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New Zealand — cover image for a 12-day route through Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and Wānaka

Untravel editors · best Dec–Feb

Both New Zealand Islands

both islands

AUCKLAND → ROTORUA → QUEENSTOWN → WĀNAKA → QUEENSTOWN · 14 STOPS · 12 DAYS

New Zealand · 12 days · Untravel editors

By Untravel editors ·

The cross-island first-timer route — Māori culture and geothermal north, then the South Island scenery that sells the country. Fly between the islands; cluster each hub.

12 days and 14 stops — Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and Wānaka, with four moves between them. It opens with arrive. Every stop carries the note that put it on the list. Read it all here, no app and no account.

The 12-day New Zealand itinerary, day by day

Day 01 · Auckland

Arrive

Do · Auckland · ~NZD $40

Sky Tower

Land, settle, Sky Tower for the lay of the land (~NZD $40).

Eat · Auckland · Evening · dinner

Ponsonby

Dinner in Ponsonby — lively, walkable, the best of Auckland's restaurant streets.

Day 02 · Auckland

Island wine day

Do · Auckland · Ferry · wine

Waiheke Island

35-min ferry (~NZD $55 return), 30+ wineries (Mudbrick, Man O'War), beaches. The gentle, gorgeous Auckland day. Dinner back at Amano (Britomart).

Transfer · day 2 → 3180 km apart

ACK
Auckland
RTR
Rotorua

Day 03 · Rotorua

Geysers + Māori culture

Do · Rotorua · ~NZD $40

Wai-O-Tapu

Thermal Wonderland (~NZD $40, Lady Knox Geyser at 10:15) or Te Puia. Evening: Te Pō experience with a hāngī dinner (~NZD $115).

Day 04 · Rotorua

Hobbiton

Do · Rotorua · ~NZD $170

Hobbiton Movie Set

Matamata (~1h) — Signature Tour ~NZD $170 with a Green Dragon Inn drink. Touristy but well-done. Dinner with a view at Stratosfare via the Skyline gondola.

Transfer · day 4 → 5980 km apart

RTR
Rotorua
QNS
Queenstown

Day 05 · Queenstown

Lakefront landing

Do · Queenstown · Lakefront

Lake Wakatipu

Fly down (~2h). Settle, a lakefront walk.

Eat · Queenstown · Evening · burger

Fergburger

The Queenstown burger institution for an easy first night.

Day 06 · Queenstown

Milford (the full day)

Do · Queenstown · Full 12–13 hr day

Milford Sound

The full 12–13 hour coach + cruise day (from ~NZD $159). The single most spectacular thing you'll do. Plan nothing else.

Day 07 · Queenstown

Adventure or scenic

Do · Queenstown · Adventure or scenic

Shotover Jet

Canyon jet boat (~NZD $123) and/or the Kawarau Bridge Bungy (the world's first, ~NZD $192) — or the Skyline Gondola + Arrowtown + a Gibbston winery for the scenic version.

Day 08 · Queenstown

Lake + wine

Eat · Queenstown · Set menu · book

Amisfield

'Trust the Chef' lunch near Arrowtown, an afternoon on the lake, last Queenstown dinner at Botswana Butchery.

Transfer · day 8 → 949 km apart

QNS
Queenstown
WNK
Wānaka

Day 09 · Wānaka

Settle

Do · Wānaka · Crown Range drive

#ThatWanakaTree

~1h over the Crown Range. Lakefront, the famous tree, dinner at Federal Diner or Kika.

Day 10 · Wānaka

The big walk

Do · Wānaka · 16km · closed Oct1–Nov10

Roys Peak Track

16km, 5–7h, iconic — or a gentler lakeshore option. Closed Oct 1–Nov 10 (lambing).

Day 11 · Wānaka

Float

Do · Wānaka · ~NZD $25

Puzzling World

Lake swim, the quirky Puzzling World, a slow cafe day.

Transfer · day 11 → 1249 km apart

WNK
Wānaka
QNS
Queenstown

Day 12 · Queenstown

Out

Transfer · Queenstown · Morning · out

Queenstown Airport

Back to Queenstown for the flight home.

Keep the whole route.

go anyway

All 14 places land in your bucket, grouped by town, with the notes intact. When you know your dates, one tap turns the whole thing into a real day-by-day trip.

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Before you go · FAQ

The questions everyone asks

When is the best time to do this 12-day New Zealand itinerary?

Dec–Feb is the window this route is built around. Within each day the timing is as deliberate as the month: 7 of the 14 stops are morning-first and 2 are after dark.

How do the 12 days split between Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and Wānaka?

2 in Auckland, 2 in Rotorua, 5 in Queenstown and 3 in Wānaka — 12 days and 14 stops in total. The days are self-contained, so you can drop one from either end without unpicking the rest.

How much travelling is there between towns?

Four moves across 12 days: Auckland → Rotorua (about 180 km), Rotorua → Queenstown (about 980 km), Queenstown → Wānaka (about 49 km), Wānaka → Queenstown (about 49 km). Everything else runs out and back from wherever you are staying, so you unpack four times.

What is actually on the list?

14 stops: 10 things to do and 3 places to eat. Among them Sky Tower, Hobbiton Movie Set and Shotover Jet. Each one carries the note explaining why it is on the list and when to go.

What needs booking before you go?

One of the 14 stops flag it — Amisfield. The rest you can walk into.

How do I save this New Zealand itinerary to my phone?

Scan the code above, or open this page on your phone and tap Save. The 14 stops land in your Untravel bucket grouped into Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and Wānaka, notes attached. Put your own dates on it and the 12 days rebuild around them.

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