When is the best time to visit New Zealand?

The best time to visit New Zealand is January to March: all 4 of the cities we cover are at their best then. By city: Auckland, January to April; Wellington, January to April; Rotorua, January to April; Queenstown, January to March and November. Cities marked weather data only have a pick based on temperature and rain alone, not yet checked against crowds or local seasons.

When is the hottest month in New Zealand?

It depends on the city. The hottest month is January in Wellington, Rotorua and Queenstown; February in Auckland (average daytime highs, 2019-2024).

When is the rainy season in New Zealand?

The wettest month, counted in days with at least 1 mm of rain, is July in Wellington; October in Rotorua; November in Auckland; December in Queenstown. Open the city guide for the full month-by-month table.

Is there a month that is good everywhere in New Zealand?

Yes: January to March, when all 4 cities we cover are at their best.

Best Time to Visit New Zealand: Month by Month, City by City

Best months by city

City	Best months	Hottest month	Wettest month
Auckland	January to April (weather data only)	February, 74°F (23°C)	November, about 16 rainy days
Wellington	January to April (weather data only)	January, 68°F (20°C)	July, about 14 rainy days
Rotorua	January to April (weather data only)	January, 74°F (23°C)	October, about 15 rainy days
Queenstown	January to March and November (weather data only)	January, 71°F (22°C)	December, about 17 rainy days

Each city name opens its own month-by-month table. Heat is the average daytime high; rainy days are days with at least 1 mm of rain. Cities marked "weather data only" have not yet been checked against crowds, closures or local seasons.

Every month at a glance

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Auckland	Best	Best	Best	Best	Okay	Okay	Okay	Avoid	Okay	Okay	Avoid	Avoid
Wellington	Best	Best	Best	Best	Okay	Avoid	Avoid	Avoid	Okay	Okay	Okay	Okay
Rotorua	Best	Best	Best	Best	Okay	Okay	Okay	Okay	Avoid	Avoid	Avoid	Avoid
Queenstown	Best	Best	Best	Okay	Okay	Okay	Okay	Okay	Avoid	Avoid	Best	Avoid

Best = the city's best months. Avoid = very hot, very cold or among the wettest months. Okay = neither. Hover or tap a cell for the reason.

New Zealand month by month

January: At its best in Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua and Queenstown (4 of 4).
February: At its best in Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua and Queenstown (4 of 4).
March: At its best in Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua and Queenstown (4 of 4).
April: At its best in Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua (3 of 4).
May: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month.
June: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Wellington (among the wettest, 13 rainy days).
July: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Wellington (among the wettest, 14 rainy days).
August: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Auckland (among the wettest, 15 rainy days); Wellington (among the wettest, 14 rainy days).
September: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Rotorua (among the wettest, 14 rainy days); Queenstown (among the wettest, 16 rainy days).
October: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Rotorua (among the wettest, 15 rainy days); Queenstown (among the wettest, 16 rainy days).
November: At its best in Queenstown (1 of 4). Worth avoiding: Auckland (among the wettest, 16 rainy days); Rotorua (among the wettest, 15 rainy days).
December: None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Auckland (among the wettest, 15 rainy days); Rotorua (among the wettest, 15 rainy days); Queenstown (among the wettest, 17 rainy days).

Plan your trip

Open a city guide for tours, hotels and what to do there:

See today's travel advisory for New Zealand (government warnings, checked every 2 minutes).

New Zealand: common questions

When is the best time to visit New Zealand?: The best time to visit New Zealand is January to March: all 4 of the cities we cover are at their best then. By city: Auckland, January to April; Wellington, January to April; Rotorua, January to April; Queenstown, January to March and November. Cities marked weather data only have a pick based on temperature and rain alone, not yet checked against crowds or local seasons.
When is the hottest month in New Zealand?: It depends on the city. The hottest month is January in Wellington, Rotorua and Queenstown; February in Auckland (average daytime highs, 2019-2024).
When is the rainy season in New Zealand?: The wettest month, counted in days with at least 1 mm of rain, is July in Wellington; October in Rotorua; November in Auckland; December in Queenstown. Open the city guide for the full month-by-month table.
Is there a month that is good everywhere in New Zealand?: Yes: January to March, when all 4 cities we cover are at their best.

How we worked this out

Temperatures and rainy days come from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024 for each city. Where a city's best months were checked by hand against crowds and local seasons, that is the pick shown; otherwise the pick is based on weather alone and is marked. Weather changes from year to year, so treat this as a planning guide, not a forecast.