New Zealand · best-of list
20 Top Things to Do in New Zealand
All 20 things to do our route editors picked in New Zealand, across 4 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect sights and experiences, spread across 4 destinations.
Our curated picks
20 things to do in New Zealand, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Aoraki / Mount Cook 5 picks
Glacier Explorers
Aoraki / Mount Cook · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Boat tours among icebergs on Tasman Glacier's terminal lake.
Tip: Runs roughly Sep–May; book at The Hermitage.
Photo: Glacier Explorers · Google
Hooker Valley Track
Aoraki / Mount Cook · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
10 km return walk over three swing bridges to an iceberg lake below Aoraki.
Tip: Start at dawn to beat crowds and wind.
Photo: Twan R · Google
Peter's Lookout
Aoraki / Mount Cook · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Roadside stop on Lake Pukaki with the classic view up the lake to Aoraki.
Photo: Benjamin Müller · Google
Sealy Tarns Track
Aoraki / Mount Cook · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Steep 2,200-step climb to alpine tarns with views of the Hooker Valley and glaciers.
Photo: 吳昱儒 · Google
Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
Aoraki / Mount Cook · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Museum and planetarium at The Hermitage on Hillary and Aoraki climbing history.
Photo: Hugh Xu · Google
Christchurch 5 picks
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
Christchurch · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Free gallery with New Zealand and Māori art in a glass-fronted building.
Photo: Rafael Safaryan · Google
Christchurch Gondola
Christchurch · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Gondola up the Port Hills for views over Lyttelton Harbour and the Southern Alps.
Photo: Anon Mouse · CC BY 2.0
International Antarctic Centre
Christchurch · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Antarctic exhibits with a storm room, blue penguins and Hägglund rides, near the airport.
Tip: Good stop on arrival or departure day.
Photo: Tzuhsun Hsu · CC BY-SA 2.0
Punting on the Avon
Christchurch · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Flat-bottom punt ride on the Avon River past the gardens, poled by a guide.
Photo: Punting On The Avon (Antigua Boat Sheds) · Google
Transitional Cathedral
Christchurch · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Shigeru Ban's 'Cardboard Cathedral', built after the 2011 quake.
Photo: Adyl · Google
Milford Sound 5 picks
Homer Tunnel
Milford Sound · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
1.2 km rough-hewn tunnel through the Darran Mountains; watch for kea at the portal.
Photo: Ingolfson at English Wikipedia (Original text: Uploader.) · Public domain
Key Summit Track
Milford Sound · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Climb from The Divide to an alpine plateau with views of the Darran and Humboldt ranges.
Photo: BlackQubit · Google
Milford Sound Cruise
Milford Sound · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Boat to the Tasman Sea mouth past Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls and fur seals.
Tip: Rain makes the waterfalls better; morning cruises dodge tour-bus crowds.
Photo: Robert Schupp · Google
Milford Track
Milford Sound · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Four-day Great Walk ending at Sandfly Point in Milford Sound.
Tip: Huts book out months ahead via DOC.
Photo: Jijo Varghese · Google
Rosco's Milford Kayaks
Milford Sound · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Guided sea kayaking on the fiord with options for beginners.
Photo: Roscos Milford Sound Kayaks · Google
Queenstown 5 picks
Arrowtown
Queenstown · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Gold-rush town with a restored Chinese miners' settlement and tree-lined main street.
Photo: Bgabel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kawarau Bridge Bungy
Queenstown · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
AJ Hackett's original 1988 commercial bungy site above the Kawarau River.
Photo: Yanqiu Lou · Google
Shotover Jet
Queenstown · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Jet boat spins through the narrow Shotover River canyons.
Photo: Shotover Jet Queenstown · Google
Skyline Queenstown
Queenstown · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
Gondola up Bob's Peak with luge rides and a view over Lake Wakatipu.
Tip: Hike the Tiki Trail up and ride down to save money.
Photo: Kok Horng - កុកហ័ង · Google
TSS Earnslaw
Queenstown · On our South Island Alps & Fiords route
1912 coal-fired steamship crossing the lake to Walter Peak high country farm.
Photo: TSS Earnslaw Queenstown Cruise - RealNZ · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in New Zealand?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 20 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of New Zealand has the most things to do on this list?
Aoraki / Mount Cook, Christchurch, Milford Sound and Queenstown lead with 5 each; the other picks are spread across 0 more destinations.
Are any of these free?
8 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Hooker Valley Track, Peter's Lookout, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Homer Tunnel, Arrowtown, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for New Zealand
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Aoraki / Mount Cook 5 on this list
- Christchurch 5 on this list
- Milford Sound 5 on this list
- Queenstown 5 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.