New Zealand: volcanoes, geysers and fjords

Auckland, Rotorua and Queenstown, New Zealand

9 nights
Best: January, February, March, December
from about €3,800 per person

At a glance

From the geothermal land of the North Island to the mountains and Milford Sound in the south. The southern summer, December to March, is the best time to go.

When to go: January, February, March, December.
Length: 9 nights.
Indicative budget: from about €3,800 per person (rough estimate: real prices vary with dates and availability).
Suggested arrival airports: Auckland (AKL), Queenstown (ZQN), Rotorua (ROT), Christchurch (CHC).

Queenstown, New Zealand — Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand · CC0

Rotorua — Photo: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0

Auckland — Photo: elpinto007 · CC BY-SA 2.0

Waiheke Island — Photo: NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data provided by the · Public domain

The stops

Stop 1 · 3 nights

Auckland

The Sky Tower, the harbour full of sailboats and the ferry to volcanic Waiheke Island, with its vineyards.

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Stop 2 · 2 nights

Rotorua

Geysers and bubbling mud pools at the Te Puia geothermal valley, plus an introduction to Maori culture.

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Stop 3 · 4 nights

Queenstown

On Lake Wakatipu beneath the Remarkables, with plenty of outdoor activities and a day trip to Milford Sound in Fiordland.

View on Google Maps

Getting around

Leg	Suggested transport
Auckland → Rotorua	car
Rotorua → Queenstown	flight

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