Why you should visit the South Island of New Zealand:
The South Island of New Zealand is by far my favorite place I have ever visited! It is truly a magical place that has waterfalls, lakes, mountains, oceans, glaciers, and much more. The people were the kindest people I’ve ever met during all of my travels and the food was great too. Most people who visit New Zealand go to the North Island and visit big cities like Auckland. We completely skipped the North Island and went straight to the South Island since we knew the South Island is much more scenic.
Day 1: Queenstown
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS & A HOT SOAK
Arrive in Queenstown
Drive to Kamana Lakehouse from the airport (20 minutes)
Hot tub soak at Kamana Lakehouse. Especially after a very long flight, the hot soak at Kamana Lakehouse couldn’t be more amazing. You get to enjoy a hot tub for an hour that has the most insane views of the lake and mountain range. It was very relaxing and you can also order a drink at the bar beforehand to enjoy during your soak.
Accommodation:
Kamana Lakehouse (includes a delicious breakfast at the Nest Kitchen)
This is by far the best place to stay in Queenstown! Kamana Lakehouse is very cozy/comfortable, has the BEST food in the city at the Nest Kitchen, and the views of the Remarkables mountain range and lake are incredible. This may be a splurge compared to other hotels in the South Island but it is 100% worth it! We also loved how friendly and helpful the staff at the front desk were, they gave the most amazing recommendations of hidden gem activities to do in the area, with some of those activities being on this blog post below!
Day 2: Queenstown
HIKING, HELICOPTERS, & FRUIT ICE CREAM
Breakfast at Kamana Lakehouse Nest Kitchen (try the smoothie bowl, it is amazing!!)
Things to do in Queenstown today: (any order)
Moke lake walk (15 min drive from hotel): this loop walk is gorgeous. You walk around the lake and it is such a peaceful place to be! Make sure you wear bug spray though, this will be the first time you encounter the sand flies of the South Island. You don't know they are there but they are and you will have very annoying and itchy bites a few days later if you don’t wear your spray!
Bob’s Cove track: Only 10 minute drive from Moke Lake, this is a gorgeous hike to the top of a hill where you can see two bays at the top. The color of the water is beautiful and I highly recommend doing this on a sunny day so you can see the vibrant color of the water.
Drive to the town of Glenorchy
Try fruit ice cream for the first time at Real Fruit Ice Cream Glenorchy. Enjoy your ice cream when you walk down to the water to take in the gorgeous views.
Do a helicopter tour to Earnslaw Burn with Heli Glenorchy.
This is a MUST do when visiting this area. The only other way to access Earnslaw Burn is a multiple-day hike or by helicopter, making it an incredibly remote and special place where waterfalls are coming down from a glacier into a valley. If there is one thing you should 100% do today, it should be this!
Skyline Queenstown is a must today!!
I recommend going in the afternoon after you’re done with your activities for the day so you can enjoy the sunset from the top. We took the gondola up to the luge which was super fun and made us feel like we were in a Mario cart game! The gondola ride was super fun and the views were incredible. Then, we went to the Stratosfare restaurant for dinner. We had an excellent buffet dinner here where we had a 360-degree view of the lake and mountain range.
Accommodation:
Day 3: Te Anau
NATIONAL PARK VIEWS & a scenic drive
Have breakfast at Kamana Lakehouse and check out
Drive from Queenstown to Te Anau
Hike the Routeburn Track to Key Summit. The number one tip for this hike is to check the visibility BEFORE you drive the hour from Te Anau to this hike. We didn’t do this and basically hiked into a cloud. We had to look on AllTrails to see the photos and they were incredible, so don’t let the photos below deter you from going. Even though we didn’t see anything when we reached the summit, the hike itself was very lovely through the forest.
Drive from the RouteburnTrack to Te Anau Airbnb (1 hour)
Check into your accommodation or Airbnb
Have dinner at the Mackinnon Restaurant in the downtown area of Te Anau. This is a great choice for dinner in the area, and has a beautiful view of the lake from the tables.
Accommodation:
Airbnb in Te Anau — we stayed at this Airbnb in Te Anau and it was amazing! There are a lot of hotel options in the downtown area but we booked too late to be able to get any of those. I actually really liked staying in the Airbnb though because it allowed us to get a feel of what a typical New Zealand home is like!
Day 4: Milford Sound & Fiordland National Park
VISIT THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD TODAY!
To take a day trip from Te Anau to Milford Sound, there are a couple of options:
You can self-drive to the park and boat tour, but this option is very stressful with the windy roads and sometimes changing road conditions. We thought about this but ended up not self-driving since the rest of the trip was very road-trip-heavy. We didn’t regret our choice to do this and saw some spots we never would have found if we had driven ourselves.
Option 2: Do a day tour with Fiordland Tours and a boat tour with Cruise Milford. If you want to support two family-owned businesses and not be in a coach bus stuck with hundreds of people, this is the way to go! I did so much research on the different tours to Milford sound and this was by far the BEST option.
Experience Milford Sound with Cruise Milford. This is the BEST boat tour you could do in Milford Sound. The boat was extremely comfortable and the views of Milford Sound were incredible. We even saw fur seals which was a bonus! They also gave us complimentary tea, coffee, and cookies too! We loved the smaller feel of this experience as opposed to other boat tours which could have hundreds of people on board.
Dinner options in Te Anau:
Redcliff, Fat Duck, or Ditto
If you’re feeling up to it after dinner, add in a night tour of the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves! This was a once in a lifetime experience and if you have never seen glow worms before, this is a must.
Accommodation:
Day 5: Wanaka
wineries, bungy jumping, & the famous Wanaka tree
Check out of accommodation in Te Anau
Drive 2 hours from Te Anau to the Gibbston Valley which is gorgeous wine country right outside of Queenstown and on the way to Wanaka
Stop by Gibbston Valley Winery & Restaurant for lunch
Watch people bungy jump at AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre (2 minutes away from the winery). If you’re feeling brave enough to bungy jump here, do it!
Drive to Wanaka from the bungy centre- 55 minute drive to Wanaka
Check into Wanaka Homestead (photos below)
Wanaka Homestead is a wonderful accommodation that makes you feel like you are staying in someone’s cozy home. It’s steps from the famous Wanaka tree and they also have bikes for rent! Definetely one of the best places to stay when visiting the town of Wanaka.
Things to do in Wanaka today:
See the famous Wanaka tree
Roy's Peak - hard but worth it hike that has spectacular views at the top
Bike ride around the lakefront of Wanaka for amazing views of the lake
Have dinner at Francesca’s for some amazing Italian food in Wanaka.
Accommodation:
Day 6: Mount Aspiring National Park
Helicopter, wilderness hike, & jet boat experience
Drive to Mount Aspiring National Park (50-minute drive) to check in for your Heli Siberia Max tour with Backcountry Helicopters and Wilkin River Jets
Enjoy an incredible helicopter ride above Mount Aspiring National Park and land on a mountain peak with Backcountry Helicopters
Our experience with Backcountry Helicopters was incredible. The pilot knew exactly what he was doing and showed us some of the most beautiful landscapes we have ever seen. We also loved how we got dropped off in a remote location that we otherwise wouldn’t have seen during our trip to the South Island!
Take a 3-hour wilderness hike through the national park after your helicopter drops you off
This hike was gorgeous! It was very well maintained and was one of our favorite ones we did on the trip
Arrive at the launch point for Wilkin River Jets
The Wilkin River Jets experience is amazing!! Going on a jet boat is a must-do activity when visiting the country of New Zealand. The boat ride was super thrilling and we really enjoyed it because it was so different than anything we did the rest of the trip
After your amazing experience on the Heli Siberia tour, here’s some things you can do for the rest of your day:
Stop at the Blue Pools for a quick dip and nature walk
Drive back to Wanaka
Have dinner at Big Fig Wanaka for a healthy dinner where you can pick your own food options. This is a super casual place but after our long day, we were exhausted so really enjoyed this dinner!
Accommodation:
Day 7: Mount Cook National Park
BLUE LAKeS, MOUNTAIN PEAKS, & farms
Check out of Wanaka Homestead
Stop at Red Bridges Strawberry Farm on your way out of town to pick some strawberries and have the BEST strawberry fruit ice cream you have ever had.
Stop at Wanaka Lavender Farm down the street for amazing lavender products and the cutest lavender farm. My favorite gifts I bought in New Zealand were here!
Continue driving towards Mount Cook National Park and stop at Lindi’s pass overlook for views that look like a different planet
Take a quick detour to Omarama Clay Cliffs to hike up to these one of a kind cliffs
This place is hidden and is definitely an off-the-beaten-path experience. If you have the time to add this detour to your list, you won’t be disappointed!
Stop in the town of Twizel for a late lunch/early dinner.
The food options in the Mount Cook area are very limited so we decided to fill up in the nearest town. There is also a Foursquare in the town of Twizel so I highly recommend getting groceries for things like breakfast, snacks, and even lunch for your time in the Mt. Cook region.
Stop at St Peters lookout for gorgeous views of Lake Pukaki and Mount Cook
Check into Aoraki Court Motel
Walk over to the Hermitage to enjoy a drink with beautiful alpine views
If you can book it early, book a stargazing tour at The Hermitage as this is one of the best things to do in this area! We unfortunately didn’t get a spot and the visibility at night was bad which cancelled the tours. If you get the right day, for sure do this!!
Accommodation:
Aoraki Court Motel — we booked a Spa executive studio and were super impressed by the quality of the room and the views were incredible (pictures below of the view from the room patio).
Day 8: Mount Cook National Park
STEEP HIKES, GLACIERS, & ALPINE VIEWS
Hike Red Tarns track (2.3 miles) for a steep thrill of a hike. Once you get to the top, enjoy beautiful views of Mt/ Cook and there is a lake on the top with Red tarns plants.
Walk the Hooker Valley Track: This is one of the South Island’s most popular glacier country trails and is 6.8 miles long. Looking down from swing bridges over rushing rivers, you’ll walk a track that leads to an alpine lake complete with icebergs.
More things to do in the Mt Cook region:
Tasman Glacier View track for amazing views of the Glacier in the distance and a gorgeous glacial lake. The weather can change pretty quickly on this hike so make sure to dress accordingly (we got soaked from head to toe!)
Glacier lake boat tour: we opted out to do this because of poor weather but this tour gets great reviews and allows you to get up close to a glacier! Go to the Hermitage activities desk to book this!
Have dinner at the Alpine restaurant buffet in The Hermitage hotel. There are pretty limited options for food in the national park and this food was actually pretty good and had a lot of options.
Accommodation:
Day 9: Mount Cook National Park
crystal clear lakes, farm towns, & road tripping
Check out of Aoraki Court Motel
Lake Pukaki Shoreline Walk for a gorgeous easy walk along the lake. This is right on the way to Akaroa which is your next destination.
Explore Lake Tekapo (on the way to Akaroa). We just stopped and walked around the lake a bit to stretch our legs to break up the card ride to Akaroa.
Drive to Akaroa (3 hours 30 min drive). This will be your last destination you stay over night before going home! An alternative to this is to drive straight to Christchurch and spend the night there before you fly out. I highly recommend visiting the town of Akaroa for a very unique experience that I will talk about later in this blog.
Check into Akaroa Waterfront Motel which is a super cute place to stay that is right on the harbor. Very comfortable lodging and great location!
Dinner options in Akaroa:
The Little Bistro
Ma Maison
Accommodation:
Day 10: Akaroa & Christchurch
rare dolphins, french town, & flights
Wake up early to do the Akaroa Dolphin experience. This is the only place in the world you can see the famous small Hector dolphins and get up close to them. The tour was an incredible experience and the views from the boat couldn’t be more gorgeous. The boat also had a dog spotting dolphin which was the cutest thing ever!
After the dolphin tour, drive 1 hour 30 min to Christchurch airport for departing flight
Summary
Overall, the South Island of New Zealand is an absolute dream bucket list trip that I had the pleasure of doing in February of 2024. If you love nature and want to visit a destination that has mountains, waterfalls, oceans, lakes, glaciers, and more, this South Island itinerary will take you to the best places in the country!