Explore New Zealand
Start with a region, then find the towns, walks and places worth stopping for along the way.
Explore New Zealand
From black-sand beaches to alpine valleys, find the places that make you want to stay another day.
Find your next stop ↓Explore New Zealand
Pick a region on the map or use the list. Start with one place and see what else is nearby.
Choose a region ↓Explore by region
Regional guide
Waikato
From Hamilton’s gardens and Raglan’s surf coast to Hobbiton and the limestone country around Waitomo.
Local guides and profiles
Browse the islands
Browse all 16 regions. For local guides, choose a region on the map or open its regional guide.
North Island
Northland
Explore Whangārei, the Kauri Coast, Hokianga, Bay of Islands and the Far North.
Lighthouse at Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua. Photo: LuizCent, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Open Northland guide →
Auckland
Plan a city stay, a Waiheke ferry trip, west-coast outings or a northern coastal drive.
Central Auckland and the Sky Tower across Waitematā Harbour, photographed in 2024. Photo Pseudopanax, public domain. Source Wikimedia Commons
Open Auckland guide →
Waikato
From Hamilton’s gardens and Raglan’s surf coast to Hobbiton and the limestone country around Waitomo.
Photo: Tom Hilton, CC BY 2.0. Resized and cropped in display.
Open Waikato guide →
Bay of Plenty
Explore Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Whakatāne, Waihī Beach and the eastern coast.
Mount Maunganui and the coast. Photo: ShakyIsles, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Open Bay of Plenty guide →
Gisborne / Tairāwhiti
Plan a Gisborne stay, an inland visit to Rere and Eastwoodhill, or a slower coastal journey through Uawa, Tokomaru Bay and the East Cape communities.
Photo: Ulanwp, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web.
Open Gisborne / Tairāwhiti guide →
Taranaki
Explore New Plymouth, the short walks around Taranaki Maunga and the coastal drive through South Taranaki.
Taranaki Maunga rising above the surrounding landscape. Photo: Gary L. Clark, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Open Taranaki guide →
Hawke’s Bay
Explore Napier’s Art Deco streets, Hastings and Havelock North, Te Mata Peak, the Cape Coast and Central Hawke’s Bay.
Photo: Jakob (TheLoyalOrder), CC BY 4.0. Resized for web.
Open Hawke’s Bay guide →
Manawatū–Whanganui
Riverfront heritage, Manawatū towns and walks on the volcanic plateau.
Photo: Pseudopanax, public domain.
Open Manawatū–Whanganui guide →
Wellington
Explore the capital, Kāpiti Coast and South Wairarapa.
Wellington city and harbour seen from Mount Victoria. Tom Ackroyd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and JPEG re-encoded.
Open Wellington guide →South Island
Nelson
Start with Nelson city’s waterfront, Tāhunanui Beach and a short walk through Queen’s Gardens.
Nelson from the Centre of New Zealand lookout. Photo: Markus Koljonen (Dilaudid), CC BY-SA 2.5.
Open Nelson guide →
Tasman
Explore Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay and the coast from Māpua to Motueka.
Coastal scenery in Abel Tasman National Park. Photo: August Dominus, CC0 1.0.
Open Tasman guide →
Marlborough
Cook Strait ferries, the Marlborough Sounds, Wairau vineyards and the southern coast.
Photo: Weldon Kennedy from London, UK, CC BY 2.0. Resized for web.
Open Marlborough guide →
West Coast
Explore Buller and Karamea, Punakaiki, Hokitika, Glacier Country and the road through Haast to Wānaka.
Photo: Christian Michel, CC BY 2.0. Resized for web.
Open West Coast guide →
Canterbury
Plan a Christchurch stay, a Banks Peninsula detour, a coastal stop in Kaikōura or an alpine route through the Mackenzie Country.
Open Canterbury guide →
Otago
Plan a stay by the inland lakes, a Central Otago cycling trip or a visit to Dunedin and the peninsula.
Open Otago guide →
Southland
Explore Fiordland, the Catlins coast, Invercargill and Bluff, and Stewart Island / Rakiura.
Lake Te Anau from the town centre. Photo: Hillmenco, CC BY 4.0.
Open Southland guide →Map and photography credits
Boundaries: Stats NZ, Regional Council 2023 clipped geometry, published with the regional greenhouse-gas dataset, licensed under CC BY 4.0. NZTM coordinates simplified for display. The map omits offshore territories outside the directory’s scope. It shows council geography, not tourism catchments.
Waikato: Raglan Harbour, Tom Hilton, CC BY 2.0, resized/cropped in display. Aoraki and Arrowtown: TravellingNZ permissioned library, TNZ-333 and TNZ-248, previously used on the site.
Bay of Islands: Motumaire Island off Paihia, Pseudopanax, public domain. Coromandel: Cathedral Cove towards the rock arch, Pseudopanax, public domain. Rotorua: Prince of Wales Feathers and Pōhutu geysers, Valley2city, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and cropped in display; the adapted Rotorua image is available under the same licence.