EKTA
Gold
2k$36.48 AUD
The highlights of New Zealand, planned day by day
A highlights trip to New Zealand draws on all three: Nevis Swing, Bungy & Catapult by AJ Hackett, Skydive Queenstown Experience by NZONE. Choose laid-back for two things a day, or packed for four.
Your 5-day highlights plan for New Zealand
Where you stayQueenstown 3 nightsWestland District 2 nightsabout 195 km between them
5 days · packed · 13 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $5,396
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Day 1 Queenstown
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morning
Nevis Swing, Bungy & Catapult by AJ Hackett
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afternoon
Skydive Queenstown Experience by NZONE
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evening
Onsen Hot Pools and Spa Experience in Queenstown
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evening
Kawarau Bridge Bungy, Swing or Zipline Experience by AJ Hackett
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Remarkables Market
A morning market, open 10am to 2pm.
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Lunch
A hamburger restaurant located in Queenstown, New Zealand, which specialises in gourmet hamburgers.
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Day 2 Queenstown
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morning
Fergburger
Burger restaurant in New Zealand. Dates from 2000.
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afternoon
Milford Sound Scenic Flight & Cruise from Queenstown
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evening
Wanaka Tandem Skydive Over Southern Alps and Lakes
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evening
Central Otago progressive winery dinner
Three courses at three wineries around Queenstown and Arrowtown, matched to the pinot noir the region is known for.
Just turn up
Where to eat
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Breakfast
A daily market, open 9am to 4pm.
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Day 3 Queenstown
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morning
Skyline Queenstown
Set of tourist attractions in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Cecil Peak
Mountain in New Zealand.
Just turn up -
evening
Queenstown Paragliding Adventure with Skytrek
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evening
Queenstown Zipline Experience by Ziptrek
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Day 4 Westland District
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Travel day
Queenstown to Westland District
Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it.
Book direct -
afternoon
Fox Glacier Heli Hike Experience
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evening
Glacier Helihike and Flight Experiences in New Zealand
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evening
Tasman Glacier Heli Hike Experience in Mt. Cook
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Day 5 Westland District
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morning
Church of the Good Shepherd
New Zealand Anglican church at Lake Tekapo. Dates from 1935. Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic place listing.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Westland Tai Poutini National Park
National park in New Zealand. Dates from 1960.
Just turn up -
evening
Franz Josef Kayak Classic Experience
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evening
Fox Chancellor Dome Heli Trek Multiday Tour
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Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the highlights theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in New Zealand.
Before you fly to New Zealand
The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are New Zealand's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.
Entry
No - Australian passport holders can enter New Zealand without a visa for up to Indefinite - Australian citizens are granted a resident visa on arrival.
Passport
Check your passport covers the whole trip with room to spare. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.
Your checklist
21 things to sort for New Zealand, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.
- Passport valid - valid on arrival and departure for australian citizens travelling on an australian passport
- Complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD)
- Take out travel insurance
Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.
Sort these before you go
The two things worth having arranged before a highlights trip to New Zealand, compared on price.
New Zealand travel insurance
Klook
Travel insurance
Set at quote
Fast Cover Best value
Standard Saver
9k$16.20 AUD
Compare only
New Zealand eSIM plans
Airalo
1GB · 7 days
32k$7.50 AUD
Saily Cheapest 10GB
10GB · 15 days
6k$13 AUD
Airalo Recommended
10GB · 15 days
32k$15 AUD
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
Highlights trip questions
What goes into a highlights plan?
It rotates between wellness, sightseeing and food items rather than clustering them, so no single day is three museums or three meals. If you would rather lean one way, switch the theme at the top of the page and the plan rebuilds.
Can I change the plan once it is built?
Yes. Pace and length are controls on the page, and changing either rebuilds the plan instantly. The itinerary is deterministic, so the same choices always produce the same plan - you can send someone the link and they will see what you see.
Other ways to do New Zealand
New Zealand wellness itinerary
Hot springs and spa days, but also gyms, yoga, hiking and open water. Rest and movement, not one or the other.
New Zealand sightseeing itinerary
Coastlines, lookouts, day trips and the landmarks that are actually worth the queue.
New Zealand food itinerary
Markets, cooking classes, wine regions and the places worth planning a day around.
Highlights trips in other countries
Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.
🇯🇵 Japan highlights itinerary
Visa-free, cash-friendly, and worth over-preparing for.
🇮🇩 Indonesia highlights itinerary
Visa on arrival, plus two fees most Australians don't budget for.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom highlights itinerary
Australians now need an ETA - this changed in 2025.
🇹🇭 Thailand highlights itinerary
60 days visa-free - but the arrival card is now compulsory.