{"id":1310390,"date":"2026-10-22T23:59:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T23:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?page_id=1310390"},"modified":"2026-10-23T09:33:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T09:33:30","slug":"new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/oceania\/new-zealand\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":0,"parent":1302041,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hw-hub-country","meta":{"footnotes":"","hw_hub_hero_eyebrow":"","hw_hub_hero_h1":"","hw_hub_hero_intro":"","hw_hub_hero_image":"","hw_hub_hero_overlay":"","hw_hub_hero_cta":"","hw_hub_why_title":"","hw_hub_why_body":"","hw_hub_why_link_label":"","hw_hub_why_link_url":"","hw_hub_why_cards":"","hw_hub_stats":"","hw_hub_countries_title":"","hw_hub_countries_intro":"","hw_hub_featured":"","hw_hub_regions":"","hw_hub_hostels_title":"","hw_hub_hostels_intro":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_label":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_url":"","hw_hub_hostels_source":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_type":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_id":"","hw_hub_hostels_currency":"","hw_hub_hostels_count":"","hw_hub_hostels_cache":"","hw_hub_hostels":"","hw_hub_when_title":"","hw_hub_when_intro":"","hw_hub_seasons":"","hw_hub_costs_title":"","hw_hub_costs_body":"","hw_hub_cost_rows":"","hw_hub_cost_note":"","hw_hub_money_reads":"","hw_hub_rail_title":"","hw_hub_rail_body":"","hw_hub_rail_link_label":"","hw_hub_rail_link_url":"","hw_hub_rail_image":"","hw_hub_routes":"","hw_hub_events_title":"","hw_hub_events_intro":"","hw_hub_events_source":"","hw_hub_events_continent":"","hw_hub_events_count":"","hw_hub_events_cache":"","hw_hub_events_cta_label":"","hw_hub_events_cta_url":"","hw_hub_events":"","hw_hub_events_pills":"","hw_hub_reads_intro":"","hw_hub_article_rows":"","hw_hub_show_read_time":"","hw_hub_all_title":"","hw_hub_all_body":"","hw_hub_all_cta":"","hw_hub_trips_title":"","hw_hub_trips_note":"","hw_hub_trips":"","hw_hub_faq_title":"","hw_hub_faq_note":"","hw_hub_faqs":"","hw_hub_cta_title":"","hw_hub_cta_body":"","hw_hub_cta_buttons":"","hw_hub_newsletter_title":"","hw_hub_newsletter_body":"","hw_hub_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_hub_term":"","hw_hub_scope_rows":"","hw_hub_country_hero_eyebrow":"New Zealand country guide","hw_hub_country_hero_h1":"New Zealand Travel Guide","hw_hub_country_hero_intro":"Two islands, five million people and forty million sheep. Glaciers, fjords, volcanoes and the best day walk in the world, all within a country the size of the UK.","hw_hub_country_hero_image":"1310535","hw_hub_country_hero_overlay":"medium","hw_hub_country_hero_cta":"Pick a place | #cities\r\nWhat it costs | #money","hw_hub_country_stats":"NZ$35 | Dorm bed, from\r\n19.4km | The Tongariro Crossing\r\n3 | Hours between coasts, at the widest\r\n9 | Great Walks","hw_hub_country_intro_title":"Small country, absurd amount of landscape","hw_hub_country_intro_body":"New Zealand packs glaciers, fjords, active volcanoes, rainforest and beaches into a country you can drive the length of in two days: though you should take three weeks.\r\n\r\nThe North Island has the volcanic centre: Tongariro's alpine crossing, Rotorua's geothermal steam and M\u0101ori culture, and Taup\u014d on the lake. Auckland is the biggest city and Wellington at the bottom is the capital and the better one.\r\n\r\nThe South Island is what people come for. Queenstown does adventure sports on an industrial scale, Fiordland has Milford Sound, the West Coast has glaciers reaching towards rainforest, and Abel Tasman has the beaches.\r\n\r\nA camper van is the classic way to do it, and the freedom camping rules are stricter than they used to be. Three weeks covers both islands at a reasonable pace; a month is better.","hw_hub_country_facts":"Languages | English and te reo M\u0101ori, both official, plus NZ Sign Language\r\nCurrency | New Zealand dollar (NZD)\r\nEmergency | 111\r\nTap water | Safe to drink\r\nTipping | Not expected\r\nSand flies | A genuine menace on the West Coast and in Fiordland. Bring repellent\r\nHow long to stay | Three weeks minimum for both islands\r\nBest months | December to March, or September and October for fewer people","hw_hub_country_cities_title":"Where to go","hw_hub_country_cities_intro":"Most people drive. The two islands are linked by the Cook Strait ferry from Wellington to Picton.","hw_hub_country_cities_live":"1","hw_hub_country_cities":"Queenstown | The adventure capital: bungee, skydiving, lake and mountains. Busy and expensive. |  | 1310536 | Would love to return to Queenstown. Has a lot to offer for everyone\u2019s tastes! | \nAuckland | The biggest city, on two harbours, with volcanic cones across it and islands offshore. |  | 1310533 | We were only around for an afternoon and a morning. It's so easy to walk everywhere. The weather was good for spring, there's a lot of interesting building art, the waterfront is pretty and well developed, the green spaces are nice. We saw a fair bit on foot and would have to drive to explore more. | \nWellington | The capital: coffee, craft beer, Te Papa museum and wind that has to be experienced. |  | 1310538 | Everything close to hand, diverse activities everywhere and generally good vibes. | \nRotorua | Geothermal pools, sulphur in the air, and the centre of M\u0101ori cultural tourism. |  | 1310537 | It is quite a small town with a lot of activities to explore, love the lake it is very scenic by end of the day. | \nFranz Josef | A glacier on the West Coast that ends near rainforest, reached by helicopter. |  | 1310534 | Incredible experience to take a helicopter to glacier if you have the budget | \nTe Anau | The gateway to Fiordland and Milford Sound, and the start of the Milford Track. |  | 1313934 | Te Anau is a place to visit for day excursion or rest and relax by the lake for doing nothing. It is a good place to start hiking fir various mountains or track as well as a gateway to Doubtful and\/or Milford Sound. Overall, a quiet nice town and is a truly holiday getaway place \ud83d\udc4d | ","hw_hub_country_trips_title":"What kind of trip is this?","hw_hub_country_trips_intro":"New Zealand is a hiking and adventure country, and most people do it on wheels.","hw_hub_country_trip_types":"Adventure | green | backpack | The Great Walks, and every adrenaline sport that exists. | Tongariro Alpine Crossing; Bungee where it was invented; Kayak Milford Sound | Tongariro; Milford Sound; Queenstown | Queenstown; Te Anau | adventure\nCulture | purple | culture | M\u0101ori culture, told by M\u0101ori rather than about them. | A marae visit near Rotorua; Te Papa in Wellington; Waitangi Treaty Grounds | Rotorua; Te Papa; Waitangi | Rotorua; Wellington | culture\nCity break | blue | city | Wellington over three days, which surprises people. | Te Papa, free; Wellington craft beer; Auckland's volcanic cones | Wellington centre; Auckland; Cuba Street | Wellington; Auckland | city-break\nBeach | sunset | sunglasses | Abel Tasman, the Coromandel, and water colder than it looks. | Kayak Abel Tasman; Dig a spa at Hot Water Beach; Surf at Raglan | Abel Tasman; Coromandel; Raglan | Auckland | beach\nFood | sunset | local-markets | Lamb, seafood, wine and very good coffee. | Green-lipped mussels in Havelock; A h\u0101ng\u012b meal in Rotorua; Marlborough sauvignon blanc | Marlborough; Wellington; Kaikoura | Wellington; Rotorua | food\nBudget | teal | coin | Expensive, and camper vans are how people cope. | Camper van as bed and transport; DOC campsites for a few dollars; Cook everything | Queenstown; Wellington; Rotorua | Queenstown; Wellington | budget-travel","hw_hub_country_do_title":"Things to do in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_do_body":"The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is 19.4km past active volcanic craters and emerald lakes, and is widely called the best day walk in the world. It needs a shuttle booking at both ends, decent weather and proper gear: it is above the treeline and the weather turns fast.\r\n\r\nMilford Sound is the other essential: a fjord with sheer walls and waterfalls, reached by a spectacular road from Te Anau, and best on a boat or kayak. It rains there most days, which is when the waterfalls are at their best.\r\n\r\nQueenstown is the adventure hub: bungee jumping was commercialised here, and skydiving, jet boating and canyon swings all run daily.\r\n\r\nThe nine Great Walks are the country's flagship multi-day tracks, with huts that must be booked months ahead for the summer season and sell out within minutes of opening.","hw_hub_country_do_points":"Tongariro Crossing | 19.4km, shuttle booked both ends, and weather-dependent\r\nMilford Sound | Rain makes it better. Boat or kayak from Te Anau\r\nGreat Walks | Huts open for booking months ahead and sell out in minutes\r\nQueenstown | Bungee, skydiving and jet boats, all daily","hw_hub_country_do_tag":"things-to-do","hw_hub_country_do_more":"All things to do in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_food_title":"Eating in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_food_body":"New Zealand is expensive to eat out in: a cafe brunch is NZ$20 to NZ$28 and a pub dinner NZ$25 to NZ$40. Most travellers cook, and camper vans and hostel kitchens are built around that.\r\n\r\nWhat is worth paying for is the seafood. Green-lipped mussels, crayfish in Kaikoura, whitebait fritters on the West Coast and oysters from Bluff are all local and excellent.\r\n\r\nA h\u0101ng\u012b, food cooked in an earth oven, is the traditional M\u0101ori meal and is usually experienced as part of a cultural evening in Rotorua. Wine is a serious industry (Marlborough sauvignon blanc and Central Otago pinot noir) and the coffee culture rivals Australia's, which both countries deny.","hw_hub_country_food_points":"Cafe brunch | NZ$20\u201328. Eating out adds up fast\r\nSeafood | Mussels, Kaikoura crayfish and Bluff oysters. Worth the money\r\nH\u0101ng\u012b | Earth-oven cooking, usually part of a M\u0101ori cultural evening\r\nSelf-catering | What almost every traveller does. Supermarkets are Countdown and New World","hw_hub_country_food_tag":"food","hw_hub_country_food_more":"All food guides for New Zealand","hw_hub_country_nightlife_title":"Going out in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_nightlife_body":"Queenstown has the most concentrated nightlife in the country, because it is full of young travellers and seasonal workers: bars along the lakefront, hostel nights and a scene that runs year-round through both ski and summer seasons.\r\n\r\nWellington has the best actual bar culture: craft beer, Cuba Street, and more venues per person than anywhere else in the country. Auckland is bigger and more spread out.\r\n\r\nDrinks are expensive at NZ$10 to NZ$14 a beer, and bottle shops are much cheaper. Outside the main towns, nightlife means a pub or your campsite, and in most of the South Island that is genuinely all there is.","hw_hub_country_nightlife_points":"Queenstown | The busiest scene, year-round with ski and summer seasons\r\nWellington | The best bar culture. Craft beer and Cuba Street\r\nA beer | NZ$10\u201314 in a bar\r\nRural areas | A pub or your campsite. That is the whole offer","hw_hub_country_nightlife_tag":"nightlife","hw_hub_country_nightlife_more":"All nightlife guides for New Zealand","hw_hub_country_transport_title":"Getting around New Zealand","hw_hub_country_transport_body":"Driving is how the country works. Camper vans and cars are rented or bought and sold at either end, and the classic trip runs Auckland to Queenstown over three or four weeks. Roads are good but slower than the distances suggest: winding, single-carriageway and scenic.\r\n\r\nThe Cook Strait ferry between Wellington and Picton takes about three and a half hours and books out in summer, especially with a vehicle.\r\n\r\nInterCity buses cover the country for those not driving, and Kiwi Experience and Stray run hop-on hop-off backpacker services. Domestic flights on Air New Zealand and Jetstar link the main centres.\r\n\r\nFreedom camping is now heavily regulated: only certified self-contained vehicles may camp outside designated sites in most districts, and fines are enforced. Use the CamperMate or Rankers apps to find legal spots.","hw_hub_country_transport_points":"Driving | The default. Roads are winding and slower than the map suggests\r\nCook Strait ferry | Wellington to Picton in 3.5 hours. Books out in summer\r\nFreedom camping | Certified self-contained vehicles only in most districts. Fines enforced\r\nBuses | InterCity, plus Kiwi Experience and Stray for hop-on hop-off","hw_hub_country_transport_tag":"transport","hw_hub_country_transport_more":"All transport guides for New Zealand","hw_hub_country_money_title":"What New Zealand costs","hw_hub_country_money_body":"New Zealand is expensive. Dorms start around NZ$35 and rise sharply in Queenstown in season, a pub dinner is NZ$25 to NZ$40, and a beer is NZ$10 to NZ$14.\r\n\r\nA day comes to NZ$100 to NZ$150. The camper van model is how most people bring that down: the vehicle is bed and transport in one, DOC campsites cost a few dollars a night, and cooking is built in.\r\n\r\nAdventure activities are the other cost and they are not cheap: a bungee is NZ$200 to NZ$280, skydiving NZ$300 to NZ$450, a Milford Sound cruise NZ$80 to NZ$120. Pick two or three rather than all of them.","hw_hub_country_money_points":"Dorm bed | From NZ$35, and much higher in Queenstown in season\r\nA day, all in | NZ$100\u2013150\r\nCamper van | Bed and transport in one. DOC campsites are a few dollars\r\nActivities | Bungee NZ$200\u2013280, skydive NZ$300\u2013450. Choose a few","hw_hub_country_money_tag":"budget","hw_hub_country_money_more":"All budget guides for New Zealand","hw_hub_country_safety_title":"Staying safe in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_safety_body":"New Zealand has very low crime and the risks are entirely outdoors. The mountains are the serious one: weather in the Southern Alps and on the Tongariro Crossing changes within an hour, tracks are less waymarked than in Europe, and people die every year underestimating alpine conditions in summer clothing.\r\n\r\nTell someone your plans, check the forecast at a DOC visitor centre, and turn back rather than pushing on. Huts on the Great Walks must be booked and the alpine sections are genuinely exposed.\r\n\r\nThe sea has strong rips and cold water, and river crossings on tracks are a recurring cause of deaths: do not cross a river in flood.\r\n\r\nNew Zealand sits on a fault line and earthquakes happen; Christchurch in 2011 and Kaik\u014dura in 2016 both caused deaths. Sand flies on the West Coast and in Fiordland are relentless and will ruin a trip if you arrive without repellent.","hw_hub_country_safety_points":"Emergency | 111\r\nAlpine weather | Changes within an hour. Check at a DOC centre and be willing to turn back\r\nRiver crossings | A recurring cause of deaths. Never cross a river in flood\r\nSand flies | Relentless on the West Coast and Fiordland. Bring strong repellent","hw_hub_country_safety_tag":"safety","hw_hub_country_safety_more":"All safety guides for New Zealand","hw_hub_country_entry_title":"Entry and documents","hw_hub_country_entry_body":"Visa-waiver nationalities, including the EU, UK, US and Canada, can visit for up to three months (six for UK citizens) but must obtain an NZeTA online before travelling, and pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy at the same time. Both are done in one application and take a few days to process, so do it before booking flights rather than at the airport.\r\n\r\nA working holiday visa is available to people generally aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some nationalities, allowing twelve months of work.\r\n\r\nBiosecurity is extremely strict, as in Australia: declare all food, outdoor gear and hiking boots, and clean any equipment that has touched soil or fresh water elsewhere. Fines are immediate and substantial.","hw_hub_country_entry_points":"NZeTA | Required before travel, with the tourism levy. Takes a few days\r\nVisa-waiver stay | Three months for most, six for UK citizens\r\nWorking holiday | Twelve months for eligible nationalities under 30 or 35\r\nBiosecurity | Declare food and clean hiking boots. Fines are immediate","hw_hub_country_entry_tag":"travel-tips","hw_hub_country_entry_more":"All travel tips for New Zealand","hw_hub_country_season_title":"When to go","hw_hub_country_season_intro":"December to March is summer and the main season. September to November and March to May are quieter with decent weather, and winter is for skiing.","hw_hub_country_season_note":"Average highs for Auckland. The South Island is several degrees cooler, Fiordland is among the wettest inhabited places on earth, and alpine areas can snow in any month.","hw_hub_country_season_rows":"January | 23 | 5 | Peak summer. Everything open, everything booked\r\nFebruary | 24 | 5 | The best weather of the year, and still busy\r\nMarch | 22 | 5 | Excellent. Warm, settled and crowds thinning\r\nApril | 19 | 4 | Autumn colour in Central Otago. Quiet and good value\r\nMay | 16 | 3 | Cooling. Great Walks season ends and huts go unserviced\r\nJune | 14 | 3 | Winter. Ski season opens around Queenstown and Ruapehu\r\nJuly | 13 | 3 | Peak ski season. Short days elsewhere\r\nAugust | 14 | 3 | Still skiing. Whale watching at Kaikoura year-round\r\nSeptember | 16 | 4 | Spring. Quiet, and lambs everywhere\r\nOctober | 18 | 4 | Good value, unsettled weather, few people\r\nNovember | 20 | 5 | Excellent. Great Walks season opens and it is not yet busy\r\nDecember | 22 | 5 | Summer starts and Kiwis go on holiday from Christmas","hw_hub_country_budget_title":"What your trip will cost","hw_hub_country_budget_intro":"Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, in New Zealand dollars.","hw_hub_country_budget_note":"A camper van folds bed and transport together and is how most people travel here. Big-ticket activities (bungee, skydiving, Milford cruises) sit outside these figures.","hw_hub_country_budget_rows":"Shoestring | 35 | 25 | 20 | 10\r\nMiddle of the road | 55 | 55 | 40 | 45\r\nComfortable | 95 | 95 | 65 | 90","hw_hub_country_budget_currency":"NZ$","hw_hub_country_events_title":"What is on while you are there","hw_hub_country_events_intro":"Waitangi Day and Matariki are the two that say most about the country.","hw_hub_country_events_source":"api","hw_hub_country_events_country":"new-zealand","hw_hub_country_events_count":"8","hw_hub_country_events_cache":"24","hw_hub_country_events_cta_label":"All events in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_events_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/events\/oceania\/new-zealand\/","hw_hub_country_events":"Waitangi Day | 6 February | Waitangi \u00b7 nationwide | Marking the 1840 treaty between the Crown and M\u0101ori. Commemorated and debated in equal measure. |  | \nMatariki | June or July | Nationwide | The M\u0101ori new year, marked by the rising of the Pleiades and a public holiday since 2022. |  | \nGreat Walks season | Late October to April | Nationwide | When huts are serviced and bookable. They sell out within minutes of opening. |  | \nSki season | June to October | Queenstown \u00b7 Ruapehu | Southern hemisphere skiing, with Queenstown the hub. |  | \nWhale watching | Year-round | Kaik\u014dura | Sperm whales off the coast all year, with dolphins and seals alongside. |  | \nWellington craft beer festivals | Various | Wellington | The capital takes its brewing seriously enough to build events around it. |  | ","hw_hub_country_hostels_title":"Where to stay in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_hostels_intro":"The highest-rated hostels in the country, live from Hostelworld. Queenstown, Auckland and Wellington have the most, and summer books out well ahead.","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_label":"All hostels in New Zealand","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/oceania\/new-zealand\/","hw_hub_country_hostels_source":"api","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_type":"country","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_id":"151","hw_hub_country_hostels_currency":"NZD","hw_hub_country_hostels_count":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels_cache":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels":"","hw_hub_country_team_title":"","hw_hub_country_team_intro":"","hw_hub_country_team":"","hw_hub_country_faq_title":"New Zealand travel questions","hw_hub_country_faq_note":"The ones we get asked most.","hw_hub_country_faqs":"How long do you need in New Zealand? | Three weeks minimum for both islands, a month to do it without rushing. The country looks small but the roads are winding and the driving is slower than the distances suggest.\r\nDo I need an NZeTA? | Yes, if you are from a visa-waiver country. It is applied for online along with the tourism levy, takes a few days to process, and is required before you board: sort it before booking flights, not at the airport.\r\nCamper van or hostels? | Camper vans are how most people do it: the vehicle is bed and transport in one, and DOC campsites cost a few dollars. But freedom camping is now heavily regulated, with certified self-contained vehicles only in most districts and fines enforced.\r\nWhat is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing? | 19.4km past active volcanic craters and emerald lakes, widely called the best day walk in the world. You need shuttles booked at both ends, real weather checking and proper gear: it is above the treeline and conditions turn fast.\r\nIs New Zealand expensive? | Yes. Dorms from NZ$35, pub dinners NZ$25 to NZ$40, beer NZ$10 to NZ$14, and a day around NZ$100 to NZ$150. Activities are the other cost: a bungee is NZ$200 to NZ$280 and a skydive up to NZ$450.\r\nWhen should I visit? | December to March for summer and the Great Walks, though it is busiest then. November and March are the sweet spots. June to October is ski season around Queenstown.\r\nWhat are sand flies and do they matter? | They matter more than anything else on this list for day-to-day comfort. On the West Coast and in Fiordland they are relentless, and arriving without strong repellent genuinely ruins evenings outdoors.","hw_hub_country_cta_title":"Say yes to hostels, meet the world","hw_hub_country_cta_body":"Compare hostels across New Zealand: live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.","hw_hub_country_cta_buttons":"Find hostels in New Zealand | https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/oceania\/new-zealand\/\r\nGet the app | https:\/\/hostelworld.onelink.me\/IdiK\/f5a50nhd","hw_hub_country_newsletter_title":"Get the good stuff monthly","hw_hub_country_newsletter_body":"New city guides, deals and route ideas. 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