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

A campervan driving towards Mount Cook in New Zealand

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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.

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.

If you’re travelling to New Zealand for the abundant natural beauty, 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.
There’s no significant advantage or disadvantage to going from Christchurch to Queenstown, or Queenstown to Christchurch — it might just come down to which flight times suit you best.
You can very easily pick up a rental car in one town and drop off the in other, although you will get hit with a one way fee.
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 (I often just book the cheapest one — I have rented with Yes Rentals before and they were fine, if slightly older and shabbier vehicles). Check prices on Discover Cars >>
Renting a campervan is a beautiful way of travelling the South Island — the second of these two itineraries is more suited to campervan/motorhome travel (although there are holiday parks and campgrounds in Queenstown, you would probably need to adjust the first itinerary so you can make the most of being outside of the town).

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One week in the South Island | A highlights itinerary

Start in Queenstown and finish in Christchurch

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.

Day 1 | Arrive in Queenstown

Depending on which way you hold your map, Lake Wakatipu is shaped like a dog leg, or a lightening bolt, or a sleeping giant with his legs drawn up; the latter is true according to Maori legend, and the giant’s inhales and exhales are what causes the mysterious seiche, or standing wave that causes the water to spontaneously rise and fall by about 10 centimetres every 25 minutes or so.

At 380 metres deep – sinking deeper even than sea level – no one knows what lies on the bottom. There may well be a sleeping giant.

Lying at the eastern crook of the lake, in the shadow of razor backed mountains, Queenstown has at times over the past few hundred years been the epicentre of a gold rush, a sleepy farming village, and the birthplace of commercial bungy jumping and jet boating.

Today, Queenstown wears the ‘adventure capital of the world’ moniker proudly; wander down Shotover Street, through the small town centre, and you’ll pass signs advertising jet boating, parachuting, off road adventures, packrafting, all before you’ve gone more than 50 metres.

But it’s also morphing into a luxury destination. New saunas and spas seem to be emerging all the time, high-end resorts are going up at a cracking pace, and the cost of a room keeps climbing.

On top of all of that, Queenstown makes an excellent base for hiking, wineries, and exploring both Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Park. With so much going on, it makes sense to spend a good chunk of your South Island itinerary in this one lively, beautiful, expensive place.

ACTIVITIES

Stop for a drink on Perky’s floating bar | You can even pick up takeaways (most likely the famous Fergburger) and eat onboard over a drink.

Board 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

$ — 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 Arrowtown and the Central Otago wineries

15 minute drive to Arrowtown, or 1 hour to the Gibbston area. Allow 6 hours for a wine tour

Arrowtown is a gold-rush era village so well preserved you half expect to see muddy-booted prospectors trudging down the street amongst the tourists. The main drag, Buckingham Street, is a short but sweet parade of original buildings.

Although the quaint facades have been kept intact, the buildings now house stores ranging from boutiques to exactly the kind of tourist-adjacent, made-in-China souvenirs you would expect to see on such a pretty street.

Still, it’s a pretty place for a walk. Head over in the morning and you can stop by Wolf Coffee Roasters for your caffeine fix, and Provisions of Arrowtown for breakfast.

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

For the rest of the day, you could explore the many wineries flanking the Kawarau River in the Gibbston area. Take a winery tour, or cycle in between cellar doors to make the most of the scenery in the dry, beautiful valley.

ACTIVITIES

Enjoy a relaxed winery lunch | There are some excellent lunch spots in the area, my favourite of which is Mora Wines and Artisanal Kitchen.

Or, take a winery tour of the vineyards in Gibbston | Family-owned Queenstown Wine Trail is a great option, with the original wine tour ticking off three of the best; Gibbston Valley, Kinross, and Mt Rosa.

You can also cycle around the wineries | Around the Basin offers bike and e-bike rental, with options to start from Arrowtown or Queenstown (with a shuttle to the starting point in Arrowtown). Prices from $110 for a full day rental for a standard bike, and $160 for an e-bike.

Day 3 | Visit Glenorchy and Mount Aspiring National Park

1 hour drive to Glenorchy, or 1.5 hours to Routeburn Shelter

Postage stamp-sized Glenorchy is a worthy destination for a day trip from Queenstown.

A 45 minute drive alongside Lake Wakatipu can take much longer if you stop to marvel at the virews from Bennetts Bluff. A short track leads to the lookout, from where you can see the lake stretching in both directions, and Mount Earnslaw/Pikirakatahi squatting amongst other peaks.

Glenorchy village is only a handful of streets by the lake; the main drawcard is the red boat shed that stands by the wharf, ‘Glenorchy’ stenciled in block letters along the front. It makes for a good picture, as the Instagram crowd is well aware.

Other than that, Glenorchy is more of a jumping off point than a destination in itself.

North of the village is Paradise, which is little more than a horse paddock, but if you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings you’ll recognise some of the spectacular mountain scenery rising around the farmland. The horse paddocks serve their purpose in any case; High Country Horses run horse riding treks through the landscapes, including a ‘Ride of the Rings’ trek which follows a cinematic trail through Paradise.

Then there’s the Routeburn track, across a very scenic bridge crossing the braided Dart River and along a gravel road into Mount Aspiring National Park. On a fine day, the first section of the Routeburn is the best day hike near Queenstown.

ACTIVITIES

Go on a funyak/canoe and jet boat experience with Dart River Adventures | A fun way to see a pretty corner of Mount Aspiring National Park. Trips include transport from Queenstown

Hike part of the Routeburn Track | Strike out for a half day hike, aiming for Routeburn Flats hut (4 hour return). Or, 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 Fiordland National Park (Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound)

All day bus trip/half day with flights, or an overnight trip on Doubtful Sound

One of the most popular excursions from Queenstown is a day trip to Milford Sound, a deep fjord carved into the rugged coast of Fiordland National Park.

But, popular doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea. Milford Sound is a 5-6 hour drive from Queenstown; that’s a 10-hour drive for a 2-hour cruise.

Te Anau makes a better base for visiting Milford, cutting the drive time in half, but there’s rarely space in a one week South Island itinerary for two nights in Te Anau.

If you’re short on time and set on seeing Milford Sound from Queenstown, I highly recommend taking a tour instead of attempting to drive yourself. The drive is long and tiring, and realistically will add up to more than 8 hours behind the wheel; no one’s idea of a good day out.

There’s little variation between the plethora of tour operators offering day trips to Milford Sound from Queenstown. Most leave around the same time, buses trailing each other on the road and stopping at the same points en route at similar times (the scenery is beautiful, but you’ll have to be creative with your camera angles if you don’t want your photos to include the crowds).

The good news is that the day trips operate like well-oiled machines and offer relatively good value, usually between $230-$330 for the day.

If it’s within your budget, flying to or from Milford Sound will save you many hours on a bus. And seeing the views of Fiordland’s glacier-draped and lake-adorned mountains is an experience in itself.

*An overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound includes kayaking*

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

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.

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.

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.

Book Doubtful Sound directly with RealNZ

Day 5 | Wanaka

1 hour drive from Queenstown

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.

You could 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 — but the lakeside idyll of Wanaka makes it an easy place to spend an afternoon.

ACTIVITIES

Hike to a viewpoint | The most popular day hike near Wanaka is Roy’s Peak, but 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.

Enjoy a lake cruise and walk on Mou Waho Island | The highlight of this trip is seeing the lake within the lake

Swim in Lake Hawea | Pick up picnic supplies from Pembroke Patisserie on the way

WHERE TO STAY

$$ — Waiorau Homestead is a 20 minute drive from Wanaka, in the scenic mountain setting of Cardrona. The house has only four rooms, which makes the guest lounge and garden feel spacious.

$$ — Centrally located Archway Motels and Chalets offers straightforward and comfortable units (some renovated in 2025) a 10 minute walk from the lakefront.

$ — Haka House Hostel is perfectly convenient for a budget stay, with a good kitchen and clean dorm rooms. The (nearly) lakeside location is hard to beat.

Day 6 | Visit Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

1.5 hours from Wanaka, or 1 hour from Twizel

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

It merits a full day of exploring, so set off early.

Factor in some time to stop by the supermarket in Twizel, as well. There aren’t many places to eat in Mount Cook Village, so you’ll need some supplies. Top up on petrol as well.

The drive to reach Aoraki is beautiful in itself, winding alongside Lake Pukaki, with views across the bright blue water to the icy peak of New Zealand’s tallest mountain.

The trails in the national park are some of the most spectacular short walks in the country. With relatively little effort, you can see glaciers, ice bergs, and milky lakes surrounded by sheer moraine walls.

ACTIVITIES

Hike | 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.

WHERE TO STAY

Finding accommodation in Mt Cook Village is tough — it’s a small village with high demand. Book as far in advance as you can, and snap up any room you can find (staying in the park is worth the higher prices for rooms; I love being there when the day visitors drain away and the mountains are quiet again).

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

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.

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Day 7 | Head to Christchurch

4 hours from Aoraki/Mount Cook, 3 hours from Tekapo

It’s roughly the same distance from Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park to either Christchurch or Queenstown. You could just as easily end your trip by driving back to Queenstown.

But, heading to Christchurch means you add in a quick stop in Tekapo.

Although the small town of Tekapo doesn’t hold much appeal, Lake Tekapo is undeniably scenic. If time allows, there is the hike up the Mount John Walkway, with a snack break at the Astro Cafe at the top.

If time — or energy — doesn’t allow, you can also drive up to the Mount John Observatory and Astro Cafe, but there is a small charge ($8) for using the road.

Beyond Tekapo, on the road to Christchurch, there isn’t a great deal more to stop for. The Fairlie Bakehouse is a somewhat iconic road trip stop, and Geraldine has some sweet little cafes and places to eat.

But, for the most part, once you put Tekapo in your rear view, you’ll be back in farming country, with the rugged mountains behind you.

One week in the South Island | A road trip to get off the beaten track

The classic ‘highlights’ itinerary outlined above does touch on some of the South Island’s busiest places (Queenstown, Milford Sound, and Aoraki/Mount Cook are epicentres for South Island tourism).

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

This South Island road trip skips Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, but takes you down the rugged, wonderful, wild West. There’s a little more driving involved, but that’s part of the charm'; cover more ground, and you’ll get to see how diverse the South Island really is.

Day 1 | Christchurch to Maruia Hot Springs

2.5 hours driving

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

2 hours 15 minutes driving

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.

There are no shops, petrol stations, or ATMS in Punakaiki; even eating options are limited. Stock up on everything you need in Reefton, a lovely little town worth stopping for.

On the edge of Paparoa National Park, Punakaiki is a small village famous for unusual rock formations and blowholes carved out of soft limestone by heaving waves. The short walk around the pancake rocks is the main attraction, but it’s worth sticking around Punakaiki for at least a night, to enjoy more coastal walks or trails in the national park.

The coastline around Punakaiki is beautiful, with rich rainforest and bottle green rivers swirling out of limestone gorges. A subtropical microclimate makes Punakaiki feel a little apart from the rest of the West Coast, with lush rainforest dense with nikau palms cladding the steep rock walls.

The road from Charleston to Punakaiki is one of the best drives in New Zealand, with rocky beaches on one side and impenetrable forest and hills on the other.

Day 3 | Punakaiki to Franz Josef

3 hours (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.

WHERE TO STAY IN FRANZ JOSEF

$$$$ — Legacy Te Waonui Hotel Franz Josef: The clever square layout of this hotel means each of the four wings joins to enclose rainforest. Rooms look out into the forest (which, while creating a sense of privacy, does mean they lean towards dimness), and are decorated with small flourishes like possum fur cushions. Although the price tag is high compared to other places in town, the rates do include an excellent dinner and breakfast, which is convenient given the limited dining options in Franz Josef. I enjoyed my stay here.

FEATURED HOTEL

Rainforest Retreat
A place to stay in the lush rainforest, with everything from campervan sites to deluxe treehouses with private hot tubs

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Day 4 | Franz Josef

Tourists have been flocking to Franz Josef since the late 1800s; back then, the ice was visible from the main highway. There was a time when visitors could stroll up to the glacier and onto the ice. Those days are long, the glacier having beaten a lengthy retreat since then, but it’s still a fantastically accessible river of ice.

Usually, to see a glacier, you have to make it high into hostile alpine terrain, or into the depths of a place like Patagonia or Greenland. In Franz Josef, the glacier is visible just a short walk from a tourist village right on the main highway through the region.

Franz Josef glacier and its neighbour Fox glacier, a half hour drive south, are the main attractions on the West Coast. But, Westland Tai Poutini National Park – the wilderness area surrounding the glaciers – is also home to rich forest that drips in bright green moss, obsidian lakes that mirror the mountains, and beaches where if you’re lucky, you might see the rounded fins of Hector’s dolphins.

ACTIVITIES

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.

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.

Day 5 | Franz Josef to Wanaka

4 hours driving

Lake views on The drive alongside Lake Hawea, towards Wanaka — *The drive alongside Lake Hawea, towards 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.

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.

WHERE TO STAY

$$ — Waiorau Homestead is a 20 minute drive from Wanaka, in the scenic mountain setting of Cardrona. The house has only four rooms, which makes the guest lounge and garden feel spacious.

$$ — Centrally located Archway Motels and Chalets offers straightforward and comfortable units (some renovated in 2025) a 10 minute walk from the lakefront.

$ — Haka House Hostel is perfectly convenient for a budget stay, with a good kitchen and clean dorm rooms. The (nearly) lakeside location is hard to beat.

Day 6 | Wanaka

Wanaka is a brilliant base for hiking, lake swimming, visiting wineries, or simply shopping and eating.

Like Queenstown, Wanaka lake and mountain landscapes, with easy access to hiking, wineries, and restaurants. Granted, Queenstown is a little more dramatic in terms of scenery, but key differences lie in size and the sheer number of activities on offer.

Wanaka is smaller, with a more laid-back atmosphere and a shorter list of adventure activities on offer. Therein lies the appeal for people who fall for Wanaka’s charms – although no sleepy small town, Wanaka is more down to earth than Queenstown. It’s also cheaper.

Hiking is the main thing to do in these parts, but there are other adventure activities as well. And at the end of the day, the restaurants in Wanaka are as good as any you’ll find elsewhere in the South Island.

ACTIVITIES

Take a fly cruise fly tour to Milford Sound | If you’d like to skip Queenstown altogether, but you’re still curious about Milford, it is possible to hop right over Queenstown with this option. As an added bonus, you get a spectacular scenic flight on the way (which is longer than the Milford flights leaving from Queenstown).

Hike | In my mind, Wanaka is first and foremost a hiking destination. Mount Aspiring National Park is less than an hour’s drive from Wanaka, with trails ranging from short walks to multi-day treks. Closer by are various peaks offering views of the lakes and mountains. The most popular day hike near Wanaka is Roy’s Peak, but 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.

Swim at Lake Hawea | A 15 minute drive north of Wanaka, Lake Hawea is a long and deep blue body of water. The town of Hawea is little more than a hamlet, smaller and less developed than Wanaka, which makes the beachfront there an excellent place for swimming. Pick up picnic supplies from Pembroke Patisserie on the way.

Enjoy a lake cruise and walk on Mou Waho Island | The highlight of this trip is seeing the lake within the lake