When to Visit New Zealand?
The best time to visit New Zealand is during the shoulder seasons between September and November, and March and May. There will be considerably fewer travelers during this time, while most accommodation will offer discounted prices, making your trip way more cost-effective than the peak season (November to March).
The Great Walks of New Zealand are also opening up during this time, which should allow you to experience one of the best hikes in the world. Just make sure you plan ahead and book everything beforehand, as they get booked out extremely fast.
How to Get to New Zealand?
New Zealand has several international airports, but for this itinerary, we will be flying in and out of Auckland, so that is where our journey will begin.
From the US, there are no direct flights to Auckland, so you will have to rely on transit flights from airlines like Qantas, which often transit in Fiji and take about 19 hours.
From Europe, you can fly from the most popular European hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt via Lufthansa, Qatar, Emirates, or Singapore Airlines. You will then have to transit through their headquarters to get to Auckland before continuing on to Dunedin. The flight will take over 24 hours, so gear up and prepare for a long ride.
From Asia, there are several airlines offering various routes from many hub cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Hong Kong that will fly you to Auckland. Cathay Pacific, Air New Zealand, and Singapore Airlines are excellent choices for traveling this route, with the fastest flight time being 9 hours.
To find a cheap flight to New Zealand, I would recommend that you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule, so you can compare and pick the best one.
How to Get Around New Zealand?
By Bus: One of the cheapest ways to get around New Zealand is to use its rather good public transportation. For long distances, the Intercity bus is the mode of transportation that we will mainly use in this itinerary.
If you wish to travel by Intercity Bus, I recommend you get the Flexipass, where you buy hours and can travel any route in the country, depending on the length of the bus ride. It is a great way to hop around the country without having to spend a lot of money.
For more information about Flexipass, please visit the official Intercity Flexipass page here.
By Air: New Zealand is quite remote. If you plan to travel between major cities such as Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland to reach remote areas, I recommend flying instead. It is faster and often cheaper than taking the bus.
Air New Zealand and Jetstar often fly these routes directly and daily, with prices ranging from 35 USD to 100 USD, which is quite affordable, all things considered.
For this New Zealand itinerary, we will only be using one domestic flight from Dunedin back to Auckland on your way out of New Zealand. In all the other places, we will be traveling by land, one city at a time.
By Campervan: One of the most popular ways to get around New Zealand is to rent a campervan, which will allow you to travel anywhere you like and save a ton of money on accommodation by allowing you to sleep at campsites around the country. I recommend that you rent a campervan in Auckland and drive around the country if you have the money.
There are several well-known campervan rental companies that I have seen people driving all over the country, such as Jucy, Spaceships, and Britz, so be sure to check them out when you are in Auckland.
By Car: You can rent a car directly from Auckland International Airport for only around $25 USD per day, and you can drive around the country at your own leisure.
If you have the money and you wish to have the freedom to stop whenever you want (and trust me, you will, as New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world), I recommend you get a car. You can rent a car in Auckland here.
By Tours: For some places like Milford Sound and the Franz Josef Glacier Hike, it is better to go with organized tours instead, as the logistics of visiting these remote places are more accessible if you let the tours organize them for you. For activities, I highly recommend checking Viator.com for cheap deals that you might not get offline.
By Walking: When you arrive in cities and towns in New Zealand, you can expect to walk to most tourist attractions around the city center. New Zealand is known for its abundance of beautiful tracks and trails, and you will find beautiful nature walking trails in just about any city you visit. Plus, they are all free!
New Zealand Budget Tips
New Zealand is an expensive country, no doubt, but it doesn't have to be if you know how to save. Here are tips I used to minimize costs while not sacrificing the adventures one should do in New Zealand.
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Cook your own food: A meal in New Zealand could cost you 15 NZD or more. By cooking your own food, it will cost you less than 10 NZD per meal.
This is a little harder as a solo traveler but it is possible. My usual go-to recipe is a salad, a canned flavored chicken, and a tortilla wrap. I got a little more creative and mixed & matched a bunch of other things such as hamburgers, spaghetti, and noodles. Or if you are not keen on cooking, go for a Subway's sub-of-the-day sandwich. It should cost you no more than 6 NZD. - Stay in Hostels: It's much more affordable for backpackers and you got to meet a lot of people in the process.
- Walk: New Zealand is a beautiful country and the government knows it. That's why they built so many great nature trails both in cities and remote areas. All are free and it makes you healthier, what more could you ask for.
- Buy a Bus Pass: You will be relying on buses most of the time so you might as well buy a bus pass before you arrive. Some bus passes are valid for a year so keep an eye out for discounts and buy them when they go on sale.
- Hitchhike: Hitchhiking is extremely common and very safe in New Zealand. It is free, exciting and you get to experience the country with the locals first hand.
How Much Does It Cost to Travel One Month in New Zealand?
With the one-month New Zealand itinerary recommended here, we can calculate approximately how much you will be spending on this trip as follows:
Accommodation: For 30 days in New Zealand, you will be spending around 712 USD on accommodation.
Food: An average meal in New Zealand costs around $10, so you will be spending around $900 on food for 30 days.
Transportation: If you buy the Intercity's Flexipass, it will cost you 437 NZD for a 55-hour pass, plus 86 NZD for the Routeburn Track transfer, 70 NZD for the Tekapo - Mt Cook roundtrip, 31 NZD for the Tongariro Crossing transfer, 75 NZD for the Abel Tasman Transfer, 57 NZD for a cruise from North to South, and 87 NZD for a flight from Dunedin to Auckland. You can expect to pay around 843 NZD (626 USD) for transportation in total.
Activities: These are all optional, but it would be a shame if you didn't do anything extreme while you are in New Zealand. For activities, you can expect to spend around 838 USD (optional), including skydiving, a Milford Sound tour, a tour in Rotorua, and other activities.
Total Budget for one month in New Zealand: 2,238 USD (3,037.49 NZD) or 3,076 USD (4,174.85 NZD) including extreme activities.
Which tourist SIM card is best for New Zealand?
Don't expect much from New Zealand's WIFI. They are terribly outdated, with some cafes offering free 25 MB and 15-minute time-limited WIFI to their customers. Yes, really!
For a more reliable internet connection, I would recommend that you get yourself a local SIM card where you will be able to find a 4G connection in all the major cities around the country now.
Spark is a recommended carrier with the most coverage around the country. You can buy their prepaid SIM card "Data Lover" package at the airport in Auckland, which comes in 2 price points: 20 NZD for 1 GB (+1 GB for social) and 40 NZD for 4.5 GB (+1 GB for social), both valid for one month.
With Spark, you can top up your data at stores around the country, or you can simply do it online with your credit card. It is very easy and convenient.
For more information about SIM cards in New Zealand, visit: New Zealand's Prepaid Data SIM Card
Tips: To stay connected with your loved ones at home, make sure to have a VPN service like NordVPN installed before traveling, so that you can bypass any local Internet censorship you might encounter while in New Zealand.
What to Pack for New Zealand?
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to New Zealand:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Down Jacket: In freezing temperatures, a down jacket is essential. The Columbia Men's Lone Fir Hooded Jacket (for women) is my choice. They are warm, lightweight, and available in various colors.
- Wool Beanie: A wool beanie is perfect for keeping your head and ears warm.
- Wool Gloves: I always have wool gloves handy to keep my hands warm in cold weather.
- Wool Socks: Don't forget to keep your feet warm with wool socks.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.