Best Time to Visit New Zealand
Top 4 things to know about the best time to visit New Zealand:
- Spring is September, October, and November in New Zealand. Expect to see new lambs on your visit, as well as the red rata in bloom, and some excellent skiing conditions.
- Summer is December, January, and February. The striking blue colouring of many of our lakes returns, as do warmer temperatures, more visitors, and great conditions for whale and dolphin watching.
- Autumn is March, April, and May here. Expect quiet walking trails, lots of vineyard activity (harvesting months), and beautiful autumn colours for your inner photographer!
- Winter is June, July, and August in New Zealand. Expect busy ski fields, beautiful snow-capped mountains, and a thriving coffee culture. Winter is the perfect time to explore our natural hot pools.
Spring – September, October, November
Spring is a new beginning every year in New Zealand. For many locals, and visitors, it’s their favourite season. Later in the spring the fields are full of new lambs hopping and jumping around, and the stunning rata tree is in bloom. The tree’s red flowers are an iconic part of New Zealand’s spring season, and can be spotted from a long way off amongst the mainly green forests of both the North and South Islands. The Rata’s close relative, the Pohutikawa is commonly known as the New Zealand Christmas Tree. It blooms slightly later, and is in full colour over the festive season. The New Zealand Lupins are also in bloom during spring, and the South Island particularly, is covered with these beautiful purple plants.
In early spring the skiing can be excellent. Warm, blue sky days, light powdery snow, and quieter ski fields mean spring is a great time of year to visit New Zealand if you’re a snow sports fan. Another reason to visit New Zealand in the first half of spring is the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights. So if photography is your bag, then spring is a great time of year to visit New Zealand. Check out our blog ‘Photography in New Zealand’ for some ideas for photo opportunities.
In general spring is warm, the snow level on the hills will begin to retreat to higher ground, roads are quieter than the high seasons of summer and winter, and accommodation prices are reasonable.
Summer – December, January, February
New Zealand in summer is stunning. The amount of rain reduces, which makes summer a great time to see the famous cobalt blue lakes of the South Island. With less rainfall, and warmer temperatures, the snow melt carries tiny rock particles, known as ‘rock flour’ into the lakes, and the refraction of the bright sunlight makes the clear water appear to be a stunning blue colour. Summer is the perfect time of year to see it.
Something you’ll need to be aware of when visiting New Zealand, is how easy it is to get sunburnt. The sun here is very strong, even on days when it doesn’t feel very warm, and even through moderate cloud cover. We have a less effective o-zone area above the country, and so the burn time can be as low as five minutes, so always wear sunscreen in summer.
Christmas in summer is perfectly natural to us kiwis, even though it’s a strange concept to most of our guests. We’ll usually have a barbecue on the beach, enjoy a glass of champagne, and go for a dip in the lake or ocean. December is also a great time of year for penguin spotting in Milford Sound.
Summer is the busiest time of year to visit New Zealand, but it’s easy to see why so many visitors flock here each year. The trails are awash with friendly walkers, the daylight hours are long, and the temperatures are warm. If wildlife watching is why you’re travelling to New Zealand then summer is a great time of year for whale and dolphin watching, as well as snorkelling.
In February you can catch the Marlborough Food and Wine Festival, the country’s oldest wine festival in the heart of Sauvignon Blanc country.
Autumn – March, April, May
Autumn is a great time to visit New Zealand if you don’t mind wearing a few more layers. Whilst in early autumn it’s not uncommon to get some very warm, summery days, it’s generally cooler in March, April, and May – which is great if you want the hiking trails to yourself.
Accommodation prices during autumn are more reasonable than in the peak seasons, and there’s more availability. You’ll also find much quieter roads. Snow might start to appear on the higher tops during May as the winter temperatures start to come around.
March and April are harvesting months for the wine industry, so it’s a great time to visit New Zealand. Experimental wines from boutique vineyards appear every year, as well as the established staple wines from each of the country’s wine regions.
The beautiful colours are one of the most popular reasons for travelling to New Zealand in the autumn. The deciduous trees start to turn as the temperature drops, and the oranges, yellows, and reds of autumn become stunningly prevalent throughout the country. Central Otago and Canterbury are two of the most popular spots for keen photographers to capture the colours
Winter – June, July, August
New Zealand in winter is a sight to behold. The hills and mountains are all covered with fresh snow whilst most towns, being at lower elevations, stay clear of snow and relatively mild all winter. Ski fields are opening, and the country gets busy again with an influx of snow loving tourists. Accommodation prices tend to be a little higher, particularly in resort towns like Queenstown, where there are a choice of a number of great ski fields close by.
The ski fields tend to open mid-June, and don’t close until the end of September, so if skiing is your reason for visiting New Zealand we’d suggest that any time from the end of June until mid-September would be great timing.
If you’re not a skier, or you’re not interested in sampling New Zealand’s snow conditions, there are plenty of other great opportunities in winter, in New Zealand. We are very proud of our coffee culture here, and what better time of year to sample it than when it’s cold outside, the hills are white, and the fire is roaring? We also love getting our cameras out in winter – the beautiful white hills are a great photo opportunity, so go make a snow angel!
The North Island is famous for its geothermal areas, and the South Island has its own pockets of geothermal activity too. You can hike to a natural hot pool, dig a hole to relax in on ‘Hot Water Beach’ or check out some of the beautiful man-made hot pools dotted around the country.
Reviews
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Simon Potter
4 years ago
This was fantastic getting out in the outbacks. Our guide Ellie was amazing she knew so much about the Trees, Birds, Tracks etc. We were so lucky to have her as our guide.
This was fantastic getting out in the outbacks. Our guide Ellie was amazing she knew so much about the Trees, Birds, Tracks etc.<br />
We were so lucky to have her as our guide. Because I was the oldest there (79) she made sure I was ok for the steep part of the tracks.<br />
Not only was she great as a guide but also great driver and cook. She knew all the restaurants to go to for great meals. To have her come along on most walks and boat trip was a great help .read more -
Erina Potter
4 years ago
We were so looked after by Ellie: she treated us like her own family. The best thing of this holiday was that I didn't need to do any organisation, it was all managed so well.
We were so looked after by Ellie: she treated us like her own family.<br />
The best thing of this holiday was that I didn't need to do any organisation, it was all managed so well. We seemed to get the best places to stay, the best restaurants to go to, even the best 'home cooked' meals.read more -
Tina Alberg
5 years ago
This was our 2nd visit to New Zealand. The first, in 2001, was a month long self driven tour of both islands with emphasis on the South and included taking the full escorted Milford Track adventure. It was the lifetime trip, at that time.
This Active Adventure trip outdid it. And the reason is the tour guides and the truly magnificent job they did in following the Active Adventure plan and in making seamless changes to it as required by weather and other problems along the way. Clare and Emma were there every day in every way necessary to the success of the trip. Wonderful.......read more
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Lori Pickens
5 years ago
Ms. Holly and Ms. Claire were the guides of a lifetime. They made all the difference between an okay trip and very eventful.
Ms. Holly and Ms. Claire were the guides of a lifetime. They made all the difference between an okay trip and very eventful.read more
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Jan Seals
5 years ago
This was a bucket list trip for us, and it was wonderful! A great overview of both islands. Well planned, great food, good accommodations & wonderful guides.
This was a bucket list trip for us, and it was wonderful! A great overview of both islands. Well planned, great food, good accommodations & wonderful guides.read more
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Cheryl Langford
5 years ago
This trip was above and beyond anything we imagined. The personal contact that continued from the first moment of booking to each day of our trip was very helpful. Our questions were answered before we could think of them in the kindest possible way.
This trip was above and beyond anything we imagined. The personal contact that continued from the first moment of booking to each day of our trip was very helpful. Our questions were answered before we could think of them in the kindest possible way. We were treated like honored family by our guides (hosts), Holly and Claire. They completely tailored the trip to our needs and desires on a day to day basis, as necessary. As amazing as the natural beauty of NZ is, the people we met through Active Adventures were even more so!read more
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Don Gordon
5 years ago
I have long wanted to visit the Fiordland/Southland area. My AA trip gave me a great overview of it. A great mix of food, wine, fun, and fitness. Thanks.
read more
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Eric Nodiff
5 years ago
New Zealand is an incredibly beautiful country and we experienced many of the highlights of the south island. The tour guides, Clare and Emma, were fantastic in every way and ensured a terrific experience.
New Zealand is an incredibly beautiful country and we experienced many of the highlights of the south island. The tour guides, Clare and Emma, were fantastic in every way and ensured a terrific experience. The views of Kaikoura Peninsula and Lake Wakatipu and Milford Sound will be engrained in my head forever. The hiking was great and the food was delish throughout the trip. I highly recommend this trip!read more
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Karen Nodiff
5 years ago
A trip to expand your mind meeting challenges and wonderful new people
in a gorgeous country while eating great food! A trip to expand your mind meeting challenges and wonderful new people<br />
in a gorgeous country while eating great food!read more -
Claudia Jurowski
5 years ago
This was a lovely tour with many especially high quality amenities such as the superior guides, Ellie and Lauren, the extraordinary meals, great wine and quality adventures.
Because of an extreme weather event we were unable to follow our original itinerary but great efforts were made to include equal quality activities. The luxury of this tour is not in the hotels or transportation but in the personal attention from the guides and quality food and drink.read more
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