Where should I go in New Zealand for a week?

  • One-week New Zealand South Island travel itinerary at a glance.
  • Destination 1: Queenstown and its surroundings.
  • Destination 2: Fiordland National Park.
  • Destination 3: Wanaka, Hawea, and Mount Aspiring National Park.
  • Destination 4: Mount Cook National Park.
  • Important tips for your New Zealand road trip.




With only one week in New Zealand, you should focus on either the North Island or the South Island, rather than trying to see both. For first-timers, a South Island "loop" starting and ending in Queenstown is highly recommended. You could spend 2 days in Queenstown (the adventure capital), 1 day visiting the breathtaking Milford Sound, 2 days in the lakeside town of Wanaka, and 2 days exploring the glaciers (Franz Josef) or the stargazing hub of Lake Tekapo. If you prefer the North Island, you can start in Auckland, head to the geothermal wonders and Maori cultural sites of Rotorua for 2 days, visit the Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, and finish with the stunning coastlines of the Coromandel Peninsula. A week is just enough time to appreciate the dramatic scenery of one region without spending your entire vacation behind the wheel of a car, as New Zealand's roads are often narrow and winding.

People Also Ask

One week isn't really enough time to properly enjoy New Zealand, particularly if you're coming all the way from North America. Nine days allows just enough time to cover the essentials, for which we recommend the following itinerary.

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Seeing New Zealand in 1 week is possible, but it will require early starts and long days. Personally, I'd ditch the car idea and fly between four major stops - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown - to save time.

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How long does it take to travel New Zealand? New Zealand is a relatively compact country, so you can see most of the country's highlights in two weeks. To explore more of the regions and get off the beaten track, you could easily spend three weeks or more exploring.

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The cost of a round-trip ticket to New Zealand can range from $800 to $1,500 depending on the season and airline. Accommodation costs can range from budget hotels or hostels at around $30 to $50 per night to luxury hotels at $200 or more per night.

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Generally speaking, if you want to engage with city culture or explore Maori history, the North Island is for you. If you want to deep-dive into nature, the South Island has plenty of lakes, mountains, fjords, and glaciers to discover.

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Five days may seem short, but allows for an eventful adventure through New Zealand. Since there is not much time, it is ideal to travel within the South Island or the North Island—which budgets for a successful road trip with a few scenic stops.

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The cost of living in New Zealand, for one person in a major city, is between NZ$3,000-NZ$4,000 per month. A family of four can expect to need NZ$5,000-NZ$6,000 per month to live.

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Amazing New Zealand - 4 Days. If you have only 4 days in New Zealand, you can take a circular route from Auckland to the awesome Coromandel Peninsula and then on to Rotorua to take in a little Maori culture and enjoy the sulphur hot-springs.

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Top tips for finding cheap flights to New Zealand. High season is considered to be January, November and December. The cheapest month to fly from the United States is August. Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest New Zealand flight deals.

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