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AirportLink bus + train
Cheapest option. Bus to Puhinui, then train to Britomart. Tag on with a contactless card.
$9 AUD
Plan a sightseeing trip to New Zealand
Sightseeing in New Zealand is built around its landscapes and landmarks: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Weta Workshop Unleashed Admission Ticket. Choose laid-back for two things a day, or packed for four.
Your 5-day sightseeing plan for New Zealand
Where you stayAuckland 3 nightsRotorua 2 nightsabout 195 km between them
5 days · packed · 10 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $1,588
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Day 1 Auckland
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morning
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Cathedral in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand.
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afternoon
Weta Workshop Unleashed Admission Ticket
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evening
Waiheke Island Zipline and Native Forest 3-Hour Tour
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evening
Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari Cruise
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Day 2 Auckland
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morning
Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill
Mountain in New Zealand.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Rangitoto Island
Island in New Zealand.
Just turn up -
evening
Rotoroa Island Day Trip from Auckland
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evening
Auckland: Whales, Dolphins and Islands Cruise
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Day 3 Auckland
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morning
St Patrick's Cathedral
Cathedral in Auckland, New Zealand. Dates from 1885. Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic place listing.
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afternoon
Auckland Art Gallery
Art museum in Auckland, New Zealand. Dates from 1887.
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evening
Waiheke Island wine, olives and oysters
Forty minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. The olives and oysters are as much the point as the wine.
Just turn up -
eveningalso worth doing
Auckland Skydive
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Day 4 Rotorua
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Travel day
Auckland to Rotorua
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
Polynesian Spa Geothermal Hot Springs Ticket
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evening
Lake Rotorua / Te Rotorua nui ā Kahumatamomoe
Crater lake in the North Island of New Zealand.
Just turn up -
evening
Glow Worm Kayak Tour
Where to eat
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Dinner
An evening market, open 5pm to 9pm.
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Day 5 Rotorua
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morning
Hobbiton Movie Set tour
Timed entry only, no walk-ups.
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afternoon
Rotorua Museum
Museum in Rotorua, New Zealand. Dates from 1988.
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evening
Pōhutu Geyser
Geyser in New Zealand.
Just turn up -
evening
Mount Maunganui Scenic Flight Experience
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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 sightseeing 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 sightseeing trip to New Zealand, compared on price.
New Zealand airport transfers
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SkyDrive express bus Best value
Direct to the Sky City terminal in the CBD.
$17 AUD
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Super Shuttle
Shared van, cheaper per person for solo travellers than a taxi.
$35 AUD
Driving in New Zealand
Trip.com Featured partner
Car hire in New Zealand
Search live prices
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.
Sightseeing trip questions
Are the big landmarks worth the queue?
Some are, some are not, and the difference is usually timing rather than the place. Where a timed ticket exists the plan flags it, because the same sight at nine in the morning and at midday are different experiences.
How much sightseeing needs a car?
It depends on the destination, and the plan tells you which items sit outside the main city. If you are driving, check the International Driving Permit rules for the country first - several require one alongside your Australian licence.
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 food itinerary
Markets, cooking classes, wine regions and the places worth planning a day around.
New Zealand highlights itinerary
Some rest, some scenery, some good eating. For the trip you have not decided the shape of yet.
Sightseeing 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 sightseeing itinerary
Visa-free, cash-friendly, and worth over-preparing for.
🇮🇩 Indonesia sightseeing itinerary
Visa on arrival, plus two fees most Australians don't budget for.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom sightseeing itinerary
Australians now need an ETA - this changed in 2025.
🇹🇭 Thailand sightseeing itinerary
60 days visa-free - but the arrival card is now compulsory.