New Zealand · Easy
An Epic Road Trip Through New Zealand's South Island: Adventure and Natural Wonders (12 Days)
A 12-day tour of New Zealand's South Island, starting in Christchurch and traveling to Milford Sound, Queenstown, and the Franz Josef Glacier.
- Days
- 12
- Stops
- 12
- Mapped stops
- 12
- Mapped distance
- 1,956.1 km
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Day-by-day route
Day 1
1 stopsDay 2
1 stops · 255.1 km · 3 hr 30 minDay 3
1 stops · 512.1 km · 6 hr 30 minDay 4
1 stops · 303.7 km · 4 hr 0 minDay 5
1 stopsDay 6
3 stops · 113.6 km · 1 hr 50 minDay 7
1 stopsDay 10
1 stops · 275.2 km · 3 hr 50 minDay 11
1 stops · 209.4 km · 2 hr 40 minDay 12
1 stops · 287 km · 3 hr 50 minMap explore
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New Zealand
Mountain passes, clear lakes and generous distances make New Zealand a natural fit for a patient road trip.
New Zealand
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Discover places worth the detour
New Zealand
An Epic Road Trip Through New Zealand's South Island: Adventure and Natural Wonders (12 Days)
Day 1
Christchurch
Christchurch is New Zealand's South Island garden city, rebuilt with innovative architecture and vibrant street art following the devastating 2011 earthquake. The Ōtākaro Avon River Precinct, the Canterbury Museum, and the reimagined Cardboard Cathedral showcase the city's creative rebirth. It serves as the primary gateway to the Southern Alps, ski fields, and the wild Canterbury Plains.
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Day 2
Lake Pukaki
Lake Pukaki is a natural attraction known for its landscape and outdoor scenery. It suits travelers looking for viewpoints, walks, photography, and a stronger connection to the region's geography.
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Day 3
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is Fiordland National Park's most spectacular fjord, a place where sheer granite walls rise 1,200 meters directly from the dark water, and waterfalls cascade hundreds of meters unbroken into the sea. Sir Edmund Hillary called it the eighth wonder of the world, and boat cruises through the fjord reveal a primeval landscape of glacially carved cliffs, fur seals, dolphins, and Stirling Falls. The 2-hour drive from Queenstown through the Homer Tunnel is itself a remarkable journey.
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Day 4
Queenstown Central
Queenstown Central is the vibrant heart of New Zealand's adventure capital, a compact downtown of restaurants, bars, and outdoor gear shops overlooking the glacial blue of Lake Wakatipu and the jagged Remarkables mountain range. The mall, lakefront promenade, and Steamer Wharf precinct buzz with travelers from around the world drawn by bungee jumping, skiing, jet boating, and hiking. The nightly energy of Queenstown's bar scene has earned it a reputation as the southern hemisphere's party capital.
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Day 5
Queenstown Central
Queenstown Central is the vibrant heart of New Zealand's adventure capital, a compact downtown of restaurants, bars, and outdoor gear shops overlooking the glacial blue of Lake Wakatipu and the jagged Remarkables mountain range. The mall, lakefront promenade, and Steamer Wharf precinct buzz with travelers from around the world drawn by bungee jumping, skiing, jet boating, and hiking. The nightly energy of Queenstown's bar scene has earned it a reputation as the southern hemisphere's party capital.
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Day 6
Arrowtown
Arrowtown is a perfectly preserved gold rush town in the Queenstown Lakes district, nestled in an Otago valley where the Arrow River was once panned for gold in the 1860s. Its broad main street of stone and timber gold-rush era buildings houses boutiques, restaurants, and the excellent Lakes District Museum. The surrounding gorge walk and autumn foliage — the poplars and willows turning gold in April — create some of the most beautiful seasonal scenes in New Zealand.
View in Google MapsCrown Range Road
Crown Range Road is New Zealand's highest sealed main road, climbing to 1,076 meters above sea level on the pass between Queenstown and Wanaka through an extraordinary panorama of high-country farmland, mountain ranges, and the deep blue of Lake Wanaka below. The descent to Wanaka on the Cardona side through the Cardrona Valley is one of New Zealand's most scenic drives. The road is popular with cyclists and motorists seeking the most direct (though challenging in winter) route between the two resort towns.
View in Google MapsWanaka
Wanaka is a notable point of interest, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the distinctive character and appeal of this destination. Whether for its natural beauty, cultural significance, or unique atmosphere, it provides a rewarding experience as part of a broader exploration of the area.
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Day 7
Wanaka
Wanaka is a notable point of interest, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the distinctive character and appeal of this destination. Whether for its natural beauty, cultural significance, or unique atmosphere, it provides a rewarding experience as part of a broader exploration of the area.
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Day 10
Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier is one of New Zealand's most accessible and dramatic glaciers, a 12-km river of ice descending from the Southern Alps almost to sea level in a temperate rainforest on the West Coast of the South Island. Named after the Austrian emperor by a Victorian explorer, it can be explored on foot or by helicopter landing on the ice field. The glacier has retreated significantly in recent decades, making visits a poignant reminder of climate change.
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Day 11
Pancake Rocks Punakaiki
Pancake Rocks Punakaiki is a natural attraction known for its landscape and outdoor scenery. It suits travelers looking for viewpoints, walks, photography, and a stronger connection to the region's geography.
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Day 12
Christchurch
Christchurch is New Zealand's South Island garden city, rebuilt with innovative architecture and vibrant street art following the devastating 2011 earthquake. The Ōtākaro Avon River Precinct, the Canterbury Museum, and the reimagined Cardboard Cathedral showcase the city's creative rebirth. It serves as the primary gateway to the Southern Alps, ski fields, and the wild Canterbury Plains.
View in Google Maps