Best NZ road trips couples: romantic getaway guide

Plan a romantic getaway using our guide to the 8 best road trips for couples in New Zealand. Our travel experts have compiled a range of ideas, from relaxing weekend getaways to week-long adventures.

Whether you’re after a spa and Shiraz or sun and sand, you’ll find it all on this list. Plus, we’ve thrown in detailed maps and a heap of extra information about attractions, distances, the best season to travel and much more!

The best road trips for couples in New Zealand: 8 routes you can’t miss

1. Nelson Tasman road trip

Total distance: 320 km | Recommended days: 5 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: Summer and Spring | Route Map

Arrange motorhome hire on the South Island and take a couples road trip to the Nelson Tasman region for a week of sun, cider and the great outdoors!

Spend the morning together perusing the Farmers Markets or Nelson’s Saturday Market , tasting different local treats and admiring some of New Zealand’s best art galleries. Pick up some picnic snacks and find a shady spot for a romantic lunch by the Maitai River in the Queen’s Gardens.

Put on your hiking shoes and walk hand in hand around Nelson Lakes National Park. Don’t forget to grab a photo of your partner on the famous Lake Rotoiti Jetty. Then hire a double kayak together and paddle around the crystal-clear waters of Abel Tasman National Park , visiting must-see sights like Split Apple Rock.

End your road trip in the saddle and enjoy a horseback ride together along Wharariki Beach, made world-famous as the screensaver for Windows 10.

Learn more about the ultimate Nelson road trip.

2. Hauraki Gulf Islands road trip

Total distance: 100 km | Recommended days: 3 to 5 days | Best time to do the route: Summer and Spring | Route Map

Want a quiet and romantic couples road trip that won’t take you too far from Auckland? Try spending a few days exploring the beautiful Hauraki Gulf Islands!

Load your campervan on the ferry from Auckland to Waiheke and spend your first day visiting the various vineyards and art galleries that dot the island. Grab a bottle of wine to go with your picnic lunch and find a secluded beach for a romantic sunset.

Take a day trip by ferry to nearby Rotoroa Island , where you can walk hand in hand whilst exploring a historic jail, chapel, schoolhouse and cemetery. Drop by the state-of-the-art exhibition centre that showcases the history of Rotoroa before relaxing on the beach.

Another day trip can be spent visiting Rangitoto Island , the youngest and largest of the volcanic islands. Hike up to the summit (2-hour return walk) and pass by black lava caves that you can explore with a torch. Then join a night kayak tour and paddle around the island together under the glow of the stars.

After a few days of adventure, soak away your aches and pains at one of the top-rated wellness spas on Waiheke before ending your couples road trip with a short ferry ride back to Auckland.

3. Hawkes Bay road trip

Total distance: 420 km | Recommended days: 4 to 5 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

This Hawkes Bay road trip is perfect for couples wanting to treat their taste buds and spoil their senses!

Starting in Hastings , spend a romantic evening gorging on fresh local produce and indulge in award-winning wines from local vineyards. After a slow start the next morning, take a hike together to the panoramic Te Mata Peak or the world’s largest gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers.

Hire a couple of bikes in Napier and ride the wine trail loop around 10 of the local cellar doors responsible for producing the world’s best Chardonnay. Then slowly make your way through sleepy seaside villages like Tangoio Beach before setting up camp beside Lake Waikaremoana in the pristine Te Urewera National Park.

End your road trip in Gisborne and be the first couple in the world to see the sunrise from your beachfront position.

Learn more about the ultimate Hawkes Bay road trip.

4. Otago and Canterbury road trip

Total distance: 750 km | Recommended days: 5 to 10 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

Take the road less travelled and enjoy a quiet couples road trip through some of NZ’s most scenic countryside.

Beginning in Queenstown , book a couples spa session and soak together in a private hot tub overlooking the remarkable Shotover Canyon whilst enjoying complimentary refreshments. The next day, continue on to Arrowtown , a living historic settlement on the edge of the picturesque Arrow River with 60 historical cottages, shops and churches.

Spend a romantic night in Cromwell and indulge in a glass of pinot and some farm-to-fork cuisine at one of the local vineyards. Then head north along the highest highway on the South Island through the dramatic Lindis Pass , a range of tussock-covered mountains similar to the Scottish Highlands.

Detour off of the highway and follow the edge of Lake Pukaki , stopping at Peter’s Lookout for one of the best photographs in New Zealand. In the background is Aoraki Mount Cook , where you can enjoy several short walks around the base. And don’t forget to drop into NZ Alpine Lavender , where you can indulge in a cup of lavender tea together.

Camp beside Lake Tekapo and enjoy an evening stargazing with your partner. Wake early the next morning for the sunrise over the Church of the Good Shepherd before finishing your road trip in the French settlement of Akaroa near Christchurch.

5. South Island West Coast road trip

Total distance: 560 km | Recommended days: 5 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

Discover one of the Top 10 Coastal Drives in the World with a couples road trip down the West Coast of the South Island!

Begin in Greymouth and take a romantic stroll along Rapahoe Beach before watching the sunset over the Tasman Sea. Wake early the next day for a couples adventure to Paparoa National Park , home to the famous Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Hokitika Gorge.

Make your way south to Franz Josef Glacier and soak together in the Glacier Hot Pools nestled amongst the luscious rainforest. Nearby are the Glowworm Caves , where you can hold hands under a galaxy of glittering glowworms.

Only a short drive south is Fox Glacier , which you can explore together on a scenic guided horse tour. Spend another day doing the easy 1.5-hour (2.6km) loop walk around Lake Matheson and admire the reflection of Aoraki Mount Cook off the dark waters.

Finish your couples road trip in Wanaka , indulging in a romantic dinner or picnic overlooking the famous Wanaka Tree.

6. Bay of Islands road trip

Total distance: 630 km | Recommended days: 5 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: Summer and Spring | Route Map

This Bay of Islands road trip is a great choice for couples wanting a romantic coastal getaway with a touch of history and culture!

Organise motorhome hire on the North Island and travel past the iconic Whangarei Falls before setting up camp in Paihia. Nearby is the Waitangi Treaty Grounds , where together you can learn about New Zealand’s traditional and colonial history through live cultural performances and a recreated Maori village.

Book a couples ticket and take a romantic sunset cruise amongst the 144 islands that litter the bay. Kick-off your shoes and enjoy drinks and snacks as you admire famous sights like the Hole in the Rock. Alternatively, hire a double kayak and paddle from island to island at your own pace!

Only a few minutes drive from Paihia are the historical towns of Russell and Kerikeri , where together you can dine at New Zealand’s oldest hotel and admire the country’s first church.

On your way home from the Bay of Islands, drive down the west coast and show your partner one of the largest trees in the world at Waipoua Forest. Then take a couples horse trek along a quiet stretch of Baylys Beach before returning to Auckland.

7. South Island South Coast road trip

Total distance: 600 km | Recommended days: 5 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: Winter and Autumn | Route Map

Get away from the hustle and bustle of popular tourist spots with a romantic couples road trip along the stunning South Coast of NZ.

Spend your first few days getting to know the beautiful city of Dunedin - the Southern Hemisphere’s equivalent of Edinburgh. Wander around the manicured gardens at Larnach Castle (Australasia’s only castle) and enjoy a romantic high tea consisting of sandwiches, slices, cream cakes and teapots.

Take the easy walking path to Lovers Leap on the Otago Peninsula for panoramic views over the colonies of penguins, fur seals and sea lions sunbathing on the beach below. As you drive south through The Catlins , be sure to do up your hiking shoes once more and visit famous sites like Nugget Point and Cathedral Caves.

Stay in the charming city of Invercargill for a night before catching the one-hour ferry from Bluff to Stewart Island. Known in Maori as ‘land of the glowing skies, this is the best place for you and your partner to witness the remarkable Aurora Australis.

Continue west to the tranquil lakeside town of Te Anau , gateway to Fiordland National Park. For the ultimate couples experience, take an overnight cruise to the fiords and wake up with your partner to the sound of silence. Alternatively, take a daytime cruise on Lake Te Anau and enjoy a glass of champagne or pack a picnic and choose a scenic spot near Milford Sound.

Back at base, check out these tips on how to make camping more comfortable!

8. Marlborough road trip

Total distance: 200 km | Recommended days: 3 to 5 days | Best time to do the route: Summer and Spring | Route Map

A romantic road trip isn’t complete without a few glasses of world-class wine, a seafood dinner and sublime sunset. Luckily for you and your other half, that’s exactly what this couples road trip to New Zealand’s Marlborough Region offers!

Kick things off in the sunny city of Blenheim , the heart of Marlborough and host to an outstanding Sunday Farmers’ Market. Hire a bike and take your partner on a self-guided tour along the wine trail , stopping at your choice of more than 30 of the world’s best vineyards.

Make the short drive to Havelock , the “Greenshell Mussel capital of the world”. Enjoy a freshly-caught seafood lunch at one of the restaurants around town or jump aboard a sunset dinner cruise around Marlborough Sound.

Wake up early the next day and trek a small section of the Queen Charlotte Track around Kenepuru Sounds, one of “New Zealand’s Great Walks” starting in the town of Picton. You’ll both be exhausted afterwards, so grab a picnic and spend some alone time on the stunning little beach at Governors Bay.

Organise your couples road trip today

Now that you know all about the best road trips for couples in New Zealand, it’s time to organise your wheels (and accommodation)! Need to sort out 2 berth campervan hire?

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