Waymark

New Zealand travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Milford Sound
Milford Sound. Photo: Maros M r a z (Maros), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
23h 30mflight from London
New Zealand dollarcurrency
Apply onlinefor UK passports
Type Iplugs

Fjords, glaciers and adventure at every turn

Don't miss

  1. Milford Sound
  2. Queenstown
  3. Hobbiton
Good forMountains & hikingAdventure

Best time to visit New Zealand from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Sep–Nov. Dec–Mar for summer; Jun–Sep for skiing. Busiest and priciest: Dec–Mar.

16.7 C17°J17 C17°F15.9 C16°M14 C14°A12.5 C12°M10.7 C11°J9.8 C10°J10.1 C10°A10.9 C11°S11.9 C12°O13.3 C13°N15.3 C15°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Wellington, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Wellington for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: April and NovemberThe warmest of the best-value months (13–14°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Dec–MarUsually 15–17°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Jun–AugAround 10–11°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, but cold, so pack layers.
  • Warmest: February (17°C) · coolest: July (10°C)A 7°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
16.71715.91412.510.79.810.110.911.913.315.3

Festivals and events

  • Waitangi Day Feb · Nationwide
  • Matariki Jun–Jul · Nationwide
  • World of WearableArt Sep–Oct · Wellington

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 23h 30m
Distance
18,827 km
Main airport
AKL

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add New Zealand to your bucket list Search flights to AKL

Practical info and travel guidance

New Zealand dollarCapital: Wellington
Type I · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the leftSame as the UK
111
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • VisaApply online before you goNZeTA before you travel, stays up to 6 months
  • HealthcareSome free urgent careA UK reciprocal agreement covers some urgent state care. Still take travel insurance.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for New Zealand, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 19 March 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for New Zealand before you book and again before you go.

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