This „Hiking New Zealand“ self drive tour takes you to some of our major national parks and world class day hikes. Experience the volcanoes in the Tongariro National Park and enjoy a swim at the golden beaches of the Abel Tasman National Park. See stunning water falls in the Milford Sounds and explore the Southland.
This is a fantastic route to many of the iconic places across the country. Learn more about Maori Culture, our land, our people, our incredible nature. Enjoy three weeks full of daily outstanding experiences. Welcome to one of the top hiking and travel destinations of the world! Find here the itinerary daily details of your New Zealand tour.
This tour package can be customized to suit your requirements precisely. All our self drive tours can also be booked with a chauffeur/tour guide as a private tour option! Please let us know your special requests.
Please take a look at our other New Zealand self-drive tours and if you can’t find the right tour- no problem! We are happy to advise you individually to offer you the perfect New Zealand holiday. Get in touch with us! Behind this website are real people who want to share their enthusiasm and expertise for this country. You enjoy New Zealand and your round trip, we take care of the rest.
BUT - we need them so that there is no misunderstanding if you decide to change or cancel anything. If you transact through this website then we will give you every chance to read these. Any quotes and bookings undertaken are done so on the understanding that you have read and agree to these terms. Please read here our Terms & Conditions for payment options and cancellation policy.
We play fair and we know we play with people who play fair!
The following summary lists driving information for each major driving day of your itinerary. Times and distances are based on ideal conditions without stops. Plan to take longer to allow time to explore and enjoy some stops. While in New Zealand we offer 24 hour support – details on how to contact us at any time will be well documented.
After picking up your rental car at the airport you will drive to your first accommodation. On the way you will encounter the „City of Sails“ for the first time, as Auckland is often called. Today you can drive to Mt Eden, an extinct volcano, from where you can enjoy wonderful views over the city. Or you can drive to the elegant suburb of Parnell and the port of Auckland. Afterwards you can either stroll along the harbour or stroll through the shopping malls of the city centre. A visit to the War Memorial Museum or the Sky Tower is also recommended.
We recommend dinner at the Brazilian Wildfire Restaurant. This restaurant, located at the port, offers a special culinary experience. If you prefer dinner with spectacular panoramic views of New Zealand’s largest city, we recommend a visit to the rotating Orbit Restaurant in the Sky Tower (all activities optional).
In Auckland’s harbour you board a ship to Rangitoto Island, one of the youngest volcanic islands on earth.
A hiking trail leads over solidified lava masses to the summit (260m) of this conically shaped island, which was formed about 700 years ago in several eruptions. Alternatively you can go swimming or fishing, relax or watch the birds and nature.
In the morning you leave the city of Auckland. The Coromandel Peninsula impresses everyone who visits it with its diverse landscapes, such as rugged mountains, rugged and steep cliffs and southern sandy beaches.
Along the east coast you drive to Tairua and from there you can take a short drive to Hahei, near which is the Hot Water Beach.
Enjoy a walk on the white sandy beach or swim in the inviting clear sea. Especially spectacular is a walk to Cathedral Cove, a bizarrely sculptured rocky cove. The surf erosion has washed away the soft chalk cliffs impressively.
Today you will head towards Rotorua via the Bay of Plenty, the main attraction of the North Island. This spa town was built around the numerous hot mineral springs. Rotorua is also the centre of Maori culture. The afternoon is at your own disposal.
Today you will take part in a tour with Kaitaki Adventures. The first part of the tour is to go up to Mt Tarawera, a volcano which is known for its explosive eruption in 1886.
you will go on a guided hike and enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding lakes and volcanoes.
In Waimangu Volcanic Valley the mud pools bubble, the geysers hiss and the lakes steam. This thermal valley was only created in 1886, when the Mt Tarawera volcanic eruption tore open the earth’s crust.
On an easy hike you can admire hot springs and steaming cliffs, as well as the mysterious Inferno Crater, which rises and falls by 8 meters in a 38-day cycle. You will reach a lake, at the bottom of which are buried the white and pink sinter terraces that were blown up during the Tarawera eruption. Continue your journey and drive to Lake Taupo, with a stopover at the famous Huka Falls.
Continue to Tongariro National Park, marked by the 3 active volcanoes, Mt Ruapehu (2797m), Mt Tongariro (1967m) and Mt Ngauruhoe (2291m). Its landscape of black ash, brown dust desert and mountain streams lined with native beech trees impresses everyone.
Early this morning a shuttle bus will take you to the start of Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
This track that has become one of the most popular day hikes in New Zealand (and the world!) due to the ever-changing, sometimes moon-like landscape and spectacular views. From Mt. Tongariro (1968 m), you will look across at the sister volcanoes Mt. Ngauruhoe (2291 m) and Mt. Ruapehu (2797 m).
You cross several craters, pass fumaroles and hot springs, and admire the bright turquoise Emerald Lakes. At the end of the 6-8 hour hike, the shuttle bus will bring you back to your accommodation.
Today you will drive south and experience an interesting change of vegetation. The drive through barren landscape, surrounded by peaks up to 2800m, takes you to the green, fertile farm areas of Rangitikei and Manawatu.
Afterwards, you will pass Taihape, the self-proclaimed „Wellington boot capital of New Zealand“, before heading towards the capital, Wellington, arriving in the afternoon. In the middle of a beautiful landscape, directly on the famous Cook Strait, you will discover Wellington, also often called the „Windy City“. The strong westerly wind that blows from time to time gave the city, which was founded in 1839 and separates the North Island of New Zealand from the South Island, its nickname. Surrounded by nature and fuelled by creative energy, Wellington is a compact city with a powerful mix of culture, history, nature and cuisine.
Fuel your visit with strong coffee and world-class craft beer – Wellingtonians are masters of casual dining, with plenty of great restaurants, night markets and food trucks. Make sure to visit Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum, take the cable car up to the Botanic Gardens or relax in Oriental Bay.
Today you will board the Interislander ferry. First, you will cross the Cook Strait, which separates the North and South Island. You will then glide through the Marlborough Sounds, an area of drowned valleys created by the geological subsidence of a low mountain range. Steep ridges still bear witness to the original mountain range, which today emerge as narrow peninsulas between deep sea trenches. The steep banks have a fiord-like character in places. You will reach the small harbour town of Picton.
Your day starts early as you are hiking a section of the famous Queen Charlotte Track today. This 67km coastal trail stretches from historic Ship Cove to Anakiwa in the spectacular Marlborough Sounds. Through beech trees, rimu trees and around bays, the track offers breathtaking views into the Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds. The lush subtropical bush is home to many typical New Zealand bird species.
A boat transfer from Beachcomber Cruises will take you to Ship Cove. From here you will have a 15 km walk to Furneaux Lodge. Along the way you will be rewarded with beautiful views.
A scenic road along the coast will take you to Havelock, located on the edge of the Marlborough Sounds. You will drive over the Pelorus Gorge, where you can enjoy a short walk through native forest.
Continue on to Nelson, New Zealand’s sunniest city, and through fertile areas of wine, apples, pears and hops, to the northern coast of the South Island. You will then continue to your accommodation near Abel Tasman National Park.
On your half-day trip today, you will first enjoy the bays and beaches of the National Park from the boat (about an hour’s journey). During a stop at Tonga Island you will get up close to New Zealand fur seals. You will then hike for about 2 hours past golden beaches, viewpoints, through native forest, and over a suspension bridge with a waterfall, to an idyllic bay where the boat picks you up again and brings you back to your starting point in Kaiteriteri. On the way there are several opportunities for a swim.
On a scenic side route you travel south-west through the Motueka river valley. After crossing the Buller Gorge, you will experience an impressive change of flora and reach the subtropical lowland rainforest of the wild west coast.
If there is enough time, you can go on a short hike to Cape Foulwind near Westport and observe a large colony of New Zealand fur seals.
Between Westport and Greymouth a wild and romantic landscape awaits you. Famous are the Pancake Rocks, near the small village of Punakaiki. Wind and sea have eroded the rock, attacking softer intermediate layers of clay or sand to form bizarre rock sculptures. At the Pancake Rocks you will take an easy walk to experience the force of the Tasman Sea, which shoots up through blowholes here at high tide.
You will continue onto Hokitika, where you will stay tonight.
The turquoise Hokitika River forces its way through a canyon, which can be wonderfully viewed on a simple half-hour hike. Walk through dense native forest to a viewing platform and across a suspension bridge to another platform with impressive views of the gorge and river. You continue on to Franz Josef, where you reach the Southern Alps and now have mountains looming directly in front of you. The Franz-Josef and Fox Glaciers are among the few on earth whose glaciers reach down to the rainforest.
In the morning you will have the opportunity to walk around Lake Matheson on an easy walk through the rainforest. When the wind is calm, the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the 3000m high mountains are reflected here, surrounded by the rainforest – a feast for the eyes and a popular photo opportunity!
Your trip continues into Westland Tai Poutini National Park, where you can take a 2-hour hike in the rainforest. Then you continue to Haast and cross the Haast Pass, the water and climate divide of the Southern Alps. Past Mount Aspiring National Park, and surrounded by gigantic mountains, you will drive along Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka to reach Wanaka.
Visitors from around the world are drawn to the Wanaka region by its outstanding beauty. The stunning mountain and lakeside setting, and proximity to Mount Aspiring National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Area, makes it the ultimate base for outdoor activities. There are numerous hiking trails of all levels of difficulty and today you have the opportunity to explore them. Hiring a bike and cycling around the region also comes highly recommended.
Visitors from around the world are drawn to the Wanaka region by its outstanding beauty. The stunning mountain and lakeside setting, and proximity to Mount Aspiring National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Area, makes it the ultimate base for outdoor activities. There are numerous hiking trails of all levels of difficulty and today you have the opportunity to explore them. Hiring a bike and cycling around the region also comes highly recommended.
Today is another highlight on the program. On probably the most beautiful mountain road in New Zealand, you will pass the Mirror Lakes and the dark Homer Tunnel and may even meet keas (alpine parrots) when you stop.
After about 2.5 hours drive you will reach one of the most famous landscapes of New Zealand, and the most beautiful end of the world, Milford Sound. Lush vegetation stands out in front of the reflecting fiord and in the background a huge mountain rises out of the sea.
Already deeply impressed, you begin a boat trip past huge waterfalls and, with a little luck, you will spot seals, penguins and dolphins. After this unforgettable day, you drive back to Te Anau.
Today you continue inland through Mackenzie Country. Sparse rainfall makes this highland appear a barren landscape. Tussock (native grass) spans the hills like a carpet, transforming the landscape into a strange seeming inner alpine basin landscape.
At the nearby Lake Pukaki you have the opportunity to admire the magnificent glacial world of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. In this region full of contrasts, you will end another eventful day in Mount Cook Village. Maori call the highest mountain in New Zealand Aoraki, the „Cloud Piercer“.
Today you can go for a hike in the Hooker Valley, with the alpine world as a spectacular backdrop. First you will cross a suspension bridge, before the path winds further between two lateral moraines of the Müller glacier. After another suspension bridge, the path drops slightly and you reach shelter, in a small depression. From here, the valley of Hooker Glacier with Mount Cook in the background can be seen freely. The glacier lake is another 30 minutes away.
After a rest you will start the hike back to Mt Cook village (total walking time: 4-5 hours).
Before you leave the Southern Alps, we recommend a stop at the glacial Lake Tekapo. At the turquoise lake, located in the middle of the mountains, there is a small chapel, The Church of the Good Shepherd, and a monument for herding dogs. Flocks of sheep and colorful flowers complete the idyllic picture with the white mountains in the background. You are now in Mackenzie Country once more, a landscape with character. As far as the eye can see, New Zealand tussock sways in the wind.
Your journey continues through the extensive farm lands of the Canterbury Plain. You will reach Christchurch in the afternoon.
After the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, Christchurch is back with innovative new attractions and some popular classics. Its energy can be felt at every turn. Contemporary art galleries, boutiques and open-air markets are all part of the creative atmosphere here.
Please drive to Christchurch Airport in time and drop off your rental car here. From here you can start your journey home or onwards. We wish you a good flight!
Please take a look at our other New Zealand self-drive tours and if you can’t find the right tour- no problem! We are happy to advise you individually to offer you the perfect New Zealand holiday. That’s why we are winner of the „Bespoke Tour Operator of the year“ LTG-Award – New Zealand 2018, 2019″. Get in touch with us! Behind this website are real people who want to share their enthusiasm and expertise for this country. Enjoy New Zealand, we take care of the rest.
