This 7 day itinerary is perfect if you’re short on time but big on adventure.

*Hiking to the Sealy Tarns in AorakiMount Cook*

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Seven days in the South Island is just enough to scratch the surface.

In seven days you can climb mountains, swim lakes, and walk barefoot on rugged beaches thrashed by waves and bathed in the golden glow of sunset.

Wild waves and rock formations near Punakaiki — *Rugged coastlines on the West Coast*

With seven days, you can’t travel the full length and breadth of the island; but you can pick some of the choicest parts of the rugged, wild land that is the South Island of New Zealand.

For me, the South Island is all about the wilderness, places like Fiordland, where forests are more moss than trees, or the wetlands of the West Coast, where white birds cast ghostly reflections in ink-dark water.

So, my itineraries tend to veer toward taking in as much scenery as possible. If that sounds like something you like, you might enjoy these itinerary options for spending one week in the South Island.

I have two 7 day itinerary suggestions for you – one the ‘classic’ South Island highlights itinerary and the other a more adventurous, off the beaten track itinerary.

I want to make clear that I don’t think there is a perfectly optimised one week South Island itinerary. Every traveller is unique, so every itinerary will be a little different.

These itineraries are just starting points, so you can consider what might work for you. Planning an incredible trip with a short amount of time is a challenge — I hope these itinerary ideas help make it a little easier.

A few notes on spending 7 days in the South Island

GETTING THERE AND AWAY

You will most likely fly into and out of Christchurch or Queenstown, the two biggest transport hubs. Linking the towns makes a great trip.
You can very easily pick up a rental car in one town and drop off the in other.
If you prefer to have just one town as your base, Queenstown is a better option, as there is more to do within a one hour drive.

GETTING AROUND

Renting a car will get you to all the best places, and give you more time to enjoy than day tours. You don’t need a 4WD — any size vehicle will do for the roads covered in this itinerary Check prices on Discover Cars >>
If you would like a specific rental car recommendation, I use and would happily recommend Snap Rentals. I almost always end up hiring with them because they are well priced
The easiest place to compare campervan prices and models is Motorhome Republic — it’s a little clunky but the only alternative is to sift through the campervan websites individually, and they can be even clunkier.

Email yourself this itinerary

This itinerary page is quite long, so if you would prefer to read it in a Google Doc format, just drop your email into this form and I will send you a copy.

It will be your own copy so you can delete, edit, add, highlight, and make it as colourful (or as messy) as you like.

One week South Island highlights itinerary

Start in Queenstown and finish in Christchurch (or vice versa)

Light falls between mountains in Milford Sound — *Light falling between the mountains in Milford Sound*

This seven day itinerary covers the highlights of the Southern Alps and Fiordland; Milford or Doubtful Sound, Aoraki/Mount Cook, and lakes Pukaki and Tekapo.

You can very easily do this trip in reverse (from Christchurch to Queenstown). There’s no significant advantage or disadvantage to doing it either way.

Day 1: Arrive in Queenstown
Day 2: Explore Arrowtown and maybe try an adventure activity or two
Day 3: Day trip to Glenorchy
Day 4: Head to Doubtful Sound for an overnight cruise
Day 5: Drive from Te Anau to Wanaka for the night
Day 6: Visit Aoraki/Mount Cook
Day 7: Head to Christchurch to fly out

Day 1: Arrive in Queenstown

Queenstown is famously the adventure hub of the South Island.

This is the birthplace of commercial bungy jumping and jet boating; if you have any kind of desire to jump off high things or go really fast in small boats, Queenstown is your place.

If neither of those things appeal, don’t worry.

I’m terrified of heights (the human catapult holds no appeal) and I’m not fussed about the ‘adrenaline’ activities Queenstown has to offer. But, I still find plenty to do there, and find myself going back several times a year for more.

There are just so many good hikes in the vicinity, not to mention the vineyards (Central Otago is easily my favourite wine region).

Mt Rosa vineyard near Queenstown — *Mt Rosa winery near Queenstown*

Queenstown is also really, stunningly beautiful.

You could very easily spend a week in Queenstown, but 3-4 nights is ample for exploring the wider area (the town is pretty, but mostly serves as a base for visiting Mount Aspiring or Fiordland National Parks.

One of the first things I usually do when arriving into Queenstown is go for a qalk around the lakefront and stop for a drink on Perky’s floating bar (it’s a great spot to enjoy the views and toast your arrival).

You can even pick up takeaways and eat them onboard over a drink.

With a half day to explore, I would look at hopping on the TSS Earnslaw for a cruise across to Walter Peak — the dog show there is one of my all time top Queenstown attractions. Maybe it’s my rural roots but I will never not be blown away by how smart those sheep dogs are.

I recommend the 5pm sailing for beautiful late evening light and a reasonable return time to Queenstown. The BBQ dinner is excellent as well.

WHERE TO STAY

I recommend staying Frankton or slightly out of the centre of Queenstown, to make life easier (parking is much easier in Frankton and you’ll be closer to the airport and supermarkets).

$ — Tahuna Pod Hostel is a great budget option or for solo travellers. It attracts an older, calmer crowd, unlike a lot of the other hostels in Queenstown.
$$ — Scenic Suites is a very central option. I loved having a view of Lake Wakatipu from my room, and being walking distance to central bars and restaurants. It’s not the fanciest place in town by a long shot, but it is convenient.
$$$ — Millbrook Resort: I loved staying out in Arrowtown, away from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown central. Millbrook has complimentary shuttles to take you to and from town, and Arrowtown itself has nice restaurants and serves as a good base for exploring the area.

WHERE TO EAT

There are many places to eat in Queenstown. Some of my favourites:

Black Lab Coffee for coffee, unsurprisingly. You’ll find them in Country Lane, which a nice spot for a laid back morning.
Hustl Cafe in Frankton for breakfast
Sundays for pizza
The Sherwood for sustainably focused cuisine
Mt Rosa for wine and platters

A lot of Queenstown dining can lean toward the fine end of the spectrum (read, more expensive) so check out First Table to get discounted meals.

Day 2: Explore more of Queenstown and Arrowtown

An old fashioned telephone box on the street in Arrowtown — *Quaint Arrowtown has plenty of retro charm*

On day two you could sign yourself up to some of the adventure activities around Queenstown. You could very easily fill up a whole day with one big/exciting activity (like a bungy jump or a sky dive) and then a slower afternoon in Arrowtown or the Gibbston Valley vineyards.

Arrowtown is a small village around 15 minutes from Queenstown, it’s a cute little spot but quickly seen, so I wouldn’t plan on spending more than an hour or two there.

There are some excellent lunch spots in the area, my favourite of which is Mora Wines and Artisanal Kitchen. The setting, food, service, and wines were all top notch when I visited.

If you want to visit more wineries, you can do a cycle tour (or just a regular tour) of the vineyards in Gibbston Valley. This wine tour is a great option — it stops by my favourite vineyards, Mt Rosa and Kinross. Kinross is brilliant for wine tasting, as they showcase wines from six different wineries, while Mt Rosa has a beautiful setting.

If you’re interested in cycling (to a vineyard or anywhere else) check out the Queenstown Trails site for maps of where the (many) cycle trails go.

MORE THINGS TO DO IN QUEENSTOWN

I loved going down Skippers Canyon, which is an absolutely wild road that had me gripping my seat with fear the whole time. If you’re thinking about going on a jet boat, check out the Skippers Canyon Jet, which includes a bus ride down that road.

ITINERARY NOTES

If I had to cut a day out of Queenstown, it would be this one.

You could condense your time in Queenstown into three days (arrive on day 1, Milford Sound on day 2, Glenorchy day 3) and use this extra day in Tekapo, or Christchurch at the end of the trip, instead.

Day 3: Spend a day in and around Glenorchy

An excellent day trip from Queenstown is Glenorchy. The village itself is nothing special, just a small hamlet on the lake. There is one general store/coffee shop, which often has a line out the door for coffee — it’s a nice spot if you have time.

There is a famous red boat shed with a wharf behind it, which is a beautiful place to admire the lake and mountain scenery. And take photos, of course.

Otherwise, when I say go to Glenorchy, I really mean go beyond Glenorchy.

The scenery around this area is incredible, and going on a walk, river adventure, or other activity around here is an excellent way to spend a day.

If you go on a funyak/canoe and jet boat experience with Dart River Adventures, they will pick you up in Queenstown and provide transport to GY (as the locals call it).

If you’d prefer to hike, beyond Glenorchy, you can reach the start of the Routeburn Track, one of New Zealand’s 11 Great Walks.

You can walk the first part of the track if you want to go for a hike — the water of the river is bright blue, and the forest a glorious lush mossy green.

If you’re up for a full on day hike, you can even make it up to Harris Saddle, which might be the best day hike near Queenstown.

Day 4: Visit Doubtful Sound (or Milford Sound)

One of the more difficult decisions you will have to make if you only have one week in the South Island is whether or not to go to Milford Sound.

Most people will probably tell you it’s worth going to Milford Sound on a day trip from Queenstown, but after giving it a lot of thought (and going several times myself) I would only recommend this option if you fly back.

Although I want to not that this is just my opinion. I’m no more right or wrong than anyone else. This is just what I think after visiting Milford Sound a couple of times, and I’m offering these thoughts up in the hope that it’s helpful.

Milford Sound is beautiful — a deep fjord carved into the rugged coast of Fiordland — but it’s a four hour drive from Queenstown. And that’s not including stops to enjoy the scenery on the way.

Eight hours is a long time to spend on a bus, especially when the boat trip you’re aiming for is only 90 minutes.

(You can also drive yourself to Milford. I don’t recommend driving there though — if you like the idea of driving, it’s better to head to Te Anau for a night, to make the driving shorter and allow for more stops.)

That’s why I would recommend the fly back option — saving yourself that return trip can make all the difference (there’s also the option of flying both ways).

Or, better yet, give Milford Sound a miss and head to Doubtful Sound instead. I can highly recommend the overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound; I was head over heels in love with that trip, where I felt mostly lukewarm about the Milford Sound cruise.

The reason for that is mostly to do with the number of people in each place. Doubtful is still the preserve of only a small handful of boats, whereas Milford is positively bustling with boats.

You’ll need to use two days out of your South Island itinerary for the experience, but I promise it’s worth it. I went on the overnight cruise with RealNZ and it was spectacular from start to finish.

*An overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound is possibly my favourite thing to do in the whole south island*

Doubtful Sound is far larger than Milford (one arm of Doubtful Sound is the same size as the whole of Milford) and while it might look less dramatic (the sides aren’t as sheer and high) it is more remote and much quieter.

Unlike Milford, where boats trail each other around the fjord, on Doubtful you’re unlikely to see any other boats the whole time.

The overnight trip gives you the chance to kayak, enjoy the wilderness in dusk and dawn, and enjoy great food, views, and company along the way. A 10/10 experience.

ITINERARY NOTES

If you want to experience Milford Sound without the crowds, you could also spend a night in Milford Sound, at the Milford Sound Lodge (they have campervan options if you’re on a budget).

This would mean a long drive there and back, but staying in the sound is a pretty unique experience. In the evening, there’s almost no one there.

You could then use your drive back to Queenstown to tackle some of the longer hikes along the Milford Road, like Gertrude Saddle, Key Summit, or Lake Marian, instead of spending that day in Glenorchy.

Day 5: Drive from Te Anau to Wanaka

If you do choose to go on the Doubtful Sound cruise, you arrive back in Manapouri at 12pm (or Queenstown by 3pm, if you opt for bus transport). Wanaka is only an hour’s drive from Queenstown, so you would have time to get there and explore in the afternoon.

Wanaka is a smaller, slightly more laid back version of Queenstown. The lake and surrounding mountains aren’t quite on the same scale as Queenstown, but I appreciate the slower pace and the many number of walks in the area.

The most popular day hike near Wanaka is Roy’s Peak, but with only a few hours you’ll want to do something shorter. The Rocky Mountain summit is a great option if you want a shorter walk — it’s only 3 hours return, but still delivers fabulous lake views.

ITINERARY NOTES

You can also skip through Wanaka and just visit for the day on your way to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park — it’s only one hour from Queenstown to Wanaka, and another two hours to Twizel/Lake Pukaki, so that’s not an excessive amount of driving for one day.

WHAT TO DO

One of the best things you can do in Wanaka is definitely a Wild Wire waterfall climb.
Wanaka is a jumping off point for exploring Mount Aspiring National Park. If you’re looking for an adventurous way to see the park, check out Packrafting Wanaka.

WHERE TO STAY

The Albert Town Campground is a great budget option if you’re in a campervan.

FEATURED STAY

Cross Hill Lodge & Domes
The ultimate place to stay near Wanaka.

See more

Day 6: Visit Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is one of the most stunning locations in the whole South Island.

Plan to spend most of a day there — you’ll want time to explore the walking trails, admire the glaciers, and generally enjoy the scenery.

It’s around 2.5 hours to drive from Wanaka to Aoraki/Mount Cook (and around 1 hour from Twizel) so set off early. You’ll want to stop at Lake Pukaki to check out the views, and on the road into the park. It’s a beautiful drive.

ITINERARY NOTES

There aren’t many places to eat in Mount Cook Village, so take supplies with you. Top up on petrol as well.

WHAT TO DO

Most people visit to walk the Hooker Valley Track, a 3 hour trail with views of Aoraki/Mount Cook across a glacial lake.
I also love the Kea Point Track and the Sealy Tarns walk is well worth panting up thousands of steps, if you’re up for a challenge.
The Glacier Explorers boat tour is pretty epic

WHERE TO STAY

You’ll want at least a full day for Aoraki/Mount Cook, but finding accommodation in Mt Cook Village is tough — it’s a small village with high demand.

If you can’t find a hotel in the village, check out options along Lake Pukaki or around Twizel.

The view from Mount Cook Lodge — FEATURED STAY

Aoraki Alpine Lodge
A basic but very serviceable place to stay, with a great shared kitchen and lounge area. With almost nowhere to eat in the park, having cooking facilities was perfect.

See more

Day 7: Head to Christchurch to fly out

From your accommodation near Aoraki/Mount Cook, it will likely take around three hours to drive to Christchurch.

A good place to stop for a while is Lake Tekapo, where you can admire the lakefront and walk around the little stone Church of the Good Shepherd.

ITINERARY NOTES

You could just as easily end your trip by driving back to Queenstown.

It’s roughly the same distance from Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park to either Christchurch or Queenstown, so it might just come down to which airport has the best flights.

Find and book a campervan for this road trip

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One week South Island itinerary #2 — get off the beaten track

If you prefer to avoid crowds and gravitate towards truly wild places, you may want to consider travelling the West Coast.

This itinerary skips Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, but takes you down the rugged, wonderful, wild West.

Day 1: Christchurch to Maruia Hot Springs
Day 2: Maruia to Punakaiki
Day 3: Punakaiki to Franz Josef
Day 4: Franz Josef to Wanaka
Day 5: Wanaka to Queenstown
Day 6: Doubtful Sound
Day 7: Queenstown.

Day 1: Christchurch to Maruia Hot Springs

From Christchurch, the most popular route to the West Coast is via Arthur’s Pass, which is a beautiful trip.

But, if you want to experience a mountain hot spring, I recommend taking Lewis Pass instead.

Maruia Hot Springs is a thermal resort based around a natural spring high in the mountain pass. It’s surprisingly under the radar for somewhere so beautiful; I feel like nowhere is truly hidden these days, but Maruia feels like a true hidden gem.

I stayed overnight in one of the glamping pods, which look out across the river. Included in the stay is 24/7 access to the hot pools. Lying in the thermal water beneath the stars is magical.

The only real downside of Maruia is that there are no kitchen facilities for guests. There is a restaurant, but the menu didn’t appeal to me, so I stopped at a supermarket before arriving, for a DIY platter of cheese and crackers. Not the most substantial meal, but sometimes when travelling you just need to make do.

Day 2: Maruia to Punakaiki

From Maruia, carry on to Punakaiki, one of my favourite places on the West Coast.

Take the route that goes via Charleston, which is slightly longer but which will stop you back tracking later.

Caught between Paparoa National Park and the wild Tasman Sea, Punakaiki is famous for the pancake rocks and blowholes the waves have carved out of soft limestone.

The whole coastline here is beautiful though, with rich rainforest and dark rivers swirling out of gorges. There’s a kind of magic here that’s hard to describe.

Day 3: Punakaiki to Franz Josef

It takes around 3 hours to drive from Punakaiki to Franz Josef, not including detours.

You can stop by Hokitika Gorge on the way, which is a lovely short walk.

Or, you can head to Okarito for a coastal walk or a paddle on the lagoon. Okarito has a lot of magic for me — it’s one of the only places on the West Coast where the mountain to sea ecosystem is uninterrupted, and you can feel the wildness.

Weather permitting, you could spend the afternoon exploring some of the walks around Franz Josef (views do tend to be better in the morning, but on clear days afternoons are okay too).

Near Franz Josef:

Franz Josef viewpoint, 30 minutes return. A nice walk, but busy and you’re pretty far from the glacier.
Alex Knob Track is 8 hours return, so it’s a long one — but the view is amazing.
Roberts Point Track, 5 hours return. This one gets you closer to the glacier and has cool swing bridges along the way.

FEATURED HOTEL

Rainforest Retreat
A place to stay in the lush rainforest.

See more

Day 4: Franz Josef to Wanaka

*Thunder Creek Falls, one of the stops on the road from Franz Josef to Wanaka*

It’s a four hour drive from Franz Josef to Wanaka, with plenty of pretty places to stop along the way, so don’t plan to do much more than drive on this day.

You’ll pass through Fox Glacier township, so it’s worth stopping by to check out some of the walks there, as well:

The South Side walkway, 2 hours return. This one is worth doing for the forest views alone.
Mt Fox Route, 8 hours return (but it’s a very rough track). If you want a less travelled route, this one is amazing. You would have to start quite early.
The short walk around Lake Matheson is stunning, and there’s a roadside lookout nearby where you can see Fox Glacier.

And here are some more places to stop on the drive down the coast:

Ship’s Creek is a good place to stretch your legs on a short coastal walk. I saw Hector’s dolphins here when I stopped by one evening.
Check out Thunder Creek Falls.
Fantail Falls is another gorgeous stopover on the way through Haast Pass and Mount Aspiring National Park. Just note the carpark here gets very busy, so you may have to park on the side of the road.

ITINERARY NOTES

You can stop short of Lake Wanaka on this day — I loved stayed near Lake Hawea instead. I camped at the Kidds Bush Reserve Campsite, which is gorgeous, after hiking up to Isthmus Peak, which starts close by.

So you could stop and do the Isthmus hike as your final stop of the day, and stay in Hawea.

The Camp is another budget/camping option if you want more facilities.

If you do stay in Hawea, you could round out your day with a stop at the Secret Sauna.

FEATURED HOTEL

Cross Hill Lodge and Domes
A family-owned glamping stay near Lake Hawea.

Take a look

Day 5: Wanaka to Queenstown

It’s only a short drive from Wanaka to Queenstown, so you can relax and enjoy a stop in a vineyard in Gibbston Valley, or Cardrona Hotel if you take the Crown Range route.

You could return your rental car on this day, if you take a tour to Milford Sound.

Day 6: Milford Sound day trip

This is a big day out, but the trip packs a lot in.

The drive to Milford Sound is wildly scenic — even short stops along the road are stunning.

You can expect cold and wet weather at Milford Sound at any time of year, so make sure you pack a good jacket.

You can choose to self drive to Milford Sound, or take a bus tour. It’s a long drive so a tour can save you a lot of energy, but it is also nice being able to stop off where you like along the way.

Day 7: Queenstown

You can round out the week in Queenstown, which is a good place to unwind and enjoy a nice meal out.

More New Zealand itineraries

I am slowly assembling a library of my favourite New Zealand road trips. Here are some more you might enjoy:

Resources for planning your New Zealand trip

A little quick fire round up of some of my top planning websites and resources.

Immigration New Zealand’s information on the NZeta
For money while travelling — I use Wise, including in New Zealand (I love the way it helps me track my spending)
For travel insurance, I recommend World Nomads (it’s what I use outside of New Zealand — when I’m here, I only occasionally get a cheap plan to cover rental cars).
RentalCars.com for comparing the prices of rental cars
Motorhome Republic for comparing the prices of campervans (see my advice for travelling New Zealand in a campervan)
Booking.com is my preferred website for finding hostel or hotel accommodation in New Zealand, but it’s also worth checking Vrbo when you’re looking for places to stay outside of towns (some of the best places to stay are more remote). Canopy Camping is great for a special stay.
Viator is an easy way to book tours (as a disclosure, I have written for them before!).
Rankers is my favourite app for finding campgrounds in New Zealand.
Metservice is New Zealand’s main weather site, but NIWA provides good mountain forecasts if you’re going hiking. I also love YR.
First Table is a great site which lets you book meals for 50% off.
TripIt — an all-in one travel organiser for when the number of bookings starts to get overwhelming.
For tailored advice — Book a call with me! If you need feedback on your itinerary or personalised travel tips, feel free to put some time in my calendar and let’s chat.