SeasonMapBest time to visit New Zealand
The best time to visit New Zealand is January to March, judged across 17 places; July is its weakest month.
Updated September 2026 · Oceania · 17 places, each judged for what it is · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
New Zealand month by month
| Month | Season | Why | Best places |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | in season | 22°C highs · 11 h sun | Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Napier |
| February | in season | 22°C highs · 11 h sun | Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, Napier |
| March | in season | 20°C highs · 9 h sun | Auckland, Lake Tekapo, Paihia |
| April | good | 18°C highs | Rotorua, Auckland, Napier |
| May | good | 15°C highs | Rotorua, Auckland, Napier |
| June | not its best | 13°C highs · best Dec–Mar | Rotorua, Auckland, Te Anau |
| July | not its best | 12°C highs · best Dec–Mar | Rotorua, Queenstown, Wānaka |
| August | not its best | 12°C highs · best Dec–Mar | Rotorua, Auckland, Napier |
| September | good | 14°C highs | Rotorua, Auckland, Christchurch |
| October | good | 16°C highs · 10 h sun | Napier, Rotorua, Auckland |
| November | good | 19°C highs · 11 h sun | Napier, Rotorua, Auckland |
| December | good | 21°C highs · 11 h sun | Napier, Auckland, Christchurch |
In season: one of the region's three best months, and good in its own right. Low season: one of its three worst, and well below its best. The reasons compare each month with the region's own year and name the seasons on the ground — monsoon, autumn colour, hurricanes — where most of its places share them.
All 17 places in New Zealand
- Aoraki Mount CookNew Zealandweather by month →
- AucklandNew Zealandweather by month →
- ChristchurchNew Zealandweather by month →
- DunedinNew Zealandweather by month →
- Franz JosefNew Zealandweather by month →
- KaikōuraNew Zealandweather by month →
- Lake TekapoNew Zealandweather by month →
- NapierNew Zealandweather by month →
- NelsonNew Zealandweather by month →
- PaihiaNew Zealandweather by month →
- QueenstownNew Zealandweather by month →
- RotoruaNew Zealandweather by month →
- TaupoNew Zealandweather by month →
- Te AnauNew Zealandweather by month →
- TongariroNew Zealandweather by month →
- WānakaNew Zealandweather by month →
- WellingtonNew Zealandweather by month →
New Zealand — FAQ
- When is the best time to visit New Zealand?
- January to March. In January: 22°C highs · 11 h sun.
- When is the low season in New Zealand?
- New Zealand has no month that falls far below the rest of its year; July is the weakest (12°C highs · best Dec–Mar).
- Which months are in season in New Zealand?
- January to March — the months among its best that are also good in their own right.