The Best of New Zealand, by Activity

New Zealand’s landscape lends itself to adventure in every direction — braided glacial rivers for jet boating, dramatic coastlines and alpine drop zones for skydiving, still lakes and wild rivers for kayaking. With so much choice spread across both islands, it’s not always obvious where a particular experience is actually at its best.

Rather than covering these activity by region, this collection brings together our guides by activity and destination type, comparing the best locations around the country so you can decide not just what to do, but where to do it best.

Some activities, like jet boating or scenic flights, are worth comparing nationally since the experience varies significantly by location — a jet boat run through a narrow canyon feels very different to one on a wide, braided river.

Others, like Milford Sound or Kaikōura whale watching, are tied to one unmissable place, so we’ve grouped those separately as destination guides. Whether you’re chasing a single bucket-list experience or building an entire trip around a specific activity or region, start here.