New Zealand travel guide
Tips and advice on travelling New Zealand, from a New Zealand travel writer.
Iโm here to help you discover the most beautiful places and best adventures in New Zealand. My ethos is one of less is more; sustainable where possible; and adventurous, always.
GET INSPIRED
My top New Zealand experiences
After all the years I have spent travelling Aotearoa/New Zealand, these are the things I have loved the most.
Cruising Doubtful Sound in Fiordland
Spotting whales in Kaikoura
Going black water rafting in the Waitomo Caves
Hiking the Great Walks
How many days do you need to travel around New Zealand?
Two weeks is roughly the minimum amount of time you should spend in New Zealand, but you could easily spend more than that.
With two weeks, you can split your time between the North and South Islands, which are equally deserving of attention.
If you only have 10 vacation days, I recommend focusing on just one island.
Plan for travel days and more time than you think youโll need when driving from place to place. Roads in New Zealand are scenic and often have beautiful lookouts where youโll want to stop and admire the view.
When is the best time to visit New Zealand?
The best time to visit New Zealand is in February and March, when domestic travellers have gone back to work and school but the summer days are still sunny, warm, and long. Having said that, thereโs no bad time to visit New Zealand, with each month of the year offering something unique.
Winter is also a great time to visit, but bear in mind that shorter daylight hours mean you might need more days to see everything.
Visit in the off season (from May to September) and you might have colder weather, but there will be far fewer crowds and much better deals on activities and accommodation.
Plus, you wonโt need to worry about booking everything in advance.
TE IKA-A-MฤUI
The North Island
A snapshot of the North Island
Most international flights land in Auckland, New Zealandโs largest city.
From Auckland, you can road trip to North Island highlights like the geothermal parks in Rotorua, or the volcanic landscapes of Tongariro National Park.
An easy highlights circuit loops back up past Waitomo Caves to Auckland, from where you can fly south to Queenstown or Christchurch.
If you have more time in the North Island, the Coromandel Peninsula is ideal for a beachy road trip.
Or, head north of Auckland to Northland, a luscious region of sun kissed coastlines.
Taranaki is a wild region ideal for surfers and hikers alike.
CURRENCY
New Zealand Dollar.
New Zealand is mostly cash free. Generally, you can get away with paying for everything with a credit or debit card. We refer to most card payments as โEFTPOS.โ
If youโre looking for a way to manage your money in New Zealand, I use and recommend Wise (I love the way it helps me track my spending)
LANGUAGE
English (with a few local quirks) and Maori (kia ora is a great place to start getting your head around the Maori language โ it means hello).
VISA
English (with a few local quirks) and Maori (kia ora is a great place to start getting your head around the Maori language โ it means hello).
MAIN AIRPORTS
Auckland is where most international flights land, but Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown also have international airports. There are a handful of smaller regional airports around the country, but expect to fly in and out of these main ones.
GET INSPIRED
North Island destinations
The North Island is, dare I say it, more diverse than the South. Sure, itโs more populated and has less of the wild, rugged beauty of the South Island, but there are some very beautiful corners of the North Island. These are the beaches, camping spots, and coastal walks that fuel my ongoing love for the North Island
Waiheke Island
An island of wine and sunshine.
BEACHES | WINE
URBAN | CULTURE
Auckland
New Zealandโs biggest city.
The Coromandel Peninsula
Coastal walks and endless chill.
BEACHES | CULTURE
Cape Reinga
A journey to the far north of New Zealand.
BEACHES | RELAXATION
URBAN | CULTURE
Wellington
A cool little capital.
Rotorua
The geothermal heart of New Zealand.
ADVENTURE | CULTURE
SURF | CHILL
Raglan
A hippie surf town on the west coast.
DISCOVER TE WAIPOUNAMU
Where to go in the South Island
From the golden bays of Abel Tasman National Park in the north of the island, to the wilds of Fiordland bordering the Tasman Sea in the south, the South Island of New Zealand is nothing short of spectacular.
GET INSPIRED
South Island destinations
From the golden bays of Abel Tasman National Park in the north of the island, to the wilds of Fiordland bordering the Tasman Sea in the south, the South Island of New Zealand is nothing short of spectacular.
BEACHES | CULTURE
Queenstown
New Zealandโs adventure hub
BEACHES | WINE
Waiheke Island
An island of wine and sunshine.
ADVENTURE | CULTURE
Rotorua
The geothermal heart of New Zealand.
BEACHES | RELAXATION
The Coromandel Peninsula
Coastal walks and endless chill.
URBAN | CULTURE
Auckland
New Zealandโs biggest city.
URBAN | CULTURE
Wellington
A cool little capital.
SURF | CHILL
Raglan
A hippie surf town on the west coast.
Resources for planning your New Zealand trip
A little quick fire round up of some of my top planning websites and resources.
DONโT FORGET: Immigration New Zealandโs information on the NZeta (essentially an online visitor visa)
MONEY
New Zealand is mostly cash free, with the occasional exception of campgrounds and roadside fruit stands. Generally, you can get away with paying for everything with a credit or debit card.
I use Wise, including in New Zealand (I love the way it helps me track my spending)
TRAVEL INSURANCE
I recommend World Nomads (itโs what I use outside of New Zealand โ when Iโm here, I only occasionally get a cheap plan to cover rental cars).
RENTAL CARS: RentalCars.com for comparing the prices of rental cars
RENTING A CAMPERVAN
Motorhome Republic for comparing the prices of campervans.
FINDING ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com is my preferred website for finding hostel or hotel accommodation in New Zealand. There are often holiday homes and more boutique, Airbnb style properties listed on Booking, so itโs a great allโin-one platform.
BOOKING ACTIVITIES: Viator is an easy way to book tours (as a disclosure, I have written for them before!).
USEFUL APPS: Rankers is my favourite app for finding campgrounds in New Zealand.
Another great app is Gaspy for saving money on petrol.
FIND WALKS AND HIKES: The DOC website is the best resource for all trails, scenic campsites, and mountain huts.
CHECKING THE WEATHER: Metservice is New Zealandโs main weather site, but NIWA provides good mountain forecasts (with details like how low the cloud will sit/what the visibility will be like) if youโre going hiking. I also love YR.
FIND RESTAURANTS: First Table is a great site which lets you book meals for 50% off.
KEEP YOUR SANITY: TripIt โ an all-in one travel organiser for when the number of bookings starts to get overwhelming.
FOR TAILORED ADVICE: Book a call with me! If you need feedback on your itinerary or personalised travel tips, feel free to put some time in my calendar and letโs chat.
South Island destination guides
My best recommendations for key South Island places
CHRISTCHURCH
The South Islandโs largest town has cool street art and beautiful gardens
The lay of the land
New Zealandโs regions at a glance
AUCKLAND
The Auckland region encompasses New Zealandโs largest city and beyond, from the rugged black sand beaches of the west coast to the pristine white-sand bays lining the coast north of the city.
NORTHLAND
Subtropical Northland โ also called โthe winterless Northโ by locals โ is famous for deserted beaches, Cape Reinga, and rich Maori history.
WAIKATO AND THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA
The Waikato is largely a farming region, but there are a few tourist highlights (Hobbiton and Raglan). The Coromandel Peninsula is a worthy road trip destination, famous for beaches like Cathedral Cove.
ROTORUA AND THE BAY OF PLENTY
Rotorua is the hot spot of the Bay of Plenty, literally โ this is where youโll find bubbling mud pools and natural hot springs. Other towns in the region include Tauranga and Whakatane, both of which are forgettable. But, the coast in between them is a delight.
TAUPO AND THE CENTRAL VOLCANIC PLATEAU
Lake Taupo is all that remains of a massive volcanic eruption. Other volcanoes still persist in Tongariro National Park โ squat Ruapehu and the perfect cone of Ngauruhoe make the skyline near here unmistakeable.
How much does it cost to travel to New Zealand?
Flights to New Zealand can be expensive, as much as $1000 USD return from the United States, and even more from Europe.
Hotels can cost anywhere from $100-400 NZD a night, rental cars around $50 a day, and activities up to $500 for premium options such as going on a glacier heli hike in the South Island.
Having said that, you can travel New Zealand on a budget if youโre willing to stay in campgrounds and holiday parks, cook most of your own meals, and enjoy the many free activities such as hiking, museums, art galleries, beaches, and glow worm caves.
You could travel New Zealand on a budget of less than $1000 NZD a week by doing this.
Or, you could spend as much as $4000 a week by staying in hotels, eating in the best restaurants in Queenstown and Auckland, and enjoying activities such as heli hikes, winery tours, and boat cruises in Milford or Doubtful Sound.
Whatโs the best way to get around New Zealand?
The easiest way to get around New Zealand is to rent a car or a campervan.
Having your own vehicle means youโll be able to access all of the more remote โ and beautiful โ parts of New Zealand.
The only caveat with this is that youโll need to get comfortable driving on New Zealand roads (we drive on the left) and itโs not the most budget-friendly way to travel, especially if you are travelling alone.
It is possible to get around New Zealand on public transport.
Thereโs only one national bus network in New Zealand, and the only trains are designed to be scenic experiences rather than to connect main centres.
That makes travelling without a car difficult, but itโs not impossible.
Flights connect Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Queenstown, and Christchurch, so you could hop between cities and use shuttle services to reach places like national parks or popular hikes.
For some activities, such as the Great Walks, you often need to book a private shuttle anyway. And for other trips, such as scenic horse rides in Glenorchy, the operators often provide transport out to where they are located.