West Coast Highlights: South Island Self-Drive
Drive New Zealand’s dramatic western South Island from Christchurch to Queenstown over seven days without retracing your route. Cross Arthur’s Pass to the West Coast, spend time around Franz Josef and Fox glaciers, continue through Haast Pass and Wānaka, then finish in Queenstown with Skyline Gondola and a full-day Milford Sound journey. Included experiences also cover Christchurch’s International Antarctic Centre, Puzzling World and a fiord cruise with lunch. Six nights’ accommodation and rental car hire with reduced or zero excess liability provide freedom while keeping the route organised. This journey suits independent travellers who want the South Island’s coast, glaciers, mountain passes and Fiordland explored at their own pace rather than through a fixed group timetable.
A Glimpse of Your Journey
- ◆Self-drive — 6-day rental car with zero or reduced excess liability, Christchurch to Queenstown
- ◆Franz Josef and Fox glaciers — two nights in glacier country on the West Coast
- ◆Puzzling World at Wānaka — optical illusions and a tilted room on the drive south
- ◆Queenstown Skyline Gondola — panoramic views over Lake Wakatipu from Bob's Peak
- ◆Milford Sound — self-drive to Fiordland with fiord cruise and lunch
Itinerary & Route
Collect your rental car at Christchurch Airport and drive to your accommodation in the city. The car is included for 6 days with zero or reduced excess liability — confirm the specific excess terms at collection. Christchurch Airport is 10 kilometres from the city centre; the drive in takes 20–25 minutes.
International Antarctic Centre — Included. Adjacent to the airport terminal, this is a substantive museum covering Antarctic exploration from Christchurch's role as a southern gateway city since the Heroic Era expeditions. The live penguin encounter, the Hagglund all-terrain vehicle ride, and the storm simulation room are the three main experiences. Use the admission today on arrival or tomorrow morning before heading west. Allow at least 2 hours.
Christchurch City Centre — The Botanic Gardens and Avon River precinct are within easy reach of most central accommodation. The post-earthquake rebuild has produced some architecturally interesting structures alongside the restored heritage buildings.
Collect your rental car at Christchurch Airport and drive to your accommodation in the city. The car is included for 6 days with zero or reduced excess liability — confirm the specific excess terms at collection. Christchurch Airport is 10 kilometres from the city centre; the drive in takes 20–25 minutes.
International Antarctic Centre — Included. Adjacent to the airport terminal, this is a substantive museum covering Antarctic exploration from Christchurch's role as a southern gateway city since the Heroic Era expeditions. The live penguin encounter, the Hagglund all-terrain vehicle ride, and the storm simulation room are the three main experiences. Use the admission today on arrival or tomorrow morning before heading west. Allow at least 2 hours.
Christchurch City Centre — The Botanic Gardens and Avon River precinct are within easy reach of most central accommodation. The post-earthquake rebuild has produced some architecturally interesting structures alongside the restored heritage buildings.
What's Included
- hotel
Accommodation
6 nights’ accommodation
- restaurant
Meals
Lunch on the Milford Sound cruise
- airport_shuttle
Transport
6-day rental car with zero or reduced excess liability
- local_activity
Activities
International Antarctic Centre, Puzzling World, Skyline Gondola and Milford Sound cruise
Dates & Prices
Dates are flexible
This is a private, ground-only itinerary — travel on dates that suit you. Enquire and we'll quote you for your preferred dates.
