5 Most Stunning Places to Visit on New Zealand's South Island

Feb 11

Feb 11 The 5 Most Stunning Places to Visit on New Zealand's South Island

New Zealand is a nature-lover’s paradise full of drastic peaks, glacial valleys, and striking blue waters. We spent three weeks road tripping in New Zealand, and two of those weeks were focused on exploring the most beautiful places on New Zealand’s South Island. While we didn’t get to see everything the South Island has to offer, we were able to cover most of it and want to share our favorite sights and experiences with you. Planning a New Zealand road trip? Make sure to include these stops on your agenda!

1. Lake Tekapo Area - We literally gasped out loud when we came up over a hill and saw Lake Tekapo for the first time. We could never have imagined water that bright turquoise color, which we later found out is caused by minerals in glacial runoff. We camped (actually, glamped) at Lake Tekapo Motels & Holiday Park right on the lake, and never stopped staring in awe every time we stepped outside. Then we took the scenic drive up to Lake Pukaki...and found that it was even brighter blue! Some great viewing points for the lakes and surrounding scenery include Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo, the various scenic overlooks on the drive around Lake Pukaki to the Hooker Valley Track, and Mt. John Observatory. The area is also located in an International Dark Sky Reserve, meaning it’s one of the best places in the world to stargaze. Unfortunately we were there around the time of a full moon and weren’t able to enjoy the incredible stars. If you happen to visit on a darker night, leave a comment letting us know what we missed!

The view of Lake Tekapo from Mt. John University Observatory

2. Hooker Valley Track - The breathtaking views continued on our first day in Lake Tekapo as we drove up to the Hooker Valley Track, a 3-hour easy hike with spectacular views of Mueller Glacier, Hooker Lake, and Aoraki / Mt. Cook. If you’re in the area, this hike is a must-do. It’s accessible to people of any fitness level, and provides access to the natural features that make New Zealand truly unique. We kept remarking that the scenery looked fake because we just couldn’t believe our eyes. The photos don’t do it justice!

Nope, not a fake backdrop. Just unreal views of Hooker Lake and Mt. Cook.

3. Milford Sound - Milford Sound tops every list of the best spots to visit in New Zealand — and for good reason. The fiord’s cliffs rise dramatically from dark waters, framed by sharp peaks and cascading waterfalls. We enjoyed seeing the sound by boat cruise with Southern Discoveries. We got a beautiful day, but fair warning — Milford Sound is known as one of the wettest inhabited locations in the word with an average of 184 rainy days per year, so you very well may need to pack your raincoat. What surprised us was the beauty of the entire drive to Milford Sound from where we were staying in Manapouri. We ended up pulling off the road tons of times to get a better look at striking peaks, overlooks, and waterfalls and to do little side hikes. Such an unforgettable day!

Views from the car dashboard on the drive to Milford Sound. We could have stopped to take photos every mile!

4. Ben Lomond Track - Ben Lomond is a full day hike located in Queenstown, traversing about 7 miles and 4,700 feet of elevation gain. It can be a demanding climb, but with no technical terrain it’s doable by anyone as long as you take it at your own pace. We arose early in the morning and took on the full hike from the base rather than taking the gondola halfway up, which is a popular option as well. Those who reach the top are rewarded with a breathtaking panoramic view over Queenstown, The Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu.

The view from one side of the Ben Lomond summit.

5. Queenstown by Hang Glider - Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the world, so we felt we had to explore an extreme activity during our time there. Bungee jumping and skydiving didn’t sound up our alley, so we chose to try hang gliding with Coronet Peak Tandem. It couldn’t have been a better experience! Again, we lucked out with a gorgeous day, and got to experience one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever visited from a bird’s eye view. Below is a quick video of takeoff!

New Zealand’s South Island is so striking, it was difficult to narrow our favorites down to just five — and we didn’t even see the entire island! One notable spot we missed was Abel Tasman National Park on the northern end, which was out of the way for our road trip but we’ve heard from many trusted travelers is one of the most beautiful spots in the country.

Have your own New Zealand nature recs? Share your NZ experience in the comments or on Instagram!

Happy travels!