Best time to visit New Zealand in 2027, month by month
Rain and daytime temperature for 6 places in New Zealand, the busy holiday weeks, and where each place is at its best.
October to April suit most places in the country, with little rain and mild days. September is good in many places too. Busy weeks to plan around: Summer school holidays (19 Dec to 27 Jan), September school holidays (25 Sep to 10 Oct).
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queenstown | 16° | 16° | 14° | 10° | 6° | 3° | 3° | 5° | 7° | 9° | 12° | 15° |
| Auckland | 23° | 24° | 22° | 20° | 17° | 15° | 14° | 14° | 16° | 17° | 19° | 21° |
| Wellington | 19° | 19° | 18° | 16° | 14° | 12° | 11° | 12° | 13° | 14° | 15° | 17° |
| Tauranga | 22° | 22° | 21° | 19° | 17° | 15° | 14° | 14° | 15° | 17° | 19° | 20° |
| Rotorua | 23° | 23° | 21° | 18° | 15° | 12° | 11° | 12° | 14° | 16° | 19° | 21° |
| Nelson | 21° | 22° | 19° | 15° | 12° | 9° | 8° | 9° | 11° | 14° | 16° | 19° |
Teal: the place's best months (little rain, a daytime high from 15 to under 30 °C). Numbers: average daytime high. Orange line: busy holiday weeks. Source: NASA POWER climatology.
Busy weeks in New Zealand
- Summer school holidays (19 December 2026 to 27 January 2027): accommodation prices rise; beach towns packed over Christmas and New Year.
- July school holidays (3 July 2027 to 18 July 2027): accommodation busy, especially ski towns.
- September school holidays (25 September 2027 to 10 October 2027): higher demand and prices for hotels and motels.
From our researched holiday periods, each with its source.
New Zealand guides for travellers from Australia
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