New Zealand South Island 9 Days

Why we recommend only the South Island

Many clients ask whether they can do both North and South Islands. Our answer, yes, but the time isn't worth it. The South Island is New Zealand as people imagine it: mountains, lakes, glaciers, fjords. The North Island is beautiful too (volcanoes, geysers, Māori culture), but it doesn't fit into 9 days.

Wanvela's 9-day route

Begin and end at Christchurch, flights via Auckland from BKK.

1. Day 1 · Bangkok → Christchurch (overnight)
2. Day 2 · Christchurch arrival → Tekapo (3hr drive). Lake Pukaki, Church of the Good Shepherd. Hotel: Peppers Bluewater Resort
3. Day 3 · Tekapo → Mt Cook (1.5hr). Hooker Valley Track, helicopter glacier landing (see trip diary). Hotel: The Hermitage Mt Cook
4. Day 4 · Mt Cook → Wanaka (3hr via Lindis Pass). Lake Wanaka, Roy's Peak (optional hike). Hotel: Edgewater
5. Day 5 · Wanaka. Mt Aspiring National Park, optional skydive, Rippon winery
6. Day 6 · Wanaka → Queenstown (1.5hr). Arrowtown gold history. Hotel: Eichardt's Private Hotel or The Rees
7. Day 7 · Queenstown. Milford Sound day trip (fly-in 35 minutes from Queenstown), better than driving 4 hours each way
8. Day 8 · Queenstown. Lake Wakatipu cruise, Walter Peak farm experience, optional Jet boat
9. Day 9 · Queenstown → Auckland → Bangkok

Why The Hermitage Mt Cook

The Hermitage is the only hotel inside Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, which means you wake to New Zealand's highest peak straight from bed. The room we always choose is the Premium Mt Cook View, not the standard, because the view is the reason to come.

"A helicopter landing on Franz Josef glacier at 10 am, 48 hours from boarding the plane in Bangkok. My son didn't speak for five minutes." - K. Or, family of 4, November 2024

Best months

• December–February · summer, 18–25°C, every trail open, peak season hotel prices
• March–April · autumn, foliage in Wanaka and Arrowtown around mid-April, 10–18°C
• September–October · spring, flowers blooming in Christchurch, 8–16°C, glaciers still snow-filled

We usually run NZ in March (autumn) and September (spring), May–August has skiing, but Milford Sound flights cancel often due to rain.

Activities Wanvela adds

• Helicopter snow landing, Franz Josef or Tasman glacier (NZD 595 per guest)
• Wine tour in Central Otago, the best Pinot Noir in the southern hemisphere
• Stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve, a UNESCO designation
• Māori cultural experience in Tekapo

Cost

NZ South Island 9 days / 7 nights from THB 285,000 per guest (group of 6), including Air NZ premium economy BKK–AKL, internal flights, helicopter glacier landing, all hotels listed.

Particularly good for multigenerational trips, read how we plan 3-generation trips.