The Ultimate New Zealand Itinerary

The North Island

Fly into Auckland International flights all come into Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city. Two weeks is the shortest amount of time I would spend in New Zealand so you have enough time to explore both the North and the South Island. We came in late November- early December which was perfect, the beaches were warm enough and the mountain tops still had snow! Enjoy some complimentary New Zealand wine on the flight and get some sleep! If you catch a layover first to the South Island first jump down to that section to start your journey!

Explore Auckland Drop off your bags and freshen up in your airbnb before hitting the ground running. We stayed right in the city center in this chic apartment with an amazing view of the city. If you are here on the weekend eat at La Cigal Market for some amazing french food! Another exceptional accommodation choice is the Hilton Auckland located right on the harbor with a great pool and better views!

Visit the Sky Tower This is a great first stop to get a feel for Auckland and its surrounding islands. The 360 views are incredible and well worth the admission price. For adrenaline junkies the Sky Tower has bungie jumping and a skywalk!

Ferry to Waiheke Island Auckland has so many islands to explore with easy commuter ferries leaving from the harbor. We decided on Waiheke island because of its beauty. You don’t have to buy tickets in advance since the ferries run frequently and the ride was a joy in itself. Once on the island take the bus right from the terminal to Oneroa Beach. Take your time and make your way to get lunch at Little Oneroa Takeaways (get the fish and chips!) and then talk the trail to Fisherman’s Rock for stunning views!

Road Trips From Auckland - North Island

Day Trip 1: The Coromandel Peninsula

This whole area is a must see while on the north island. Wake up early because there is so much to see, rent a car, and set your destination for Whangamata for your first excursion. Here you will rent kayaks and paddle out to the amazing Whenuakaura island with an oasis in the center, aptly named Donut Island!

Check out the full guide on Kayaking Donut Island

Hot Water Beach Now hop back in your car and head further north to another bind blowing destination - Hot Water Beach! As the name suggests, the water running right beneath the sand is very hot and easy to uncover. Dig your own hole or try out ones visitors have already created, you’ll be surprised at how much the temperatures of the hot tubs differ!

Cathedral Cove I told you that you will need to get on the road early, because there is still one more epic stop! Keep going north from Hot Water Beach and park near the Cathedral Cove viewing deck. Parking was a bit scarce for us so we parked on the road further down. There are tons of trails here leading you to different beautiful coves. Its an easy walk so take your time and stop where you can. We loved Stingray Bay because it was less crowded and the water was perfect. You can snorkel here as well! Cathedral Cove is stunning, you will approach a big cave like arch that you can walk through and admire with a gorgeous beach and rock formation on the other side. Wow is New Zealand gorgeous!

Day Trip 2: Hobbiton and The Blue Springs

Hobbiton Tolkien and Lord of the Rings fans already know that New Zealand is the official setting of Middle Earth, but even if you aren’t a fan this is still a well worthy stop on your New Zealand adventure. Head out into pastural bliss with rolling green hills and sheep and find yourself transported into The Shire. Get your tickets from Hobbiton Tours in advanced! Hobbiton is so well done and the tour is amazing full of fun facts about the films and movies. You end your tour with a well earned pint at the Green Dragon Inn!

Blue Springs (Palururu) Now you must be thinking, ok those are the top sights of New Zealand and the rest won’t be as impressive, but you’d be oh so wrong. The Blue Springs is a natural spring that flows down a winding slow river through picturesque green hills. The water is crystal clear with big vibrant green plants swaying in the current, its mesmerizing to watch. Walking along the path following the spring makes you feel like you went back in time and a T Rex will pop out of the giant ferns at any moment. Trust me this is a must see while on the North Island.

Daytrip 3: Piha’s Black Sand Beach and KiteKite Falls

Piha Black Sand Beach Now you will be heading due west on the North Island towards the surfing paradise Piha. It was wild to me how different the ocean was on this side of the island with big waves and a rocky coastline compared to the turquoise waters of the Coromandel Peninsula. Piha is a perfect surf town with adorable surf shops and laid back vibes. The Black Sand Beach is really amazing to see and exploring some of the tidepools was cool. We climbed to the top of Lion Rock on the beach which holds a lot of importance to the Maori natives.

KiteKite Falls There is something about a beautiful waterfall that doubles as a swimming hole. This stop is a short drive away from Piha. Once there hit the trail straight up to the top of Kite Kite Falls and you will be blissfully awarded with a picture perfect aqua blue swimming hole at the top! I was so hot after climbing straight up and jumping in felt amazing. The swimming hole pools a good distance away from the start of the falls but definitely check your conditions before you plunge in, you are at the top of a waterfall after all! You can walk closer but be super careful for slippery rocks to see the edge of the falls. Once we got out we saw a big fresh water eel emerge to say hi! They are frightened of people so he did not bother us but it was cool to see him! We climbed back down to the base of the falls to actually see what we were above and took a dip there as well. Highly recommend this hike!

The South Island

Queenstown

Fly into Queenstown Say goodbye to beachy North Island and head down to the mountainous South Island! Fly into Queenstown, rent a car, and enjoy the ski town vibe and vibrant blue lake views. You will want at least a few nights in Queenstown to see everything! We started our Queenstown journey taking the Skyline Gondola up for some spectacular views! Queenstown has some spectacular 5-star hotels so if you want to splurge check out The Top Hotels in Queenstown. We enjoyed driving around the lake, seeing a Kiwi at the Kiwi Birdlife Park | Queenstown, and checking out the adorable Arrowtown which is extremely charming with shops and restaurants.

Roy’s Peak This is a hike, literally, to get to but it’s so worth the view if waking up early for a sunrise hike is something that interests you! The hike can be crowded as it’s a picture perfect postcard moment in NZ, but once at the top you can spread out and soak in the expansive views. This is a pretty intense hike too so only do this if you feel up for that!

The magnificent Roy’s Peak

Mount Cook National Park

Mount Cook National Park It’s time to check out of lux Queenstown and head straight into nature. We stayed in a charming airbnb in Twizel that was a perfect basecamp for all we wanted to do in the region, for accommodations check out these choices. We started off on the iconic drive into the National Park passing by the bright turquois Lake Pukaki, which is definitely worth a stop or two while driving. Once in the park hit the Tasman Glacier Viewpoint trail and see a real life glacier! Tasman Lake and River are also very scenic with that signature icy blue and we could see even closer up huge chunks of the glacier that had chipped away.

Mount Cook National Park We spent two separate days here since there was so much to see and do! Day 2 in the park head to the Hooker Valley Track which is a longer hike than Tasman Glacier. This hike will take you through winding valleys and you will get up close and personal with Mount Cook! This was my all time favorite hike in New Zealand because each turn is another breathtaking panorama and you can see a different glacier here as well! On the trail first stop at the Lake Muller Lookout, cross some suspension bridges (not high for those scared of heights) and make your way to the end at Hooker Lake. We spent a lot of time at Hooker Lake and ate our packed lunch here, watching the clouds change around Mount Cook or Aoraki was mesmerizing! So stunning!

Dark Sky Reserve & Lake Tekapo After a full day of hiking, on your drive back make a detour to Lake Tekapo. Here you will find Lupin flower meadows surrounding the beautiful blue lake, the Church of The Good Shepard which finds its way on many tourism stops for its charming location, and a Dark Sky Reserve! The Dark Sky Project hosts tours that will take you to an observatory or around the Lake with an expert. I adored seeing jut how dark it really is out there and how many starts you can see! Try your hand at astral photography!

Hot Springs & Helihike! This day was absolute perfection and you’ll see why! Head to Tekapo Springs and your body will thank you after so much hiking and going non-stop in New Zealand. The spring water pools are different temperatures for a full wellness experience. We got cleaned up and my (now) husband told me we were going to dinner. Little did I know - we were heading to Mount Cook Heliworks to ride in a helicopter! We took a scenic flight then were dropped off to a mountainside picnic with the most epic view. My husband got down on one knee right there and proposed! If you have a special occasion to celebrate, I can’t recommend Heliworks enough, they do glacier treks as well as the mountainside picnic and other awesome tours. They are world class and cannot thank them enough for making my proposal amazing!

Milford Sound

Milford Sound Its time to see some Fjords! Pack up and depart the Mount Cook region and head for Te Anau where you will want to stay just outside Fjordland National Park. There are more fjords than just Milford Sound, but they require a helicopter or plane ride and are much more expensive to get to. Because of their remoteness though, it’s well worth the ticket price for those that can afford it! We hit the road for Milford Sound early since there is one way in and out and it can get crowded depending on the season. Book a boat tour, we chose Cruise Milford because it was smaller and could get closer to the points of interest than some of the larger boats. It rains often here, which can be a plus because the waterfalls come to life! Get ready to see penguins, seals, dolphins and other wildlife as you cruise down a stunning fjord towards the ocean. This is a must do to finish off you New Zealand vacation!

Lake Marian Head back to Fjordland National park and stop at the Lake Marian Track trail entrance. This was a fairly difficult hike but it was gorgeous once we reached the top, Lake Marian is a crystal clear snowmelt alpine lake that creates a beautiful mirrored reflection of the mountains above. The hike runs through a mossy rainforest which was also very interesting for what is a snowy mountainous region!

Fly Back to Auckland To fly international you will drive back to Queenstown and catch a flight back to Auckland. I recommend giving yourself one night in Auckland on your return home to give yourself time in case there are delays and to break up your journey.

Want more? Check out the Must Do Hikes in New Zealand