🇳🇿 12 Days in New Zealand: A Road Trip Through Wine Country, Middle-Earth, & Majestic Fjords
Queenstown, New Zealand
New Zealand is a place that takes your breath away at every turn. One moment, you're sipping wine in a vineyard, and the next, you're gazing over crystal blue lakes and towering mountains, marveling at a glacier, or flying over a fjord that looks straight out of a nature documentary.
Over 12 days, we explored Auckland’s urban charm, Waiheke’s dreamy vineyards and beaches, the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, and embarked on an epic South Island road trip filled with rugged coastlines, turquoise lakes, snow-capped peaks, glasses of sauvignon blanc, and the most jaw-dropping experience of all—our scenic flight over Milford Sound.
This wasn’t just a trip. It was a collection of moments that left us speechless. Whether you're planning your own New Zealand adventure or just dreaming of one, here’s our full itinerary—complete with travel tips, personal highlights, and a few surprises along the way.
If you’re short on time - take a look at our New Zealand Travel Tip Guide.
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Why New Zealand?
New Zealand is a dream destination. The country is incredibly safe and friendly, with so much to see and explore. Both the north and the south islands offer diverse and unexpected experiences and scenery. The mountain ranges and lakes will leave you speechless. The wine country makes you want to pause, take a sip, and enjoy the good life and rolling hills around you. The rocky shoreline makes for picturesque photo shoots and wonderful wildlife spotting. Most likely, you will start your New Zealand adventure in Auckland. Auckland has plenty of cosmopolitan amenities and city sights to explore, with a bustling downtown containing shopping districts and fantastic restaurants. If you are using Auckland as your home base, be sure to take some day trips to see the stunning New Zealand countryside — where New Zealand really shines is in its natural beauty. New Zealand has been on our bucket list for awhile, not just to see the jaw-dropping Lord of the Rings scenery, but also to experience the amazing culture. If you get a chance, be sure to check out both the north and the south islands, as each brings a very different and unexpected experience.
Things to Know
Getting Around: New Zealand has good public transportation within the big cities of Auckland and Wellington. Public buses are the main way to get around the cities, but New Zealand also has a train service between major cities, and a ferry service between the North and South islands. If you are looking to travel around New Zealand extensively you will want to opt for a rental car or take a tour. After exploring the north island via public transit and tours, we took a flight from Auckland into Blenheim and rented a car to road trip around the south island. Some opt to buy a conversion van to travel and camp around New Zealand. This is definitely a viable option if you are looking to spend an extensive amount of time in New Zealand and want to travel on a budget.
Simcards and WIFI: We typically use Simify to buy our sim cards in advance. For the most part, the sim cards are easy to pop into your phone whenever you land and they work fairly seamlessly, although we had some cases where we had to restart our phones a few times for them to work. Our Sim Cards were through 2degrees and worked pretty well. It is easy to top off when you run out of data, although you may have up to an hour lag after you purchase. You can also opt for one of the other large providers such as Spark or Vodafone.
Entrance requirements: For most people, there are two main visitor visas you can choose from: the NZeTA or the Visitor Visa. Make sure to complete your visa application in advance. If you are planning to complete the Visa on arrival using the NZeTA make sure you verify that your country is listed as a visa waiver country.
Do I need cash? No, you really don’t need cash in New Zealand as pretty much every business and vendor we interacted with took credit cards. In fact, many places are cashless establishments. While you may want to grab a few dollars for tipping tour guides (although tipping is not customary), cash really is not necessary. Note: New Zealand uses the New Zealand Dollar as its currency.
Do I need restaurant reservations in advance? In the big cities such as Auckland, reservations are recommended for the more popular restaurants. There are plenty of small eateries that you can find that do not require reservations in Auckland and beyond. In some of the more popular, smaller towns such as Tekapo, you may want to consider making restaurant reservations in advance if you plan to eat during prime dinner time.
Plug Type: Type I (same as Australia) If you are coming from North America or Europe you will definitely need plug adapters.
Here is a quick overview of our New Zealand Adventure
Days 1-3
🗺 Days 1-3: Auckland & Middle-Earth Magic
Day 1: Arrival & Getting a Taste of Auckland
🏨 Where We Stayed: Cordis Hotel – Beautiful upscale hotel within walking distance to many of the main attractions around Auckland.
Auckland welcomed us with fresh ocean air and an easygoing energy that instantly set the tone. We spent the day easing into Kiwi life, exploring the city’s neighborhoods, and catching the sunset by the harbor.
Highlights:
☕ Morning: Our first stop was checking into the Cordis Hotel in Auckland. We dropped off our luggage, grabbed a quick lunch at the hotel, and then went wandering around Auckland.
🚶 Afternoon: First stop, New Zealand Sky Tour. We caught amazing views of the cityscape and harbor and planned out the rest of our afternoon. We walked through Aotea Square, the art district, & the Viaduct Harbour.
🍽️ Evening: Ended with dinner at White + Wong’s—for some delicious Thai food to kick off the trip while watching the sunset!
🚀 Pro Tip: If the jet lag isn’t too bad, head up to Mount Eden for panoramic city views.
Day 2: Waiheke Island – Wine, Beaches & Laid-Back Vibes
The short 35 minute ferry ride to Waiheke felt like stepping into another world compared to the sprawling Auckland metropolis—rolling vineyards, sun-drenched beaches, and cool coastal vibes.
Highlights:
🍷 Wine Tasting: The Sauvignon Blanc at Tantalus Estate was exquisite. We really loved the upscale vibe, wine tasting experience, and restaurant. There are a few wineries within easy walking (or biking) distance. We also stopped at Te Motu for some delicious wines and views.
🏖️ Beach Stop: Relaxed at Oneroa Beach to soak up that Summer sun.
⛴️ The Ferry ride over to Waiheke and back to Auckland provided some beautiful views of this amazing landscape.
💭 Favorite Moment: Sitting at the patio overlooking the waterfront at Aperitivo Balcony Bar. The food was amazing and the owner was one of the nicest people you will meet. He was super helpful in recommending wines to try from the island. This was a fantastic place to relax, grab a bite to eat, a glass of wine, and enjoy the beautiful views.
🚀 Pro Tip: To get around Waiheke, take the bus! It is really easy to hop on and off and makes everything very accessible.
Day 3: Hobbiton, Rotorua & Wai-O-Tapu – A Packed Day of Wonders
This day was an adventure from start to finish. We booked a day trip using get your guide from Auckland to Hobbiton, Rotorua, and Wai-O-Tapu. The Cheeky Kiwi tour guides were fantastic and provided a great experience throughout the whole trip!
Highlights:
🧙 Morning: Wandering through the Hobbiton Movie Set—yes, it looks exactly like the movies! It was a nice rainy day in the shire, but it didn’t dampen our mood. The tour was one of the highlights of the day and it was really cool to see Lord of the Rings movies come to life. The highlight was stepping into the Green Dragon Inn and grabbing a beer in a ceramic tumbler. Wandering around this beautiful property and seeing the hobbit houses in person was definitely worth the visit!
🌋 Afternoon: Rotorua’s geothermal landscapes at Wai-O-Tapu include bubbling mud pools & steaming craters. This geothermal park at Wai-O-Tapu is surreal. The colorful geothermal pools and geysers make for a really stunning walk through this natural park. The neon green thermal pool was one of our favorites! Wai-O-Tapu gives some great Yellowstone vibes, or maybe Yellowstone gives some Wai-O-Tapu vibes, but either way it is a beautiful park that you will want to enjoy. The smell in the air even adds to the ambiance. After visiting Wai-O-Tapu, we wandered around the town of Rotorua and Lake Rotorua. It is a really neat historical town containing the stunning Rotorua Bath House (now a museum). If you are planning to simply wander around the picturesque town and lakes or if you plan to visit one of the numerous thermal spas, Rotorua is worth a visit.
🍽️ Evening: We are creatures of habits and went back to White + Wong’s a second time to catch some harbor views and delicious Thai food on our last night in Auckland.
🚀 Pro Tip: Book a small group tour for a more relaxed, immersive experience.
Days 4-5
🍷 Days 4-5: Wine Tasting and Exploring in Marlborough
🏨 Where We Stayed: 14th Lane Urban Hotel - a cozy hotel located right in downtown Blenheim.
After touching down in Blenheim, we were instantly surrounded by rolling vineyards and endless sunshine. After a short morning flight from Auckland to Blenheim, we grabbed our rental car, re-learned how to drive on the left side of the road, and kicked off the start of our South Island road trip. (FYI: driving on the opposite side of the road proved quite easy in south island.)
Highlights:
🍇 Wine Tasting at Fromm Winery & Cloudy Bay—each glass told a different story. Sipping the wine at the Fromm winery, we really enjoyed seeing the winery dogs in the vineyard while driving in and sitting outside at the wine barrel tables during our tasting. At Cloudy Bay, we enjoyed trying both the younger and more vintage wines. This winery also offers delicious charcuterie boards and a small menu. The outdoor area was a great place to lounge and relax in the warm sun while enjoying views of the vineyards and surrounding mountains. We also visited Framingham and Forrest wineries. Framingham had a beautiful garden and outdoor lounge area. Great for soaking up the sun and enjoying a nice sauvignon blanc. Forrest had a cool seating area right next to the vineyards, which made for a great vibe. We met some really amazing sommeliers who shared their knowledge and experiences.
🍽️ Our favorite dinner place was at the Harvest Restaurant— The restaurant is in a converted old wooden convent that has been updated into a beautiful restaurant surrounded by gardens and vineyards. The fresh fish and the risotto were fantastic. And, if we haven’t mentioned it before, the Sauvignon Blanc in this region is fantastic. Another honorable mention was EAT Thai. The Panang Curry is definitely worth a try!
🥾 Hiking - We took a quick 10 minute drive over to the Wairau Lagoons Walk. This lagoon walk is a a flat easy trail that takes you around many different lagoons and estuaries taking you to a spit of beach where the old T.S.S Waverley shipwreck sits. The T.S.S Waverley was an old steamship with its rusted remains planted firmly on the beach. The shipwreck is one of the highlights of the roughly 2.5 hour trek, but the rolling hills and salt marshes make for some wonderful scenery. Another beautiful hike we took was the Monkey Bay Walk near Rarangi (about a 20 minute drive northeast of Blenheim). The sandy beaches, green trees, and turquoise water offered a pleasant stroll along this path. This beach-side walk is definitely worth a visit to see the untouched coastline.
💭 Best Moment: Chatting with a sommelier about how the region’s climate creates world-class sauvignon blanc.
🚀 Pro Tip: Visit on a weekday—fewer crowds, more personal tastings. Also, leave room in your luggage to bring wine back home!
Day 6
🐋 Day 6: Kaikoura & Waipara – Kayaking, Wine & Coastal Views
🏨 Where We Stayed: Black Estate B&B - a hidden B&B right in the vineyards!
Day 06, we left Blenheim and headed south towards Kaikoura. Driving along the coast to Kaikoura was one of the most beautiful stretches of road we’ve ever seen. The picturesque mountains and rugged coastline made us want to savor the entire drive. There are plenty of pull offs and scenic viewpoints that are well worth a stop to take in this pristine landscape.
Highlights:
🚣♂️ Seal Kayaking Adventure—We ended up booking this a few hours before on Viator - and it turned out to be one of our favorite adventures of our trip. This open sea kayak tour in Ingles Bay contained amazing views of the rugged coastline, mountains, and made for some great wildlife spotting of seals and birds. This was our first “leg powered” kayak, meaning you didn’t use paddles for momentum, but rather used pedal power like riding a bike. It was really easy to get used to and was a fun way to Kayak around. We saw a whole colony of seals and witnessed some top class spinning seal yoga.
🏖️ Kaikoura Beach Stop—After our seal kayaking adventure we grabbed a quick bite of seafood chowder and relaxed on this beautiful stretch of beach.
🍷 Final Wine Stop in Waipara—because one more tasting couldn’t hurt. We stopped and stayed at the Black Estate, which also has one of the coolest B&Bs you can stay at underneath the wine tasting room. After enjoying a fantastic lunch (and another wine tasting) - we checked into our B&B for the night. If you have ever wanted to know what it is like to live in a vineyard, this is a place you have to check out. The B&B came with their own bottles of wine, option to add on wine and cheese, and came with a few bikes so we could explore the expansive vineyards at sunset. What a way to end a day!
💭 Best Unexpected Moment: Biking through the beautiful vineyards with grapes and rolling hills as far as the eye can see.
Days 7-8
🏞️ Days 7-8: Lake Tekapo & Aoraki/Mount Cook – Postcard-Perfect Scenery
🏨 Where We Stayed (Day 07): Grand Suites Lake Tekapo - a beautiful new hotel with amazing lake views.
Day 07: We left the beautiful vineyards of Waipara and first headed south down to Christchurch to grab some amazing pastries from Copenhagen Bakery. After getting refueled with coffee, we did a quick pit stop in Timaru and Caroline Bay. This is a quaint beach side town with beautiful parks, beach walks, restaurants, and shopping. They are most well known for their little blue penguins - the smallest penguins in the world! Unfortunately, since we went during the day we weren’t able to see them, but Pro Tip: they set up stadium seating at night so you can sit and enjoy the penguins as they come back from their daily fishing expeditions. After this brief pit stop, we headed west to Lake Tekapo.
Lake Tekapo’s blue water is so vibrantly blue it looks like a heavily photo shopped lake (gorgeous!). We spent our time soaking in the landscapes and taking in one of the best sunsets and stargazing.
Highlights from Day 06:
⛪ Lake Tekapo’s Church of the Good Shepherd—tiny, beautiful, and photogenic. Take some time to really soak in the beautiful views all around you. We spent a lot of time just wandering around the lake staring at the majestic mountains with the tiny stone church blending in while also contrasting this lovely blue lake. Our favorite part of Lake Tekapo was truly relaxing and taking in nature’s grandeur.
🌅🍽️ Dinner with a View: TLV Restaurant – Savoring delicious seafood while watching the sunset over Lake Tekapo was pure magic!
We topped off an amazing night with stargazing.
🚀 Pro Tips:
Check out the world-renowned astronomical center, Mt John Observatory to take in the nights sky through high powered telescopes!
If you visit in the spring time you can catch the blooming lupines!
🏨 Where We Stayed (Day 08): Hermitage Hotel Mt. Cook - an iconic hotel right in the heart of the national park.
Day 08: We left early in the morning from Lake Tekapo and made the short one-hour and fifteen minute drive around Lake Pukaki to Aoraki/Mount Cook. We made this a very slow, leisurely drive to stop at all of the viewpoints along the way and take in the mountains. We were even gifted some stunning views of Mount Cook through the moving clouds. We took a quick detour to NZ Alpine Lavender to check out the lavender fields and some lavender ice cream! After Ash’s lavender photo shoot, we headed north until we arrived at our highlight of the day - the Hooker Valley Track (hiking path).
Highlights from Day 08:
🥾 Hooker Valley Track in Mount Cook—a 10km (6.2 mi), 3-hour hike with jaw-dropping mountain views. This was one of our absolute favorite hikes. When you step into the valley you are surrounded by huge mountain peaks capped in glaciers. Throughout the hike you can see the milky glacier waters running beside you with alpine plants, native grasses, and wildflowers all around. When you reach the top of the hike you get spectacular views of Mount Cook and a glacial lake (yes, the water is freezing cold!). This hike should be on your bucket list!
🏔️ Tasman Glacier View Track — This short 30 minute walk opens up to the Tasman Glacier (New Zealand’s longest glacier). A really cool pit stop if you want to get up close to one of the glaciers. Note - the glacier can be covered in black dirt, but still is worth a visit!
💭 Most Surprising Moment: Seeing glacier-carved landscapes that looked like something out of Planet Earth.
🚀 Pro Tip: If you are a mountain or road biker, there is a trail called Alps 2 Ocean Cycle trail that starts at Aoraki/Mount Cook. If you are an avid biker or are just interested in doing a portion of the trail - consider looking into this adventure. There are a few companies that will actually pick up your luggage and take it for you from stop to stop - so you can focus on enjoying the ride. This is an adventure that I’ve added to my bucket list for the future!
Days 9-12
🏔️ Days 9-12: Queenstown, Wanaka & The Ultimate Scenic Flight
🏨 Where We Stayed (Day 07 - 09): The Rees Hotel - a beautiful hotel situated right along the lake with amazing views of the Remarkables mountains. The Hotel was very elegant, had an amazing restaurant, and beautiful walking trails right along the lake.
Day 9: Wanaka & The Crown Range Drive
We left the gorgeous peaks of Aoraki/Mount Cook and made our way southwest to Lake Wanaka. Along the drive down we stopped at the Wanaka Lavender Farm for some graceful sprawling lavender fields and lavender products. The Wanaka Lavender farm had some great picture opportunities and farm animals. After this pit stop we hit our main highlights:
📍 We stopped at That Wanaka Tree—because we had to check out that Wanaka Tree! It did not disappoint and made for some astounding pictures. The lone tree rising up out of the lake with the mountains in the background. Wanaka has a cute little downtown with shops and eateries and is a great location to rent kayaks and jet skis. It’s a great place to stop for a few hours but also a great place to stay if you’re checking out Mount Aspiring National Park.
🚗 Driving the Crown Range Road—hairpin turns & insane views. The drive to Queenstown was one of our favorites of the entire trip. Each turn brought amazing scenic views ending in a spectacular view of Queenstown.
Crown Range Road
🚀 Pro Tip: Be sure to get to the Wanaka Tree earlier in the day for less crowds and better pictures (since you will most likely be facing West for photos)
That Wanaka Tree at Lake Wanaka, New Zealand
Day 10: Milford Sound – The Trip’s Most Magical Moment
This was the highlight of our entire trip.
We left Queenstown on a day tour by Viator. We first stopped in Te Anu for a quick pit stop and to see the Alpacas. The drive from Queenstown to Fiordland National Park is quite long - nearly 4 hours one way to get to Milford Sound. The drive is absolutely breathtaking. If you are staying in Queenstown and don’t want to worry about the extremely lengthy drive, we’d recommend taking a tour. It gives you the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the views. Each pit stop was incredible, providing picturesque views and majestic mountains. If you have the opportunity be sure to take the plane ride back. They can arrange this for you through the tour.
We took a scenic flight over Fiordland & Milford Sound, and it was hands-down one of the most breathtaking experiences.
Highlights:
⛴️ Cruising through Milford Sound—waterfalls, towering cliffs, and misty fjords.
✈️ Flying back to Queenstown in a sightseeing plane —seeing mountains, glaciers, and fjords from the sky was unreal.
💭 Final Thought: If you do one splurge activity in New Zealand, make it this. Don’t pass up the opportunity to see Milford Sound.
Day 11: Adventure in Queenstown
This was our final full day in Queenstown before heading back home. Queenstown offers an abundance of activities from boating, to skydiving, to paragliding, to bungee jumping. If those aren’t on your bucket list, the wharf is a great place to wander around and explore. There are tons of bars, restaurants, and shopping for everyone from budget to luxury. We really loved the vibe of Queenstown. It was a cool mixture of college students, traveling nomads, thrill seekers, and luxury travelers. It’s a place where you can come as you are or find a place to dress to impress. Queenstown was our favorite town in New Zealand — definitely one that you shouldn’t miss! The area boasts amazing views and outdoor activities. There is something for everyone to enjoy!
Be sure to take a trip up Bob’s peak on the gondola and take a few trips down the Skyline Luge. If you’ve ever wanted to try out real life Mario kart, this part go-kart/part toboggan adventure is for you. We raced over and over on the track and had a blast! If you’re feeling adventurous you can opt to parasail down (or hike down) rather than take the gondola. There are also a few hiking treks and mountain bike paths that you can take at the top of the peak. After enjoying our adventures on Bob’s Peak, we enjoyed the rest of our time in Queenstown wandering around the wharf and relaxing on the waterfront. This was a great way to end our vacation before starting the long journey back home.
Here are a few of our favorites from Queenstown:
Favorite Restaurants:
Tatsumi Japanese Restaurant
True South Dining Room at the Rees Hotel
Favorite Drinks:
Cocktails at Ferg’s Bar
Cocktails and views: Rodd & Gunn The Lodge
🎒 Final Reflections & Road Trip Tips
✔️ Best Decision? Taking our time—New Zealand is meant to be explored and savored at a leisurely pace.
✔️ Would We Do It Again? In a heartbeat.
✔️ Must-Know Tip? The best moments weren’t planned—leave space for surprises and additions.
New Zealand is a place just waiting to be explored. This was one of our all time favorite road trips and it left us awestruck. We hope our road trip experience inspires you to hit the road and adventure through this beautiful country!