Turquoise blue-green water in the reservoir between Clyde Dam and the city of Cromwell, New Zealand, contrasts with dry, rocky hillsides beyond. The view looking back toward Clyde reveals a narrow dirt road below the main highway that snakes along the shoreline near scant trees and desert shrubs.
Written by on June 25, 2019

New Zealand Tours – New Zealand Holiday

3-Day Itineraries . Itineraries . New Zealand . Travel . Worldwide Travel
Four large, round, spherical Moeraki Boulders sit in sand and saltwater on New Zealand's East Coast, near the South Island village of Moeraki.
Moeraki Boulders

The Best New Zealand South Island Road Trip

New Zealand Tours – New Zealand Holiday. We’ve planned the best 3 Day New Zealand Itinerary so you don’t have to! Check out each of the days below to put together your own tour or holiday around the South Island, or customize a trip if you have a little more time. (We have 5 Day, 7 Day, and 14 Day options for New Zealand – just click on any of those to view a longer itinerary, or 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!

Read moreCities in New Zealand - Queenstown to Arrowtown

This 3 Day Itinerary starts in Dunedin and ends in Queenstown, with an easy 4-hour drive between them, not including great stops like the Moeraki Boulders and activities in Central Otago.

Drinking Cabernet Savignon and rosé at the Cow Pizza and Spaghetti House in Queenstown, New Zealand. A woman cuts fresh, homemade garlic bread while two glasses of red wine and rosé sit nearby.
Eating at the Cow, Queenstown, New Zealand
Family Travel, Family Holiday

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

New Zealand Tours – New Zealand Holiday

Click for Day 1: Dunedin

  • 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.

New Zealand Tours – New Zealand Holiday

Click for Day 2: 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.

New Zealand Tours – New Zealand Holiday

Click for Day 3: 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
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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