5 days in New Zealand Itinerary

Sheltered in an inlet of Lake Wakatipu, the resort town of Queenstown enjoys a strong reputation for its adventuring and skiing opportunities.

Start off your visit on the 28th (Fri): get interesting insight from Tours and then have some family-friendly fun at Skyline Queenstown.

To find other places to visit, photos, reviews, and other tourist information, read Queenstown road trip planning tool.

Indianapolis, USA to Queenstown is an approximately 26-hour flight. The time zone difference when traveling from Indianapolis to Queenstown is 17 hours. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 28th (Fri) to allow time to travel to Rotorua.

Surrounded by lakes and featuring impressive areas of geothermal landscape, the city of Rotorua offers an otherwordly landscape and a welcoming, peaceful environment, with the culture of the native Maori people very much in the foreground.

Kick off your visit on the 29th (Sat): delve into the lush surroundings at Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest, trot along with a tour on horseback, then witness a stunning natural landmark at Te Puia, and finally witness a stunning natural landmark at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.

To find reviews, traveler tips, ratings, and tourist information, you can read our Rotorua trip planner.

Getting from Queenstown to Rotorua by flight takes about 6 hours. Other options: do a combination of car and ferry; or do a combination of bus and ferry. December in Rotorua sees daily highs of 71°F and lows of 59°F at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 29th (Sat) so you can drive to Auckland.

The largest and most populous city in New Zealand, Auckland combines a rich history and thriving contemporary culture in an abundance of museums, art galleries, and performance venues.

On the 30th (Sun), look for gifts at Pauanesia, learn about all things military at Auckland Museum, and then take in panoramic vistas at SkyTower.

To find other places to visit, where to stay, more things to do, and other tourist information, you can read our Auckland trip maker tool.

You can drive from Rotorua to Auckland in 3 hours. Alternatively, you can fly; or take a bus. When traveling from Rotorua in December, plan for little chillier days in Auckland, with highs around 64°F, while nights are about the same with lows around 64°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 30th (Sun) to allow enough time to travel back home.