Why is South Island New Zealand the best place to visit?

New Zealand's South Island hosts the purest natural landscapes you'll ever experience. From wildlife to wineries, glacial valleys to star-filled skies, the South Island offers adventure in all its forms. Choose to explore just one region, or road trip from Picton all the way down to Bluff.



New Zealand's South Island is frequently cited as a top-tier travel destination because it offers some of the most dramatic and diverse landscapes on the planet in a relatively compact area. It is the land of the Southern Alps, featuring snow-capped peaks and the stunning Milford Sound, a fjord often called the "eighth wonder of the world." For adventure seekers, Queenstown serves as the world's capital of adrenaline, offering bungy jumping, jet boating, and world-class skiing. Nature lovers are drawn to the turquoise glacial lakes like Lake Tekapo, the rugged West Coast glaciers (Franz Josef and Fox), and the pristine golden beaches of Abel Tasman National Park. The island is also less populated than the North Island, providing a profound sense of peace and "wilderness" that is increasingly hard to find. Combined with world-renowned wine regions like Marlborough and a deep connection to Māori culture, the South Island provides a "bucket list" mix of tranquility and high-octane adventure.

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The main feature of scenery in the South Island is mountains. The Southern Alps mountain range is the backbone of the island, stretching for roughly 500 kilometres from Wanaka to Arthur's Pass. The Alps have snowy tops all year round, feeding glaciers and crystal clear rivers.

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For a 10-day trip, we recommend visiting up to four or five different destinations. Our 10-day itinerary locations are some of the most popular: Auckland the City of Sails, Wellington the cultural, art and food capital, and Queenstown the home of world-class adrenaline activities.

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Divided by the backbone of mountain ranges aptly called the Southern Alps, the South Island is renowned for spectacular snow-topped peaks, fiords, large beech forests, golden sand beaches and fertile, broad plains. There are no active volcanoes – but hot pools abound.

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Driving is one of the best ways to see New Zealand New Zealand's stunning scenery makes for remarkable road trips and traveling by car is convenient and flexible, especially for visiting attractions away from main arterial routes. Many of the best-known national parks are remote, so you'll need a car to explore them.

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The South Island is a bit cooler, with maximum temperatures around 7–12 °C (45–54 °F), though sometimes lower. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -25.6 °C (-14.1 °F) at Ranfurly in Otago in 1903, with a more recent temperature of -21.6 °C (-6.9 °F) recorded in 1995 in nearby Ophir.

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New Zealand has a largely temperate climate. While the far North has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as – 10°C in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine.

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The roads are often narrow and hilly with twists and turns so may take longer to drive than you expect. Our time and distance calculator can help you plan your itinerary. Outside of the main cities, there are very few motorways. Most of our roads are two-way with one lane in each direction and no barriers in-between.

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Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's third-most populous urban area.

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Paris, Mexico City, and London are the top three most visited tourist places in the world in 2023, according to the World Tourism Organization. These cities offer a variety of attractions, from iconic landmarks and historical sites to world-class cuisine and vibrant nightlife.

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