Road-Trip Itinerary for New Zealand’s North Island – 4 Weeks

Join me as I go through what I think is the ultimate road-trip itinerary for the North Island of New Zealand. If you don’t have 4-weeks to explore, check out my condensed 2-weeks itinerary (coming soon).

New Zealand has been on my bucket list since I saw pictures of its beautiful mountains, volcanos and glacial lakes. I just knew it was going to be the first place I went solo travelling. I was lucky enough to have 2 months exploring North and South Island (I will explain what both island are better known for down below) and wanted to spend an equal time exploring both islands. Four weeks was enough to see the highlights of both islands but with every place, there is always more to see! If you like this blog and want South Island road-trip advice too, check out my blog on 4 weeks in South Island (coming soon).

Wherever you are travelling, always follow the Leave No Trace rule (leave nothing but footprints) and show respect to the environment and the people too. In New Zealand they call this the Tiaki Promise which is a commitment to care for New Zealand, for now, and for future generations. By following the Tiaki Promise, you are making a commitment to act as a guardian, protecting and preserving their home.

I hope you find this blog helpful for planning your trip, let me know in the comments if you would like me to add anything!

• Day 1: Auckland
• Day 2: Waiheke Island
• Days 3 – 5: Bay of Islands
• Days 6 – 8: Northland
• Days 9- 11: Coromandel
• Days 12 – 14: Mt Maunganui
• Days 15 – 18: Rotorua
• Days 19 – 22: Taupō
• Days 23 – 25: New Plymouth
• Days 26 – 28: Wellington

Once you arrive in Auckland, take a moment to explore the CBD, especially Maungawhau/ Mt Eden which is an extinct volcano crater and has good views over the city. I caught the bus to the bottom of the volcano (Tahaki Reserve bus top) and then walked up, it was relatively steep but not too bad. The views from up there give a nice taste of what is to come for the rest of the trip!

Another option for a good viewpoint is Sky Tower, which gives you a 360 degree view of the surrounding city but you have to pay $45 for an adult ticket. They also have a SkyJump and SkyWalk for an additional price if you were after something a bit more adventurous on your first day. Like most big cities, Auckland has a big food scene, the ones I went to were Best Ugly Bagels which had a delicious avocado and basil bagel, Scarecrow’s is good for brunch and Java on K’Road had amazing Indonesian food.

I didn’t find Auckland that enticing and mainly used it as a time to get everything I needed for my road-trip. I tried searching for camping equipment on Facebook Marketplace, my idea was to occasionally sleep in a tent or my car (at campsites so I still had access to a kitchen, toilets and clean water), to keep costs down and to go to lesser known places without travelling ages from the nearest hostel. The other things I wanted to buy were suncream, bug spray, pain-relief tablets and hiking poles. I already had a first-aid kit with me just in case me or someone else needed help.

View from Maungawhau/ Mt Eden

View of the Maungawhau/ Mt Eden crater

I followed the Te Ara Hura route (red trail) going clockwise from Mātiatia Ferry Terminal. If the Island Bay track is still closed, it might be best to go down Korora Road to link back up to the red trail

Image taken from tourismwaiheke.co.nz

Waiheke Island is well known for its beautiful beaches and wineries. I am not much of a wine drinker so opted for walking around the west coast of the island.

I caught the Fullers360 ferry over to Waiheke Island after grabbing a bagel from Best Ugly Bagels for my breakfast. Make sure you grab a map from the ferry as it’s very helpful for following hiking trails, I also use google maps and download the maps of where I am going in case there is weak/ no signal.

The ferry docks in Mātiatia Bay and as soon as you get off the jetty you will see a sign on the left for the start of your walk. To follow the trail by the beach the tide needs to be out so check the tide times online first. If it’s high tide there is a separate track further up the road on the left and it is sign posted so keep your eyes peeled. Follow this trail until you get to Oneroa Bay, this is a really beautiful beach and good for swimming. There are quite a few cafes nearby, a general store and toilets/ changing rooms. From this beach follow Oceanview Road back to the ferry port.

You can also decide to stay on the island and bring your car over using the Sealink ferry. This ferry docks at a different location so I don’t recommend it if you are not planning on bringing a car. There are quite a few places to stay near Oneroa Bay and further inland.

Waiheke Island

Mātiatia Bay

Auckland to Paihia -> 3hrs 40mins

The Bay of Islands is full of different places to go but the main ones are Russel and Paihia. I decided on Paihia as there was an hostel with free parking nearby.

There are loads of things to do here including checking out the beach, although the sun does not set on the beach, it’s still a nice place to watch the sky change colour. On the right of the beach, as you look at it from the road, there is also a lookout point.

Make sure to check out Haruru Falls and Rainbow Falls. When I went it had rained the night before and so the waterfalls were really flowing. Rainbow Falls was my favourite as when the sun comes out you get an amazing rainbow in the waterfall spray, there are three lookout point, two upper and one lower.

I highly recommend taking the ferry over to the town of Russel, you can book tickets at the information centre at the top of the wharf with Northland Ferries. Walk up to Flagstone Hill Reserve and if you have time check out Tapeka Point. On this route I saw seven kingfishers in the rainforest which was really cool to see as they are very elusive in the UK! There are loads of nice restaurants in Russel so stay for lunch/ dinner before heading back to Paihia, the ferries run regularly and until 10pm in summer and 9pm for off-peak times.

One of the other main things to do is the Hole in the Rock tour, I went with Island Getaway Tours who give some of the money back to maintaining the natural attraction, they have a 2 hour hole in the rock tour or a half-day tour that includes two island stop-overs: Motuarohia (Roberton) Island and Urupukapuka Island. Urupukapuka Island is stunning and good for snorkelling, Island Getaway Tours provide snorkelling gear if you don’t have your own. Instead of snorkelling I went on a short walk up the hill, there are many trails to choose from so pick the one that suits you best.

Another good option is hiking Duke’s Nose, this trail looks insane! I haven’t done it myself but its definitely on my list for when I come back.

Paihia Beach

Hole in the Rock

Urupukapuka Beach

Paihia to Northland -> 1hr 20mins

After Bay of Island head down to Northland (Matapouri Region), depending on which way you are driving there is nice waterfall called Whangārei Waterfall.

One of the main reasons I came to Northland was to scuba dive at Poor Knights Island, so if you aren’t keen on scuba diving I would recommend you just spend a night here. There are a couple of amazing beaches which I will talk about in a little bit which I highly recommend you go to, it’s also a nice way to split up some of the journey as the drive to Coromandel is long.

As I mentioned, I dived at Poor Knights Island with Dive! Tutukaka, it was an amazing experience with tons of fish swimming around me and I even saw a couple of stingrays as well. I thought the water would be warm but it was quite cold so don’t expect to see any tropical fish swimming around. I highly recommend Dive! Tutukaka as the crew were very professional, kind and there is an option to add a sandwich lunch too which is one less thing to worry about when packing the day before.

The two beaches I would suggest you go to are Whale Bay and Matapouri Beach. Whale Bay was stunning and good for snorkelling/ swimming, sun bathing and picnics as it is really sheltered. There is also a changing/ toilet block. A short hike takes you up to a lookout point, it’s well signposted easy to find when you get there. Parking is a bit limited so make sure you get there before the midday rush. Matapouri beach was also a nice beach with a general store selling fish and chips and an ice cream shop which sold real fruit ice cream! Again a nice beach for relaxing and swimming with plenty of parking.

Also, there is a glow worm cave nearby called Kawiti Glowworm caves, I didn’t go but the reviews on google maps look good.

Whale Bay Headland Walkway

Matapouri Beach

Northland to Coromandel -> 4hrs 30mins

This is the first of a couple of long drives, I always like to find a coffee stop early on in the drive before starting on the big journey. I will say though, it’s never boring driving in New Zealand, so even if its a long way the views will always provide.

There are a couple of longer stops you can do starting off with Te Arai beach, which was lovely but does involve driving on a gravel road which most car rental insurance companies do not cover you on. I didn’t have a 4×4 and it was fine but you never know if something might go wrong. Another place to stop is Goat Island which is a marine reserve and good for snorkelling. This is a good opportunity to see some of the fish that you may of missed if you didn’t do the scuba diving and its free too (if you have your own mask and snorkels, if not I think you can hire some on the beach).

Once in Coromandel there are loads of cool stuff to do, I stayed in the town as there was a nice hostel there called Tidewater which was a really sociable hostel. Staying in town does mean you are further away from the attractions nearer to Hahei but the drives aren’t too long.

The first popular attraction is Cathedral Cove which is a really cool natural archway that leads to a limestone stack out in the water, it’s part of a marine reserve so good for snorkelling and scuba diving. I parked my car in the park and ride in town (well signposted) and took the shuttle to the start of the walk, it took me about 15/ 20mins to walk to the Cove. There is a toilet halfway through the walk but no rubbish bins so take all your rubbish back with you. There is a coastal walk you can do too with a nice viewpoint. As the archway is popular on instagram, try and get there early before the crowds arrive.

Hot Water Beach is another popular place, it’s really cool because if you dig a hole in the sand the water is hot due to volcanic activity nearby. You can rent spades from nearby to dig yourself a hole, however, I just walked around the general area and put my feet into the hot water coming out of holes other people had dug. Be careful as if you don’t add cold water from the sea, some of the water is hot enough to burn you. This natural phenomenon is only on a small section of the beach so it gets extremely crowded. You also need to make sure you go at low tide, so check the tide times before you go.

There is also a good beach called New Chums Beach, you have to wade across a river and walk a little while on stones right by the sea so make sure you go at low tide. I didn’t do this and so had to turn around as soon as I got to the beach otherwise I was unsure whether I would get trapped or not. It didn’t help that the sea was a quite rough.

Slightly further down is Karangahake Gorge and Owharoa Falls. Karangahake is a huge abandoned gold mine, you can walk in the old mine shafts and follow the path through the gorge which is stunning. Owharoa Falls was one of my favourite waterfalls in New Zealand, it was so pretty and peaceful and great for a relaxing swim.

Mt Paku is an amazing short 2 hour hike with amazing views and Whanagmata beach is also stunning.

Goat Island

Walkway to New Chums

Hot Water Beach

Karangahake Gorge Lookout

Mt Paku Summit

Whanagmata Beach

Coromandel to Mt Maunganui -> 2hr 40mins
Mt Maunganui to Hobbiton -> 1hr

I used this place as a cheaper alternative to staying in Matamata which is where most people stay before going to Hobbiton. I would say this place is definitely worth a visit even if you plan on staying in Matamata as the view from Mt Maunganui is insane! It is also perfect for sunsets and sunrises.

The day has finally come to see the film set of Hobbiton. Now, I’m not a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings movies but I absolutely loved it here, everything is kept at a high standard and I really felt like I was a giant visiting the homes of Hobbits. Tickets sell out fast so make sure you book in advance. The ginger beer in The Green Dragon™ Inn was so good!

One of the places I loved around this area was Omanawa Falls, this was the most incredible place, it was so peaceful and beautiful. It is a hugely significant spiritual place for Māori people so make sure you treat it with respect and for the full peaceful experience for you and fellow adventurers, try to keep your voices down and listen to the wind and the bird calls.

Another amazing waterfall was Warier Falls, this requires a lot of walking up steps through a gorge but the end result is breathtaking.

Mt Maungaui

Wairere Falls

Hobbiton

Hobbition

Mt Maunganui to Rotorua -> 1hr

You can smell Rotorua before you get there, it has high geothermal activity and so smells strongly of sulphur. I have to admit, I didn’t mind it, it reminded me that I was surrounded by volcanic activity and after a while you don’t notice the smell that much. There is also so much to do in Rotorua, the smell will become background noise.

First of all, on the journey to Rotorua there is a stop that I recommend, Okere Falls. There is a short walk you can do that follows the falls and there are quite a few companies that offer White Water Rafting. While I really wanted to go, my travel insurance did not cover me for Grade 5 rafting so I decided to skip this one out, just as I was travelling alone and didn’t want anything going wrong. It was still a cool stop and if you catch it right, you may also see a couple of rafts going down.

Once in Rotorua, there are so many geothermal activities for you to do. I chose Hell’s Gate as they offer a hot mud spa, walks around geothermal hotspots and you get to do a traditional wood carving included in the price of the walk. I really enjoyed my time here.

The other well known one is Wai-o-Tapo, which has a geyser that goes off at 10am everyday, the only thing I would say about this is that it’s not ‘naturally’ erupting. The employees trigger it by adding a substance that causes it to erupt which put me off seeing it. Both of these locations and Te Puia (also a geothermal park) provide Māori experiences, if you want to get to know more about their culture. I will talk about the one I did later on.

Another geothermal activity is Waimangu Volcanic Valley, this is slightly further out of the city but I recommend going the extra way, it’s a lot bigger than the other attractions and quieter. I was blown away by the all the volcanic activity in this area and it’s crazy how you can walk right next to them. There was a silica pool which was the most stunning blue colour (weather depending). If you walk to the nature reserve at the end of the trail, you get an amazing lookout point towards Mt Tarawera.

There are a few walks around the Redwood Forest called Whakarewarewa and there are multiple routes to follow depending on how long you want to walk for. It was so cool to see all the Redwoods and it makes you feel so small in comparison to the huge trees. The colours of the forest are the most amazing orangey- brown.

The other two experiences I did were a Glow worm kayaking experience on Lake Okareka and the Mitai Māori Village. The glow worm kayaking was amazing! We kayaked out onto the lake to three different glow worm caves and sat under the glow worm ‘stars’. The guides were also very knowledgeable about the worms and they provided hot chocolate and marshmallows while we looked at them. The actual stars were also incredible on the lake so even if you don’t do the tour, this location would be a great place for star gazing!

There are so many Māori activities to do in Rotorua and I tried to find the most authentic. Having spoken to multiple people I decided to go to the Mitai Māori Village. I really enjoyed the fact that it is run by a local Māori tribe and they teach you the core principles of their culture. You also get to enjoy a buffet which is partly cooked in a Hāngī (a traditional way of cooking food that involves a big hole filled with hot stones, the food is then covered traditionally with flax leaves and the dirt put back over the hole to keep the steam in). As a vegetarian I didn’t try any of the meat cooked this way but the potatoes were the best I’ve ever eaten. You might be thinking come on Clare they are only potatoes but you’ll have to try them before you judge me. The only negatives I had, were that there were a lot of people at once and so if you weren’t at the front when walking through their village you are just blindly following other tourists which felt a bit odd. It also was very much a performance which is what I tried to avoid as it didn’t feel very authentic. That being said, it was cool to see the family paddling down the river on what would traditionally be their war canoe (Waka), they performed a traditional Haka and taught us about the weapons, toys and customs of the tribes. There are also a few glow worms out and about when they take you on a tour of their village at night.

The first of my recommended long hikes is also here in Rotorua. The Tarawera Trail takes around 5-6hrs and you walk through a beautiful rainforest along Lake Tarawera. Park in the car park at the start of the trail, if you type Tarawera Trail into google it takes you straight to the car park. Once you get to the end of the trail you arrive at Hot Water Beach (yes another one), but with this one the water is heated through boiling geothermal water flowing into the water so the water is beautiful and warm. You get sections of cold water and then warm which is pretty cool when swimming. Don’t put your head under the water though as any geothermal hot water may carry diseases that infect you through the nasal passage, so you’re okay as long as you don’t dunk your head! There is a water taxi that you need to pre-book if you only want to walk the trail one way, I got the taxi for the return journey but that is up to you, I used Totally Tarawera. There is also no food or water on the trail so make sure you bring your own and check out the official DOC website here. Kotukutuku Bay Jetty car park overlooking the lake is a good place to watch the sunrise and there is a cafe there too, although it may be closed now so check on google before you go.

Hell’s Gate

Redwood Forest

Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Lake Tarawera Jetty Sunrise

Tarawera Trail

Rotorua to Taupō -> 1hr

Taupō was my favourite place on the North Island, looking back on it now Lake Taupō and the surrounding volcanoes gave me a taste of what to expect in the South Island.

Firstly though, there are a couple of things to do on your journey from Rotorua to Taupō. If you aren’t geothermaled out by now there is another one called Orate Korako Geothermal Park. This one is a lot quieter than the other parks, however, in my opinion it wasn’t as impressive as some of the other ones. There are two main geysers that may be erupting naturally, they let you know which one is active when you arrive so you aren’t waiting for ages at the inactive one. The main thing that I really enjoyed was the geothermal cave which is one of the only two in the world, the water was super clear and it felt very peaceful.

Secondly, is Aratiatia Rapids which is a dam that the operatives release 4 times a week at the same time. There was maintenance going on when I went so the dam was constantly open but normally the river goes from quite empty to extremely powerful in a matter of seconds which I imagine will be awesome to watch.

Lastly, we have Huka Falls which was really beautiful. You can walk to the view point or along the river, this is another spot for adrenaline seekers as there is a company called HukaFalls Jets that takes you out on a jet boat very close to the falls.

Once you reach Taupō, there are a couple of hikes I highly recommend you do: Tongiario Crossing and Tama Lakes. Tongiario Crossing is the short one day version of the Tongiario Circuit which usually takes 3-4 days, if you are planning on doing this version you need to make sure that you book the huts/ tent sites well in advance because they sell out super fast! The crossing however, is New Zealand’s most popular one day hike, takes about 8 hours and is absolutely stunning. It is also home to the infamous Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings. Due to unforeseen events I couldn’t do the crossing but hearing from everyone else, it is definitely a must! There are sections of scree (a mass of small loose stones) that make walking downhill a bit scary, however, you can either buy poles to help keep you stable or some people say running down is easiest. Make sure you pack plenty of food and water, bring suncream, sun hat and sunglasses as there is no shade on the trail. The walk is one-way so most people get a shuttle bus either from their hostel (Finlay Jacks definitely has a shuttle bus) or you can park in the park and ride in the national park and get the shuttle back to your car, be sure to book in advance.

If you don’t feel like walking for a strenuous 8 hours, a good alternative is Tama Lakes. This trail takes between 5-6 hours but the trail is mainly flat until you get to the lower lake trail when you have to walk uphill on scree. This walk was incredible and while I am gutted to have missed the Tongiario Crossing, I still got to see all the volcanos that I would have walked across! There are two lakes (upper and lower) and a waterfall to walk to, make sure you go to both lakes as the view from the lower lake is unbeatable. On the way back to town, there is a really pretty waterfall called Tawhai Falls (Gollums Pool) that was used in the filming in Lord of the Rings.

If you are after something to help you relax after your hikes, you can take a boat trip/ kayak to see the Māori rock cavings in the lake. I took the electric boat (Sail Barbary) which was super quiet and lets you soak in the sun in peace. They offer free tea and coffee onboard and the chance to jump in and go for a swim. The lake beach is also great for catching rays and swimming. Also, there are hot springs nearby which I didn’t go to but a couple of people who completed the walk mentioned that it was great to soak in the hot springs after their walks.

For the adrenaline seekers, Taupō is almost the Queenstown of North Island and offers Bungee Jumps and Skydiving. I did not do a bungee jump here however, I did in Queenstown and I went with the AJ Hackett company and was very happy with their safety and the crew were great at encouraging and being supportive. Therefore, I would suggest using this company for the bungee jump in Taupō.

Orate Korako Geothermal Park

Huka Falls

Lake Taupō

Lake Taupō sunset

Taranaki Falls

Mt Ruapehu

Mount Ngāuruhoe (Mt Doom)

Taupō to New Plymouth -> 3hr 40mins

On the way to New Plymouth check out Te Waihou Walkway/ Blue Spring and Three Sisters and Elephant Rock. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Three Sisters and Elephant Rocks because you need to go at low tide to be able to walk across the estuary to get there. It looks stunning from other peoples pictures so be sure to check out! Te Waihou Walkway/ Blue Spring is a gorgeous river walk along some of the purest water in the world. It was an amazing detour on my journey.

As you approach New Plymouth you will see why I feel in love with the place. The town is backdropped by a huge volcano (Mt Taranaki) that on a clear day you can see clearly from the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway, there is a bridge that lines up perfectly with the volcano by the boat ramp. There are multiple hikes around this volcano: Around the Mountain (4-5 day loop), Pouākai Circuit which you can do in 2-3 days if you wanted to stay in huts or you can do the 25kms in one day and get a shuttle either back to your car or your hostel.

The one I chose was the Pouākai Tarns walk which consisted of walking on boardwalk steps that feels like they never end. Honestly this was one of the most horrible hikes I did in my time in New Zealand due to the amount of stairs you have to go up but the view from the top is definitely worth it. You step over the brow of a mountain and the most stunning volcano is waiting to greet you! If you carry on walking a little further you get to a small tarn (lake carved out by a glacier millions of years ago) and if weather conditions are right you get an amazing reflection of the volcano in the lake. For the classic Instagram shot, you should aim to leave as early as possible when the wind is lowest and hopefully there aren’t any clouds obscuring you view of the volcano. There is a toilet over halfway on the hike however, it is a long drop so I tend to avoid them unless absolutely necessary, there are nicer toilets in the car park before the hike.

If you have time, on the other side of the national park there are multiple walks you can do to a couple of water falls, I went to Dawson Falls which is about a 10 minutes walk away from the car park and is beautiful.

There are a couple of nice beaches here: Fitzroy and Back beach which are good for swimming and watching the sunset. Back beach faces slightly more westerly and so is better for catching the sunset over the beach. I personally preferred Back beach and there were surfers and a couple of bodyboarders enjoying the waves here.

Three Sisters & Elephant Rocks Lookout

Fitzroy Beach sunset

Mt Pouākai Tarn

Dawson Falls

Back Beach sunset

New Plymouth to Wellington -> 4hrs 20mins

You have arrived at the end of your North Island trip but there are still plenty of things to do in New Zealand’s capital.

• Walk up Mt Victoria for stunning views of the capital and surrounding shore line.
• Head to Te Papa museum to learn more about Māori culture and the war that is commemorated by Anzac Day.
• Walk along the coast and swim in some of the many beaches surrounding the capital
• Wellington has loads of good food too so definitely check out some of the many restaurants in the area

It’s time to decide whether you are going to take the ferry across to South Island or if this is the end of your New Zealand adventure. I highly recommend the South Island, if you liked the North, you will be blown away by the South, I know I was!

Balaena Bay

Mt Victoria Viewpoint

Mt Victoria Viewpoint

A few people I spoke to looped back to Auckland, returned their car and then flew down to Christchurch or Queenstown and then hired a car from that airport. This is a cheaper option that paying the relocation fee for the car and taking the ferry across but is less sustainable due to the flight. You will also need to add more days if you are planning on visiting all the places listed above.