My husband and I visited New Zealand for our 5th anniversary in Feb 2026. We relied heavily on internet blogs while planning, so sharing our itinerary, experiences, and a detailed cost breakdown to give back to the community.

We’re the kind of travelers who love nature, hikes, and unique experiences. Not big on cities, museums, shopping, or fancy restaurants - so this itinerary is mainly nature-focused.

We spent 1 week in North Island and 2 weeks in South Island

We booked flights, stays, visas, and most activities ~3 months in advance, which helped us get some early bird discounts.

📖 Index

1. ⭐ Top Experiences
2. 🤷‍♀️ Slightly Underwhelming (for us)
3. 🗺️ Detailed Itinerary with Photos
4. 💰 Cost Breakdown
5. 🏡 Our Stays

⭐ Top Experiences

Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) - We got insanely lucky - witnessed a full-strength aurora in the Mt Cook area, which is also a dark sky reserve! Easily the highlight of the trip!!

Oamaru Penguin Colony - We booked general seating, and to our surprise penguins literally walked right past us to their nests!! At one point, they were just ~2 feet away for a good 30 mins. I still could not forget it! (No pics as phone was not allowed)

Waitomo Glowworm Caves - Went in thinking it might be overhyped, but it absolutely wasn’t. Thousands of glowworms - it really looked exactly like the photos. (No pics as phone was not allowed)

Orakei Korako Geothermal Park - It was my first time seeing geothermal activity - and woww! So many colors, bubbling pools, and geysers. I highly recommend this if you are in Rotorua. It was not even crowded like other parks in Rotorua.

Tama Lakes Hike - One of our favorite day hikes. Super scenic, well-marked, and not too difficult. Great alternative to Tongariro Alpine Crossing in case it’s closed due to weather.

Clifden Cave (self-exploration) - This was wild - a 1 km cave, just the two of us with torches. Completely raw experience, and we even spotted glowworms inside!! Of course not to the extent of Waitomo.

Mt Cook - In Hooker Valley Track, we actually just sat for 1–2 hours near the first bridge, soaking it all in. One of the most peaceful and beautiful spots of the trip. We also did a couple more hikes in the area and all were great!

🤷‍♀️ Slightly Underwhelming (for us)

Milford Sound - Controversial take - but it felt a bit underwhelming. It was great no doubt but I had a lot of expectations. Possibly because I’ve seen fjords in Norway or mountains looked similar to what we see in India. Genuinely don’t know the reason. Probably in a different season it would be a totally different experience.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour - I’m not into LOTR (my partner is), but even for him it felt more like a checklist item. Nice, but not mind-blowing.

🗺️ Detailed Itinerary with Photos

Day 1 - Auckland - Arrived in Auckland and checked into a hostel. (Took public transportation)

Day 2 - Auckland to Rotorua (via Hobbiton) - Picked up the car in the morning and drove to Rotorua, stopping at Hobbiton Movie Set on the way.

Day 3 - Rotorua - Explored Rotorua - public thermal parks, Redwoods day walk, short redwood forest hikes, and Rotorua Lake.

Day 4 - Rotorua to Turangi (via Orakei Korako) - Stopped at Orakei Korako Geothermal Park. Also spent some relaxing time at Lake Taupo.

Day 5 - Tongariro National Park - Tongariro Alpine Crossing was closed due to a thunderstorm, so we did the Tama Lakes hike instead. Later drove around the park and returned to Turangi.

Day 6 - Turangi to Auckland (via Waitomo) - Stopped at Waitomo Glowworm Caves on the way back.

Day 7 - Auckland (chill day) - Did a short hike near our Airbnb, visited Muriwai Gannet Colony Beach, and relaxed.

Day 8 - Auckland to Queenstown - Flew to Queenstown, picked up the car, did grocery shopping, and checked into our Airbnb. Since we weren’t tired, we drove to Wanaka via Crown Range and returned via a different route.

Day 9 - Queenstown to Te Anau (via Glenorchy) - Drove to Glenorchy first (one of the best drives of the trip!) and then continued to Te Anau.

Day 10 - Milford Sound (day trip) - Drove to Milford Sound early, did a morning cruise, and stopped at multiple scenic spots on the way back. Relaxed by Te Anau Lake in the evening.

Day 11 - Te Anau to Clutha (farm stay) - We booked a random farm stay on Airbnb for a rural experience. On the way we explored Clifden Caves (1 km self-guided), visited Monkey Beach. Our hosts even took us to show how they milk cows!

Day 12 - Clutha to Wanaka - Reached Wanaka by noon. Drove toward Mt Aspiring National Park but turned back halfway due to road conditions. We did Diamond Lake hike on the way. Couldn’t do Roy’s Peak due to a marathon road closure.

Day 13 - Wanaka to Haast, back to Wanaka (drive) - Since we were skipping the north-west of South Island we thought of driving toward the West Coast just to experience the landscapes. Made multiple stops but found the drive average, so returned early. Evening by Lake Wanaka + amazing stargazing.

Day 14 - Wanaka → Mt Cook → Omarama - One of the best drives (especially Lake Pukaki). Reached Mt Cook around 2 pm and did multiple short hikes - Tasman Glacier, Hooker Valley (till first bridge due to closure of track), and Kea Point. Returned to Omarama after sunset. Same night we saw full strength Aurora Australis just outside our motel along with milkyway!

Day 15 - Omarama → Lake Tekapo → Omarama - Started early for sunrise at Lake Tekapo (~6:30 am). Spent half the day there and returned after lunch. Relaxed for the rest of the day.

Day 16 - Omarama → Oamaru (via Dunedin) - Drove to Oamaru. Also visited Dunedin for the Albatross Colony but we didn’t end up going there and came back after enjoying great beer at Emerson’s Brewery.

Day 17 - Oamaru - Explored the town and did penguin watching in the evening - highlight experience.

Day 18 - Oamaru → Christchurch - Started late and took it slow with multiple stops along the way and reached Christchurch by late evening.

Day 19 & 20 - Christchurch - Met friends who flew in from Wellington. One day with them, one day for shopping (chocolates, souvenirs, etc.).

Day 21 - Fly back to Bangalore ✈️

💰 Cost Breakdown (for 2 people)

Total (excluding international flights): ~6,000 NZD (~3,40,000 INR)

Total (including international flights): ~10,000 NZD (~5,60,000 INR) (depends on when you book)

We cooked most meals ourselves. For eating out, it generally cost around 20 NZD per person per meal.

🏡 Our Stays

Here is the link to all our stays. Please keep in mind that prices vary based on when you book, which season, which room, etc. (We booked 4 months in advance.)

Hope this helps you plan your trip!

Thank you!