Organised by us · South Island · 7 days
Christchurch, Tekapo, Aoraki, Wānaka & Queenstown
Organised end to end by us
Selected journey
7 Day South Island Road Trip
South Island · 7 days · 1,290 km
Christchurch → Tekapo → Aoraki / Mt Cook → Wānaka → Queenstown → Milford Sound
Rough self-drive cost — planning it yourself
$$ · approx. NZ$320–NZ$490 per person, per day per day · approx. NZ$2,300–NZ$3,400 per person
A guide to what this route costs if you book it yourself. Entirely separate from an organised journey.
Availability · Available for enquiries
Read the full day-by-day itinerary →Highlights
Where you stay
Day by day — what we organise for you
The journey, day by day
Day 01
Night 1 · Christchurch
Day 1
Arrive in Christchurch
Botanic Gardens & the Avonallow an afternoon
A rebuilt city that wears its history openly. Walk the gardens and the transitional cathedral.
EveningDinner in Riverside Market or Victoria Street.
Night 1 · Christchurch
Rough cost · NZ$240–NZ$420
Day 02
Night 2 · Lake Tekapo
Day 2
225 km · approx. 3 hrs driving
MorningWest across the plains and up into the Mackenzie. · leave 9:00am
Lake Tekapoallow afternoon and evening
Turquoise glacial water, the little stone church, and a dark sky reserve overhead.
EveningHot pools, then stargazing — the sky here is protected by law.
Don't miss
The Milky Way from the lake edge on a clear night.
Night 2 · Lake Tekapo
Rough cost · NZ$280–NZ$480
Day 03
Night 3 · Aoraki / Mt Cook
Day 3
105 km · approx. 1.5 hrs driving
MorningThe Lake Pukaki road with the mountain straight ahead.
Aoraki / Mt Cookallow 3–4 hours
Walk the Hooker Valley Track — three hours, flat, three swing bridges, and an iceberg lake at the end.
EveningDinner at the village, and stars again.
Don't miss
The Pukaki lookout — the most photographed pull-off in New Zealand for a reason.
Night 3 · Aoraki / Mt Cook
Rough cost · NZ$300–NZ$520
Day 04
Night 4 · Wānaka
Day 4
200 km · approx. 3 hrs driving
Clay Cliffsallow 1 hour
Strange eroded pinnacles down a gravel road. A small koha applies.
Lake Hāweaallow 45 minutes
A quieter lake than Wānaka, and a good place for lunch by the water.
EveningWānaka lakefront at sunset.
Night 4 · Wānaka
Rough cost · NZ$280–NZ$480
Day 05
Night 5 · Wānaka
Day 5
Wānaka
MorningRoys Peak if you are fit and early; Diamond Lake if you are not.
Roys Peak Trackallow 5–6 hours
Five to six hours return, relentlessly uphill, and one of the great views on earth.
Rippon or Maude wineriesallow 1–2 hours
Vineyards on the lake edge with the mountains behind.
Good to know
Night 5 · Wānaka
Rough cost · NZ$250–NZ$450
Day 06
Night 6 · Queenstown
Day 6
115 km · approx. 2 hrs driving
Arrowtownallow 2 hours
Lunch on the main street and a wander through the Chinese settlement.
Gibbston Valleyallow 2 hours
Pinot noir country, and the original bungy bridge if someone in the car is brave.
EveningInto Queenstown for the night.
Night 6 · Queenstown
Rough cost · NZ$300–NZ$540
Day 07
Day 7
580 km · approx. 8 hrs driving
MorningA very long day, best done by coach so you can watch the road instead of drive it. · leave 6:45am
Milford Soundallow full day
Twelve hours door to door, and still worth every minute.
Book the coach and cruise together, well ahead.
Don't miss
Sitting on the top deck as the boat noses under a waterfall.
Departs from · Queenstown
Rough cost · NZ$350–NZ$600
