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New Zealand is a gorgeous country. To this day, after traveling more than 40 countries, is my favorite country.

This itinerary can be done both by car and public transport.

I have not added Bay of Islands. Therefore, if you are interested in visiting this area you must add a few days more to the itinerary proposed.

This journey goes from North to South. It starts in the city of Auckland and finishes in Wellington. As a base, we will use Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, and Wellington and on average we will spend 3 days in each city.

We will start in Auckland and from there we will go south to Rotorua. On the way, we can stop at the Waitomo Caves. This glow-worm caves can also be visited by bus with the company Intercity. They have got tours that start in a city and end in another so if you are tight on time this is also a good option.

Rotorua has got a great geothermal activity so there are mud hot pools and geysers all around the city. As soon as you arrive in the city you will notice a pungent smell.

From Rotorua, we can easily take a public bus to the Redwood Tree Walk and enjoy the beautiful hanging bridges or to Te Puia and learn about Maori culture, nature, and wildlife of New Zealand. These buses leave from the tourist office so it will be very easy for you to move around, ask about other tours that you might be interested in or learn about the city. This office also counts with plug-ins, wifi, and showers.

Also from Rotorua, we can head to Hobbiton. Just in the same street as the tourism office, there is a kiosk with a big billboard that says "Hobbiton". You can buy your tickets here or online. The most used app for booking tours by backpackers in NZ is called "Book me".

The next stop would be Taupo. Here you can go bungee-jumping, trekking or cycle to the Huka falls or enjoy the natural hot pools. Also, you can do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. I loved this trekking even though it was not very easy for me. It is indeed a magical place.

I recommend you to get a shuttle bus to get there via your hostel or an app instead of by car. The trekking takes around 9 hours from one side to the other but you are only allowed to park your car for 4.

Finally, we arrive in Wellington. Here you can take a ferry to cross to the South Island.