Choosing where to go in New Zealand may well be the biggest problem of your visit if you’re short on time.

Chances are that you’ve come a long way to get here, so give yourself ample time to make the most of it. If you’ve got a month or more, check out our Length of NZ Classic.

We’ve made up a number of itineraries here, but there’s no right and wrong way of visiting NZ.

North Island

While we recommend giving Auckland at least three days, if you’re short on time, follow the Auckland In-A-Day route. And if you can find three or four days, don’t forget to Explore the North and the Bay of Islands.

South Island

If you love mountains and nature, take a look at our South Island Loop itinerary. Hikers will swoon over the walking options in our Dayhikers’ South Island Itinerary.

Our wildcard here is the Glenorchy & Paradise Day Trip out of Queenstown. Glenorchy is our author’s top spot, and Sir Ian McKellen, ‘Lord of the Rings’ legend, called Paradise “my favourite place on Earth”. Incidentally, the guided Lord of the Rings Tour to Middle Earth filming locations around Queenstown are also well worth taking for fans of the trilogy.

Wine

Recently, more and more visitors are basing their visit around wineries. If that’s you, consider our Wine Lovers’ Itinerary.