Things to do in New Zealand

The 17 best things to do in New Zealand

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1. 1QueenstownBook ahead

   Ride the Skyline Gondola up Bob's Peak

   The Skyline Gondola climbs 480 m from Brecon Street, right by the town center, over Lake Wakatipu to the top of Bob's Peak. It bills itself as the steepest cable car lift in the Southern Hemisphere, and the view from the top takes in Queenstown, the lake, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Walter and Cecil Peaks. The access road is closed to private cars, so you ride up or hike the Tiki Trail, a steep track of about 1 to 1.5 hours from the gondola base. At the top there is a café, a restaurant and the luge, whose tracks sit entirely on the summit, so you ride the gondola back down afterward.

   Tip: Book your gondola ticket online before you go: it lets you skip the ticket line and head straight to the gondola queue, which matters most in busy periods.

   Adult, age 15+, return gondola: NZ$69 (about $39) · Child, age 6 to 14, return gondola: NZ$48 (about $27) · Return gondola only; luge and dining extra. Check date-specific hours and weather notices.Fee changed?

   Last verified Nov 4, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Skyline Queenstown; Department of Conservation
2. 2Fiordland

   Cruise Milford Sound on a day from Queenstown

   Milford Sound, Piopiotahi in Māori, is a fiord carved by glaciers in Fiordland National Park, part of a World Heritage Area and New Zealand's largest national park. Cliffs drop straight into the water, Mitre Peak rises nearly 1,700 m from the surface, and dolphins, fur seals and penguins are often seen. The road only reached the fiord when the Homer Tunnel was finished in 1954. From Queenstown it is about 288 km by road, at least 4 hours each way, so most people join a coach tour with a cruise, or take a scenic flight of about 40 minutes. Rain is common all year and feeds the waterfalls.

   Tip: Pack a rain jacket and warm layers whatever the season, and check the forecast and Milford Road conditions the day before, since snow and ice can affect the road in winter.

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: RealNZ (cruise operator, official); Department of Conservation (DOC); Destination Queenstown (official)
3. 3Queenstown

   Steam across Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw

   The TSS Earnslaw, a vintage steamship from 1912, is the oldest commercial passenger-carrying steamship in the Southern Hemisphere, and it still sails from Queenstown across Lake Wakatipu. The crossing to Walter Peak High Country Farm takes 45 minutes, with views of Walter Peak, Cecil Peak and The Remarkables, and there is a small museum and a café on board. Walter Peak is a working farm settled by Europeans in the 1860s. You can stay on board for the round trip, or go ashore for a farm tour with sheepdog demonstrations, a garden tour or a barbecue lunch or dinner. Walter Peak is named after the son of Queenstown's first European settler.

   Tip: Book ahead, since space on the vessel is limited, and bring a warm layer: Queenstown is an alpine town and even summer evenings on the lake can be cold.

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: RealNZ (TSS Earnslaw operator, official)
4. 4Queenstown

   Drive the lake road to Glenorchy's wetland walk

   The road from Queenstown to Glenorchy runs 45 km along Lake Wakatipu, about 45 minutes without stops, with lake and mountain views most of the way. About 25 km out, Bennett's Bluff Lookout looks across to Mount Earnslaw / Pikirakatahi. Glenorchy sits at the head of the lake and is a gateway to Te Wāhipounamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Area of mountains, ancient forests and fiords. At the north end of the village, the Glenorchy Walkway crosses wetland on a boardwalk in 1 to 2 hours, with birds such as pied stilts, scaup and, if you are lucky, a New Zealand falcon overhead, and views of the surrounding ranges.

   Tip: Start the walkway from the signs near the lake on Mull Street, not from Glenorchy Paradise Road, and skip the lagoon section after heavy rain, when it floods.

   Enter from the signed Mull Street access. Do not walk flooded sections or park on Glenorchy Paradise Road.
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Destination Queenstown; Department of Conservation
5. 5Queenstown

   Walk through Arrowtown's restored Chinese miners' settlement

   On the banks of Bush Creek, at the top of Arrowtown's main street, a cluster of small huts tells the story of the Chinese gold miners who worked the Otago goldfields. Otago had fewer than 200 Chinese miners in 1866 but 3,564 Chinese residents by the 1874 census, and many faced harassment and lived at the edge of town. By 1885 the settlement had about 10 huts, a social hall and at least two stores. After an archaeological dig in 1983, five huts were rebuilt and Ah Lum's store was conserved. Panels in English and Chinese explain who the miners were, and a short walk covers it all.

   Tip: Arrive by the main track entrance: the central path is suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, while the side tracks are steeper and rougher.

   Follow the heritage paths and posted restrictions around restored buildings.
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Department of Conservation (DOC)
6. 6Auckland

   Ferry to Devonport and explore North Head's tunnels

   Devonport, a seaside village on Auckland's North Shore, is a 12-minute ferry ride from the city center. Maungauika / North Head became a coastal defense site, with a fort built in 1885 amid fears of a Russian invasion; between 1888 and 1914 prisoners dug many of the tunnels that link its gun batteries. Nearby Takarunga / Mount Victoria, a 66 m volcanic cone, was an important Māori pā, and its terraces and food storage pits are still visible. In the village, Victoria Road has cafés, galleries and shops, and from the ferry terminal a 20-minute flat walk along the foreshore leads to the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum.

   Tip: Walk up rather than drive: the summit of Takarunga is closed to private vehicles, and North Head's pedestrian gate stays open from 6 AM to 10 PM.

   Pedestrian gate 6 AM to 10 PM. Historic structures are under repair; obey tunnel closures.
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tataki Auckland Unlimited (Discover Auckland, official); Tupuna Maunga Authority; Tupuna Maunga Authority; National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy
7. 7Auckland

   Climb Maungawhau / Mount Eden for city views

   At 196 m, Maungawhau / Mount Eden is the highest volcano in Auckland, a cone that erupted about 28,000 years ago and left a crater 50 m deep. Around 1200 AD it became a large Māori pā, and you can still see the terraces where houses and gardens stood and the pits once roofed to store crops. The summit has been closed to private vehicles since 2016, and boardwalks wind around the crater rim to the top, where the view covers the city, both harbors and the other volcanic cones. The kiosk partway up holds a small education center with a short video, plus a café.

   Tip: Stay on the boardwalks around the crater rim: they were built to protect the pā terraces and storage pits from the wear of more than a million visitors a year.

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tupuna Maunga Authority (official)
8. 8Auckland

   Learn New Zealand's story at Auckland Museum

   Auckland War Memorial Museum is New Zealand's earliest museum, housed in a landmark heritage building in Auckland Domain, in Parnell. It tells the story of New Zealand, its people and its place in the Pacific through Māori and Pacific collections, natural history, and social and military history, and it also serves as the war memorial for the Auckland province. A Māori cultural performance runs twice a day, and guided highlights tours give a good overview if you are short on time. Since it stands in the Domain, it pairs easily with a walk to the Wintergardens and the native forest track.

   Tip: Check the museum's website before you go for which galleries are open and the day's performance times, and come on a Tuesday evening if you prefer quieter galleries.

   International admission NZ$[fee]. Maori Court and Pacific galleries are closed until further notice; check current access.Know the fee?
   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tataki Auckland Unlimited (Discover Auckland, official); Tataki Auckland Unlimited (Discover Auckland, official)
9. 9Auckland

   Take the ferry to Waiheke Island's beaches and vineyards

   Waiheke Island is about 40 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland across the Hauraki Gulf. Its warmer, drier microclimate supports more than 50 wineries, along with craft breweries and distilleries. The island has 100 km of coastline and 25 beaches. Oneroa, the largest village, sits above a 1 km sandy beach with cafés, shops and art galleries; Palm Beach has calm water for swimming; and Onetangi is the longest beach on the island at 2 km. You can spend a day on wine tastings and long lunches, or walk coastal trails, kayak and snorkel. The Ostend Market runs every Saturday morning.

   Tip: If you plan to visit several wineries, join a guided tour or travel with a sober driver, since New Zealand has strict drink-driving penalties.

   Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tataki Auckland Unlimited (Discover Auckland, official); Tourism New Zealand (newzealand.com, official)
10. 10Queenstown

    Bike the Arrow River Bridges Trail from Arrowtown

    The Arrow River Bridges Trail starts in Arrowtown and follows the willow-lined Arrow River downstream for 13.3 km, crossing five bridges over the gorges of the Arrow and Kawarau Rivers. Highlights include the 80 m Edgar Suspension Bridge, which seems to float over the Arrow Gorge, and the finish at the Kawarau Suspension Bridge from 1880, where the world's first commercial bungy jump began in 1988. It is graded easy, on gravel with gentle ups and downs, and takes about 2 to 3 hours by bike or 3 to 5 hours on foot. Arrowtown is 19 km from Queenstown, about 20 to 30 minutes by car.

    Tip: Hire bikes in Arrowtown, where some shops offer a shuttle back, and walk your bike across the narrow Tobin's, Southern Discoveries and Edgar bridges when walkers are crossing.

    Walk a short out-and-back section, not the whole 13.3 km trail. Share the path with cyclists.
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Queenstown Trails; Destination Queenstown
11. 11QueenstownBook ahead

    See kiwi and kea up close at Kiwi Park

    Kiwi Park began in 1984, when its founders started clearing the land to create a wildlife sanctuary in the middle of Queenstown. Today it holds more than 20 species of native wildlife, with a focus on endangered species. It is one of the easiest places on a short trip to see kiwi up close, along with kea, and you can watch the bees at work in a see-through hive in the Honey Bee Centre. The park sits on Brecon Street just below the Skyline Gondola, a 5 to 10 minute walk from the town center, so the two make an easy half day together.

    Tip: Download the park's free self-guided audio app before you arrive, and allow time before last entry, which is 45 minutes before closing.

    Adult: NZ$68 (about $38) · Opens 9:30 AM, closes 5 PM in winter or 6:30 PM in summer; closed Christmas.Fee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Kiwi Park
12. 12Queenstown

    Trace the gold rush at the Lakes District Museum

    Gold was found in the Arrow River in 1862, and the strike set off a gold rush across the region. The Lakes District Museum on Arrowtown's Buckingham Street tells that story and the wider history of the Whakatipu district, from Māori in the Southern Lakes to the miners and settlers who followed. It is fittingly housed in the town's original Bank of New Zealand building, once a secure vault for gold, and it also runs the town's historic post office, the second oldest still operating in New Zealand. Pair it with the Chinese settlement up the street for a half day in Arrowtown.

    Tip: Ask at the museum about gold panning, then try your luck in the Arrow River where the rush began.

    Adult: NZ$14 (about $8) · Primary or high school child: NZ$6 (about $3) · Senior, age 65+: NZ$12 (about $7) · Tertiary student: NZ$10 (about $6) · Daily 9 AM to 5 PM; closed Christmas. Ticket categories have different age requirements.Fee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Destination Queenstown; Lakes District Museum; Queenstown Trails; Destination Queenstown
13. 13Auckland

    Browse New Zealand art at Auckland Art Gallery

    Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki holds one of New Zealand's largest collections of visual art, shown over four floors of a landmark building at the edge of Albert Park. The focus is on New Zealand, Māori and Pacific art, and entry to the general collection is free for everyone, though special exhibitions can charge. It is open every day except Christmas Day, and free tours of the general collection help you find the highlights. Te Waihorotiu Station is less than 10 minutes away on foot, and the ferry terminal about 15 minutes. Afterward, take a picnic or coffee into Albert Park next door.

    Tip: Leave backpacks and large bags at the free cloakroom, since bags are not allowed on your back in the galleries, and eat in the café or Albert Park, since food and drink are not allowed inside.

    General collection: free · General collection free; special exhibitions may cost extra. Daily 10 AM to 5 PM, except Christmas.Fee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki
14. 14Queenstown

    Loop the lakeshore paths of Queenstown Gardens

    Queenstown Gardens fill a small peninsula on Lake Wakatipu, right next to the town center. A 2 km loop of about 40 minutes starts on the lakefront at Marine Parade and follows the shore, with views across the water to the mountains. Inside the loop you will find a rose garden, a frisbee golf course, a children's playground on the Marine Parade side and a skate park by Park Street. The gardens are also where the Queenstown Trail begins: from here a lakeside path runs along the Frankton Arm, with views of The Remarkables, if you want a longer walk or ride.

    Tip: Start from the lakefront on Marine Parade and stay alert on the lakeside paths, since the Queenstown Trail is shared by walkers and cyclists.

    Use the marked peninsula paths; check conditions in wet or icy weather.
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Department of Conservation
15. 15Queenstown

    Swim or picnic at Bobs Cove on Lake Wakatipu

    Punatapu / Bobs Cove is a small bay on Lake Wakatipu, reached by a short track from a car park on the Glenorchy road, 14 km from Queenstown. The track descends through native bush and reaches the cove in about 20 minutes, where you can swim or fish off the shore. A short, steep loop climbs to Picnic Point, about 30 minutes from the car park, for views over the cove, the lake and the mountains. Along the way you pass a lime kiln from the 1800s, when the Wakatipu Lime Company quarried limestone here; the gum trees were planted to fuel the kilns. It is easy enough for children.

    Tip: Park only in the car park, never on the roadside, and come in the morning or early evening in summer, when spaces are easier to find.

    Use the marked track from the car park. The old bridle track is closed; do not park on the road.
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Department of Conservation
16. 16Auckland

    Stroll Auckland Domain to the Wintergardens

    Auckland Domain, a park of more than 140 years near the city center, is one of Auckland's largest and surrounds the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It was first set aside for recreation and as a reserve for plants and wildlife, and locals still come to walk and play cricket and rugby. The highlight is the Wintergardens, two large glasshouses of temperate and tropical plants around a courtyard with a fishpond and fountains. A short native forest walk winds through a hillside of native bush with views over the city. It is an easy hour or two to add before or after the museum.

    Tip: Use the InnerLink or OuterLink bus, which stop near the Domain, since parking inside the park is paid.

    Public park; check signs for any restricted areas.
    Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Tataki Auckland Unlimited (Discover Auckland, official)
17. 17Auckland

    Spend an evening on Viaduct Harbour

    Viaduct Harbour is a marina on Auckland's downtown waterfront, ringed by restaurants, bars and cafés, and it is where many locals head to eat, drink and watch the boats and superyachts. Food runs from casual to fine dining, and several rooftop bars look over the water. The New Zealand Maritime Museum sits on the harbor and covers the Pacific navigators who first reached Aotearoa New Zealand. The Viaduct is a short walk from the Downtown Ferry Terminal and Waitematā Station, so it is an easy place to end a day after the ferry back from Devonport or Waiheke.

    Tip: Come around sunset for the harbor light, and book ahead for weekend dinners, when the waterfront is at its busiest.

    Public waterfront; choose a restaurant and check its menu.
    Sources: Tataki Auckland Unlimited

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