Incredible Places to Visit on New Zealand’s North Island

When you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, a lot of people will downplay the North Island. You’ll hear or read things telling you to limit your time there or skip it altogether depending on the length of your trip. But I’m here to tell you there are a lot of amazing places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island.

Admittedly, the scenery on the North Island tends to be a bit less dramatic than the South Island. But I really enjoyed my two weeks there on my New Zealand campervan trip! It has vast subtropical beaches with beautiful aqua water, colorful geothermal parks bursting (literally) with volcanic activity and the most iconic Lord of the Rings spots. The North Island is also the best place to learn about Māori culture.

If you’re visiting the North Island, don’t sleep on it! In this post, I’ll share my list of key places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island, places I regret visiting and places I wish I’d visited.

Read more about my recommendations for key places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island and decide for yourself.

Table of Contents:

1. Recommended Places to Visit
2. Places I do not Recommend
3. Other Places to Consider
4. Potential Itineraries
   1. 7-Day Itinerary
   2. 14-Day Itinerary

Recommendations for Places to Visit on New Zealand’s North Island

Cape Reinga and Ninety Mile Beach 

Cape Reinga is the northernmost point on the North Island and the point where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea meet. It is also the most spiritually significant place in New Zealand for Māori.

Māori believe their spirits travel to Cape Reinga after death. They slide down the roots of the ancient Pohutukawa tree growing out the side of the cliff to enter the underworld.

In addition to its spiritual and cultural significance, Cape Reinga is absolutely beautiful. The walk to the lighthouse at the tip of the cape will have you marveling at green and brown sea cliffs towering over deep blue water. The swirl of the Pacific and Tasman meeting is a sight to behold in itself. 

Right next to Cape Reinga, you’ll also find Ninety Mile Beach. While it’s actually only 51 miles long, it’s the most vast and emptiest beach I’ve ever seen. Be careful on this beach as there are some pockets of quicksand. Some companies will invalidate your rental insurance if you drive on this beach, so be sure to check your policy if you plan to do so.

Tawharanui Regional Park

This regional park just north of Auckland is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. It has a handful of coastal hikes ranging in from easy to moderate difficult, nice beaches and a large concentration of rare flightless birds.

The coastal walks will take you over impressive sea cliffs to views of dramatic rock formations and beautiful blue water. If you’re there in spring, you’ll see a lot of lambs grazing and potentially even some calves. The trails are open even in lambing/calving season, but be careful not to let any animals out when you walk through the gates.

You can also relax on the beach or even surf.

Auckland 

New Zealand’s largest city by population, Auckland is a must-visit for city vibes. This city is the only one I visited in New Zealand that felt like it had the true hustle and bustle of a typical city in any other country. It’s the business and university center of New Zealand.

Auckland is a great place to learn more about New Zealand’s history in its museums and parks. There’s even some interesting architecture there. It’s also one of the better places to experience some of New Zealand’s food and nightlife scene.

If you’re visiting Auckland for a few days, I also recommend taking a short ferry ride over to Waiheke Island. It’s a small island with nice hiking and biking trails. You can go birding or wine and olive oil tasting.

Hobbiton

Hobbiton is one of the best places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island for any Lord of the Rings or general movie fan. It is where the scenes in The Shire were filmed for all movies in the series. 

Hobbiton is located on Alexander Farms in the small town of Mata Mata. The Alexander family was approached by a location scout and Peter Jackson and took a lot of convincing to agree to the filming. After the Lord of the Rings trilogy was finished filming, the set was torn down, but rebuilt for the Hobbit trilogy. By that point, the movie franchise was so big, and there were so many tourists wanting to visit The Shire that they left the set intact.

During a guided tour of Hobbiton, you’ll walk through The Shire and learn more about how the set was created. You’ll walk past Hobbit Holes, each with their own character and props outside the door. Visitors can see inside an empty Hobbit Hole and a furnished one. The tour ends at the Green Dragon Inn with a complimentary pint of beer, cider or a non-alcoholic drink.

Even if you’re not a huge Lord of the Rings fan, Hobbiton is worth a visit. It’s really neat to feel like you’re fully transported to another universe and learn a bit more about movie magic.

Rotorua 

Rotorua is a small town in the eastern half of the North Island. It’s a great base for learning about Māori culture and seeing some of the island’s intense geothermal activity. 

In Rotortua, you can visit a living modern day Māori village where people still live and work. Or, you can see one of the reconstructed villages meant to look how it did before the British colonized Aotearoa. At these reconstructed villages, you’ll see cultural performances and eat traditional hangi dinner. You really can’t go wrong as long as you choose an experience that gives back to the Māori and helps you learn more about their culture.

I chose to visit the Whakarewarewa Living Māori Village even though it’s less popular and awarded. I wanted to see an actual lived in village rather than one constructed for show, and I’m glad I did! The visit started with a cultural show where we watched the Haka and other traditional dances. Then, we went on a guided tour to learn about Māori history, present-day life and the village’s geography. We saw hot springs and geysers and even got to try some corn that had been cooked in natural hot pool. It was delicious!

Rotorua is also a great place to see natural geothermal activity for free. You can walk through parks with hot springs and bubbling mud pools right in the middle of the city. There are free and paid spa experiences, too.

All of these experiences make Rotorua a key place to visit in New Zealand’s North Island.

Geothermal Park

While Rotorua is a great place to see some geothermal activity for free, if you want to witness the really impressive stuff, you’ll have to pay. And I definitely recommend doing so.

A short drive from the town, you’ll find a few geothermal parks you can choose to visit. While I wanted to visited them all, it wasn’t realistic time or budget-wise.

I chose to visit Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park. This park was a bit off the typical tourist trail than the other options, and it claimed to have one of the highest concentrations of volcanic activities by area. The real seller, though, was that you could stay overnight at the park in a self-contained campervan if you visited.

Orakei definitely did not disappoint. A short boat ride across the water brought us to an incredible world of intense volcanic activity. The colorful silica terraces, the geysers and the thermal cave were bursting with life and awesome to see. The fact that the only way into and out of the park was via boat made it seem like such an immersive experience. There were times I felt like I’d been dropped in the middle of Jurassic Park.

Other geothermal parks I considered visiting were Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. I’m sure they’re just as impressive, but I’m glad I saw Orakei!

Lake Taupō 

Lake Taupō is a crater lake created by a Taupō Volcano eruption. It’s one of the largest freshwater lakes in Oceania and nearly the size of the entire country of Singapore! 

At Lake Taupō, you can walk along hiking trails, swim in the lake, soak in hot springs or do extreme sports like white water rafting. The lake is also home to the most visited place on New Zealand’s North Island: Huka Falls. This series of waterfalls and whitewater pools is a hot spot for whitewater rafting and nature lovers. You can drive right to the falls or hike to them to enjoy the water rush.

Tongariro National Park 

This national park in the center of the North Island is a key place to visit on New Zealand’s North Island if you love nature, hiking or Lord of the Rings. The park has three active volcanoes, tons of waterfalls and several hiking trails. The trails range from very easy to very hard. Plus, you can find both free and paid camping sites whether you’re in a campervan or tent. 

The most popular hike in Tongariro National Park and probably the entire North Island is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It’s one of New Zealand’s Great Walks and can be completed in a day. The hike crosses active volcanic terrain and takes a full day. It’s for experienced hikers only.

If you’re planning to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, keep a close eye on the weather. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do it while I was there because there had been too much recent snow, which made the trail unsafe. 

Fortunately, there are a lot of other nice spots and hikes in Tongariro National Park. Some hikes are good in any weather and will take you through impressive waterfalls and nice views. There are also several Lord of the Rings filming locations in the park. You can see Mt. Doom (Mt. Ruapehu), Gollum’s Pool and Meads Wall, to name a few.

Hawkes Bay 

Located in the southeast of the North Island, this coastal region boasts some of the best weather in New Zealand. You’ll find some of the sunniest days and warmest temperatures here.

Hawke’s Bay is primarily known for its wineries. You can visit the wineries via self-drive, on a tour or by bike. I chose to visit by bike, renting some cruisers via Coastal Wine Cycles. I thoroughly enjoyed my day cycling around the well-maintained bike trails through beautiful vineyards. It’s my favorite way to explore a wine region. The best part was Coastal Wine Cycles was only a few minutes’ walk from our freedom camping site for the night, meaning no one had to worry about driving after a day of wine tasting.

Even if wine tasting doesn’t interest you, the Hawke’s Bay region is still a great place to visit on New Zealand’s North Island. It has beautiful rocky and black sand beaches and some nice coastal hikes. The town of Napier also has a famous art deco neighborhood. Plus, it’s a great place to soak up some sun.

Wellington

If you’re taking the ferry between the North and South Islands, you’ll inevitably end up in Wellington for at least a half day. I spent a day and a half there, and it was one of my favorite cities in New Zealand. It’s the country’s third largest city by population and has a very laid back sort of hippie vibe. It also has a lot of spots to freedom camp within the city. The only downside is that the city is quite windy. 

Wellington actually has quite a bit to do. Climb up to Mt. Victoria for some amazing city views. Watch airplanes take off from the park. Visit Lord of the Rings filming locations like Frodo’s Reading Tree and Hobbits Hideaway. Tour Weta Workshop to learn about movie magic. Go brewery hopping. Eat Malaysian food. Enjoy the street art.

Say a proper goodbye to the North Island before heading South.

Places I Don’t Recommend Visiting on New Zealand’s North Island

In addition to my recommendations for key places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island, there are a few I would not necessarily recommend.

Bay of Islands 

The Bay of Islands is on a lot of lists for recommendations of places to visit on New Zealand’s North Islands. While the subtropical landscape and clear aqua water is certainly beautiful, I found myself a bit underwhelmed by it overall. It is also supposedly a good place to spot dolphins and whales, but I think that’s only the case if you book a whale watching tour.

Because Bay of Islands is only a short drive north of Auckland, it’s a very popular place to visit. Meaning it’s more crowded and just feels like very touristy overall. After spending a few days in the vast empty beaches and dramatic sea cliffs of the Far North, the area just seemed a little underwhelming.

If you’re visiting the nearby Waitangi Treaty Grounds or otherwise passing through, it might be worth stopping by the main lookout for a quick visit. Or if you really want to do a whale watching tour here, it could be good. But otherwise I wouldn’t recommend planning to spend a ton of time here or going out of your way to see it.

Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

Along with Hobbiton, the Waitomo Glow Worm are one of the most recommended places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island. They were also possibly the place I most regret visiting in the entire country. I say that for two reasons:

1. They are by far the most expensive Glow Worm caves to visit. You can take a guided tour of other caves in the country for about a third of the cost. Or you can see glow worms for free on a short hike through Tunnel Trail in TECT Park.
2. The actual experience of the boat ride through the glow worm caves was about 20 minutes or so of basically floating in a circle looking at the glow worms. 

I understand they are large and old glow worm caves. And it’s cool to see the glow worms and learn more about them, along with the ancient stalagmites and stalactites. But not for $79 NZD (~$46 USD)/person. I’d found myself wishing I’d done the tour of Waipu caves up north with Milky Way Tours for half the price instead.

Other Considerations for Place to Visit on New Zealand’s North Island

Although I spent a month in New Zealand, there were still a few places I wanted to see that I didn’t get to visit. Here are some additional places to consider visiting on New Zealand’s North Island:

Waitangi Treaty Grounds: 

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds is one of the most important historically significant places in New Zealand/Aotearoa. Often called the birthplace of the nation, Waitangi was where the declaration of independence and Māori sovereignty was signed. 

You can visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on a guided tour to learn more about this history, visit the museums on the grounds, watch a Māori cultural performance or enjoy a traditional hangi meal.

Coromandel Peninsula and Cathedral Cove

Some people consider the Coromandel Peninsula one of the most beautiful places to visit on the North Island. It is home to the famous Cathedral Cove walk where you can walk through cathedral-shaped rock formations during low tide.

When I visited, Cathedral Cove was closed. Because Coromandel Peninsula was a little out of the way, we opted not to visit it during this trip. But it truly does look like a lovely place to visit.

Kohutapu Lodge

Kohutapu Lodge is an immersive Māori cultural experience a bit off the typical beaten tourist track. It is working to preserve and share Māori culture on the North Island and recently won New Zealand’s coveted regenerative travel tourism award. Kohutapu Lodge is lauded for being one of the most authentic Māori tourism experiences visitors can have on the North Island. Tourism to this previously unvisited area has also provided a major economic boost to the locals.

You can visit for an overnight stay or a day tour of the tribal grounds. Tourists can enjoy an immersive look into Māori culture, with some even going eel fishing and enjoying communal traditional hangi dinners.

The Pinnacles

In the south of North Island are dramatic natural rock formations called the Pinnacles. They served as the backdrop to the Paths of the Dead in Lord of the Rings. Our Hobbiton guide showed us photos of herself at the Pinnacles and made them a must-see on my list.

Unfortunately, a slip caused the path to visit the Pinnacles to close in 2023. It was still closed when we were visiting but is due to open before the end of 2024. Be sure to check for closures if you plan to visit.

Recommended North Island Routes for your New Zealand Campervan Trip

I know the route for a New Zealand Campervan trip can look very different depending on the amount of time you have. Here are some recommended routes for a New Zealand campervan or regular road trip for different lengths of time.

Note that these routes assume perfect weather your entire trip and no closures for different areas and tracks. That’s not entirely realistic, so you may have to rearrange or skip some things based on these obstacles. Always check the weather and check to ensure things are open!

These routes are all round-trip starting and ending in Auckland and cover places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island only. If you’re planning a one-way trip or want to combine this route with a South Island road trip, check out this post.

Potential Route for a 7-Day North Island Trip (round trip)

Here is a potential 7-day round-trip campervan route for the North Island:

Potential Route for a 14-Day North Island Trip (round trip)

Here is a potential 14-day round-trip campervan route for the North Island:

Those are my recommended places to visit on New Zealand’s North Island (and places to skip).

Planning a trip to New Zealand? Feel free to ask any questions!

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