New Zealand’s biggest city deserves more than a layover. Auckland is multicultural and cosmopolitan, with sizeable Polynesian, Asian and Maori populations enriching its history and broadening the palate. Internationally known chefs and fashion designers have made neighborhoods like Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell world-class destinations for shopping and dining.

You’re never far from water attractions in New Zealand—and this is especially true in Auckland where it’s not unheard of for downtown workers to go kayaking on their lunch break. The once-gritty port has been transformed into inviting public spaces and buzzing nightclubs, with sailboat charters and regular ferry connections waiting to whisk visitors around the harbor for sightseeing.

Start your day sipping a flat white while you plan your explorations: art gallery crawl, winery tour or volcano hike? It’s possible to do all three without losing sight of the Sky Tower, one of Auckland’s top tourist attractions, from which you can get a bird’s-eye view of the gateway to Aotearoa.

Site of fierce Maori wars, Tauranga today is a peaceful city in the heart of kiwifruit-growing country. Farther afield: Rotorua, with its spouting geysers and bubbling mud pools, the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and nocturnal kiwi houses. Sample shore excursions: Fascinating Rotorua; Longridge Park & Jetboat Ride; Maori Marae Visit.

A city of vision, rebuilt in the striking, clean style of art deco after a devastating earthquake in 1931 and reinvented as a center for gourmet food and wines. Sample shore excursions: Napier Art Deco Highlights; Cape Kidnappers Gannet Safari; Hawke’s Bay Wineries; A Taste of New Zealand:: Epicurean Experience at Sileni Estates.

New Zealand’s friendly capital city features gaily painted old wooden houses and a red cable car that takes you up to the Wellington Botanic Gardens and a fine view of the harbor. A must-see is the engaging Te Papa Museum. Sample shore excursions: The Best of Wellington’s Pubs; Boomrock Escape; Lord of the Rings – on Location.

Set in the upper reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound, Picton is perfect in every way: climate, scenery, outdoor adventure. Gateway to the largest grape-growing and wine-producing region of New Zealand. Sample shore excursions: A Taste of Picton; The Wines of Marlborough; Queen Charlotte Sound Kayaking.

Are you in England or New Zealand? It’s hard to tell in this city crowned by a neo-Gothic stone cathedral and set along the grassy banks of the Avon River. Nearby: the fertile Canterbury Plains and rugged high-country sheep stations.

Much of New Zealand feels like England, by way of Polynesia. There are a few exceptions, though, such as the town of Akaroa, a former French settlement, and the distinctly Scottish city of Dunedin, named after the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh. After Dunedin was founded in 1848, city surveyor Charles Kettle attempted to impose Edinburgh’s New Town grid plan on the growing city. But the Otago Peninsula’s hilly landscape proved challenging—for evidence, note that Dunedin has one of the world’s steepest streets (Baldwin Street). The volcanic remnants around the harbor make for a dramatic backdrop.
Dunedin’s prominence during the gold rush in the late 19th century resulted in many grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Thanks to the beautiful University of Otago (the country’s oldest), there’s a large student population to keep the city vibrant and modern. But Dunedin’s heritage is always proudly on display: The magnificent Dunedin Railway Station and Larnach Castle have been restored to their full glory, and the fascinating Toitu Otago Settlers Museum provides a glimpse into the lives of early residents. Outside the city, the Otago Peninsula is lined with scenic beaches and home to rare birdlife like the royal albatross and yellow-eyed penguin.

Every year, visitors flock to New Zealand in search of landscapes straight out of Middle Earth. They find what they’re looking for in Fiordland National Park, on the southwestern coast of the South Island. This stunning 12,000-square-kilometer (4,633-square-mile) park encompasses mountains, lakes, fjords and rain forests. The area was once the home of Maori hunters; later, European whalers established small settlements here. But mostly, this region has seen a notable lack of human activity—the steep peaks and wet landscape deterred all but the hardiest people. That changed around the end of the 19th century, when travelers discovered the beautiful scenery of Fiordland. The national park was formally established in 1952.

Countless plant and animal species find a haven here. Among the park’s rare birds is the flightless takahe, thought for decades to be extinct until it was spotted in the area in 1948. The natural wonders continue offshore: Seals, dolphins and whales frequent these waters.