A Perfect New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary if You Only Have 2 Weeks
There are some countries and regions of the world that just beg to be explored on a road trip. And I'm a firm believer that New Zealand is one of these countries.
I've been to New Zealand half a dozen times (and have even lived there!) and am here to share my version of a perfect 2-week New Zealand road trip itinerary, taking in the highlights on both the North and South Islands.
In an ideal world, you'd have the time and money to spend at least a month in New Zealand in order to really appreciate it. But we don't live in an ideal world, and I know that many of my fellow Americans only get about two weeks of vacation time to use every year.
With that in mind, here's my suggestion for a 2-week New Zealand road trip that includes all the major must-sees from cities to mountains to hobbit holes to fjords, as well as some short hikes and cool activities you can add to make your trip extra memorable.
Highlights of this 2-week New Zealand itinerary include:
- Exploring Auckland
- Wine tasting on Waiheke Island
- A visit to Hobbiton
- Geothermal wonders in Rotorua
- The capital city of Wellington
- The cool and quirky Nelson
- Driving down the West Coast of the South Island
- Glacier hiking in Franz Josef
- Beautiful scenery in Wanaka
- Adventure sports in Queenstown
- Day trip to Milford Sound
- Seeing Aoraki/Mount Cook
- Visiting Christchurch
- Plus much more!
NZ road trip: Car vs. campervan
We've already established that road tripping is the best way to see New Zealand. But when planning a NZ road trip, you have two main modes of transport to consider: a car, or a campervan.
The benefits of renting a car are that it's usually much cheaper, cars are easier to handle on New Zealand's narrow and winding roads, and there's more inventory on both islands.
The benefits of renting a campervan are that you can save some money by camping and cooking your own meals. Plus, campervanning around New Zealand is an iconic way to explore the country!
Both are excellent choices, and it all boils down to your budget and your preferred accommodation type. If you prefer B&Bs and hotels, rent a car. If you're up for sleeping in a van at campsites and holiday parks, then a campervan might be right for you.
For car rentals, you can compare prices here. For campervans, I recommend checking out brands like Spaceships for smaller vans (this is who I personally used), and Euro Campers, Britz, or Maui for larger campers.
Other New Zealand road trip posts you may want to read:
The best time of year for a New Zealand road trip
You can road trip New Zealand year-round; I personally have visited the country in just about every season! The weather can of course vary from region to region depending on the season, but you can usually access all the main stops at all times of year.
Having said that, though, you'll likely find the most favorable weather and largest amount of tours/attractions open during the summer months (which are generally December-February in New Zealand). The shoulder seasons on either side (esp. November and March) are pretty good options, too.
My favorite month to visit has probably been November (late spring), for decent weather, blooming lupins, and less crowds than during full summer. But “high season” in New Zealand is not like high season in some other parts of the world, so you really can't go wrong.
Important note before you go: Travelers from the US, UK, Canada, and others must apply for the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before leaving for New Zealand. This electronic visa waiver costs $17-$23 NZD ($10-$14 USD), takes up to 72 hours to process, and you can apply here. Visitors also need to pay a International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) before traveling, which costs $100 NZD ($62 USD). You'll pay this conservation fee when you register for your NZeTA.
The perfect 2-week New Zealand road trip itinerary
This New Zealand itinerary is based 100% on my own personal travel experience – I've been to New Zealand 5 separate times, have done multiple road trips there, and even lived in Wellington for a while in 2008!
Spending 2 weeks in New Zealand will never feel like long enough, but I've done my best to distill all the highlights down into one itinerary. This is geared towards first-time visitors to New Zealand who want to see all the highlights in one go.
Want a printable version of this itinerary? Get one here!
Day 1 – Arrive in Auckland
Even though this is a road trip itinerary, I actually don't recommend picking up your rental car (or campervan, or whatever it is you're going to rent) until Day 3 of this itinerary. You don't really need a vehicle to get around in Auckland, so save yourself a couple days of rental fees!
You'll likely arrive in Auckland this morning. Auckland is New Zealand's largest city (NOT the capital city, though), and is where almost all the international flights will arrive into. So you may as well start here!
You probably won't be able to check into your hotel yet, but you can definitely head into the city (you can take the AirportLink bus, call up a rideshare, or pre-book a private airport transfer), drop off your luggage, and maybe change your clothes in preparation for an afternoon of exploring Auckland.
Some things I recommend doing today include:
- Going up the Sky Tower for excellent views of Auckland (buy tickets in advance here)
- Strolling along the waterfront from Queens Wharf, past Viaduct Harbor, and into the Wynyard Quarter
- Getting a fancy ice cream at Giapo
By the time you've done this (and thrown in some lunch and maybe a bit of shopping), you'll be able to head back to your hotel to check in and just crash.
In order to combat the jet lag, I recommend trying to stay up as late as possible without any naps. But ordering room service and going to bed by 8 p.m. tonight is totally acceptable. 😉
Total driving time today: 0 hours
Sample costs: Sky Tower admission – $41 NZD
Where to stay in Auckland (2 nights): I love the Grand Millennium Auckland. This upmarket CBD hotel is clean and comfortable, and has a lovely staff. There's an indoor pool, a bar, and two restaurants on-site, plus a pretty great room service menu. You can walk to the Sky Tower and harbor in about 15 minutes. (Read reviews on TripAdvisor | Book a room here!) Other Auckland hotel options include M Social Auckland, The Hotel Britomart, or Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour.
Day 2 – Waiheke Island
Jet lag will likely have you up early this morning, so you may as well take advantage of it! There are plenty more things to do in Auckland, but my top pick is to take a day trip out to Waiheke Island. This island is located just a 40-minute ferry ride from Auckland, and ferries start running fairly early in the morning.
Waiheke Island is known for its wineries and beaches, and makes for a perfect day trip from Auckland.
Catch the ferry over, and then either use the bus (there's even a hop-on hop-off bus now!) or rent a bike to get around the island (though note that parts of it are pretty hilly!). You can visit white-sand beaches at Oneroa, Palm Beach, and Onetangi, and visit wineries like Cable Bay, Mudbrick, and Stonyridge.
If you'd rather not explore the island on your own, sign up for a food and wine tour of Waiheke (this is a pretty good deal!), or a day trip to Waiheke that includes transport from Auckland.
Back in Auckland, have a leisurely evening in preparation to hit the road on Day 3!
Total driving time today: 0 hours
Costs: Ferry to Waiheke – starting at $38 NZD roundtrip
Where to stay in Auckland: I still recommend the Grand Millennium Auckland tonight! Other Auckland hotel options include M Social Auckland, The Hotel Britomart, or Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour.
Day 3 – Matamata and Rotorua
First up in your New Zealand itinerary today: pick up your rental car or van!
Picking up your car or campervan today means you can pick up from an Auckland city location as opposed to the airport, which should save you a bit of money. Allow up to an hour for pick-up, as some of the more popular rental companies can be very busy, especially during high season.
Once you're all set with your vehicle, it's time to start you New Zealand road trip and head south to the farming community of Matamata. You may not be familiar with this town's name, but you probably ARE familiar with its top attraction: Hobbiton!
More than 20 years ago, a family sheep farm in Matamata was used as the film set for Hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lord of the Rings tourism took off in New Zealand after the success of the movies, and so when they decided to re-build the same Hobbiton set for the Hobbit trilogy, they built it to last.
Today, you can tour the set of Hobbiton – and it's magical even if you aren't a Lord of the Rings fan.
It takes about 2 hours to get to Hobbiton from Auckland, so plan for an afternoon tour of the Hobbiton movie set. Tours leave from the Shire's Rest roughly every half hour, but you DO want to book in advance since tours often sell out. (Book a guided tour here.)
You'll spend the next 2 hours being guided around the 12-acre movie set, taking in all the hobbit-y details and hearing stories about filming. You'll see all the details up close, and will even get to go inside one of the hobbit holes! The tour will end with a drink in the Green Dragon Inn.
From here, it's an hour to go to the city of Rotorua, where you'll be spending the next couple of nights.
You'll likely arrive before dinner time, so if you want to do something relaxing this evening, I recommend booking a time slot at the Polynesian Spa. The pools at this spa overlook Lake Rotorua, and are filled with geothermal mineral water sourced from two nearby natural springs. Definitely go for the Deluxe Lake Spa for ultimate relaxation.
Total driving time today: 3 hours
Costs: Hobbiton tour – $89 NZD; Polynesian Spa – $50 NZD for the Deluxe Lake Spa (book here)
Where to stay in Rotorua (2 nights):
- If you're traveling in a campervan, I recommend staying at Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park. This holiday park has nice common areas, thermal pools you can use, and even a resident cat to make friends with. It's not within walking distance to downtown, however.
- If you're renting a car, I recommend Aura Accommodation (one of the highest-rated options on TripAdvisor), or Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel if you're looking for a little luxury.
Day 4 – Rotorua
Today, spend the day exploring Rotorua. This is one of the most geothermally-active areas in New Zealand – and you can tell by the whiffs of sulphur you'll get all throughout the city.
Start your morning off with a visit to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland just outside of the city, where you can see everything from geysers to boiling mud to neon-green lakes. There are other thermal parks in Rotorua, but this one is my favorite! (It's recommended that you pre-book a ticket.)
The Champagne Pool and Devil's Bath are definitely must-sees. Allow at least 2 hours to walk all the park's trails.
Pro tip: If for whatever reason Wai-O-Tapu is closed or tickets are sold out, the Hells Gate Geothermal Reserve is a good alternative.
After getting your fill of geothermal oddities, head to the Redwoods Treewalk, where you can spend an hour traversing a series of suspension bridges high up in a grove of redwood trees (because yes, redwoods totally grow in Rotorua!). This is a very unique spot – definitely worth a stop!
You can pre-purchase tickets, but you don't need to as entry isn't timed, and any pre-booked tickets are good for a year.
This afternoon, you can explore a bit of downtown Rotorua. Grab lunch on Eat Streat (a cool collection of restaurants), visit the Government Gardens, and stroll along Lake Rotorua. You'll see a Skyline Gondola here above the lake, and it's a more affordable option that the one in Queenstown in case you want to try out the luging!
Tonight, I recommend splurging on a visit to one of Rotorua's Maori villages. While you can experience New Zealand's native Maori culture all over the country, Rotorua has some of the best cultural shows.
Places like Te Pā Tū (formerly Tamaki Village) and Mitai Village offer nightly dinner-concert packages, which include a traditional hangi dinner (food cooked in an earthen oven) along with a concert/show that includes traditional Maori songs and dances. These aren't particularly cheap, but it's a must-have experience if it's your first trip to New Zealand.
(And while these experiences are definitely touristy, they are very culturally traditional and presented/performed by Indigenous peoples.)
Total driving time today: Less than 2 hours (it takes about 30 minutes to drive to Wai-O-Tapu from Rotorua)
Costs: Wai-O-Tapu – $32.50 NZD per adult; Redwoods Treewalk – $37 NZD; Maori dinner show – starting around $125 NZD per adult (which includes dinner, concert, and transport from your accommodation)
Where to stay in Rotorua: Again, I recommend staying at Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park if you're in a campervan, and Aura Accommodation or Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel if you have a regular car.
Day 5 – To Wellington
Day 5 will have you heading to my favorite city in New Zealand: Wellington! It's a bit of a long driving day, but there are some cool things you can see along the way.
The first stop I'd make is at Lake Taupo (the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand), where you can admire the lake and stop to see Huka Falls. IF you get an early enough start, you can also book a cruise on Lake Taupo to see some unique Maori rock carvings.
And Taupo also has a very famous McDonald's where you can eat your Bic Mac inside an old WWII-era plane. (It's at 48 Roberts St.)
Then I'd recommend driving south down Highway 1, which has a section called the “Desert Road,” where you can get some great views of the volcanoes in Tongariro National Park if the weather is clear.
You should make it to Wellington by dinnertime even with some stops, so I recommend checking in to your hotel and then heading into the city for dinner. Cuba Street especially has some great food and entertainment options.
Total driving time today: 6 hours
Costs: No attraction costs today
Where to stay in Wellington (2 nights):
- If you have a campervan, the best campsite closest to Wellington is probably the Wellington Top 10 Holiday Park, though it's still 15 km from central Wellington. You might want to consider staying at a downtown hotel for the next 2 nights even if you have a campervan, simply because it's easier to park and explore Wellington on foot than to drive into the city every day.
- If you have a car (or just decide to stay downtown), my top hotel picks are Rydges Wellington and the Copthorne Hotel Wellington Oriental Bay (I've personally stayed at both!).
Day 6 – Wellington
You really need multiple days to fully explore Wellington, but you can still cover most of the city's highlights in just one day.
If you're staying at the Copthorne, I recommend starting out with a walk along Wellington's waterfront at Oriental Bay, Wellington's only city beach. You can walk all the way from the beach past the harbor, and then cross the quirky City to Sea Bridge to reach the city center.
Along the way, you may want to pop into Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of New Zealand. It's located on the waterfront and is free to visit (or you can pay a small amount for a guided museum tour). It's an especially great place to spend time if you hit bad weather in Wellington. (Though even if you don't, I still recommend visiting as it's an excellent museum!)
Next, it's up the hill with the Wellington Cable Car, which takes you from Lambton Quay (the city's main shopping street) to Kelburn Station at the Wellington Botanic Garden. From the upper station, you get the best views out over Wellington.
(You can even pre-book your cable car tickets if you want, though you don't have to.)
In the afternoon, you have a couple of options. Either you can continue wandering around the downtown area (Cuba Street is great for people watching, and Courtenay Place is also lively), or you can make a trip out to Weta Workshop in Miramar.
Weta Workshop is the place where movie art, effects, and props have been created ever since the Lord of the Rings trilogy put New Zealand on the movie-making map. The behind-the-scenes Weta tour is super interesting even if your aren't a big fan of hobbits and orcs. (Book an entry ticket here, or a ticket with transfers here.)
If you're up for one more epic view of the city, you can make your way by car or bus up to the viewpoint atop Mount Victoria around sunset. It's almost always super windy at the top, but the views out over Wellington are stunning.
Total driving time today: 0 hours
Costs: Cable car – $9 NZD for a roundtrip ticket; Weta tour – $90 NZD for a tour with transfers
Where to stay in Wellington: Again, I recommend Rydges Wellington and the Copthorne Hotel Wellington Oriental Bay for staying downtown, or the Wellington Top 10 Holiday Park if you're looking for a good campsite.
Day 7 – Ferry to South Island / Nelson
After nearly a week on the North Island, it's time to wave goodbye to the hills and prepare to say hello to the mountains! Take a late morning ferry from Wellington across the Cook Strait to Picton.
You have two ferry options: the Interislander and Bluebridge. Both ferries are similar in price and amenities, so you might just decide who to sail with based on their timetables. (Definitely book ahead, though, since you'll be taking a vehicle!)
This ferry ride usually takes at least 3.5 hours, but the ferries that run this route are large with comfortable lounge chairs, large windows, and usually at least one cafe. Make sure to go out on deck once you reach the Queen Charlotte Sound, as the scenery is pretty spectacular!
Once you disembark in Picton, it's a 2-hour drive to the city of Nelson.
Nelson is known for its artsy vibe and location on Tasman Bay. If you arrive early enough, I recommend visiting the WOW Museum (which displays pieces from the annual World of Wearable Art event) and the Nelson Classic Car Collection.
Total driving time today: 2 hours
Cost: A one-way ferry ride with a car + 2 people starts around $275 NZD (and you do want to book ahead!)
Where to stay in Nelson (1 night):
- If you're traveling with a campervan, the Nelson City TOP 10 Holiday Park is close to the city center and has really nice common areas and amenities.
- If you're traveling with a car, The Sails Nelson is my pick in Nelson, and is within walking distance to the city center. (Read reviews on TripAdvisor | Book a room here)
Day 8 – West Coast
I won't sugarcoat it: today is going to be a very long day of driving; there's just no way around it. But no New Zealand road trip would be complete without driving down the wild West Coast, so hopefully you're up for the adventure!
Get an early start today so you can make a few stops along the way. From Nelson, take Highway 6 south. And then just stay on 6 basically the whole day!
Your first major stop will be in Punakaiki on the edge of Paparoa National Park. This is one of the most stunning parts of the West Coast, and in Punakaiki you'll find the famous Pancake Rocks.
These aren't just a couple of flat rocks, though – the area is full of stacks of the things, along with natural blowholes and some very Jurassic Park-esque scenery. You can go for a short walk here to stretch your legs and enjoy the cool scenery.
After you spend some time on the loop trail here, Punakaiki is a good spot to stop for lunch.
From Punakaiki, continue south to the city of Greymouth, the largest city on the West Coast. Greymouth is home to Monteith's Brewery, one of the top craft breweries in New Zealand. If you time it right, you can take a brewery tour here (shoot for the 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. tour). If not, you can still stop in for a tasting.
From there, it's a couple more hours to the small town of Franz Josef Glacier.
Total driving time today: 7 hours
Cost: Monteith's Brewery tour: $25 NZD
Where to stay in Franz Josef (2 nights):
- If traveling with a campervan, check out the Rainforest Retreat, which offers everything from campervan sites to luxury treehouses.
- If traveling with a car, Aspen Court is the top-rated motel in Franz Josef with large rooms within walking distance to everything in town. If you're looking for a more luxurious spot to spend a couple nights, go for the Glenfern Villas, which are little further outside the town center.
Day 9 – Franz Josef
This part of the West Coast is even more wild and unique than what you saw yesterday, thanks mostly to the glaciers that snake down from the mountains into the temperate rainforest on the coast. There are two glaciers in the area: Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier.
Sadly, both glaciers have retreated a lot in recent years, and because their terminal faces are unstable, the only way to hike on either glacier now is by doing a heli-hike. A glacier heli-hike is an EPIC experience: you get into a helicopter and fly high up onto the blue-white glacier, and then you get out, don ice crampons, and hike around on the ice for a couple hours before flying back down again.
If you can afford a heli-hike, definitely book one; this is the best glacier experience to have in New Zealand, and I don't think you'll regret it.
HOWEVER, it's worth noting that both Franz Josef and Fox glaciers exist within a rainforest. And when it's too rainy/cloudy, the helicopters won't fly. So, even if you do book a heli-hike, there's really only about a 50/50 chance that you'll get up on a glacier. I recommend booking one for Day 9, with the morning of Day 10 as your back-up.
If you can't do a glacier hike today, some other short walks you can do in the area include:
- The loop around Lake Matheson, the Mirror Lake (1.5 hours)
- Hike into the Franz Josef Valley and up the riverbed to the face of the glacier (but NOT onto it) (1.5 hours)
- Do a short walk through the forest to Peter's Pool (30 minutes)
- See glowworms after dark on the Minnehaha Walk in Fox Glacier town (20 minutes)
No matter what you end up doing today, I recommend going for an evening soak in the Glacier Hot Pools. If you do a heli-hike, entry will be included with your ticket and you'll welcome the soothing water after hours on the ice. And if you don't hike a glacier but do some other walks instead, you'll still probably enjoy a good soak, especially if it's been a wet day.
Total driving time today: Maybe an hour or so if you end up driving to do some of these short hikes
Cost: Heli-hikes can be as much as $450 NZD; Glacier Hot Pools – $28 NZD for the main pools
Where to stay in Franz Josef: Again, the Rainforest Retreat, is a good option for campervans (or other types of rooms), and Aspen Court is the top-rated motel in Franz Josef.
Day 10 – To Queenstown via Wanaka
If your glacier heli-hike got canceled on Day 9, see if you can reschedule it early on Day 10. If so, go and get on that ice this morning! If you went hiking yesterday or the glacier hikes get canceled again today (which can happen!), it's time to move on from the West Coast.
From Franz Josef, you'll continue south on Highway 6 along the coast until you get to Haast. From there, you'll head inland and go over the Haast Pass, which is pretty stunning!
Important info: From January 13-April 25, 2025, Highway 6 between Lake Moeraki and Haast (a roughly 35 kilometer stretch of road) will be closed Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. in both directions for repair works. Keep this in mind for today, as you need to drive on that stretch of road and there are no detours or alternate routes.
If you have time, I recommend stopping in Makarora to do the Blue Pools walk just after the Haast Pass. This short walk includes traversing through a mature beech and podocarp forest, and then crossing two suspension bridges to see the beautiful clear blue pools.
(And I can say from experience that even if it's raining and even if the pools aren't blue because there's been flooding in the area recently, this hour-long hike is still very pretty!)
From the Blue Pools, you'll soon be driving along the northern end of Lake Wanaka, followed by the west side of Lake Hawea. These lakes are absolutely beautiful, and you'll definitely want to pull over at at least a few of the viewpoints for some photos.
Whether you're coming straight from Franz Josef or have spent your morning and afternoon stopping for hikes and viewpoints, I recommend stopping in the lakeside town of Wanaka for some sightseeing and dinner.
Wanaka has become Instagram-famous in recent years for both its Roy's Peak hike, and for That Wanaka Tree, which grows out of the lake.
You won't be able to hike to Roy's Peak in just a couple of hours, but at the very least you should have time to stroll along the lakeshore and see the Wanaka Tree, and then head back to the city center for dinner (there are lots of good restaurants to choose from).
From Wanaka, it's a little over an hour to Queenstown.
If you're traveling in the late spring, summer, or early autumn, I recommend taking the Crown Range Road to Queenstown. The road takes you over a twisty mountain pass, but gives you incredible views as you head down into Queenstown. (I don't recommend taking this road in the winter, though, if you're not comfortable driving on potentially snowy/icy roads.)
Total driving time today: 5 hours
Cost: None, unless you're doing your heli-hike today
Where to stay in Queenstown (3 nights):
- If you're campervanning it, my pick is the Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park, which is located just outside of Queenstown in Arthurs Point. This holiday park has very nice facilities, and best of all has a shuttle to/from downtown Queenstown. It can be very tricky to find parking in Queenstown, so I recommend taking advantage of this service!
- If you're renting a car, I recommend staying right in downtown Queenstown – but know you're likely going to have to pay extra for parking. My top picks are the Ramada Hotel & Suites Queenstown Remarkables Park for a more budget-friendly option, the Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, or the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa if you're looking to splurge.
Day 11 – Queenstown
We're dedicating today to Queenstown, New Zealand's “adventure capital.” How much adventure you're up for totally depends on your budget and preferred amount of adrenaline, but I'll lay out a few options that I consider to be must-dos for you.
If you're going to brave a bungee jump in New Zealand, this is where you want to do it. Commercial bungee jumping was “invented” right here in Queenstown, and I recommend the Kawarau Bridge as the ideal first-bungee spot (this is actually where the first commercial jump took place in the 1980s).
You can either drive out to the bungee site yourself, or get a free ride from The Station in downtown Queenstown (I recommend booking ahead and taking the free shuttle from town).
After your jump, why not keep the adrenaline flowing? The other must-do in Queenstown is jet boating, which was also invented here. Jet boats use technology similar to jet skis/seadoos to skim over the top of water, meaning they can operate in the shallow rivers found in the south of New Zealand.
The best introduction to jet boating comes from the Shotover Jet, which operates on the Shotover River and travels through the narrow Shotover Canyon. This is a super fast and super fun ride. (Book in advance here.)
(And if bungee jumping and jet boating are a little *too* adventurous for you? Another great option in Queenstown is to sail on the historic TSS Earnslaw ship across Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak High Country Station for lunch. Book that tour here.)
After this, I recommend taking some time to explore downtown Queenstown. This resort town on the shore of Lake Wakatipu is super cute no matter what time of year you're visiting. You may want to take the Skyline Gondola up the mountain for the best views out over the city.
This evening, brave the crowds to try a gigantic burger from the famous Fergburger. (Or, order online for pickup and avoid having to wait in line.)
Total driving time today: Potentially 0 if you take advantage of free shuttles
Cost: Kawarau Bridge bungee – $205 NZD per adult; Shotover Jet – $149 per person; Skyline Gondola – $46 NZD for just the gondola
Where to stay in Queenstown: The Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park for campervans, and the Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, Ramada Hotel & Suites Queenstown Remarkables Park, or the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa if you've got a regular car.
Budget tip: As you will have realized by now, New Zealand is not a very cheap place to travel, especially if you want to participate in all these adventure activities. One way you can potentially save money (other than just skipping the pricey stuff) is to start scouting bookeme.co.nz before your trip to see if you can score highly discounted tickets to some of the more expensive activities.
Day 12 – Milford Sound
Today you should head out to New Zealand's #1 tourist attraction: Milford Sound. This mis-named fjord is gorgeous in any weather, and is an absolute must-do for your first trip to New Zealand.
You have several options when it comes to visiting Milford Sound in just one day.
- You can self-drive to save some money.
- You can book a round-trip bus tour from Queenstown.
- You can fly to/from Milford Sound from Queenstown.
I actually recommend a mix of these options.
While self-driving is the cheapest, the drive is long (roughly 5 hours each way), and the roads can be tricky if the weather is bad. Also, if you're driving, you won't be able to properly enjoy the epic scenery along the Milford Road through Fiordland National Park!
I recommend taking the bus one way and flying the other. This way you get to see the Milford Road AND the Southern Alps from the air, and it means you won't spend up to 12 hours on a bus in one day. (Book a tour like this here.)
Once you get to Milford Sound, you'll cruise on the famous fjord on a medium-sized boat for up to 2 hours, taking in the towering cliffs and soaring waterfalls.
You may also be able to spot wildlife like New Zealand fur seals, dolphins, and maybe even little blue penguins.
If you manage to hit a clear day, flying back from Milford Sound over the snowy Southern Alps is nothing short of magical. (Though note that Milford Sound sees far more rainy days per year than sunny ones!)
If you do the coach-cruise-fly option and get back before dinnertime, it also means that you can fit in one more special thing in Queenstown. Consider booking a private hot tub at the Onsen Hot Pools out at Arthurs Point tonight. (Book as far in advance as possible!)
This was one of the more romantic things my husband and I did on our New Zealand honeymoon!
Total driving time today: 10 hours if you drive to Milford Sound yourself
Cost: Milford bus trip with cruise and included lunch – anywhere from $165-$245 NZD; Onsen Hot Pools – $165 NZD for 2 adults in the evening
Where to stay in Queenstown: Again, the Queenstown TOP 10 Holiday Park is good for campervans, and the Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, Ramada Hotel & Suites Queenstown Remarkables Park, or the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa are good if you've got a regular car.
Day 13 – Central Otago and Aoraki / Mount Cook
Many people choose to end their New Zealand road trips in Queenstown, but I think you'd be missing out on one of the best parts of the South Island if you were to stop now. Today you're going to drive through the small towns of Central Otago, eventually ending up at New Zealand's tallest mountain: Aoraki / Mount Cook.
From Queenstown, you'll head back out towards the Kawarau Gorge (where you may have gone bungee jumping on Day 11) and then continue on Highway 8. Some places you might want to stop along the way include Cromwell to see the town's giant fruit, and at the viewpoints at the Lindis Pass.
Eventually you'll reach Twizel and Lake Pukaki, which is where you might get an awesome glimpse of Aoraki. Lake Pukaki is a glacially-fed lake, and the color of it is almost always a milky-blue (it doesn't look real, but it's all natural!).
You'll drive along Lake Pukaki until you reach Aoraki / Mount Cook Village.
This drive doesn't actually take that long, so this afternoon I recommend going on a short hike nearby. My pick is the Hooker Valley Track*, which is a relatively flat and easy trail that takes you to the iceberg-filled Hooker Lake. On a clear day, you'll have views of Aoraki / Mount Cook almost the whole way.
The hike takes 3-4 hours, making it a perfect afternoon walk.
*Note: The Hooker Valley track is currently closed due to a bridge being washed out. It is not estimated to re-open until mid-2026. Check on updates here. As an alternative, consider the Tasman Glacier View Track or Tasman Lake and River Track, both of which are fairly gentle walks you can do in under an hour but still see some epic scenery!
Total driving time today: 3.5 hours
Cost: None
Where to stay in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village (1 night): There aren't a ton of options in this tiny village. If you want to camp, there's a Department of Conservation site with good views and basic facilities called the White Horse Hill campsite. If you're looking for a hotel here, the most iconic one is The Hermitage Hotel.
Day 14 – To Christchurch
Today you'll be heading to Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealand's South Island. Get an early start this morning so you can make some stops along the way.
The main must-see stop is Lake Tekapo, another mountain-fed lake that is often a milky-blue color. From mid-November until the New Year, you can find thousands of lupins blooming on the shores here.
Once you get to Christchurch, there's plenty to explore. Even though the city center is still showing the effects of the destruction of two major earthquakes back in 2010 and 2011, business goes on as usual in most parts of the city.
If the weather is nice, definitely take a stroll through the Christchurch Botanic Gardens (or even go punting down the Avon River!). If it's not so nice, the Christchurch Art Gallery is great, or you can pretend you're going much further south by visiting the International Antarctic Centre.
You can also just stroll the streets to shop and spot some cool street art.
Total driving time today: 4.5 hours
Cost: International Antarctic Centre – $59 NZD for adults
Where to stay in Christchurch (1 night):
- If you're traveling via campervan, check out the Tasman Holiday Parks Christchurch.
- If you have a regular car, The George Christchurch is right next to the Botanic Gardens and within walking distance to all the major downtown sites. It also has free parking.
Day 15 – Time to head home
It's the end of your 2-week New Zealand road trip, and time to head home. Since Christchurch is one of the larger cities in New Zealand and has an international airport, it's easy to drop off your rental car or campervan here and then catch a flight. You'll probably fly back to Auckland before connecting out of the country.
Be prepared, though, that you'll already be adding things to your “next time” list before your plane even takes off! One New Zealand trip is never enough.
Don't forget you can get a printable version of this itinerary (with a packing checklist) here!
If you have more time…
Like I mentioned already, two weeks isn't nearly enough time to fully explore New Zealand. Putting this itinerary together was extremely difficult, because I had to cut out some amazing places in order to make room for even more amazing places.
BUT, if you have more than 2 weeks to road trip around New Zealand, here are some additional places I also highly recommend visiting (if you added them all, it would make this at least a 3-week New Zealand road trip).
1. Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies to the southeast of Auckland on the North Island, and is known for its great beaches and native forests. Here you can dig your own hot tub at low tide at Hot Water Beach, do a morning hike to the famous Cathedral Cove, walk along an old mining railway trail in Karangaheke Gorge, plus much more.
If the weather cooperates, one of the more popular things to do is to kayak to Cathedral Cove from Hahei, or take a boat cruise here.
How long to spend: 1 or 2 nights
Where to add it in: It's a 2.5-hour drive from Auckland, so I would make this your Day 3/4, and continue on to Hobbiton and Rotorua afterwards.
Where to stay: For camping, I liked the Hot Water Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park, which is within walking distance to Hot Water Beach. If you want a hotel, check out the Beachfront Resort, the top-rated hotel in the town of Whitianga that is indeed right on the beach.
2. Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is New Zealand's oldest national park and also a dual World Heritage site. Here you'll find three of the country's most famous volcanoes: Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu, along with the most popular day hike in New Zealand, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
If you're a hiker at all, then doing the Tongariro Crossing should definitely be on your to-do list. This 19.4-kilometer trek is fairly challenging, but offers up amazing scenery of the Red Crater, Emerald Lakes, and Mount Ngauruhoe (which was Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies).
I recommend allowing two days to try this hike, as bad weather often makes the track dangerous and/or not worth doing (in my opinion) since you can't see anything. And note that you'll need to pre-arrange transport, as the hike starts and ends in completely different spots.
Where to add it in: Between Rotorua and Wellington
How many days: 2 or 3 nights
Where to stay: Elliot and I spent two nights camping at the Plateau Lodge (which offers a shuttle for the Tongariro Crossing). Sadly, our hiking plans got rained out two days in a row.
3. Abel Tasman National Park
Another national park worth visiting if you have the extra time is Abel Tasman National Park at the top of the South Island. This national park may be New Zealand's smallest, but it's definitely one of the most memorable.
Abel Tasman is known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails – a popular activity is to combine hiking and kayaking along the coast if you have at least one full day to spend here. (Scenic cruises are also available.)
Where to add it in: The day after you take the ferry from Wellington
How many days: 1 or 2 nights
Where to stay: We loved the Motueka TOP 10 Holiday Park not far from Abel Tasman for our campervan. For those looking for hotels, check out the Split Apple Retreat.
4. Kaikoura
Further up the east coast of the South Island lies Kaikoura, a small seaside town that really packs a punch when it comes to marine wildlife. Because there's a deep sea trench not far off the coast from Kaikoura, you can see marine life like whales, dolphins, and seals pretty much year-round here. (Along with whale watching, you can also swim with wild dolphins and get up close with fur seals.)
I also love Kaikoura because it's a spot where the mountains meet the sea, which I always find really beautiful.
Where to add it in: After Christchurch, since it's about 2 hours up the coast to the north
How many days: 2 nights
Where to stay: For camping, go for the Kaikoura Top 10 Holiday Park. For other lodging, check out the Kaikoura Boutique Hotel or the Bendamere House Bed and Breakfast.
Other amazing spots I've been to that didn't make it into this itinerary include: Northland and the Bay of Islands; Mount Taranaki; the Southern Scenic Route; Mount Aspiring National Park; Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula; and Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula.
There are simply too many amazing places to see in New Zealand. I've visited the country many times and still haven't seen/done everything I've wanted to!
But hopefully this helps you get a good start on planning your own perfect New Zealand road trip itinerary, even if you only have 2 weeks in New Zealand.
More essential info
- Looking for packing suggestions for New Zealand? Head over to my New Zealand packing list to see all my recommended gear!
- Pick up a New Zealand travel guide before you go.
READ NEXT: The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Campervan Road Trip in New Zealand
Have you ever done a road trip in New Zealand? If not, are you ready to plan one now?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Thank you so much for this itinerary. This was just the trip we were wanting to plan. You have done the work for us. thank you thank you thank you.
You are very welcome!
I customised our 14 days from
Auckland to Christchurch using this itinerary. We are on day 2 in Rotorua and staying in self contained cabin in Rotorua Thermal holiday park based on your recommendation as I liked the idea of using the thermal pools while in the holiday park but was disappointed to learn that they don’t have thermal pools anymore (they only have heated pool) as their bore point was closed 3 years ago. So best to remove the reference to thermal pools in your blog.
Ah, thank you so much for that update! I appreciate it, and hope you still enjoy your time in Rotorua anyway.
Can you start on the South Island Christchurch and go north. Makes more sense for us coming in and out of Sydney
Of course! You can do whatever you want; I wrote this based on the route most people from North America would take (flying into Auckland).
I’m thinking the same thing since we will be there in April. Better to start south and move north trying to miss the weather. We are coming from a dive vacation in Fiji and won’t be dealing with the jet lag.
Hi Amanda
I can’t tell you how thankful I am that I came across your post on the web. We just got back from our two week journey in New Zealand and followed your itinerary pretty much to a T. It worked out perfectly and we had the best vacation I have ever had in my life. I will say that we got extremely lucky with the weather so we were able to do the Glacier Hike, and the flight to Milford Sound and back. Though in both cases if we had arrived either a day early or later, the flights would have been cancelled so people need to keep that in mind. I also wanted to mention some activities that we really enjoyed that are not in your itinerary. In Wellington we took a guided tour of Zealandia which was fascinating and highly recommended. And in Aoraki/Mt Cook we did a 12:30 AM stargazing tour which was great too. Also I wanted to add that we booked the trip and tours about 6 moths in advance and had no trouble getting the tours/accommodations we wanted. All in all a perfect two weeks. Thank you!
That is such excellent feedback, Barry, and I’m so happy to hear the weather worked out so well for you!
Thanks! One other fun activity was ZORBING in Rotorua. If bungee jumping feels like a little too much, try ZORBING!
I just want to say that I used your road trip guide as a base for planning our 2.5 week trip to NZ last November. Honestly, we followed it pretty closely with some variations in between. It is an aggressive schedule and you are on the move frequently, but it was perfect in terms of seeing a lot of the country in a short amount of time. And, if we are blessed to be able to go back again someday, we have a great idea of either where we want to spend more time or check out other locations. Thank you Amanda- this was extremely helpful, especially to someone who once we booked the flights didn’t know where to start!
I highly recommend this guide for future travelers!
Thanks so much for the excellent feedback, Kelly! It’s true that this itinerary is very aggressive/ambitious, but for anyone who is planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New Zealand, I totally understand wanting to squash in as much as possible! Glad to hear you had a fantastic trip!
I’m glad I read your blog post! I’m currently planning my NZ trip, and on your recommendation have booked a room at the AURA motel! I was considering splashing out for the Black Swan but there is no availability!
It will be fun to be back in NZ. I’ve visited a few times and am long overdue a trip back!
Hi, how did it go with your busy itinerary?
I wouldn’t have written it if I didn’t think it was a good itinerary! 😉
I love this road trip but I wound like wine tasting and less drive for 13 days please help for the north and south New Zealand
I’m afraid I don’t offer any personalized itinerary planning, Tiki. You can take what you like from this one and use it to plan something that suits you better. If you’re looking for more wineries and less driving, I would perhaps suggest just focusing mostly on one island instead of both. You won’t really have less driving if you want to see both islands. If you fly into Auckland, you could visit Waiheke, and then you could go to the South Island and visit all the wine regions there (like Marlborough, Central Otago, and Wanaka).
Hi there,
I love this itinerary and would love to share this with a few of my friends including the photos and descriptions. However, printing this doesn’t display all of the pictures correctly. In fact, it only shows 3 pictures on the first pages and then no pictures (and some text, but not all) afterwards.
Is there a way you could provide a PDF or something similar of this entire page (including the photos) that I can print off to share and have in our NZ trip?
I recently bought the 2-week itinerary which I will use for my upcoming trip, but wold love to have this page along with the pictures as a complement reference.
Thank you!
Hi Brett! Unfortunately offering PDF versions of all my blog posts with photos is not something I have the bandwidth to do. You might just have to share the link with others if it’s not printable as-is!
Not a problem. Thank you!
HUGE thanks for taking the time to create this itinerary! My husband and I just returned from New Zealand and had an AMAZING trip! We followed your suggestions pretty closely, with some variations mixed in.
One of the things I wanted to mention, Cathedral Cove was completely closed when we were there due to erosion and falling rocks in the area. Big bummer for me as this was one of the things I really looked forward to.
Waiheke Island is an absolute must! Good news, I have a new favorite winery! Bad news, it’s over 8000 miles from home… 🤣
We highly recommend doing the Luge at Skyline in Rotarua. Total. Blast.
The ferries from wellington to Picton are experiencing major issues. I believe both of the main carriers are down one ship, causing big delays and canceled trips. We did not personally have any issues (other than they did move our departure time back about 3 hours, but they notified us of this days in advance), but I’ve heard those trying to transport vehicles are running into big issues. We returned our first rental to the ferry terminal in wellington and picked up a new one in picton… Worked great.
Instead of driving all the way to Milford Sound and back to Queenstown, we decided to stay in Te Anau and were very happy with that decision.
All accommodations in Aoraki/ Mt. Cook area were booked, so we stayed at the Galaxy Boutique Hotel in Lake Tekapo, highly recommend! The area is a Dark Sky Zone- I’ve NEVER seen the night sky as I saw it there! Breathtaking!
When planning this trip, I was so overwhelmed with all the possibilities…. Thank you so much for creating this outline to help with that! This was by far one of our favorite trips!
You are so welcome, Liz! I’m glad to hear you had such a great trip. And thank YOU for some of those updates on current closures/conditions – I’ll add some notes to the itinerary to give others a heads up!
Hi Amanda
Thank you so much for this Itinerary for 2 weeks. Im currently scouting for idea’s for an East Australia and NZ trip in 2025.
This wil be myself (from the Netehrlands) and my friend (from the USA). We are those that have out vacation time starting from June.
Our planning till now is:
East Australia 4 weeks in June/July and 2 weeks NZ July/Augustus. (hope to wiggle in a extra week off from work but you have to deal with what you have…)
Now June/ July will be winter time in NZ, is your Itinerary also doable in this time of year?
Hey Juanita! What an epic trip that’s going to be! Yes, most of this trip is still do-able in the winter – but obviously you’ll need to pack for colder weather, and definitely expect snow in the mountains on the South Island. There are a few things that might not be possible in the winter (like driving the Crown Range Road to Queenstown, and maybe one or two of the hikes) depending on weather, but it just depends on the year and how much snow they get.
Great suggestions-we followed almost all of this itinerary and it was hugely helpful! My only suggestions would be to rent a car versus a camper van since folks could still stay in a cabin at holiday parks and borrow cooking pots/utensils, etc. That way they could have a car on the North Island and pick up a new one at Picton. The ferry was cancelled right before it was scheduled and caused quite a bit of disruption-had to turn in van, lots of extra driving, had to purchase flight to South Island, cancel accommodations for several nights, and give away food. We also added Oamaru and the penguin conservation https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/spying-on-the-little-blue-penguins/ -not to be missed in the South Island!
I’m going to copy/paste my itinerary that I’ve worked up (using part of yours as a guideline.) I’ve asked a few people and they seem to indicate that it is a suicide mission and that everything will go wrong. They’ve said that it’s impossible to do both islands in 2 weeks and the ferry is unreliable. Can you take a look and see if I’m being totally unreasonable? I’ve got left hand and winter driving experience. This is for a June 23 trip.
Day 1
Land Auckland: 6:00 AM
Customs
Get Visa
Rental Car: 8:00 AM
Drive to Otorohanga Kiwi House (About 2 hour drive)
Spend 1 hour there – leave at Noon
Drive to Waitomo Caves (20 min from Otorohanga)
Arrive at 12:00 – Eat lunch at gift shop
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Waitomo Cave
2:30 – 4:30 Ruakiri Cave
Stay in Hamilton (About One Hour Drive – Arrive 5:30 p.m.)
Day 2
Wake up Hamilton
Drive to Rotoura (1 ½ hrs Drive)
Thermal Features
Drive to “The Shire’s Rest” (About 1 hr Drive)
Hobbiton Tour/Dinner
Tour/Dinner ends at 8:00 PM
(If awake enough) Drive to Redwoods Nightlights – (1 hr 15 min drive) arrive 9:15 p.m.
Stay in Rotorua
Day 3
Wake up Rototrua
Cultural Activities & Thermal Features
Afternoon/Evening – Either Maori dinner/presentation or “Geysers by night – Te Puia”
Stay in Rotorua
Day 4
Wake up in Rotorua
Stop in Taupo for McPlane?
Drive to Tongariro (2 hrs 15 min to Gollum’s Pool)
2 ½ hours of Tongariro – Leave at 12 p.m.
Drive to Martinborogh (about 4 1/2 hour drive)
Arrive at 4:30 p.m.
Stay in Martinborough
Day 5
Wake up Martinborough
Drive to Putaringua Pinnacles (45 min from Martinborough, Spend 2 hours)
Drive to Rivendell (1 hour 30 min from Putaringua, Spend 1 Hour)
Drive to Wellington (45 minutes from Rivendell)
Pick up Dinner
Get in line for Picton Ferry at 7:00 p.m.
Picton Ferry leaves at 8:30 p.m.
Arrive in Picton around midnight
Check into Picton Hotel
Day 6
Wake up Picton
Drive to Ohau Point (Seals) (1 hr 45 from Picton)
Drive to Whale Watch Kaikoura (30 min from Oahu Point)
Whale Watching Tour 10 am – 1 pm (ish)
Visit Kaikoura Seal Colony Nearby?
Mini Golf Game?
Llama Trek?
Stay in Kaikoura Hotel
Day 7
Wake up Kaikoura
Drive to Cathedral Gulley (1 hr 30 from Kaikoura, Stay for 30 min)
Drive to Christchurch (1 hr 45 min from Cathedral Gulley)
Fun day in Christchurch(Antarctic Museum?
Visit New Brighton Pier at night
Stay in Christchurch
Day 8
Wake up Christchurch
Drive to Castle Hill (1 hr 30 min from Christchurch, Stay 1 Hour)
Drive to Omaru (3 hr 45 min)
Victorian Area/Steampunk HQ
Check into Oamaru Hotel
Penguin Experience at 5:15 p.m.
Stay in Oamaru
Day 9
Wake up Oamaru
Drive to Moeraki Boulders (30 min from Oamaru, Stay 15 Min)
Drive to Tunnel Beach (1 hr 15 from Moeraki, Stay 2 Hours)
Pick up Lunch
Drive to Te Anau (3 hr 45 min from Tunnel Beach)
Stay in Te Anau
Day 10
Wake up Te Anau
Breakfast and Shopping
10:30 AM Milford Sound Tour – (9 hours) – Packed Lunch Included
Stay in Te Anau
Day 11
Wake up Te Anau
Drive to Queenstown/Pitlochry/Pretty Mountain Areas
Stay in Queenstown
Day 12
Explore Queenstown
Return Rental Car at 5pm
Stay in Queenstown
Day 13
Wake up Queenstown
Queenstown to Auckland Flight
Take Off: 7:20 AM
Land: 9:20 AM
Auckland to San Francisco
Take off: 2:30 PM
Land: 7:45 AM
I mean, yes, that’s going to be a very packed itinerary, and you may indeed find that you need to cut out some of the sightseeing stops (I’ve traveled for a long time, and I can tell you that sightseeing almost always takes longer than you think it will!). Driving times can also be a bit off if you hit bad weather, or get stuck behind slower vehicles (or perhaps a herd of sheep!). You CAN do both islands in two weeks (I’ve done it myself a couple of times now), but don’t get too upset if you need to amend certain things on your itinerary to allow time for sleep/rest.
As for the ferry not being reliable, that’s not been my experience (but then again, I have not traveled in NZ since the pandemic started).
We just did 2 weeks in NZ in November and we roughly followed the tour Amanda had laid out (with some minor changes) – we did take the ferry from Wellington to Picton and while the weather was not perfect everything ran like clockwork.
thanks for the itinery gave me a good stepping stone for planning my trip next year i’m going south to north, as it is cheaper. where you’ve stayed some where i’m calling them buffer days – if there is a delay in car travel its already factored in.
This is such a great itinerary! We will be travelling with a toddler so I was wondering if you had any recommendations on an over night stop for the west coast trip? Not sure we could do the 7 hour drive in one day.
Thanks so much
Your best bet would probably be Greymouth, as it’s the largest city on the West Coast. I will say it’s not a super exciting town, but it does at least have several accommodation options and restaurants.
Hi there! I am currently planning a trip for March (woohoooo! SO EXCITED!). I am loving this itinerary for the most part, but I do have a question. I noticed while booking hotels that we end up in the same area (Franz Josef- Aoraki) in 2 separate parts of the trip. Would you recommend maybe heading to the east coast instead of heading back up to Aoraki after Queenstown? Possibly Dunedin area? Or does that involve too much driving time?
Thanks so much for all of this awesome information!! I can’t wait to experience it for myself!
Hey there! You can of course do whatever you want, as it’s your trip! Franz Josef and Aoraki are on opposite sides of a mountain range, though, so you see completely different scenery in each one! Lots of people want to see the Aoraki area when they visit NZ, but if it’s not of interest to you, then you could certainly take the coastal route instead.
Hii!
Its actually a really interesting itinerary and would love to plan my travel next August with this itinerary! I have a question though, is it okay if I do it from South Island to North Island?
Of course! You can plan your trip however you want. This is just a suggestion based on all my trips I’ve made to NZ. North to South is the usual route since most people fly into Auckland first, but you can certainly start in the South instead!
Hello, I am planning my dream trip to NZ for March 2023 and your guide has been a godsend. Thank you so very much!!!
I have two questions-
1. From reading previous comments (yes, I went back and read them all because your blog is so helpful) I believe you have also visited NZ in Autumn/March. I was wondering if there was any places where many of the trees change color/you can see autumn colors? I’m from Houston TX where we don’t experience Autumn so I want to get my fill while in New Zealand if I can. From googling it looks like the South Island, and Central Otago in particular may be the best spot. March may be too early for it so should I lower my expectations on that front in your experience?
2. Do you have any recommendations for sheep farms to visit? My husband adores fluffy sheep and I found two but both are a bit out of the way. Just wondering if you happen to know of any that could line up with this itinerary?
Thank you again, this guide has helped me tremendously.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Alicia
Hey Alicia! Those are good questions! So, while autumn officially starts in NZ in March, you probably won’t see any noticeable fall colors until at least mid-April/early May. The South Island is indeed the best spot, with Arrowtown being a favorite, along with Central Otago, Wanaka, and Queenstown. But I wouldn’t count on any color in March!
As for farms, I’m sure there are plenty on the South Island (which has the big sheep stations), but the one that immediately comes to mind is the Agrodome in Rotorua. It’s quite touristy with farm shows and such, but it is a working farm and would be easy to squeeze into this itinerary!
We are essentially done, flying out of Christchurch tomorrow. I used this 2-week trip for planning and it was perfect.
I would say that the driving times are optimistic, mainly because there are so many photographic opportunities. So keep that in mind.
But if you only have two weeks, this is the way to go!
Thanks for the feedback, Liz! I’m so glad you had a great trip. And yes, you always need to give yourself some extra time when driving in NZ!
We are midway through our trip, and I used this guide a lot – very helpful.
For people planning to do it VERY soon, be aware that route 6 to Nelson is closed, and despite what a highway worker told us, there were no signs till we were well along, 45 min before arrival in Nelson. The only solution was to drive all the way back to Renwick and then get on route 63. If you are hell bent on staying in Nelson, then you have turn turn back onto 6 hear Tophouse and drive north to Nelson. This means that you would have to double back to get to Frank Josef. That was way too driving for us, so we found a lovely place in St. Arnaud (Alpine Lodge), which in the end put us a bit closer to Frank Josef than if we’d stayed in Nelson.
That’s super helpful info, Liz! Thanks so much for taking the time to type it up. I’ll add a note to the itinerary, and try to find some info on how long that road might be closed.
In hindsight that would have been a good question for me to ask but I was a bit panicked over the amount of backtracking we would have to do. Hopefully the closure is not protracted but I did not get that sense.
I double checked – looks like it’ll be closed through Dec. 18, and it’s due to some very bad storm damage that they are repairing. Thanks for the heads up!
Is it still closed? We are planning to go from Wellington to Nelson at the end of November.
I think that road should be reopened now (as of July 2023).
What a great article! We’re currently dreaming of going to New Zealand again – we’ve been
there before and we love, love love it! Here’s to a year with loads of travel plans and new experiences!
– Veronika
Hi, is this itinerary doable with 2 kids (4, 8)? Are any of these long hikes etc?
Yes I think it would be, though obviously I wouldn’t recommend it in a campervan with two kids! None of the hikes in the main itinerary are very long, though you could also skip any of them that don’t appeal to you. The one section that isn’t very kid-friendly is the West Coast portion of this, as it requires a lot of driving and kids can’t do the glacier hikes.
Hi Amanda,
How are you? I am contacting you again after 2 years since my earlier plan was cancelled due to the pandemic. Could please advice, is things are back to normal there now? Will it be fine if I come there early September 2022 with my family from Malaysia? Please advice.
Hey Nav. I don’t live in New Zealand, so your guess is as good as mine! The country is planning to re-open to all tourism in July, but you’ll need to keep an eye on their entry requirements if you’re going to plan a trip there this year. I don’t have any special access to that info, so Google will be your friend to follow how their re-opening goes.
Thank you for this excellent article. It’s the best I’ve come across so far!
Hi Amanda,
I enjoyed reading about your 2-week NZ road trip. Now that travelling is opening up again, I am planning 3 weeks trip from Singapore to NZ this coming December 2022. I like your itinerary and would visit most of the places you have suggested. I have a full 19 days (not counting the 1st and last day for flying in and out of NZ). However as I am flying into and out of Auckland (same airport), how would you suggest I head back to Auckland airport from Christchurch (the last stop on your 2 week itinerary). Are there one or two overnight stops which you can recommend that I can make while driving back from Christchurch to Auckland, without back-tracking? I would love to drop off my rental car at Christchurch and take a train back to Auckland on the last day but I am not sure if this is a good option. Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks.
Jerry
Singapore
Hey Jerry! There are really endless options when it comes to New Zealand. I did include a “if you have more time” section towards this end of this blog post, with suggestions on other destinations you might enjoy adding on if you have more than two weeks. Some of them could be added on during your road trip (like the Coromandel Peninsula or Abel Tasman National Park or Kaikoura) so you could still use your rental car. As for getting from Christchurch back to Auckland, the quickest and easiest option would be to fly. They are on different islands, so there’s not a train connecting the two cities.
Hi Amanda,
This is an awesome itinerary, thank you!
My wife and I are planning a trip over the last 2 weeks in December from Sydney. On top of your head, is there anything particular interesting to do over NYE?
Good question! Most large cities do fireworks on NYE. I always thought it would be cool to be in the town of Gisborne for the New Year – because of where it’s located, it’s the first place in the world to see the sunrise (and therefore I guess the first to actually ring in the new year?). They usually do a music festival there, though I’m not sure whether that will happen this year or not.
Hi Amanda,
We are looking to head over to NZ from Perth,WA at the end of the year…pending travel bubble being open at the time.
We are family of 5 with the 3 kids aged 7,10,12. With a view to doing your 2 week itinerary in a motorhome, would you change the itinerary in away to make it more kiddy friendly ?
Thanks in adavance
Cheers,
Amar
Good question, Amar! I think most of the things on this itinerary are kid-friendly, with the exception of some of the more adventurous activities. (For example, heli-hiking and bungee jumping probably aren’t suitable for the whole family.) Milford Sound might also be a long (and potentially expensive) day for everyone. But otherwise I think you could easily tweak this to work for everyone!
I loved all of your recommendations! We toured NZ for 3 weeks with our adult son in a campervan in October, 2019, and actually did most of what you suggest! However, we drove down the East side of the South island, after hiking/kayaking Able Tasman, so missed the ruggedness of the West side. Favorite day: hiking the Hooker trail to Mt. Cook! All in all, NZ is a wonderful country to visit!
There really aren’t bad options when it comes to road tripping in New Zealand! And isn’t the Hooker Valley Track great? It’s so epic, yet also such an accessible hike.
great post! And a really good itinerary too. There sure is a lot to see in beautiful Aotearoa.
As a kiwi I would like to add a little advice. Please everyone coming, do a little research. We are in the southern hemisphere so the seasons are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere ie winter is June/July/August. Even in summer we can get a lot of rain (although many places will be warm and sunny). I had Aussie mates who went to NZ in the winter and complained that it rained nearly their whole trip; well yeah, there’s a reason NZ is so green :). They also did not realize that our national rugby team were touring NZ so lots of accommodation places were already booked out by rugby fans. Google is your friend 🙂
The bush is fabulous and a lot of people do not understand how dangerous it can be, due to terrain and sudden weather changes. DO NOT go off the trail. Always include light rain gear, and some warm clothing and a chocolate bar in your daypack when hiking (or as we call it, tramping), even just on short hikes. The weather can change from glorious sunshine to cold pelting rain in a half hour. Almost every year some tourists die of exposure (hypothermia) because they have no idea of hiking safety. But if you follow the rules and use common sense, you will have a fantastic time.
Hi Amanda.
My wife and I head home to Aus tomorrow after 2 and a bit weeks following your itinerary so very closely. Thank you thank you so much. As we had a few extra days than just 2 weeks we took extra time in Waiheke ( 2 nights) 1 in Greymouth to split the drive, 3 nights in Queenstown and an overnight cruise in Milford Sound. 2 nights in Christchurch and day trip to Akaroa. But Wow, your itinerary was fabulous and it made our planning so easy. I think we did 99% of your recommended stops offs, visits, activities, etc. we are in our 50’s so jet boat yes, and bungee jumping No ?. Seriously your plan, our hire car AirBnb and a few hotels through booking.com, many of your recommendations again, our trip was special. Thank you Michael & Kath.
That’s amazing to hear, Michael! Thank you for letting me know; I love hearing from people who have tried out my itineraries!
Which items in your itinerary should I cross off when I’m travelling during winter time. We will be renting a car and I am not sure which way is safe for driving during this season.
It’s totally going to depend on the weather when you’re there. The only roads that might get bad if there’s snow are the Crown Range Road between Wanaka and Queenstown, and the Milford Road. But obviously if there’s no snow when you’re there, then you won’t have to worry about it. The only thing you might have to cancel is the Milford Sound trip; everything else should still be fine even in winter!
Thank you for such a detailed and wonderful itinerary. My husband and I are planning our honeymoon for October and will end up using most of your recommendation. Two quick questions – if we want to fly from North to South island to save time which destinations would you recommend? And if I definitely want to include the Whale watching, what can I skip?
Thanks again, this was one of the best itineraries I found.
If you want to fly north to south, you can fly from Wellington to Christchurch and cut out Nelson and potentially the glaciers on the West Coast. You can go to Kaikoura for whale watching (it’s the best place to watch whales in NZ anyway!) from Christchurch, and then basically reverse the latter half of this itinerary so you go from Christchurch through Central Otago to Queenstown. From Queenstown, you can do a day trip to Wanaka, and still obviously fit in Milford Sound if you want to. Just note that if you’re renting a car or van, you’ll need two separate reservations, one on each island!
Thanks Amanda, my draft itinerary is as below. Do you see any red flags on the following route that I’m not thinking about?
Day 1: Auckland
Day 2: Coromandel Peninsula
Day 3: Matamata, Rotorua
Day 4: Waitomo
Day 5: Fly to Nelson (still deciding if I should fly to Wellington instead)
Day 6: Nelson
Day 7: Kaikoro
Day 8, 9: Christchurch
Day 10, 11: Franz Josef
Day 12, 13, 14: Queenstown/milford sound
Day 15: Fly back to Auckland
Wellington is my favorite city in NZ, so I personally wouldn’t skip it! If you’re going to skip a city on this list, I would probably miss Nelson. Also, I don’t think you really need a full day in Waitomo unless you are really dedicated to seeing the glow worm caves; I would probably spend the extra time in Rotorua. Also, be aware that the drive from Christchurch to Franz Josef is best done in the summer months (I’m not sure when you’re planning to visit); that mountain pass sometimes closes in the winter, so just keep that in mind! You’ll have some long driving days, but technically you should be able to fit this all in in 2 weeks!
Hi, We would like to do 2 weeks camper-van trip . Starting from Christchurch round island then north till Auckland.
Can you please advice on the itinerary?
I’m not able to create custom itineraries, I’m afraid. But you can certainly use this one to get ideas – basically just reverse it for a Christchurch to Auckland itinerary!
I just got back from my 2 week trip from NZ and it was AMAZING. I almost stuck to all of your itinerary so wanted to thank you for your thoughtful and well planned out list of things that helped me to plan a trip of a lifetime!
That is amazing to hear, Sabrina! It’s hard to have a bad trip to New Zealand in my opinion, but I’m glad I could help you plan one you really loved!
Thanks for the itinerary! Planning on doing something like this for our honeymoon, we have around 2 weeks; which I believe is the same as you. The only difference is that we would be going end of July until mid August. Would the itinerary still work?
If you have any other suggestions for us that would be amazing!
Hey David! Yes, in theory you should still be able to use this itinerary in July/August – though note that that’s winter in NZ, so you’ll definitely run into snow in the mountains on the South Island. You may not be able to swing the glacier hiking, the Crown Range Road to Queenstown might be closed, and getting to Milford Sound by road might not be possible – it all depends on road conditions. This was based on the honeymoon trip my husband and I took; you can read more about that here: https://www.dangerous-business.com/adventurous-honeymoon-new-zealand/
Thank you for the quick reply! Yes, I did wonder what it may be like in winter (and whether it would be sensible to be travelling in a camper van in Winter in NZ?). So would that be on Highway 6, where we may (or will) have a problem? Is that Day 8 – Day 10 and Day 12 on your suggested itinerary? With Milford sound, it would be far more sensible to do the coach (and maybe fly) option rather than drive then. If the coach company cancel it then we know it isn’t possible. OR Would you suggest avoiding this area completely due to the time of year? It looks like you had a fabulous honeymoon, hence why we were looking to replicate as best as possible at this time of year (unfortunately as we are from the UK and teachers this is the only time of year we can go for the period of time we would need to go).
Thank you for your help.
You can certainly still campervan in winter; I would just be aware that it might sometimes mean driving in snow! And yes, Days 8-10 and 12 on this itinerary could be affected by snow. I suppose Day 13 could be, too, though plenty of people visit Mount Cook in the winter. It all depends on how much snow there is when you go. I would say plan for the things you want to do, but always have a backup plan just in case.
Excellent! Was a little worried, but I’ll take your word for it ? Yes, will have to ensure snow chains are supplied with camper van I assume?
Yes hopefully we get lucky and there is limited snow. May be better to book a coach-fly trip for Milford Sound. I think the beat option is follow your itinerary until we have a problem (hopefully we don’t) and then divert if we have to, just move on to the next phase of the itinerary, if anything. Thank you very much for all of your help.
Flying over the snowy Southern Alps to or from Milford Sound is magical! I don’t think you’ll regret doing that if you can. And New Zealand is amazing no matter where you go or what kind of weather you encounter. I’m happy to have been able to help!
Thanks for this get itiniery. If we just did the South Island for 9-12 days could we fit in Stewart Island? We are going in June.
It all depends on what else you want to see on the South Island! Technically you can do a day trip to Stewart Island, but I’d say you probably want to spend a night or two there to really see it. So then it just depends what the other things are on your to-do list! But yes, I’d say in 12 days you should be able to see the highlights on the South Island and pop over to Stewart Island for a night or two.
Hi again, still in planning mode! we arent really into the whole lord of the rings thing…. if we were gonna skip that part do you recommend just continuing on the journey as is? where would you add this time in if you were us?
Totally understandable! If you wanted to skip Hobbiton, you could either spend another morning in Auckland, or head straight to Rotorua. There’s plenty to do in and around Rotorua to fill up 2 full days! Another option would be to add an extra night (or two) and head over to the Coromandel Peninsula between Auckland and Rotorua. It’s another beautiful part of the country. (At the end of this post, I suggest some of the things you can do there.)
Thank you for answering all of our questions. I have one more! My hubby is an architect so I think we want to fly into Auckland, hang for a couple of days and head to the south island from there. Do you recommend flying to Nelson and starting our road trip there? Trying to figure out the best place to fly into from Auckland. As I said, I don’t want to miss that flight over Milford Sound- gosh this is hard and the hubs is SO not a planner. 🙂 THANKS SO much!
I know it can be so tough, especially when you have limited time! It seems like New Zealand is so small, but in reality there’s SO much to see! You can definitely fly from Auckland to Nelson pretty easily (I think the flight is only a little over an hour), BUT if you’re planning to rent a campervan, you won’t find many with pickup in Nelson. The campervan hubs are generally Auckland and Christchurch. If you’re planning to just rent a car, though, I think you should be fine starting in Nelson – I would just check on rental availability first!
I heard flying into Queenstown was not to be missed…. was that something you regretted?
I’ve flown in/out of Queenstown before – and actually you can still do it in this itinerary if you do a flight to/from Milford Sound! Flying over the Southern Alps is amazing in nice weather, which is why I recommend flying at least one-way to Milford Sound.
Thanks for all these great information. If you want to pick between South Africa and New Zealand which one you will?
That’s tough! Probably New Zealand, simply because it’s much easier to travel there from a logistical standpoint. I also wouldn’t think twice about traveling the NZ solo!
I just LOVE your itinerary for two weeks in New Zealand including costs and time frame. It’s awesome! I would love to follow it . Now my question is this: We are going to be there from June 19-July 6, since it will be winter, is there some of the trip we should avoid? I know you mentioned one road we should not take in winter. Not sure at this point if we will try to rent camper or rental car.
Some of the mountain passes on the South Island can be iffy in the winter because of snow, but generally you can visit most places on this itinerary year-round!
Hi!
Love your blog. Thanks for sharing your talent with the world. My husband and I are visiting the South Island in March and I have a few questions: 1) We are reading about Sandflies; what can you tell me about these – are they really as bad as they say on the west shore? 2) If we only have time for west shore/glaciers OR Mt Cook and lake pukaki/tekapo which would you choose? and 3) Is three nights too many for Abel Tasman lodge? Thank you!
Hey Michelle! All good questions! Sandflies are definitely real, and their bites SUCK. Having said that, I didn’t notice many when I was last in NZ (which was in March 2018). Wearing long sleeves/pants and packing some bug spray is a good idea, though, if you’ll be in an area where there are sandflies. You can always ask locals when you arrive if they’re bad at the time.
As for West Coast vs. Mount Cook… that’s really tough! But I think I might choose Mount Cook and Central Otago, just because the West Coast is very often rainy and glacier trips get canceled quite often.
And for Abel Tasman, I think 3 nights is good if you want to do a bit of hiking or some water sports like kayaking. Otherwise 2 nights is probably fine (we were only in the park for one full day).
Thanks for all this great info. I’m planning my trip now, and I have a couple of questions. Can you access these places taking a bus? What are your thoughts regarding bus travel vs. renting a car? Did you travel with a backpack? I usually travel with a suitcase. What are your thoughts? Thanks and sorry about the novice questions.
Hey Elizabeth! No need to apologize! So, for this itinerary specifically, renting a car is definitely your best bet. You can get to some of these places by bus, but having a vehicle gives you a lot more freedom and means you don’t have to be limited by bus schedules. And especially if you go by car, a suitcase is fine. I travel these days with a rolling bag; I left my backpacking days behind years ago!
Hi Amanda,
I absolutely love your detailed itinerary!! My fiancé and I are leaving to New Zealand in a week and half, therefore is very limited in our car rental. Do you recommend doing your itinerary backwards as it appears that most car rental are half the price?
You can definitely switch up this itinerary if it makes more sense for you! If you’re going to arrive in to Christchurch, though, I recommend allowing one more day there to help you get over jet lag before you start your road trip!
I am heading to New Zealand in a few months and am planning on doing a three week roadtrip. This is so helpful so happy I found your blog today !!
Happy to be able to help, Jay!
This is a perfect itinerary! I didn’t know it would be doable to combine the north & south island in two weeks! I also like the fact that you included stops! I’ll definitely keep this itinerary in mind for future planning!
You can definitely see both islands in two weeks – but it makes for a very packed itinerary! But, the way I look at it, there are plenty of people who go to New Zealand for two weeks and will never go back. So I’d rather show them how to see a little bit of everything rather than say “stick to one island”!
Love your post! This is very informative indeed. Christchurch is beautiful!
Thanks! And yes, Christchurch is a beautiful city – it’s a shame that a lot of the historic buildings are still damaged from the earthquakes!
Well, I’m hoping to make it to New Zealand and will certainly turn to your extensive guide when I do!
It’s definitely a bucket list-worthy destination!
I cannot get over the scenery! Absolutely stunning – you covered a LOT of ground, and outlined a great 2-week itinerary. I really can’t wait to visit NZ. Just beautiful. Ahh, and you’re so brave to do bungee jumping… omg!
This definitely makes for a busy two weeks, yes! But personally I wouldn’t have it any other way in New Zealand since I’m always so greedy and want to see more, more, more!
Oh my gosh I really hope to do this one day! New Zealand has been on my bucket list for years, and I just want to see all of it!
And there’s SO MUCH to see in New Zealand! It’s crazy because it’s not a huge country; but there sure is a ton to do and see! I love NZ because there’s so much variety; you can see completely different landscapes and cities by just driving a couple hours.
Dude! I loved driving in New Zealand! Although the scenery is so beautiful that it’s often distracting!
I only had 5 days in NZ, and with my hubby being a huge LOTR fan, we were mostly based in MataMata, though we did do a few trips to Waitomo and an afternoon in Rotorua. We’d love to go back and road trip through the South Island though. I can’t believe you can see so much in just two weeks!
It’s certainly not what I’d call a relaxing two weeks if you follow an itinerary like this… but who wants to relax when you’re in a place as epic as New Zealand??
Lovely photos and fantastic post! New Zealand was already at the top of my travel wishlist, but you’re post was very inspiring! Pinning for later so I can use as reference!
Awesome to hear – hopefully it’ll help you plan your own trip!
It’s pricey and would have you back in Rotorua later in the evening, but if you can swing it I would **highly** recommend the evening banquet tour at Hobbiton. My now-husband and I were traveling through NZ on a budget but did this as our splurge item, and it was absolutely worth it (this was ~3 years ago). Seeing Hobbition at dusk and then feasting and truly feeling like a Hobbit was amazing and one of the highlights of a six month backpacking trip. It was really immersive and if you just wish you were a Hobbit, this is as good as it gets.
We did it on our most recent trip, too, and loved it! But it’s definitely more for the hard-core LOTR fans, I think, and is quite pricey. And since I recommend going to a Maori cultural dinner/show the following night in Rotorua, I decided to leave it out of the itinerary here. But I agree that it’s great!
This looks like an amazing itinerary! I traveled around New Zealand by cruise ship last year and made it to a couple of your suggested places (WETA and Rotorua) and they were both awesome. We agreed that next time we visit we would rent a car. I’ll save this for whenever that will be! (I also just shared these on a couple of Flipboard magazines – hopefully you’ll get some more views there!
Thanks, Stacy! You can still see a lot without renting a car, but road tripping is definitely the ideal way to travel in New Zealand!
We will be travelling to NZ from India next month. Im so glad to have found your site, I’m totally using your itinerary! Couple of questions:
1. If we don’t want to do any of the glacier stuff(we’re just out of our Alaska holiday), what can be included on that day?
2. Have heard so much about southern scenic route. Which of the days in your suggested itinerary will we be driving on this route?
If you want to skip the glaciers, you can still drive down the West Coast (the scenery is beautiful!). On Day 9, I list some short hikes you could do instead of the glacier hiking. This itinerary does not include the Southern Scenic Route, as it’s a bit out of the way – you’d need to add another day or two to the itinerary if you want to drive that road. The route goes from Queenstown to Dunedin on the South Island.
Thank you for your quick reply ?
Thanks for the extensive recommendations!!!
What time of the year would you recommend going there to cover this itinerary, we were thinking feb March or April
I did a trip very similar to this in March! In March/April you do run the risk of running into rain and colder weather since it’s going into autumn in NZ, but I think it’s a nice time to travel there since it’s after the summer high season.