New Zealand 8-Day Tours & Itineraries

Explore 8 trips designed by local kimkim specialists to get ideas for your trip to New Zealand.

We've researched and put together various 8-day itineraries in New Zealand that you can choose from. If you're interested in a road trip from Auckland to Wellington, where you can kayak under the stars and explore the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, consider a trip like this North Island itinerary. For those more interested in exploring Lake Tekapo, sky-diving in Wānaka, and cruising across Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, opt for something similar to this South Island adventure. If you'd rather stick around Queenstown, consider a trip like this Queenstown area highlights itinerary, where you'll taste wine at nearby vineyards, go bungee jumping, and visit glowworm caves. 

See our itineraries below or read our guide to the best 8-day trips in New Zealand.

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Rotorua
Map of Self-Drive New Zealand: The North Island Bucket List - 8 Days
Self-Drive New Zealand: The North Island Bucket List - 8 Days

Experience the highlights of New Zealand's North Island on this eight-day self-drive adventure from Auckland to Wellington. Explore national parks and hot springs, see real Hobbit homes, and immerse yourself in the rich Indigenous culture and history. This journey includes many options for an adrenaline rush, as well as relaxing spa treatments to unwind and rejuvenate. This is the best way to see the North Island at your own pace!

Franz Josef Glacier
Map of New Zealand Self-Drive Tour: Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Franz Joseph & Queenstown - 8 Days
New Zealand Self-Drive Tour: Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Franz Joseph & Queenstown - 8 Days

Explore the highlights of New Zealand's North and South Islands on this self-drive adventure. Start in cosmopolitan Auckland before passing by the expansive cave system of Waitomo on your way to Rotorua. Here, you'll visit Tolkien's "Shire" and dip in thermal pools. Then, you'll fly over to South Island, where you'll drive yourself around Christchurch, explore the Glacier Region, and end in Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world.

You'll drive alongside striking turquoise Lake Tekapo on the South Island
Map of Self-Drive New Zealand: Lakes, Mountains & Glaciers - 8 Days
Self-Drive New Zealand: Lakes, Mountains & Glaciers - 8 Days

Explore the beauty of New Zealand's South Island at your own pace with this self-drive tour. You'll start in Christchurch and drive through incredible villages to Queenstown. Next, you'll explore national parks before taking one of the world's greatest train journeys back to Christchurch. Get your adrenaline rush in along the way by bungee jumping, heli-skiing, and mountain biking!

Discover Queenstown and nearby Te Anau and Wānaka
Map of New Zealand Queenstown Area Highlights - 8 Days
New Zealand Queenstown Area Highlights - 8 Days

Get to know the Queenstown area's natural wonders on this eight-day trip. Beginning in Queenstown, you'll explore the town and enjoy a number of activities: bungee jumping, jet boating, wine touring, and soaking in hot pools. Then head to Te Anau to visit glowworm caves, go hiking, and cruise the scenic Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. Finish in Wanaka with hiking, a happy hour cruise, and more outdoor adventures before returning home.

Enjoy a two-hour boat cruise across Milford Sound
Map of A Taste of New Zealand: Queenstown, Wellington, Rotorua & Auckland  - 8 Days
A Taste of New Zealand: Queenstown, Wellington, Rotorua & Auckland - 8 Days

For those who like a trip to include thrills, food, and natural wonders, this eight-day itinerary should check off all the boxes. New Zealand is known for its hospitality, and you'll experience the very best of it at a mountaintop farm, a lakeside spa, and a multicourse Māori feast. Along the way, you'll get to see a fjord from a plane, glowworms from a boat, and Wellington's cityscape from a century-old funicular railway.

Wellington's iconic century-old furnicular
Map of New Zealand North Island Road Trip: Auckland to Wellington - 8 Days
New Zealand North Island Road Trip: Auckland to Wellington - 8 Days

See the North Island from top to bottom on this eight-day New Zealand road trip. Get to know the "City of Sails" in Auckland, then set out into the rainforests of Waitakere and the lush farmland of Waikato. Visit Hobbit houses in the real Middle-earth and venture into glowworm-illuminated caves, then follow the smell of sulfur to Rotorua and its geothermal wonders. After hiking to the dormant volcanoes of Tongariro National Park, end your adventure among the quirky urban charm of Wellington.

Stay two nights in Wanaka where you'll have free time to hike
Map of New Zealand South Island Nature Tour - 8 Days
New Zealand South Island Nature Tour - 8 Days

This adventurous eight-day road trip across New Zealand's South Island combines a number of unforgettable nature experiences. Pick up a rental car in Christchurch, then venture south to the therapeutic hot pools at Lake Tekapo. Capture views over Aoraki / Mount Cook and Westland National Park with a scenic flight, then leap from a plane above beautiful Wanaka. Finally, discover enchanting glowworm caves in Te Anau, and embark on a mesmerizing fjord cruise across Milford Sound / Piopiotahi.

Trek the icy terrain atop Tasman Glacier on this eight-day itinerary
Map of New Zealand Snow & Soak Adventure: Christchurch to Queenstown - 8 Days
New Zealand Snow & Soak Adventure: Christchurch to Queenstown - 8 Days

Enjoy plenty of outdoor activities on this scenic, wintry eight-day journey through New Zealand. Start by exploring Christchurch's urban gardens, then head to Lake Tekapo for a glacier hike and stargazing. Visit Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and cruise on Tasman Glacier Lake as you drive to Twizel. Next, continue to Wanaka for a hot tub experience, ski trip, and happy hour cruise. Finish off in Queenstown, where you can try bungee jumping, jet boating, and wine tasting.

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