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New Zealand’s South Island is an eclectic mix of beautiful landscapes, natural wonders, and adrenaline-fueled adventures, and there’s no better way to explore it all than by road-tripping this incredible part of the country.
With so much to see and do on New Zealand’s South Island, it can be tough deciding what makes it onto your trip itinerary. But fear not. If you’re planning on cruising around the island in your camper for at least 7 days, we’ve got your back! You can either use the below sample itinerary as is or use it as inspiration to create your own.
So, without further ado, here’s what you can look forward to on a South Island road trip of 7 days:
Day 1: Arrival and Heading Out to Arthur’s Pass National Park
Driving Distance: +/- 150 kilometers (93 miles)
Drive Time: +/- 2 hours
For our South Island 7-day road trip, you’ll need to fly in and pick up your campervan rental in Christchurch. We also recommend you stock up on supplies there for the first leg of your campervan road trip.
After your grocery run, you’ll officially begin your road trip by heading west in the direction of Arthur’s Pass National Park. You’ll come across a few stops along the way to Arthur’s Pass, and you can also start exploring the park (depending on how much time you have, of course).
Highlights of the Day:
- Checking out the rock formations at Castle Hill.
- Taking on one of the shorter hikes around Arthur’s Pass Village, such as to the Devil’s Punchbowl Waterfall (this hike is super easy, just 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) out-and-back, and won’t take you more than an hour, before you’re standing in front of the 131-meter-high (429.7 feet) waterfall).
Overnight at: Andrew’s Shelter Campsite
Day 2: Continuing the Drive West to Hokitika Gorge
Driving Distance: +/- 132 kilometers (82 miles)
Drive Time: +/- 1.5 hours
Today, you’ll continue with your journey westwards on your way to Hokitika Gorge. This drive is incredibly scenic, so you’ll need to brace yourself for a few jaw-dropping moments and a couple of quick snapshots along the way.
Once you’ve arrived at the gorge, a trail will take you to all the best viewing spots, and once you’re done exploring, head over to the village of Ross. Grab a bite to eat and something to drink at the local pub before heading to camp.
Highlights of the Day:
- Exploring Hokitika Gorge.
- Exploring the Village of Ross.
Overnight at: The Historic Empire Hotel
Day 3: Ice, Ice, Baby and a Looooong Day On the Road
Driving Distance: +/- 439 kilometers (272.7 miles)
Drive Time: +/- 6 hours
Although today will be one of the longest driving days of this South Island trip itinerary, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of quick breaks in the form of stops along the way.
As you make your way towards your campsite for the night (you have three recommended options), you’ll also have the opportunity to drive along two beautiful lakes: Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. So, once again, even though it might be a long drive today, the stops and the scenery make it all worthwhile!
Highlights of the Day:
- Checking out Okarito Lagoon and its small museum (here you can learn all about the historic gold rush era of this area).
- Checking out Franz Joseph Glacier from its viewpoint (there are also a few hiking trails around it).
- Admiring Lake Matheson (known for its perfect reflection). There’s also a café if you’d like to grab something to eat.
- Checking out Fox Glacier from its viewpoint (if you’ve got some money burning a hole in your pockets, you also have the option of taking a helicopter flight for an aerial view of the glacier).
- Admiring the two waterfalls: Thunder Creek Falls and Fantail Falls.
- Cruising along two beautiful lakes: Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea.
Overnight at: Red Bridge Reserve Campsite/ Camp Lake Hawea/ Luggate Albion Cricket Club
Day 4: Exploring Wanaka and Surroundings Before Heading to Queensland
Driving Distance: +/- 69 kilometers (42.8 miles)
Drive Time: +/- 1 hour
First thing in the morning, take a hike up Roy’s Peak. This will take approximately 3 hours. You can have a shower at Wanaka Recreation Centre before exploring the town and grabbing a bite to eat (we highly recommend checking out the food vans on Brownston Street).
After your drive along Lake Wanaka yesterday, it’s time to get out and take a stroll along the lake, admiring the view up close. After your relaxing stroll, it’s time to head out to Queenstown, where you’ll be staying tonight.
Highlights of the Day:
- Hiking Roy’s Peak.
- Exploring the town of Wanaka.
- Taking a stroll along Lake Wanaka.
Overnight at: Driftaway Queenstown
Day 5: Exploring Queenstown and Arrowtown Before Star-Gazing in Twizel
Driving Distance: +/- 200 kilometers (124 miles)
Drive Time: +/- 2.5 hours
Spend the morning exploring Queenstown before heading to Arrowtown (another remnant from our gold rush days), where you’ll continue your explorations in the afternoon.
But while you’re exploring everything this historic little town has to offer, just keep track of time; remember, you’ll still need to head further north if you’d like to reach your campsite for the night (and embrace a spectacular nocturnal activity, by the way).
Highlights of the Day:
- Visiting Queenstown Gardens.
- Riding the Queenstown Gondola.
- Going on a jet boat ride on the Shotover River.
- Checking out the view from the Queenstown Hill lookout (just please note that this will require a short, but extremely challenging, 5-kilometer/3.1-mile hike).
- Visiting the Lakes District Museum and Gallery.
- Stargazing in Twizel.
Overnight at: Twizel Holiday Park
Day 6: Marvel at the Views from Mt. Cook, Lake Tekapo, and Mt. John.
Driving Distance: +/- 170 kilometers (105.6 miles)
Drive Time: +/- 2 hours
Today is all about spectacular views. Your first stop will be New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mt. Cook. Here, you not only get to take in the views, but you’ll also find a few other outdoor attractions, such as boat rides and hiking trails.
From there, it’s just a short drive to Lake Tekapo, where you’ll get to check out the views from the opposite side of the spectrum (from the shoreline up towards the breathtaking mountains). Alternatively, you can go to the Church of the Good Shepherd and take it all in at the same time (the mountains and the lake).
Afterwards, you’ll head out to Mt. John to take the short 8.3-kilometer/5.2-mile moderate hike via the Mt. John Walkway trail. This should take between 3 and 3.5 hours to complete. With all the potential outdoor adventures today, it’s very important that you keep track of time since, after all this, you still need to head out to your campsite for the night.
Highlights of the Day:
- Checking out Mt. Cook, clocking in at a staggering 3724 meters (12,218 feet).
- Cruising the Tasman Glacial Lake to get closer to New Zealand’s largest glacier.
- Taking on the Hooker Valley Track at Mt. Cook (it’s an easy hike of 10 kilometers/ 6 miles and should take roughly 4 hours if you reeaally take your time and spend a long time once at Hooker Lake).
- Admiring the views at Lake Tekapo (also, remember that you can get mountain and lake views from the Church of the Good Shepherd).
- Hiking the Mt. John Walkway trail.
Overnight at: Lake McGregor Campsite
Day 7: Exploring Christchurch
Driving Distance: +/- 150 kilometers (93 miles)
Drive Time: +/- 2 hours
You’ll be spending the last day of your South Island, New Zealand campervan road trip exploring Christchurch. It is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest in all of New Zealand, so you can rest assured that you’ll find plenty of interesting things to see and do to keep you busy all day long.
Just keep an eye on the clock so you don’t miss your flight, and leave enough time to drop off the camper and check in at the airport!
Highlights of the Day:
- Riding the Christchurch Gondola (we’ve already mentioned the Queenstown gondola ride in our trip itinerary, so we suggest only doing this one if you’ve missed out on the Queenstown one).
- Hiking the Godley Head Trail (this trail is often referred to as one of the best hikes to do in the South Island, and is a 9.3-kilometer/5.8-mile moderate hike that shouldn’t take you longer than 3 hours to complete).
- Visiting the International Antarctic Center. The center is very close to the airport, so you might want to plan this as a last stop before leaving the island.
- Strolling through the Christchurch Botanical Gardens.
- Checking out the wide array of foods at the Riverside Market.
- Going on a sightseeing tour via a hop-on-hop-off tram.
- Checking out the view over Christchurch from the Bellbird Viewpoint.
- Going jetboating on the Waimakariri River.
- Taking a stroll on Sumner Beach.
- Visiting the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve (this is an absolute must if you consider yourself an animal-lover).
Overnight at: You’ll either be sleeping on the plane after catching your flight out of New Zealand, or sleep over in Christchurch before flying out first thing in the morning.
Time to Try Out Our South Island, New Zealand Itinerary for 7 Days!
Ready to hit the road for your South Island road trip of 7 days? Then reach out to us to book your rental camper, and we’ll also answer any questions you may have to make this road trip an unforgettable one.
