FIRST VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND: A 10 DAY ITINERARY

Are you planning to visit New Zealand for the first time? Here’s an adventurous and fun 10-day New Zealand itinerary. It is an amazing way to enjoy and discover New Zealand.

New Zealand Travel Buddy Corner

Travelled for the first time to New Zealand with the fam bam and explored interesting places in both the North and South Islands.

We flew from Perth to Auckland and here’s our 10 day travel itinerary to the Land of the White Cloud.

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NZ Day 1: Auckland CBD

We travelled from Perth to Auckland, with a layover in Melbourne.

We booked a car hire using Discover Cars and had an overnight stay at the Travelodge Hotel Auckland Wynyard Quarter.

👉 Book your Auckland accommodation here

We arrived in Auckland at around 5:00 am but got out of the airport at around 6:30 am after immigration, collecting our luggages and getting the car.

The hotel did not have free parking but there is a public car park building beside it. The hotel gives a parking discount, just show them the parking ticket before paying the fee.

Check-in was still at 2:00 pm so we asked the reception to leave our bags there and ate breakfast at the nearby shops.

We wandered around the CBD a bit but we got very sleepy and tired. The time difference between Perth and Auckland was 5 hours so we were still adjusting to that.

We decided to go back to the hotel and waited in the lobby until we were able to check-in. After getting a little shut-eye, we headed out to have dinner and some drinks.

NZ Day 2: Hamilton Gardens & Hobbiton

We had our breakfast and checked out early to go to the Hamilton Gardens. The Hamilton Gardens features enclosed gardens with different themes from all over the world. They also have a cafe, gift shop, playground and picnic areas.

Hamilton Gardens

It was about a 90-minute drive from Auckland to Hamilton Gardens. When we arrived there, parking was almost full and since it was during the school holidays, it was filled with families with kids.

The gates open at 6:15 am and people are free to use the open spaces. However, the cafe opens at 9:00 am and the enclosed gardens open at 10:00 am.

We bought our tickets when we arrived and started our tour around the different enclosed gardens. We were amazed with the diverse concepts of the gardens and the various types of flowers and plants the Hamilton Gardens is able to grow.

👉 You can also purchase your tickets online in advance
Hamilton Gardens Entry Tickets, purchase here

My favourite enclosed garden is the Indian-themed garden because the garden has variety of flowers and it was very colourful.

After exploring all of the enclosed gardens, we bought drinks at the Hamilton Gardens Cafe for a quick refreshment and made our way to Hobbiton.

Hobbiton

Hobbiton is where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies were filmed. It is about a 35-minute drive from Hamilton Gardens.

You need to booked tickets for the movie set tour in advance as it gets fully booked pretty quick.

👉 Purchase your Hobbiton Movie Set Tour here

We arrived a bit early so we decided to have some sandwiches and pizza for lunch.

They start calling people to queue up 20 minutes before the departure time and start boarding the tour bus at about 10 minutes before departure time.

Our tour group was not that big. I would say there was only about 20-25 of us. You do not have to be a fan of The Lord of the Rings and/or The Hobbit to do this tour. I have never seen any of those movies before this tour but I had so much fun going around and hearing the stories our tour guide shared.

The tour was about 2.5 hours. We were given enough time to take photos around the place and by the end of the tour, we were given a complimentary beverage before heading back.

Then, we made our way to Aura Accommodation in Rotorua where we stayed for the next 3 days. We chose to stay there as it was very near to the Eat Streat and other shops and cafes.

👉 Book your Rotorua accommodation here

NZ Day 3: Whakarewarewa & Te Puia

We visited the Whakarewarewa – The Living Maori Village. It was just about a 10-minute drive from our accommodation.

We booked an All Day Pass which included a guided village tour, a cultural performance and a self-guided tour around the Geothermal Trails.

As people from the Tuhourangi tribe still live in the village, Whakarewarewa village is only open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

👉 Purchase your Whakarewarewa Experience tickets here

You do not have to purchase the All Day Pass if you only intend to do one activity in Whakarewarewa but keep in mind that there is no access to the village without a guide.

You need to book the times for the guided village tour as they limit the number of people per tour guide. It is also recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes.

Whakarewarewa Maori Guided Tour

We booked the Whakarewarewa village tour at 9:00 am. Our meetup point was just outside the gift shop. The full name of their village is Tewhakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao. And this is not even the place with the longest name in New Zealand.

Our tour guide made us try some sweet corn that they cook in their village, showed us where they cook and bathe and shared with us the challenges living in the village. She also took us to the churches and their burial grounds inside the village.

After the guided tour, we went to the gift shops to buy some souvenirs. Then, we went to the Cultural Performance to see the local performers telling a story through song and dance and also, doing the Haka.

After the performance, we went out of the village to have lunch and came back to walk around the Geothermal Trails.

Te Puia

After doing the Geothermal Trails, we went to Te Puia, which is on the other side of the Whakarewarewa village. It was only a 3 minute drive from the village.

We booked a Te Po Combo experience which included a buffet dinner, a cultural performance and access to the Pohutu Geyser.

👉 Purchase your Te Puia Experience tickets here

The buffet dinner was good. The cultural performance had similar songs and dances as the Whakarewarewa village. I learned a few days later that the Te Puia was part of the village before that’s why the cultural performances were similar. Te Puia is now managed by the government, while the Whakarewarewa village is still managed by the Tuhourangi tribe.

The highlight of this experience was the Pohutu Geyser. There is an electric shuttle that would bring people to the geyser but we chose to walk as it was just a quick walk from the cultural entertainment centre.

They offered us with hot chocolate when we got to the geyser as well.

NZ Day 4: Rotorua

We started our day at the Redwoods Treewalk, which was a 10-minute drive from our accommodation.

There are different activities you can do at the Redwoods Treewalk. The ticketed activities are the Daytime Redwoods Treewalk, Redwoods Nightlights and Redwoods Altitude. The free activities are doing a walk along the tracks or having a dip at nearby lakes.

Redwoods Treewalk

We arrived at around 9:00 am and purchased the tickets for the Daytime Redwoods Treewalk. It is an eco-tourism walking experience along suspension bridges and the Redwood trees.

We decided to do the Redwoods Treewalk early so we could take our time and take pictures without other groups behind us and hurrying us up. It took about 30-40 minutes to complete.

You can purchase the tickets on site. However, if you visit during school holidays, peak times or want to do the Redwoods Nightlights, it is recommended you purchase the tickets online in advance.

It is also recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes and check their FAQs before purchasing the ticket.

👉 You can also purchase your Redwoods Adventure tickets online in advance
Book your tickets here

After doing the Daytime Redwoods Treewalk, we decided to do the Redwood Memorial Grove Walk, which is about a 30-minute walk in the Redwood forest. You can do other tracks if you want to do a longer walk.

Skyline Rotorua

It was time for lunch and we decided to go to the Skyline Rotorua. It was about a 15-minute drive from Redwoods Treewalk.

To get to the restaurant, we purchased roundtrip cablecar tickets. We did not do any of the other activities that Skyline Rotorua offered as we already have tickets to do them in Skyline Queenstown.

Before heading back to the car, we wanted to wander around Skyline Rotorua for a bit but it suddenly rained so we waited for the rain to slow down.

We stopped by at a nearby mall to buy some desserts and then, drove around Rotorua as our next activity is not until 5:00 pm.

Secret Spot Hot Tub

We arrived to the Secret Spot Hot Tub earlier than our booked time. Reception checked our booking and asked us to wait a bit as she checked if there were available hot tubs. We waited in the lobby.

After about 10 minutes, she called us and gave us locker keys to put our dry clothes in as we need to change in our swimwear. It is recommended to bring your own towel as well but you can hire them there for a fee.

Reception told us that we can also use the cold plunge tubs if we want to. We had a feel of the water in the cold plunge tubs on our way to our hot tubs and it was freezing cold so we decided not use it.

The hot tub was a very relaxing experience. It felt like being in a private hot tub in the middle of the forest.

The hot tubs were in a secluded area and far away enough from each other but you can still see other people in neighbouring hot tubs.

We ordered some drinks and it was delivered to us in our hot tub. Only drinks were allowed. You are not allowed to eat in the hot tub.

The hot tub experience was about 45 minutes. There is a red light that turns on to indicate that the time is up.

👉 Reserve your Secret Spot Hot Tub here

NZ Day 5: Taupo

We started our Day 5 early as we needed to travel to Taupo from Rotorua. We booked the Maori Carving Scenic Cruise with Chris Jolly Outdoors and the meetup place was at Lake Taupo Marina. It’s about 1 hour and 10 minutes drive from our accommodation.

Maori Carving Scenic Cruise

The Maori Carving Scenic Cruise is a 90-minute cruise on Lake Taupo. The guide does a commentary about Lake Taupo and explained the significance of the Maori carvings we see along the cruise.

Also, the cruise offers free muffins, hot chocolate, coffee and tea.

👉 Book your Maori Carving Scenic Cruise here

After the cruise, we grabbed a quick lunch at the shops nearby.

AJ Hackett Taupo Bungy & Swing

It was around a 10-minute drive from Lake Taupo to AJ Hackett Taupo Bungy & Swing.

It had always been in my bucket list to do the AJ Hackett Swing in New Zealand and was so happy that the fam bam wanted to try this with me too.

We booked the Taupo Swing, which is a 44 meter swing and you have the option to do it solo or tandem. I did this with my mum. This was for sure the highlight of this trip.

👉 Book your AJ Hackett Bungy & Swing experience here

Huka Falls Lookout

After the exhilarating Taupo Swing experience, we drove to the Huka Falls Lookout. It was about a 10-minute drive.

The time slot we wanted to do the Huka Falls Jet Boat Ride was fully booked so we settled going to the lookout instead.

We stopped on the side road but realised there was a car park further down the road. We were lucky to find parking as there were so many people there at that time.

NZ Day 6: Waitomo Caves

We checked out of Aura Accommodation and drove about 2 hours to Waitomo. When we arrived at Waitomo, we still had time to eat brunch at The General Store.

We booked the Waitomo Glowworm Cave + Ruakuri Cave tour. For both cave tours, it is recommended to wear a jacket and comfortable walking shoes.

Ruakuri Cave

We did the Ruakuri Cave tour first. In this tour, we were allowed to take photos but backpacks were not permitted. The tour was 90-minute long that started with going down a spiral entrance.

We walked to the different parts of the cave, saw some limestone formation and different passages. There were parts of the cave where our tour guide turned off the lights in the cave for a brief moment so we can see some glowworms.

Waitomo Glow Worms Cave

For the Waitomo Glow Worms Cave tour, taking photos is not allowed. The tour was 45 minutes long.

There’s two parts of this tour. The first part was walking inside the cave looking at the different cave formations with lightly lit passages. The second part was getting into a boat to go through a very dark Glowworm Grotto.

It was so dark but the view of the glowworms inside the cave was so stunning. It was like I was looking at the stars and constellations.

👉 Book your Waitomo Glowworm Cave tours here

NZ Day 7: Auckland

Day 7 and we were now back in Auckland. We stayed back at the Travelodge Hotel Auckland Wynyard Quarter.

Our plan was to go see the Cathedral Cove. However, there was heavy rain a few days before and access to the Cathedral Cove was closed.

We searched for a Plan B and we went to Piha Beach instead. From our hotel, Piha Beach was around a 50-minute drive.

Piha Beach

Piha Beach was bustling when we got there. Parking was full and a lot of people were having a picnic and was just chilling at the beach.

When we finally found parking, the first thing I noticed was the rock that looked like a lion. Later I learned that they call it the Lion Rock.

We bought lunch at a nearby shop and ate it at the car park. After our lunch, we got our feet wet a little and walked at the other side of the beach where more people were swimming at the shallow area and playing some games.

We went back to the hotel early as we had an early flight to Queenstown the next day.

NZ Day 8: Queenstown

Just like in Auckland, we booked a car hire in Queenstown using Discover Cars. As it was still too early to check in, we decided to stop at the nearby shops, which was just about a minute drive from the airport.

We grabbed some food to eat and then, headed to our hotel after.

We stayed at Wyndham Garden, which was just a 3-minute drive from the airport and 2-minute drive from the shops.

👉 Book your Queenstown accommodation here

Skyline Queenstown

After checking in, we then made our way to Skyline Queenstown, which was a 15-minute drive from the hotel. We booked the Gondola + 3 Luge rides + Dinner package.

As our dinner was not until 7:00 pm, we wandered around the place first and took some photos. The view was so breath-taking!

We then did the Luge rides and it was so much fun! I felt like a Mario cart character doing the races. The chairlifts rides were enjoyable too!

Dinner was delicious and had a variety of choices. I got overwhelmed that I did not know where to start. I recommend the roast pork and their desserts.

👉 Book your Skyline Queenstown package here

NZ Day 9: Milford Sound

We checked out of the hotel at 3:00 am and made our way to Milford Sound. We checked out so early because we booked for a Milford Sound Cruise at 9:00 am.

Why 9:00 am? It’s because all the other tours after 9:00 am was fully booked. After our cruise, I learned that the cruises after 9:00 am were booked by the Coach + Cruise tours.

It is around a 4-hour drive from our Queenstown hotel to Milford Sound. We made some stops along the way so the total drive was more than 4 hours.

We arrived at Milford Sound and it was raining. It was expected as it is raining in Milford Sound more days than it is sunny.

Milford Sound Cruise

Milford Sound is within the Fiordland National Park and it has some amazing waterfall formations. The duration of the cruise is about 2 hours. The cruise has a commentary with free tea and coffee. They also sell some sandwiches.

The advantage of being in an early time slot is that there were only a few of us in our cruise. Moving around the cabin and changing seats were not an issue.

We tried to take some photos out in the open-top deck but it was raining and too windy. Nevertheless, the views were amazing and we saw some seals, too.

👉 Book your Milford Sound Cruise here

After the cruise, we grab a quick lunch at the Discover Milford Sound Cruises Information Centre & Café and then made our way to Dunedin.

Milford Sound to Dunedin is about a 5-hour drive but we did some stops in between so we arrived at Dunedin in time for dinner.

NZ Day 10: Dunedin

Day 10 is our last day in New Zealand. Technically, our second to the last day as our real last day was literally just be at the airport wait to fly back to Perth.

We included Dunedin in our itinerary because we want to visit the Lanarch Castle. Dunedin Botanic Garden was in our itinerary but we were not able to visit as we ran out of time.

We stayed at The Victoria Hotel Dunedin, which is located near shops and cafes.

Dunedin has an old city vibe and it is so cool that they have preserved their old buildings very well.

👉 Book your Dunedin accommodation here

Lanarch Castle

Lanarch Castle is a 20-minute drive from The Victoria Hotel Dunedin. It is the only castle in New Zealand and it is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

We bought tickets on site when we arrived. The tickets included entry to the castle and the gardens. The castle also offers a 60-minute guided tour, which an online booking is required as it has limited slots. However, we did the self-guided tour instead.

We went around the rooms in the castle, some were interesting and some were a bit creepy. We also went up to the tower and the view was amazing!

After touring the inside of the castle, we went out and wandered around the beautiful gardens.

We then headed back to Queenstown to catch our flight to Auckland. It was a 5-hour drive from Lanarch Castle to Queenstown Airport and we had some stops along the way.

We stayed at Novotel Hotel overnight, which was just across Auckland Airport. Then, checked out early to catch our 8:00 am flight back to Perth.

New Zealand In 10 Days Recap

We had a fun 10 days in New Zealand. We were able to explore places in the North Islands (Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Taupo and Waitomo) and South Islands (Queenstown, Milford Sound and Dunedin)

I enjoyed learning about the Maori history and culture. I also would not forget New Zealand’s breath-taking views! The highlight of this trip for me was the AJ Hackett Taupo Swing and I would definitely come back to try the Queenstown Swing.

I hope this 10-day travel guide will help you plan your trip to New Zealand. Enjoy your trip and have a safe travel!