Best Time To Visit New Zealand

The Hobbiton Movie Set tour is your chance to wander the lush pastures of the Shire, as seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. You’ll journey through the rolling green hills before being guided through the astonishing 12-acre set. From Bag End to the newly completed Hobbit Hole in Bagshot Row, you’ll uncover each and every corner of the Shire, scooping plenty of exclusives and movie magic secrets along the way. The adventure concludes at the famous Green Dragon Inn, where you’ll glug a Hobbit Southfarthing tipple and ‘cheers’ to a day you’ll never forget.

• Duration: 3½ hours
• Start time: 11am
• Departs daily from Matamata i-Site
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Depart from Blenheim for this full-day tour which journeys through the renowned Marlborough wine region. Visit wineries and enjoy two fine wine experiences before continuing on through the Marlborough Sounds for a unique seafood cruise. Learn about the local history, visit a marine farm and stop to sample some fresh seafood paired with a glass of sauvignon blanc before your return journey.

• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Depart from Wellington and drive through the picturesque Hutt Valley and the Rimutaka Range to Martinborough for this full-day guided tour of the famous wine region. With a wide choice of wineries, there is a selection of award winning wines to sample, including the Pinot Noirs that the region is known for. Stop for lunch at Poppies winery and enjoy a superb platter of local delicacies matched with their fine wines. Continues on to a further 2 or 3 wineries or head to the lovingly restored colonial town of Greytown, where you can browse the main street taking in the craft and antique shops or stop for a coffee, before heading back over the hill to Wellington.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 9.30am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Depart from Queenstown and travel along through the picturesque Southland farming country to Te Anau. Continue to the Fiordland National Park and the renowned Milford Road. This corridor to the fjord unveils a different side of New Zealand, with its majestic mountains and winding rivers. Throughout the journey, there will be multiple stops for photo opportunities, short walks, and the chance to learn about the fascinating local facts and stories. Embark on a nature cruise that takes you beneath the towering peaks of the fjord.

Admire spectacular alpine scenery and look out for unique wildlife including dolphins and seals, before heading back to Queensland.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 7.30am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Discover locations from The Lord of the Rings films on this 4x4 off-road adventure which departs from Queenstown. See The Remarkables (The Misty Mountains), Deer Park Heights (The Battle of the Wargs) and the Kawarau Gorge (Argonath/Pillars of the King) plus many more. Continue to Arrowtown and experience some off roading as you follow a gold mining road up the river where you can try gold panning before enjoying views of the Wakatipu Basin from Skippers Canyon.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 8am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Journey aboard the renowned TranzAlpine train between Christchurch and Greymouth via Arthur’s Pass. Enjoy the magnificent alpine scenery as the train crosses the Canterbury Plains and heads through the Southern Alps where it wind its way through the Waimakariri Gorge. The excursion also operates in reverse or as a return. You can upgrade to the Scenic Plus Dining experience which includes local delicacies which are created on board using the finest farm-to-rail produce.

• Duration: full day
• Times: 8.15am to 7pm
• Departs daily from October to April
• Departs Friday to Monday between May and September
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Every whale watching tour is different. Sperm whales are yearround residents so your chances of spotting one are very high. You can also see dusky dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and albatross year round. Dependent on season you can also spot Humpback whales, Pilot whales, Blue whales and Southern Right whales. There are also opportunities to see orcas as well as the world's smallest and rarest dolphin - the Hector's dolphin.

• Start times: 7.15am, 10am, 10.30am, 12.45pm, 3,30pm
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Learn about Napier’s fascinating heritage during this guided walking tour of the city’s colourful Art Deco Quarter. Depart from Napier’s Art Deco Centre and discover striking examples of the city’s distinctive architecture. Hear stories of the 1931 earthquake that destroyed the city, the people that were affected, and how the city made a remarkable recovery and was rebuilt within two years. The walk is followed by an optional short film screening.

• Duration: 2 hours
• Start time: 10am, 2pm or 4.30pm
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Travel south from Auckland to the Waikato region where you will arrive at the Shire's rest to embark on your Hobbiton film set tour. You will see 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and double arch bridge, the party tree and visit the Green Dragon Inn. You can also get a picture taken at Bilbo's front door at Bag End. After the tour your lunch is included at Shire's Rest Cafe before heading back to Auckland.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 7am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

This is the perfect full-day experience for wine lovers as you'll be whisked between boutique wineries throughout the world-famous Marlborough region, You'll meet the vintners as they take you behind the scenes away from the main public areas and learn about the processes of creating wine and what makes their variety special. At the Saint Clair Winery, a family owned estate, head to Vineyard Kitchen where a lunch platter and some locally made Makana Chocolate will be served.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

The breathtaking wine region of Gibbston is the focus of this tour from Queenstown. This cool climate region has a plethora of cellar doors, three of which you will visit on this trip. You'll taste over 18 varieties and visit the Gibbston Valley underground wine cave, the largest of its kind in the country. An optional lunch is available and can be ordered and paid for on the day.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 10am
• Daily departures\ • Operates year-round\ • Group experience

Enjoy an evening of cultural discovery and indigenous stories at Rotarua's Mitai Maori Village. The experience starts with a welcoming ceremony and continues with a cultural performance and the chance to watch as Maori warriors paddle a war canoe along the Wai-o-Whiro stream. A generous buffet dinner, packed with regional dishes that have cooked in a traditional hāngī pit is served before you wander through the forest to the site of the old village where you'll learn about the Maori way of life and their history.

• Duration: evening
• Start time: 6pm
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

This guided geothermal bathing experience takes a few hours and follows a clear sequence of thermal environments. You’ll move through each stage with guidance from hosts, but at a relaxed pace that gives you time to settle into the heat, water and steam. You’ll need swimwear, and it’s best to allow enough time on either side so you don’t feel rushed.

You’ll start at Te Iringa, a series of gentle waterfall-style showers. It’s a simple beginning, designed to slow things down and help you arrive properly before moving on. Next, you’ll enter Te Ahi Tupua, the Fire and Ice Caves. You move between warm and cool, wet and dry spaces, choosing how long to stay in each. From there, you head into Te Taiwhanga Mauri, a sequence of five geothermal pools. 

You then reach Te Pae Paru, the geothermal mud lounge. Warm, mineral-rich mud is applied to the skin, drawing on traditions that link wellbeing to Papatūānuku, the earth. The experience finishes at Kohu Wai Ariki, the steam room. You recline on heated stone beds in a mist-filled space, letting the warmth settle before slowly cooling down again. 

• Daily departures 
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Set in the rolling farmland of New Zealand’s Waikato region, about two hours south of Auckland and a short drive from Matamata, this experience combines a guided walk through the Hobbiton Movie Set with a relaxed lunch in the heart of the Shire. You’ll explore the meticulously maintained film set at an easy pace, hear stories from the making of the movies, and then sit down to a generous meal beside the Green Dragon Inn. It’s immersive and designed to be enjoyed even if you’re not a committed Tolkien fan.

You begin with a guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set, wandering past round-door hobbit holes, over little bridges and along garden paths that look like someone’s been tending them for years. Your guide shares behind-the-scenes stories from the films while giving you plenty of time to take photos and enjoy the setting.

After the tour, it’s time for lunch at the Party Marquee, set right beside the Green Dragon Inn. From the outside, it looks ready for a celebration, with painted canvas walls, bunting and lanterns adding to the festive feel. Lunch is served buffet-style from a themed table piled with hearty, hobbit-inspired food. It’s generous and unfussy, with plenty of choice and seconds very much encouraged. Seating is shared with others from your tour group, keeping things informal and sociable.

• Duration: 3 hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Wētā Workshop has been creating physical effects, props and creatures for film and TV since the late 1980s, and chances are you’ve already seen their work without realising it. From The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to Avatar and Black Panther Wakanda Forever, this Wellington-based studio has helped bring some of cinema’s biggest worlds to life.

Step behind the scenes at Wētā Workshop’s creative home base and get a close-up look at how things are made. This isn’t about green screens and computers. It’s about sculpting, moulding, painting and problem-solving, the hands-on craft that turns ideas into objects actors can interact with.

Your guide walks you through the workshop’s story, from its early beginnings to the award-winning operation it is today, explaining how different departments work together to create props, costumes and creatures. Along the way, you’ll see and handle pieces from across the workshop, including weapons, armour, prosthetics and detailed models, with the stories behind how they were made.

• Start time: 9am 
• Duration: 1½ hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

If you’re based in Te Anau, this is the most direct and relaxed way to experience Milford Sound. The journey takes you deep into Fiordland National Park, with scenery unfolding gradually as the road winds through lakes, forest and alpine valleys.

By late morning or early afternoon, you arrive at Piopiotahi Milford Sound. Glacially carved cliffs rise straight from the water, and the sense of enclosure is immediate. From the terminal, you board a purpose-built cruise vessel for a cruise of up to two hours.

Once on the fiord, the pace slows noticeably. The boat travels the full length of Milford Sound, passing close to waterfalls and sheer rock faces, sometimes so close that you can feel the spray. Wet weather only adds to the atmosphere, with temporary waterfalls appearing all along the cliffs. Wildlife sightings vary, but seals are commonly seen resting on rocks, dolphins sometimes swim alongside the boat, and penguins appear at certain times of year. The cruise passes St Anne’s Point Lighthouse and, when conditions allow, continues out toward the Tasman Sea.

• Start time: 6.45am 
• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

This full-day trip from Queenstown takes you from one alpine landscape into another, ending at one of New Zealand’s most recognisable natural landmarks. It’s a long journey, but the changing scenery makes the drive part of the appeal.

By late morning or early afternoon, you reach Piopiotahi Milford Sound, where the road ends and the fiord begins. Sheer rock walls rise straight from dark water, and the scale of the place is immediately apparent. From here, you board a purpose-built cruise vessel for up to two hours on the fiord. On the water, everything slows down. The boat moves steadily along Milford Sound, edging close to waterfalls and cliff faces, often drifting through mist kicked up by falling water. 

Rain only heightens the experience, with countless temporary waterfalls forming after heavier weather. Wildlife appears when it wants to. Seals are often seen hauled out on rocks, dolphins sometimes ride the bow wave, and penguins make seasonal appearances. The cruise passes St Anne’s Point Lighthouse and, if conditions allow, heads out toward the Tasman Sea where the fiord meets open ocean.

• Start time: 6.45am 
• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

The landscapes surrounding Queenstown are legendary and you'll get to witness their beauty on this half-day scenic tour. The adventure begins as you head to a viewpoint for a panoramic vista of the town and its jaw-dropping backdrop and stop off for a quick peek at the Shotover River. There'll then be some time to explore Arrowtown, a historic settlement that built up around the gold mining industry, and watch the thrill-seekers at Kawarau, the site of the world's first commercial bungy jump; you can even have a go if you are feeling brave enough (at an extra cost). The next stop is a local winery where a tasting and shared cheeseboard is included (a non-alcoholic alternative is available for non drinkers). Before the return back to town, you'll hop on board a boat for a half-hour trip on Lake Whakatipu.

• Duration: half day
• Start time: 8.30am
• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Eighteen wines, four tastings, 6 hours; this whistlestop and award-winning tour of some of the Gibbston region's finest cellar doors gives you an unforgettable introduction to New Zealand's Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Chenins. Head to one of the areas founding wineries, home to the country's largest cellar, and Kinross, where five wine labels are sold and the lunch stop on this tour (payable locally). Mt Rosa Wines and The Church Cellar door follow, the former with a rich sheep-farming heritage and the latter with more of a religious past.

• Duration: 6 hours
• Start time: 10am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

This full-day experience takes you deep into Fiordland National Park to explore Doubtful Sound by lake cruise, mountain road, and fiord cruise. You’ll cross Lake Manapouri, travel over Wilmot Pass by coach, and spend several hours cruising one of New Zealand’s largest and quietest fiords.

Doubtful Sound itself is on a serious scale. It’s about three times as long as Milford Sound and roughly ten times as large overall, which explains the space and the calm. The pace is deliberately slow. Sheer cliffs rise straight from the water, waterfalls appear and fade with the weather, and at times the engines are switched off so you can take in the stillness properly. A nature guide is on board, pointing out wildlife and sharing insight into the landscape as you go. Bottlenose dolphins live here and are often seen, and New Zealand fur seals are regulars along the rocky shore.

• Start time: 6.55am
• Duration: Full day
• Daily departures
• Operates daily
• Group experience

This evening experience takes you to the summit of Mount John above Lake Tekapo for guided stargazing in one of the world’s best dark-sky locations. You’ll spend time outdoors and at telescopes with expert astronomy guides, learning how to read the Southern Sky and seeing planets, star clusters and distant galaxies that are usually lost to light pollution.

You travel up to the summit of Mount John, home to the University of Canterbury’s Mount John Observatory and set within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. With almost no artificial light for miles, the sky here feels noticeably deeper and more detailed than in most places, even before you look through a telescope. 

You’ll spend time observing with the naked eye and through powerful telescopes, which bring planets, star clusters and distant galaxies into sharp view. Between observations, the guides talk about the science behind what you’re seeing, how this region became such an essential site for astronomy, and why protecting dark skies matters more than most people realise.

• Duration: 2 hours
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience