New Zealand: South Island 5 Day Itinerary

Christchurch --> Queenstown or vice versa

If you’re on a tight time schedule when seeing the south island, this is the itinerary for you. These must-do’s are all you need.

Day 1: Christchurch --> Lake Tekapo

Driving in New Zealand takes longer than what google maps will tell you. With the winding roads and many distractions to look at, you’ll probably end up pulling over to every scenic viewpoint if it’s your first time there.

You can grab a rental car or campervan near the Christchurch airport at a few different places such as JUCY, Spaceship etc.

The Church of the Good Shepherd

Then make your way out of town on highway 73 where you'll reach your first stop in just under an hour. The famous Sheffield's Pie Shop! Eating a meat pie might sound weird if you're not from New Zealand but trust me you'll want to try these. All of the locals rave about them. My personal favorite is the Salmon but they have many different flavors and other bakery goods to choose from.

After this, make your way to the beautiful Lake Tekapo. Backtrack on highway 73 to 77 and continue along to highway 72 to 79 and into highway 8 towards Lake Tekapo. Once you've been driving in New Zealand for a little while, you'll realize it's hard to get lost since there are so few highways! At Lake Tekapo, visit the Church of the Good Shepherd and take in those breathtaking views. If you come at the right time, you might even have a service at the church.

After your visit, get back on highway 8 and you'll drive through a small town. Take a stop at the gas station and four square to stock up on food and drinks for the night since this will be last decent sized town for a while. Then drive about a half hour to Lake Pukaki where you'll stay the night. There's a few campsites and lodges here so get on google or campermate and take your pick. Personally, I enjoyed the free campsite they have between the highway and the lake but warning it does get windy and cold here at night since it is so open.

(If you get here early enough in the day and still have a few hours of daylight left, you can head on to day 2 and check off Mount Cook which is only a half hour up the road along Lake Pukaki.) 

Lake Pukaki

Day 2: Mount Cook --> Queenstown

When you wake up, take a swim in the cold Lake Pukaki if you dare then make your way up highway 80 to Mount Cook. Type "Hooker Valley Track" into your maps to find the parking lot for a neat hiking trail and the best views of mount cook. This hike is fairly short and good for all types of fitness levels. Afterward, head over to the mount cook lodge if you'd like to look at the museum or do a little souvenir shopping. 

After visiting the magnificent Mount Cook, start making your way back down the same road you came in on. If you're there from November to March, there is a lavender field you can stop at about 5 minutes from the intersection of highway 8 and 80. Then head south on highway 8 to start making your way towards Queenstown!

Here are some things to do on your way to Queenstown:

First is the clay cliffs. These can be found about an hour in, just outside of Omarama. It is privately owned land so when you pull up feel free to drop a small donation in the box then open the gate yourself and head on down the dirt road until you pull up to the most unusual rock formations you can imagine.

Ahuriri River

After the Clay Cliffs, keep your eyes peeled for a random gravel road about 40mins in on your right side called Birchwood Road. Head about a kilometer or two down this rugged road for an amazing pit stop along the Ahuriri River. Then head back onto highway 8 because that gravel road will get you nowhere.

Next, you'll be driving through some pretty mountainous landscape so stop at some of the lookouts along the way. Lindis Pass Viewpoint and Cluden Hill Summit are some of the main ones.

Don't be scared to stop at a winery along the way, there are plenty of them! We stopped at one a little bit off the main road called Maori Point. It's owned by a very nice family and the tastings are free and delicious! If you miss it though, there are many more along the main road as they become more and more predominate the closer to Queenstown you get.

Throughout all of this are also many filming locations from Lord of the Rings! If you are a superfan, you may want to get the Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook.

(P.S. If you have an extra day, I recommend going to Wanaka. See the Wanaka tree and hike Roy's Peak. This was one of the most rewarding hikes I've done in the whole country.)

Now if you stopped at all of these recommended places, you'll most likely be getting to Queenstown late in the evening. Grab a bite to eat then get settled in for the night at a hostel, Airbnb, or a nearby campground. If you somehow manage to find the energy, here are my recommendations for bars in Queenstown: https://nzbackpackingtips.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-most-exciting-bars-in-queenstown.html

Day 3: Queenstown to Milford Sound

Unfortunately, Queenstown isn't as close to Milford Sound as we would all hope. However, you have a few different options:

Option 1: Bus Day Tour from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back
Day tours usually leave Queenstown around 7am and return around 8pm. They are in the range of $200-$300 NZD. These are great choices if you're really restricted on time since you'll be forced to stick to a set schedule.

Option 2: Drive to Milford Sound on Your Own
This is a great option if you have a bigger group of people. Be sure to leave early in the morning since most of the tours at Milford Sound take place in the morning or early afternoon. Try to book a boat tour ahead of time since there will be no guarantee you'll get one when you arrive since it will be later in the day. Remember driving in New Zealand always takes longer than Google Maps suggests so be sure to give yourself some extra time. I suggest resisting the urge to stop at every cool place you see on the way and stopping at them on the way back. Allow extra time on the drive out of Milford Sound as you'll most likely get stuck in traffic especially going back through the tunnel (this applies to option 3 as well).

→Option 3: Spend the Morning in Queenstown and camp near Milford Sound
If you'd like a little more freedom and have extra time this is probably the best option. Take your time and enjoy Queenstown during the morning then head towards Milford Sound. Te Anau is the last town before Milford Sound so be sure to stop there and get all the food and supplies you'll need. A lot of the campsites along the road to Milford Sound fill up fast so you will want to get there early. On the morning of day 4, leave early since the road can be very busy and narrow on the way into Milford Sound. Parking also fills up quickly so keep this in mind! If you don't want to book in advance, you can probably book a boat tour upon getting there without too much of a hassle and at a not too shabby price for what you're getting. If you have time on your way back, stop at The Chasm which is a short easy hike with beautiful waterfalls and rock features. Then, camp at one of the many sites down highway 94. It will be very cold in the middle of the night even during the summer so make sure you pack warm clothes to sleep in. These will also be some of the best stars you will see throughout your whole time in New Zealand so make sure to look up at the sky before heading to bed!

Day 4: Milford Sound

If you chose option 3 then this will be your day to drive back towards Queenstown. Take your time and stop at the cool places you see on the way back!

If you chose option 1 or 2 then you will have day 4 to explore somewhere new. I strongly suggest going to Wanaka. If you do choose to go to Wanaka, you might want to switch this with day 3 since it is on the way from Mount Cook to Queenstown. The Wanaka tree in Lake Wanaka is a popular and quick attraction. If you're physically able to, hike Roy's Peak! This will be the best view you will ever see in all of New Zealand from a hike. People claim this as a tough hike but that is just because it is consistently steep. If you take your time, take breaks, and pace yourself, you will be able to do it with no problem even if you don't hike often. It will take about 4 hours and is fine to hike even in the winter (just wear crampons to make it easier). When I went, we timed it so we made it to the top for sunset and hiked back in the dark. This isn't for everyone but it definitely made the hike more worthwhile. 

Our view from Roy's Peak

Day 5: Leaving Queenstown

I will leave this day open to you to explore what you haven't already in Queenstown. Get lunch by the water or try once of Queenstown's many thrills such as bungee jumping, paragliding, jet boating, or the hydro attack! We attempted to paraglide but it was canceled last minute due to high winds. We opted for jet boating instead which was fun but I do not recommend paying full price for it. We were able to negotiate a deal with them since we had a bigger group so try grabbing some strangers to join you before going up to the ticket booth.

If you haven't already signed up for Airbnb and would like to receive $40 off your first booking, use this link: https://www.airbnb.com/c/brynw243?currency=USD


Please feel free to leave questions in the comments below, I'd be happy to answer them!