Best time to visit New Zealand (incl. weather, cost, experiences, wildlife…)

Planning to travel around New Zealand? Below is my guide to find the best time to visit New Zealand for you, depending on what you are looking for: weather, crowds, prices, wildlife, snow-capped mountains, swimming… Find the best month for you to go!

Best time to visit New Zealand – short answers

If you don’t want to read the complete article, below are some short answers on the best time to go to New Zealand.

What is the best month to travel to New Zealand?

As in many other countries, the best months to travel around New Zealand are during the shoulder seasons Spring and Autumn, especially in November and in April.
During those months, there are less crowds, day temperatures are cool but not cold and prices are lower. 

What is the worse time to visit to New Zealand?

In terms of crowds, January is when New Zealanders and Australians are on holidays, so it would be the worst month. But it is not really that bad.
The week of Chinese new year is also very busy.
Apart from that criteria, there is not really a worst time, unless you hate snow and cold and then you really should avoid Winter.

What is the cheapest time to visit to New Zealand?

The cheapest times to travel ire: winter for the regions without any ski fields, and the shoulder seasons for areas such as Queenstown.

The truth is that even in Summer you can have any kind of weather:

Month by Month infographics – Best time to travel to New Zealand

Below is an overview of the many criteria that could be of interest to you when choosing your best time to travel to New Zealand.
For each one, you can find more information in the following sections.

Weather conditions – best time to go to New Zealand

The New Zealand Seasons

• Spring – September to November
  Spring is a beautiful time to explore New Zealand without the crowds of Summer. Just out of Winter, the mountains are still covered with snow, but the valleys are filled with blooming flowers.
• Summer – December to February
  Summer is the touristic season (and also the locals’ holidays). They are the warmer months and enjoyable to go swimming. You will have the best chances of good weather overall.
• Autumn (Fall) – March to May
  Autumn is a time of contrasting colors with lots of brown and foliage turning gold in some areas. Temperatures are dropping, so after Easter you see a lot less tourists on the roads
• Winter – June to August
  Winter is actually not that cold in New Zealand, but quite mild. It is only very cold in the mountains. This is the season for Winter sports. South island has some great ski fields around Queenstown and Wanaka. But you can also find some in North island on the slopes of volcanoes! (at Tongariro). Snow falls normally only in the mountains, but some roads around Queenstown may have some black ice. For specific tips about what to wear in NZ in Winter, check out this article.

Temperatures

Now, have a look at the temperatures you can expect (averages). I have selected 3 towns to give you a better idea, as New Zealand is quite long North to South.
Remember that you are in the Southern Hemisphere. Temperatures decrease as you travel South. Plus you have the Alps on South Island, which means a colder mountain climate.

Auckland (North Island)

Jan – 15 to 23°C (59 to 73°F)
Feb – 16 to 24°C (61 to 39°F)
Mar – 14 to 23°C (57 to 73°F)
Apr – 12 to 20°C (54 to 68°F)
May – 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F)
June – 8 to 16°C (46 to 61°F)
July – 7 to 15°C (45 to 59°F)
Aug – 8 to 15°C (46 to 59°F)
Sept – 9 to 17°C (48 to 63°F)
Oct – 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F)
Nov – 10 to 20°C (50 to 68°F)
Dec – 14 to 22°C (57 to 72°F)

Wellington (South end of North Island)

Jan – 15 to 20°C (59 to 68°F)
Feb – 16 to 21°C (61 to 70°F)
Mar – 14 to 20°C (57 to 68°F)
Apr – 12 to 17°C (54 to 63°F)
May – 10 to 15°C (50 to 59°F)
June – 8 to 12°C (46 to 54°F)
July – 7 to 12°C (45 to 54°F)
Aug – 8 to 13°C (46 to 55°F)
Sept – 9 to 14°C (48 to 57°F)
Oct – 11 to 16°C (52 to 61°F)
Nov – 11 to 17°C (52 to 63°F)
Dec – 13 to 19°C (55 to 66°F)

Queenstown (South Island)

Jan – 10 to 16°C (50 to 61°F)
Feb – 10 to 16°C (50 to 61°F)
Mar – 8 to 14°C (46 to 57°F)
Apr – 5 to 11°C (41 to 52°F)
May – 2 to 7°C (36 to 45°F)
June – 0 to 4°C (32 to 39°F)
July – 0 to 4°C (32 to 39°F)
Aug – 0 to 5°C (32 to 41°F)
Sept – 3 to 8°C (37 to 46°F)
Oct – 5 to 10°C (41 to 50°F)
Nov – 6 to 12°C (43 to 54°F)
Dec – 8 to 14°C (46 to 57°F)

However note, that polar air can blow on New Zealand even in Summer, and it can get colder.

Is there a rainy season?

Not really; rains are spread throughout the year. But December to February are normally the dryer months for the North and Central NZ.
Fiordland is where you get the most rain, but the least rainfalls in this region are in winter.

Sea water temperatures for swimming

Below you can find average sea water temperatures, to give you an idea of what to expect if you want to swim:

• Spring – around 16°C (61°F) in Auckland North Island,  13°C (55°F) in Abel Tasman National Park South Island
• Summer – around 20°C (68°F) in Auckland, 17°C (63°F) in Abel Tasman National Park
• Autumn – around 19°C (66°F) in Auckland, 15°C (59°F) in Abel Tasman National Park
• Winter – around 15°C (59°F) in Auckland,  13°C (55°F) in Abel Tasman National Park

Summer is definitively the best time to go swimming in New Zealand, regarding temperatures.

Planning a road trip around New Zealand? Check out my curated guide that simplifies the planning:

Quality of Travel – when to visit New Zealand

Daylight hours

Another point to take into consideration when planning the best time to travel to New Zealand is hours of daylight. It is often overlooked. But the longer the days are, the more you can see everyday! (However the longer the day, the earlier you have to wake up to see the sunrise, so this can be a drawback too).
However, days remain quite long in New Zealand.

To give you an idea of what to expect, below is the data for Auckland:

Jan – 14h
Feb –  13h
Mar –  12h

Apr – 11h
May – 10h30
Jun – 10h

Jul – 10h30
Aug – 11h
Sept – 12h

Oct – 13h
Nov – 14h
Dec – 14h30

Note: New Zealand applies daylight savings (they change the time twice a year)

Crowds

Something that can really impact the quality of your travel is the amount of tourists around you.
First thing first, the notion of crowds in New Zealand has nothing to do with the level of crowds in Paris for example. Even at the most touristic places, it is not that dramatic… and you can just drive a little bit and find a more isolated spot. I have never queued anywhere…
That being said, you will cross more tourists in the Summer months. Plus in January the New-Zealanders are on holidays so they are also traveling around the country. This is the most busy times on the roads and at the famous locations. But again it is bearable.

If you are traveling in Summer, wake up early to enjoy a lot of places before the ‘crowds’ wake up 🙂

My only big recommendation, is to check the Chinese New Year holiday week and to avoid traveling at that time. A lot of Chinese choose to visit New Zealand at that time, and it gets the busiest (plus prices go up).

Road conditions

Road conditions remain normally good throughout the year. See my driving guide
Even in Winter, it snows in the mountains but rarely in the valleys. You can just have a few days of ice on mountain passes around Queenstown. But that’s all.
Just note that often they do road work. And some roads have single-lane bridges. So if they are working on it, it totally stops the traffic. Make sure you are checking the roadwork plans ahead. 

Cheapest time to visit NZ

Flights

Peak season for New Zealand flights are December to February as this is Summer. Plus the Australian neighbours are on holidays in January.
You can find the cheapest flights in Winter outside of the ski areas (Queenstown will remain expensive).
The shoulder seasons will be the cheapest for flights to Queenstown.
If you have some flexibility, try traveling Tuesday or Wednesdays as they are normally the cheapest days.

Compare prices on Skyscanner

Accommodations

Regarding accommodations, once again, Summer months are the peak season. You have both international tourists and locals traveling around New Zealand. Prices are high. If you are traveling during that period, book as early as possible.
Try avoiding the Chinese New Year as all accommodations get full around the touristic hubs of Rotorua, Kaikoura, Queenstown…
I like using Booking.com for the wide variety of accommodations and possibility to have refundable and non-refundable prices

But if you want to really save on accommodations, Freedom camping is tolerated in New Zealand but not everywhere, make sure to check the signs – learn more

Booking.com

And check out my article about the best places to stay in New Zealand –>

Wildlife – Best time of the year to visit New Zealand

New Zealand, especially the South Island, offers many opportunities to observe wildlife. But some periods are better than others. So if you are especially interested in one animal, check out the recommendations below.

NZ Best time to see Whales

Kaikoura is the best place to go whale watching in New Zealand. There is a deep canyon close to the shore which is a practical feeding ground for them.
Sperm whales are in the area all year round. So you always have a chance to see one.
From October to March, there is also a chance to spot a pod of orcas as they migrate.
From June to August, the Humpback whales migrate and stop in Kaikoura to feed. So this is the best period to see a variety of whales: the locals and the migrating ones.
Pre-book your whale watching cruise in your own currency.

NZ Best time to see Albatross

You can see albatross along the East coast of New Zealand, maybe during your whale watching in Kaikoura.
But the main location is Dunedin with the Albatross center. You can see them flying around all year round.
Between September and November, the birds come to shore to breed and build nest.
Chicks hatch in January and February.

NZ Best time to see Seals

You can see New Zealand fur seals all year round, mostly around South Island.
Some of the best places to see them are Cape Palliser, Kaikoura (especially at Ohau Point), Wharariki Beach, Abel Tasman National Park.
However be respectful and keep your distances!
It is estimated that there are around 100,000 New Zealand fur seals.

According to the boardsigns in Kaikoura: numbers vary depending on the season and the location. During Spring and Summer it is the breeding season and the males tend to join the larger colonies. end of Summer and Autumn is a good time to see pups and young playing.

NZ Best time to see Penguins

The South East Coast of South Island is also famous for the penguin colonies.
You can find the little blue penguin (the smallest in the world) and the rare yellow-eyed penguin (only 300 breeding pairs remain on mainland New Zealand).
They can be seen at dusk coming back to shore. But they are very shy and will go away if they sense any danger.
Great spots to see them are Oamaru, Curio bay, Stewart island.
They can be seen all year round. Nesting in September and October. Hatching around November. Chicks start leaving the nest between January and March.

Bird watching

New Zealand has an abundant bird life with some very famous species such as the Kiwi.
You can visit many ecosanctuary around the island. Some with Kiwi houses they keep dark during the day as they are nocturnal animals, and other where you can do a night tour to try spotting them.
Forest birds can be seen all year round since the forest are evergreen in many places.
However some seabirds are migratory and will leave in March for the winter.
In spring you will see a lot of chicks and parents feeding them.

Specific things to see or to avoid – when to travel to New Zealand

Snow-capped mountains

The best time to see snow-capped mountains (while not being there in Winter) is in the beginning of Spring.
Mountains like the Kaikoura Range (photo above) have a nice white top.
However know that the mountains around Mt Cook where the glaciers are, have a white top all year round.

Autumn foliage

Well, in autumn 🙂 but not all trees turn golden in New Zealand.
Some of the best places include Central Otago, Wanaka, between Queenstown and Arrowtown…

Spring flowers

Well, in spring 🙂
There are lots of beautiful botanical and public gardens around New Zealand.
However to see wild flowers, the slopes of Mt Taranaki and the shore of Lake Tekapo are famous spots for wildflower photography.

Hiking

Late Spring, Summer and Autumn are considered the best months for hiking for good walking conditions and good weather. In Autumn, you will have cooler days which is great to walk.
When flying into New Zealand, make sure to answer truthfully about your camping gear. This is very important for biosecurity. Make sure you have cleaned all your gear and your shoes.

Rafting

For those enjoying white water rafting, there is a lot to do in New Zealand; Of course the best time is in Spring when the snow is melting from the mountains.

Skiing

The Ski fields in New Zealand are normally opened from June to September.

Festivals & events

You can also try to be there or avoid some festivals:

• December 28 to 31 – Rhythm and Vines music festival in Gisborne
• December 29 to 31 – Rhythm & Alps music festival around Wanaka and Queenstown
• Homegrown music event – in March / April in Wellington
• Womads in march in New Plymouth
• Marlborough wine festival in February
• The Victorian fete – a unique festival about the Victorian age in Oamaru’s Victorian Precinct – around November
• Several marathon and runs throughout the year – see planning
• and many more…

What to pack for New Zealand? How to dress?

The main thing to remember is that the weather can change from warm and sunny to cold, windy and rainy all year round.
So the answer to ‘What to wear in New Zealand’ is: LAYERS!!!!

Bring layers:

• for warm weather,
• something for the cold,
• something that cut the wind
• and something that protect from the rain.

I also recommend bringing a hat and gloves, even in Summer. When you are out at dusk waiting for the penguins in the wind, it can get cold!!!
Same if you want to see the beautiful skies at night.

Otherwise nothing very special.

I like the North face jackets against wind and rain:

Get it on Amazon

Get it on Amazon

And don’t forget your binoculars to see the animals and the details in the landscapes!!! (check out my guide to help you choose the right pair for you)

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