for winter)

Day	Itinerary
Day 1 Distance: 244km Approximate drive time: 3 hours and 15 minutes	Christchurch to Lake Tekapo Head straight to Lake Tekapo to see NZ's most photographed lake Take the afternoon to go hiking on trails to the Mt John Summit In the evening go stargazing at Mt John Observatory Spend the night in Lake Tekapo
Day 2 Distance: 164km Approximate drive time: 2 hours and 10 minutes	Lake Tekapo to Lake Pukaki day trip Make the short drive to Lake Pukaki and hike the Hooker Track for the best views of the lake Hike to Tasman Glacier view Don't miss Peter's Lookout Drive back to spend the night in Lake Tekapo
Day 3 Distance: 275km Approximate drive time: 3 hours, 24 minutes	Lake Tekapo to Queenstown Get up early and make the 3-hour drive to Queenstown to maximise your time in the city Book yourself an adventure activity such as bungee jumping, paragliding, ziplining, a jet speed boat or the Nevis swing In the evening make your way up the gondola to the Stratosphere Restaurant for sunset with amazing views Spend the night in Queenstown
Day 4 Distance: 92.4km Approximate drive time: 1.5 hours	Queenstown Take a short drive to Glenorchy for a morning spent in nature, half-day tours are also available In the afternoon it's time for relaxation, go on a wine and/or food tour Spend the night in Queenstown
Day 5 Distance: 172km Approximate drive time: 2 hours, 6 minutes	Queenstown to Te Anau Get going early for a leisurely 2-hour drive that will have lots of places you'll want to stop for photo ops In the afternoon take a cruise across the lake to the [provider_link id="2581" title="Te Anau worm caves Spend the night in Te Anau
Day 6 Distance: 238km Approximate drive time: 3 hours	Te Anau to Milford Sound A picturesque drive to Milford Sound will take you just shy of 2 hours Be sure to stop at Mirror Lakes and Eglinton River in Fiordland National Park Once at Milford Sound you have the option to see the area by cruise, kayak or a scenic flight Opt to walk along the shore of Milford Sound as well Drive back to Te Anau to spend the night
Day 7 Distance: 226km Approximate drive time: 3 hours	Te Anau to Wanaka Be sure to drive along Crown Range Road on your way to Wanaka for scenic views Once there stop by the famous Wanaka Tree Hike the Rob Roy Glacier Track and/or check out Glendhu Bay Lookout Spend the night in Wanaka
Day 8 Distance: 286km Approximate drive time: 3 hours and 40 minutes	Wanaka to Franz Josef On the drive to Franz Josef stop at the Blue Pools and Knight's Point Lookout You have the option to stop at Fox Glacier along the way for a 2.5-hour hike or continue to Franz Josef Glacier where you can complete the 3-hour valley walk Finish your day in Franz Josef village and relax in the hot springs before spending the night
Day 9 Distance: 232.7km Approximate drive time: 3 hours	Franz Josef to Arthur's Pass Get going early so you can spend the majority of the day in Arthur's Pass National Park Walk the Hokitika Gorge, don't miss Otira Viaduct lookout and complete the short 30-minute hike to Devil's Punchbowl Falls Spend the night in Arthur's Pass
Day 10 Distance: 149km Approximate drive time: 2 hours	Arthur's Pass to Christchurch Rise early to make the most of your day in Christchurch with a stop at Castle Hill on the way Ride the Christchurch Gondola and visit the Botanical Gardens If time permits for 1 more hike walk the Bridle Path Walk