New Zealand’s South Island is one of my all-round favourite places. It’s absolutely crammed with a huge variety of landscapes, all spectacular, from glittering lakes to snow-capped mountains to sandy beaches to vivid green rainforests. And this two-week South Island road trip covers as much of that as it’s possible to squeeze in.
A few initial comments on this itinerary
I’ll just start with a few comments about this South Island road trip itinerary:
It assumes you have a car
Although New Zealand does have a good bus network, it’s easiest to do this itinerary by car. This just gives you extra flexibility to go to some slightly more remote places.
It’s aimed at people in relatively good physical health
This is because it includes some long drives and quite a few hikes. However, something I loved about New Zealand is that it has hikes for all abilities which lead to amazing views, so there are certainly lots of options on this front.
It’s 16 days in total
This is because it includes the weekends at both ends of a two-week trip. If you only have 14 days, I suggest skipping Abel Tasman National Park and going from Fox Glacier straight to Kaikōura. Alternatively, you could reduce the number of days in Queenstown and Fox Glacier if you’re comfortable doing long-ish drives more regularly.
Day 1: arrive in Christchurch
On the first day of your New Zealand South Island road trip, touch down in Christchurch and collect your rental car at the airport.
If you have time this afternoon/evening, these were my favourite things in Christchurch:
Hagley Park and Christchurch Botanic Garden
You’d be forgiven for thinking you were in England in Hagley Park. Weeping willow trees hang over a narrow river, with punts drifting downstream, laden with tourists. The only thing which gives away the location is the collection of exotic plants and trees along the path. These are all explained on information plaques nearby so it’s an educational experience as well as a pleasant walk.
Cardboard Cathedral
Christchurch’s cathedral was sadly destroyed in a devastating earthquake in 2011. It’s being rebuilt but the project is on hold as of December 2025. Meanwhile, the Cardboard Cathedral is a temporary construction, notable for the large cardboard tubes which form the basis of the structure. It’s a lovely light space and worth popping in if you’re in Christchurch.
Little High Eatery
Little High Eatery is a food hall containing many different cuisines. You buy your food at your chosen outlet then find a table in the communal eating area. We struggled to choose what to eat as everything looked delicious, but in the end we opted for a delicious Thai meal.
Incidentally, Asian cuisines are popular in New Zealand. In many cities and towns you have a choice of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese, often with an Indian option thrown in too.
Day 2: Christchurch to Lake Tekapo
The next day, get going properly on this South Island road trip! Depart Christchurch and head inland towards Lake Tekapo. The distance between Christchurch and Lake Tekapo is about 220km, which is about three hours’ drive.
Lake Tekapo was probably my favourite place on New Zealand’s South Island. The electric-blue lake is one of those scenes you can’t stop staring at or taking pictures of, because you almost can’t believe it’s real!
Day 3-4: Lake Tekapo and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Lake Tekapo is a hub for beautiful hikes. As well as hiking trails around the lake itself, it’s a quick drive to the mountainous Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
I suggest spending a day in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park doing the Hooker Valley Track. This is a six-mile out-and-back hike, relatively easy with stunning views of mountains, streams and a lake at the top. It’s a popular track so you won’t have the trail to yourself, but it’s still well worth it. Note that the second half of the Hooker Valley track is currently partially closed and due to reopen in autumn 2026.
On your other day in Lake Tekapo, I suggest doing either the Mount John Walkway or the Lake Tekapo Peninsula Walkway.
The Mount John Walkway is about five and a half miles. The first two miles involve climbing a steep-ish hill through a forest up to the Mount John Observatory. After that, you double back alongside Lake Tekapo. The views of the lake are out of this world and it was one of my favourite spots in New Zealand.
The Lake Tekapo Peninsula Walkway is shorter at around three and a half miles. Like the Mount John Walkway, it has stunning views of the lake. When we did it, we saw only four other people on the trail. It was tranquil and quiet, and took us longer than the recommended hour and a half because we stopped so many times to marvel at the view. Given the length of the Lake Tekapo Peninsula Walkway, you could squeeze it in on the morning you leave Lake Tekapo (ie day 5 – this is what we did).
Day 5: Lake Tekapo to Queenstown
Get back on the road to drive from Lake Tekapo to Queenstown. This is about 250km, which is about three hours’ drive.
The route from Lake Tekapo to Queenstown is one of the most spectacular sections of this South Island road trip. A highlight is Landis Pass on a road which weaves through the mountains and provides awe-inspiring scenery. Remember to keep your eyes on the road though!
Day 6-7: Queenstown and Milford Sound
Queenstown is New Zealand’s adventure sports capital. It’s THE place to do skydiving, ziplining, bungee jumping, paragliding… any kind of adventure sport you like will be available in Queenstown.
For anyone who (like me) isn’t an adrenaline junkie, do not fear! Queenstown itself is lovely, situated on the edge of a shimmering lake where you can swim or simply enjoy it from the beach. There are also hikes you can do up into the Remarkables, which is the mountain range next to Queenstown. Queenstown also has a large number of restaurants and bars and a lively vibe in the evenings.
On one of your days in Queenstown, I recommend doing a day trip to Milford Sound. Milford Sound is the northernmost fjord in Fiordland National Park and it’s renowned as one of New Zealand’s most beautiful sights. We were also lucky enough to see bottlenose dolphins in Milford Sound.
A trip to Milford Sound is a long day. It’s a four-hour drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound, plus a two-hour boat cruise. The road there is not an easy drive as it’s very winding, which can be tiring. Therefore I advise signing up for a day tour. I did this one and I can highly recommend it.
Day 8: Queenstown to Fox Glacier or Franz Josef/Waiau
Fox Glacier and Franz Josef/Waiau are the two main towns on New Zealand’s west coast with access to the glaciers of the same names.
The distance from Queenstown to Fox Glacier is 330km which is about a four-and-a-half-hour drive. It’s an additional 30-45 minutes to Franz Josef/Waiau down a very winding road.
When choosing whether to stay in Franz Josef/Waiau or Fox Glacier, this depends whether you would prefer to stay in a bigger town with more facilities, or whether you want to have a quiet few days. If you’d prefer staying in a bigger town, choose Franz Josef/Waiau – it has more facilities such as eateries, shops and a petrol station. Fox Glacier just has a few restaurants and one small supermarket. You can access scenic flights from both. We chose to stay in Fox Glacier as we wanted a quieter few days.
Day 9-10: Fox Glacier or Franz Josef/Waiau
There is a glacier at each of Fox Glacier and Franz Josef/Waiau and both are prime spots for hiking. I can recommend an easy, a medium and a hard hike in the area.
Easy hike: Lake Matheson
The easy hike is around Lake Matheson. Lake Matheson is a few miles outside Fox Glacier so you can either walk to the start (it’s flat, down a quiet main road) or drive and park at the café. The walk takes you through rainforest around the lake and it’s about three miles in total. The path is well-paved and well-marked. On a still day, the lake perfectly reflects Mount Cook.
Medium hike: Fox Glacier South Side Walkway
The medium hike is the Fox Glacier South Side Walkway. Something I love about New Zealand is that you don’t always have to do strenuous hikes to get the good views, and this hike is a prime example. It’s about four miles long, fairly flat and gives you excellent views of the Fox Glacier.
Hard hike: Alex Knob Track
The hard hike I recommend is the Alex Knob Track, just outside Franz Josef/Waiau. This is an out-and-back hike of about 10 miles. In a nutshell, you hike five miles up a hill and back down again. We didn’t realise it at the time but the total elevation you ascend on the Alex Knob Track is more than if you were ascending Wales’ Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)! At the top, you’ll get a stunning vista of Franz Josef Glacier and the mountains and forests around it, all the way out to the coast. Luckily most of the hike is through a forest so you’ll be shaded from the sun. But bring your insect repellent!
Day 11: Fox Glacier to Abel Tasman National Park
From Fox Glacier to Mārahau on the south east corner of Abel Tasman National Park, it’s about 500km, or six and a half hours’ drive. This is your longest drive on this South Island road trip itinerary.
If you want to shorten this itinerary at all, I suggest reluctantly skipping Abel Tasman National Park. Although I loved our few days there, it’s the biggest detour on this itinerary and if you don’t have time on your side then it makes sense to skip it. Instead, drive straight from Fox Glacier to Kaikōura. This is also a six-and-a-half-hour drive, but you’d have to do a long drive one way or another whether or not you skip Abel Tasman!
Day 12-13: Abel Tasman National Park
There is far more than two days’ worth of things to do in Abel Tasman National Park but we have to make do with what we have!
My favourite thing about Abel Tasman National Park was the sea. All possible sea-colours seem to congregate here. Hire a kayak, book a boat tour or simply sit on the beach to enjoy the range of sea-greens and the golden sandy beaches.
If you’re feeling active, or if you have a bit longer to spend here, you could do a section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. This is a 60km trail down the coastline of the National Park. There is a water taxi between Mārahau and certain points on the coast so it’s fairly straightforward to organise transport one way if you’re just doing a section of the hike. The whole hike takes between three and five days. I wish I had had time to do it when I was there!
Check out my post about Abel Tasman National Park for more details about each of these activities.
Day 14: Abel Tasman National Park to Kaikōura
The final stop on your South Island road trip is Kaikōura.
The drive from Abel Tasman National Park to Kaikōura is 310km, or about 4 hours 15 minutes. The road takes you across the northeast corner of the South Island and then right beside the coast on the east side of the island.
Day 15: Kaikōura to Christchurch
The distance from Kaikōura to Christchurch is about 180km, or two and a half hours’ drive.
But first, in the morning, go on a marine wildlife boat tour as this is what Kaikōura is famous for.
We had intended to squeeze in both whale-watching and dolphin-watching. We left Abel Tasman early in the morning on day 14 to make an afternoon whale-watching slot but sadly it was cancelled due to rough seas.
The next morning (day 15), I went on a dolphin-watching tour which I booked with Dolphin Encounter Kaikōura. You can go on this tour either as a spectator or a swimmer, meaning you get to swim with the dolphins! All the swimming spots had sold out by the time I booked so I stayed on board. But it was so much fun seeing the dolphins playing in the water, diving and even doing backflips!
The sea was still quite rough so I recommend bringing seasickness tablets if you’re doing any of Kaikōura’s wildlife tours.
In the afternoon, drive to Christchurch and have a final meal out in one of Christchurch’s many high-quality restaurants.
Day 16: depart from Christchurch
Time to say goodbye to New Zealand! Drop your car back at the airport and fly back home.
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