14-Day Full NZ Family Road Trip — NZ Family Holiday Plan 2026

Duration14 days

Total drive2800km

Budget (family 4)$9,000-16,000

Best forFamilies who want to see all of NZ in one trip, ages 5+

Best seasonNovember-March

TransportCampervan (strongly recommended) or rental car + accommodation

Book This Trip

Compare Campervans for This Trip

A 4-berth campervan is the best way to do this 14-day itinerary — saves $1,500-3,000 on accommodation and eliminates daily packing/unpacking.

Compare campervans for 14 days →

Book the Interislander Ferry

The Cook Strait ferry (Wellington to Picton, 3 hours) is essential for this itinerary. Book 3-4 months ahead for school holiday travel.

Book Interislander ferry →

Travel Insurance — Essential for 2 Weeks

A 14-day trip across both islands involves mountain roads, adventure activities, and significant investment. Cover-More is NZ's most-recommended family travel insurer.

Get travel insurance →

Budget Breakdown

Accommodation$180-350/night x 13 nights

Activities$120-280/day

Food$90-150/day

Fuel$600-900 total (both islands)

Estimated total (family 4)$9,000-16,000

Budget is indicative. Campervan hire can reduce accommodation and food costs significantly — compare campervans.

Day-by-Day Plan

Day 1

Arrive Auckland — Pick Up Campervan

📍 Auckland 💰 ~$30-120

Pick up campervan from depot (allow 1-2 hours for handover)
Drive to Mangere or Papakura holiday park for overnight
OR if arriving before noon: Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium (2-3 hours)
Stock up at Countdown supermarket before leaving Auckland

Tips:

Campervan depots are usually 20-40 mins from the airport
Stock up on 2-3 days of groceries in Auckland — supermarkets are cheaper here than in smaller towns

🏕️ Stay: Auckland area holiday park Find accommodation →

Day 2

Glowworm Caves and Rotorua

📍 Auckland → Waitomo → Rotorua 🚗 2h 30m Auckland to Waitomo, then 1h 30m to Rotorua 💰 ~$200-350 (caves + fuel)

Waitomo Glowworm Caves (9am or 10am tour, 45 mins in the caves — book online in advance)
Lunch at the Waitomo Village Cafe
Drive to Rotorua (1.5 hours)
Check in at Rotorua holiday park, evening walk at Kuirau Park (free geothermal, footbaths)

Tips:

Waitomo caves are 45 mins underground — not suitable for claustrophobic kids
Book the Waitomo entry online for 10-15% discount

🏕️ Stay: Rotorua TOP 10 Holiday Park Find accommodation →

Day 3

Full Rotorua Day — Geothermal and Farm Shows

📍 Rotorua 💰 ~$220-320

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland (9:15am Lady Knox Geyser, book morning entry) — 90 min boardwalk
Lunch at Rotorua CBD (Eat Streat options)
Agrodome Farm Show (2pm show — sheep shearing, animal feeding, 75 mins)
Rotorua Night Markets (Thursday evenings)

Tips:

Wai-O-Tapu is the most spectacular of Rotorua's thermal parks — worth the full entry price
The Lady Knox Geyser erupts at 10:15am daily — arrive by 10am

🏕️ Stay: Rotorua (same) Find accommodation →

Day 4

Rotorua Luge then Drive to Taupo

📍 Rotorua → Taupo 🚗 1h Rotorua to Taupo 💰 ~$180-260

Skyline Rotorua Gondola and Luge (morning — allow 2-3 hours, get the 5-ride pass)
Drive to Taupo (1 hour)
Huka Falls walk (free, 20 mins — the most powerful waterfall in NZ)
Afternoon: Lake Taupo beach swim
Evening: Taupo town waterfront

Tips:

Huka Falls is free and unmissable — the turquoise water and power are stunning
The luge closes in heavy rain — check before queuing

🏕️ Stay: Taupo holiday park or lakefront Find accommodation →

Day 5

Taupo Adventure Day

📍 Taupo 💰 ~$250-380

Huka Jet boat ride (morning, 30 mins — adrenaline at 80km/h through the canyon)
Craters of the Moon geothermal walk (DOC-managed, $10/adult, free under 5s)
AC Baths Thermal Pools (afternoon, family session)
Lake Taupo sunset walk

Tips:

Huka Jet is the best jet boat experience in NZ — worth every dollar
AC Baths is great for younger kids — warm therapeutic pools at gentle temperatures

🏕️ Stay: Taupo (same) Find accommodation →

Day 6

Drive to Wellington via Tongariro

📍 Taupo → Wellington 🚗 4h Taupo to Wellington via Desert Road 💰 ~$100-200 (fuel + lunch)

Morning: drive south on Desert Road — spectacular views of Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngauruhoe (the Tongariro volcanic plateau is extraordinary)
Stop at National Army Museum in Waiouru (small, interesting, free)
Afternoon arrival in Wellington
Evening: Wellington waterfront walk

Tips:

Desert Road can be closed in winter snow — usually fine November-April
The drive through Tongariro National Park is one of NZ's most dramatic — allow time for photos

🏕️ Stay: Wellington holiday park or motel Find accommodation →

Day 7

Wellington City Day

📍 Wellington 💰 ~$80-200

Te Papa Museum (free entry — allow 3-4 hours minimum, the Maori collection alone is world-class)
Wellington Cable Car (return trip, $13/adult, $7/child) — great views from the top
Botanic Garden walk from the cable car summit (free)
Cuba Street for lunch (NZ's coolest street, great cafes)
Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary (optional, $55/adult — kiwi, tuatara, rare NZ birds)

Tips:

Te Papa is genuinely world-class and free — do not skip it
Wellington is NZ's most walkable city — leave the campervan parked

🏕️ Stay: Wellington (same) Find accommodation →

Day 8

Cook Strait Crossing

📍 Wellington → Picton (Interislander Ferry) → Marlborough Sounds 🚗 20 mins Wellington to ferry terminal, then 3h ferry, then 30 mins to accommodation 💰 ~$300-500 (ferry $200-300 for vehicle + family)

Morning: Interislander ferry departs Wellington (multiple sailings daily — check timetable)
3-hour crossing through Cook Strait — dramatic scenery as you enter the Marlborough Sounds
Arrive Picton: explore the main street and foreshore (small, charming)
Drive to accommodation in Picton or Marlborough Sounds area
Evening: fresh seafood at a Picton waterfront restaurant (Marlborough green-lipped mussels are unmissable)

Tips:

Book the Interislander 3-4 months ahead for school holiday periods
The Marlborough Sounds approach from the sea is stunning — go to the deck for the last 45 minutes
If sea-sick prone: take tablets before boarding, not after feeling sick

🏕️ Stay: Picton holiday park or Marlborough Sounds accommodation Find accommodation →

Day 9

Abel Tasman Water Taxi Day

📍 Nelson / Abel Tasman 🚗 2h Picton to Nelson/Marahau 💰 ~$350-500 (water taxi $75-120/adult, $50/child)

Drive to Marahau (Abel Tasman National Park gateway)
Abel Tasman water taxi — take the taxi in, swim and explore Bark Bay or Anchorage, taxi out (book ahead)
The clearest, most beautiful water in New Zealand
Evening: dinner in Nelson CBD

Tips:

Book the water taxi 2-3 weeks ahead in peak season
The Abel Tasman coastal water is exceptional for snorkelling — bring a mask
Bring lunch from Nelson — food options inside the park are limited

🏕️ Stay: Nelson or Abel Tasman area Find accommodation →

Day 10

Over the Ranges to the West Coast

📍 Nelson → Westport → Punakaiki 🚗 3h Nelson to Punakaiki via Westport 💰 ~$80-150

Drive via Murchison and Buller Gorge (stunning river canyon scenery)
Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Punakaiki (free, 30-min loop walk — spectacular when seas are up)
Walk Truman Track to beach (10 mins — hidden gem)
Afternoon: arrival at Greymouth or Hokitika area

Tips:

Pancake Rocks are best at high tide — check tide times and aim to arrive at high tide for blowhole activity
Sandflies are significant on the West Coast — DEET repellent is essential before any walk

🏕️ Stay: Hokitika or Greymouth holiday park Find accommodation →

Day 11

Franz Josef Glacier — Helicopter or Valley Walk

📍 Franz Josef Glacier 🚗 2h Hokitika to Franz Josef 💰 ~$150-600+ depending on helicopter choice

Option A: Glacier helicopter flight with snow landing ($300-450/adult, $200-300/child, weather dependent) — spectacular but expensive
Option B: Glacier valley walk (free, 2 hours return to terminal face viewpoint)
Afternoon: geothermal hot pools in Franz Josef village
Rainforest walks in the Fox/Franz Josef area

Tips:

Helicopter flights are weather-dependent — have a backup plan
The valley walk is excellent even without the helicopter — the glacier is genuinely impressive from the valley floor
Hot pools ($35/adult, $20/child) are a great alternative activity if glacier is weather-cancelled

🏕️ Stay: Franz Josef village holiday park or motel Find accommodation →

Day 12

Drive to Wanaka via Haast Pass

📍 Wanaka 🚗 3h Franz Josef to Wanaka via Haast 💰 ~$100-200

Drive the Haast Pass (one of NZ's most spectacular mountain roads)
Stop at Thunder Creek Falls (5 min walk from road)
Blue Pools walk in Mount Aspiring National Park (1h return, brilliant blue water, swinging bridge)
Arrive Wanaka, walk the lakefront, visit the famous Wanaka Tree
Puzzling World (if time allows, $25/adult, $19/child)

Tips:

Blue Pools require a shuttle or walk from the car park — check current access (minor slips can close the track)
Haast Pass is one of NZ's best drives — do not rush it

🏕️ Stay: Wanaka holiday park or lakefront accommodation Find accommodation →

Day 13

Queenstown Adventure Day

📍 Queenstown 🚗 1h Wanaka to Queenstown 💰 ~$400-700

Skyline Queenstown Gondola and Luge (morning — 45km/h descent, allow 2-3 hours)
Shotover Jet (book online: $149/adult, $99/child — 85km/h through narrow canyon)
Queenstown waterfront and Steamer Wharf for lunch
Afternoon: Remarkables lake views drive or Arrowtown village (35 mins, beautiful historic gold rush town)

Tips:

Buy a Queenstown combo pass if doing multiple activities — saves 10-15%
Arrowtown is excellent and free to wander — the Chinese settlement and autumn trees are beautiful

🏕️ Stay: Queenstown holiday park Find accommodation →

Day 14

Milford Sound Day Trip

📍 Queenstown → Milford Sound → Queenstown 🚗 2h 45m Queenstown to Milford Sound return 5h 30m 💰 ~$350-500 (cruise $89/adult, $30/child + fuel)

Early start: drive to Milford Sound (2h 45m, stunning road through Homer Tunnel)
Milford Sound 2-hour cruise (book the earliest departure to avoid tour bus crowds)
Real Journeys or Go Orange cruises — both excellent
Waterfalls cascade directly into the sound — spectacular even in rain
Drive back to Queenstown for late afternoon campervan return

Tips:

Milford Sound is spectacular in rain — the waterfalls triple in size. Do not cancel if it rains.
Depart Queenstown by 7am to catch the early cruise and avoid the tour bus crowd
Book the cruise 2-4 weeks ahead — popular departures sell out

🏕️ Stay: Return campervan / fly home from Queenstown Find accommodation →

Planning this trip?

🚐 Compare Campervans Jucy, Maui, Britz — from $89/day. Saves $600+ on accommodation. 🎫 Pre-Book Activities Rotorua, Queenstown, Taupo — up to 40% off via Bookme. 🛡️ Travel Insurance Cover-More — essential for any NZ road trip with kids.

Packing Tips for This Trip

Rain gear for the West Coast and Fiordland — Westland and Fiordland are NZ's wettest regions
DEET sandfly repellent — essential West of the Main Divide and in Fiordland
Reef-safe SPF50+ sunscreen — NZ UV is extreme in summer
Warm layers for Queenstown evenings even in summer — alpine climate
Walking shoes with ankle support — many NZ tracks have uneven surfaces
Offline Google Maps downloaded for each region before leaving urban areas
Small first aid kit including children's pain relief (Pamol)

Get a full packing list →

FAQ

Is 14 days enough to see both NZ islands with kids?

14 days is the minimum realistic time to combine North and South Island highlights without feeling rushed. You'll cover 2,800km+ of driving, so a campervan is strongly recommended — it eliminates the nightly accommodation scramble and significantly reduces costs. This itinerary is designed for families with kids aged 5+ who can handle 2-3 hours of driving between main stops.

Should we fly between islands or take the Interislander ferry?

The Interislander ferry is the right choice for families doing this itinerary with a vehicle. The 3-hour Cook Strait crossing is a genuine experience — the Marlborough Sounds at the South Island end are stunning. Flying between islands requires leaving your vehicle (or hiring another on the other side), adding cost and complexity. Ferry bookings: 3-4 months ahead for school holiday periods.

How much driving is in this itinerary per day?

Average 2-2.5 hours per day. The longest drives are Auckland to Rotorua (2.5h), Wellington to Picton ferry (1h to ferry terminal), and Christchurch to Queenstown (4.5h on Day 12 — broken into two days in this itinerary). No single day requires more than 3.5 hours of driving.

What is the total cost for a family of 4?

Budget NZ$9,000-16,000 for 14 nights depending on accommodation choice. A mid-range campervan ($220/day + $50-70/night holiday park) gives total accommodation costs of around $4,000 for 14 nights. A rental car + mid-range motels works out to $5,500-8,000 for the same period. Activities typically add $2,000-4,000. Food in a campervan self-catering: $1,200-1,800.