New Zealand 3 Week Itinerary | Road Trip Guide (+ Map)
New Zealand can be a pretty far destination for many travelers, so if you’re going to make the trip – you might as well make it worth it and stay a while! To help plan out your 3 – 4 week road trip through New Zealand, we’ve outlined a travel itinerary with all of the spots you should stop at along the way, with as little backtracking as possible!
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you choose to make a purchase through the link. Thank you for your support – we hope you have a great trip!
New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary
Since Auckland has one of the major international airports in New Zealand, we thought it would be a good place to start the journey. Looking back in hindsight, I’m so glad we started on the North Island. Although all of New Zealand is beautiful, the South Island is absolutely stunning, so it was exciting to have that to look forward to while exploring the North Island.
This itinerary is primarily focused around seeing New Zealand’s natural scenery, as opposed to its larger cities. However, after a long flight to the island we definitely think it’s a good idea to spend a night in Auckland to acclimate to the time zone and refresh before hitting the road!
Stop One: Auckland
In Auckland, we recommend taking advantage of the many stores and food shops to stock up your camper van prior to your road trip, if you’re choosing to drive your own vehicle to get around the island. Otherwise, take a stroll through downtown and take in the sites!
- Duration of Stay: 1 Night
- Travel Time: N/A (Starting Point)
- Where To Stay: Lylo Auckland (Hostel), Ramada Suites (Hotel)
Stop Two: Bay of Islands
When you’re ready to start your trip, you’ll first want to head up to the very north of the island, so that the rest of your trip will just be a straight shot down the country. This first stop is about a four hour drive north from Auckland to the Bay of Islands. This region at the top of the North Island is known for its undeveloped nature, with ample beaches and backlands to explore.
- Duration of Stay: 2 Nights
- Travel Time: 3 hours & 45 minutes by car from Auckland
- Where To Stay: Copthorne Resort (Hotel), Centabay Lodge (Hostel), Bay of Islands Holiday Park (Campground)
Stop Three: Rotorua
The next stop is a fun (and busy!) one, as it’s a great base for many exciting destinations in its surrounding areas: Rotorua! This coastal city in the North Island of New Zealand is not only a scenic spot in and of itself, situated directly on Lake Rotorua, but it is also within driving distance of both Hobbiton and Whakarewarewa!
This destination has so much to enjoy, we made its own travel guide for Rotorua! Check out the post below if you’re looking for things to do while staying in Rotorua.
- Duration of Stay: 2 Nights
- Travel Time: 5 hours & 45 minutes by car from Bay of Islands (Paihia)
- Where To Stay: Rock Solid Backpackers (Hostel), Rydges Rotorua Hotel (Hotel), Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park (Campground)
Stop Four: Wellington
For your last stop on the North Island, make your way down to Wellington. The capital of New Zealand, this port town is another of the country’s larger industrial cities. Wellington is known for its food scene, but the primary reason we’ve included it in this itinerary is so that you can use it to catch a ferry ride over to the South Island!
- Duration of Stay: 1 Night
- Travel Time: 5 hours & 20 minutes by car from Rotorua
- Where To Stay: Trek Global Backpackers (Hostel), Ibis Wellington (Hotel), Kiwi Holiday Park (Campground)
Stop Five: Picton
The ferry ride from Wellington to the South Island takes about 3 hours, and if you have a vehicle you need to transport as well you can conveniently just drive it right on! The port town on the South Island in which you will be dropped off is Picton, and as a lesser known fiord in New Zealand, it makes for a stunningly beautiful welcome! Check out the post below for our recommendations on how to spend your day in Picton upon arrival.
- Duration of Stay: 1 Night
- Travel Time: 3 hours & 10 minutes by car + ferry from Wellington
- Where To Stay: Tombstone Lodge (Hostel), Picton Yacht Club (Hotel), Parklands Marina (Campground)
Stop Six: Nelson
The next stop on your road trip, Nelson, serves as a great base to get to one of the most famous national parks in New Zealand: Abel Tasman National Park! If you’re a big hiker, you might choose to pack a tent and camp out overnight in the reserve so that you can hike the entirety of the trail, but if you’re just a casual hiker like us we chose to stay in one of the towns nearby – Nelson – and just do a day hike in the park!
- Duration of Stay: 2 Nights
- Travel Time: 1 hour & 50 minutes by car from Picton
- Where To Stay: Bridge Backpackers (Hostel), The Hotel Nelson (Hotel), Nelson City Top 10 Holiday Park (Campground)
Stop Seven: Arthur’s Pass
The next step is another national reserve of the South Island: Arthur’s Pass. Primarily known for its hiking trails or ski mountains, Arthur’s Pass is relatively undeveloped, with vast flats of trees & greenery running for hours between towns. There aren’t many shops to get supplies around this area, so be sure to pack in advance of this leg of the trip.
- Duration of Stay: 1 Night
- Travel Time: 4 hours & 30 minutes by car from Nelson
- Where To Stay: Mountain House (Hostel), The Bealey (Hotel), Jackson’s Retreat Alpine Holiday Park (Campground)
Stop Eight: Franz Josef
The next stop is one of my favorites on the trip, as its scenery is just so beautiful: Franz Josef! Through Franz Josef, you’re able to see lush greenery, a deep blue lake, and even a glacier! While a small town, we recommend staying at least two nights here so that you have at least one full day, free of travel to enjoy the surrounding area.
- Duration of Stay: 2 Nights
- Travel Time: 2 hours & 50 minutes by car from Arthur’s Pass
- Where To Stay: Glow Worm Accommodation (Hostel), The Oasis (Hotel), Orange Sheep Campervan Park (Campground)
Stop Nine: Wanaka
About four hours south of Franz Josef is another popular destination on the South Island, Wanaka. This lakeside town is known for its picturesque scenery and relaxed atmosphere. Rest up for a day or two in this cute town, or get out and hike its surrounding areas!
- Duration of Stay: 2 Nights
- Travel Time: 4 hours by car from Franz Josef
- Where To Stay: Adventure Wanaka (Hostel), The Edgewater (Hotel), The Hampshire Holiday Parks: Wanaka (Campground)
Stop Ten: Te Anau
The next stop will center you down in Fiordland to provide easy access to two of New Zealand’s most popular destinations: Milford Sound & Doubtful Sound! Since you cannot stay overnight in either fiord, the most popular destination for travelers to set up in is Te Anau, from which you can take day tours to each location.
- Duration of Stay: 3 Nights
- Travel Time: 3 hours by car from Wanaka
- Where To Stay: Lakefront Backpackers (Hostel), Kingsgate (Hotel), Lakeview Holiday Park (Campground)
Stop Eleven: The Catlins
Rounding the southern coast of the island, our next stop was the Catlins! This might be the closest I’ve ever been to Antarctica (except perhaps in Argentina), so this was definitely a cool one! Visiting Nugget Point honestly makes you feel like you’re at the end of the world – and there’s also expansive beaches to spend an afternoon relaxing on as well!
- Duration of Stay: 3 Nights
- Travel Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes by car from Te Anau
- Where To Stay: Surat Bay Lodge (Hostel), Catlins Inn (Hotel), Catlins Newhaven Holiday Park (Campground)
Stop Twelve: Queenstown
Last but certainly not least, we’ll be ending our road trip in the beautiful city of Queenstown! Not only do they have an international airport, making it the perfect spot to end your journey, but it also has tons of activities to explore, including hikes & a lakeside beach!
- Duration of Stay: 2 Nights
- Travel Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes by car from the Catlins
- Where To Stay: The Nomads Queenstown (Hostel), The QT Queenstown (Hotel), The Hampshire Holiday Park: Queenstown Lakeview (Campground)
And that’s a wrap! Following this three week itinerary of New Zealand, we think you’ll be able to see the majority of New Zealand’s big attractions & get a real feel for both islands with no trouble at all. Although it may seem like a lot looking at it all at once, it really was a very manageable itinerary (coming from someone who had never done a long road trip before as well!).
If you have extra time, definitely extend your stay at your favorite destinations if you prefer a more relaxed travel pace. Or if you’re keen to see more, try checking out Mount Cook or Dunedin!
For anyone interested in a little summary video of all of the places listed in this itinerary, check out our video below (we were not planning to post online when recording, so sorry if it’s not super helpful, but just in case anyone likes to see where they’re going prior to arrival I thought I would include it just in case).
Please let us know you’re favorite places to visit were in New Zealand in the comments below, we hope you have a great trip!!
Liked this post? Save it for later!
About the Author: Hi, I’m Jill! I am a biomedical & mechanical engineer who loves traveling during my free time. My hope is to help make it easier for others to plan their dream trips by providing firsthand experience from the places I’ve been! Read More.
