Places to go in New Zealand
Two main islands, sixteen regions, and a lot of variety in between. A quick guide to each part of the country and what it's best for.
North Island Te Ika-a-Māui
Warmer, busier and home to most New Zealanders. Beaches, volcanoes, geothermal areas, Māori culture and the two biggest cities.
Northland
Subtropical beaches, the Bay of Islands, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, kauri forests and Cape Reinga at the very top.
Northland in National Geographic's 2025 list →Auckland
The biggest city, built around two harbours and dozens of volcanic cones. Island day trips to Waiheke and Rangitoto, and wild west-coast beaches.
Piha Beach →Coromandel
Pōhutukawa-lined bays, Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach, where you dig your own spa in the sand at low tide.
Waikato and King Country
Green farmland, the Waitomo glowworm caves, Hobbiton near Matamata, Raglan's surf and the hidden tunnel beach at Waikawau.
Waikawau Tunnel Beach →Bay of Plenty and Rotorua
Geysers and hot pools in Rotorua, Mount Maunganui's beach and summit walk, and the kiwifruit orchards around Te Puke.
Gannet Safaris Overland →Taupō and Tongariro
New Zealand's biggest lake, the Huka Falls, and the volcanoes of Tongariro National Park, with the Alpine Crossing.
Hawke's Bay and Gisborne
Sunny wine country, the Art Deco city of Napier, and Gisborne, among the first cities in the world to see each new day.
Taranaki
A near-perfect volcanic cone, Taranaki Maunga, above surf beaches and the coastal walkway of New Plymouth.
Wellington
The compact, windy capital: Te Papa museum, the cable car, the waterfront, and the best coffee in the country (Wellingtonians will tell you).
Wellington's hidden gems →South Island Te Waipounamu
Bigger, emptier and more dramatic: the Southern Alps, glaciers, fiords, lakes and wide braided rivers.
Nelson and Tasman
Sunshine, golden beaches and the Abel Tasman Coast Track, plus craft breweries and artists' studios.
Abel Tasman National Park →Marlborough
Sauvignon blanc country around Blenheim, and the quiet waterways of the Marlborough Sounds, where the ferry from Wellington arrives.
Kaikōura
Mountains that drop straight to the sea, and whale watching, seals and dolphins just offshore.
Canterbury and Christchurch
Christchurch's gardens and rebuilt city centre, Akaroa's French history, Hanmer Springs and the high country.
West Coast
Rainforest, wild beaches, Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks, Hokitika's pounamu and the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers.
Franz Josef Glacier →Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mackenzie
New Zealand's highest mountain, the turquoise lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, and some of the darkest night skies on Earth.
Queenstown and Wānaka
The adventure capital on Lake Wakatipu, and quieter Wānaka with its lake, mountains and that tree.
Queenstown under pressure →Fiordland
Milford and Doubtful Sounds, the Milford, Routeburn and Kepler tracks, and Te Anau as the gateway.
Milford Sound guide →Otago and Dunedin
Dunedin's Scottish heritage, albatross and penguins on the Otago Peninsula, and the Central Otago Rail Trail.
Southland and Stewart Island
The Catlins' waterfalls and wildlife, Invercargill, and Stewart Island / Rakiura, one of the best places to see kiwi in the wild.