I’ve now ventured “across the pond” (Aussie slang for over the Tasman Sea) to explore New Zealand as a destination five times.
My first trip was around the south island with my family as a teen, then I jumped on a Contiki tour around the north island in my early twenties. Since then I’ve been back to Queenstown three times for NZ ski trips with family/friends and one time for my cousin’s wedding. Even after five visits, I’d happily say yes to going back again if someone asked me to tag along on their trip to NZ.
From where I live on the east coast of New South Wales, it’s a reasonably cheap and quick 3-hour flight to reach the majestic landscapes, picturesque towns, and happening cities that are scattered across the islands of New Zealand. This makes it a very tempting destination for Australians to visit.
Having now had the opportunity to see much of the country from the northern tip to the southern end, I’ve compiled an itinerary including all my favourite places to visit in New Zealand. Hopefully this will inspire you to visit this scenic south Pacific country!
Quick summary:
This three-week New Zealand itinerary covers the absolute best of the North and South Islands, including vibrant cities, geothermal wonders, turquoise lakes, alpine scenery, glaciers, and iconic adventure towns. It’s packed with my personal highlights, practical tips, and the must-do experiences that make NZ such an unforgettable destination.
Recommended tours (North Island):
🧙♂️ Hobbiton Movie Set Tour (Auckland) – Visit the famous film set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
🪂 Bay of Islands Skydive – Freefall from 12,000 ft with stunning island and ocean views.
🔥 Māori Cultural Experience (Rotorua) – Enjoy a traditional village visit, cultural performance, and hangi feast.
🚤 Huka Falls Jet Boat (Taupo) – High-speed thrills and up-close views of the powerful falls.
Recommended tours (South Island):
🚁 Mount Cook Alpine Helicopter Flight – Fly over the Southern Alps and land on a snowy peak.
🚌 Milford Sound Day Tour (Queenstown) – See dramatic cliffs and waterfalls on a scenic fjord cruise.
🛻 Wanaka 4×4 Explorer Tour – Off-road mountain and lake views without a long hike.
🧊 Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike – Explore blue ice formations and glacial terrain by helicopter.
Best of New Zealand itinerary:
North Island:
- Auckland
- Bay of Islands
- Rotorua
- Taupo
- Wellington
South Island:
- Christchurch
- Tekapo
- Mount Cook
- Queenstown
- Milford Sound
- Wanaka
- Franz Josef
- Arthur’s Pass
How long does this New Zealand itinerary take?
I would suggest a minimum of three weeks to complete this itinerary.
How to get around New Zealand:
Independent travel
There are numerous options for making your way around New Zealand, and independent travel is a popular option with tourists. I’ve travelled around the south island via car and campervan with friends/family for various Queenstown ski trips, and can vouch that it’s an excellent way to visit the various destinations at your own pace.
If you will need a vehicle, companies like Enterprise-Rent-A-Car in New Zealand have multiple locations to choose from around the country. Rent a car or rent a campervan to collect on arrival and drop it off at the end of your trip as you head to the airport.
If you’ll be travelling independently, it’s a good idea to compare travel eSIMs for New Zealand so you can stay online from the moment you land. Having mobile data will help you with finding your way around or last-minute bookings without relying on patchy Wi-Fi or physical SIM cards.
Travelling between the North and South islands
If you’ve chosen the independent travel route, you have two options for island hopping – flying or driving.
It’s an easy 1 hour direct flight from Wellington to Christchurch with Air New Zealand, with around a dozen departures each day. If you prefer, you can also fly direct Wellington to Queenstown (though these are less frequent and more expensive) or from Auckland to Christchurch.
If you’re renting a car in New Zealand and want to drive between islands, a ferry departs from Wellington on the North Island, taking passengers to Picton on the South Island. From there, it’s a little over 4 hours drive to Christchurch where you can start the next leg of your New Zealand itinerary.
New Zealand North Island destinations:
Auckland
Auckland holds New Zealand’s biggest airport so if you’re flying into the country from overseas, this is probably going to be the best place to start your New Zealand adventure.
Auckland actually reminds me a lot of my current home of Sydney, Australia. It has a large and pretty harbour, it’s near to some epic nature locations, and it has a ton of great restaurants and museum options. Auckland is a large city so it doesn’t exactly reflect the picture of New Zealand that most people imagine, but it does have a lot to offer.
🧙♂️ If you’re into Lord of the Rings, many fans will choose to do a Hobbiton movie set day tour from Auckland to walk through the adorable village where some of the most iconic scenes were filmed!
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands, a few hours drive north of Auckland, is one of those places that I’d never even heard of before I went there. It was one of the destinations on the Contiki tour that I booked to celebrate my 23rd birthday, and it ended up being one of my absolute faves.
I’m not generally one to participate in extreme sports, but at the time I was going through a stage where I wanted to do some adventurous activities.
🪂 I ended up Skydiving over Bay of Islands, where you can experience 40 seconds of freefall from a height of 12,000 ft!
The view of the bay with the scattering of tiny islands were a stunning place to view from the sky! It was wild to be falling through a gap in the clouds towards the stunning green and blue landscape below.
Down at sea level, the scenery looked just as beautiful. Dolphins followed our boat as we ventured from the mainland out into the bay. Lush green hills poked their heads out of the water. I was so surprised by this spot that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t known that it had existed. I guess New Zealand has such a huge number of pretty locations that this one just gets lost in the mix!
Rotorua
Located in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island, Rotorua is one of the best places to experience Maori culture.
🔥 Rotorua offers profound Maori cultural experiences with opportunities to visit traditional Maori villages, enjoy authentic Hangi feasts, and witness powerful cultural performances.
This destination is also renowned for its unique geothermal activity, which is accompanied by a faint smell of rotten eggs! Despite the stench, you’ll likely be captivated by its bubbling mud pools, spouting geysers, and natural hot springs, particularly those at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland and Te Puia.
Taupo (Craters of the Moon & Huka Falls)
Taupo is a cute town on a lake, which is a nice place to stop though I thought that there wasn’t a huge amount to do there. However, the surrounding area had some amazing natural attractions that are 100% worth visiting.
Craters of the Moon Park definitely challenges Yellowstone as one of the most otherworldly destinations that I’ve visited. The crust of the Earth is so thin at this spot near Rotorua that you can see mud bubbling up through cracks in the surface. Huge plumes of sulphuric gas float up from seemingly nowhere. And somehow we were allowed to walk right through it. I found it to be both freaky and beautiful. Walking along the wooden boardwalks in this park stands out in my memory as being one of the wildest experiences I’ve had.
🚤 Huka Falls is another incredible spot near Taupo. I did a Jet Boat Ride at Huka Falls which was exhilirating to say the least!
If you’re not up for such adventurous activities, it’s perfectly acceptable to just check out the vibrant colours of the rushing waters from the viewing platform above.
Wellington
Wellington is one of those cities that made me immediately think “I could live here”. It’s hard to put a finger on exactly why I had that positive reaction, and it’s especially surprising as my last visit to Wellington had been preceded with a cancelled flight and overnight delay, so I was reasonably tired and grumpy by the time I got there.
I think I liked Wellington so much because it seems like a perfect combination of big city and small town. It has all the conveniences that come with living near a large population, but it doesn’t feel overcrowded or claustrophobic. I thought that the streets felt super clean and the vibe was very relaxed. The people who lived there seemed like they were genuinely happy. That’s my kind of place.
👉 Read more: How to spend one day in Wellington NZ
New Zealand South Island destinations:
Christchurch
My experience of Christchurch was actually quite unique in that I visited just a few weeks after a major earthquake struck the city in 2011. Most of the downtown area was closed off, but I was able to wander around the perimeter and see first hand the damage that had taken place.
I’ve heard that since then, Christchurch has bounced back with a vengeance. You can take a leisurely punt ride on the Avon River, explore the rejuvenated city center with its diverse array of shops, cafes, and restaurants, or visit the renowned Canterbury Museum for insights into the region’s history.
Tekapo
Lake Tekapo’s bright turquoise water surrounded by snow-capped mountains is seriously breathtaking, and the ultra-cute Church of the Good Shepherd makes for a perfect photo op. My family didn’t spend a great deal of time at Tekapo on our road trip around the south island, but I do remember that we really enjoyed chilling by the lake, climbing over rocks, and eating a picnic lunch in the sunshine.
Aside from the stunning views across the water, the hot pools at Tekapo Springs might tempt you into taking a relaxating swim. Stop in at Astro Cafe for a coffee with a neat view of the surrounding landscape, or if you’re into stargazing and will be staying in the area, head to the Mount John Observatory at night time to check out the array of stars that make up the Milky Way.
Mount Cook
An event that really stands out in my memory is standing at a lookout point at Mount Cook and listening to the distant sound of huge chunks of ice cracking and falling into alpine lake. I imagine you can hear something similar in Antarctica, Greenland, or at other places surrounding the Arctic Circle, but Mount Cook was the only place that I’ve experienced it.
🚁 Mount Cook was the place that my family took an Alpine Vista Helicopter Flight up to the snow on top of untouched mountains.
I still have the footage that I took on my crappy digital camera back in 2007, and I remember it being one of the first times that I just couldn’t put my camera down because of how amazing the views were.
The helicopter pilot did a little trick as we flew off the mountain. We went right over the top of a glacier and could see the ocean on both sides of New Zealand. It was simultaneously terrifying and truly awesome.
Queenstown
Amazingly, I’ve been to Queenstown three out of the four times that I’ve visited New Zealand. It’s a super pretty little town in the alps which makes it a great destination for a ski trip. You won’t find many Kiwis here – it’s mostly internationals who come to stay in one of the many cheap backpacking hostels or who are working on the slopes during the ski season.
👉 Read more: Hit the slopes in New Zealand: Queenstown ski trip guide
Although the lack of locals makes it feel a bit ‘touristy’, it’s actually one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The location is just phenomenal. Surrounded by jagged mountains on all sides and perched beside a vast lake, Queenstown’s location is truly magical. The town itself is gorgeous, too. The food is excellent, the people are friendly, and there are plenty of activities to keep you occupied for a week or more.
👉 Read more: 12 best things to do in Queenstown NZ (perfect weekend guide)
Milford Sound
Milford Sound really is somewhere you have to see to believe – it’s one of those locations that they’d pick for a tourism commercial because of its stunning natural beauty.
🚌 It’s nearly a 4 hour drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound, so you can choose to either book a Milford Sound Day Tour from Queenstown or stay overnight in Te Anu to break up the journey.
Once you’re there, you should definitely take a boat trip out on the water to see the cascading waterfalls running down the steep hillsides into the water in the sound.
Wanaka
Wanaka is a picturesque town that is possibly most famous for its recognisable photography locations, including That Wanaka Tree – a lone tree which juts out of the lake with a stunning mountain backdrop. And yes, you can search for this in Google Maps.
Roy’s Peak track is another popular photo spot. The hike offers a panoramic vista of the surrounding landscape with an Instagram-worthy view.
🛻 If you can’t be bothered with the lengthy hike to the sometimes-crowded viewpoint, a Wanaka 4×4 Explorer Tour of the surrounding mountains will give you similarly awesome views of the lake!
Other must-visit attractions at Wanaka include the quirky Puzzling World (a huge hit for my brother and I when we visited as teens), and the serene Wanaka Lavender Farm.
Franz Josef
Franz Josef is among the most accessible glaciers in the world. Visitors can get very close to the base to witness awe-inspiring ice formations, blue ice caves, and breathtaking glacial landscapes.
🧊 It’s not cheap, but a guided Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike will provide unique opportunities to explore this natural wonder up close.
The nearby towns of Fox Glacier and Franz Josef serve as perfect bases to explore this area and have a range of accommodations and dining options for travellers passing through.
Arthur’s Pass
The drive back to Christchurch includes a winding mountainous route through the Alps. The road itself can be quite challenging, with steep inclines and sharp bends, so please drive carefully (especially in winter when conditions can be icy).
The charming village of Arthur’s Pass is a favourite town for tourists to stop along the way, with various hiking trails and viewpoints nearby and lots of opportunities for wildlife spotting.
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