THE BEST 1 WEEK NEW ZEALAND ITINERARY

I’m asked often if 1 week in NZ is enough time. The short answer is yes, the long answer is: any amount of time in NZ is magical, so if you only have a week, GO. If you have more time, go for two. If you have longer and want to see it all, go for 3-4 (although to me, that would be too much travel in one go).

I’ll lay out the route for you in this post, give you driving tips, and at the end, yell at you to BOOK THAT PLANE TICKET. It’s so worth it.

The route

Let’s cut straight to it. If you want to see the hits, I’d highly recommend the South Island. While I haven’t been to every town in the country, the South Island has all of those jaw-dropping views you’ve seen photos of. It is truly unlike any other place I’ve been to, so I’d spend most of your time there. But here’s a summary if you’re unsure about the islands:

South Island - Big mountains, fjords, vast open fields outlined by steep mountains, glacier lakes.

North Island - Lush green fields, open rolling hills, beaches, rainforests.

So, here it is. (*Note: this itinerary is for the travel/adventure lover. You may feel tired at the end.)

Day 1: Fly into Queenstown I can promise you it’ll be one of the most impressive landings/airport scenery you’ve ever seen. Spend the day there.

Day 2: Morning in Queenstown, then drive to Te Anau Grab breakfast in Queenstown, do an activity, then drive to Te Anau (~2hrs)

Day 3: Drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound (or take the bus), then drive to Wanaka Take a morning Milford Sound Cruise, stop back in Te Anau for lunch, and then make it to Wanaka for sunset and dinner.

Te Anau to Milford Sound = ~2hrs

Milford Sound to Wanaka = 4hr 30min

Day 4: Wanaka to Mt. Cook Do a hike on the way or when you get there. NOTE: There are very limited food options in Aoraki/Mount Cook NP.

Day 5: Mt. Cook to Christchurch Do a morning hike and then drive to Christchurch
OPTION TO END HERE, THOUGH MOST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS LEAVE FROM AUCKLAND

Day 6: Fly from Christchurch to Auckland

Day 7: Auckland & surrounding area If you have more time, drive the windy roads to the Coromandel or head northwest of Auckland.

South Island driving route

As promised, GO BOOK THAT TICKET RIGHT NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. :)