North Island

Hobbiton, Rotorua and Auckland.

Photo: Jeffrey Pang from Madison, NJ, USA · CC BY 2.0

The Short List

Must-See

Mountains · UNESCO

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Manawatū-Whanganui

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

Guide Coming Soon

Must-See

Nature · Geysers

Rotorua

Bay of Plenty

Geysers, mud pools and Māori culture.

Guide Coming Soon

Worth a Detour

Heritage · Lord of the Rings

Hobbiton

Waikato

The Shire's green hills, on a farm.

Guide Coming Soon

Worth a Detour

Beaches · Sailing

Bay of Islands

Northland

Islands, and the site of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Guide Coming Soon

Worth a Detour

Nature · Caves

Waitomo Caves

Waikato

Boats beneath thousands of glowworms.

Guide Coming Soon

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

Mountains · Volcanoes

Mount Taranaki

A near-perfect volcanic cone on the west coast.

Guide Coming Soon

If You're Nearby

Mountains · Volcanoes

Mount Tarawera

Bay of Plenty

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.