New Zealand’s North Island is an island filled with bubbling geothermal activity, twinkling glow worms and magical hobbit holes. There is a lot to explore but this 10 day itinerary covers some of the best sights that the North Island has to offer. This route was designed to be taken with a campervan so I’ll share some recommended campsites but you could easily adapt it to a regular road trip with hotel stays. If you are interested in learning more about hiring a campervan, click here for some handy tips.
This was an itinerary I took for 10 days in February 2023. Originally we planned to continue from Wellington to the South Island but a cancelled ferry changed our plans and we looped back to Auckland. It worked out well though as we then got to see glow worms and Whanganui National Park.
This 10 day New Zealand Itinerary starts and ends in Auckland so you can easily fly in and out of there. Starting and ending at the same point also saves money on car or campervan hire as you won’t need to pay a one-way fee.
Day 1: Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula
As this itinerary starts and ends in Auckland you can decide on which end of the trip you would like to explore the city. Depending on when your flights are, you might have more time to explore at the end or start. Either way, I don’t recommend spending too long in the city – there are plenty more rural places and national parks to discover in New Zealand.
Once you have left the city, drive around to the Coromandel Peninsula, towards Cathedral Cove. This could take up to 3.5 hours due to road closures (the most direct road has been closed most of this year). But if you do have to take the long route, stop off at Owharoa Falls along the way!
Cathedral Cove is a rock formation with a walking trail along the coast. If you arrive late on your first day, you can always camp nearby and head to the cove in the morning.
Campsites: Hahei Holiday Resort ($39+)
Driving: 3.5 hours, 234km
Activity Costs: free
Day 2: Coromandel and Mt Maunganui
Start your day with a visit to Cathedral Cove if you didn’t fit it in on day one. Otherwise head to Hot Water Beach – just 10 minutes away from Cathedral Cove. Whilst the sea isn’t exactly hot here, you can find hot water by digging down a little in the sand. The beach sits on a pocket of geothermal energy so if you find the right spot (and hire a shovel!) you can dig out your own hot tub. It can be tricky to find the hot spots, if there are other people around who look like they’ve found hot water, maybe try near them! I also found I could find hot spots along the shore by watching the waves recede and looking for the bubbles of boiling water.
After a morning on the beach, drive 2.5 hours to Mount Maunganui. This small coastal town next to Tauranga has a lovely beach, mountain hikes and a cricket ground with a sweeping grass verge. If you’re interested in cricket – take a look to see if you can watch a game. We managed to catch England vs New Zealand on our visit!
Campsites: Cosy Corner Holiday Park ($60) or Whareroa Reserve (free, SC only)
Driving: 2.5 hours, 162km
Activity Costs: free, unless you attend a cricket game (prices vary)
Day 3: Hobbiton
If you can wake up early enough, start with a sunrise climb up Mount Maunganui. There isn’t much parking available near the mountain as it is a popular spot so if your campsite or hotel is nearby, leave your van there and walk. The hike is fairly tricky in hot weather so it is better to start early. There are a few trails to do, depending on how much time you have or how much walking you feel up to. You can hike up one way and come down the other for views all around the bay.
After lunch, head to Hobbiton – a must visit for first-timers in New Zealand. Even if you aren’t a big fan of Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, the film set is still a magical place to visit. You’ll be able to see the rolling green hills, tiny hobbit holes and even have a drink at the cosy Green Dragon Inn! Make sure you book your tickets online in advance as they can sell out.
Campsites: Whakamaru Recreation Area (free)
Driving: 2.5 hours, 162km
Activity Costs: from $89
Day 4: Rotorua
Next stop is the busy little town of Rotorua where there are tonnes of activities to do and plenty of geothermal hotspots! Start your day with a trip to Okere Falls, just on the outskirts of town. Here you can actually see two waterfalls – Tutea and Trout Pools, plus a cave. There is also an option to go white water rafting here!
In Rotorua town there are plenty of spots to grab a bite to eat. The tourist information office is also super helpful. In town, don’t miss Kuaira Park – a free park with hot mud pools and geothermal ponds. The park also has a geothermally heated pool that you can soak your feet in.
Next, head to Redwoods Park where you can follow one of several hiking trails for a walk amongst giant redwood trees. There is also a treetop trail with bridges strung from trunk to trunk. This costs $37 dollars but the ground trails are free.
If you have time after the walk in the woods, visit Whakarewarewa Living Maori Village. Here you can take a tour of a Maori town and explore a geothermal wonderland. Entrance starts from $40.
In the evening, I would recommend camping at Humarana Reserve. This is free for all campervans and has a lovely view over the lake.
Campsites: Humarana Reserve (free)
Driving: 2 hours, 128km
Activity Costs: $0-$77
Day 5: Taupo
Day 5 is a day filled with interesting stops along the way to Taupo and Tongariro.
First stop is at Rainbow Mountain and Crater Lake. Here you can take a short walk to a spectacular turquoise lake and a not-quite-rainbow-coloured mountain!
Next stop is Kerosene Creek – another geothermal site but this one is very different from the previous days. Instead of bubbling mud and steaming pools, here you will find a normal looking creek in a scenic woodland. However, once you take a dip in the creek, you’ll feel the warmth of its heated waters. You can even sit by the mini waterfall to experience a natural hot-tub effect! This was one of my favourite spots in the North Island – I’d highly recommend it.
If you still want to see more geothermal stuff – next you can visit Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. The park contains a geysir and waterfall. Entrance is $32.50.
Stop 4 is an incredibly unique site – Aratiatia Rapids. Four times a day (10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm), water is released from a dam to cascade across rocks and fill the rapids. This takes around 15 minutes to release all the water so don’t worry if you are a few minutes late. The best view points are a 5-10 minute walk from the car park. The rapids may look familiar to Hobbit Fans as they were used as a filming location for the barrel scene – although in real life the actors were not in the barrels in the water!
Lastly, just a short drive from Aratiatia, you will reach Haku Falls – a much larger flow of water!
At the end of your day you could stay in Taupo or drive a little further to be closer to Tongariro National Park. I would recommend camping in a tiny village called National Park, if doing the latter. There is a lovely campsite/motel/store called Joy’s which is a great place to stay!
Campsites: Joy’s, National Park ($20 pp)
Driving: 1-3 hours
Activity Costs: $0-$32.50
Day 6: Tongariro National Park
There are several ways to spend a day hiking in Tongariro National Park. Perhaps the most known trail is the Tongariro Crossing which takes around 8-9 hours and treks across varied terrain and weather!
If you don’t fancy such a long hike, there are plenty of shorter routes to do. Some walking along some parts of the crossing, some go to waterfalls and other points of interest. Start with a visit to the visitor centre to find out more about the different routes and the upcoming weather conditions as they can change very quickly!
You’ll likely be tired at the end of the day so I would recommend spending another night near by and then heading onwards in the morning.
Campsites: Joy’s ($20 pp)
Driving: 25 minutes, 30km
Activity Costs: $0
Day 7: Drive to Wellington
This day involves a lot of driving but there is a lovely spot to stop off, roughly half-way to Wellington. The Pukaha National Wildlife Reserve is home to many of New Zealand’s native birds, including the famous kiwi bird. Kiwis are endangered and nocturnal so they are incredibly hard to spot in the wild! This may be your only chance to see a kiwi so it is well worth a visit!
After the wildlife reserve, there is just another 2 hours to go to Wellington. Once you’ve checked in at your campsite, why not take an evening stroll into the city and grab some dinner at one of the many restaurants on offer!
Campsites: Top 10 Wellington ($55) – cheaper/free alternatives are available for self-contained vehicles closer to Wellington.
Driving: 5 hours, 346km
Activity Costs: $24
Day 8: Wellington
Wellington has several fantastic museums to explore. I would definitely recommend visiting the Museum of New Zealand, which is free entry. The huge museum has exhibits on art, local history, nature and science. You can happily spend hours roaming the galleries and interactive displays. For a smaller museum, you could also visit the Wellington Museum which specialises in the maritime history of the area.
If you prefer outdoor activities, take a stroll up Mount Victoria for a spectacular view over the bay. I would recommend entering the park from Lawson Place and hiking up to the viewpoint from there. Then head down towards Freyberg Beach via Moeller Street to explore another side to the city.
After your day in Wellington, either stay overnight nearby or start driving back north and sleep somewhere on the way to Wanganui to break up the driving.
Day 9: Whanganui National Park
Whanganui is a around 2.5 hours drive from Wellington and its National Park is a little further so I would suggest an early start or driving part of the way the previous night.
There are a lot of walking trails and hikes that you can do in Whanganui National Park. We did the Atene Viewpoint trail for lovely views over the valley – be careful though it can get quite muddy and slippy! We also took the Te Maire Loop Track, further north in the park. I would recommend downloading the app, Alltrails, to find some of the best routes in the area.
Campsites: Whanganui River Bank (free)
Driving: 5.5 hours, 415km
Activity Costs: $0
Day 10: Waitomo caves and back to Auckland
On your final day, you can either start with another short walk in Whanganui National Park or just hit the road if you want to get back to Auckland earlier.
The main activity for this day is Waitomo Glowworm Caves. I’d recommend booking a timeslot in advance to ensure you get a place! The caves were discovered in the 1800s by an Englishman and a local Maori man. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the caves, we began with a walk into a large open cavern and then a boat ride. From the boat we could see hundreds of glowing worms covering the roof of the cave.
From Waitomo, Auckland is a 2.5 hour drive so make sure you leave plenty of time to get back and return your campervan or car!
Driving: 4 hours, 306km
Activity Costs: $61
More New Zealand Travel Tips
Do you need a visa to visit New Zealand?
Passport holders from a lot of countries including the UK, USA, Canada and many European countries do not require a visa to visit New Zealand. However, they do need a NZeTA. This only takes 72 hours to receive and can be requested via an app. The NZeTA itself only costs $17 NZD but alongside this you will also have to pay an additional $35 for the IVL (international visitor conservation and tourist levy). You can think of this as helping to preserve all the national parks that you will inevitably visit for free.
Click here to check if your country is on the visa exemption list
Click here for more information on the NZeTA
When is the best time to visit New Zealand?
This road trip itinerary is designed to be taken during New Zealand’s summertime which lasts from December to January. The weather in the summer in New Zealand can still be variable so expect some rain and even cold spells. The temperature is usually around 20-25˚C (68-77˚F).
Where to hire a campervan in New Zealand?
Driving a campervan is a popular option for travellers and locals in New Zealand. There are several companies that offer campervans in various sizes, with different facilities. Most have depots in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown so it is easy enough to find a company that will allow you to collect in Auckland and return to Christchurch. It is common to be charged an additional one-way fee for this. Click here to read more tips on hiring a campervan in New Zealand and see a comparison of costs.
Hi! Itinerary looks amazing, I can’t wait to give it a go! Do you have any thoughts on doing the same itinerary at the beginning of May (not sure if moving towards Winter would make that a problem).