A view of the mountains and river near Haast, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Written by on June 22, 2019

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

14-Day Itineraries . Backpacking . Hiking . Itineraries . New Zealand . Outdoor Recreation . Tent Camping . Travel . Worldwide Travel
Twin palms in Picton, New Zealand, at the waterfront harbour and park.
Picton, New Zealand

The Best New Zealand South Island Road Trip

New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks. We’ve planned the best 14 Day New Zealand Itinerary so you don’t have to! Check out each of the days below to put together your own holiday around the South Island and Wellington, or customize a trip if you’ve only got a few days or a week. (Check out our “Itineraries” in the main menu for other, shorter itineraries from New Zealand and other countries, as well).

Click on any day below for full itinerary details!

Two girls peek out from behind a large braille sculpture in downtown Wellington, New Zealand.
Public art in Wellington, New Zealand
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The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 1: Queenstown to Arrowtown

  • Arrive in Queenstown and get your bearings
  • Drive to Arrowtown, dip your feet in the Arrow River, and eat at Tap and Cask, a local brew-pub
  • If you have time, visit Gibbston Valley Winery or another nearby Central Otago winery
  • Drive through Wanaka to Makarora West and spend the night in an A-Frame Tourist Cabin
A view of Lake Wakatipu from the hills outside of Queenstown at sunset. Bayonet Peaks are visible across the lake.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 2: Makarora West

Click for Day 2: The Blue Pools

  • Stay in a rustic A-Frame tourist cabin near Mount Aspiring National Park
  • Explore nature walks through native bush along the Makarora River and Makarora West
  • Wander through native Podocarp forests
  • Head to the Blue Pools for an afternoon hike and a swim in the Makarora River
  • Hike to other scenic viewpoints along the West Coast highway toward Fox Glacier
An aerial view of the dramatic blue pools. Round coves can be seen where the water has carved the cliffs on either side of the tributary, the water flowing down from the mountains into the broad river downstream.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 3: West Coast Beaches

  • Visit the town and beaches of Haast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Buy the best priced greenstone along the West Coast
  • Watch the waves and frolic in the sand at Bruce Bay
  • Continue on to Fox Glacier and set up camp for the night
Tall native grasses blow under a bright blue sky on New Zealand's West Coast.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 4: Fox Glacier

  • Get up early and be the first to hike to the glacier
  • Read up on the receding glacier along the walking path
  • Photograph the edge of the glacier from the elevated viewing area
  • Read about unfortunate tourists who got too close to the edge
  • Drive to Franz Josef and hike to the glacier after lunch in town
A woman and two young girls sit in the foreground with a distant view of Fox Glacier behind them. The receding Fox Glacier is visible from the glacier viewing area. Stone debris and slate are visible in much of the foreground, with only a small edge of the glacier still visible at the top of the valley.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 5: Hokitika and Ross Beach

  • Drive to the Ross Beach Top 10 Classic Holiday Park
  • Camp or stay in converted shipping container en-suite accommodations overlooking the beach
  • Wander down the beach
  • Explore Hokitika’s downtown shops and beach access
A stylized sign made of driftwood spells "Hokitika" on the West Coast shore of New Zealand, looking out to the Tasman Sea.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 6: Brunner, Waiuta, and Motueka

  • Tour Brunner, an historic site on the banks of the Grey River not far from Greymouth
  • Walk across the Grey River on a massive wooden bridge
  • View the British Beehive coke ovens and other artifacts at the site
  • Walk through the mining ghost town of Waiuta in the mountains beyond Totara Flat
  • Sit in the historic Blackwater School and tiptoe through the ruins of the Blackwater mine
  • Head North to Motueka and drive through wine country before having dinner on the North shore
A mother and daughter pose in an open window at the Brunner, New Zealand, while another daughter stands nearby, on railroad tracks that lead toward a museum building on the site.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 7: Abel Tasman Coast Track to Mutton Cove

  • Drive to Wainui Bay and head out on the Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of the NZ Great Walks
  • Enjoy the sounds of birds in native bush as you climb to the top of the North ridge
  • Witness epic views of the Tasman Sea from the coast track before descending to the Whariwharangi Hut and Homestead
  • Take a dip in the Tasman at Whariwharangi Bay
  • Continue over the final ridge before dropping down to Mutton Cove
  • Camp on the beach at Mutton Cove
A view from the top of the first ridge of the Abel Tasman National Park trail. The trail carves out a deep section of the hillside as it wraps around the top of the hill.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 8: Abel Tasman Coast Track to Wainui Bay

  • Wake to the sounds of the surf and Weka birds trying to get in your tent
  • Eat breakfast by the Sea before packing up and heading up the hill
  • Spend time working on your tan at Whariwharangi Bay
  • Finish the grueling 14th mile before heading back to Pohara Beach and Motueka
A view of Whariwharangi Bay along the Abel Tasman Coast Track. The trail carves out a deep section of the hillside as it wraps around the top of the hill.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 9: Drive through Wine Country to Picton

  • Drive through Blenheim and wine country
  • Stop at local wineries on your way to Picton
  • Visit the Picton waterfront, museum, and EcoWorld Aquarium & Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
  • Ride a ferry through Cook Strait to Wellington
  • Save a starfish
A young girl leans against the glass of a large fish tank in the EcoWorld Aquarium & Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Picton, New Zealand. Two large fish swim by the glass.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 10: Wellington

  • Run along the waterfront at dawn
  • Divide your time between Beach Babylon and the Museum of New Zealand: Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Hike around Matairangi and the Mount Victoria Lookout
  • Do the touristy thing with the cable car, museums, and botanic gardens overlooking the harbour
  • Visit the Beehive (you won’t get stung)
  • Eat delicious food – this is Wellington, after all
The historic Wharf Offices and Harbour Board on Wellington, New Zealand's waterfront at Lambton Harbour. Early morning golden light illuminates the building.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Days 11-12: Travel through Christchurch to Dunedin

  • Take the ferry back to Picton and drive down the coast to Christchurch
  • Spend the night in Christchurch on your way to Dunedin
  • Arrive in Dunedin in time to eat lunch at Poppa’s Pizza
  • Walk around the University of Otago’s campus
  • Visit the Dunedin Railway’s gallery, gift shop, and café
  • Surf, soak, and play at St. Clair beach and waterfront
Two young sisters pose near a wall of Oamaru white stone outside the University of Otago's library in Dunedin, New Zealand.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 13: Moeraki Boulders to Queenstown

  • Eat breakfast at Fleurs Place, an eclectic, award-winning restaurant in Moeraki Village
  • Explore the Moeraki Boulders on the beach and learn about the geological phenomenon that created them
  • Drive through Central Otago to Queenstown, stopping at Clyde and the fruit stands at Cromwell
A young girl crouches inside a massive Moeraki Boulder sitting on the sandy Pacific Coast of New Zealand. The top of the boulder has eroded, leaving a large, concave opening in which the girl sits. The Pacific Ocean is visible off New Zealand's South Island on the East Coast near the village of Moeraki.

The Best New Zealand Itinerary 2 Weeks

Click for Day 14: Queenstown

  • Stop by the Dunstan Gold Fields near Cromwell
  • Visit local Otago wineries between Cromwell and Queenstown
  • Eat at the Cow in Queenstown
  • Explore Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown’s Nature Trails
  • Run through the Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve and Queenstown esplanade
  • Eat donuts and drink one last flat white before the flight out
A view of Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown's waterfront park. Bayonet Peaks and Walter Peak are both visible over the lake. Blue-green, turquoise water sits beneath a vibrant blue sky, as fluffy white clouds float by.
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Parting Shot

A young girl stands in front of a University of Otago orientation poster in Dunedin, New Zealand.
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