While december, january, and july can be considered the busiest months to travel to new zealand, there are also shoulder months in which things are not that. The best season to go travelling in new zealand wild kiwi. Low prices during shoulder season, youre likely to experience offseason bargains and lower prices for most things airfares, hostels, museums and other attractions. The us, europe, south africa and new zealand are also ideal during the shoulder season. With helicopter flights one of the must dos in new zealand, shoulder season is the perfect time to do this. Wildlife and gardens spring and fall are colorful seasons in europe because flowers and trees are in full bloom. If youre booking accommodation yourself, as independent travelers usually do, you can get overwhelmed by the amount of hotels and motels that are. Colourful blooms, baby wildlife and waterfall season makes this an inspiring time of year to visit. Booking queenstown hotels in peak and off season learn how hotels and motels in queenstown differ from other accommodation providers in new zealand when it comes to booking in low and high season. But this is just one example of how maori culture impresses itself on contemporary kiwi life. Best time to visit new zealand plan your new zealand trip for.
The summer months are from november to april, peak season is december, february and march. Shoulder season growth outweighs peak tourism new zealand. Lull shoulder seasons in queenstown are disappearing as more tourists visit the resort all year around. Jun 19, 2017 12 places that shine in shoulder season. The secret sweet spot in these destinations travel calendars. With bike rental providers easily located around the 22 epic cycle trails on offer, theres never been a greater time to explore new zealand by bike. The seasons in new zealand are opposites of the seasons on the northern. New zealands many beaches and lakes are perfect to cool off during the summer months. Before we perfected shoulder season travel, we traveled to new zealand in december. Why shoulder season is the best time to travel in nz sta. In india, this typically means the travel period between august 1 and august 30, november 15 and december 10, and december 26. Travellers on a budget, here are shoulder season destinations. The launch of tourism new zealand s next generation of 100% pure new zealand campaign this month marks a significant shift in timing for us as we focus on promoting arrivals in the shoulder season.
Busiest months to visit new zealand new zealand travel insider. Generally, flying to new zealand in may is one of the cheaper months to do so. The low season juneoct is the cheapest time to travel, however prices remain high at resort towns with ski fields. December is one of the busiest times of the year in new zealand, as this is the start of the high season. Shoulder season for us in quite by comparison to high season of late dec jan. Aoraki mount cook hiking, new zealand shoulder season.
While new zealand does not really have a low season it is almost always high. The term shoulder season was coined in the 60s to refer to the travel season between peak and offpeak seasons, especially spring and fall, when fares tended to be relatively low. When it comes to choosing what time of year to visit a resort, it pays to check out the value pricing offered during the shoulder season. I try to arrange traveling during shoulder seasons for good value when prices might be lower, decent weather, and fewer crowds. Dec 04, 2019 the us, europe, south africa and new zealand are also ideal during the shoulder season. Make sure you visit before christmas, when new zealand suffers from the holy trinity of travel craziness. Sep 05, 2016 in addition, shoulder season typically means greater availability of mileage tickets, so this may be a good time to cash out your frequent flier miles. Dec, 2018 learn about the new zealand seasons, as well as the peak season in new zealand and the low season in new zealand. It lists 175 vacation rental homes, cabins, and condos, making it your best bet for finding shoulderseason deals. Its one of the 16 most incredible beauty destinations in the world and a. We took advantage of my flexibility by planning a threeweek trip to new zealand for february and march late summer early fall.
Spring is stunning throughout the country as flowers are in full bloom, and accommodations are much more affordable. May 23, 2019 low prices during shoulder season, youre likely to experience offseason bargains and lower prices for most things airfares, hostels, museums and other attractions. A short stop in christchurch, including the banks peninsula and akaroa, at the start of a three week visit to new zealand s south island. In india, this typically means the travel period between august 1 and august 30. Queenstowns shoulder season disappearing as more tourists. The secrets of shoulder season, the most underrated time. Generally throughout nz high season is december sometimes november through march. In addition, shoulder season typically means greater availability of mileage tickets, so this may be a good time to cash out your frequent flier miles. However, shoulder season, entering the fall, is also flipped. When it comes to shoulder season, its the best of both worlds. With the worldfamous lupins probably the most instagrammed flower in the world blossoming, hundreds of other flowers in full bloom, lambs running all around the fields and birds singing their lungs out, spring is the perfect season for apicturesque trip in new zealand. Destination queenstown chief executive graham budd said the. January and february are the warmest months, and july is the coldest month of the year.
Destination queenstown chief executive graham budd said the organisations main focus has. Save some cash during whats known as shoulder seasonapril to may and september to octoberexpect to travel at a much lower cost than high season. Depending on what you want to do, you can virtually go all over new zealand at all times of the year. The launch of tourism new zealands next generation of 100% pure new zealand campaign this month marks a significant shift in timing for us. For a general idea of costs in new zealand, take a look at this guide. Ultimate mainly operate in high season due to the sensitive climatic conditions in fiordland. It was later adopted to refer to the spring and fall in pasture management, the lighter heating season, and other springfall terms. Considered a shoulder season, rates for travel and accommodation are much less than during summers peak travel season.
A short stop in christchurch, including the banks peninsula and akaroa, at the start of a three week visit to new zealands south island. You are not comparing new zealand s low season with high or shoulder, but just one companys. Why shoulder season is the best time to travel in nz sta travel. Day hikes in new zealand s aoraki mount cook national park, including hooker valley, mueller hut, tasman blue glacier, and the red tarns. The launch of tourism new zealands next generation of 100% pure new zealand campaign this month marks a significant shift in timing for us as we focus on promoting arrivals in the shoulder season. As a rule of thumb, the high season for travel in mexico tends to run from middecember through midapril from just. In india, this typically means the travel period between august 1 and august 30, november 15 and december 10, and december 26 and january 24. Unsurprisingly, the summer months between decembermarch are the busiest, so taking off on your road trip during shoulder season could be a wise move as it means less crowds and also more selection of carscampers. Given the combination of hot weather and the fact that these are the christmas and new year holidays, its no surprise that youll find new zealand to be popular through december. The secrets of shoulder season, the most underrated time to.
Apr 07, 2015 why you should visit new zealand in the offseason. A shoulder season falls between the peak and offpeak travel seasons. Best time to visit new zealand peak season in new zealand. Deciphering shoulder season is one of travels biggest mysteries. Fall march may and spring septembernovember are considered shoulder seasons in. Technically, cycling in new zealand is a year round activity so joining in on the cycling fun during shoulder season can still be very much on the agenda. The truth is, new zealand is amazing yearround, so this guide is to help you decide which is the best season to travel in new zealand according to your preferences. Aug 11, 2017 why fall might soon be your favorite time to travel. Find out why the shoulder season is so awesome in 11 reasons to travel in the shoulder and offseason in new zealand.
Its also harvest time for new zealand s wellregarded wine regions, including marlborough. This is not only because of foreign tourists but also domestic travellers who have holidays from 20th december to late january when schools close. Find out why the shoulder season is so awesome in 11 reasons to travel in the shoulder and off season in new zealand. Tourism new zealand chief executive kevin bowler says it is great to see such strong growth in the shoulder season. Additionally, new zealand s trees are changing, making for a colorful show, especially in areas such as central otago and hawkes bay. Day hikes in new zealands aoraki mount cook national park, including hooker valley, mueller hut, tasman blue glacier, and the red tarns. The average new zealand temperature decreases as you travel south. New zealands allconquering all blacks would never have become backtoback rugby world champions without their unstoppable maori players. May is an ideal time to catch a destination during shoulder season those few weeks when rates are low and the weather is. Can you please advise me what months might be considered shoulder season for travel in australia and new. New zealand climate and weather 100% pure new zealand.
Learn about the new zealand seasons, as well as the peak season in new zealand and the low season in new zealand. Shoulder season in new zealand brings calm and settled weather, allowing visitors to explore the diverse landscapes available. New zealand had been on our tovisit list for a while, but seasons and distance make it hard to visit during a normal year. You are not comparing new zealands low season with high or shoulder, but just one companys. New zealand provides the ultimate setting to a road trip that you will never forget. The majority of our marketing effort is going into attracting visitors during the months of october, november, march and april which is why our campaign is being launched now rather than later in. Charlyn keating is a resort and hotel expert with over 12 years of experience travel writing for the washington post, travel channel online, and other publications. Best time to visit new zealand depending on what you want to do, you can virtually go all over new zealand at all times of the year.
Oct 24, 2016 lull shoulder seasons in queenstown are disappearing as more tourists visit the resort all year around. New zealand budget travelers looking to save a few dollars should consider visiting bucketlist worthy new zealand during the fall shoulder season. Mar 21, 2017 shoulder season growth outweighs peak 21 mar 2017 the latest international visitor arrival figures show tourism new zealands decision to invest all of its activity into promoting autumn and spring travel continues to deliver for industry. Additionally, new zealands trees are changing, making for a colorful show, especially in areas such as central otago and hawkes bay. Traveling to mexico during shoulder season the periods between the high and low tourism seasons is an oftenoverlooked win for travelers.
Weather wise mid january till early april tends to be most settled, and if you do get rain on the coast or going into milford sound, consider it a privlege. Its also harvest time for new zealands wellregarded wine regions, including marlborough. You can check on new zealand weather conditions on the met service website. Mar 09, 2020 traveling to mexico during shoulder season the periods between the high and low tourism seasons is an oftenoverlooked win for travelers. Hotel rates and flights tend to be lower than normal, there are fewer crowds, and everything is a little less hectic in general.
Travellers heading around new zealand at this time of year can enjoy the inbetween of summer. Generally speaking, travelers can also find more affordable rates on hotel stays and tours by traveling during the off season or shoulder season. Booking queenstown hotels in peak and off season new. Australia, new zealand and the pacific islands are beautiful destinations with lots of nature to enjoy all year round. May is an ideal time to catch a destination during shoulder seasonthose few weeks when rates are low and the weather is. Theyre very popular during summer but mountainous new zealand is also popular during winter. Tourism new zealand has made a major shift in its marketing focus, resulting in 80 per cent of our resources and effort now going into promoting shoulder season travel to encourage international travellers to visit during off. Why fall might soon be your favorite time to travel. Shoulder season growth outweighs peak 21 mar 2017 the latest international visitor arrival figures show tourism new zealands decision to invest all of its activity into promoting autumn and spring travel continues to deliver for industry.