Where to stay in New Zealand

If you're looking for a hotel in New Zealand, Booking.com constantly offers the cheapest rates and has the largest selection of accommodation. The platform offers competitive prices and in many cases allows cancellations free of charge.

Travel insurance in New Zealand

I recommend travel insurance at IATI or Heymondo 5% discount with this link. Do you already have travel insurance for your holiday in New Zealand?

When to visit New Zealand

The main characteristic of New Zealand's climate is the permanent presence of the westerly wind, which blows very strongly in winter and more lightly in summer.

Summer is from December to March and winter from June to August. But the climate is not identical on the North Island and the South Island. In the north, the climate is semi-tropical with temperatures ranging from 12°C to 22°C, while in the south, Antarctic winds bring snow to the mountains and rain is more abundant.

Weather patterns are strongly affected by the winds that absorb moisture from the Tasman Sea and dump it on the western side of both islands.

The South Island receives most of the rainfall, especially on the West Coast and Fiordland, making it one of the wettest places in the world.

If you prefer the heat, the best time to visit New Zealand is between November and Aprilunless you love winter sports.

In general, it's best to let the vast majority of foreign visitors leave and take advantage of the months of October, November and April to travel to New Zealand.

Running out of time in New Zealand?

Book in advance to avoid unforeseen problems, the best tours, activities and transfers with GetYourGuide. Don't forget to check out the passes and monument tickets, which offer easy access to various attractions. often at a discount.

Flight to New Zealand

Skyscanner is a platform for finding cheap flights quickly and easily. With a simple interface and price comparisons from various companies, this is an essential tool for planning your trip.

Renting a car in New Zealand

A DiscoverCars is a car hire comparison and booking platform that lets you find the best deals in 8,000 destinations. With a simple interface and transparent pricing options, it's a great choice for anyone looking to hire a car.

Money in New Zealand

I use Wise and Revolut cards to avoid bank fees and commissions. Wise and Revolut are great for travelling, as they both offer prepaid travel cards that allow you to make purchases and withdrawals in different currencies, without fees and without complications. I always travel with both.

Internet and Wifi in New Zealand

The most affordable method of accessing the internet is to use this eSIM (with 15% discount). Discover the world without worrying about roaming and access high-speed internet in over 190 countries.

Luggage in New Zealand

Store your luggage safely and affordably to explore New Zealand without the burden of carrying your bags. This storage service allows you to leave your belongings at shops, hotels, and other partner locations. Reservations can be made online in just a few seconds, and the service is available 24 hours a day.

One of New Zealand's most scenic spots is Fiordland National Park. This is a magical place that will leave you speechless. You can go on incredible walks, go trout fishing or sail in the spectacular fjords - here called "sounds" - in the south-west of the South Island.

Milford Sound is the main attraction in Fiordland and one of the most visited areas in New Zealand, once described as the "eighth wonder of the world." Milford Sound was carved over thousands of years and is a breathtaking place due to its stunning natural beauty.

The cliffs of the fjord rise vertically from the dark waters, the mountain peaks touch the sky and the waterfalls tumble from the top of the slopes, some as much as 1000 metres high.

When it rains in Milford Sound, as it often does (about 180 days of the year), these waterfalls multiply and create a magnificent effect. There are, however, two permanent waterfalls: Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. Milford Sound is in the heart of a tropical rainforest and is one of the wettest places in the world, where you can also observe wildlife such as dolphins, penguins and albatrosses.

Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand's only coastal national park and its golden sandy beaches and turquoise waters make it one of the most popular, despite being the smallest in the country.

Located on the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island, this national park is a hiker's dream. The sheltered bays are perfect for sailing or kayaking. On land, the Abel Tasman Coast Track follows the coastline through spaces of lush indigenous bush and limestone cliffs along golden sandy beaches.

There are no roads within the Abel Tasman National Park, so you have to get in by boat, on foot or in a small plane, but the journey is well worth it. Access is on foot from Marahau, in the south of the park, or Wainui Bay, in the north, or by water taxi using one of the many transport operators that operate in the park, departing from Kaiteriteri and Marahau at the southern end of the park.

This glacier, located within the Westland National Park in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island, is one of the most accessible in the world.

The Franz Josef Glacier was first explored in 1865 by geologist Julius von Haast, who named it after the Austrian emperor. Together with the Fox Glacier, the Franz Josef Glacier is one of the main, if not the biggest, attractions in the area.

Visitors could walk along the massive ice floes or take a breathtaking helicopter flight over this dazzling expanse of ice. However, since the beginning of 2016, the New Zealand government has decided to ban glacier climbing.

The drastic decision is due to global warming, which is causing the glaciers to melt rapidly, making them unstable and dangerous for tourists. This ban breaks a tradition that had lasted for over 100 years. Helicopter flights are still allowed, and thousands of people take the opportunity each year to fly over this area, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Mount Cook/Aoraki is a mountain in the Southern Alps, in the centre of the South Island, and the highest mountain in New Zealand. A popular destination for tourists, it is also a favourite for adventurous mountaineers.

According to the legend of Ngai Tahu, Aoraki and his three brothers were the sons of Rakinui, the Sky Father. On a sea voyage, their canoe capsized when it ran aground on a reef. When the brothers climbed into the canoe, the icy south wind turned them to stone. The canoe became South Island (Te Waka o Aoraki) and Aoraki and the brothers became the peaks of the Southern Alps.

Here you can observe some nocturnal phenomena such as the Aurora Australis or the Magellanic Clouds. The Magellanic Clouds are two small satellite galaxies of our Galaxy, both visible to the naked eye, but only in the Southern Hemisphere.

Picturesque by day and stunning by night, Lake Tekapo is part of the UNESCO Dark Sky Reserve, making it a perfect location for stargazing.

A true ex-libris of nature, a photographer's paradise. There are countless ways to describe Lake Tekapo, but none will do it justice, because the beauty is truly surreal.

Lake Tekapo is about a three-hour drive from Christchurch in the Mackenzie Basin. The town is known above all for its deep turquoise lake in the Southern Alps. Lake Tekapo gets its intense colour from fine rock powders that come off the glaciers and are washed into the lake.

The lake is fed at its northern end by the Godley River, which originates in the southern Alps. The lake's waters are harnessed for electricity via the Tekapo Canal, flowing 27km to Lake Pukaki and then through the Waitaki Valley. An astronomical observatory is located on Mount John, north of the city, and south of the small Lake Alexandrina.

Rotorua is a kind of thermal wonderland in New Zealand. A fascinating place where you can get in touch with on site with the Maori culture and appreciate the power of nature in the form of hot springs and pools of effervescent mud.

There are numerous geysers and hot springs around the city, many of them in parks and reserves. Natural eruptions of steam, hot water, steaming craters and mud occasionally occur in new locations.

Located near Lake Rotorua - on a volcanic plateau that covers much of the central part of the North Island - the region boasts stunning scenery, 16 beautiful lakes and the lush green of abundant native flora. Rotorua is a geothermal paradise and the cultural heart of Maori culture. Wai-O-Tapu is a popular place to visit with many hot springs.