New Zealand West Coast road trip: Christchurch to the glaciers
≈ 405 km driving in total · ~5.5 h · ideal in 7 days · 5 stops
The short, spectacular crossing of the Southern Alps. In four hours the country changes completely: braided rivers and beech forest at Arthur's Pass, then a wild grey-sand coast, and finally two glaciers that flow down almost to sea level through temperate rainforest — one of only a handful of places on Earth where that happens.
Photo: Unsplash
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The route at a glance
- Christchurch — 1 night
- Arthur's Pass — 1 night
- Hokitika — 1 night
- Franz Josef — 2 nights
- Fox Glacier — 1 night
The stops
- 1
Christchurch
Start in the garden city — the rebuilt centre, the Botanic Gardens, and a coffee before the mountains.
- 2
Arthur's Pass
An alpine village at 740 m with kea — the world's only alpine parrot, and a determined vandal of car trim. Devils Punchbowl Falls is a short walk from the road.
- 3
Hokitika
Pounamu (greenstone) carving town on a driftwood coast. Hokitika Gorge's water is an unreal turquoise, and the glow-worm dell after dark is free.
- 4
Franz Josef
A glacier descending into rainforest. The valley walk gets you close; a helicopter gets you onto it. Lake Matheson nearby mirrors Aoraki on a still morning.
- 5
Fox Glacier
Franz Josef's quieter twin, 25 minutes south, with the better reflection lake and fewer people at the viewpoints.
Good to know
Short on paper, long in practice: this is winding alpine road and you'll stop constantly. The West Coast is one of the wettest inhabited places on the planet — five metres of rain a year — so plan for it rather than around it. Both glaciers have retreated significantly; valley-floor walks reach viewpoints, but touching the ice now means a heli-hike. Sandflies are relentless on the coast.
New Zealand West Coast road trip: Christchurch to the glaciers — FAQ
- How long does the New Zealand West Coast road trip take?
- 7 days is comfortable — about 5.5 hours behind the wheel across 5 stops, ≈ 405 km of driving in total.
- How far is Fox Glacier from Christchurch?
- This itinerary covers ≈ 405 km (252 miles) of driving in total, via Arthur's Pass, Hokitika, Franz Josef.
- What are the best stops between Christchurch and Fox Glacier?
- Arthur's Pass, Hokitika, Franz Josef — each one is on the route below. Open the trip on the map to add, drop or reorder them.
- Where should you stay on the New Zealand West Coast road trip?
- The itinerary sleeps in Christchurch, Arthur's Pass, Hokitika, Franz Josef, Fox Glacier. Open it on the map to see places to stay along the route and what the nights will cost.
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