New Zealand South Island: 10 Days Itinerary In Autumn, Christchurch Loop

New Zealand has it all when it comes to nature. From lakes to fjords, mountains to beach and stars, New Zealand is one place that you can easily find all of them. Here comes the difficult part: planning the itinerary. Because of how sparse places are from each other, it’s tricky to feel comfortable driving around while getting to see everything you want. Here’s a self-driving itinerary you can follow if you’re traveling in and out of Christchurch and decided to not visit Fraz Josef. This itinerary is created to optimize time and comfort from getting around.

Before diving into the itinerary, let me summarize a few things that I wish I knew before heading to New Zealand South island! Detailed post can be found here!
- Saving on code-sharing flights to New Zealand.
- You might need a transit visa in Australia if you do a layover.
- The campervan lifestyle might not be for you.
- Christchurch loop vs Queenstown -> Christchurch.
- The reality of hiking in New Zealand.
- Asian food is hard to find in the small towns of New Zealand.
- Driving is pretty much - a must.
- You need an offline map, for peace of mind.
- Abide to the speed limits because they are very strict.

Day 1

Locations: Christchurch
Accommodation: Anywhere near the airport

You will finally land in Christchurch and would probably want to freshen up. Try to find an accommodation that is close to the airport so that you can rest after a long flight. I flew from Singapore to New Zealand, so that was a much needed rest for me.

Day 2

Locations: Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Church of Good Shepherd, Lake Pukaki, Stargazing

Accommodation: Tekapo 1929

Church of Good Shepherd

After getting recharged, head all the way down to Lake Tekapo. This would be a continuous 3-hour drive so keep your favorite playlist going while driving. Check in to your hotel after arriving so that you can unload your stuff and go out to enjoy the scenery.

Map view of Lake Tekapo accommodations

I would, by all means, recommend staying at a house right in front of Lake Tekapo. Although I found a few options that give you a lake view of Lake Tekapo, they were really costly for me. Fortunately, I managed to find this unit which offered what I wanted at a reasonable price. The only catch was that you'll need to walk for 3 minutes to reach the lake.

Things to do around Tekapo:
Lake Tekapo
Obviously, you won't want to miss Lake Tekapo after coming all the way to New Zealand. Drop by during the day to enjoy how Lake Tekapo looks in the day. Bring some food to the lakeside and appreciate the view.

Church of Good Shepherd
This spot is kinda like a bucket list item. Most people come here while strolling around the lakeside of Lake Tekapo. It is also a popular spot for astrophotography.

Lake Pukaki
Lake Pukaki is a 30-minute drive from Lake Tekapo, but it has an amazing view of Mount Cook. Definitely a must for sunset.

Stargazing
You can sign up for a tour for stargazing, which brings you to the top of Mount John where they explain about the stars in the sky (Only tours have access to Mount John at night). Or you can opt to do your own stargazing if you are staying right in front of Lake Tekapo. Read this for a more detailed comparison on what you should opt for!

Either way, if you're a beginner in astrophotography, here are a few things to get you started. Point #1 is the most important!

Day 3 - Day 5

Locations: Wanaka, Lindis Pass, Lake Wanaka, #ThatWanakaTree, Wanaka Skydiving, Rippon Winery, Roys Peak
Accommodation: Wanaka

#ThatWanakaTree at sunset

On your way down from Tekapo to Wanaka, make a quick stop at Lindis Pass for some photo opportunity. Check out Rippon Winery after arriving at Wanaka. They have some really amazing golden hour views and it is not crowded at all! You can enjoy the sunset and some wine at the same time.

Wanaka is another place where you'll get yourself busy with various activities such as hiking, skydiving, and of course, a glimpse of the popular Wanaka tree.

Things to do around Wanaka:

#ThatWanakaTree

Photographers from around the world flock here to get a shot of this tree in the lake. Makes me wonder if I was worst off than a tree, but that's a side problem. Go during sunset, and wait a little more till the crowd disperses to get a perfect shot of the tree.

Rippon Winery
New Zealand is known for its winery and your trip won't be complete without tasting some wine at Rippon Winery! I love how they have a spectacular view of Lake Wanaka here.

Roys Peak
One of the most famous hikes in the South Island. Sunrise is jaw-dropping. But you got to wake up at 3 or 4am to start hike so that you can reach the top at sunrise.

Wanaka Skydiving
If you're up for some thrill adventures, this would be one of the best places to try skydiving. With the lakes and mountains in sight, it's definitely worth a jump out of the plane!

Day 6 

Locations: Arrowtown, Cardrona, Queenstown, Ferg Burger, Queenstown Garden
Accommodation: Queenstown

Cardrona, Arrowtown

Arrowtown is a must-visit if you are heading to Queenstown from Wanaka. It is a quiet small town with a stretch of shops near Arrow River. If you're here during autumn, visit Arrow River for some autumn leaves! Make a quick visit to Cardrona to get some vintage snaps and continue your drive down to Queenstown.

At Queenstown, you can keep yourself busy with the bustling town. There's the infamous Ferg Burger that everyone goes for. And then you have other thrill activities here like skydiving and bungee jumping. If you're not up for those, drop by Queenstown Garden to enjoy some greeneries.

Day 7

Locations: Milford Sound, Mirror Lake, Lake Marian, Milford Sound Cruise (3pm)
Accommodation: Te Anau

Milford Sound Cruise

Set off to Milford Sound as early as you could, because tour buses start their tours around 10-11am, so you don't want to be stuck on the road with buses in your way. Start your drive from Te Anau, and your first pitstop will be Mirror Lake. Literally, it has a perfect reflection of the mountains and sky in the lake.

Next stop, will be Lake Marian. If you're up for a hike, you can opt to complete the full hike to see Lake Marian. Or else, you can start at the Lake Marian trailhead and keep walking until you see a waterfall!

End the day with Milford Sound Cruise to get a full experience of Milford Sound. You'll see about 8 waterfalls along the way, enjoy the wind, and get really close to one of their biggest waterfall. Again, try to avoid choosing cruise tours around 11am - 1pm because that is when it is most crowded!

Day 8

Locations: Te Anau, Glenorchy
Accommodation: Otemata / Pukaki

Source: Dart river website

You'll be leaving Te Anau to start your drive back to Christchurch. It is an 8-hour drive if you drive back directly, so we will make a few stops in between to make the journey better.

Make a stop at Glenorchy to go for a horse ride if the weather is good. If the weather is bad, you can skip Glenorchy and stay around Queenstown after lunch. Get a good rest so that you can hike some mountains the next day.

Day 9

Locations: Mount Cook, Hooker Valley
Accommodation: Christchurch

Hooker Valley

Mount Cook is one of the must-go places in the South Island. The hikes are pretty easy so you'll have a good time walking on the trail, especially if it's on a cool day. Choose either trail on Mount Cook.

The most common trail would be the Hooker Valley trail. Do make sure the trails you are interested in is open. I made the mistake of not checking and realized the last half of the Hooker Valley trail was closed due to bad weather.

Day 10

Locations: Christchurch, Christchurch Botanical Gardens

Christchurch Botanical Gardens is by far the best spot for autumn leaves viewing. That said, it is also a nice way to spend the day before taking your flight in the evening. Take the day slowly and enjoy a walk in the gardens before flying off from New Zealand!

This sums up 10 days in New Zealand South Island. Although I would prefer flying into Queenstown and flying out from Christchurch, regardless, this itinerary is best for those who would be doing the Christchurch Loop. I would be writing more on places to go for autumn leaves viewing, so keep a lookout!

Useful Links:
1. New Zealand Travel Tips
2. Curated places to stay for an authentic experience
3. Stargazing tour vs without tour
4. Astrophotography tips

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