What are the Top 15 Things to Do in New Zealand?

1. Immerse yourself in Maori Culture on the North Island 2. Snorkel with dusky dolphins in Kaikoura 3. Hike the “Great Walks” 4. Cruise Milford Sound 5. Take a scenic helicopter ride to a glacier 6. Taste wonderful wines and local cuisine 7. Trek Tongariro Alpine Crossing 8. Jet-Boat Whanganui River 9. Explore Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world 10. Kayak Milford Sound and Abel Tasman National Park 11. Tour Middle Earth 12. Hike the Te Araroa Trail 13. Take a scenic journey on the Coastal Pacific train 14. Walk the Queen Charlotte Track 15. Uncover the Hauraki Gulf

BROWSE NEW ZEALAND TRIPS

NEW ZEALAND

Top 15 Things to Do in New Zealand

From hiking the ‘Great Walks’ to the world’s undisputed adventure capital

New Zealand’s dynamic landscapes and ancient Maori culture offer endless opportunities for exploration. Our handcrafted itineraries will have you hiking its world-famous Great Walks, cruising Milford Sound, kayaking in crystal-clear waters along Abel Tasman National Park, and sampling the country’s renowned food and wine at every stop.

1Immerse yourself in Maori Culture on the North Island

From New Zealand’s designation of Tongariro National Park as the first-ever dual heritage World Heritage Site to honor both its Maori spiritual significance and unique landscape to the country’s long history of entwining Maori values into its policy making, New Zealand has set a world example in investing in indigenous culture. The North Island contains the most sacred Maori sites and has a distinctive South Pacific character. It’s one of our favorite places to explore.

Trip to Book: New Zealand: Hidden Treasures of the Far North

2Snorkel with dusky dolphins in Kaikoura

For an experience straight out of a Disney movie, head to the thriving waters off the coast of Kaikoura on the South Island, where you’ll find some of the most social and playful creatures in New Zealand. Several hundred dusky dolphins fill these waters year-round. On our hiking-focused journey across both islands, we’ll head out by boat into the bay to swim and snorkel with these famous local personalities.

Trip to Book: Hiker’s Journey to New Zealand

3Hike the “Great Walks”

Whether you are looking for a day hike through lunar landscapes of steaming volcanic vents and ancient lava flows (see: North Island’s Tongariro Alpine Crossing) or a multi-day trek that passes active glaciers and snow-capped peaks (see: South Island’s Milford Track), there’s a “Great Walk” for you. New Zealand is home to 10 of these three- to five-day “tracks,” as they’re locally referred to.

The longest is 1,900-mile Te Araroa Track, a legendary thru-hike that runs the entire length of New Zealand. On our South Island itinerary, we hike four Great Walks: the alpine Routeburn Track, plus the lush pathways of the Rakiura, Kepler, and Abel Tasman tracks, all protected in pristine national parks filled with soaring landscapes.

Trips to Book: New Zealand: Ultimate South Island; New Zealand: Hidden Treasures of the Far North

4Cruise Milford Sound

Set among the towering peaks of Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound is a deep and magnificent fjord that flows to the Tasman Sea. It is one of the world’s most spectacular meetings of mountain and sea, where 4,000-foot-high walls rise directly from the water’s edge and waterfalls cascade down sheer cliff faces.

The ideal way to take in the majesty of the Milford Sound is on an overnight cruise. On our South Island itinerary, we’ll board a three-sailed cruising boat inspired by a traditional New Zealand trading scow. Explore the fjord by kayak or tender craft, or simply relax on deck to enjoy the vistas and spot dolphins, before anchoring for the night in sheltered Harrison Cove beneath towering Mount Pembroke.

Trip to Book: New Zealand: Ultimate South Island

5Take a scenic helicopter ride to a glacier

One of the most epic New Zealand experiences is a breathtaking helicopter ride through the most striking sections of Fiordland National Park. There’s no better place to experience this than Milford Sound, where the sheer scale of its landscape is astonishing when seen from the air. On our South Island itinerary, we offer the option of a helicopter ride over Milford Sound to the magnificent Tutoko Glacier, where we can explore a glacier-covered mountain that’s the highest peak in Fiordland National Park.

Trip to Book: New Zealand: Ultimate South Island

6Taste wonderful wines and local cuisine

From world-renowned wineries like Felton Road Wines and Craggy Range to a thriving foodie scene based almost entirely on local farm-grown produce, New Zealand’s culinary offerings are reason enough to visit. Luckily, its six wine-growing regions are set in some of the most beautiful parts of the country and the local menus feature incredible seafood and New Zealand’s world-famous lamb.

We select dining options to ensure they’re wonderfully fresh, local, and evocative of the region. On our South Island itinerary, for example, spend a night in stunning vineyard cottages in Gibbston and sample the pinot noir wines for which Central Otago is famous.

Trips to Book: New Zealand: Ultimate South Island; Hiker’s Journey to New Zealand; New Zealand: Hidden Treasures of the Far North

7Trek Tongariro Alpine Crossing

To hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, considered the world’s greatest single-day hike, is to experience all of New Zealand’s superlatives at once. Set in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand’s oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 12-mile trail brings hikers across a volcanic landscape of steaming vents, glacial valleys, vivid crater lakes, and ancient lava flows.

Be prepared for a long and challenging day on the trail—but the splendor makes it worthwhile, especially alongside WT’s beloved Trip Leaders. On our Hiker’s Journey itinerary, we’ll start the Tongariro Alpine Crossing with a walk up the Mangatepopo Valley to the saddle between Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngaruhoe, continue through the South Crater, then ascend again to the Red Crater, the highest point on the crossing. Our descent brings us down volcanic scree into cool, green forests and past beautiful Emerald Lake and Blue Lake to the roadhead.

Trip to Book: Hiker’s Journey to New Zealand

8Jet-Boat Whanganui River

The Whanganui River is a spectacular and vast waterway surrounded by deep gorges, lush lowland forest, and endemic wildlife. It flows from the active Mount Tongariro volcano to the Tasman Sea. In addition to its natural beauty, the river has a fascinating distinction. As of March 2017, it is the first river granted the same legal rights as a human being, honoring its vital role in Maori tradition.

It’s also the perfect place for an epic adventure by jet boat, which we experience on our Hiker’s Journey itinerary. Starting at the tiny riverside settlement of Pipiriki, southern gateway to Whanganui National Park, we jet-boat through spectacular and deep river gorges lush with tree ferns and native vegetation. Our journey brings us to “The Bridge to Nowhere,” from where we embark on a short but stunning hike following in the footsteps of the early pioneers.

Trip to Book: Hiker’s Journey to New Zealand

9Explore Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world

From zipping through Shotover River’s narrow gorges at 50 miles-per-hour to descending 30 stories on the world’s steepest zipline, the South Island city of Queenstown has earned its reputation as the world’s ultimate adventure capital. Adrenaline-producing sports like bungee jumping and jet boating originated here decades ago. The city’s attractive location between Lake Wakatipu and the Southern Alps makes it a popular year-round destination and a standard starting point for travelers.

We kick off our incredible South Island itinerary in Queenstown with a fantastic hike to one of the most epic vantage points in the city. Many WT travelers choose to arrive a few days early to take full advantage of all the things you can do around the Queenstown area.

Trip to Book: New Zealand: Ultimate South Island

10Kayak Milford Sound and Abel Tasman National Park

One incredible way to discover New Zealand’s unique waterways and stunning coastlines is by kayak. That’s especially true for the breathtaking and varied coastal landscapes. In Milford Sound, kayak alongside dolphins in the shadow of waterfalls that drop hundreds of feet into the ocean. In Abel Tasman National Park, paddle in crystal-clear water along stunning beaches and lush ocean bays.

Trip to Book: New Zealand: Ultimate South Island

11Tour Middle Earth

Want to visit the land of Mordor? Mount Ruapehu, in Tongariro National Park, doubled for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings films. Fancy seeing the river the Fellowship paddles after leaving Lothlórien? It’s the Waiau River along the edge of Fiordland National Park. Even if you don’t seek out a specific film location, you’ll likely encounter familiar scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. For serious Tolkien fans, there are plenty of opportunities to add on one of 150 film locations onto WT itineraries (Hobbiton is just a two-hour drive south from Auckland, where we begin our Treasures of the Far North adventure).

12Hike the Te Araroa Trail

The 1,900-mile-long Te Araroa Trail (Maori for “Long Pathway”) traverses New Zealand from the bottom of the South Island to the top of the North Island—it takes hardy “through-hikers” about three months to hike this entire route. For our own Te Araroa adventure, we’ve selected some of the best sections on both the islands, including the lush Queen Charlotte Track, the panoramic “Stairway to Heaven” staircases above the Kapiti Coast, and the memorable Tongariro Alpine Crossing, the best one-day hike in New Zealand.

Trips to Book: Hiker’s Journey to New Zealand; New Zealand: Hidden Treasures of the Far North

13Take a scenic journey on the Coastal Pacific train

For one of the most scenic train journeys around, hop aboard the Coastal Pacific train. On our Hiker’s Journey itinerary, we start in charming Christchurch and take the train down along the Kaikoura Coast, where we’ll swim with playful dusky dolphins. We hop on the train once again to reach Picton, then take a water taxi to Ship Cove, a small bay in the Marlborough Sounds, where early Pacific explorer Captain Cook once anchored. Here we’ll head out on fantastic hikes on the Queen Charlotte Track, circling a shoreline trail through native forest with stunning views out across the peaceful bays of the Marlborough Sounds.

Trip to Book: Hiker’s Journey to New Zealand

14Walk the Queen Charlotte Track

One of the most popular hiking routes in the country, the Queen Charlotte Track winds for 45 miles as it traces the bays and inlets of the Marlborough Sounds, through lush coastal forests of ferns and nikau palms. On our Hiker’s Journey itinerary we have two full days to explore the most scenic stretches of this famous route from our lovely lodge.

Trip to Book: Hiker’s Journey to New Zealand

15Uncover the Hauraki Gulf

Explore the Hauraki Gulf as well as Auckland’s vibrant waterfront, on a five-day extension before or after one of our New Zealand adventures. The islands of the Hauraki Gulf lie close to Auckland, but offer unique natural history experiences that are a world away from city life. From a hike to the summit of the incredible volcanic island of Rangitoto to visiting a world-renowned wildlife sanctuary on Tiritiri Matangi Island, there’s plenty of wonder to discover.

Trip to Book: Auckland and the Islands of the Hauraki Gulf Extension