New Zealand South Island Map with Itinerary of Must See locations
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Map and Itinerary of New Zealand's South Island Must See Locations
New Zealand's South Island is absolutely a must see destination into itself! As beautiful as the North Island is, the South Island is surprisingly more majestic with so much to offer including your pick of extreme sports. Do yourself a favor by making sure you plan enough time there to fully take in her beauty. Bubbly Tourist recommends 7 - 10 days just on the South Island alone.
In the map below, Bubbly Tourist has identified an itinerary with our favorite locations on the New Zealand South Island and details at each of these locations with must-see sites is also provided.
Bubbly Tip: Make Queenstown your initial base. You can see and do many things in the immediate area by tour without the need of a car.
Queenstown
Queenstown is a must-see. Bubbly Tourist spent four days / three nights upon arrival into the South Island. This enabled us to spend our first day relaxing, hiking and exploring the town and the other three days using it as our base for going on excursions that included e-biking through Gibbston Valley, a Lord of the Rings tour to Glenorchy, and plane ride to Milford Sound.
Transportation in Queenstown
Fly into Queenstown, it's a Majestic Experience
Flying into Queenstown is a dramatic way to first experience New Zealand's majesty. As you wind your way over and through the Southern Alps, it doesn't take long for you to experience New Zealand's beauty. These dramatic mountains that surround Queenstown are part of the reason why we recommend flying into Queenstown. FYI, the flight out isn't quite as dramatic.
Rent/Hire a Car after your Stay in Queenstown
The Queenstown airport in Frankton is a short 10 minute drive to downtown Queenstown. If your lodging is in Queenstown, we recommend taking an Uber or taxi into downtown versus renting/hiring a car immediately. The reasons being the city is small and walkable, there will be a couple days of Queenstown excursions with provided transportation as part of our itinerary, parking will likely cost you extra at your hotel, and car rentals in NZ aren't cheap.
Queenstown Where to Stay
Bubbly Tourist recommends staying in the city center of Queenstown if possible. Being a few minutes walk to the city's vibrancy and proximity to restaurants, shops, excursion departure points, and lake Wakatipu itself makes staying in city center highly advantageous.
Things to Do in Queenstown
In addition to all the convenient restaurants and shops that are located right along the water in city center, there are a number of other things to occupy your time in the city and nearby vicinity. Check out Mother Nature in all her beauty and indulge in extreme sports if you wish.
Queenstown Kiwi Park
At the base of the Skyline Gondola is the entrance to Queenstown's Kiwi Park. This is an excellent outdoor facility that will introduce you to New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi. It's a nocturnal animal, so it will be the only way for you to see it during your trip to New Zealand. You'll also learn about other native birds and animals and you can do Manuka honey tasting and discover some of its medicinal properties at the Honey Bee Centre.
Queenstown Skyline Gondola
Head up the gondola to see spectacular views of Lake Wakatipu, the town, and the soaring nearby peaks. This is a family friendly destination that offers restaurants, a luge, mountain biking, stargazing and more.
Queenstown Hikes along Lake Wakatipu
The views are why you come to the South Island and Lake Wakatipu does not disappoint. From Queenstown center, you can take an easy flat stroll on the Harbour view walk through the Queenstown Gardens or follow Lake Wakatipu in the opposite direction from Saint Omer Park and head up a slightly hillier Sunshine Bay track along Glenorchy-Queenstown road. Either path welcomes you to incredible views of Lake Wakatipu and the nearby Remarkables.
e-Bike Gibbston Valley, a fun way to taste wine
This e-Bike excursion was a blast! We rented our e-bikes in Queenstown and they transported us up to Arrowtown via van and then let us bike from there through Gibbston Valley where we were picked up and returned to Queenstown. The bike ride was easy on gravel trails and gave us opportunities to ride along the rivers and up above the valley for picturesque views. We stopped for an excellent lunch at the Gibbston Valley winery, we crossed the bridge to witness jumpers at the original bungy jumping location in the world, and sampled several different wineries on our way to our rendezvous point.
Bungy Jumping
It's the OG of bungy jumping! The Kawarau Bungy Centre is where it all started. If you're really ambitious, you can combine it with your biking adventure since you cross this same bridge on your bike trek through the Gibbston Valley.
Lake Wakatipu Cruise on the TSS Earnslaw
This original steamer has been running the lake since 1912 and has been painstakingly renewed to its original self. If you're interested in a ride across the lake to Walter Peak High Country Farm with views of the Remarkables mountain range and Cecil Peak, then you can also combine it with a meal or another activity via their website.
Arrowtown, a short drive from Queenstown
This cute leafy village is absolutely a worthy stop and is only 20 minutes by car from Queenstown. It's on the way to Wānaka and is also the launch point for the Gibbston Valley bike tour, so you'll have the opportunity to see it as part of either of those destinations. It has very nice food restaurants and good shopping.
Milford Sound
A Gorgeous Sound
Milford Sound is a gorgeous part of New Zealand that is an absolute must-see. It's reminiscent of the sounds of Norway. Milford Sound brings you inland from the sea and the tall mountains that border it dive deep into the waters right at the shore line. A boat excursion where you can see waterfalls and sea lions up close is an absolute necessity on this must-see visit.
A Queenstown Day Trip
Milford Sound is not really an overnight destination spot, it's more of a day trip excursion from Queenstown. When Bubbly Tourist went to Milford Sound, we flew to/from Queenstown airport into a small airport in Milford Sound. The views through the mountains and of the sound are simply incredible! The other option is to drive, but the road is long and windy and to do it with your own vehicle or on a bus tour is a full day excursion (four hour drive one way) that you'd need to prepare for.
Glenorchy
Beautiful Country close to Queenstown
It's only a 45 minute drive to Glenorchy, so you can easily make this a half-day excursion from Queenstown. The Glenorchy waterfront reserve along the Dart River at the base of the mountains makes for a stunning backdrop, and a great place for a picnic.
LOTR Tour
Part of the reason Bubbly Tourist didn't pick up our rental car until after our stay in Queenstown was because we knew that we'd be doing a guided Lord of The Rings (LOTR) tour to Glenorchy. For you LOTR (and Wolverine and Narnia) fans, this is a must do. We highly recommend the Pure Glenorchy tour that gives you exclusive access to stunning private gated farmland at Arcadia Station where they filmed Isengard. It's fun to get some history of the filming plus photos from the film at each location. You can also get your inner nerd going with a stop in Rivendell and a chance to dress as your favorite LOTR character.
Gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park
Although Bubbly Tourist did not visit Mount Aspiring National Park on our last trip, it should be noted that Glenorchy is the southern entrance to the park. So, for those hikers and nature lovers, you can use Glenorchy as a launch point into the park. The primary entrance from Glenorchy is the Routeburn Shelter, located at the end of Glenorchy-Routeburn Road, about 25 km (roughly 30-40 minutes' drive) north of the township. This shelter is the starting point for the famous Routeburn Track and several day walks.
Wānaka
The alpine town of Wānaka is known for its lake (Wānaka) services, proximity to Mount Aspiring National Park and its role as a premier, year-round tourist destination due to its cozy, relaxed, and charming nature. The town sits right on the lake and has plenty of restaurants, cafés and a large grocery store to buy your food.
Chillin' on Lake Wānaka
If chillin' is your thing, then this is a terrific location to just hang and enjoy the natural beauty of the lake and surrounding countryside. It has a massive beach (with a children's park) for you to just hang and relax. Bubbly Tourist has visited Wānaka a couple of times and really appreciates downtime in this small town overlooking the stunning lake with the snowcapped mountains as its backdrop. There is a walking path along the lake to stroll along where you can also see nature at work with the Wānaka Tree and the Southern Crested Grebe habitations.
Wānaka for the Thrill Seeker / Nature Lover / LOTR Fan
One of the fun things to do in this region is to take a jet boat across the lake and up the Matukituki river into Mount Aspiring National Park. The further you go, the shallower the river gets but the boat is built for it and will take you by Lord of the Rings filming locations and into pristine forest for a guided wilderness walk through forests, and past waterfalls and glacier-fed streams.
Wānaka for the Wine Lover
It seems you are never very far from a vineyard and wine tasting no matter where you are in the Otago region. Wānaka is located on the northern end of this region and there are some excellent wineries that we can recommend. One of the most renowned in NZ and most beautiful in the country is Rippon Winery. Allow yourself time to wander the grounds and take in the views. Another excellent producer right outside of town is Aitken's Folley. Bubbly Tourist sampled some excellent chardonnay and pinot noir there and purchased some to go at extremely reasonable prices. Finally, if you're looking for a chic tasting room right in Wānaka, then look no further than Maude Wines.
Gateway to Mount Aspiring Park
Wānaka is considered one of the access points to Mount Aspiring National Park. This park straddles the 'great divide' of the Southern Alps and thus presents a breath-taking range of landscapes. At its heart is a massive area of wilderness - glaciers, snowfields, mountains, valleys and wildlife habitats that require days of hiking to reach. To the west of the divide, where rainfall is plentiful, the beech forest comes with a sound track of birdsong and waterfalls. Deep in the glacier-gouged valleys of the east, grassy river flats are hemmed by imposing mountains.
Where to Stay in Wānaka
Bubbly Tourist likes to stay right in the center of Wanaka close to the water's edge with its stunning views and walking distance to all the restaurants and shops. Over the years, we've stayed at two different apartment complexes that are right next to each other. If you prefer a pool, then Lakeside Apartments is a highly rated complex with excellent views and accommodations. If you don't need a pool or just want to save yourself a few dollars, then The Moorings is also highly rated and is nice and cozy, also with excellent views.
Cromwell
Wine Lover's Paradise
If you enjoy spectacular wines like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and other cold weather grapes, then this area is a must. Bubbly Tourist believes Central Otago wines, and specifically those from Bannockburn, to be some of the best on this planet! However, if wine is not your thing, then a visit to Cromwell may not be worth your time.
Felton Road Winery
Plan a visit to Felton Road - a reservation well in advance is required - and you will not be disappointed. This winery just may be the area's most prestigious Bannockburn wines. The visit includes a tour of the winery, a view into its cellars, and of course a tasting!
Mt Difficulty Wines
Mt Difficulty is a great spot for lunch or a tasting or both. You can have lunch indoors or outdoors accompanied with a tasting with spectacular views overlooking the valley. There is also a tasting room with similar gorgeous views if you only want to do a tasting. The food is excellent and so is the wine.
Carrick Winery
If you're looking to kick back with some fabulous views in a chill environment with some cool outdoor art, then Carrick Winery just might fit the bill. Bubbly Tourist found the wine decent, but not great, but the outdoor seating was very relaxing and had tremendous views. There is also a very nice indoor / outdoor restaurant too.
Cromwell's Cute Heritage Precinct
Located right along the river, this historic area of Cromwell is like stepping back in time. It reminds Bubbly Tourist of an old Western town in the US and has a handful of historic buildings, shops, restaurants and cafés, and is located right along the river so you can enjoy some beautiful views while checking it out.
Where to Eat in Cromwell
The two best restaurants in the area are the Bannockburn Hotel and Mt. Difficulty Wines. The Bannockburn Hotel has delicious food, both indoor and outdoor seating, and incredible views over the valley. The advantage it has over Mt Difficulty Wines is that it offers a much more diverse and extensive wine selection of the area's wines so you aren't limited to just Mt Difficulty's wines. Both are excellent choices and recommended by the locals.
Where to Stay in Cromwell
As hotels aren't exactly plentiful in this area, Bubbly Tourist shad to search for a while before deciding on the incredible Mt. Michael Lodge. Ideally, Bubbly Tourist had wanted to be right in Cromwell due to its proximity to the wineries, but the Mt. Michael Lodge is only 10 minutes up the road in Lowburn. The B&B is located right in a vineyard with stunning views of the river and surrounding mountains. The hosts are marvelous, the breakfasts delicious, and the accommodations superb. Highly Recommended.
Mount Cook National Park
Mount Cook
Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain, standing at 3,724 meters (12,218 feet) in the Southern Alps of the South Island. Located in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, this iconic peak is famous for its steep, icy terrain, popular hiking trails like the Hooker Valley Track, and as a challenging destination for mountaineering, first summited in 1894. Hope for a clear day, as one minute the views are magnificent, the next minute the clouds roll in and your view can be obstructed.
Mount Cook Village
Aoraki/Mount Cook Village is a small alpine settlement acting as the primary base for exploring Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Situated near Lake Pukaki, it offers accommodations like The Hermitage Hotel and rental units, stunning views of NZ's highest peak, access to hiking tracks such as the Hooker Valley Trail, and stargazing in an international dark sky reserve.
Tasman Glacier Lake
The Tasman Glacier Lake, located in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, is a rapidly growing proglacial lake formed by the melting of New Zealand's longest glacier, the 23km-long Haupapa/Tasman Glacier. It features floating icebergs, stunning turquoise water, and can be explored via boat tours to see towering ice cliffs up close or on foot after a 30 minute hike from the parking lot.
Christchurch
Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealand's South Island (pop. ~370,000–400,000), is a vibrant "Garden City" known for its English heritage, the Avon River, and extensive post-2011 earthquake rebuilding. It offers a mix of modern architecture, cafés, and cultural sites like art galleries and botanic gardens. The city is prone to frequent earthquakes due to its proximity to a fault line. It has been rebuilt a few times and some of its "buildings" reflect a temporary permanence made from shipping containers.
Zipline in the Christchurch Adventure Park
Combine a real rush of adrenaline with great views of the city and its sights. On a good day, you can see all the way from the ocean to the spectacular Southern Alps. The Christchurch Adventure Park has the highest (at 150 metres) and the longest (just over 1 kilometre) ziplines in New Zealand.
Bubbly Bon Voyage!