14-Day South Island Campervan Itinerary: Christchurch Loop via Mount Cook, Queenstown, Milford and the West Coast

About this route

This is a 14-day loop from Christchurch through the South Island's best-known landscapes. It's about 1,900 km in total, including the Milford Sound return. There are some shorter driving days and four days with no long drive.

How we calculated distances: We used OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) between town centres. Times shown are car driving times without stops, so allow extra in a campervan, and much more with photo stops. Alpine passes can close in bad weather, so check road conditions each morning.

Christchurch is a good place to collect a campervan, because most rental companies operate there. If you'd rather start in Queenstown, choose a company with a branch there.

Day-by-day plan

Highlights and stops

Aoraki/Mount Cook (days 3–4)

Walk the Hooker Valley Track from the campsite. White Horse Hill is often full all year, and DOC keeps no spaces for people without a booking, so book early. There's no power or showers. Paid hot showers are in the village, 2.5 km away.

Wānaka (days 5 and 10)

Glendhu Bay is about 5 minutes from the Roys Peak Track. The Rob Roy Track, up the Matukituki Valley, is another option. Glendhu Bay bans pets from 20 December until after Waitangi weekend.

Queenstown (days 6–7)

Ride the Queenstown Trail or climb Ben Lomond. See our Queenstown camping guide for more places to stay.

Milford Sound (day 9)

• The Milford Road is about 120 km from Te Anau, and DOC suggests allowing about 2 hours without stops.
• The road can close for weather, rockfall or avalanche risk, so check its status that morning.
• Freedom camping isn't allowed within 200 m of the road, so book a DOC campsite along it if you want to stay in the valley.
• Stop at the Key Summit Track, or kayak beneath Mitre Peak. See our Milford Sound kayaking guide.

Haast Pass and the West Coast (days 11–13)

This is a quieter stretch, with rainforest, glacier valleys and wild beaches. Distances between towns are long, so fill up in Wānaka before the pass.

Arthur's Pass (day 14)

This alpine pass crosses the Southern Alps back to Canterbury. It's the longest drive of the trip, so leave early.

Shorter on time?

For a 7-day version, drive Christchurch, Tekapo, Mt Cook, Wānaka and Queenstown, and use a one-way hire to drop off in Queenstown. One-way fees vary, and only some companies have a Queenstown branch.