2 Weeks in the South Island: Nelson to Queenstown

Most South Island itineraries start and end in Christchurch, which means driving some roads twice. This one doesn't.

Fly into Nelson, the sunniest corner of the country, and drive one way down the island to Queenstown. You'll see Abel Tasman's golden beaches, the wild West Coast, glacier country, the Haast Pass, alpine lakes and Fiordland, with no backtracking and no driving day much longer than four hours.

It's a summer route. In winter, the West Coast and Haast Pass can be wet and the days short. From December to March, it's the South Island at its best.

At a glance

• Route: Nelson → Abel Tasman → West Coast → Haast Pass → Wānaka → Queenstown → Te Anau and Milford Sound

• Length: 13 nights, about 1,500 km including the Milford Road

• Fly into: Nelson (via Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch)

• Fly out of: Queenstown

• Best for: beaches, coastlines, lakes and mountains at a slow pace

The route day by day

• Day 1 · Arrive in Nelson: settle in, wander the city and the waterfront

• Days 2–3 · Nelson → Abel Tasman (70 km): stay at Kaiteriteri or Marahau; water taxi, kayak and beach walks

• Day 4 · Abel Tasman → Punakaiki (300 km): Buller Gorge, then Pancake Rocks at high tide

• Days 5–6 · Punakaiki → Franz Josef (220 km): Hokitika, then glacier country

• Days 7–8 · Franz Josef → Wānaka (285 km): the Haast Pass, waterfalls and the Blue Pools

• Days 9–11 · Wānaka → Queenstown (70 km): the Crown Range, Arrowtown, Cromwell and Bannockburn

• Days 12–13 · Queenstown → Te Anau (170 km): a full day on the Milford Road and Milford Sound

• Day 14 · Te Anau → Queenstown (170 km): fly home from Queenstown

Distances are approximate and don't include side trips.

Nelson and Abel Tasman (3 nights)

Start slowly. Nelson is a relaxed, sunny city with cafés, galleries and a lively Saturday market, a gentle landing after a long flight.

Plan your first days with my Nelson travel guide, and spend a day in Motueka on the way to the park.

Then drive an hour west to Kaiteriteri or Marahau, the gateways to Abel Tasman National Park. Golden beaches, clear green water and bush-covered headlands make this one of New Zealand's most beautiful coastlines.

• Take a water taxi up the coast and walk back along part of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. You don't need to do the whole Great Walk to love it.

• Kayak to sheltered coves and seal colonies, guided or on your own.

• See Split Apple Rock near Kaiteriteri, best from the water.

For more time here, including Golden Bay and Marlborough, see our Abel Tasman and Top of the South guide.

The West Coast (3 nights)

Head south-west through the Buller Gorge, and the landscape changes completely: wild surf, driftwood beaches, rainforest and mountains dropping almost to the sea.

West Coast town guides: Westport for Denniston and the Coaltown Museum, Greymouth for the floodwall walk and the start of the Wilderness Trail, and Hokitika for the gorge, pounamu and the driftwood beach.

Punakaiki (1 night)

Walk the short loop to the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Time it for high tide, when the sea surges through the blowholes. Sunset on the beach here is spectacular.

Hokitika and glacier country (2 nights)

Stop in Hokitika for pounamu (greenstone) carving galleries and the turquoise Hokitika Gorge, then continue to Franz Josef. Walk to glacier viewpoints, take a helicopter flight over the ice if the weather allows, and visit Lake Matheson early in the morning for mirror reflections of the Southern Alps.

The West Coast is wet even in summer. Build in a spare day and enjoy the rainforest either way. See the great West Coast road trip for more.

Haast Pass to Wānaka (2 nights)

This is one of the South Island's great drives. Follow the coast south past Fox Glacier and Bruce Bay, then turn inland over the Haast Pass, where the rainforest gives way to beech forest and alpine valleys.

Stop often: Thunder Creek Falls, Fantail Falls and the short walk to the Blue Pools, impossibly clear glacial water below a swing bridge. Then the road skirts Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea into Wānaka.

In Wānaka, slow right down. Swim or paddle in the lake, walk the lakefront, and explore the quiet back roads in our Wānaka half-day drives.

Queenstown, Arrowtown and Cromwell (3 nights)

Take the Crown Range Road to Queenstown, one of New Zealand's highest sealed roads, with huge views over the Wakatipu Basin. Stop in Arrowtown for its gold-rush main street and Chinese Settlement.

Queenstown is busy in summer, so balance it with quieter days nearby:

• Cromwell and Bannockburn for summer fruit, vineyards and the lakeside Heritage Precinct. See our Cromwell & Bannockburn guide.

• Glenorchy, 45 minutes along the lake, for mountain scenery and short walks.

• Queenstown itself, without the rush, in our 3 days in Queenstown itinerary.

Te Anau and Milford Sound (2 nights)

Drive south to Te Anau on the edge of Fiordland National Park. Spend a full day on the Milford Road, stopping at the Mirror Lakes, the Eglinton Valley and The Chasm, then take a cruise on Milford Sound.

• Fill up with fuel in Te Anau; there's none in Milford.

• Book the earliest or latest cruise to avoid the midday tour-bus rush.

• Rain makes the waterfalls even better. See Milford Sound in the rain.

Read our full Milford Road guide before you go. On your last day, drive back to Queenstown (about 2 hours) for your flight home.

Got more time?

• 3 more days: add Golden Bay and Marlborough, including the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, with our Abel Tasman and Top of the South guide.

• 2 more days: finish with the Catlins and Dunedin. See the Catlins slow travel itinerary.

• 2 more days: detour from Wānaka to Lake Tekapo and Aoraki/Mount Cook for stargazing and alpine walks.

Summer tips for this route

• Book early. Abel Tasman, Franz Josef, Wānaka, Queenstown and Te Anau all fill up from Christmas to late January.

• Check one-way fees when hiring a car from Nelson to Queenstown; some companies charge extra.

• Pack insect repellent. Sandflies love the West Coast and Fiordland.

• Pack for rain and sun. You'll likely need both.

• Fill up when you can. Fuel stops are far apart on the Haast Pass and the Milford Road.

Where to stay and car hire

Browse places to stay on Booking.com in Nelson, Hokitika, Franz Josef, Wānaka and Queenstown.

Need a car? Compare car hire across New Zealand on DiscoverCars, with pick-ups at the main airports and towns.

This post includes affiliate links. If you book through them, Best Bits Travel may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Plan your summer trip

This is part two of our Best Bits summer series:

1. New Zealand in summer: where to go and what to book

2. 2 weeks in the South Island (you're here)

3. Abel Tasman and the Top of the South

Still deciding how long to stay? Read how long you really need in New Zealand, or browse all our New Zealand itineraries and road trips.

Frequently asked questions