Solo Travel in New Zealand – Should You Do It?

Solo travel in New Zealand? Does it sound amazing, but you’re just a liiittle unsure? I am here to tell you that solo travel in New Zealand is, in fact, so amazing. You can just go ahead and book those flights. Then read this post for tips, advice, an itinerary, and more 🙂

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Is Solo Travel in New Zealand a Good Idea?

Yes. One thousand times yes.

New Zealand is an IDEAL solo travel destination. It’s easy to navigate, they speak English (this helps if you also speak English), the people are friendly, there are loads of things to do alone, it’s an outdoorsy place, and it’s safe.

Solo Travel in New Zealand – Best Time to Visit

You can do solo travel in New Zealand during any season, but it is easier to do it during NZ’s warmer months. They are in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons are opposite much of the world. Basically, you should go anytime except July-August (mid-winter).

If you go during the warmer months, you don’t have to worry about dangerous, icy driving. You can do any hike by yourself. And there will be plenty of other travelers around.

If you go mid-summer, Dec-March, you will have a harder time booking accommodations and tours. Make sure you book in advance. Things might be a bit more expensive.

The shoulder seasons are excellent times to visit. It will be less busy, but you’ll still have nice weather. I went in May because that was when the cheap flights were available. I lucked out with great weather and had a fabulous time.

How Long Should I Solo Travel in New Zealand?

Forever? Just move there?

Kidding. Sort of. It’s really that awesome.

You could spend an entire year doing solo travel in New Zealand. It would be epic. You can also spend 1 week on solo travel in New Zealand, and it would also be epic.

1 week is the minimum you should spend in New Zealand – and this means just choosing one island. New Zealand is split into The North Island and The South Island. Everything on the internet says The South Island is better – more mountains, prettier views, and Milford Sound. But you will not be disappointed if your flight lands in Auckland and you choose to stay on The North Island.

If you have 2-3 weeks, you can venture onto both islands. You’ll still leave feeling like you didn’t see everything you wanted to see, but it’s doable.

What I’m trying to say here is that any amount of time in New Zealand can be the right amount. A lot of us don’t have months to travel at a time. If you only have 1 week to go, book it. If you can manage 10 days, even better! And if you’re retired or taking 6 months off work, book that too.

The ideal solo travel in New Zealand “vacation” is 1o days, just doing North or South Island. Not both.

Getting Around as a Solo Traveler in NZ

My advice is to book a rental car. They are pretty inexpensive – I booked through Snap, and it was great. Having a car gives you a lot of flexibility to visit wherever you want, to be on your own timeline, and to blast the radio.

Be aware that it’s very “active” driving in New Zealand. They have a lot of winding roads that require your full attention. It can get tiring on the long drives by yourself. Try to plan stops along the way, and always stop and rest if you need it. And keep a snack supply in the passenger seat 🙂

They also drive on the left side of the road. It doesn’t take long to get used to, but don’t forget and accidentally head out in the wrong lane.

If group tours are your jam, you could sign up for a group tour that will include transportation.

Solo Travel in New Zealand Crime and Dangers

Per the internet, “New Zealand is considered an exceptionally safe country with low violent crime, consistently ranking among the most peaceful nations in the world. Major safety risks are primarily related to nature, not people”

It’s hard to find many safer countries than New Zealand. Obviously, there are bad people everywhere, so you should always practice safe travel, but you don’t need to worry anymore in NZ than you usually elsewhere.

Honestly, I was probably safer there than where I live in the USA. I never once felt unsafe.

New Zealand does occasionally have volcano activity or earthquakes, but these should not keep you from visiting. Be careful when in the outdoors, especially around water. Don’t be dumb, basically. Don’t stand on a cliff edge or swim in the ocean with strong currents. Especially since you’re traveling alone.

Also, I just learned that New Zealand has NO native poisonous snakes, spiders, or deadly animals. Whaaat. Enjoy that hike without worrying about bears and snakes!

The Best Things about Solo Travel in New Zealand

You can do whatever you want.

This is huge. We are all different people. We all have different things we enjoy, different times we want to wake up, different preferences on where to eat. It is so freaking freeing to be able to do whatever you want.

If you want to eat a granola bar for breakfast and head to the beach, DO IT. If you want to spend 6 hours driving to a National Park so you can hike New Zealand’s best day hike the next day, DO IT. If you feel like sitting in your hostel kitchen reading a book over microwave curry, no one will question your decision.

Google the things to do and then pick the things that will spark the most joy for you.

Meet new people (or don’t).

I was only in New Zealand for a week, and I moved around almost every night. I knew I wasn’t going to make new friends, but I did have a lot of friendly conversations with locals and other travelers.

When you’re on your own, it’s somehow easier to come out of your shell and meet new people.

On the flipside, if you need a break from people, solo travel is amazing. You can journal, read books, and think.

Solo travel in New Zealand never felt weird.

Every person I encountered who found out I was traveling alone seemed happy for me. I got a lot of “good for you”s and encouragement.

It didn’t feel weird to eat alone in a restaurant or to hike by myself. I never felt judged for it.

It felt easy and normal to solo travel in New Zealand.

It can be cheaper.

Depending on your life, solo travel can be cheaper. I have a husband and a 4 year old, so traveling to New Zealand by myself was muchhhh cheaper. I saved on flight costs, I stayed in cheap hostels, I rented a cheap car, and I didn’t splurge on food.

The Cons of Solo Travel in New Zealand

Meh, this will be a short list.

You have to be aware of your hiking skills.

Only attempt solo hikes that you are capable of doing. I visited in May. I knew that if the hike I wanted to do was covered in snow, I would join a group hike with a guide. If there are technical mountaineering aspects to a hike that you’re not confident about, don’t do it by yourself.

If you’re traveling for a long time, you could get lonely.

This applies to any solo travel. I felt that people were very friendly in New Zealand, so if you need that human interaction you can find it. But it never felt like the hostels were overflowing with travelers wanting to find new friends.

My Solo Travel in New Zealand Tips and Advice

Don’t overload your itinerary. Allow some flexibility.

Book your accommodations ahead of time, especially if you’re traveling during their busy season, but then leave some time open during your trip. One morning, I visited Cathedral Cove Beach (HIGHLY recommend), and I spent SO much extra time there. It was too beautiful to leave. That was fine because I didn’t have anything else lined up that day.

Talk to local New Zealanders.

Another reason to leave your itinerary open. Talk to people. Ask someone in the cafe what the best thing to do in the area is. Ask what beach they recommend. Or just chat. I had some lovely conversations with people.

Get Internet Access.

You should find a way to have WiFi or to at least have a GPS in your car. You can rent a GPS through the car rental company or you can check with your cell phone provider to see if you can add international calling. I have Verizon, and it was $12 per day or $100 per month. The $12 per day was cheaper than renting a GPS, and it was super worth it to me to know I could always call someone or google something if needed.

I did look into renting a wifi device, and it seemed kind of difficult to do in New Zealand. The prior options are probably better.

Rent a car.

It’s worth it in New Zealand to have your own vehicle. And I found it pretty inexpensive through Snap Rental Car. The gas is expensive, so don’t get a huge SUV.

Don’t plan really long drives everyday.

Like I said before, it’s very active driving. Don’t plan super long drives everyday or you’ll spend the whole trip in the car by yourself.

Stay in Hostels or AirBnBs.

They’re cheap and safe. New Zealand has some very nice hostels. Just look at their reviews before booking. I also stayed at a couple awesome AirBnBs. Here is everywhere I stayed – I highly recommend all of them:

1. Hot Beach Top 10 Holiday Park – Near Hot Water Beach. I rented a one room cabin.
2. Manowhenua Lodge – Very nice hostel in National Park Village
3. Waitomo Orchard Estate – AirBnB near Glow Worm Caves, hot tub!
4. The nicest AirBnB studio – in Raglan

I figured out roughly where I wanted to be each night, and then I checked Expedia, AirBnB, VRBO, and Booking.com. I would order my search by cheapest first and then pick a cheap place with good reviews.

Don’t book a bunch of tours and activities.

Solo travel can be expensive, and you can save money in New Zealand by not booking a lot of expensive tours and activities. You can fully enjoy New Zealand without having to pay for a lot of things. Most beaches are free, a lot of the hiking is free, and you don’t have to go zip-lining.

Female Solo Travelers in New Zealand

New Zealand felt very safe as a female solo traveler. I didn’t have even one second of feeling unsafe.

Do all the things you normally do to be safe in life and know that New Zealand is a very safe country.

It’s a good idea to share an itinerary with someone and check in periodically.

The Best Things to Do as a Solo Traveler in New Zealand

• Go hiking. You could do this everyday if you wanted. Here’s a good list of some of New Zealand’s best hikes. I HIGHLY recommend The Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
• Visit geothermal areas.
• Check out Milford Sound.
• Go to a glow worm cave. Seriously, it’s amazing.
• Walk or park yourself on a glorious beach.
• Spend time meandering through one of NZ’s big cities.
• Or spend time wandering through a little town. I loved checking out little coffee shops, local gift stores, etc. while driving around the country.
• Check out some of New Zealand’s waterfalls – there are a lot of them

More on New Zealand:

• North Island Itinerary: 7-10 Epic Days