Travel guide
New Zealand holidays: a travel guide for UK visitors
Geysers and Māori culture in Rotorua, the glaciers of the West Coast, Queenstown and Milford Sound: a practical guide to New Zealand holidays and tours of both islands, with the best time to visit New Zealand month by month.
Why visit New Zealand
New Zealand is about as far from Britain as it is possible to go, and people reasonably ask whether it is worth the journey for a fortnight. Most who go think so, and most wish they had gone for longer. The two islands are very different. The North Island is volcanic: Auckland on its harbour, the Bay of Islands where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, the steaming ground of Rotorua, where Māori culture is most visible to visitors, and the volcanoes of Tongariro. The South Island is a range of mountains with a coast around it: the Southern Alps and Aoraki/Mount Cook, the glaciers of the West Coast, the lakes around Queenstown and Wanaka, and the fiords of the south-west, Milford Sound above all. Travelling in English, with familiar food and a relaxed, friendly manner, it is easy for a first long-haul trip, and especially for travelling alone. A tour takes care of the long drives, the ferry and the bookings in the busy summer, and leaves you free to look out of the window.
Best time to visit New Zealand
The best time to visit New Zealand for a touring holiday is from about October to April, its spring, summer and autumn, and the best months of all are usually February, March and November. Summer, December to February, is warm, with long evenings, and is the busiest time, particularly from Christmas to the end of January, when New Zealanders are on their own holidays. February is often the most settled month. Autumn, March to May, brings cooler nights and fewer visitors, with autumn colour around Queenstown and Arrowtown in April. Winter, June to August, is mild and often wet in the north and cold in the south, with skiing around Queenstown and snow sometimes closing alpine roads; few touring holidays run then. Spring, September to November, is changeable but fresh, with lambs in the fields and full waterfalls. In the mountains the weather can change within hours in any season, so pack layers and a waterproof whenever you go.
New Zealand month by month
- JanuaryGood
- High summer: long warm days on both islands, and the busiest month, with New Zealand families on their own summer holidays.
- FebruaryBest
- Often the warmest and most settled month, with the school holidays over and the walking tracks at their best.
- MarchBest
- Early autumn: warm days, cooler nights and thinner crowds, a very good month for touring the South Island.
- AprilGood
- Autumn colour in Central Otago and around Queenstown and Arrowtown; nights turn cold in the south.
- MayQuiet
- Cooling quickly, with the first snow on the mountains and short days; touring works, but walks are cold.
- JuneQuiet
- Winter: mild and often wet in the north, cold and clear in the south, with snow on the alpine roads at times.
- JulyQuiet
- The coldest month, the ski season around Queenstown, and alpine passes sometimes closed by snow.
- AugustQuiet
- Still winter, with frosty mornings in the south; the North Island is mild but often grey.
- SeptemberQuiet
- Spring arrives with changeable weather, wind and showers; snowmelt fills the waterfalls of Fiordland.
- OctoberGood
- Warming, with blossom and lambs in the fields, though spring showers are still common.
- NovemberBest
- Early summer: long light evenings and fewer visitors than December, one of the best months for a tour.
- DecemberGood
- Summer settles in; busy from Christmas, when the New Zealand holidays begin and towns fill up.
Top things to do in New Zealand
- 1
See the geysers and Māori culture of Rotorua
Rotorua sits on some of the most active geothermal ground in the world, and the smell of sulphur reaches you before the town does. At Te Puia, the Pōhutu geyser erupts many times a day above terraces of steaming rock, and nearby villages and cultural centres hold evenings of Māori song, dance and a hāngī meal cooked in the ground. Most of our New Zealand tours stop here.
- 2
Cruise Milford Sound from Queenstown
Queenstown, on Lake Wakatipu beneath the Remarkables, is the base for most South Island tours. From here the road runs through Te Anau and the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound, where boats sail beneath Mitre Peak and its waterfalls to the Tasman Sea. It is a long day there and back, and many of our holidays include it. Rain only adds to the waterfalls; heavy rain or snow can close the road.
- 3
Walk to the glaciers of the West Coast
On the wet, green West Coast, the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers come down from the Southern Alps towards the rainforest. Valley walks lead towards them, and in good weather helicopters land on the ice above. Many of our tours stop here, and several also visit Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, and the turquoise lakes of the Mackenzie Basin.
The cheapest New Zealand holidays right now
Lowest lead-in prices first, from live availability. Open one for its dates, and book directly with its operator.
New Zealand travel questions
- When is the best time to visit New Zealand?
- October to April, with February, March and November usually the best months: warm, settled and less crowded. December and January are summer, but busy, as New Zealanders are on holiday. Winter, June to August, is cold in the south and few touring holidays run then.
- What is the best month to visit New Zealand?
- February is often the warmest and most settled month, and the New Zealand school holidays have ended. March is a close second, with cooler nights and fewer visitors. November is the best of the spring months.
- Is it worth the long flight for two weeks?
- Many people find it is, but three weeks is better if you can manage it. There are no direct flights from the UK; the journey takes a day or more with a stop in Asia, the Middle East or North America. Breaking the journey for a night or two helps, and some of our holidays combine New Zealand with Australia or the Cook Islands.
- Should I visit the North Island or the South Island?
- Both, if you can: most of our tours do. The North Island has the geothermal sights, Māori culture and Auckland; the South Island has the mountains, glaciers, lakes and Milford Sound. If you have to choose one, most first-time visitors choose the South Island for the scenery.
- How much time is spent driving on a New Zealand tour?
- A fair amount: the country is long and the roads are slow. Tours break the drives up with stops, short walks and viewpoints, and stay two nights in key places such as Rotorua and Queenstown. The day-by-day itinerary for each holiday shows where you stay and for how long.
- Is a tour better than hiring a campervan?
- It depends what you want. A campervan gives freedom, but means long days at the wheel on winding roads, and booking ferries and sites in summer. On a tour someone else drives, explains what you are passing and handles the bookings, and you travel with company.
- Is New Zealand good for solo travellers?
- Very. It is safe, English-speaking and easy to get around, and many tours have a good share of people travelling alone. Some of our holidays are designed for solo travellers, including Just You’s tours, which are for people travelling on their own.
- Do UK citizens need a visa for New Zealand?
- No, for stays of up to six months, but you must apply for an NZeTA before you travel and pay a conservation and tourism levy at the same time. Allow up to 72 hours. Your passport must be valid for three months after you leave. Check the UK government’s travel advice before you go.
- What are the rules on bringing food and walking boots into New Zealand?
- New Zealand’s biosecurity rules are strict. You must declare food, plants and animal products, and outdoor gear such as walking boots and tents, on your arrival card. Clean boots before you pack them. If you are unsure, declare it: undeclared items can mean an instant fine.
- Can I see Hobbiton on a tour?
- Some tours stop at Matamata, where the Hobbiton film set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit can be visited on guided tours. Many of the landscapes used in the films, around Queenstown, Tongariro and the Southern Alps, are on most New Zealand itineraries anyway.
- What should I pack for New Zealand?
- Layers and a good waterproof, whatever the season, as mountain weather changes quickly. Strong sun cream and a hat, as the sun is much stronger than in the UK. Comfortable walking shoes with grip, and something warm for evenings and boat trips.
- Do I need a travel adaptor for New Zealand?
- Yes. New Zealand uses Type I sockets, with two angled flat pins, the same as Australia. The voltage is 230V, as in the UK, so you need only an adaptor, not a converter.
- Can I take my prescription medicines to New Zealand?
- Usually, for your own use, but carry them in their original packaging with a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor, and declare them if you are unsure. Check the UK government’s travel advice, and ask the New Zealand High Commission about any controlled medicines.