Things to Know Before Traveling New Zealand

New Zealand is one of the most exotic tourist country and a popular destination on almost everyone’s bucket list. However, due to the various tempting attractions all over country it can get confusing to plan a trip of New Zealand. We usually don’t write a separate post for planning a trip, but New Zealand was one of our most difficult trips to plan so we have written this special post to help you plan your NZ trip effortlessly.

In this post, we will be sharing a step-by-step guide on the major things to consider before planning your NZ trip and also answering some of the most frequently asked questions.

If you have already booked your trip and are looking for details on things to do in New Zealand, check out our 12 day trip report to New Zealand’s North and South island.                             

Step 1 – Visa Eligibility

First and foremost, you want to check NZ visa requirements and application process prior to planning your trip. Follow this link to see if you will be requiring a visa to visit NZ. 

Step 2 – When to visit

Since New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are opposite of what we have in USA. Below is the season/weather you can expect dependent on when you are visiting:

• September, October, November – Spring season with average temperatures of 61 – 66 degrees F
• December, January, February – Summer season with average temperatures of 68 – 77 degrees F 
• March, April, May – Autumn season with average temperatures of 62 – 70 degrees F 
• June, July, August – Winter season with average temperatures of 53 to 61 degrees F 

We visited in November 2018, which was a good time to visit. November is beginning of summer and hence beginning of peak season too. Since the busy season was still picking up we got reasonable flight and hotel rates. We were also able to beat the flocks of tourists and enjoy NZ beauties with less crowds. Only downside was we got a few cold and rainy days which could take away the fun from a few excursions – but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we got to experience the very unique and rare view of “Valley of Thousand waterfalls” in Milford sound which is only created after 2 hours of continuous rain.

Step 3 – Number of days needed to visit NZ

For starters, if you are going all the way to NZ you want to cover both North and South Island. Both are astonishing beauties with some must visit attractions. South Island is however more popular among tourists and our itinerary reflects the same.

We were only able to spare 2 weeks for our NZ vacation, so one of our biggest challenges was determining which places to visit within the limited time. It was a dilemma with the innumerable attractions offered in the country.

After already visiting NZ we recommend a minimum of 10 to 14 days to get a full feel of the country and cover the major attractions. If you are able to add more days and even visit for a whole month, trust us you will not run out of things to do and places to visit.

Step 4 – Research on the attractions and determine what places you want to visit

For this step, google is your best friend. Check out sample itineraries online, ask your questions on NZ travel forums such as flyertalk, trip advisor or you can even contact us with any questions you have. Once you are well read of all the attractions in New Zealand, shortlist the places you want to visit within the days you have.

To kick start, you can read our 12 day New Zealand itinerary that covers both North and South Island.

Some of the most commonly visited cities of New Zealand from our research are:

• North Island – Auckland, Matamata (Hobbiton Movie Set), Waitomo, Rotorua, Whitianga, Greymouth, Te Uapo, Wellington
• South Island – Queenstown, Milford Sound, Te Anau, Franz Josef, Christchurch, Tabel Asman, Nelson, Wanaka, Mount cook

Step 5 – Allocate days for each destination

Now that you know what places you will be visiting, start looking up the attractions, adventures and tours of each city that interest you. This will allow you to correctly allocate the number of days needed to explore each area. Ensure to account for the travel time between cities.

Step 6 – Determine your route
The route will keep varying based on your flight availability and timings. You could start your travels from North Island (Auckland airport) going towards South Island (Christchurch airport) or vice versa – it really doesn’t matter. Check what is more convenient in terms of flights timings and prices.

Once you have figured out your flights, enter all the cities you want to visit on google maps and pin the locations – check the driving distance from each city to another to finalize your route.

Below is the route we followed for our NZ travels, we started at North Island and ended in South Island.

• North Island: Fly to Auckland – Drive to Waitomo for Glow worm caves – Drive to Matamata for Hobbiton Movie Set – Drive to Rotorua which is North Island’s hub for excursions and adventure
• South lsland: From Rotorua we flew to Queenstown airport, South Island’s hub for excursions and adventures – took a day trip to Milford Sound – drove to Wanaka – continued to Franz Josef – finally to Christchurch and flew back home from CHC.

Add on days: If you have additional days, consider adding Wellington, Greymouth, Abel Tasman and Nelson to your route.

Step 7 – Book your Flights, hotels and rental car

It’s now time to start finalizing your itinerary. Before making any bookings check for the flights availability and time – finalize your route, confirm there is availability for your must do adventures/excursions on the day of your visit (things like Onsen pools in Queenstown gets fully booked months in advance). Once you have your full proof plan drafted you can start the bookings.

Tip: Do not rush into this step – only make bookings after you are 100% sure of the plan to avoid cancellation fees.

Driving in NZ

• We highly recommend exploring the country through self-driving as opposed to group tours. This way you can make as many stops as you desire and enjoy at your own pace.
• Keep in mind driving in New Zealand is left hand drive. It is relatively easy to drive in NZ as there is hardly any traffic and the locals are very considerate of tourists and slow down and give way.
• For rental cars, we were able to score a free two-day deal. Check out this website for availability.

Step 8 – Pack smart

New Zealand has some of the most unpredictable weather that changes rapidly. We visited in November, which is considered beginning of summer, and during that time we experienced all the seasons – sunshine, rain and snow – all in just 1 day.

Also remember, New Zealand is full of hidden hikes and you will be tempted to do short hikes along your travels, so pack accordingly.

Some packing essentials: Gloves, beanie, hiking pants, sneakers, comfortable tees, mosquito repellant, rain jacket, warm jacket, hiking shoes, camera, band-aids, and pain killers.

Tip: There are lots of mosquitos in NZ, especially on hiking trails. Pack long pants if possible and always apply mosquito repellant.

Other Quick Tips:

• Credit cards are accepted everywhere
• Avoid exchanging money at the airport, there are many agencies outside that provide better rates
• Food and gas in NZ are considerably expensive
• There are plenty of vegetarian food options
• Book your excursions in advance especially if you are visiting in peak season

Woo-hoo, by now you should be fully prepared to plan and book your NZ trip 🙂

We hope this post has been helpful in your planning. Feel free to ask any questions on this post or email us and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Good luck and have a blast!!