Southern Alps, fiords & lakes
South Island Circuit
Fiords, alps and glacier coasts
Distance
~1,800 km (loop from Christchurch)
Duration
10–14 days
Best season
Dec–Mar (summer & autumn)
Difficulty
Easy–moderate · narrow roads
A loop from Christchurch around New Zealand's South Island packs an improbable range of scenery into one drive — turquoise glacial lakes, the Southern Alps, adventure-capital Queenstown, the sheer walls of Milford Sound and glaciers that tumble almost to the rainforest on the wild West Coast.
Along the wayStops
Lake Tekapo & Aoraki/Mt Cook
A milky-blue lake and lupins beneath New Zealand's highest peak and a dark-sky reserve.
Queenstown
Lakeside adventure hub for bungy, jet-boats and the road to Milford.
Milford Sound
Sheer cliffs and waterfalls plunging into a fiord in Fiordland National Park.
Wanaka
A relaxed lake town famous for its lone willow tree standing in the water.
Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers
Twin glaciers on the West Coast that flow down close to temperate rainforest.
Punakaiki
The layered "Pancake Rocks" and blowholes on the rugged coast.
Good to know
- Drive on the left, and expect narrow roads and one-lane bridges — take the posted times seriously.
- Milford Sound is often wet; go anyway, as the waterfalls are at their best in rain.
- Fuel up before remote stretches like the road to Milford and the West Coast.
Getting the car
Fly into Christchurch or Queenstown and rent a car or campervan. The loop can run either direction; book Milford day-cruises and glacier towns ahead in summer.
Next route
The Ring Road