12-Day Itinerary: South Island of New Zealand (Roadtrip)

Are you planning a roadtrip to New Zealand? Trying to figure out the best places to go on the South Island? Need help designing your trip itinerary? If you’re asking any of these questions, you’re in the right place!
In today’s video I’m sharing with you my 12-day South Island, New Zealand Road trip Itinerary!
Last January I embarked on a road trip adventure with two friends to explore the magic of New Zealand. Our goal was to witness breathtaking landscapes, encounter wildlife, enjoy the great outdoors, stay in unique places, and see as much as we could without feeling too rushed or exhausted. Having now completed this epic trip, I’m glad to say our itinerary achieved all that and more!
In this video I share my comprehensive itinerary, highlight our favorite spots, showcase some unique places to stay, and review our favorite activities/tours. This itinerary breakdown is meant to give you a better idea of what you can see and do in 12 days, and give you ideas for places worth visiting.
This is by no means the ‘best’ itinerary of the South Island. We may have missed a few of the most visited spots and instead ventured off the beaten trail at times. I hope you get inspired to visit both the tourist hot spots as well as some more unique and ‘obscure’ places we visited on the island.
Highlights of our trip included Queenstown, Fiordland National Park, Doubtful Sound, Te Anau, Oamaru and the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, Akaroa and the Akaroa Dolphins Tour, SiloStay at Little River, The Hooker Valley Track in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Lake Tekapo, the city of Christchurch, and more!
If you’re curious to explore the tours mentioned in this video, I have direct links to their websites here:
Fiordland Expeditions: fiordlandexpeditions.co.nz
Fiordland Expeditions VLOG: • New Zealand VLOG - Ove...
Akaroa Dolphins: www.akaroadolphins.co.nz
Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony: www.penguins.co.nz
Hotel Discounts ↓
Want discounted hotel stays on your trip to New Zealand? I can get you $25 off any hotel booking made on athotel.com. Sign in for free, find your preferred hotel, and use the discount ‘jeff_hyer’ at checkout. Hope that helps you save a bit of cash and put more towards your New Zealand adventure! athotel.com
Disclosure: some links contain affiliates. When you click the links and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Thank you for allowing me to bring you valuable content.
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Chapters:
00:00: Introduction
01:12: Day 1 Christchurch
02:56: Day 2 Queenstown
04:06: Day 3 Te Anau
04:49: Day 4 Doubtful Sound
05:56: Day 5 Doubtful Sound
06:48: Day 6 Wanaka
07:44: Day 7 Rest Day
08:00: Day 8 Aoraki/Mount Cook
08:35: Day 9 Oamaru
10:12: Day 10 Akaroa
11:10: Day 11 Akaroa
12:39 Day 12 Christchurch
#NewZealand #SouthIslandNZ #TravelVlog

[@chrisbrendandavis]

one of the best south island videos i've seen. Definitely need to rewatch for ideas!

[@howardcosta3013]

What a great trip! Adorable little penguins and the cutest little dolphins - they’re irresistible!

[@richardcaldwell9160]

Wow , that was jammed packed, and so worthwhile. Thanks

[@Jeff_Hyer]

I'm really glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching and supporting my content :)

[@EmberMissionBand]

Jeff you keep me on my toes never knowing what you'll do. I'll be in Yellowstone from May - October , then I'm going to go the community college in Kalispell for conservation management , hope to get a job in MT or in the Tetons while I work on finishing the degree

[@Jeff_Hyer]

That's exciting! I'm rooting for you and your conservation endeavors. Look out for me in Yellowstone and Kalispell as I frequently visit those areas!

[@whcmelvin]

Thanks for the video Jeff. May i ask which Airbnb you stayed in Queenstown? Also, could you share all the accommodations that you have stayed in?

[@Jeff_Hyer]

Thanks for watching! Here’s the Queenstown Airbnb link in case interested: www.airbnb.com/rooms/661585613220688419?guests=1&adults=1&viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76&unique_share_id=76fe58cf-17a0-419e-a576-8f67903f6502

[@whcmelvin]

Thanks! :)

[@dondo141]

What Queenstown AirBnB did you stay at?

[@rachelmartin2967]

Rachel Martin
South island outdoor activities start find Christchurch Queensland town 15 minutes.sun day 2 walk down Queensland town restaurants lunch luck's burgers bed breakfast birds dinner holiday park borth courier something ticket night drips shower 7.sven mince pies

[@markj9267]

no drone footage?

[@septemberwaqar6576]

My God how boring.

[@Jeff_Hyer]

LOL! There’s never a boring day when exploring New Zealand 🇳🇿