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What to book before you travel to New Zealand?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

Trip length
One week12 daysThree weeks

8 activities to book · about €720 per person

Auckland

Days 1-2
Days 1-2Sky Tower and the city, guidedHalf dayThe tallest building in the southern hemisphere at 328 metres, then the streets below it with someone to explain them.€30Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-2Waiheke Island day tripFull dayForty minutes by ferry from the downtown wharf, to an island of vineyards, olive groves and small bays.€55Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Mount Eden, a volcanic cone · The waterfront · The west coast beaches · City parks

All activities in Auckland on GetYourGuide

Rotorua

Days 3-4
Days 3-4Wai-O-Tapu geothermal parkHalf dayCollapsed craters, a lake the colour of antifreeze, and the Champagne Pool sitting at around 74 degrees.€30Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 3-4Maori evening and hangiEveningA welcome ceremony, songs and haka, then the meal lifted out of a pit of hot stones.€75Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Geysers and boiling mud · The redwood forest · Lake Rotorua · Hot springs

All activities in Rotorua on GetYourGuide

Queenstown

Days 5-8
Days 5-8Bungy jump or jet boatHalf dayThe Kawarau bridge took the first paying jumpers in 1988. The jet boats run the canyon walls instead, at speed.€120Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 5-8Scenic flight over the Southern Alps1hAn hour above the glaciers and Aoraki, Mount Cook, the 3,724 metre high point of the country.€250Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Lake Wakatipu · The gondola and the view · Arrowtown · Walking trails

All activities in Queenstown on GetYourGuide

Milford Sound & Fiordland

Days 9-12
Days 9-12Milford Sound cruiseHalf dayOut along the fiord to the open sea and back, under cliffs that rise straight from the water.€70Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 9-12Kayaking the fiordHalf dayAt water level, where the scale of the walls finally registers. Fur seals often come to look.€90Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The fiords · Waterfalls · The scenic road in · Wildlife: seals and dolphins

All activities in Milford Sound on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in New Zealand cost?

€720 per person if you do them all, across 8 bookings. The most expensive is "Scenic flight over the Southern Alps" at €250, the cheapest "Sky Tower and the city, guided" at €30. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in New Zealand without booking anything?

16 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with Mount Eden, a volcanic cone, The waterfront, The west coast beaches, City parks. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

At which stop should you book earliest?

Auckland, with 2 activities to book, against 2 at the quietest stop. That is where slots go first.

How long do these activities take?

From 1h for the shortest to Full day for the longest. Fit them into your days before filling the rest: a guided visit often takes half a day.

The rest of the trip

📒 The free printable New Zealand guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→ 🗓️ Best time to visit New Zealand, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book: all our destinations→