How to Plan an Ideal Trip to New Zealand → Your ULTIMATE Guide

New Zealand was on my bucket list for at least a couple of years until I finally bought a ticket to Auckland. I was so excited about it that I started to plan my trip right after booking my flight!

Before visiting New Zealand, I had been to over 60 countries. I guess I can call myself quite an experienced traveler, so it usually doesn’t take me long to create a draft itinerary. But not with New Zealand – planning this trip was actually quite a challenge as there were too many places that were unknown to me during my research stage and different websites recommended different things.

The planning stage was definitely overwhelming. Going so far away, I did not want to miss something significant.

I needed to really plan my vacation. As I live in Europe, it’s not like I could go back to New Zealand anytime for a weekend if I missed something important.

Having been there and having made some mistakes, I now know what was done right and what should have been planned better.

That is why I put in this post some tips you should take into consideration when planning your dream vacation to New Zealand if you want to make this stage easy and flawless for you.

UPDATE JUNE 2019: Starting with the 1st of October 2019, the New Zealand Government will introduce an eTA (Electronic Travel Authority). Travelers who do not require a visa for New Zealand will have to obtain this eTA instead. You can find more details about this change here.

Let’s start from…

The Basics of traveling to New Zealand

• The country is located in Oceania. Auckland is the biggest city, Wellington is the capital
• The flight is approximately 18 hours from NYC and 27 hours from Paris (both times depend on how long your transfer will be)
• The official languages in New Zealand are English and Māori. English is spoken by everyone which makes traveling in the country a breeze!
• The currency is the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and the exchange rate is $1 NZD ~ USD $ 0.72. Check the up-to-date rate here

New Zealand is composed of 2 islands that are called, as you guessed it –  North Island and South Island.

North Island is famous for its beautiful beaches, snow capped volcanoes, the city of Wellington and small islands located close enough for you to enjoy a day trip there.

South Island is famous for its steep fjords, mountains ranges and glaciers, wildlife, Christchurch and Queenstown.

When is the best time to visit New Zealand?

Compared to North America and Europe, the seasons are upside down there. So let me explain it this way:

• Summer (December to February) – the temperature is ~25 C (77 F), but it is a very busy time due to the holidays
• Autumn (March to May) – autumn is very beautiful and less touristy but it can get cold-ish
• Winter (June to August) – short days and quite cold (around 10C or 50F), but hey, it is skiing time!
• Spring (September to November) – fewer tourists, you might get some fantastic weather, but you might be unlucky as well.

I visited in mid-September. Even though we were mostly very lucky with the weather, it was still quite unpredictable at times.

If you are thinking of visiting during winter, there is only one thing you should keep in mind – due to weather conditions, many of the activities (skydiving, glacier walks, rafting etc.) might be cancelled.

The best months to visit New Zealand are considered to be January and February. I honestly think it would be beautiful to visit in November, as it should already be warm, but not so crowded yet.

How long should you stay in New Zealand?

If you are coming from far away, which is the case for almost everyone (unless you are from Australia), I suggest your stay should be a minimum of 2 weeks.

You didn’t come all the way to New Zealand just to have a glimpse of its beauty in 5 days, did you?

3 weeks is even better – that is how much time I had to discover the country and I feel like it was just about right. I divided my time into 1 week for the North Island and 2 weeks for the South Island. This seems to be a popular option among tourists.

However, if you have more time, there are plenty of things to do on both islands. So, in summary, if you have the time, your vacation could easily be 4 or even 5 weeks. You will not run out of things to do and visit, so don’t worry!

How to plan your New Zealand trip from scratch

Planning a trip to New Zealand can be overwhelming, I know, been there, done that!

There are so many names and so many options, and you don’t know which one is right for you.

So, this is what I did – I just opened Google Maps and started to write down the places I would like to visit, meaning all the ones I saw on the internet. I just marked everything I liked there without any time estimates.

Then I realistically measured the transportation time between the spots and evaluated each of them in terms of how much time I had and how badly I wanted to visit it on a scale of 1 to 10.

Then, here comes the hardest part – I took out the ones that were not 10/10 from the map and I was left with a draft itinerary.

Here you go, this one is mine (you can try to do something similar, as it does not take that much time and you will be left with the options you REALLY want to visit):

Don’t worry about the hidden gems you might’ve missed in your plan – just leave some space in between the points so you have some time to be flexible. We will discuss this below.

Distances in New Zealand

Here is one important thing you should understand before planning your vacation to New Zealand –

If two places seem close on a map, it does not necessarily mean it’s fast to get there.

There might be some mountains on your way and you will have to drive around them, and sometimes driving can take longer than expected due to bad weather or winding roads…

Here are estimated travel times from most popular places by car:

• Auckland – Wellington: 8h drive
• Wellington – Picton: 3h ferry ride
• Picton – Christchurch: 4h 30min drive
• Christchurch – Dunedin: 4h 30min drive
• Christchurch – Queenstown: 6 hour drive
• Dunedin – Queenstown: 3h 30min drive

PRO TIP: Use this site to calculate how long it will take for you to drive from point A to point B.

Distances can be quite big and I, for some reason, compared New Zealand to Iceland, which is a much smaller island. You should be prepared to drive for quite some time, especially on the North Island.

We will talk about transportation in detail below in this post, and here is my detailed post about 7 things you should know before renting a car in New Zealand.

How to budget your trip to New Zealand

Let’s be honest here, New Zealand isn’t one of the cheapest countries in the world and you should carefully estimate your budget before going in order to not be caught by surprise in the middle of your trip.

It’s going to be hard for me to estimate YOUR budget because different people have different preferences and they stay in different hotels (or maybe tents?), but I will try my best.

Remember, if you only stay in a tent and cook your own food, the price will be significantly lower than if you were to dine in restaurants, stay in hotels and take helicopter tours.

Here are the prices you might be expecting to pay per day as a middle budget traveler:

• Car – $50-100 NZD depending on the season and the car, this includes full insurance
• Gas – around $30-40 NZD for a small car, $40–50 NZD for a big one (full tank of gas)
• Accommodation – around $100 NZD for 2 people
• Food – ~$60-80 NZD for 2 people but it can be lower if you only do supermarket food
• Activities – this can vary so much depending on what you do. It can be 0 if you are only doing hikes or it can go up to $300-$400 NZD for a helicopter tour per person. Let’s say $50 NZD per person a day considering you will do a couple of cool things (if you are an adrenaline junkie and you know you will do a lot of extreme tours, I would make it at least $70 NZD per day per person).
• Other – sim cards, sun screen and some other things that you might need ~$20 NZD for both people per day.

So how much will I spend per day roughly if I have a middle budget?

I would calculate it (70+40+100+70+50*2+20) to around $400 NZD for 2 people or $200 NZD per person per day ($144 USD).

With this budget, we were able to do so many cool things in the country, and it will always stay in our hearts!

What if you are traveling on a tight budget?

I would calculate the cost of a budget traveler if he/she pays for transportation and stays in hostels/tent to be around $100 NZD ($72 USD) per day. Keep in mind that this can be lower if you hitchhike, which is absolutely legal in New Zealand. I think this is a good article that has all the calculations in it, so you should check it out.

What if you are a luxury traveler?

In this case, your costs can go up to infinity, really. There are an endless number of awesome things to do, luxury hotels to stay in and helicopter tours to take. You can really splurge there, the sky’s the limit!

NOTE: Please keep in mind that this number is a very rough estimate and it will vary significantly depending on the number of people you are sharing your car/accommodation with, your preferences, the season you visit, food and many other criteria.

We mostly stayed in nice, inexpensive hotels. I will give you the prices of all the tours and the hotels I stayed in in the articles dedicated to the North Island and the South Island. Be sure to check them out, as they will give you a better idea of how much the trip will cost you.

You should add the price of the flight to this (find the best deals on Skyscanner or Kiwi) and please do not forget to purchase a travel insurance, I especially recommend it in a country like New Zealand. Better safe than sorry!

UPDATE: There’s a new article that will help you choose the best travel insurance here!

Camping in New Zealand

I personally did not camp, but I learned a lot about it while traveling in the country.

Previously, wild camping (camping anywhere you like) was allowed in New Zealand. But, as people started to turn its beautiful places they stayed overnight into a big trash bin/toilet, the government changed the laws and now you can only camp in specially organized campgrounds.

No worries, traveler, it is still very nice to camp in New Zealand, and now it’s also coordinated. There are tent sites and powered/unpowered motorhome sites where you will find clean toilets, sometimes hot showers and even a kitchen with all the needed facilities.

The price is different from campground to campground, but it is somewhere around $10 to $40 NZD per tent site or around $50 NZD or more per campervan.

The fine for camping in undesignated areas is $200 NZD. You don’t usually need to book a campsite in advance, as they work on a first-come, first-served basis, however, ALL campsites on the Great Walk Track need to be booked in advance.

Also, do not forget to pay for using the campsite’s facilities in the special box. Rangers regularly check the facilities and you might be fined if you did not pay for using the campground.

Check all the requirements here. All the information describing where exactly you can camp can be found here.

How to find deals in New Zealand – some smart tips

As we talked above, New Zealand can be quite pricey at times, but there are some tricks you can use to not overpay for things.

When I traveled to New Zealand, I met some locals and they shared some secret local websites with me. Enjoy all the deals I found:

Food deals in New Zealand

Restaurants

How about using a site like Groupon for discounted meals?

It’s a bit more time consuming as you have to check the coupons and decide which restaurant to go to, but it can be a great money saver! If you can have a well-cooked meal for the price of supermarket food, why not use this option?

I often used Groupon when I lived in Moscow, so why not use it in a foreign country, too? The best part is that you don’t even need to translate it – it’s already in English!

I personally think Groupon would be more than enough, but here are more options for you to choose from just in case: Grabone, FirstTable.

Generally, take-away food is cheaper than eating in a restaurant.

You should also know that tips are not expected in New Zealand. However, if you wish to leave some gratuities (5-10%) for excellent service, they are always welcomed.

Supermarkets

Big supermarket chains don’t only offer membership discount cards for locals, but also some paper “tourist cards” for international travelers. We were given one and we used it in different cities across the country when shopping for food. The saving was not that big, but it was still a nice extra!

Transportation deals in New Zealand

Transportation costs will probably represent a significant part of your vacation budget, so why not try some money saving tricks there, too?

Flights

Internal flights are surprisingly inexpensive. I am talking about my experience taking flights inside New Zealand here. Try https://grabaseat.co.nz – it’s a local fare finder that has destination deals and also some nice getaway packages. They sometimes throw $1 NZD flights, but they will be gone very quickly, so make sure to check the website in advance!

Jet Star airlines is usually cheaper if you know your route at least 2 months in advance. Air New Zealand is the second biggest domestic airline and sometimes they can have even better prices than Jet Star! There are a couple more options, but they fly to some lesser known destinations, so I recommend simply checking Skyscanner or your preferred flight comparison platform.

Car rentals

Deciding to rent a car in New Zealand can be one of the best decisions for your trip because of the freedom and flexibility it gives you!

If you think this is the best option for you, too, you can check out great deals for car rentals in New Zealand on Rental Cars or on Auto Europe.

I used Snap Rental for my New Zealand trip. You can read everything about my experience with them and find out how you can benefit from the 10% discount for all my readers in this article!

Here is the deal – most of the travelers pick up their car in Auckland and drop it off in Queenstown or in Christchurch, and the car rental companies obviously want the car back at their headquarters.

So, if you are willing to return the car for them, the car rental will be free for you and they usually even cover the cost of the ferry if needed. The catch? You are usually given only 3-4 days to deliver the car, so this is a good option only for people who really don’t have much time to travel in the country. Here and here are examples of companies that offer rental car relocation.

Buses

If you would like to travel by bus, check out these two websites: InterCity.co.nz, http://nakedbus.com/nz. They also do some $1 NZD deals if you book in advance. It still can be pretty cheap even if you book it last minute, though. If you sign up for their membership program (which is free), you will also get a $2-6 NZD discount.

Campervans

Here are some good campervan sites – ApolloCamper.com, Britz.co.nz, Jucy.co.nz, KEACampers.com, Maui-Rentals.com, WickedCampers.com

UPDATE: Here is a great price site I found that is kind of an Airbnb for campervans – Outdoorsy.

Trains

Train websites – RailNewZealand.com, KiwiRail

Ferries

Sometimes it’s possible to get a 10% discount on the Interislander Ferry (the one between the islands) if you simply google “Interislander Ferry discount code”! 😉

Accommodation deals

Depending on the area, the prices start at $15 NZD for a hostel and $70 NZD for a regular hotel for 2.

I always use Booking.com as they have the biggest variety of hotels and the best price guarantee policy.

I also mention some nice hotels with great reviews for each city individually; check my posts on the North Island and the South Island.

As for the deals, www.bookme.co.nz can again come in very handy here – they throw out nice deals for New Zealand for last-minute travelers (7 days or less in advance).

If you like to stay in apartments, Airbnb is always a choice (here is my 25% off discount for you if you are booking for the first time). There is also a great alternative to this – a local apartment rental website called BookaBatch where the variety of choices is even wider in my opinion.

NOTE: Surprisingly, most of the budget hotels will make you pay for your internet. Usually around $5 NZD for 1GB.

NOTE 2: Again surprisingly, the check out in most of the hotels in New Zealand is at 10 a.m. I think this is quite early, but it was good in a way because we were forced to start our day early.

UPDATE: By popular request, here is the article that will help you book ALL the accommodations for your road trip in New Zealand. All hotels are carefully selected by reviews and sorted by price for you! Click here:

Tours deals in New Zealand

Again, our good old friend Groupon can come in handy!

www.bookme.co.nz is an AMAZING find – if you are flexible with tours and dates, you can find some really great deals there! Often you can find popular tours discounted 50-70%- that’s a nice saving!

In addition, you should know that sometimes you do not need to spend money on tours, because, for example, you can actually encounter penguins in some part of the country. It pays off to do research sometimes!

My other tip would be to visit an i-Site, which you can practically find in all towns across the country. Not only does it have free Wi-Fi, but it can be useful to you because local experts will be ready to answer your questions about local deals, finds, discounts etc.

Sometimes booking online can save you 10%, so check each website in advance.

If you want to visit a lot in Wellington, look into the Wellington City Pass.

Insurance for New Zealand

Travel insurance is very important to have in any country you go to, but especially in New Zealand.

New Zealand may seem like an idyllic and calm country, but trust me, things happen there, too! I saw a car robbed once. You will probably also do a lot of extreme activities, so it’s just best to plan ahead in case something happens.

World Nomads is the insurance I can wholeheartedly recommend; you check the rates for New Zealand here.

📍 Capital:	Wellington
💲 Сurrency:	New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
🤩 Range of activities:	Great
📅 How many days:	2-3 weeks
💵 Avg hotel price:	$150
✈️ Cost of traveling:	Medium

Suggested New Zealand packing list

Things are suuper expensive to buy pretty much anywhere in the country (think about the transportation costs for them), so try to think about what to pack for New Zealand in advance.

Here are some things that I would not go to New Zealand without:

• layers – fleece, warm jacket, winter and waterproof jacket
• sturdy hiking boots
• wires to connect your phone to the car if you are renting a car
• sun block is absolutely essential! The ozone layer hole is right above New Zealand so you will feel it fast if you’re not using sun protection
• t-shirts
• a cardigan
• leggings
• hiking pants
• swim suit
• sunglasses, better polarized protection (even in winter)
• a hat and gloves if you’re not traveling in New Zealand during summer
• refillable water bottle
• motion sickness pills for the ferry and dolphin watching tour
• hiking poles – I did Torres del Paine and Nepal without them and I was not going to repeat my mistake!
• first aid kit

Of course, your list might vary depending on the season you will be visiting New Zealand. The general rule is – bring warmer clothes if visiting in the wintertime and fewer layers in the summer (it can still get windy and unpredictable though).

Here is my detailed article on a New Zealand packing list that has recommendations for every season!

Internet in New Zealand

Internet in hotels

In fact, I have found the Internet in New Zealand to be quite slow and pricey.

It isn’t as horrible as in the Philippines (because at least it works in New Zealand), so I guess I shouldn’t be complaining.

You know what I was surprised about though?

 In New Zealand, you have to pay extra for using the hotel’s Wi-Fi!

This does not hold true for luxury hotels, but for mid-price and budget accommodations you will probably need to pay $5-$10 NZD and you will also have limited MB!

That was something that I needed to get used to and something that is good for you to know, too.

Mobile Internet

As for the mobile internet, I got myself a sim card right at the airport – there is a Spark Mobile stand right in the Auckland airport. You can check the current rates here (they are quite expensive, so if you have a good roaming tariff you might be better off using it instead).

Spark has the best coverage and it’s not as pricey as Vodafone, so I went for that option.

There is also a 2DegreesMobile – it’s much cheaper than the first two, but they do not have a stand in the airport, unfortunately. Thus, if you can wait until you reach a city and buy it from there, that’s the best option! Their tariffs are usually half the price compared to their competitors. You can see the rates here.

What type of transportation to choose in New Zealand

to reach each destination is essential during the planning stage.

This (and probably your accommodations) will be the most expensive part of your trip, so it pays to think about it in advance.

Could you use a small economy car or do you need a big minivan for the whole family? What distance do you want to cover?

Here are my suggestion for transport options depending on the type of traveling you are going to do:

• a couple – a rented car would suit you great, especially if you are a nature addict! This is the most popular option for discovering New Zealand because you can tailor-make your trip and stop anywhere you like for pictures. You can choose either a regular rental car (my choice) or a camper van and stay in camping zones.

• a group of friends – depending on how big your group is, a camper van or a car will be great for you as well. You will be able to share the transportation costs and it’s also a lot of fun sharing the beauty of a country with friends, isn’t it?
• budget traveler/solo traveler – if you’d like to meet new people, I think that one of those prearranged hop-on/hop-off buses that go over the whole country can be a great option for you! There is no driving involved, so you can relax and enjoy the views!
• A family – a camper van is a great option for a big family (bonus points – you can cook there!). If you are a family of 3-4 people without much luggage, a normal car would suffice.

• budget travelers not fond of party buses – In case the rental is too expensive for you, you can also do this – buy a car/campervan and sell it afterward. I am dead serious, people say you can do it, but you will need to stay for at least 4-5 days in a city to make sure you can sell it.
• travelers that don’t drive and are not fond of party buses –  you should know that there are also trains in New Zealand. They don’t go everywhere of course, but they have quite a lot of coverage. Check Transcoastal to see the routes. Another option is to go by public transport, but again, you will be limited to a certain route and you can’t stop on the way.
• traveling on very, veeerrrry limited budget – having little money should not stop you from discovering New Zealand – you can either hitchhike (it is not illegal in the country) or cycle around the country. I know these options are for adventurous travelers, but it can definitely be done!

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Conclusion

New Zealand is an amazing country, a homeland to 4 million people and 60 million sheep!

It might look like the country is small, but New Zealand is full of incredible corners and it can be explored and discovered in 5 weeks or even more if only you (and I) had the time!

I hope this post was useful in creating your ideal itinerary for your future New Zealand trip. I have covered a lot of useful tips that were given to me by the locals and tried to list all the prices.

If you are still hesitant about whether or not you should visit New Zealand, DON’T BE! The natural beauty is breathtaking, the country is like no other, and chances are it will become your favorite country!

Remember that I have many other articles about New Zealand including some detailed itineraries for each island with prices and recommendations that you can find  here.

If you have any more questions, please let me know in the comments and I will be happy to answer!

Yulia

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