New Zealand - South Island
New Zealand’s highest peak — Mt. Aoraki “The Cloud Piercer” — living up to its name
Why South Island?
New Zealand is deceivingly huge. It takes approximately 13 hours and 20 minutes just to drive from the northernmost point to the southernmost point of the South Island. So you really have to pick and choose where you’d want to concentrate your trip based on how long your trip is. In our opinion, Fiordland National Park is a can’t miss and that makes South Island a can’t miss.
Preparing for Your Trip to New Zealand
Before you fly out to New Zealand, don’t forget to apply for an NZeTA! You need one (or a regular visa) issued before you can check in for your flight, and it takes up to 72 hours for them to do so. For some reason United didn’t warn us beforehand that the NZeTA was required to check in, so we only found out at the airport. Luckily, if you don’t make any errors in your app and you’re from the states, you can expect the application to successfully go through in as few as 15 minutes. That’s not guaranteed though, so save yourself the stress and apply a week early to be safe.
You will also need to fill out a traveler declaration form upon arrival, which can either be done 24 hours before you start your trip or frantically in the customs line once you arrive in New Zealand.
One more thing to note is the time difference when traveling from the US to New Zealand — you lose a full day while flying! For example, we took a red eye out of SFO on December 16th and landed in Auckland on December 18th in the morning. We had to rearrange some bookings at the last minute because of this so just be aware. Also, the flight from SFO → AUK was 16 hours but the return journey only took 11.5 hours due to jet streams, AND you get the day back (i.e. we left at 2PM from Auckland and arrived in SFO at 7AM that same day).
Lastly, the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) pages are actually really helpful and full of great information on hikes, parks, etc. Definitely check it out when planning your trip.
6 Day Itinerary in South Island
Day 1: Arriving and settling into Queenstown
Land at the Queenstown International Airport
Rent a car from the local Ezi Car Rental (great service and usually more affordable than big brands like Sixt and Avis)
Stay at Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa and take advantage of their pool, sauna, and spa
Take the water taxi to Downtown Queenstown to avoid fighting for parking
Explore downtown and grab some great food (there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options)
Day 2: Exploring Queenstown
Buy Queenstown Luge tickets (see below)
Breakfast at Yonder (highly recommend their Turkish eggs! The cinnamon roll and flat white were also on point)
Go paragliding with Skytrek Tours and enjoy the Queenstown mountain/lake vistas
Skip the lines at Fergburger and instead grab lunch at FergBaker - 100% our favorite spot in Queenstown.
Pro Tip: We used their bread to make sandwiches for our backpacking trip and long drives, and they held up great
Their hand pies and pizza slices are also amazing, can’t go wrong with any of their selections
If you need to stock up on hiking gear, downtown Queenstown is your best bet
Looking for gear / backpacking food? Try Torpedo7 and Outdoor Sports
Need more hiking clothes? You can’t go wrong with Kathmandu or Macpac
Check out Queenstown Luge. They’ve got 3 tracks and it’s walking distance from Downtown Queenstown. There is usually a huge line to buy tickets and they often sell out for the day. We’d recommend buying tickets first thing in the morning.
Head to Onsen Hot Pools to decompress from all the activities in the day.
They tend to sell out, so make sure to book at least 3 months in advance
They also provide a drink and a treat of your choice to enjoy in your private pool — a nice touch
Dinner at Nest. Known for being the highest alfresco eatery in Queenstown with beautiful views of Lake Wakatipu
We booked a sunset reservation months in advance
While the food was good but not great, the vibes and views were impeccable
South Island’s Iconic Lupins
One of the many waterfalls we saw at Milford Sound
Day 3: Enter Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park
Head out towards Milford Sound early in the morning, it’s ~6 hours including stops
Stop at Te Anau for coffee, a snack, and any last minute hiking supplies
Pack a to-go lunch while at Te Anau
Pio Pio restaurant and Milford Sounds Cafe are the only eateries in the park and Pio Pio requires a reservation well in advance
We highly recommend having to-go meals prepped so you can flexibly explore as you drive through the park
Drive into Milford Sound and get ready for the first glimpse of the sound after exiting Homer Tunnel.
If you catch it on a rainy day, you’re about to get the most glorious view of your life, with hundreds of waterfalls cascading from every angle
Take a Milford Sound Cruise to get a tour and history lesson of your view.
We used Mitre Peak but can’t go wrong with any company
The guide will take you close to all the prominent waterfalls and all the way out to where the sound meets the ocean.
Enjoy a legendary Fiordland National Park hike
If it’s not raining, take on the Gertrude Saddle Route: a 5.1 miles strenuous hike to get the view of a lifetime
Head to your overnight accommodation at Milford Sound Lodge
This place really added to the magic of Milford Sound. From the amazing food at Pio Pio, to the jaw-dropping vista of the waterfalls through floor-to-ceiling glass windows in each room, to the Kea birds that pay you a visit, it’s an experience of a life time.
We recommended booking this months in 6 months advance during peak season since it books out quickly.
Kayaking in the fjord
Day 4: Kayak Milford Sound and Drive back to Queenstown
If you’re staying with the Milford Sound Lodge, breakfast is delivered to your room (or at least it was for us due to restaurant renovations)
Replete with cappuccinos, croissants served with jam and Manuka honey, and muesli pots, you get the chance to enjoy an authentic NZ breakfast with a view of the waterfalls on a rainy day.
Kayak Milford Sound with Roscoe’s Milford Kayaks. Great way to get up close and personal with the sound and all its beautiful waterfalls. The day of our kayak experience, we were worried it was going to get cancelled due to the rainfall. Instead, it turned out to be even better with the waterfalls in full force.
Head back to Milford Sound Lodge, take a quick shower, and head out for the drive back to Te Anau and Queenstown.
You can make it back to Queenstown in time for dinner (5 hours)
Long lines are typical at Roy’s Peak, but worth it for the iconic view
Day 5: Roy’s Peak and Wanaka
Head to Roy’s Peak as early as possible for a day hike
There’s zero sun protection on this hike so be prepared for a slow, steep uphill slog to an incredible view
Bring sun protection, lots of water, and a good camera for the iconic view at the top
You might even get a chance to hang out with some local sheep families too as they join you in your climb :)
After a tough climb, you deserve lunch and drink in the nearby lake town of Wanaka
The Wanaka region is known for its fine white wines, if that’s your thing
Enjoy Lake Wanaka and its cute town
We loved exploring the The Next Chapter, Wanaka bookstore and grabbing beers at Pembroke Wine and Spirits.
We even saw people having a lake day and taking a dip. There’s a ton of water sports and activities that you can do on the lake as well. Everyone in this town is chilled out and living their best life.
Day 6: Drive to Aoraki/Mt. Cook
Breakfast at Scroggin Cafe. Phenomenal coffee and their Scroggin Benedict is to die for
Drive to Mt. Cook and do the famous Hooker Valley Track
This is the best way to experience a glacial valley up close, we had a much better experience here than at the receding Fox Glacier walk
Make sure all your belongings are tightly on you while you do this hike as winds get strong on the bridges and we may or may not have lost a camera lens cap
Grab lunch at the Mt. Cook Lodge. Delicious and vegetarian-friendly.
Drive back to Queenstown and soak in your last views of the South Island. Enjoy dinner and drinks on your last night
The final stretch of the Hooker Valley Track, which culminates at Hooker Lake with the majestic Mt.Aoraki (Mt. Cook) as its backdrop
Speaking from Experience
Take any Google Maps eta and always multiply it by 1.5 to get the actual time it’ll take to reach a destination. New Zealand is meant to be enjoyed at your own pace, and there are a myriad of jaw dropping vista points and hiking trails that are worth stopping for.
We stayed at the Hilton Queenstown, which is across the river from Downtown Queenstown. Heading into town for meals was a journey with traffic and difficulty finding parking adding an extra 20-30 minutes. Yes, the Hilton Queenstown offers a water taxi, but we’d recommend actually staying in town to enjoy the vibe and walkability.
FergBurger is overrated in our vegetarian experience. Maybe it’ll be better if you eat meat; however, FergBaker is owned by the same people, has no line, and is a culinary experience.
Try to go to Milford Sound when it’s raining. It’s called the land of a thousand water falls for a reason.
If you’re not able to book the Milford Lodge, head to Te Anau the evening before you want to explore Milford Sound so that you can cut travel time in half and maximize time in the National Park.
Always keep snacks in your car. There’s a lot of driving time exploring landmarks in the South Island and a lot of remote areas with no restaurants/cafes in sight.
It’ll be tempting to speed with straight empty roads ahead of you and comparatively low speed limits. But know the police are very strict and sometimes undercover (we may or may not know from experience)