$47+ Cheap flights to South Island

Flights to South Island from other areas of New Zealand range from about under one-hour to about seven hours, depending on your departure city and the precise location in South Island in which you’re alighting. The shortest and most common flights are from Wellington, in the southernmost end of North Island to Christchurch, along South Island’s east coast. These flights are often direct and last for only about 55 minutes. You can also fly from Wellington into Blenheim if you wish to travel at the northern end of the island, and this flight is only about 25 minutes.

You can enjoy several direct flights to South Island destinations from different cities in North Island. The two major airlines that service direct flights between the islands are Air New Zealand and JetStar, with common direct flight routes traveling between Auckland and Christchurch. If you’re departing from as far north as Auckland and flying to as south of a city in South Island as Queenstown or Dunedin, common stopover cities along your journey will be Wellington and Christchurch if your flight is not direct.

South Island’s only major airport is Christchurch International Airport (CHC), which is about 12km northwest of Christchurch city centre. When flying into Christchurch, reach the city centre by taking a taxi, which will cost you about NZ$45-65, and take about 15-20 minutes, a shuttle, which costs about NZ$19 or one or NZ$24 for two and takes about 30 minutes or the number 29 or Purple Line buses, which cost about NZ$8.50 per adult and take about 35 minutes to reach downtown. You can also rent a car, though it’s advisable to book a rental in advance of arriving in Christchurch. If you fly to other cities or towns outside of Christchurch, they’ll likely have similar transportation options, though the smaller the airport the less likely they’ll offer as many services. The distance from the airports to their respective city centres will also vary, and thus affect the price and duration.

South Island is famous for its variety of activities, with plenty to thrill culture vultures and outdoor types alike. If you plan to visit Nelson at the north of the island, a trip to Abel Tasman National Park is a must, as it provides vistas of limestone cliffs, sandy beaches, native bush, and sailing and dolphin watching in Tasman Bay. Queenstown is a lakeside resort at the south end of the island and is the place to go for white water rafting, bungy jumping, and canyon swinging. Wine aficionados will appreciate the dozens of wineries spread across scenic Otago.

No, New Zealand citizens flying anywhere in South Island need neither a passport nor a visa. Valid government-issued photo identification is needed for flying however, so be sure to bring along either your passport or driver’s license to confirm your identification.

Yes, flights with stopovers are often cheaper than direct flights. Keep an eye out for flight deals to South Island on Cheapflights that require 1 or 2 stops for potential cost savings.

Based on reviews from Cheapflights users, Jetstar is rated the highest out of the airlines that fly to South Island.

A return flight to South Island will typically cost around $1,618, however they can be found for as little as $69.

For those looking to save time traveling to South Island, Wellington offers the quickest one-way flight (0 hours 30 minutes).

Yes. Those touching down at Christchurch can take advantage of the car hire services offered upon their arrival.

Yes. Christchurch has hotels nearby for those requiring accommodations. Novotel Christchurch Airport is the closest property to Christchurch (0.0 km away from Christchurch).