New Zealand

New Zealand Travel Guide

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Why visit New Zealand

Get ready for mammoth national parks, dynamic Māori culture and world-class surfing and skiing. New Zealand can be mellow or action-packed, but it's always epic.

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Take your New Zealand trip with Lonely Planet Journeys

Pick one of our ready-to-book trips or fully customize your own with help from our local experts.

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Ultimate New Zealand: Cross-Country Adventures in 13 Days

13 days / 12 nights

highlights

  1. 1 Soaring over Rotorua's thermal lakes and geothermal gems on an electrifying floatplane
  2. 2 Whale watching and fur seal-spotting from up above on a Kaikōura sightseeing flight
  3. 3 Inhabiting the fantastical fiction of Middle Earth with a Hobbiton set visit
from $5,940

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  • New Zealand's North Island: 11 Days in Auckland and Rotorua
    New Zealand

    11 days / 10 nights

    New Zealand's North Island: 11 Days in Auckland and Rotorua

    FROM $6,500

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  • New Zealand: 11 Days in Stargazing in Wairarapa
    New Zealand

    11 days / 10 nights

    New Zealand: 11 Days in Stargazing in Wairarapa

    FROM $6,500

    per person

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Top places to visit in New Zealand

Discover the best attractions in New Zealand from must-see sights to unexpected hidden gems.

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Travel Guides

New Zealand travel tips from Lonely Planet experts

Find practical guidance from our team of contributors around the world who bring their decades of first-hand travel experience to your next trip.

Best Things to Do

From otherworldly national parks to inspirational Māori cultural experiences to world-class pinot noir, you'll find it all in New Zealand.

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Best Time to Visit

Pick the perfect time for your visit to New Zealand with this seasonal guide.

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Things to Know

To visitors, New Zealand can feel comfortingly familiar and completely strange all at once. Here are some key things to know before you go.

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Transportation

It can be a long way between towns across vast expanses of New Zealand's rolling countryside – connect point A to point B with this transportation guide.

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Visa Requirements

New Zealand is an incredible country that appears on many travelers' bucket lists. Start planning your trip now with our guide to visa requirements for NZ.

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Best Road Trips

There's no better way to explore New Zealand than by car or campervan. Here are eight top road trips to put on your dream NZ itinerary.

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Money and Costs

Affordable travel in New Zealand is possible – if you plan carefully.

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Best Places to Visit

If you seek epic outdoor experiences and unbelievable landscapes, you'll get your fill of nature with these top places to visit in New Zealand.

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Get Connected

Keep your cell phone connected in New Zealand with this guide to local service providers, eSIMs and wi-fi networks.

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