New Zealand North Island: Highlights & Travel Tips for Your Trip

Who Should Visit New Zealand’s North Island?

Let’s start with the most important question: New Zealand’s North Island, South Island, or both?

In general, we recommend focusing on one of the two islands if you have 3 weeks or less. Otherwise, your New Zealand road trip will get stressful and you’ll spend a big chunk of your time in the car.

Neither island is more beautiful than the other! Both have unique landscapes, beautiful beaches, and great places to stay. You really can’t go wrong.

That said, there are a few differences between the islands, and depending on your travel preferences, the North Island or the South Island of New Zealand might suit you better. Here’s when the North Island is the better fit for you:

• You’re a sun lover: In general, the climate on the North Island is warmer and there are more sunny days than on the South Island.
• You love cities: 70 percent of New Zealand’s population lives on the North Island. It’s much more densely populated and has more large cities such as Auckland, Wellington, and Napier.
• You don’t want to drive long distances: Because the North Island is more densely populated, the distances between places are shorter. That’s an important point if you don’t want to spend long stretches behind the wheel.
• You’re interested in Māori culture: The majority of New Zealand’s indigenous population lives in the north, and there are more museums and villages centered around Māori culture.

Orientation: Map of Our Highlights on New Zealand’s North Island

In a moment, we’ll walk you through our top 11 must-sees on New Zealand’s North Island in detail. To give you a better overview first, here’s a map.

Our Top 11 Things to Do on New Zealand’s North Island

There are so many cool and unique experiences on New Zealand’s North Island. Narrowing it down was really tough, but these are our 11 highlights in New Zealand’s north.

Waitomo Caves

The Waitomo Caves are the most popular glowworm caves in New Zealand. Inside the caves it’s pitch black, and millions of tiny, bluish lights glow from the ceiling. It looks like an exceptionally beautiful starry sky.

There are three different tours to explore the glowworm caves. On the shortest tour, you walk through the caves for 45 minutes, with a short boat ride included.

The other two tours involve what’s known as black water rafting. These are a bit more adventurous than the first tour.

The second tour, Black Labyrinth, lasts about three hours — you float through the ice-cold water in the cave on a kind of inner tube, drifting beneath the sea of lights. We did this tour ourselves and found it truly impressive!

The third tour is called Black Abyss and is more for adrenaline junkies. You abseil 35 meters down, fly through the completely dark cave on a zip line, and jump off small waterfalls.

Guided walk and boat tour through the Waitomo Caves

Black Water Rafting tour through the Waitomo Caves

Black Water Rafting with abseiling and ziplining
Best base for overnight stays: Mount Maunganui. Our hotel pick: Quest.

Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park is a must for all Lord of the Rings fans — this is where you can hike to Mount Doom yourself.

But even beyond that, Tongariro is seriously impressive. The park is home to three active volcanoes: Tongariro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. The best views of the snow-capped peaks are from the Desert Road.

The park is best known, however, for the Tongariro Crossing. This is a six- to eight-hour hike that takes you through the volcanic landscape and past emerald-green crater lakes. You’ll need a solid level of fitness for this one. You’ll also need to book a shuttle for the return trip to your car in advance.

There are shorter hikes too, such as the trail to Taranaki Falls. If you’re visiting Tongariro in winter, the trail to the Tama Lakes is a better option weather-wise.

Book your shuttle for the Tongariro Crossing here

Tongariro Crossing: Guided tour with shuttle
Best base for overnight stays: Whakapapa Village. Our hotel pick: Skotel Alpine Resort.

Rotorua

Rotorua is a town in the center of New Zealand’s North Island, known for two things: extraordinary geothermal activity and Māori culture.

Throughout the town itself, mud pools bubble and gurgle everywhere, and a sharp sulfur smell hangs in the air. You can see all of this for free.

The most spectacular geysers, however, are found at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. It’s about 25 minutes from Rotorua and costs $33 admission. You can easily spend three hours walking through the park, taking in hot springs in every color imaginable. At 10:15 AM there’s a show featuring the Lady Knox Geyser, which shoots up to 20 meters high.

Our tip: If you also want to bathe in hot springs, you can do that at the Hell’s Gate mud baths. It’s a full-on wellness spa. There’s also a completely free hot spring called Kerosene Creek near Wai-O-Tapu.

Also worth seeing is Te Pa Tu. It’s a recreated Māori village where you can experience traditional Māori art, dance, music, and food.

Admission ticket for the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Park

Admission to Te Pa Tu village with dinner

Ticket for the Hell’s Gate sulfur spa
Best base for overnight stays: Mount Maunganui. Our hotel pick: Quest.

Mount Taranaki

Mount Taranaki (or Mount Egmont) is an incredibly impressive volcano and national park on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. One particularly great vantage point is Nevin’s Lookout.

It’s one of those wild places in New Zealand where you can go snowboarding and surfing in a single day. There’s even a dedicated Surf Highway (Highway 43) that takes you in a semicircle around Mount Egmont, passing countless beautiful coves and beaches.

Beyond the natural scenery, Highway 43 also strings together a series of charming little towns. Many people are drawn primarily to New Plymouth, the largest city in the area.

There are various hikes for all fitness levels on Mount Egmont, from multi-day treks to short walks. If you only have one day in Taranaki, the trail to Dawson Falls is a great option.

Best base for overnight stays: New Plymouth. Our hotel pick: The State Hotel.

90-Mile Beach

There’s something funny about 90-Mile Beach — it’s actually not 90 miles at all, but only just under 90 kilometers (about 55 miles) long.

Not that it matters: when you’re standing on the beach, it feels absolutely endless anyway.

What we find really wild is that vehicles are allowed on the beach. Locals use 90-Mile Beach like a regular road to drive up to Cape Reinga.

However, driving on the beach is only permitted in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Never attempt this in a regular rental car — your insurance won’t cover it. There are always people who get stuck in the sand, and when the tide comes in, your car will flood.

There’s plenty of other things to do at 90-Mile Beach too, like swimming, surfing, or taking long beach walks.

Best base for overnight stays: Ahipara. Our hotel pick: Gems Seaside Lodge.

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is a large bay in New Zealand’s Northland. And as the name suggests, the bay is dotted with countless small islands — absolutely stunning!

You absolutely have to take a boat tour here. These trips usually include a stop at the Hole in the Rock, a massive sandstone rock with a large hole through the middle.

You can also do kayak tours, for example. The Bay of Islands is also one of the best spots for diving in New Zealand.

For great day trips around the Bay of Islands, we recommend the Haruru Falls — a lovely trail through mangrove forests leading to a waterfall. Or the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the place where New Zealand was officially founded.

There are several beautiful towns in the Bay of Islands, such as Paihia and Russell. Both have a great selection of hotels, nice cafés, and restaurants.

Boat trip in the Bay of Islands (with Hole in the Rock)
Best base for overnight stays: Paihia. Our hotel pick: Allegra House.

Hobbiton Movie Set

The Hobbiton Movie Set is an absolute must for all Lord of the Rings fans! The little hobbit holes don’t just look incredibly charming — this was the original set where the films were shot.

It’s truly amazing how much attention to detail went into the props. You really feel like you’re strolling through the Shire.

The only downside is that Hobbiton is a pretty touristy experience.

You can only visit the set as part of a guided tour. It costs around $90, and groups of about 50 people are led through the set at a time. There are plenty of photo stops, and your guide shares cool facts about the filming along the way.

Because Hobbiton is one of the most popular points of interest in New Zealand, you should definitely book your ticket a few weeks in advance online.

Guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set
Best base for overnight stays: Mount Maunganui. Our hotel pick: Quest.

Coromandel Peninsula

Coromandel is a peninsula just a short distance from Auckland. Many travelers simply skip it on their North Island trip. We think they’re missing out on some really cool highlights.

The absolute standout is Hot Water Beach. You can build your own natural hot tub there by digging a hole at low tide that fills with hot water from below.

Right after Hot Water Beach, Cathedral Cove is next on the list of Coromandel must-sees. It’s a massive rock arch cave and the ultimate photo spot. If you’re in Coromandel, you simply have to go there — which is why there’s a huge range of kayak and boat tours to Cathedral Cove.

There are also several other really beautiful beaches, such as New Chums Beach, Hahei, and Cooks Beach.

The nicest places to stay are Coromandel Town, which has lots of galleries and small boutiques, and Whitianga, which is a bit larger and more touristy than Coromandel Town.

Book a kayak tour to Cathedral Cove here

Sailing trip to Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula
Best base for overnight stays: Whitianga. Our hotel pick: Beachfront Resort.

Wellington

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. But you won’t get much of a big-city vibe here. The atmosphere is far more laid-back than the capitals we usually know.

One of the absolute highlights in Wellington is the national museum Te Papa Tongarewa. Here you can see everything that makes New Zealand what it is, from Māori art to props from the Lord of the Rings films. And the best part: admission is free.

Also well worth your time in Wellington is a ride on the cable car or a visit to the Botanical Garden. The best panorama of the city is from Victoria’s Lookout.

Our tip: Wellington has some really cool street art scattered throughout the city. The city even developed its own program that allows artists to legally paint murals in designated locations. It’s called Arts on Walls, and you can find all these spots in Wellington on the website.

Our hotel pick for Wellington: The Cobbler Hotel.

Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga sits at the very northern tip of New Zealand. You can’t miss it — there’s a large white lighthouse standing right there. According to Māori belief, the souls of the dead depart from this point to travel back to Polynesia.

Cape Reinga is also special because two bodies of water — the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean — meet here.

Around the cape there are some really beautiful beaches, such as Toputaputu and Spirits Bay. If you enjoy hiking, you can also walk part of the Te Paki Coast Track. Another fun detour is the Te Paki Sand Dunes, where you can slide down on bodyboards.

Other than the natural scenery, there isn’t much at Cape Reinga — no cafés or restaurants. Your best bet is to pack plenty of snacks and have a picnic. For overnight stays, there’s only one campground.

If you prefer hotels, the town of Paihia in the Bay of Islands is a great base. From here you can also join a guided bus tour to Cape Reinga.

Best base for overnight stays: Paihia. Our hotel pick: Allegra House

From Paihia: Guided tour to Cape Reinga and 90-Mile Beach

Piha

Piha was one of our personal favorite places in New Zealand. It’s a tiny, sleepy village on a beautiful sandy beach, just 45 minutes’ drive from Auckland. That makes Piha a popular day-trip destination among locals too.

Even the drive through the rainforest on the way there is totally stunning. Just before you reach Piha, there’s a spectacular overlook over the entire bay.

The landmark of Piha is the massive Lion’s Rock right in the middle of the beach. Beyond that, Piha is a great place for beach walks or hiking one of the trails along the sea cliffs.

Piha is also one of the best surf spots in New Zealand. However, the currents here are genuinely powerful. Both surfing and swimming should therefore only be done in summer, when lifeguards are on duty at the beach.

Our hotel pick for Piha: Romantic Piha.

Our New Zealand North Island Itinerary: A 3-Week Road Trip Route

The best way to explore New Zealand’s North Island is on a road trip. You should set aside at least three weeks for it — otherwise the long journey there alone is hardly worth it.

We’ve put together a north island New Zealand road trip route for 3 weeks. You can see it on the map below, followed by a list of each stop with a concrete schedule.

Our itinerary for a 3-week New Zealand road trip:

• Days 1–2: Auckland + day trip to Piha
• Day 3: Ahipara
• Day 4: Cape Reinga
• Day 5: Paihia / Bay of Islands
• Day 6: Whangarei
• Days 7–8: Coromandel
• Days 9–10: Tauranga with day trips to the Hobbiton Movie Set, Mount Maunganui, and Rotorua
• Day 11: Gisborne
• Day 12: Napier
• Day 13: Castlepoint
• Days 14–15: Wellington
• Day 16: Whanganui
• Day 17: Taranaki
• Day 18: Tongariro
• Day 19: Lake Taupo
• Day 20: Raglan + stop at the Waitomo Caves
• Day 21: Auckland

New Zealand North Island: Campervan vs. Rental Car?

Now you know which places on New Zealand’s North Island you absolutely need to see. But you still have to decide how you want to travel: the classic way with a rental car and hotels, or by campervan. Here’s what speaks for and against each option.

Pros and cons of a campervan

• You can stay overnight in remote locations right in nature.
• You save on food and accommodation costs.
• You have more flexibility, can adjust your route spontaneously, and always have your accommodation with you.
• You need to book very far in advance, especially in summer.
• Campervans are very expensive to rent and have high fuel costs.
• If you want to freedom camp, you’ll need a self-contained certificate (more info on that below).
• Driving a campervan is more demanding and takes longer than driving a regular car.

Traveling New Zealand by campervan is hugely popular, and the density of campgrounds is very good.

One important thing to know: you can’t just camp wherever you feel like it. There are proper campgrounds — with showers, toilets, laundry facilities, and even a kitchen — and then there’s what’s known as freedom camping.

Freedom camping means very basic campsites. Often you’ll just find a field with spots and a pit toilet. In many remote areas, freedom camping is the only option. And often the locations of freedom campsites are far more beautiful than proper campgrounds, because you’re much closer to nature.

Freedom campsites also usually cost only a few dollars, while a powered site at a proper campground for two people will run you at least $40 per night.

The catch is that you can only use freedom campsites if your vehicle has a self-contained certificate. This means, for example, that you have a sufficiently large wastewater and freshwater tank. Self-contained campervans are, however, considerably more expensive to rent than standard vans.

Our tip: A great platform for campervans is CamperOase. You’ll find good deals there, the van specifications are described in detail, and you can immediately see whether each camper is self-contained or not.

Pros and cons of a rental car

• Significantly cheaper to rent and lower fuel costs.
• Short day trips are easier and faster.
• In bad weather, hotels are much more comfortable.
• You need to book your hotels in advance and plan your route ahead of time.
• You constantly have to pack and unpack your things.
• Outside of larger towns, the hotel selection can sometimes be limited.

If camping isn’t your thing, you can always go the classic route with hotels and a rental car.

For a nice mid-range hotel, expect to pay around $80 to $150 per night. It depends mainly on what time of year you travel.

Book hotels in New Zealand on Booking.com

Compare rental car deals for New Zealand on Discovercars
Looking for more info on driving in New Zealand? This article has loads of practical travel tips!

The Best Time to Visit New Zealand’s North Island

In New Zealand, the seasons are reversed compared to the Northern Hemisphere. Overall, though, the weather is quite similar to what you’d expect in Western Europe — neither extremely cold nor extremely hot.

The best months to visit are in spring from October to November and in fall from March to April. The weather is pleasantly mild during these times. Peak tourist season hasn’t started yet either, so flights and hotels are still relatively affordable.

For more advice on the climate, check out our guide to the best time to visit New Zealand.