New Zealand itinerary tips

Things to consider first

The following destination tips and travel itineraries were developed for trips from 5 days to 2 months and don't include individual detours to other special destinations. No one will ever have enough time to travel all the way to the last interesting corner of New Zealand!

Travel distances are often greater than expected, New Zealand probably only looks so small because nearby Australia is so huge... The driving time from Auckland to Christchurch is at least 12 hours (excluding the ferry) and from Cape Reinga to Bluff over 24 hours! In addition, countless walks, scenic spots, museums, beaches and cafes entice you to linger on the way. Although the South Island is the larger of the two islands, drives in the North Island  often surprisingly take longer because of the many twists and turns.

For this reason, many travellers choose to take a flight back to Auckland from Christchurch or Dunedin (or vice versa), but in addition to the airfare you’ll face additional one way fees from car/campervan rental companies.

Travellers should also take seasonal aspects into account. For example in winter the northern regions are more comfortable due to higher temperatures, in summer the swimming is also better in the north, but the coastal areas may be very busy during the school holidays. There may also be significant weather differences between east and west coasts, consulting the Metservice before major junctions is recommended, also see travel distances and climate.

Whoever has visited New Zealand more than once would recommend that travellers should focus on just a few regions (which means more time spent in the amazing outdoors than in the car). But who can resist the temptation to see everything on their first trip – after all who knows when you might return?

The most popular North Island routes

The most popular South Island routes

Further information

Also see these articles concerning travel destinations and itineraries:

• Top New Zealand destinations by category (volcanoes, forests, mountains, caves, rivers, lakes, beaches, wildlife, hiking, cities, culture, activities, sports, Maori culture & remote destinations)
• Best travel time for New Zealand
• New Zealand regions
• Getting around New Zealand
• Driving rules in New Zealand
• New Zealand distances and driving times
• Let someone else decide the itinerary: group tours or backpacker buses!