New Zealand is filled with activities – you'll never be bored! | When the world closed down four years ago I, like all of us, thought about where I would like to be. Like some character in an old black-and-white war movie, I kept saying to myself, “when I get out of here, I’m going to New Zealand.”
When COVID restrictions were lifted, I began building an itinerary in earnest. But as often as I'd review my guidebook and talk to friends who had been there or people who live there, I worried I would somehow plan my first trip to Aotearoa (as New Zealand is known in the Māori language) badly.
First, there's the journey. To even get there would take a full day, and the jet lag – my stars! – the jet lag. I wanted a day or two to recover from that. Then I would want at least 10 days to explore the country and a chance to do, well, everything! But it’s only one trip. And if, for whatever reason, it's to be my only trip, the stakes are high.
Lucky for me – and for anyone who needs help with big travel decisions – Lonely Planet has Elsewhere, a boutique service that is all about building these kinds of once-in-a-lifetime (or maybe twice!) adventures. When a destination is far away, and when your time and money are precious, there’s no other way to go: let Elsewhere take the wheel.
Read on for more information on Elsewhere, its teams of embedded local experts (like Catherine Silberstein in New Zealand) and a terrific itinerary for a brilliant 10-day trip. | Senior Director of Content | | | | Elsewhere is Lonely Planet's premium boutique travel-planning service. We pair you with a local expert, like Catherine, who knows the ins and outs of a destination, to guarantee the best trip ever. Just book your flights, and Elsewhere's travel experts will do the rest. | | | “There is a beauty to NZ that will capture you and literally take your breath away. There are parts that truly feel like something out of a mythical story.”
| – Catherine Silberstein, Elsewhere New Zealand local expert | | | | New Zealand trip inspiration | More articles to help you plan. | | | | Mythical, magical, manifold. Visiting New Zealand with Elsewhere shows off the country’s best and less-visited locales, sharing insights and unique experiences you couldn’t find anywhere else.
| | | | | On the South Island, the luxurious yet rustic Hapuku Lodge has five boutique "tree houses" dotted among the branches of its kānuka grove. | | | | | All aboard along the coast | | | Photography by: Great Journeys New Zealand; Sam DCruz/Shutterstock; Benedicte Lassalle; iStock; Marconi Couto de Jesus/Shutterstock; Pete Seaward for Lonely Planet; Getty Images
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