Best time to visit New Zealand

Our verdict

The best time to visit New Zealand is March-May

Are you looking to travel to New Zealand and want to find out when the best times to visit are? You’re in the right place! The perfect time to visit New Zealand is March-May due to the excellent weather conditions, and you might even find that the cost of flights and accommodation are lower than if you travel during the peak holiday seasons.

In summer, the daytime temperatures in central Auckland, New Zealand can reach a top of 25℃ (77℉). The temperature at night in the winter can drop to as low as 10℃ (50℉), although this can differ at other destinations across New Zealand depending on the geography.

If you’re keen to work on your tan in New Zealand, you’re most likely to get the longest days between sun-up and sun-down around December. On average it rains the most days in May, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.

Discover top destinations in New Zealand below and find out everything you need to know about when to travel, including detailed climate and weather information, and tools to help you find the best prices to help you book your trip.

Warmest month

February

Least rainfall

January

Most daylight

December

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New Zealand seasons

Before you plan your trip, it’s important to know when the seasons are as they may be different to yours depending on where you’re travelling from. New Zealand is in the Southern hemisphere, so the seasons fall on:

Season Months
Summer December to February
Autumn/fall March to May
Winter June to August
Spring September to November

Best time to visit the top destinations in New Zealand

We’ve put together a breakdown of the average minimum and maximum temperatures by month, as well as the best times to visit for each. To learn more about these destinations including detailed climate breakdowns and much more, click or tap the city/destination name below.

CityBest time to visitJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
AucklandMarch-May
22℃
17℃
23℃
17℃
21℃
16℃
19℃
15℃
17℃
13℃
15℃
12℃
14℃
10℃
14℃
11℃
15℃
11℃
16℃
12℃
18℃
13℃
20℃
15℃
ChristchurchMarch-April
21℃
12℃
21℃
12℃
19℃
10℃
16℃
8℃
14℃
6℃
11℃
5℃
10℃
4℃
12℃
4℃
13℃
5℃
15℃
6℃
17℃
8℃
20℃
10℃
DunedinApril
16℃
12℃
16℃
12℃
15℃
11℃
13℃
10℃
12℃
9℃
10℃
7℃
9℃
6℃
10℃
7℃
10℃
7℃
12℃
8℃
13℃
9℃
15℃
11℃
Lake TekapoMay
13℃
6℃
13℃
6℃
12℃
5℃
9℃
3℃
6℃
1℃
4℃
-2℃
3℃
-3℃
3℃
-3℃
4℃
-2℃
6℃
-1℃
8℃
2℃
11℃
4℃
PunakaikiFebruary-March
18℃
13℃
19℃
13℃
18℃
13℃
16℃
11℃
13℃
10℃
11℃
8℃
11℃
7℃
11℃
7℃
12℃
8℃
13℃
9℃
15℃
10℃
17℃
12℃
QueenstownMarch-May
17℃
6℃
17℃
6℃
15℃
5℃
11℃
3℃
8℃
1℃
4℃
-2℃
4℃
-3℃
5℃
-2℃
7℃
-1℃
10℃
1℃
13℃
3℃
16℃
5℃
WanakaApril
16℃
6℃
16℃
6℃
15℃
5℃
11℃
4℃
8℃
1℃
5℃
-2℃
4℃
-3℃
5℃
-3℃
7℃
-1℃
9℃
0℃
12℃
3℃
14℃
5℃
WellingtonMarch-May
19℃
15℃
19℃
15℃
18℃
14℃
16℃
13℃
14℃
12℃
12℃
10℃
12℃
9℃
12℃
9℃
12℃
10℃
14℃
11℃
15℃
12℃
17℃
14℃
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Top FAQs

New Zealand is in Oceania.
The warmest month of the year in Auckland, one of the most popular places to visit in New Zealand, is February.
The driest month of the year in Auckland, New Zealand, is usually around January each year.

New Zealand map