My partner and I embarked on our first international trip with our 16-month-old to the South Island of New Zealand (NZ). We heard tales from friends and other online bloggers about NZ’s family-friendly atmosphere, endless adventure opportunities, and beautiful scenery. After spending two weeks there, I have to admit they were completely right!
We tried to see as much of the South Island as we could in 16 days, which meant spending one or two nights in each town. Read on to find a 2+ week road trip itinerary through the South Island of New Zealand with a toddler, visiting the following places:
2+ Week South Island New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary with Kids
Located on the South Island’s east coast, Ōtautahi Christchurch is the island’s largest city and its cheapest to fly into from SFO at the time of this writing. Ōtautahi Christchurch offered:
This urban hub was a great place to get our bearings at the beginning of our trip.
Drive 3 hours from Christchurch to find yourself at a crystal blue glacier lake surrounded by snowy mountains.
- Check out the Church of the Good Shepard
- Hike to see the lupins
- Enjoy sushi and pizza with epic lake views
I encourage you to stop here for at least a day to witness this natural beauty.
Drive 45 minutes west from Lake Tekapo to reach Lake Pukaki. Stop and stretch your legs before you continue your drive up to the Aoraki Mt. Cook Village to see the stunningly tall Aoraki Cook Mountain – the highest in New Zealand.
- Take a hike to see a glacier
- Stay at a hotel with views of the mountain
- Check out Lake Pukaki’s vivid blue glacier lake water
Spend one or two days here enjoying the kid-friendly mountains and trails.
Explore all that the Otago region of NZ has to offer!
- Drive one hour to hike to the Omarama Clay Cliffs
- Make your way west to wine taste and bungee jump
- End your day in Haehaenui Arrowtown and explore the historic main street
The Patea Doubtful Sound Cruise was incredible! Drive two hours from Queenstown to Manapouri to catch the overnight cruise through the Patea Doubtful Sound.
After you disembark from the overnight cruise through the Patea Doubtful Sound, drive 20 minutes to the “gateway to the Fiordlands” town of Te Anau.
Our favorite activities were to:
- Hike or bike along the lake
- Go bird watching
- Check out the Fiordland Visitor Center
The drive from Te Anau to Wānaka was a little over 3 hours. The lakeside town had beautiful, kid-friendly trails full of wildlife and a stunning tree in the middle of the lake that we couldn’t miss.
Drive one hour to the Blue Pools Trek and stretch your legs.
Continue driving about 2 hours and 40 minutes until you reach Franz Josef Waiau. Spend the afternoon at the West Coast Wildlife Centre to spy a kiwi, then plan for a helicopter ride the next morning.
Drive from Franz Josef Waiau to Nelson Tasman in one day (5.5 hours) or break it up with an overnight somewhere along the way.
Once you get there, make sure to check out the lighthouse, the playground, and Founder’s Heritage Park.
Picton is a two hour drive from Nelson Tasman.
Once you arrive, head straight to the splash pad at the Picton Foreshore to stretch your legs. Go for a walk around the harbor or schedule a boat cruise to check out the Marlborough and Queen Charlotte Sound.
Blenheim is a short, 24 minute drive from Picton Waitohi and is the heart of the Marlborough wine region. We had to stop and explore the wine scene.
Check out our favorite wine tasting spots for families with young kids on the blog.
Drive 1.5 hours to reach Kaikōura from Blenheim.
This beautiful oceanside town has a kid-friendly trek along the coast to spot whales and sea lions, a lavender farm, and seafood restaurants to try the local crayfish.
Drive 2.5 hours from Kaikōura to reach Ōtautahi Christchurch to catch your return flight home.
Our flight left in the evening, so we spent the day revisiting our favorite food spots and the International Antarctic Centre before we hopped on our evening flight back to the United States.
South Island New Zealand amazed us. Everywhere we went, we saw amazing natural beauty, stunning views, and adorable sheep. We ate delicious food, tried delicious wine, and left feeling very welcome and safe.
Our itinerary was a little fast-paced. We tried to get around most of the South Island within a 16 day window and that meant we could only spend a night or two in each town. For some families, driving to a new town every day might be too much. If that is you, I would pick a region you would like to visit and don’t sweat it. You do not need to do everything you can and see it all in one trip!
I was surprised to see so few mixed-race couples, and honestly so few BIPOC locals. Most of the locals we met where white, and while they were well-meaning and overall very kind to us, they made me wonder where all the brown people were.
Overall I would highly recommend anyone to take their family to New Zealand. I have honestly been trying to convince my partner to move our family there because I loved it so much.
Now it is time to plan our family trip to the North Island! Share your tips below.
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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