2 weeks in New Zealand: A road trip itinerary for North and South Islands
With two weeks in New Zealand, you can see the highlights of both the North and South Islands.
You could equally dedicate the whole 2 weeks to just one island (the North Island if you love beaches, surfing, and Maori culture, or the South Island for epic landscapes and adventure) but if you’re comfortable with a few long driving days, you can cover a lot in 2 weeks.
A lot of locals will tell you to slow down and focus on spending more time in one region. In principle I agree with the slow travel approach.
But – if this is your once in a lifetime trip to New Zealand, strap in for an epic road trip and you can see most of the top sights across the country.
As a New Zealander, I’ve had the luxury of spending much more than just 14 days exploring the country. If I had to pack it all into 2 weeks though, these are the stops I would make along the way.
This itinerary is pretty long, so if you’d like to jump ahead, here’s what you’ll find:
Day 1 & 2: Auckland
Day 2-4: Rotorua/Taupo
Day 5: Fly to Christchurch
Day 6: Hokitika via Arthur’s Pass
Day 7: West Coast glaciers and hiking
Day 8: Wanaka
Day 9: Aoraki Mount Cook
Day 10-12: Queenstown
6 things to consider when planning your New Zealand itinerary
1. Where to start your New Zealand itinerary
Most international flights land in Auckland Airport, with a handful heading straight to Christchurch or Wellington.
If you want to cover both islands, it’s most likely easiest to start from Auckland and fly back from Christchurch.
Heading south from Auckland will take you past highlights like Hobbiton and Rotorua.
This gives you a chance to get your bearings and recover (slightly) from the jet lag. Having to jump straight onto a domestic flight is possible, but after a long trip it can be quite stressful.
Plus, you don’t know how long it will take to get through Customs and Immigration (the biosecurity line can take a while). The last time I arrived into New Zealand, people were anxiously trying to cut ahead of everyone in the line to make their domestic flight.
It’s also safer to rest before driving, as fatigue after a long flight has caused some tragic road accidents in New Zealand.
My advice: If you do spend a night or two in Auckland before setting off, pick up your car or campervan when you plan to leave the city, rather than when you arrive.
Parking is a nightmare and you will probably end up paying for a day or two when you aren’t using the car, for example if you take the ferry across to Waiheke Island.
2. The best way to get around New Zealand
The best way to see the most of New Zealand is to rent a car or a campervan. This itinerary wouldn’t be possible on public transport.
You can choose to rent a campervan or a car. Campervan travel is popular in New Zealand and it’s a great way to get off the beaten track and stay there.
A campervan will give you access to more remote areas and camping grounds.
A car can work out cheaper, especially during peak season, and you get to stay in rooms where you’ll enjoy a bit more comfort than sleeping in a vehicle.
3. If you want to drive from North to South, consider the cost of the ferry
Some car rental companies will ask that you drop your car off before boarding the ferry, and collect another rental on the other side.
This works out cheaper than paying to take a vehicle on the ferry, which usually costs more than $200.
This doesn’t apply for campervans, however, which can be quite expensive to book onto the ferries, especially for larger motorhomes.
4. Finding places to stay
I use Booking.com to find hotel rooms and hostels, or the Rankers or Campermate apps to find campsites.
Airbnb also works well in New Zealand — you can find some truly unique stays.
Bookabach (owned by Expedia) is another local site for booking holiday homes, great for finding cute places and sometimes cheaper than Airbnb.
5. How much time do you need in New Zealand?
Two weeks is an optimal amount of time to spend in New Zealand, which is why I’ve shaped this itinerary to cover 14 days of travel.
Anything less than one full week and you’ll just want to base yourself in one place (Queenstown or Auckland, most likely) and stick to day trips.
Day tours run from both cities to places like Rotorua and Milford Sound, so you can cover a lot even if you’re not driving yourself.
If you have more than two weeks, you could still do the same activities I’ve listed here, but spread them out so you’re travelling at a more relaxed pace, instead of trying to fill the extra time with more activites.
This itinerary doesn’t cover multi-day treks like the Great Walks, or overnight trips like the one to Doubtful Sound. So if these are on your list of New Zealand must-dos, you’ll need to carve out extra space for them.
You can see a lot of New Zealand in 2-4 weeks – but even then, you can expect several long travel days and big chunks of driving.
A lot of the magic in New Zealand is in the views and landscapes, as much as the big ticket items like helicopter flights.
So, penciling in time to enjoy coffee by a lake in the morning is always going to be a good idea.
A lot of people (particularly locals) will tell you not to try to do too much, and while this is well-intentioned advice, for those of us who live here we have many opportunities to travel New Zealand.
If you only have two weeks, pack in as much as you feel comfortable. Some people find driving exhausting, others find constant activities exhausting — there is really no one size fits all.
6. There’s no bad time to visit New Zealand
You should be able to do this itinerary at any time of the year. With the exception of hikes in alpine areas — like the Tongariro Crossing — the places on this list are great to visit even in the depths of winter.
In some cases, like for Aoraki Mount Cook, you might even be treated more spectacular landscapes than in the summer.
2 week New Zealand road trip itinerary
Day 1 & 2: Auckland
Day 2-4: Rotorua/Taupo
Fly to Christchurch from Rotorua
Another option is to drive down to Wellington and catch the ferry across to Picton, but this adds at least another whole day into the trip (the ferry alone is 4 hours).
Day 5: Christchurch
Day 6: Hokitika via Arthur’s Pass
Day 7: West Coast glaciers and hiking
Day 8: Wanaka
Day 9: Aoraki Mount Cook
Day 10-12: Queenstown
Day 1: Arrive into Auckland
Auckland Museum
After a long flight, and sometimes long Customs queues — we take biosecurity seriously — it’s nice to be able to spend a night in Auckland.
I generally wouldn’t recommend driving on your first day. After a lengthy flight, you’ll want a shower and a bed.
The airport is at least 30 minutes from the centre of the city (more in rush hour traffic) but even so, I wouldn’t try to stay close to the airport.
There aren’t many options in terms of accommodation, and dining options are even more bleak. If you head into the city centre, you’ll be able to have a meal at one of the city’s fantastic restaurants and perhaps head for a drink to toast your arrival.
While Queen Street and much of the CBD is grey and uninspiring, Auckland has some highlights. I love wandering down Karangahape Road for the shops and character, and Ponsonby Road for the buzz in the evening.
Both streets have many great places to eat.
Don’t miss: Climb Maungawhau/Mount Eden for the best views of the city.
Where to eat: A lot of my favourite restaurants are along Karangahape Road. Head for an evening out at Otto, Coco’s Cantina, Apero, or Candela.
Where to stay in Auckland: For a central hotel, I recommend Hotel Britomart.
Day 2: Day trip to Waiheke Island
Casita Miro vineyard
For your first full day Waiheke Island is an excellent destination.
It’s easy to get there — just catch a 45 minute ferry from the downtown ferry terminal.
Once on the island, you can opt for a wine tour or catch public buses around the island. Visit one or two vineyards (there are several clustered together so you can easily walk between them) and stop for a lavish lunch somewhere.
If the weather is on your side, there are lovely walks and beaches to explore around Waiheke as well.
Day 3-5: Drive to Rotorua (stay two nights)
Pick up your rental car and hit the road.
If you can, try and avoid driving around 8am or 3-5pm. Auckland traffic can be a nightmare, made even worse if you’re just getting used to driving on the left side of the road.
It takes around 3 hours 30 minutes to drive to Rotorua.
If you plan on visiting Hobbiton, you can go via Matamata and do the movie set tour.
Rotorua itself isn’t the most impressive town. It’s fairly touristy and like a lot of New Zealand towns doesn’t have a great deal of character.
What makes Rotorua well worth spending a few days is the impressive geothermal activity in the area. It’s one of the most unique parts of New Zealand and is also a hub of Maori culture.
On your first evening, you can stroll around Kuirau Park and see your first glimpses of simmering mud pools and steam vents. It’s free to enter.
Stay for a couple of nights and you can visit one of the geothermal parks, enjoy a cultural experience, and walk around the Redwoods.
You’ll want at least one full day to experience one of the parks. I loved Wai O Tapu, which is where you can see the Champagne Pool, a large turqoise and orange pool, as well as other technicolour pools.
If you go there, you’re already part way to Taupo, so you can scoot down to the lake after. I stopped at Keresene Creek on the way, which is a popular spot for swimming in anturally heated waters (for free).
Huka Falls is an impressive pit stop in Taupo, and I loved stopping in at the nearby Hipapatua Reserve for a swim in the crystal clear, bright blue river (just follow the road to the swimming hole at the end).
Don’t miss: The one thing you have to do in Rotorua is bathe in thermal waters. Try Secret Spot for a fun experience, XX for more luxury, or for a free hot lake swim check out the Tarawera Trail.
Where to eat: ANI’s Gin Bar & Tapas serves uniquely New Zealand food
Where to stay in Rotorua:
Day 5: Fly to Christchurch
The most time efficient way to see both islands is to fly from Rotorua to Christchurch.
Obviously, this doesn’t work if you have a campervan. In that case, you should drive down to Wellington and get the ferry to the South Island.
One internal flight can save you hours of driving though, and with the cost of petrol and the ferry between the islands, you will end up spending the same amount or less on a flight.
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island. It’s a good place to stop for a night and enjoy the parks, restaurants, and lively city centre.
Day 6: Drive from Christchurch to Hokitika
3 hour 15 minute drive
Stop in Arthur’s pass for short walks and kea
Hokitika Gorge is famous for bright blue water
A lot of people like to stop at Castle Hill, which is a good spot to stretch your legs. But, if you only want to stop in one spot for a walk, I prefer Arthur’s Pass.
Stop in Arthur’s Pass on the way to walk to the Devil’s Punchbowl waterfalls.
Arthur’s Pass is a lush, green, often wet stop with keas calling from the low mists. I loved the small former tunneler’s cottages that line the road through the pass.
The drive down to the West Coast is incredible and throws into sharp relief the differences in climate between both coasts of the South Island. Leaving the golden, arid plains behind you’ll find yourself in the thick forests of the West Coast.
Hokitika makes a great place to stop for the night. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a sunset on the driftwood strewn beach.
A quick note — if there has been heavy rain in the previous day or two, you might want to skip Hokitika Gorge. The water won’t be bright blue but a raging torrent of brown if this is the case. I went right after a few days of downpour and it wasn’t worth the detour, as the blue water is what makes it so special.
Where to eat: Hokitika is home to the wild pie, so make sure you try one. It’s one of the most iconic dishes in New Zealand.
Day 7: Head to Franz Josef or Fox Glacier
A guide walking on Franz Josef
Visit the Hokitika Gorge in the morning. The loop track is easy and not too long.
After visiting the gorge, start making your way down to glacier country.
Most people opt to stay in Franz Josef, as the town is more set up for tourists. There are more big hotels in Franz, and more options for eating.
Fox Glacier is a smaller town, which feels more like a typical New Zealand village.
No matter where you choose to base yourself, the premier activity here is taking a heli-hike on one of the glaciers.
Both Franz Josef glacier and Fox glacier are equally impressive, and you can easily see both via short walking tracks.
Just check your expectations — there’s a good chance it will be rainy or cloudy and the glaciers will be hiding from view.
This is the wettest part of the country after all.
Even if you can’t see them, enjoy short walks in the area. The forest here is incredible, rich in undergrowth and emerald moss. It has a truly enchanted feel, as if nymphs and fairies are hiding behind every mossy log.
If you have an extra day in glacier country: It’s a slight detour, but I recommend stopping by Okarito.
It’s one of my favourite places on the West Coast, and it’s hard to explain why. Maybe it’s the white herons that are cast like ghosts in the dark waters of the lagoon, or the sleepy nature of a tiny coastal town.
I think it has something to do with the wild feeling of the place, which is unique as it’s one of the only places where the mountains flow to the sea uninterrupted by human activity.
The Okarito walkway is a stunning walk, and if you loop back along the beach you might see Hector’s Dolphins.
If you have enough time, try kayaking on the lagoon to spot birds.
Don’t miss: The short walk around Lake Matheson is stunning, and there’s a roadside lookout nearby where you can see Fox Glacier.
Where to stay: If you’re in a campervan, I can recommend either the Orange Sheep Campervan Park in Franz Josef, for a beautiful spot tucked into the forest, or Gillespies Beach Campground near Fox Glacier.
Day 8: Drive to Wanaka
From Franz Josef, it’s almost 4 hours to drive to Wanaka.
You could push on to Queenstown, but having done that drive before I don’t recommend it. It’s a long day and all I remember is arriving into Queenstown tired and miserable.
Stopping 45 minutes short in Wanaka will give you a little more time to enjoy the drive.
The road cuts throguh Mount Aspiring National park on the way through Haast Pass, with a number of stunning short walks and lookouts along the eay,
Check out the Blue Pools, Fantail Falls, and Wilson’s Creek.
I also love the part of the road where you’re driving along the edge of Lake Wanaka, then take a left and crest a small hill to be greeted with the sight of Lake Hawea.
Where to stay in Wanaka:
Day 9: Queenstown
On the drive through to Queenstown, you can stop by Cardrona, Arrowtown, or at any of the wineries in the Kawerau River Gorge.
The wine here is spectacular, but obviously if you’re tasing any of the vintages, don’t drive afterwards. The vineyards are also great for food.
By the time you arrive into Queenstown, it will probably be time for you to check in and then you can spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town or one of the walks nearby.
Day 10: Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a full day trip.
It is strongly recommended to do this on a tour, as it’s a solid 4 hour drive each way.
You could easily spend four days exploring all of the stops along the road to Milford Sound, but if you just want to get the highlights, a tour is a good way to do it.
Plus, you won’t have to worry about parking at Milford.
Day 11: Aoraki Mount Cook
It will take the better part of a day to drive to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park from Queenstown.
Along the way, stop at Lindis Pass and maybe Omarama Clay Cliffs if you want to stretch your legs.
You’ll want to stop at Lake Pukaki too. This lake is perhaps the most scenic in the whole South Island.
It’s an impossiboe, icy blue and the shimmering spire of Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, rises into the clouds at the far end of the lake.
The drive along the edge of Lake Pukaki and into Mount Cook Village is one of the most stunning stretches of highway in the whole of New Zealand.
I highly recommend staying overnight in Mount Cook Village — you should book early to secure a room.
It’s magical staying somwhere so remote and beautiful and waking up to the bowl of mountains.
You can walk the Hooker Valley Track in the afternoon, or if you prefer to be on the track when there are fewer people around set your alarm for early the next morning.
If you go early, you have a good chance of having the hike to yourself.
Day 12: Tekapo
Drive to Tekapo.
In the evening, you may want to take a stargazing tour if the weather is on your side.
Stay the night, and the following morning head up to the Mount Saint John Observatory (driving or walking) to enjoy views and coffee.
Lake Tekapo is pretty but quickly seen. You don’t need much time to wander around the waterfront, and the town itself doesn’t have a lot to keep you there.
Day 13: Christchurch
It’s a 3 hours drive from Tekapo to Christchurch, which will likely take a lot longer by the time you factor in stops.
Burke’s Pass is a curious place to stop and examine trinkets and signage from days gone by, while Fairlie is a locally famous road trip stop —you can’t leave town without stopping by the Fairlie Bakehouse for a pie, a New Zealand favourite.
If you arrive into Christchurch in the late afternoon or evening, you can drop off your hire car and enjoy a nice meal for your final evening.
Day 14: Home
Say your goodbyes and set off.
More places to visit in New Zealand
This itinerary doesn’t even begin to cover all the magic you can find in New Zealand.
You could spend months travelling New Zealand and still not see everything — I know, because I have spent literal months circling both islands and my list never seems to get any shorter.
If you catch the ferry to the South Island instead of flying, here are some other great places to stop:
Marlborough Sounds
The ferry from the North Island to the South Island arrives into Picton, a pretty town in the sounds. From here, you can catch water taxis deeper into the sounds, to hike the Queen Charlotte Track.
Abel Tasman National Park
Kaikoura
Drive down the coast from to Christchurch and you have to stop in Kaikoura, a coastal village with an abundance of marine wildlife.
Punakaiki
If you have enough time to head north of Greymouth, I highly recommend making for Punakaiki.
It’s a gorgeous spot caught between the sea and the mountains.
New Zealand essentials
SIM CARDS: I recommend getting a Skinny SIM card when you arrive or an Airalo eSIM
FIND WALKS AND HIKES: The DOC website is the best resource for all trails, scenic campsites, and mountain huts
BEST APPS: Campermate for finding campsites, Gaspy for saving money on petrol
LANGUAGE: English but be prepared for some local quirks
Thanks for reading this far! I hope this itinerary gave you an idea of how you can best spend your time if you only have two weeks.
