The Best New Zealand Family Travel Spots for Kids and Parents

New Zealand is a treasure for adventurous families. New Zealand consists of some of the top travel spots for kids with awe-inspiring natural beauty. New Zealand family travel spots are suitable for all ages. In this article, we will explore some of the perfect travel spots for parents and the heart of family-friendly travel, highlighting destinations that cater not only to wide-eyed explorers but also to the relaxation and interests of parents. These travel spots in New Zealand for 2024 are selected to guarantee a harmonious blend of educational enrichment, adventure, and leisure, ensuring that both kids and parents have an enriching experience.

New Zealand Family Travel Spots – Bay of Islands

Cream Trip – Hole in the Rock Adventure

This tour, initially established in 1927, showcases the natural beauty of the Bay and provides a glimpse into the area’s vibrant history. The trip includes a scenic cruise through the Bay, offering opportunities to spot dolphins and other marine wildlife. The highlight is the travel through the Hole in the Rock, which provides stunning views of the Cape Brett Peninsular.

Rotorua

Whakarewarewa – Geothermal Activity

Whakarewarewa, the only living Māori village in New Zealand, offers a unique experience combining geothermal wonders and rich cultural heritage. Here, families can explore bubbling mud pools, hot springs, and the famous Pōhutu Geyser, which erupts several times daily.

Redwoods Treewalk

The Redwoods Treewalk in Rotorua is a breathtaking eco-tourism experience that allows you to walk among the towering redwood trees via 28 suspension bridges. This family-friendly adventure is accessible to all ages and fitness levels, with purpose-built strollers available for the littlest visitors. The walk can be enjoyed both during the day and at night when the forest transforms into a magical landscape illuminated by giant lanterns and light projections.

Tamaki Maori Village

Tamaki Maori Village offers a cultural experience where families can learn about the traditions, history, and contemporary life of the Māori people. This attraction showcases a presentation of Māori culture, from the traditional greeting rituals to the powerful performances of the haka. The evening ends with a Hangi feast, where food is cooked using ancient geothermal steaming techniques, providing a delicious and authentic taste of Māori cuisine. This experience is not only one of the many travel spots for kids being educational but also profoundly moving, making it a must-visit for families seeking to understand and respect the culture of New Zealand.

Queenstown – Travel Spots for Kids

Shotover Jet

We start our Queenstown adventure with the world-renowned Shotover Jet, an exhilarating jet boat ride through the dramatic and narrow Shotover River Canyons. Known for its high-speed rides and gravity-defying stunts close to awe-inspiring cliff faces, the Shotover Jet provides an unforgettable experience for thrill-seekers. Families can enjoy special promotions, with children’s prices and even opportunities where ‘kids go free’ at certain times of the year.

Skyline Luge

Next, we head to the Skyline Luge, a unique attraction that includes a downhill ride on a small cart along a winding concrete track. Located at the top of the Skyline Gondola, the Luge promises fun and spectacular views over Queenstown and the surrounding mountains. This activity is perfect for all ages, providing complete rider control with a unique braking and steering system, ensuring a safe yet thrilling ride down the track.

Taupo – Travel Spots for Kids

Lake Taupo Maori Carvings

Lake Taupo, being the largest lake in New Zealand, is renowned for its vast size, geological history, and impressive Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay. These carvings, accessible only by water, depict Ngātoroirangi, a significant ancestral figure, and are surrounded by more miniature sculptures of tupuna (ancestors) and kaitiaki (guardians), pivotal to the local Maori tribe’s history. Standing over 14 meters tall, the carvings were crafted in the 1970s by Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell and his team, taking four years to complete.

Huka Falls

Huka Falls, a highlight of the Waikato River, presents a stunning display of natural hydropower—more than 220,000 litres of water per second thunder over an 11-meter-high waterfall. The river narrows significantly at this point, creating a spectacle akin to water blasting through a fire hose nozzle. For an up-close experience, visitors can take a jet boat ride or enjoy the views from a footbridge at the top of the falls.

Orakei Korako Geothermal Park

Orakei Korako, also refered to as the Hidden Valley, offers a unique geothermal experience with over 23 active geysers, colourful silica terraces, and the only geothermal cave in New Zealand, the Ruatapu Cave. This area is accessible by a ferry ride, adding to the adventure as families witness geothermal phenomena right from the water’s edge. The park is family-friendly, with safe pathways for all ages, and even offers free baby carriers to ensure young ones can enjoy the experience comfortably.

Milford Sound – Travel Spots for Parents

Scenic Helicopter Tours

For those seeking a bird’s-eye view, scenic helicopter tours provide breathtaking aerial perspectives of Milford Sound and the surrounding Fiordland National Park. Departing from Milford Sound Airport, these tours range from a quick 25-minute flight to more extensive journeys, including multiple landings at iconic sites like the Earnslaw Burn. It’s an exhilarating way to experience the vastness of this pristine wilderness.

Conclusion – New Zealand Family Travel Spots

Throughout this article we have uncovered some of the best travel spots in new zealand for 2024. We reviewed the country’s unparalleled destinations for family travel, each offering diverse experiences for parents and children. These New Zealand family travel spots underscore the country’s commitment to celebrating its unique natural heritage, adventurous spirit, and cultural richness, ensuring families leave with enduring memories and a deeper connection to the world around them. Reflecting on New Zealand family travel spots reminds us of the importance of choosing travel destinations that entertain, educate, and inspire.

Planning your next trip? Here we gathered 15 family travel tips to make your adventure easier.