16 days in New Zealand Itinerary

The main tourist town in the Bay of Islands area, Paihia gives visitors a good range of accommodations, a convenient town center, long sandy beaches, and interesting architecture.

Start off your visit on the 5th (Tue): surround yourself with nature on a nature and wildlife tour, steep yourself in history at Waitangi Treaty Grounds, and then discover the deep blue sea with a scuba or snorkeling tour.

To see maps, where to stay, traveler tips, and tourist information, use the Paihia online driving holiday planner .

Cape Town, South Africa to Paihia is an approximately 27-hour combination of flight and bus. You can also fly. The time zone difference when traveling from Cape Town to Paihia is 10 hours. Finish your sightseeing early on the 5th (Tue) so you can drive to Whangarei.

Whangarei is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Start off your visit on the 6th (Wed): explore the striking landscape at Waro Limestone Scenic Reserve Walk, identify plant and animal life at Poor Knights Island Marine Reserve, and then hike along Bream Head Coast Walks.

To find ratings, where to stay, and other tourist information, refer to the Whangarei holiday planner.

Getting from Paihia to Whangarei by car takes about 1.5 hours. Other options: take a bus. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 6th (Wed) so you can travel to Hamilton.

On the banks of the Waikato River lies Hamilton, a pretty, active city on North Island.

Kick off your visit on the 7th (Thu): examine the collection at Waikato Museum, admire the natural beauty at Hamilton Gardens, and then get a new perspective on nature at Woodlands Historic Homestead, Gardens and Function Centre.

For other places to visit, traveler tips, photos, and tourist information, go to the Hamilton sightseeing planner .

Fly from Whangarei to Hamilton in 1.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. In November, plan for daily highs up to 23°C, and evening lows to 15°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 7th (Thu) to allow enough time to drive to Taupo.

The resort town of Taupo lies on the banks of Lake Taupo, the largest body of water in the whole of Australasia.

Start off your visit on the 8th (Fri): push the limits with an extreme tour, explore the landscape on two wheels at Great Lake Trail, kick back and relax at Kinloch Beach, then admire the sheer force of Huka Falls Walkway, and finally look for gifts at Souvenir Outlet.

For more things to do, ratings, reviews, and more tourist information, read Taupo tour builder site .

Drive from Hamilton to Taupo in 2 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 8th (Fri) early enough to drive to Matamata.

Matamata is a town in the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island. On the 9th (Sat), make a trip to Hobbiton Movie Set.

Plan my day in Matamata using traveler tips and tourist information provided by Inspirock.

Traveling by car from Taupo to Matamata takes 1.5 hours. In November in Matamata, expect temperatures between 23°C during the day and 15°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 9th (Sat) to allow enough time to drive to Tauranga.

The largest city in the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga features extensive sandy beaches, well-maintained hiking paths, and a good range of accommodations.

To find photos, where to stay, traveler tips, and tourist information, read Tauranga travel route website .

Traveling by car from Matamata to Tauranga takes an hour. Expect a daytime high around 23°C in November, and nighttime lows around 15°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 10th (Sun) so you can drive to Hot Water Beach.

Named after the geothermal springs that supply the coast with pleasantly warm water ideal for swimming and soaking, Hot Water Beach attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.

Kick off your visit on the 11th (Mon): browse the exhibits of Moko Artspace and then tour the pleasant surroundings at Hot Water Beach.

To see traveler tips, more things to do, photos, and tourist information, go to the Hot Water Beach road trip planning app .

Traveling by car from Tauranga to Hot Water Beach takes 2.5 hours. Expect a daytime high around 22°C in November, and nighttime lows around 15°C. On the 11th (Mon), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can drive to Auckland.

The largest and most populous city in New Zealand, Auckland combines a rich history and thriving contemporary culture in an abundance of museums, art galleries, and performance venues.

Kick off your visit on the 12th (Tue): take in panoramic vistas at SkyTower, explore the world behind art at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, then learn about all things military at Auckland War Memorial Museum, and finally stroll through Cheltenham Beach.

To find maps, other places to visit, traveler tips, and tourist information, you can read our Auckland online day trip planner .

You can drive from Hot Water Beach to Auckland in 2.5 hours. Traveling from Hot Water Beach in November, plan for a bit warmer nights in Auckland, with lows around 20°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 12th (Tue) to allow time to travel to New Plymouth.

Where other cities run, New Plymouth prefers to stroll.

Kick off your visit on the 13th (Wed): hike along Ratapihipihi Scenic Reserve Walk, then kick back and relax at Oakura Beach, and then get to know the resident critters at Pukekura Park.

Use Inspirock's suggestions to plan your New Plymouth trip and find the best activities and attractions for your vacation.

Traveling by combination of bus and flight from Auckland to New Plymouth takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 13th (Wed) to allow time to drive to Hawera.

Hawera is the second-largest town in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of. For ratings and tourist information, go to the Hawera trip site .

You can drive from New Plymouth to Hawera in an hour. You'll set off for Palmerston North on the 13th (Wed).

Palmerston North is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatu-Wanganui region. Kick off your visit on the 14th (Thu): look for all kinds of wild species at Tweeters and Friends Petshop and Parrot Park, see the interesting displays at Coach House Museum, and then take in the architecture and atmosphere at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.

For ratings, more things to do, traveler tips, and tourist information, you can read our Palmerston North trip itinerary builder tool .

You can drive from Hawera to Palmerston North in 2.5 hours. In November in Palmerston North, expect temperatures between 17°C during the day and 15°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 14th (Thu) to allow enough time to travel to Wellington.

Wellington, the world's southernmost capital city and New Zealand's second most populous urban area, combines the nation's rugged history and nature with its modern and cosmopolitan present.

To see other places to visit, traveler tips, more things to do, and other tourist information, refer to the Wellington itinerary planner.

You can drive from Palmerston North to Wellington in 2 hours. In November, plan for daily highs up to 20°C, and evening lows to 13°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 15th (Fri) to allow enough time to travel to Nelson.

Put on your shades to enjoy the sights of Nelson, one of the sunniest cities in New Zealand.

Kick off your visit on the 16th (Sat): view the masterpieces at Wall To Wall Art Nelson, then take an in-depth tour of Nelson Provincial Museum, then see the interesting displays at World of WearableArt & Classic Car Museum, and finally stroll through Tahunanui Beach.

To see ratings, traveler tips, maps, and more tourist information, go to the Nelson road trip planner.

You can fly from Wellington to Nelson in 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of flight and bus; or do a combination of ferry and car. Cap off your sightseeing on the 16th (Sat) early enough to travel to Christchurch.

Recovering from the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 was no easy task, but Christchurch has faced the challenges with aplomb.

Start off your visit on the 17th (Sun): get engrossed in the history at Canterbury Museum, then examine the collection at International Antarctic Centre, then enjoy some diversion at Velocity Karts, and finally admire the natural beauty at Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

To see ratings, reviews, other places to visit, and other tourist information, refer to the Christchurch tour itinerary planner .

Traveling by combination of flight and bus from Nelson to Christchurch takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or do a combination of bus and flight. November in Christchurch sees daily highs of 22°C and lows of 9°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 17th (Sun) early enough to travel back home.