New Zealand North Island Itinerary: 7 Magical Days

New Zealand’s South Island gets all the glory. And its reputation is well-deserved. From heli-hiking a glacier to an overnight wilderness cruise, our South Island adventures were memorable. But I’m so glad we also included a New Zealand North Island itinerary in our trip. This is a stunning part of the country and deserves your valuable sightseeing time! (Fun fact, New Zealand is rated as one of the best countries to live and work.)

New Zealand North Island Itinerary

This North Island New Zealand road trip itinerary is perfect for first-timers! It works great if you’re flying into Auckland on an international flight.

You can hit the highlights here, travel south to Wellington, and then fly/ferry over to the South Island. (Or drive round-trip back to Auckland.)

Also, even though it’s a New Zealand road trip itinerary, consider minimizing “one-night stands” in a place. This is one of my top tips for planning a more relaxing, restorative trip!

Resist the urge to drive and unpack all over and over again every single night. You’ll end up losing too much time on a short trip and wind up feeling exhausted and frustrated at the end.

This seven-day North Island itinerary has you based in Auckland for two days and in Rotorua for three days with single overnights near Matamata for Hobbiton and in Wellington at the south end of the North Island. From there, it’s easy to hop to the South Island.

If you only have time for the North Island, however, you can still use this itinerary. Just do it as a roundtrip back to Auckland. To be efficient with your time, consider catching an hour-long flight back to Auckland from Wellington.

We were impressed by the convenience and inexpensive options for in-country flights through Air New Zealand. If you’d rather skip those, leave room in your itinerary for an eight-hour drive back to Aukland.

 

Day 1 North Island Itinerary: Auckland

Don’t miss Sky Tower.

There are so many things to do in Auckland, it’s hard to choose! But don’t miss Sky Tower. It’s the highest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere at more than 1,000 feet tall. This observation tower is Auckland’s best-known landmark due to the superb views of the city skyline.

Upper floors are accessible to the public. Because the tower slowly rotates, it’s a great place to get 360-degree views of Auckland. (You can even jump from the Skydeck!) Get your Sky Tower tickets here.

See the nearby village of Matakana for incredible wineries and beaches.

Go whale watching.

If you’re interested in up close and personal wildlife sightings, consider a half-day tour on a luxury catamaran from Viaduct Harbor in Auckland. Marine scientists on this eco-cruise make learning about whale behavior fascinating. Enjoy views of Auckland Harbor Bridge, the Hauraki Gulf, and Rangitoto Island.

You can book a whale-watching cruise here.

Hike Mount Eden.

Looking for a convenient half-day local hike? Just three miles from downtown Auckland, Mount Eden is the highest volcano in Auckland, last erupting 15,000 years ago. The hike is just a little over a mile (2 km) but it’s mostly uphill so be ready.

Looking for more ideas? Here are more ideas for things to do in Auckland.

Where to stay in Auckland (2 nights)

Auckland is big and sprawling. Neighborhoods all have their distinct personalities. My picks? If you’re a first-timer or without a car, consider Auckland’s CBD for easy walkability.

We enjoyed our stay in classy Parnell on the outskirts (but sadly can’t recommend the Airbnb). Next time, I’d stay in hipster Ponsonby. I loved the unique cafés, independent bookstores and artisans I met there.

Stay at SkyCity Grand Hotel. You can’t beat this five-star hotel in the heart of Auckland! The hotel offers a sleek contemporary vibe, beautiful views, and dozens of beautiful restaurants and bars just out your door. Travelers love being enveloped in first-class elegance and comfort here. Best for couples and luxury lovers.

Check prices at SkyCity Grand Hotel here.

Day 2 North Island Itinerary: Day Trip from Auckland

There are so many incredible options for North Island New Zealand tours from Auckland. If you only have 7 days on New Zealand’s North Island, you’ll have to make some difficult decisions about day trips!

Here are my recommendations for how to spend your day:

You can see these spots on your own with a car or save your drive time for tomorrow and enjoy a tour with a local guide instead for a more relaxed and personal experience.

See the stunning Coromandel Peninsula.

Cathedral Cove, one of New Zealand’s most beautiful and iconic natural attractions, can only be accessed by foot or kayak. (You may remember it from the opening scene in the movie The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe!)

There are also some lovely thermal pools here, including Hot Water Beach. The Pinnacles is a gorgeous three-hour hike featuring dramatic trees and swinging bridges across vibrant streams.

You can check out day tours from Auckland to the Coromandel Peninsula here.

Enjoy a Piha beach day.

The black sand beach at Piha is a Kiwi local favorite in the summertime. This is a dramatic beach with beautiful cliffs, waterfalls, and dangerous currents in the winter (but safe summer swimming). Surfers flock here!

A day tour makes it easy to visit at your own pace without the hour’s drive to the west coast. A shuttle bus takes you through a subtropical rainforest while a knowledgeable guide shares information on local flora and fauna.

Explore Piha on your own for six to eight hours—take in a stunning sunset here—and then return to Auckland.

You can check out the Piha day tour here.

Go wine tasting or ziplining on Waiheki Island.

There are more than 25 departures daily from Auckland for the 35-minute ferry ride over to this lovely island. Once you’re there, you can wine taste at world-class wineries, kayak the 40 kilometers of coastline, nap on Oneroa Beach, cycle the island, and so much more!

Or, leave the planning to a local. After all, you’re on vacation, right? You can choose from day tours to the island geared to foodies and wine lovers, thrillseekers looking for a zip line experience, or a hop-on hop-off bus tour.

Check out Waiheke Island tours here.

And that’s just the beginning! You could also do a guided wilderness walk, see the impressive wildlife sanctuary on Tiritiri Matangi Island, or hike to the summit of the volcanic Rangitoto Island.

Auckland makes a great base for exploring by day tours. The options are nearly endless.

Check out all the Auckland day tours here.

Day 3 North Island Itinerary: See the Hobbiton Movie Set

Visiting the unique Hobbiton movie set is on most traveler’s “must-see” list on New Zealand’s North Island. This is, of course, the movie set preserved since the classic movie Lord of the Rings was filmed here in 1999.

Once location scouts saw the gently rolling hills here on the Alexander sheep farm, they knew they’d found The Shire in Middle Earth.

Today, you can see 44 reconstructed Hobbit holes and feel the magic for yourself…along with about a half-million other LOTR fans annually, unfortunately.

I work hard to avoid massive groups of tourists on trips, but there’s always an exception and this is the one to make in northern New Zealand!

It’s important to understand that independent travelers are not allowed to roam freely here. Be sure to pre-book your ticket to avoid disappointment!

You can reserve a ticket here.

Tips for visiting Hobbiton.

To minimize crowds, book in advance and choose the earliest time to visit.  The best way to visit early in the day is to stay overnight nearby to beat the hoards of day-trippers arriving from Auckland.

It’s about a two-hour drive from Auckland to Matamata and a 15-minute drive from Matamata to Hobbiton.

Where to Stay Near Hobbiton (1 night)

Luxury: Lake Karapiro Lodge

With sweeping sunset views of the lake and personalized attention from your hosts, a stay at Lake Karapiro Lodge is memorable. Guests rave about the gourmet breakfast here. It’s just a 15-minute drive to Hobbiton!

Check prices at Lake Karapiro Lodge here.

Budget: Di’s B&B

Located on the edge of Matamata (10-minute walk to Matamata shops, 20-minute drive to Hobbiton), this private downstairs apartment is a real steal. It sleeps three comfortably and comes with a fully functional kitchenette and private entrance.

Check the price and availability of Di’s B&B here. 

Day 4 North Island Itinerary: Visit the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

It’s just a 90-minute drive from Hobbiton to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves on the North Island so you will have ample time to explore this incredible area today. There’s plenty to see and do here. Book ahead to avoid long lines! (See below for booking options.)

You’ll base in nearby Rotorua for two nights to avoid unnecessary packing and unpacking.

Waitomo is Maori for “the stream that flows into the hole in the ground.” And what a stream it is! We took a 45-minute boat ride through these underground caves and ogled the glowworms over our heads the whole way. It was just like sitting under a starry night sky. Breathtakingly beautiful!

Glow worms are unique to New Zealand. They are essentially the larvae of insects that use their glow to attract food. You can see them in other places within the country, but they are perhaps at their most impressive here in Waitomo.

Also, they are cannibals. True story. A glowworm lives for three days and gives birth to 100 babies. But just 20 will survive thanks to all the other glowworms who gobble them up.

There were some incredible stalactites and stalagmites in these caves as well. In fact, I found myself meditating on the power of perseverance as our guide encouraged us to watch a bead of water pool on the tip of a vast stalactite over a period of minutes and then drip into the pool of water below.

It took millions of years for these caves to form. In 100 years, a stalactite only grows as much as a fingernail!

Tour Options for Glowworm Caves

1. Waitomo 45 minute guided tour. This is the tour we took. Essentially, you enter the cave in a boat, float through the “starry night” with a short walk afterward before exiting.

You can check prices here on a Waitomo tour.

2. Three-hour Ruakuri cave guided adventure. Looking for an exhilarating underground experience? An expert guide offers a bit of technical instruction first. Then you’ll hop a few waterfalls and float the underground river in Ruakuri Cave on a raft as you weave through a glowworm studded wonderland.

Check prices on a Ruakuri cave adventure here.

With more time here, check out Marakopa Falls or the Mangapohue Natural Bridge Walk. Then cut across the island toward Rotorua to stay for the next two nights.

It’s a beautiful and scenic drive through constantly shifting landscapes, from bucolic pasture and steep cliffs to rain forest with steam drifting up through the vents and geothermal features here.

Rotorua Accommodations (3 nights)

Luxury: Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel

Your luxury lakeside room comes with a fireplace, breakfast and access to a solar-heated pool and sauna here. This charming boutique hotel is set on a full acre of manicured gardens. Travelers rate a stay here as an exceptional experience.

Check prices on Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel here.

Budget: Central Kuirau Cottage with park views

This two-bedroom, one-bath cottage is a steal! It sleeps five and comes with a sunny living room, a kitchen with full-sized stove, and views of Kuirau Park. Note: no laundry on site, but two laundromats close by.

Check the price and availability of the Kuirau Cottage here. 

Day 5 North Island Itinerary: See Wai o Tapu Thermal Wonderland Park

Head to Wai o Tapu Thermal Wonderland Park.

Spend a few hours to a half-day today at Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland Park. The closest I’ve come to seeing anything this unusual was at Yellowstone National Park in the US!

Be sure to book your ticket in advance. You can get tickets to Wai-o-Tapu here.

When you approach the park here, you’ll likely notice a strong sulfur smell permeating everything.

Wai-o-Tapu is a surreal experience…It’s a geothermal park on the edge of a collapsed volcano that was formed 230,000 years ago. Boiling mud pots abound. Be sure to see the Wai-o-Tapu Champagne Pool while you’re here.

The park is relatively small and flat, so there’s a big pay-off for a 60 or 90-minute hike around it. But you could also spend much longer enjoying some incredible hiking or “tramping”—as the Kiwis call it— here.

However, be aware that if you plan an afternoon visit, you’ll miss the eruption of the Lady Knox Geyser, which takes places at 10:30 am daily. (The bonus: No crowds! We had the place almost completely to ourselves.)

Then enjoy an authentic Maori Evening and Dinner.

No trip to New Zealand would be complete without learning a bit about the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. After exploring Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland Park, spend an evening with the Maori.

The Maori—pronounced “Mow-ree”—are a Polynesian people who make up 14 percent of New Zealand’s population. The Maori culture is deeply threaded throughout New Zealand’s language, culture, and daily life.

One of the best ways to experience it for yourself is to head to one of the native Maori villages here. Descendants of the Maori in residence at the one we visited have lived there since 1350 AD.

As we entered the villages through a forest, we passed crackling open fires and traditional homes, and then participated in a Maori welcome ceremony.

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In our few hours there, we were treated to demonstrations of everything from the games they played and an explanation of Maori history to demonstrations of Hangi cooking—meat and fish roasted in a pit dug into the ground—and explanations of their unique tattoos.

For example, facial markings are like a person’s resumé, a history of personal achievements and status. On a man, markings above the eyes signal his spiritual gifts.

Finally, after learning about the history of the Maori, we enjoyed a delicious Hangi meal of meat, seafood, and root vegetables and a final cultural performance of traditional Maori song and dance.

If you’re lucky, you’ll also hear a few Maori proverbs during your visit. They are a poetic form of the language, with underlying messages and perspectives about Maori values and how to live.

You can book the Rotorua Maori Hangi dinner described above here. We enjoyed it, but also found it a bit over dramatized for tourists. Our Airbnb host rated this Mitai Maori village cultural experience as more authentic.

Day 6 North Island itinerary: Rotorua 

If I was headed back to the North Island, I’d definitely spend more time in Rotorua. It’s the adventure capital of New Zealand’s North Island!

This region is also a beautiful playground for nature lovers. With less than 7 days for the North Island, however, you can omit this day in your itinerary.

Another option for Day 6: If you are a serious hiker, I’d recommend you swap this extra day in Rotorua for a day based near Lake Taupo (two hours south of Rotorua) for the iconic 6 to 8 hour hike of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, considered by some to be New Zealand’s single best day hike.

Things to Do in Rotorua

1. Enjoy a mud bath at Hell’s Gate.

Tour the mud pools, then add a soak in the sulfur springs, massage, or mud bath. Check prices and availability here.

2. Or visit a deluxe lake spa for geothermal hot spring bathing!

An inexpensive ticket gives you up to four hours of access to the acidic waters of Priest Springs and the alkaline waters of Rachel Springs. Think waterfalls and heated poolside recliners. You can get your spa ticket here.

3. Do a Redwoods tree walk, hike or bicycle ride!

I had no idea until we actually arrived in Rotorua that the beautiful Whakarewarewa redwood forest was here. What a mistake that was to not allow time in our itinerary.

It’s just ten minutes from downtown Rotorua. This is a paradise for cyclists, hikers, and horseback riders. In fact, travelers worldwide come here for the epic mountain biking trails.

But the most unique experience here is undoubtedly the redwood tree walk. It’s a 30-minute ecological walk—suspended midway from the forest floor—for a bird’s eye view of these >100-year old iconic California redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). (No safety harness required.)

Do it at night if you can! The redwoods glow under the moody lighting. You can read more about this experience on TripAdvisor here.

4. Zipline through a canopy.

If you’re an adventurer, don’t miss the opportunity to soar through a pristine forest canopy as you listen to the native birds calling. You can book your ziplining experience here.

5. Jet boat through the Tutukau Gorge.

Meet your guide about 30 minutes from Rotorua for a 2.5-hour jet boat ride on the Waikato River through the sheer cliffs of the Tutkau Gorge and past the Orakei Korakao Geothermal Park.

Then you’ll “water walk” through The Squeeze to a waterfall and nearby spa. You can book this experience here.

Day 7 North Island Itinerary: Wellington

Wellington—at the southernmost tip of the North Island—is a nearly 6-hour drive so you might consider flying with Air New Zealand from Rotorua (just a one hour flight) to save time.

As New Zealand’s capital, Wellington is home to New Zealand’s parliament, a rich foodie scene, and the InterIslander ferry that takes you on a scenic three-hour journey across the Cook Strait to Picton on the South Island.

You can get your ferry ticket here.

Things to Do in Wellington

Here are recommendations on how to spend your time in this lovely city…

1. Take a half-day tour of the city.

This is one of the best ways to take in the best sights of a city. This tour takes you to iconic Weta Cave and the historic Old St. Paul’s Cathedral. 

You will also ride the Wellington cable cars to the top of the city, and to Mount Victoria for some fantastic views. 

Take some drinks with you, as they are not provided.

Get your half-day tour ticket here.

2. Visit Zealandia.

This urban wildlife sanctuary has a 500-year vision to restore the ecosystems in the Wellington valley to their pre-human state. The best way to experience New Zealand’s native forest is at twilight or at night (by torchlight) when you’re most likely to spot rare and endangered species here like glow worms and takahe.

Get your ticket for a Zealandia guided tour here.

3. Take a Lord of the Rings tour.

This is a fun half-day trip for die-hard LoTR fans! You’ll see forest scenes from the movie you may recognize, learn about props and make-up, and visit the Weta Cave.

You can reserve a guided tour here.

4. See the view from Mount Victoria.

This is the best spot in Wellington for a bird’s eye view of the city. If you’re up for a strenous walk, you can hike here from Oriental Bay. Otherwise, drive it but be prepared for lots of sharp, windy turns and blind curves.

5. Explore further afield!

Trip Advisor rates The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa as the #1 most popular thing to see in Wellington. If you’re interested in digging deeper into New Zealand history and culture, add this museum to your itinerary.

Other Wellington favorites are Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sgaglands Wildlife Reserve, a ride on the Wellington cable car, and a visit to Oriental Bay.

Where to stay in Wellington (1 night)

Stay at The Intercontinental Wellington.

This 5 star hotel offers world-class service in the best-rated location in Wellington. You can park onsite or walk to most local sights if you don’t have a car. Enjoy a meal at the Intercontinental’s award-winning Chamelon restaurant and take advantage of the top-rated buffet breakfast and spa here.

You can check rates at the Intercontinental Wellington here.

Looking for more itinerary ideas on the North Island? Go here.

New Zealand FAQ

1. What is the best month to visit New Zealand?

It depends what you’re looking for! New Zealand’s summer is December to February for best weather (and biggest crowds). Winter is June to August for dramatic snow-covered mountains and white water rafting as the snow melts.

2. How many days do you need to see New Zealand?

I’d recommend a minimum of two weeks in New Zealand. When we visited, we spent one week on the North Island and one week on the South Island. That allowed us to hit a few highlights but meant we still missed many wonderful sights. Three weeks would be even better!

3. What’s the best way to get around the North Island?

Car is by far the best option! Just be aware if you’re from the USA or European continent, New Zealanders drive on the “wrong” side of the road. Most roads are narrow two-lane roads in excellent condition (and oh so scenic).

If you prefer not to drive, you can take the Intercity bus. Or consider a tour bus like Kiwi Experience. Your last option is train travel through Rail New Zealand.

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