Whether you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, lover of hiking, or just looking for an adventure, this New Zealand North Island itinerary will get you on the right track to planning a 7 day road trip around New Zealand’s beautiful North Island.
Day 1 – Relaxing in Auckland
Kia Ora! That means “hello” in Māori – the language of the native Māori peoples of New Zealand.
You’ve arrived in Auckland, but we recognize the flight has been long so we’ve designated day 1 of your trip for rest, restoration, and reorientation. Today you’ll pick up your rental car from the airport, drive into the city of Auckland, and spend the afternoon however you’d like – we might recommend a (brief) nap! But before your nap – don’t forget you’ll be driving on the left side of the road!
For your afternoon, we recommend a walk around Auckland and a massage at East Day Spa. East Day Spa is the spa inside the Grand by SkyCity hotel. We had a couples massage and it was one of the best massages we’ve ever had! We recommend booking in advance.
We’ve provided accommodation and dining recommendations below.
Day 2 – Hobbiton to Rotorua
This morning, you’ll drive to Hobbiton, the real life Shire, about a 2 ½ hour drive from Auckland. When booking (see our LOTR Guide to New Zealand) you’ll have the option of booking your tour with or without lunch included. We recommend booking without – instead, leave Auckland a bit early and plan to have lunch on your own at The Shire’s Rest (on Hobbiton property – open until 2:30 PM) and try some hokey pokey ice cream prior to your tour.
Following your Hobbiton tour, head to Rotorua for the night (about an hour and 15 min drive). We stayed at the Ramada Rotorua, but it did not have air conditioning on the top floor where the bedrooms were, which we found to make it hot, humid, and stinky. However, we did have lots of space, a washer/dryer, and a full kitchen there!
Here’s some other hotel options, as well as some highly recommended places for dinner.
Hotels
Restaurants
Day 3 – Rotorua to Ohakune (Tongariro staging!)
Day 3 of our New Zealand North Island itinerary begins with a walk through Rotorua’s beautiful Redwoods Quarry. There are paid experiences available, but we opted to park and walk through ourselves for free and it was just as magical!
Following your walk through the Redwoods, it’s time to head to Ohakune – which will be your jumping off point for an incredible adventure hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
But first, you’ll make some fun stops along your 3 hour drive to Ohakune!
Stop 1: Hike Rainbow Mountain & Crater Lake Outlook Track. This is a 3.8 mile out and back trail with beautiful views. A great warm up for tomorrow’s big hike!
Stop 2: Lunch in Taupo. This cute lakeside town has some great options for lunch (and ice cream 🙂 ) You can’t miss seeing the airplane McDonald’s!
Stop 3: Arrive in Ohakune! Ohakune is a town that is popular during the skiing season. We stayed in a unique AirBnB called Pumice which we loved! We especially loved using the outside grill while there.
Hotels
Restaurants
Day 4 – Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Today adventure on our New Zealand North Island itinerary is your hike through Mordor – the Tongariro Alpine Crossing! As is explained in our Lord of the Rings Guide, because this hike is one way, and not a loop or a feasible out-and-back, you either need to book a guided hike (which we recommend if you have any hesitation about your ability to complete the hike) or book a parking spot and shuttle bus. You have the option of either parking at the beginning of the hike (Mangatepopo) and shuttling from the end back to your car, or parking at the end of the hike (Ketetahi) and shuttling from the parking lot to the beginning of the hike. We recommend the latter, as at the end of your journey, you’re unlikely to want to have to wait for a shuttle and sit amidst other exhausted (and stinky!) hikers.
We booked our parking spot and shuttle with Tongariro Crossing Car Park and Shuttle for a 7AM shuttle departure. The drive to the Ketetahi lot from Ohakune takes about 1 hour – plan accordingly so you don’t miss your shuttle!
Guided Hikes
Premium Tongariro Crossing Guided Group Walk
Group guided hike with pick up from National Park Village
Private Tongariro Crossing Guided Walk
Private guided hike with pick up from National Park village
At the end of the hike, we were greeted by an ice cream stand in our parking lot 🙂
For dinner tonight, we opted to swing by the grocery store in Ohakune and pick up some steak to make kebabs on the grill – a good option to save some money, but the restaurant options in town aren’t too pricey either!
Day 5 – Ohakune to Wellington
On Day 5, you’ll drive to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city! Feel free to sleep in (especially after your big hike yesterday!) and take your time on the nearly 4 hour drive from Ohakune to Wellington. Once you arrive, feel free to explore the city at your own pace this afternoon! We’ve included a few recommendations below.
Suggested activities:
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Wellington Waterfront Walk
- Wellington Botanic Garden (you can see glow worms here!)
Hotels
Restaurants
Day 6 – Lord of the Rings Tour from Wellington
On your second day in Wellington and your last day in the North Island, you might choose to take a full or half day Lord of the Rings tour! We opted for the full day tour with Capital Personalised Tours, which included:
- Hotel pick up
- Driving to multiple Lord of the Rings filming sites around/just outside of Wellington
- Lunch
- Guided tour of Weta Workshop
- Drive to the top of Mount Victoria
- A priceless experience learning behind-the-scenes secrets about the filming of Lord of the Rings!
You’ll be back in downtown Wellington in time for dinner.
Day 7 – Onward to South Island!
Sadly, your time on the North Island of New Zealand has come to an end. Today you’ll drop off your car at the Wellington airport before boarding your plane on to your next destination – or back home! If you’re headed to the South Island, we recommend flying to Christchurch. Now that you’ve completed your New Zealand North Island itinerary, keep on the lookout for our 6 day South Island itinerary – coming soon!
