Top 10 Places To Visit in New Zealand - Travel Guide

What's up guys! My name is Ryan, and I recently returned from exploring the incredible country of New Zealand, and I want to share with you my favorite places, so here is my New Zealand Top 10. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand is made up of two main islands, and it's easily one of the most beautiful countries on Earth. From the daunting mountains of the Southern Alps, to the wonders of the Milford Sound, New Zealand is waiting to be experienced. Let's start this video off at Cathedral Cove. When I imagine New Zealand, this is one of the first places that come to mind. It's located on the Coromandel Peninsula, and it's about a two and a half hours drive from Auckland. To get to Cathedral Cove, you can either hike or take a water taxi. The hiking path was closed when we were there, so we took the water taxi, which is located on Ha'e Beach. The water taxi was this car-boat hybrid that could drive up onto the beach, and it cost about $50 USD for the round-trip tickets. I mean, the boat ride into the Cove was beautiful. There were these white rock cliffs that were so unique. We boated around the Te Hoho Rock, which is the crowning feature of the area, and possibly the most iconic rock in New Zealand. The water taxi then drops you off on the beach, and you can explore it for about an hour before the return. The area is amazing. There's an archway that gives you the famous view of the Te Hoho Rock. We had a great time just enjoying the beach and area, and I understand why it's one of the most famous places in New Zealand. Another nearby spot is the Hot Water Beach. It's located just nine minutes from Cathedral Cove, and it's this beautiful area, and what's special about it is that there's this small spot on the beach where thermal hot water rises from the sand, and you can take little pools to relax in during low tide. We went here, and I think it was a public holiday, so there was a lot of people, but I was amazed by how hot the water and sand was at some places. Regardless, it was a unique beach, and definitely would be a cool place to come for sunrise or sunset. After, we're going to head to Middle Earth to visit Havaton. Located about 50 minutes from Hamilton, Havaton is the famous filming location for The Shire, which is featured in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. You can experience the area by taking a guided tour that costs about $75 a person. You start by taking a bus in, and then proceed to walk through the incredible movie set. It was really interesting to hear from the tour guide all the facts and behind the scenes of what took place here in order to make the film possible. The attention to detail was immaculate, and it really felt like you were walking in a fantasy realm. It was also interesting to learn the story why it was chosen to be the place of The Shire. Basically, Peter Jackson was looking for a farm that had rolling green hills, a massive tree, and a lake, and this place checked all the boxes. One of my favorite parts of the tour was going into one of the Hobbit homes. We got to explore it for a good amount of time, and it looked quite comfortable to live in. After, we walked over the bridge and explored a little bit more of Havaton. If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, you gotta come and experience The Shire. After, we're going to head back to the coast to visit Three Sisters. Located about two and a half hours drive from Hamilton, Three Sisters is this incredible beach area. Now to reach it, we parked and walked on the muddy and slippery banks of this river. When we got to the beach, I was amazed at the color of the black sand, and then there's these beautiful sea stacks in the distance. There's also this unique rock formation called Elephant Rock that looks like it's having a trunk go into the sand. We had a good time exploring here, and it would be a great place to watch the sunset. After, we're going to head to Egmont National Park. Located near the town of New Plymouth, the main feature of the National Park is Mount Taranaki. If you look at the park and Mount Taranaki from space, there's an almost perfect circle of trees that shows the park's boundaries. I really wanted to go to the Po'okai Circuit Reflective Tarn. We started on the Mungoree Track Trailhead, and it was a steady incline through a forest, and we reached the Po'okai Mountain Hut. We continued on these raised boardwalks that went through some beautiful vegetation with a constant view of Mount Taranaki. After two hours of hiking, we made it to the Tarn, which is basically this little pond. It was smaller than I imagined, but it offered a beautiful view of Mount Taranaki. If there was no clouds or wind, it would be a perfect reflection of the volcano. We enjoyed resting there for a bit and taking in the view. It was definitely a challenging trek and took us four hours to do, but I'm glad we did it. After, we're going to head to the South Island. We left from Wellington and took the ferry that crosses the Cook Strait. It was about a three-hour journey and a nice boat ride. We arrived at the town of Picton, which is located in the Marlborough Sounds, which is an incredible area on the northern point of the Southern Island with picturesque bays and scenery. Afterwards, we're going to head to Varariki Beach. Located about four and a half hours drive from Picton, this was easily my favorite beach we visited in New Zealand. To reach it, it was a beautiful 15-minute walk, and when we got to the beach, I was blown away by the beauty of this place. The windswept sand was so picturesque and felt otherworldly. Now, the crowning feature of the area is the Archway Islands. They are the set of two islands that have a bunch of arches in them. I mean, they're so unique and epic. We had a great time waiting around for sunset and watching the islands light up with an orange glow. While it is out of the way, this place was well worth the journey to get there. After, we're going to head south to visit Lake Tikapo. Located about a three-hour drive from Christchurch, Lake Tikapo is this incredible blue lake. If you come here between the months of November to January, you might be able to see the scenic lupine flowers around the lake. The area around Lake Tikapo is also one of the best places in the world to see the night sky. After, we're going to head to Mount Cook. Located about an hour's drive from Lake Tikapo, Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand with a height of 3,724 meters. When you're heading towards Mount Cook, you'll drive on the shores of Lake Pukaki. I think this is one of the most beautifully colored lakes I've ever seen. The water was just so perfectly blue thanks to the glacier runoff. Now, the drive to Mount Cook is arguably one of the most scenic in the world, and you'll have views of the incredible Southern Alps coupled with the glacier blue waters of Lake Pukaki. Now, once you arrive at Mount Cook National Park, there's a lot of hikes you can go on. One of the most famous is Hooker Valley Track. It's about a 10-kilometer round-trip trek, and it takes about three hours to do. The trail is relatively easy with a steady incline. One of my favorite features of the hike is the swing bridges that cross the glacial rivers. They offer amazing views, especially the first one that has a great lookout into Mueller Lake. After, you continue on the trail and walk on some overland tracks. When we reached Hooker Lake, I was amazed at the view of the glacier ice chunks in front of the massive backdrop of Mount Cook. It was possibly the windiest place I've ever been. The wind was blowing so hard, and it was whispering up the lake water, creating for one of the most epic situations. The power of the wind was just absolutely insane. I mean, I felt like we were going to be blown away or something. Another incredible place in the park is the Tasman Lake. It's a short 10-minute hike from the parking lot and has some amazing views of the Tasman Glacier. After, we're going to head to Wanaka to hike Roy's Peak. Located just a few minutes outside the town of Wanaka, this is one of the most popular hikes in the area. The full trail is about 16 kilometers and has a constant incline with an elevation gain of 1,300 meters. It was the hardest hike we did in New Zealand. There was a parking lot at the beginning of the trail, and the ascent starts. There are some beautiful views of Wanaka and the lake on the way up, but the trail is pretty exposed without much shade. It is a popular hike to start around 3 or 4 a.m. to catch the sunrise, but we didn't wake up that early. After about two and a half hours of a grueling uphill climb, we made it to the lookout. There still was more to hike to reach the official Roy's Peak, but we were pretty gassed, and I decided this is as high as we were going to go. There was a nice little trail that offered an incredible lookout and view of the area. If you're in Wanaka and want a challenging day hike, Roy's Peak is a great option. While you're in the area, you can also visit the world-famous tree found on the shores of Lake Wanaka. After, we're going to head back to the coast to visit Nugget Point Lighthouse. Located about a three and a half hours drive from Wanaka, Nugget Point is this incredibly scenic lighthouse that was opened in 1870. To get to the lighthouse, it's a short walk from the parking lot, and the area is full of incredible sea cliffs. The lighthouse overlooks a bunch of jagged rocks that jut out of the sea. They definitely would have been dangerous to unknowing sailors. Another nearby beautiful place is Puro Kanui Bay. There's an amazing beach coupled with impressive sea cliffs, and it's also an ideal place for camping. For our final location, we're going to visit the Milford Sound. Located in the Fiordland National Park, the Milford Sound is possibly the most famous place in all of New Zealand, and after exploring it, I understand why. The Milford Sound is pretty isolated, and the closest town is Te Anu, which is about a two hours drive to get there. The road is one of the most beautiful I've ever been on. The scene reminded me of the Fiords of Norrie, but slightly more tropical. We saw some Kia birds, which are the only alpine parrots in the world, and they were seriously so beautiful. Once we arrived at the famous fjord, it was about $90 a person and took about two hours. The views on the front of the boat were amazing as we headed near the fjord. I mean, the scale of this place is insane. The mountain walls rise straight up thousands of feet high. We came across several waterfalls cascading into the sound. The most famous one is probably Sterling Falls. Our boat took us up right to it, and then the views of the falls was really nice as we headed back to the ferry dock. Now, after the boat tour, I really enjoyed just walking around the sound. There were some nice trails, and I liked this little coastal area that had smooth rocks and really unique vegetation that lined the shore. It was just so calming to watch the little waves roll in. It was very sunny the day we were there, but the Milford Sound is famous for being one of the rainiest inhabited places on earth. I mean, I'd love to experience the place when it's raining. The Milford Sound truly is on another level of beauty, and if you come to New Zealand, you gotta experience this place. Well, that is it for my New Zealand top 10. There's truly so much to see in this country, and I'll have to come back for part two. Let me know where your favorite place is in the comments below. It's Ryan, and we will see you later.