5 days in New Zealand Itinerary
5 days in New Zealand Itinerary
Created using Inspirock New Zealand trip builder
Start: Indianapolis
Fly
1
Queenstown
— 1 day
Fly
2
Rotorua
— 1 day
Drive
3
Auckland
— 1 night
Fly
End: Indianapolis
Wed, Dec 26 - Sun, Dec 30
Edit
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28
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See full calendar
Queenstown
— 1 day

Shallow Bay
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.
Things to do in Queenstown
Find places to stay Dec 28 — 29:
Highlights from your trip
Rotorua
— 1 day
©
Sulphur City
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.
Things to do in Rotorua
Find places to stay Dec 28 — 29:
Highlights from your trip
Auckland
— 1 night

City of Sails
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.
Things to do in Auckland
Find places to stay Dec 29 — 30:
Highlights from your trip
New Zealand travel guide
Land of the Long White Cloud
Far-flung New Zealand has become known for its astounding topography, singular biodiversity, varied climate, and for marrying native Maori and post-colonial European cultures on its two main islands and the multitude of smaller landmasses dotted around them. Free-spirited New Zealanders cultivate a love of sports, sustainability, and the outdoors. Far from other landmasses, the islands existed for millions of years before being inhabited by humans, so an abundance of species have come to thrive in the thick, wild rainforest, vast and rugged backland, and extensive surrounding marine areas. While much of New Zealand tourism centers around adventures through this spectacular scenery, take time to explore the nation's rich cultural heritage as well. The traditions and history of the Maoris, and the industry and internationalism of the descendents of the first European settlers endure in fascinating attractions, ranging from museums, to farms, to places of worship.