Aotearoa is a haven for outdoor adventure lovers and some of the best hikes are in the South Island of New Zealand. With spectacular natural landscapes, astonishing national parks and reserves, dramatic mountain ranges, vast wilderness and farmlands, and rugged coastlines, you will never run out of things to see and explore.
With that said, the best way to see the beauty of New Zealand’s South Island in its purest form is on foot, and there are so many tracks and hiking trails to choose from. Don’t know where to begin your adventure? Here are the 10 best hikes in South Island, New Zealand to get you started.
10 Best Hiking Trails in South Island
The diversity of South Island’s walking and hiking options means there is something for all types of hikers. From beginners looking to start their way in the outdoors, weekend warriors looking for leisurely nature walks, and hiking enthusiasts searching for multi-day adventures in the remote and untouched wilderness of the country.
You can learn more about each hiking trail below.
1. Milford Track
Milford Track is by far the most popular walk in New Zealand, and rightfully so as it is also widely regarded as the “Finest Walk in the World”. If you can only choose one trail, then this should be it.
It stretches through Fiordland, starting from Lake Te Anau, all the way to the gorgeous Milford Sound. It features sheer-sided valleys, climbs to the magnificent Mackinnon Pass, and passes through the lush rainforest, all the way to the stunning Sutherland Falls – the tallest waterfall in NZ.
If you are considering this track, make sure you book a guided hike as early as possible, as spots can fill up within weeks of its booking system opening for the year. You can hike on your own, but you will risk not getting a lodging space.
Track length: 53.5 kilometres (33 miles)
Difficulty: Easy
Hiking time: 4 days
Best walk season: end of October to end of April
2. The Heaphy Track
Heaphy Track is the longest hiking trail in the country’s Great Walks. Because of which, it has the most diverse scenery as it stretches across a range of landscapes. It features the forest of the Kahurangi National Park from Brown and Aorere Rivers, the West Coast beaches, limestone cliffs, alpine country, to name a few.
The trail starts (or finishes, should you prefer) at Karamea, a tiny town on the West Coast of South Island and takes 4 to 6 days to finish.
If you are into mountain biking, then this is a great option for you too, as it is open for mountain bikes from May 1st to November 30th. Major streams and rivers are bridged.
Track length: 78.4 kilometers (48 miles)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Hiking time: 4-6 days
Best walk season: Year-round
3. The Paparoa Track
Paparoa Track is one of the few bike or hike trails in the South Island of New Zealand. It features the Pike 29 Memorial Track built to remember the lives of the 29 miners who died in a mine disaster in 2010.
Make sure you pack your rain gears as heavy rain can occur without warning, so as heavy fog, strong wind, and even snow. Un-bridged streams can be dangerous, too.
Track length: 56 kilometers (34 miles)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Hiking time: 2-3 days (1-2 days biking)
Best walk season: Year-round
4. The Abel Tasman Coastal Track
Running along the coastline that features gorgeous sunny parts of South Island, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track is one of the most popular trails, especially among tourists. It’s an easy to moderate walk that features granite cliffs, golden sand, and crystal clear waters, perfect for beach lovers.
Track length: 51 kilometers (31 miles)
Difficulty: Easy
Hiking time: Up to 5 days
Best walk season: Year-round
5. The Kepler Track
This trail showcases the best of Fiordland National Park, which traverses through the alpine mountain taps, lake edges, beech forest, and the U-shaped glacial valley. The trail features endless views of the gorgeous mountains, dynamic birdlife, stunning ridgelines, and unique mossy green forests.
It can be a challenging trail, thus it requires some reasonable fitness level and complete equipment.
Track length: 60 kilometers (37 miles)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Hiking time: 3-4 days
Best walk season: End of October – End of April
6. The Routeburn Track
Traversing through Mt. Aspiring and Fiordland National Park, this trail features quite diverse scenery.
With some rough, rocky, and uneven surfaces, and climbs and descends, this is not a quick trail to hike. Though you can always hike alone, this is ideal for groups. It features diverse scenery
Track length: 32 kilometers (20 miles)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Hiking time: 3 days
Best walk season: End of October – End of April
7. Ben Lomond
This is one of the easily accessible and convenient trails to take in South Island, perfect for anyone looking for a relaxing escape from the city. The best part of this trail is it starts with a Skyline Gondola ride.
Hikers who wish to walk further to the summit can rest at the saddle between Ben Lomond and Bowen Peak, which also features a stunning view.
Track length: 14 kilometers (8.6 miles)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Best walk season: Year-round
If you don’t like to spend multiple days in the wilderness, you can still find some of the Best Hikes in the South Island of New Zealand that are quick, relaxing, and leisurely day-walk options for you too.
8. Diamond Lake Track
Looking for a quick walk with the whole family? Diamond Lake Track is ideal for travellers with kids. It’s a short, easy, and fun track that offers great views of the gorgeous lake and surrounding mountains.
It’s a much quieter trail compared to those in the area. You can take the hike further by going to the Diamond Lake Lookout (additional 2 km.), Lake Wanaka Lookout (detour from the summit track, 5 km return trip), Rocky Mountain Summit Track (3 kms).
Track length: 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles)
Difficulty: Easy
Hiking time: 45 minutes
Best walk season: Year-round
9. Centre of New Zealand Walk
The starting point of this track is at the beautiful Botanical Reserve. This steep but short trail is another family-friendly trail you can find in South Island. It is suitable for the whole family.
It also has a couple of different routes to the summit. Thus, you can choose a different track on your way back.
Track length: 2 kilometers (shortest route)
Difficulty: Easy
Hiking time: 20-60 minutes
Best walk season: Year-round
10. Queenstown Hill Time Walk
This walk is popular among locals as it offers a spectacular view and some insights of Queenstown’s past, present, and future, and the surrounding area of Lake Wakatipu.
It’s a short 500-metre climb to the summit and hikers will be greeted by the lush pine forest. You will also walk through the ‘Basket of Dreams’ sculpture and the six information plates that explains Queenstown’s and the lake’s history and story.
There’s also a small shore by the mountain lake, perfect for a quick little picnic before descending.
Track length: 1.5 kilometers
Difficulty: Easy
Hiking time: 20-60 minutes
Best walk season: Year-round
Please note: You are able to reserve space at huts for Multi-day walks where you can camp and stay the night. Spots fill up very fast however so book well in advance. You can book them through the Department of Conservation website HERE
There you go! Whether you like a quick escape or a multi-day walk, there are plenty of options for Best Hikes in the South Island of New Zealand for some nature, reflection or sightseeing. Which one of these hikes have you tried? Did I miss something that should be on this list? Let me know in the comments!
If you find yourself in Auckland for a few days as a lot of travelers do, check out my list of Top Auckland walks HERE. Great way to practice before embarking on the more challenging South Island ones.