New Zealand

Fjords, volcanoes and adventure.

US travel advisory: Level 1 · checked 2026-11-02
Photo: Maros M r a z (Maros) · CC BY-SA 3.0
This is a first draft of the New Zealand list. The full region guide is being written, and tiers may still change.

The Short List

Must-See

Must-See
Nature · UNESCO

Milford Sound

Waterfalls and sheer peaks, in a fjord.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Mountains · Adventure

Queenstown

The world's adventure capital, on a mountain lake.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Mountains · UNESCO

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

New Zealand's best day hike, across volcanic craters.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Nature · Geysers

Rotorua

Geysers, mud pools and Māori culture.

Guide Coming Soon

Worth a Detour

Worth a Detour
Heritage · Lord of the Rings

Hobbiton

The Shire's green hills, on a farm.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Beaches · Sailing

Bay of Islands

Islands, and the site of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Mountains · UNESCO

Aoraki/Mount Cook

New Zealand's highest peak, with dark skies and blue Lake Tekapo.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Nature · Caves

Waitomo Caves

Boats beneath thousands of glowworms.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Beaches · Kayaking

Abel Tasman

Golden beaches, by kayak or on foot.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Mountains · Mountain towns

Wānaka

A quieter Queenstown, with a famous lone lake tree.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Mountains · Mountain towns

Lake Tekapo

A turquoise lake with a stone church, in a dark-sky reserve.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Cities · Gardens

Christchurch

The South Island's city of gardens, rebuilt after its earthquakes.

Guide Coming Soon

If You're Nearby

If You're Nearby
Cities · Museums

Wellington

A windy, creative capital.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Cities · Sailing

Auckland

A city of sails, on volcanoes.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Nature · Whales

Kaikōura

Sperm whales near the shore.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Mountains · Volcanoes

Mount Taranaki

A near-perfect volcanic cone on the west coast.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Cities · Wildlife

Dunedin and Otago Peninsula

A Scottish-founded town, near albatross and penguin colonies.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Mountains · Volcanoes

Mount Tarawera

A split volcano near Rotorua, whose eruption buried the Pink and White Terraces.

Guide Coming Soon

On the Map

Grey pins: guides still being written.