The Southern Alps and Fiordland Planning

Give yourself two to three days to explore the Aoraki/Mt. Cook area: two days is a good idea at Mt. Cook in case the namesake peak is hiding behind clouds, and you'll want to allow for an evening at the space observatory in Tekapo. Once you head south you can use Queenstown or Wanaka as a base from which you can visit Mount Aspiring National Park, wine country, and take on some exciting adrenaline-fueled activities around Queenstown—three days should be sufficient to pack it all in. Then head to Te Anau, which is a perfect base for seeing Fiordland National Park. An overnight on Milford or Doubtful Sound is recommended for unwinding and reflecting after the road-tripping, bungy-jumping excitement of the past week.