6 months ago we went to New Zealand for our honeymoon and it was such a fun adventure! Finally getting around to sharing how we spent 18 days roadtripping the north & south island, going on lots of hikes, and seeing incredibly gorgeous views! We went in March, so we were able to catch the last little bit of summer & beginnings of autumn since the seasons are flipped in the southern hemisphere. It truly was the trip of a lifetime and I’ll forever love looking back through photos and reminiscing.

New Zealand truly has so much to offer - diverse natural wonders, adventuresome excursions, opportunities to relax/live off the grid, and a rich history! We knew we wanted to see as much as possible so we decided to rent a car for each island separately. You honestly could spend so many months driving all around the islands and exploring all there is to offer - narrowing down which cities and nature sights you want to see is definitely the hardest part. Overall we say pretty much every big city on both islands (besides Wellington) and left feeling super content and fulfilled by how much we were able to fit in, while still feeling super relaxed. Let’s get into it! (only linking airbnbs that we really enjoyed!)

Day 1

Our first flight was from SEA to LAX, then LAX to AKL through the night. It took a little over 13 hours to get there, and I was so happy to have packed a mini toilettries bag to use on the plane & upon arrival to refresh before the day since we landed around 8am! From the airport we drove to Devonport, a super cute fisherman village on the northeast side of the city. Auckland is on the water, so there were some really beautiful bridges/waterside highways that made for a super scenic drive. We had lunch at Lily Eatery which was a top recommendation in the area!

By midday we were looking for something active to do to move our body and keep mobile, so we checked out the North Head Historic Walk (also near Devonport) which was a 1.5 mile loop trail with city views, historical military tunnels and multiple options to peel off on additional trails. One of the trails leads down to a sandy beach, which was so lovely to explore, pick up shells, and touch some water after traveling!

We checked into our Airbnb mid afternoon and decided to grab some groceries from the store for roadtrip snacks and easy dinners along the way. Since we were gone nearly 3 weeks and don’t eat out a ton when we’re home, we knew we wanted to cook at our airbnbs as much as possible, both to save money & feel fresh for all our hikes and such! Our airbnb was in Midtown, which had a nice view of the Sky Tower. After dinner, we walked a mile or so to Auckland Domaine, which was a huge park with tons of walking trails, open grass areas for play, and the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Day 2

I rose early to try Redroom Wellness - a vibey modern pilates studio that I LOVED! The lights were dimmed/red and it felt so good to move my body & sweat after travel. We then grabbed coffee at Chur Bae, headed back to the Airbnb & were off to Hamilton Gardens by midmorning (about a 2 hour drive). Hamilton Gardens is a TOP recommendation for the entire trip - soooo many beautifully manicured, intentionally designed gardens that made us feel transported in time/space. So worth it & incredibly impressive. My favorites were probably the Italian Renaissance Garden & the Chinese Scholars Garden.

After the gardens, we drove around 3 hours to New Plymouth & went to bed early since we had a big hike planned for the morning.

Day 3

View from the top of Pouakai Tarns Track (Mt. Taranaki viewpoint)

We rose around 5am to hike Mt Taranaki. I think this was in the top 3 hardest hikes we did all trip - AllTrails says it’s 7.7 miles, but my apple watch read around 9.5 miles. The trail is composed of boardwalk/wooden steps for the majority of the ascent (which is all in the forest/brush so not much view) then an additional mile or so crossing the mountain to a small pond/tarn that overlooks Mt. Taranaki. The mountain is cool because it’s almost perfectly symmetrical! TIPS: do this on a clear day if possible as clouds will hide the mountain completely. Also be prepared for extreme weather once you clear the steps - wind hits hard as you cross the mountain and we were SO cold even mid morning late summer.

After decending, we checked out of our tiny home Airbnb in Hurworth (which was so close to the Pouakai Zoo we could hear the lions roaring from their exhibit)! We did some casual driving around New Plymouth & headed up to Waitomo (about a 3 hour drive) where we stayed among the farmlands and saw the Waitomo Caves.

Day 4

Day 4 we woke up & drove back to Auckland, stopping at Cafe Fresca in Hamilton, where we had great coffee and our first date scone! We then dropped off our rental car, flew from Auckland to Christchurch, and rented another car to drive to Sumner (a coastal suburb of Christchruch). Our Airbnb on Flowers Track was one of our favorites! Incredible views of the bay, intentionally organized and very romantic! We always joke (maybe somewhat seriously) that we want to retire in Sumner because we loved it so much - felt like a beautiful blend between our hometown (Gig Harbor, WA) and Catalina Island, CA! Pizza for dinner at Fire & Slice was excellent (the pistachio crusted was so fun) and we LOVED the Fresh Market grocery store.

Day 5

On day 5, we got cute and drive into the city to stroll the Christchurch Botanical Gardens - their dahlia display is the largest in the nation and so impressive! Also loved all the hydrangeas and the large river that runs all throughout. Afterwards we had more pizza for lunch at The Church Pub - a historic church converted into an Irish pub after an earthquake in 2012. Really great food, drinks and atmosphere - plus a fun sight in the heart of the central Christchurch.

By early afternoon the sun had come out so we decided to hit the beach by our Airbnb. We spent a few hours strolling the shoreline and picking up shells. We made steak for dinner, walked to the top of the tallest hill in Sumner, and enjoyed really beautiful views of the bay & sunset.

Day 6

Sunrise on this day was incredible - deep pinks, reds, and oranges. After checking out, we drove from Christchurch to Tapawera in Tasman, though Lewis Pass (about 4 hours) stopping to hike Lewis Tops Track which was around the 1/2 way point of our drive and provided stunning views of the peaks of the southern alps! The trail was mostly technical (lots of roots/little streams) and a large rocky hill we had to climb low to the ground.

It was hot at our Airbnb in Tapawera, as they have very dry summers. We enjoyed exploring the open land, seeing farm animals, and getting to feed our host’s sheep. We stayed in a little hut on her property, and she offers a home cooked meal using products from her farm, which was so fun and a great experience! She gave us some eggs from her coop as well which was a lovely touch! This was our most “quirky” stays and we laugh about it all the time.

Day 7

In the morning, we drove from Tapawera to Fix River on the West Coast (about 4 hours), stopping to hike the Cape Foulwind Walkway, a well-kept dirt trail that runs along the cliffside with views of bays, a lighthouse, and even a seal colony! We really enjoyed planning walks/mini hikes along the journey to break up the drive and see more! The country has sooo much to offer which made it really easy to find trails with gorgeous views. Once we arrived in Fox River, we checked into our rustic indoor/outdoor Airbnb and explored the beach across the street. We loved the outdoor kitchen & barrel sauna! Warning for the west coast: there are SO many sand flies and the bites are painful and itchy!! Did not know this before visiting. Probably would’ve still gone but I’d have come more prepared.

Day 8

We drove around 30 minutes to the Paparoa National Park, where theres a short loop trail to see the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks & Blowholes. We had pancakes at the accompaning restaurant too! On our way back, we walked the Pororari River Track, a 4 mile trail through jungle forest that looked just like Jurassic Park! We took another sauna, cooked dinner at home, and had a cozy night in.

Day 9

On day 9 we headed down the coast, stopping again to walk the Pancake Stacks loop because it was even rainier this day and the blowholes get more impressive with stormy weather! After driving around 3 hours, we made it to our romantic Airbnb in Fox Glacier. This was probably our second favorite accommodation - the host was so intentional in the decor/amenities, and the property is stunning. She has a large flower & herb garden, barrel sauna with views of her pasture, and lots of sheep to gaze at.

Day 10

The following morning, we made breakfast & drove 30 minutes to Franz Josef to hike Robert’s Point Trail. This was an incredibly hard hike (mostly because of the terrain). Although the elevation was steady/not overly aggressive, there was lots of waterfall crossings, swing bridges, intermittantly steep slopes and slippery, rocky terrain. The view at the top was so worth it though!!

Day 11

We woke up early and walked Lake Matheson, a stunning 2.6 mile trail with views of Mt. Cook. Lake Matheson is special because if you catch it on a clear day (which we did), the lake shows a reflective & clear view of the mountain. We then drove around 3 hours to Wanaka, stopping in Bruce Bay for huckleberry ice cream! Upon arriving, we went to see the famous Wanaka Tree before checking in to our vineyard Airbnb and getting some rest before a big hiking day!

Day 12

We woke up around 4:30am and drove to the trailhead of Roy’s Peak - this was our hardest hike (most incline for longest time) but most worth it as well. The carpark was nearly full even by 5am so expect lots of people, although the trail is long enough that we weren’t crowded for space. Highly recommend starting early as it’s not shaded, and walking underneath the starts/seeing the sunrise over the hills was magical. We packed a breakfast to eat at the top, then had lunch & coffee back in town at Big Fig. We strolled the boardwalk & wished we had more time in Wanaka since it was so lovely! We headed to Queenstown in the afternoon (about 1 hour drive), stopping in Arrowtown - a historic gold mining town. There was a really cute main street full of fall leaves, great coffee and vibes at Wolf Coffee Roasters, and yummy ice cream from The Shed. In Queenstown, we checked into our Airbnb with a view & strolled around Queenstown Botanical Gardens before dinner at Ju Shin Jung. We loved the vibe in Queenstown - there was a lot of live musicians playing downtown along the water & the city felt clean and safe.

Day 13

The next day we drove from Queenstown to Te Anau (2 hours) to board our overnight cruise through Doubtful Sound in the Fiordland National Park (Fiords are glacier carved valleys filled with seawater). This was one of our biggest/most expensive excursions! The food on board was so good and the staff were helpful and very friendly. Mostly couples on board so we were able to interact with some other travels! This day was super rainy (as is typical for the fiordlands) which meant there were a ton of waterfalls. We stopped early evening for a kayaking excursion which was a highlight of the trip! It was soooo rainy & all our clothes got soaked, but it made the evening even cozier and more romantic.

Day 14

Sunrise on the boat was special as the fiordlands are so quiet & peaceful. This day was much sunier, so it was a lovely juxtaposition to our first day. We had much more visibility and staying outside on the deck was quite comfortable. We chose a cruise through Doubtful Sound because it is much deeper/longer, and less popular compared to Milford Sound - would highly recommend! The topography itself was very serene. We got back to our car early afternoon and booked it across the country back to the southeast coast to a small town called Kakanui (just north of Dunedin). Our airbnb with epic views of the Pacific Ocean was so relaxing and perfect for honeymooners.

Day 15

The next day we explored the nearby town of Oamaru & strolled through the Botanical Gardens. I loved that they had their nursery open as it was so cool to see all the plants they’re growing/prepping for planting. We had a very relaxing afternoon staring into the Pacific Ocean, hoping to see a pod of dolphins, and went to a beach close to our airbnb for a polar plunge, followed by a warm outdoor bubble bath. Loved that the airbnb had a grill so we could cook too!

Day 16

We left our coastal airbnb & headed back towards the southern alps in the center of the state. On our drive to Lake Tekapo we stopped to stroll the Elephant Rocks in Oamaru, essentially huge sandstone boulders that were pushed upland slowly over millions of years. They were so huge and randomly placed amongst a large grassland! We checked in to our accommodation in Lake Tekapo which we loved! It was one of the only ones we didn’t book through Airbnb, but mostly loved it because of the prime location next to the Church of the Good Shepherd. We (in a manner somewhat out of character) went for a run along the lake to familiarize ourselves with the area, took a dip in the lake, and checked out the MASSIVE rock stacks/cairns along the lakefront. We of course had to follow suit and make our own!

Day 17

On our last full non-travel day, we drove around an hour to hike the Sealy Tarns Track with incredible views of Mt Cook! We felt so blessed to have gotten such good weather on all of our major hike days! Sealy tarns was one of our shorter hikes, but really packed a punch with nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain in 1.5 miles. Views at the top were mesmerizing - we never wanted to leave. When we made it back to our accommodation, we relaxed & soaked up all our incredible memories. Feeling so so grateful to have gone on such an adventure together for our honeymoon! The stars in Lake Tekapo are supposed to be some of the best in the world since New Zealand in general is really big on reducing light pollution - they indeed did not disappoint!

Day 18

Drovee from Lake Tekapo to Christchurch & had dinner at sushi restaurant in Sumner since we loved in so much on the start of our trip! Got a good night’s rest and headed to the airport first thing the next morning. Flight back was a little shorter (11 hours) across the Pacific which was nice! And I feel like because it was such a big time difference (around 21 hours difference from West Coast USA) jet lag was not bad!

New Zealand Honeymoon - itinerary & travel tips