Things to see in New Zealand

515 places worth seeing in New Zealand on an illustrated map: Aoraki / Mount Cook, Mount Ruapehu, Taranaki Maunga, Sky Tower and Eden Park, and more. Zoom in and watch the landmarks, museums, nature and fun appear.

Highlights

Aoraki / Mount Cook The highest mountain in New Zealand has a Maori name, Aoraki, and a European name after the explorer. Today both names are used.
Mount Ruapehu Unless you visit Raetihi with your eyes shut, you won't miss seeing New Zealand's largest active volcano.
Taranaki Maunga The central stratovolcano is accessible from east side – e.g. from the visitor centres at Dawson Falls or . Climb from west side is possible
Sky Tower At 328 m, this is the tallest free-standing tower in the Southern Hemisphere, offering views of up to 80 km away and fine dining in the Orbi
Eden Park New Zealand's top sports stadium, hosting cricket in summer and rugby union in winter - the All Blacks national rugby team often play here.
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa New Zealand's national museum contains interesting exhibitions on the country's history and culture and includes several shops. It has the o
Rangitoto Island A dormant volcano island that stands prominently near the entrance to the Waitemata Harbour. Climb to the summit for fantastic views of the
Mount Ngauruhoe The stratovolcano was the stand-in for Mount Doom (with some help from CGI). The summit itself is now off-limits, but there are close-up van
Sutherland Falls One of the highest waterfalls in the world with a drop of 580 meters (1,900 feet).
Waikato Stadium The home stadium of the Chiefs (Super Rugby) and the Waikato Rugby Union (Mitre 10 Cup). In 2023 it staged matches in the Women's World Cup
Christ Church Cathedral The Gothic revival cathedral was consecrated in 1881 as the seat of the Christchurch Anglican diocese. Damaged in the 2011 Christchurch eart
Forsyth Barr Stadium A futuristic rugby and soccer stadium, opened in 2011, it's fully enclosed with a grass surface, made possible by a transparent roof. In 202
Huka Falls New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction located just to the north of town on the Waikato river. New Zealand’s largest river is forced
Mitre Peak Rising 1,692 metres, Mitre Peak is Milford Sound's most famous iconic attraction. The mountain is named for its distinctive shape, similar t
McLean Park With a capacity of 19,700, in summer this hosts Central Stags cricket team in all formats. In winter Hawke's Bay and Hurricanes play rugby u
Canterbury Museum Includes colonial, Māori and natural history sections, Antarctic exploration display, and visiting exhibitions. Closed until mid-2029 for re
Auckland Art Gallery The largest collection of national and international art in New Zealand, housed in a landmark building on the edge of Albert Park in the hea
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira Despite the name, this is not primarily a war museum – it is a general museum and one of the best in New Zealand. It stands in an imposing p
Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill The second highest peak in the city at 182 m above sea level, this volcanic cone offers panoramic views of the city. An obelisk on the summi
Christchurch Botanic Gardens 30 hectares of exotic and indigenous plants and trees wrapped in a loop of the picturesque Avon River and linking to the 160-hectare Hagley
Auckland Zoo The zoo has the largest collection of native and exotic animals in New Zealand, with 120 animal species, over 750 animals and a number of di
Christchurch Art Gallery Spectacular $47-million facility opened in 2003, the largest in the South Island, with over 5000 items and visiting exhibitions. The gallery
Āniwaniwa Falls A short, easy walk from the visitor centre, passing three waterfalls including the elegant 15 m Bridal Veil fall.
St Patrick's Cathedral Busy catholic cathedral which can have 3000 attend one of the 4 masses on a Sunday. The foundation stone of this traditional stone building
Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium It's on the scenic Tamaki Drive and is the home of Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World. It includes a trip through a transparent tunnel
Hot Water Beach Water from two hot springs comes up through the sand on one part of the beach within two hours each side of low tide and you can dig your ow
Cardboard Cathedral Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, well known for his use of cardboard elements in buildings. Completed in August 2013 to serve as
St. Joseph's Cathedral Construction of this Gothic revival cathedral was started in 1878 to the designs of Francis Petre. It was completed in its unfinished state
Wharariki Beach A spectacular beach close to Cape Farewell. Its Archway Islands feature in a Windows 10 wallpaper photo looking out from a sea cave.
Hamilton Zoo Home to over 600 native New Zealand and exotic animals. Kids especially enjoy it. To get there, enter Hamilton from the north or south on SH
Auckland Domain A large park (75 ha) on an extinct volcano. It has the War Memorial Museum on its highest point and also the historically important winter g
Holy Trinity Cathedral Large modern Anglican cathedral that opened in 1965 and can seat 1100 people. Next to it is St Mary's Church, the largest wooden Gothic chur
Otago Museum Was founded in 1868 and has a collection of over two million artefacts and specimens from the fields of natural history and ethnography. The
Te Ana-au Caves A boat trip and guided tour into the Aurora Caves system by walking path and small boats within the cave itself where you will see thousands
Bowen Falls With almost continuous rainy days, Milford Sound is home to many temporary and permanent waterfalls. The largest permanent fall is the famou
St Mary of the Angels St Mary of the Angels is the Catholic parish church for Wellington Central. The church opened in 1922.
Wellington Botanic Garden It is a nice place to go for a picnic, or just an afternoon walk (or run for a challenging fitness experience). You can take the Cable Car f
Pukekura Park The city's botanical gardens. Excellent and well worth walking around. There are themed garden areas, small ponds and "lakes", attractive br
Waitomo Glowworm Caves The Waitomo Glowworm Caves are one of New Zealand's top tourist attractions, home to Waitomo glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa, tiny creature
Zealandia A predator-proof fence encloses an old water catchment area, forming a mainland island that provides a natural haven for endangered native b
Wellington Museum A well-presented museum of the history of Wellington, including its maritime history.
Museum of Transport and Technology An interactive technology museum with over 300,000 items, divided among two campuses: one showcasing aviation artifacts, and the other (larg
Dunedin Botanic Garden Occupying 30.4 hectares (75 acres) in the north end of the city; an excellent place to stroll for several hours. Has an aviary along with ma
Hamilton Gardens In addition to 'normal' gardens such as a rose garden and the Rhododendron Lawn, you can see 'themed' gardens, such as the Chinese Scholar G
Old St Paul's This was the Anglican centre for decades. Superseded by the new cathedral north of Parliament, this one is popular for weddings and funerals
New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa Many interesting exhibits chronicle New Zealand's maritime history, including actual yachts from the America's Cup and interactive displays
Waikato Museum General art and culture displays and exhibits about New Zealand and international cultures.
Springfield Doughnut A 3.5-m sculpture of a doughnut, inspired by Homer's doughnut from The Simpsons.
Cape Reinga Lighthouse The lighthouse at Cape Reinga was built in 1941 and first lit during May of that year, replacing a lighthouse on nearby Motuopao Island, whi
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul Large Anglican church built between 1954 and 1998. The cathedral is a relatively plain design, made of reinforced concrete, and has some fin

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