South Island —
fjords, glaciers & pure adventure
The South Island is where New Zealand stops looking real. Milford Sound's dramatic fjords carved by ancient glaciers. Queenstown's adrenaline-soaked adventure. The otherworldly stargazing at Lake Tekapo under one of the world's darkest skies. And the surreal Franz Josef Glacier surrounded by lush rainforest. This is the second half of the tour and it's where we fell completely in love with New Zealand.
Our 9-day South Island journey
The South Island is larger than it feels when you're on the tour. The Haka Tours route covers approximately 800km and takes in the best of both coasts — the dramatic landscapes, the adventure opportunities, and the moments that genuinely don't feel real until you're standing in them.
We spent days 11–19 of the 19-day tour on the South Island. The pace is fast but manageable — you have time to absorb each place rather than just rushing through.
The South Island stops
Kaikōura (1 day)
Where the mountains meet the ocean. Kaikōura is famous for sperm whale watching — the bay is one of the few places in the world where you can see them relatively close to shore. The landscape alone is extraordinary.
Lake Tekapo (1–2 days)
Mount John (1,029m) sits above Lake Tekapo and hosts one of the world's largest International Dark Sky Reserves. If you time it right, you can see the Southern Lights here. Even without the lights, the stargazing is extraordinary — the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye.
Wanaka (1 day)
A quieter alternative to Queenstown with beautiful lake scenery and adventure options. Many tourists skip it in favour of Queenstown, but Wanaka deserves the stop — the landscape is stunning and it's far less crowded.
Queenstown (2 days)
The adventure capital of the world. Bungy jumping, jet boats, hiking, paragliding — if it can be done with an adrenaline rush, Queenstown offers it. The Remarkables mountains, the Crown Range Road, the lake itself — even if you're not doing the extreme sports, the scenery is unbeatable.
Milford Sound (1–2 days)
A full-day fjord cruise through some of the most dramatic scenery on earth. The Milford Road drive is stunning in its own right, but the cruise itself — surrounded by waterfalls, glaciers, rainforest, and steep cliffs — is genuinely life-changing. You'll see seals, dolphins, and maybe penguins.
Franz Josef (1 day)
Franz Josef Glacier sits surrounded by lush rainforest in a setting that makes no sense until you're standing in it. Walking up to the glacier face with the jungle all around you is one of those genuinely surreal New Zealand moments — the kind that makes you understand why people say the country doesn't look real. Heli-hikes and glacier walks available but the drive-up view alone is worth the stop.
Christchurch (1 day)
The tour finishes in Christchurch — a city still rebuilding its identity after the devastating 2010–2011 earthquakes, but doing so with remarkable spirit and creativity. The container malls, the street art, the rebuilt cathedral precinct, the gardens coming back to life — there's something genuinely moving about Christchurch's resilience.
Interactive South Island map
South Island in photos
Highlights from our South Island journey.
Plan your South Island adventure
Ready to book? We've partnered with the best platforms to get you sorted. Book guided tours on TourRadar, or explore with Drive From Home — an incredible interactive tool that lets you virtually explore New Zealand's roads from your armchair with real street-view footage, detailed guides, and curated stops. Perfect for planning your own route.
Explore our South Island stops virtually with Drive From Home. Queenstown and Aoraki / Mount Cook both have dedicated city guides and interactive drives.
Let the experts handle the route, accommodation, and logistics. You just show up and experience the magic.
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Ready to explore the South Island?
The South Island delivers the most dramatic and unforgettable landscapes in New Zealand. Book a guided tour to see them all without the stress of planning.