New Zealand quickly became one of my favorite countries. It was so much exploring some highlights of both the North and South Islands. This itinerary provides an introduction to the many amazing aspects of New Zealand. Visitors can opt to take the 11-day South Island track, the 7 day North Island track, or combine them into an 18-day itinerary.
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Day 1: Depart Home Airport for Auckland, New Zealand
Today you will catch an evening flight from your home airport and head towards New Zealand! I used Skyscanner to find out $775 airfare to Auckland on Air New Zealand. Air New Zealand is a fabulous airline that offers a comfortable coach class.
Day 2: Traveling
Today you are still traveling towards New Zealand. Hopefully, you are wearing a comfortable outfit and have a good travel pillow to get a good night’s sleep.
Day 3: Arrival in Auckland, Transfer to Christchurch and Tekapo
Today you will arrive early in the morning in Auckland. Then, immediately catch a flight to Christchurch. We opted to buy an Air New Zealand Flexi-Time fare which meant we could hop on any flight with availability. It is only about an hour flight to Christchurch, so you will arrive around lunchtime or soon after. Grab your rental car and head to the town of Tekapo. Tonight, indulge in the Tekapo Hot Springs and stargaze. It will be the perfect way to start a trip after many hours of travel!
Day 4: Tekapo to Queenstown
This will be a long day of driving, but there are many places to stop to break up the drive. Stop at the Church of the Good Shepherd, which overlooks Lake Tekapo. This area is a fabulous place to snap some pictures of Lake Tekapo as well. The earlier you can get there, the fewer people there will be. Then, stop at Lake Pukaki for some more amazing views. The next part of the drive will be long, but you will be rewarded with views of the Kawara Gorge from the Roaring Meg Power Station. If you are up to it, there are also many wineries to stop at along this last stretch to Queenstown.
Day 5: Queenstown
Today will be an adrenaline-pumping day! Begin your morning by taking the Queenstown Gondola up to the mountain. You can choose from a plethora of activities at the top: Paragliding, Bungee Jumping, Canyon Swing, Helicopter Ride, and Luging are just a few. I recommend opting for at least 3 luge rides to get you started. Grab some lunch at Fergburger before heading to the AJ Hackett Bridge, just outside of town, where bungee jumping started. Here you can also zipline. Then, head to one of the many wineries in the region!
Day 6: Queenstown to Te Anau
Spend the morning exploring more of what Queenstown has to offer. Perhaps opt for a stroll through Queenstown Gardens. Then, after lunch, head on a 2-hour drive to the small town of Te Anau, the perfect base for Fiordland National Park. Tonight, you also have the opportunity to visit Te Anau Glow Worm Caves.
Day 7: Te Anau
Today, head on a self-drive to the awe-worthy Milford Sound. Make sure to pre-book your cruise ahead of time to guarantee your departure time. Make sure to check out BookMe New Zealand for the best price! On the way back from Milford Sound, there are many sites to stop at for more gorgeous views.
Day 8: Te Anau to Wanaka
Depart Te Anau and head back towards Queenstown to spend time in Wanaka. Stop in the old mining town of Arrowtown along the way. Arrowtown is full of cute shops and delicious restaurants. It is also where gold was first discovered in the area. This area also has many hikes to do such as the Roy Rogers Hike. Make sure to get a picture by #ThatWanakaTree and visit the Wanaka Lavender Farm.
Day 9: Wanaka to Franz Josef
Today you will enter the “Wild West Coast” of New Zealand that is full of rainforests and glaciers. On your drive to Franz Josef, make sure to stop along the way for the Blue Pools Walk, to view Fantail Falls, and stop to enjoy the breathtaking Bruce Bay. If you have time, stop and hike to Fox Glacier and see its reflection off Lake Matheson.
Day 10: Franz Josef
One New Zealand must do is a Heli-Hike. Schedule it for the morning spot in case it gets canceled due to weather. After hiking around a glacier for a few hours, grab some lunch at the Snakebite Brewery before heading to the Franz Josef Hot Pools to relax after all the hiking.
Day 11: Franz Josef to Christchurch
Wave goodbye to the west coast, and head back towards Christchurch. Stop in Greymouth for a Monteiths Brewery Tour and lunch. Then head out along the “Great Alpine Highway” stopping at Castle Hill to see the limestone rock formations. Spend the afternoon exploring what Christchurch has to offer.
Day 12: Christchurch to Wellington
Catch a morning or early afternoon flight to Wellington. The flight is only an hour, so you will have plenty of time for exploring Wellington this afternoon and evening.
Day 13: Wellington
Continue to explore what Wellington has to offer. If you are a Lord of the Rings Fan, make sure to book a tour of the Weta Workshop and hike up Mount Victoria.
Day 14: Wellington to Napier
Depart Wellington and head to the wine country of the North Island, Hawke’s Bay. Along the way, stop for a short walk through Rivendell, a must for Lord of the Rings fans. Spend the afternoon wine tasting around the area. If you are not a wine fan, continue heading to Rotorua.
Day 15: Napier to Rotorua
In the morning, began heading to Rotorua. Take a lunch stop in Taupo the location of the world’s coolest McDonald’s. You can even eat your meal inside a full-size airplane!
After lunch, make a stop at the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland to see what the hot water from the volcano forms. Plan to spend a couple of hours wandering through the park to see the various pools.
You can also opt to make a stop at the Waikite Thermal Pools or the Polynesian Spa. It was a perfect way to relax after all of the driving.
Grab dinner at food alley in Rotorua and then head over to the Redwood Tree Walk by night. This Redwood Forest connects the trees with 23 suspension bridges in the only Redwood forest in New Zealand.
Day 16: Rotorua to Auckland
Spend the morning exploring Rotorua some more or began your drive to Auckland. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, make sure to stop at Hobbiton on your drive. Near the Auckland airport is the Villa Maria tasting room, another great wine stop. Return your rental car and then head into the city center to explore Auckland.
Day 17: Auckland
Today is all about exploring the most populated city in New Zealand. Spend the day exploring what Auckland has to offer or opt to head to Waiheke Island for some wine tasting.
Day 18: Auckland for Home
You have most of the day to explore more of Auckland before catching an evening flight home. Perhaps opt to explore Western Springs Park and one of the many sites to see there.
**Note if you need to, skip the day in Wanaka or Napier to shorten the trip, opt to not spend the night in Christchurch and fly directly to Wellington, or spend one less night in Auckland.
18 thoughts on “18-day New Zealand Itinerary”
It looks like you had the best time ever! New Zealand looks like the perfect destination if you love nature. I would love to do a big road trip there one day. Thank you for the inspiration!
It was a great place if you love nature. I wish we had more time to spend.
This looks like the perfect NZ itinerary!! You’ve covered so much and I’ll definitely be referencing this guide when I plan my trip!
It was a lot but super fun.
Loved New Zealand! We were lucky enough to have 6 weeks to explore and the West Coast of the South Island was my absolute favorite! I wish we would’ve gotten to Napier.
Wow! I wish we had had more time. I could have spend at least two more weeks touring around.
Loved this post!!! I used to live in NZ a reallllly long time ago and took a road trip around, and your itinerary is so good!!! I will definitely use this for when I go back and take my husband around with me.
Thank you! It was a busy itinerary but we got to see so much so it was worth it.
I visited New Zealand very briefly 10 years ago on my way somewhere else. I only had 3 days in Auckland, but did at least get top Waiheke. Would love to go back and explore the rest of this beautiful country as it looks amazing, and some great ideas here on what to see and do.
You definitely need to go back and see more of the country. Auckland was actually one of my least favorites compared to the rest of the country!
New Zealand is such a great country for road trips. Love your recommendations.
It really is! I can’t wait to go back n
New Zealand is just so, soooo awesome! We did a similar (ish) loop and I totally fell in love with it too. Do you tink you’ll go back? If you do, I hope you can add on some time in Mount Cook /Aoraki next time. I think that was my favourite spot. 😀
Oh we will for sure go back! We want to go back in warmer weather so we can do more hikes like Mount Cook. It was too rainy so the road there was closed. 🙁
Thank you for such detailed itinerary! I am planning on visiting NZ sometime in the next couple of years and most of the itineraries out there are basically either north island or south one. It is good to finally find someone who explored both! Thanks for sharing!
Great post, love the photos! ? I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand, this seems like it would be a great itinerary!
Thank you! I LOVED New Zealand.
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