Being a newbie solo traveler, I explored New Zealand without any hassles at all. I was working 5 days a week squeezed in most of my travel during the weekends. Here is my guide to New Zealand North Island travel.

Why you should Travel to New Zealand?

1. Tourism is a big thing in New Zealand and the transportation & accommodation options are amazing.
2. New Zealand has got something for everybody – be it adventure, wine, trekking food scene – you name it , you got it.
3. Very low Crime Rates which makes you feel so confident & comfortable to travel solo even if it is your first time solo!

South Island vs. North Island – Which one to visit ?

Both, South Island as well as North Island have amazing destinations which are quite unique. I would not recommend it as a choice but both islands as a ‘must’ visit.

How Many Days Do I need to visit New Zealand 

Minimum of one week to maximum you can afford to 🙂

On an average to travel around the key attractions, it will take around one week per island. At least 10 days will be good if you plan to travel to both the islands.

15 Places to Visit in New Zealand North Island

1. Auckland City

If you are visiting North Island, it is always better to start with Auckland. Also it is well suited than the capital city of Wellington while considering international flying options. An array of activities clubbed with good accommodation options makes it a good base to travel around in North island

Auckland, the city of sails will always have enough attractions in the harbour itself. Make sure to enjoy some of the sails while chilling out in one of the harbour cafes.

Being the iconic attraction,  Sky Tower, provides the option to walk it’s edge or to do a Sky Jump . Make sure to book it in advance to avoid long queues.

Matakana, the picturesque village  65 KM away from Auckland is  famous for its wineries, beaches, local markets, shopping & great food scene. I would not recommend it if you are short on time.

2. Waiheke Island

Waiheke is located 35 mins ferry ride away from downtown Auckland and is a key North Island attraction.

It is for a good reason Waiheke was named as one of the 10 top most regions to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet . The beautiful vineyards overlooking the sea & white sand beaches of Oneroa & Onetangi makes it an amazing place to spend a day( or even more).

A day trip or a weekend trip, Waiheke trip can be tailored based on how you much time you have got. I  took the ferry on a beautiful morning and  once in the island, opted for an island tour where I was driven around the island (in a bus) while the stories of the island were narrated. It was good just for the fact that it helped me know more about the island & its history.

Apart from the picturesque wineries across the island, Waiheke is also a  great place for Horse Riding , Archery, Scooter hire & Flying fox zip line.

Winery options: There are great options with scenic views , my favourite was Mudbrick winery .

Getting here:

The ferry tickets can be purchased from the Ferry itself or from any travel agents. Ferry runs very frequently and costs as less as NZD 10 for one way if you manage to get a deal. Fullers & Sealink are the companies where you can book the ferry tickets

Once in Waiheke, there are options for Rental cars, taxi Services or Bus services to get around the island.

For more luxurious options, Scenic transfers & flights are available with companies such as  Inflight Experiences  & Ecozip starting from a fee of NZD 199

For more transport options check out this 

3. Devonport

Arguably Auckland’s prettiest seaside village, Devonport is located just 8 minutes ferry distance from the city . Panoramic city views, trendy cafe’s, boutique accommodations and awesome food scene makes it a lovely place for  a day out( or half a day) . The famous ice chocolate shop over here is where I tasted my first Hot chilli chocolate !

4. Rangitoto Island

Another short ferry ride from Auckland will take you to the youngest Volcanic cone of Auckland Rangitoto , which is unusually symmetric. Check out the popular sunset kayak tour. here.

5. Mount Eden (Dormant volcano Maungawhau)

Mount Eden being the highest natural point of auckland, show cases picturesque views of Auckland skyline. You can join a guided tour to understand more on the Maori culture & the volcanic activity of the region. Spare some time to walk along the streets lined with trendy cafes & art shops.

6. Coromandel Peninsula

Native Rain forests lined with white coastal line & pristine beaches is a good way to describe the Coromandel island.

With few great attractions, Coromandel island is a great place for a weekend trip.

• An hour walk from the Hahei beach will take you to the Cathedral Cove, the most picturesque attraction of the Coromandel peninsula .

• Cathedral Cove marine Reserve  – Gemstone Bay on the way to Cathedral cove is great for Snorkelling & scuba diving. More information on the transportation & hiking tracks can be found here.
• Hot Water Beach must be the best attraction of the region ( 1 Hour drive from the Coromandel town), which means you can dig a hole on the beach side and create your own spa ! How cool is that ! ( or rather hot ..)  When I visited, though there was this plan to enjoy a natural hot spa, it did not work out as the water is supposed to be warm enough only 2 hours before or after the low tide. So need to keep an eye on the tide timings & also make sure to bring a spade or a shovel so that you can dig out your spa without much effort.

Getting Here

This is one of the places where I struggled to commute to. There are intercity bus services daily service from Auckland to Coromandel which takes around 3 hours one way. However a daily return might not be possible if you are to take the intercity as your time in the island will be very limited.  One other option I found useful was to keep looking out for Groupon deals which had earlier departure & return on the same day , but those had more time in the island.

7. Mata Mata – Hobbiton

One of the key attractions of New Zealand is the shooting locations of Lord of the Rings & the Hobbit trilogy. The Hobbiton, located in Mata Mata is a key attraction.

Multiple daily tours from Auckland are available including the intercity coach tour. Also there are tour options including the evening banquet tours. I got dropped at the Shire’s Rest which is like the pick up point for the tour which also has a nice cafe. The tour was for 2 hours including the short drive from the Shire’s Rest to the Hobbiton set & is currently priced at $NZD 84 . Read this for more Hobbiton Tour options.

It is  a fantastic experience for those who have watched the movie or read the books. You get to walk through the shire, enter the Hobbit holes & photograph everything . You hear about the silver tree & how the shots were taken to make the Hobbit holes look smaller than it is.

Wanderer’s Tip: It is a waste of money if you have neither read nor watched the movie  Lord of the Rings or Hobbiton as it would then become difficult to contextualise anything . Careful consideration would be worth the money I guess!

8. Rotorua

The place which must not be missed in North island , is  Rotorua. The simple fact that it is not another beach or waterfall, but all about the Geo Thermal activity makes it extremely different in an experience scale.

Situated 228 KM away from Auckland , this can be a weekend trip from Auckland or even a 3 day trip (or more) as there are a myriad of activities awaiting you.

I boarded the intercity coach on a friday evening & headed towards Rotorua for a weekend trip. I will write more about this in detail later on as this was an eye opener for me for my solo travelling .

• Geo Thermal Activity in Wai-O-Tapu  is be one of the best things Rotorua offers .Undoubtedly this Thermal Wonder land, has amazing views of different chemical pools. Along with the sights of extremely unique thermal pools, you can feel the pungent smell of Sulphur  all in the air! ( pretty unique! )

Make sure to stay behind to watch the Lady Knox geyser eruption at 10:15 AM every day.

Wanderer’s Tip: Try to be here in the morning before the tourist buses start arriving as otherwise it will be very crowded and also the early morning sun falls better on the colourful Sulphur pools.

• Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Perfect second stop for the day, Waimangu Valley swept my feet with its boiling lake ! .. It was so surprising for me to see a lake boiling like a hot pot !

I would strongly recommend visiting Waimangu Valley in your visit to North Island.

Wanderer’s Tip: Make sure to pick a map of the valley from the visitor’s centre and pick and choose your walking trails based on the time you have got. It is an amazing valley with a lot of beautiful walking trails.

• Pohutu Geyser at Te Puia can be seen from the Whakarewarewah forest which is located next to the Te Puia Maori centre.

• Visit Whakarewarewah Maori village for experiencing an authentic Maori village. There are geo thermal activities available here as well including mud pools and natural spas. The entry fee including the guided tour starts from NZD 36.

• Zorb- Did you know that Zorb originated in New Zealand? Located in the heart of Rororua, enjoy rolling down in giant plastic balls starting form a price of NZD 60. Also there are more family fun options such as Go karting & luge available here.
• Blue Lake – A bush walk around the pristine Blue lake is always a good idea! There are 10 NZD shuttles available from most of the accommodations.
• Hell’s Gate Geothermal Park & Spa – A trip to Rotorua is not complete without taking advantage of a mudpool and thermal bath. Choose from the different options including mud pool spa, sulphur spa , twilight spa etc. Also make sure to book in advance as these  are pretty popular.
• Agrodome – Located 10 mins drive from the city is Agrodome featuring Farm shows and farm tours priced at NZD 36 & NZD 49 respectively. Since New Zealand is very prominent on its sheep farms , I think it is a good educational opportunity for kids as well as the adults to get to know more about the farms.

• Rainbow Springs is a Animal Park located in the city. Got to see Kiwi’s and some good bird varieties here and would recommend as an activity if time permits.

8. Taupo

Boasting the status of largest lake in New Zealand, Lake Taupo is a recreational area for many activities including Sailing,  Fishing , Hunting etc . Taupo is also the base for the epic Tongariro Crossing . Read my experience hiking Tongoriro Crossing as an inexperienced hiker here. If planning to visit during winter , check out Hiking Tongariro in Winter here.

Huka Falls is a key attraction of Taupo it being a set of waterfalls in the Waikato River that drains to Lake Taupo. A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from approximately 100 metres across into a canyon of only 15 metres.

9. Waitakere Ranges

40 minutes drive from the city , Waitakere range is considered as the Wild West. I loved this place for its dramatic sceneries.

Here are the best things to see in Waitakere.

• Gannet colony at Muriwai Beach, Cape kidnappers

• Majestic lion rock at the black sand beach of Piha

• Black Sand Beaches

• Black sand Dunes & dramatic farmland scenery

• Arataki Visitor Centre,  a mini museum set in a quirky building covered with Maori carvings.
• KIteKite Falls

• Kare Kare Falls.

10. Bay of Islands

250 KM north of Auckland is Bay of Islands which has got quite a few interesting things to do .

• Cape Brett hole in the Rock Cruise – Though I did not have a chance to take the cruise , I got a glimpse of the Rock

• Urupukapuka island & Haruru Falls are another two places to visit.

11. Cape Reinga

This is where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. This area is also a spiritual place for Maori’s as it is considered to be where one starts the final journey, a place not to be missed in North Island.

The drive up to Cape Reinga is beautiful with the white sand beaches and fun like this – bus on the beach @Ninety mile beach

12. Waitamo Caves

Popular for its glowworm caves, Waitamo Caves specialises in black river rafting & glow worm cave tours.

Though I saw a lot , I did miss few as well. Below are the list of places which I did not have  a chance to explore and hence on my bucket list!

13. Wellington

The coolest little capital of New Zealand, Wellington is famous for its vibrant & creative culture.

Mount Victoria Look out & Cable Cars will be couple of interesting things to do . Also stop at Hannah’s laneway for tasting some local flavours & souvenir shopping. Read more Things to do in Wellington here.

14. Abel Tasman Park

Read things to do in Abel Tasman National Park here.

15. Goat Island

Goat island is located 5 mins away from Leigh which  is approximately 90kms north of Auckland, off State Highway 1 at Warkworth. Goat Island Marine Reserve is one of the places which I never had a chance to visit. The Marine reserve looks amazing with its clear water & the marine life underneath it . Clearyak ( aka clear kayak) is a transparent kayak which allows you to see the marine life. This is one of the things I love to do when I am back there again. Read Helen’s experience on Clearyaking here.

How to get around

As most of my travel was solo, I travelled around the North Island with Intercity coach lines most of the time. This was comfortable and timely service. The network connects all the major attractions.

The other options to travel include multiple private coachlines as well as back packer buses.

Where to stay

Most of my travels in North Island I stayed in YHA’s & back packers . I  highly recommend YHA’s for their quality.

NOTE: I am updating this post with more details especially on accommodation & Travel options.

Planning a trip to New Zealand check this out as well – Best Things to do in Queenstown

Need more options? Read Things to do in North island

Or more food?  – Read about the Restaurants in Wellington