The South Island is a nature lover’s paradise. Everywhere you go, it feels like you’re staring at a postcard. The snow-capped mountains. The crystal blue lakes. The majestic fiords. The rolling hills. It has everything. A week there was not enough, and we’re already eager to return for another visit.
On our two-week trip to New Zealand in 2024, we spent seven days in the North Island and eight days in the South Island. This post details our itinerary in the South Island and the main areas we recommend visiting there; you can read about our North Island adventures here.
Day 1: Arrive in Queenstown
Because we started our New Zealand adventures in the North Island, we had thankfully already adjusted to jet lag. That said, our flight from Auckland didn’t get to Queenstown until the late afternoon, so we didn’t have time for much this day.
After checking into our Airbnb (an apartment right next to Pedro’s House of Lamb – it was a perfect home base for the next few days), we walked into town for dinner at the legendary Fergburger.
This burger joint is routinely recognized for serving up some of the best burgers in the world, and it did not disappoint. The line here can get nuts, so budget an hour for your visit (this should cover the time spent waiting to order and the time spent waiting for your food). There are limited tables at Fergburger, but given how crowded it gets, you should plan to take your burger to go and find a nice bench in town to eat on. It is messy, and it is spectacular. The beef patties here are the way to go (especially the Big Al if you have the appetite for it).
After dinner, we got ice cream from Patagonia Chocolates and walked around the beautiful Queenstown lakeshore as we ate it. Towns really shouldn’t be allowed to be this pretty – it just makes us question why we live anywhere else.
Then, we took the gondola up to Bob’s Peak for sunset. This summit is definitely doable via a hike, but given we were short on time, we cheated and took the scenic route up. In addition to getting some great views at the top, there is also a great bar with surprisingly affordable cocktails given the premium location.
Day 2: Shotover Jet and Central Otago
The next morning we started off with some adventure – taking a jet boat through the Shotover Canyon.
Shotover Jet is a Queenstown institution. While it seems a bit expensive for a relatively short boat ride, it is well worth it. The boat drivers are super impressive – it shouldn’t be possible to traverse through a narrow canyon at the speeds that they do. Pair that with the spin cycles in the more open parts of the river, and it is a really thrilling ride.
Because one fergburger isn’t enough, we went back there for lunch after our boat ride. It’s just so good! We thought the line would be shorter before noon too, but we were wrong on that front – it took just as long as the night before. This time we tried the lamb burger, which was delicious, but the beef burger is still the best.
After finishing our meal, we drove to Central Otago to spend the afternoon visiting some wineries. Our first stop was Chard Farm, which has a beautiful location just above the Kawarau River. The host here had a bit of an attitude…but we did enjoy the wine. We decided to buy one bottle to bring home to get one of our tasting comped.
Our next stop was Te Kano Estate, which had even better views! Rather than a formal tasting, we decided to each get a glass of pinot noir here instead so that we could just sip, relax, and admire the countryside. The tasting room is a beautiful, modern space with a ton of windows and natural light, so there’s no better place to enjoy the views.
Our last stop was Mt Difficulty, which had BY FAR the best wine of the day. We honestly wish we had come here first so that we could have bought two bottles from here instead of one from Chard. It was that good. We did the premium red tasting and absolutely loved it – treat yourself and order this too. We also got some baked brie to have with our wine and it was a perfect complement.
After Mt Difficulty, we made our way back to Queenstown. And because two times wasn’t enough, we went to Ferg (again) for dinner. This time though, we got takeaway sandwiches from Fergbaker. It was an affordable, refreshing option after the much heavier fergburgers. We quickly undid the good though by going to Cookie Time Cookie Bar for dessert…it wasn’t the best cookie we’ve ever had (and in hindsight wasn’t worth the line), but it hit the spot.
Day 3: Routeburn Track
Time for an early start! We really wanted to do the Routeburn track as part of our trip, but unfortunately we planned too late to book an overnight stay on the trail. So, we decided to do the next best thing – hike to Harris Saddle and back as a day trip from Queenstown.
This made for a long day (~17 miles total, nearly 4,000 feet of elevation gain), but it was an amazing hike. The day started with an hour drive from Queenstown to the trailhead. It is a straightforward, scenic route along Lake Wakatipu and Dart River that passes through some Lord of the Rings filming territory. The only traffic you’re likely to encounter early in the morning is the occasional sheep crossing as you get closer to the trail and transition to dirt roads.
We started the hike around 7:30am, and the first part of the trail to Routeburn Flats Hut (~4 miles) is pretty flat and easy. At the hut, you’ll have the opportunity to use the restroom and enjoy some nice valley views.
The next stretch is where things start to get more challenging, but the views start to pick up too. It’s a steep 1.5 miles from Routeburn Flats to Routeburn Falls. Along the way, you’ll encounter some of the trail’s best photo ops. Just past Routeburn Falls Hut are (you guessed it) the Routeburn Falls, but these are honestly nothing special. The real treat is the alpine views between this point and Harris Saddle.
The 2.5 mile climb from Routeburn Falls to Harris Saddle is again relatively steep, but it’s so scenic that you’ll hardly notice the strain. With every step the views seem to get better. There are mountains, lakes, valleys – you name it. Once you make it close to the saddle, looking back towards the terrain you just traversed is a truly special view.
At Harris Saddle there is a basic shelter where you can take a breather or hide from inclement weather, as conditions can change quickly. On a clear day, you can see into Fiordland National Park from Harris Saddle, but we weren’t that lucky. There was zero visibility. We waited at the shelter for maybe 40 minutes and had some snacks / our grocery store sandwiches to give things a chance to clear up, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. Thankfully, conditions were still okay back towards Mount Aspiring, so we took advantage and enjoyed those views on our hike back down.
After we made it back to our car, we were completely exhausted. Still, since we were in the area, we made a quick stop at the Isengard Lookout to nerd out over another Lord of the Rings filming location. We then grabbed ourselves a treat at Real Fruit Ice Cream in Glenorchy (absolutely delicious) before heading back to Queenstown.
On our way back to Queenstown, we couldn’t resist making one more stop at another Lord of the Rings filming site – this one at the Ithilien Lookout.
For dinner, since we could barely move, we convinced some friends to meet us at the nearby Pedro’s House of Lamb…and we devoured that lamb shoulder. It was delicious and filling and exactly what we needed after the long hike. We then spent some time packing up in our airbnb, as the next morning we were heading to Fiordland.
Day 4: Milford Sound
We loved our Fiordland experience so much that we dedicated an entire post to it! You can read more about the Road to Milford and our overnight cruise through the Sound with Fiordland Discovery here.
Day 5: Queenstown Hikes
Our morning started with breakfast aboard the Fiordland Discovery, and we made it back to the Milford pier around 9:00 AM. Originally, we planned to do a hike or two on the Milford Sound Highway (targeting the other end of the Routeburn Track – the Key Summit trail), but the weather wasn’t great for it. Instead, we opted to book it back to Queenstown and do a couple trails there, where we could enjoy clear skies and similarly impressive views.
First, we did the short and steep Queenstown Hill Walkway (3 miles; 1,300 feet of elevation gain). Part of the trail was closed, so we couldn’t make it to the very top, but we still were able to get to the first main viewpoint. It’s nothing to scoff at, as the lake and mountain views from there are beautiful.
Up next, we did the also-short Bob’s Cove Track from the parking lot to Bob’s Cove Viewpoint and back. Admittedly, we kind of wandered on to this trail and kept going longer than we expected, but we were glad we did. The walk was easy enough, and it ended at one of our favorite views in the area – getting to see Bob’s Cove and the larger Lake Wakatipu separated by a narrow strip of beach. The water here is just so unbelievably blue.
After the two hikes, we were ready for a drink. We had decided to stay in Arrowtown this night to change things up, so it made sense for us to stop at Searchlight Brewery on our way there. While parking here was a challenge, the brewery itself was great. It had delicious beers, plenty of seating on the patio, and some friendly dogs hanging out.
From there, it was a short drive to Arrowtown – the historic gold mining town just outside of Queenstown. We checked into our Airbnb, then walked to The Fork and Tap in the center of town. It was pretty packed, but thankfully we were able to get a table, and we quickly learned that the crowd was justified. They have a great local beer selection, and the Hawaiian pizza and fish and chips were both delicious.
Day 6: Arrowtown to Wanaka
To start our morning in Arrowtown, we did the started day with Sawpit Gully Trail in Arrowtown (4.7 miles; 1,322 feet of elevation gain). While this trail didn’t offer the typical lake views afforded by hikes around Queenstown, it let us venture into some nice rolling hills and see relatively different terrain compared to the other hikes we had done in New Zealand. If you choose to stay in this area like we did, we’d definitely recommend Sawpit Gully as an active morning.
After finishing up the hike, we walked to the nearby The Dishery Restaurant for breakfast. While a bit expensive compared to some other options in the area, the food here was very good. The avocado bruschetta with salmon was light and refreshing and the perfect compliment to our morning workout. We can’t be too healthy on vacation though, so we also got the iced chocolate with cream … absolutely zero regrets.
Once we left breakfast, we walked around Arrowtown a bit to explore the local shops and also checked out some (admittedly unrecognizable) Lord of the Rings filming locations that were just around the corner. From there, we set off for our next stop – Felton Road Wines in Central Otago.
Depending on who you ask (ex: The Real Review in 2024), Felton Road is the best winery in all of New Zealand. After touring their grounds and doing a tasting, we can’t really disagree. While personally we preferred the wines at Mt. Difficulty, Felton Road was delicious and easily Top 2 for us. We ended up getting a private tour of the vineyard from a friendly, dry witted host, and the tasting allowed us to sample some wines not available for public purchase. We liked everything so much that we bought two bottles on the spot and also got some guidance on how we can order Felton Road wines back in the United States.
After wrapping up at Felton Road, we drove to Wanaka, where we’d be staying for the next two nights. We quickly checked into our Airbnb, then made our way into town for a visit to Rhyme x Reason Brewery. In addition to having a great atmosphere and delicious beer, there was a food truck outside serving bao buns. We couldn’t help but grab a snack before our New Zealand-style Thanksgiving dinner.
Of course there’s no substitute for a real homemade Thanksgiving dinner, but we did our best by making a reservation at Muttonbird. The tasting menu here was huge and filling – just like a Thanksgiving dinner should be. The standout dishes were the lamb neck, scallop crudo, and strawberry shortcake. If you’re in the mood for a nicer dinner in Wanaka, Muttonbird is a great option.
With our bellies full, we made a quick stop at That Wanaka Tree for a photo, then headed back to our Airbnb to rest up for tomorrow’s big day trip.
Day 7: Mount Cook Day Trip
We really wanted to visit Mount Cook (aka Aoraki) on our trip, and a day trip from Wanaka made the most sense with our itinerary. It’s a 2.5 hour drive from Wanaka, but it was so worth it.
We left early to beat the crowds, and this worked out nicely because it got PACKED later in the morning. Our first hike of the day was the Hooker Valley Track (6.8 miles; 646 feet of elevation gain). This flat trail was more of a walk, but it offers some incredible views – which explains why it gets so crowded. Unfortunately, when we got to the viewpoint at the end, it was too cloudy to get the full experience. We waited around a bit for the fog to clear, and once it did we were pretty awestruck by the scenery. After a million photos, we jogged the back half of the trail to make up for the time spent waiting on the clouds – as we still had a full schedule ahead of us!
Next up we did did the Sealy Tarns hike (3.3 miles; 1,791 feet of elevation gain), which was an ENTIRELY different trail. Whereas Hooker Valley was a relaxing walk, Sealy Tarns is Stairmaster in the mountains. The views are amazing though. The higher vantage point allows for another, equally awesome perspective of Aoraki and the glacial lakes around it. If you’re feeling up to it, you can go even higher up to Mueller’s Hut, but we didn’t have the time to make that trek.
After finishing up Sealy Tarns, we quickly did the Tasman Glacier View Track (0.7 miles; 249 feet of elevation gain), which felt like nothing compared to Sealy Tarns. The water at Tasman Glacier was very pretty, but we would have been okay skipping this short walk since it didn’t measure up to the other hikes.
Finally, we started our journey back to Wanaka. Since we were no longer in a rush, we took some time to stop and enjoy the beautiful views along the road. The stretch along Lake Pukaki is especially picturesque.
Once we made it back to Wanaka, we had dinner at Paloma Taqueria, which was solid overall but a bit of a longer experience than we wanted after such a long day. If you do opt to eat there in Wanaka, treat yourself to the fried fish tacos, which are delicious.
Day 8: Sunrise at Roy’s Peak
Our last day in the South Island. To maximize our remaining time, we started before sunrise.
Hiking Roy’s Peak – especially at sunrise – is an iconic South Island experience. Yes, you have to wake up before the crack of dawn, fight through crowds at the popular photo stops, and work up a serious sweat before most people have gotten out of bed, but the views are amazing. I mean, just look at this:
The trail itself is a steep incline the entire way up (9.9 miles; 4,212 feet of elevation gain). Make a conservative estimate when determining how much time you’ll need to get to the summit, as you wouldn’t want to start a hike this early and not make it to the photo spot by sunrise. Most people stop at a viewpoint that is about 4 miles up (us included because we had heard it was the thing to do), but we honestly preferred the views from the summit – plus it was way less crowded. It was obvious that some hikers had made it to the photo spot over an hour before sunrise just to snag the perfect view. Do yourself a favor and keep going if time permits before sunrise.
A benefit of starting (and finishing) a hike this early is that you still have your full day ahead of you! We were done with the trail by 9:00 AM and thankfully had time to go back to our Airbnb for a shower before our check-out time.
After freshening up and packing our bags, we went to Pembroke Patisserie – which was dangerous considering the appetite we had worked up. Maybe it was because we were so hungry, but everything here was delicious. The chicken and mushroom pie. The spinach and feta roll. The iced chocolate. The almond croissant. It was truly a perfect breakfast following a challenging hike.
To continue our indulgence, we went straight from Pembroke Patisserie to Cardrona Distillery for a quick drink to sample some New Zealand spirits. After relaxing there for a bit, we made the drive to Altitude Brewing in Queenstown, which was just outside the airport. While this wasn’t the best beer we had on our trip, it was still solid, and the views from this brewery are tough to beat. There is plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the sunshine and mountain views with your drinks. It was a proper sendoff to the South Island before our flight back to Auckland.
Other Tips & Tricks
- Getting Around: The South Island is bigger than you might think! Plus, the mountains necessitate some roundabout paths to get from Point A to Point B. Booking a rental car is a must. In general, driving around New Zealand is a breeze โ you just need to remember to stay on the left side of the road and keep an eye out for speed traps.
- What to Pack: The weather in New Zealand can change super frequently. Even in a shoulder season like November, youโll want to have plenty of weatherproof layers at the ready. Every hike we did, we made sure to have a rain jacket and rain pants in our packs. Apart from those clothing considerations, just make sure you bring the regular essentials for international travel (e.g., power adapters, first aid needs, passport, etc.). A US driverโs license was accepted, so we did not need to bring an international driving permit.
- Be Flexible: With how frequently the weather changes in New Zealand, even the best laid plans can get interrupted. It helps to keep an open mind and know of some alternate or rainy day activities that you can fall back on if needed. Luckily, there is no shortage of things to do in New Zealand.
- Tipping Culture: Based on everything we read in advance of the trip, it is not customary to tip in New Zealand. That said, there were a couple places in the South Island (and in Auckland) that seemed to expect tips and apply a bit of passive pressure. Everywhere else though, it did not appear expected or common at all. Still, if you receive exceptional service, a modest tip is always appreciated.
- Routeburn Track: If you plan it right, the Routeburn Track can be a great connector between Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park – it just requires advanced preparation and coordination. The trick here is a service that will move your car from one end of the Routeburn Track to the other. It’s not cheap, but it will save you a lot of driving time and allow you to (unlike us) do the full Routeburn Track.
- Visiting the North Island: Even though the South Island is our favorite, the North Island is 1000% worth visiting too. If (like ours) your international flight goes in and out of Auckland, we recommend taking advantage and spending some time in the North Island either before or after your South Island adventures.
Happy traveling!
Kitrina & Jordan
