7 Reasons to Honeymoon in New Zealand

Reason One to Honeymoon in New Zealand:

The Scenery

No prizes for guessing what most honeymooners usually state as their main reason for planning a honeymoon in New Zealand: the scenery. From jaw-dropping World Heritage sites and pristine National Parks to world-renowned landscapes and stunning locations recognizable from The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit blockbusters, a lot of honeymooners have fairly strong preconceived convictions that their honeymoon in New Zealand is going to provide plenty of special photo backdrops.

However, what takes a lot of New Zealand honeymooners by surprise is that those preconceived ideas are only a snippet of what’s on offer to them after they start their New Zealand honeymoon. Because beyond the best-known tourist attractions and most recognizable sights, New Zealand is loaded with hidden gems and pleasant surprises for a romantic escape. 

For every top-shelf attraction you’ve seen in honeymoon brochures or online, the diversity of New Zealand’s scenery means that there’s also (almost) always a quieter, equally beautiful alternative – with smaller crowds. These make for endless options for cuddling up in the remote wilderness together, soaking up sublime landscapes from a secluded hot spring, or finding your own private beach and loveshack, where the rest of the world can’t get in.

Reason Two to Honeymoon in New Zealand:

The Weather 

Planning a New Zealand honeymoon benefits from lots of advantages, but one of the most important ones might be the flexibility. 

We’re not just talking about the flexibility of having an amazing array of landscapes, locations, experiences and adventures to choose from on your honeymoon itinerary. The weather also has a part to play. New Zealand’s diverse environments and moderate maritime climate mean that, although weather can be changeable at times, you’re unlikely to be stuck or caught out due to the weather. That’s not to say that it’s sunny all the time here – it’s not. But the point is that it doesn’t matter. Because it’s unlikely to follow you around the country. What’s more, what is typically termed “bad weather” elsewhere can even turn into an advantage on your New Zealand honeymoon, depending on what time of year and where you plan to go:

Is snow coming? Head to the world-famous ski slopes of Queenstown and Wanaka, or soak in a romantic private onsen hot spa overlooking majestic snowy landscapes. Is it raining? That’s often the best time to see the otherworldly cascading fiords of Milford Sound and other fantastic New Zealand waterfalls in full flight. 

Reason Three to Honeymoon in New Zealand:

The Adventure 

You’ve already “taken the plunge” together, so it’s fitting that New Zealand honeymoons offer a lot of ways in which you can do that less metaphorically, and more literally!

New Zealand is well known for its adventure tourism industry, and with good reason: bungee jumping and jet-boating were invented here, and destinations like Queenstown give New Zealand a name across the globe as “The Adventure Capital of the World”. So whether jumping out of an airplane together or getting thrown off a bridge and dunked in a river, bound in a bungee-cord embrace, New Zealand can’t be beaten for potential honeymoon destinations when it comes to hair-raising memories that can be made and kept forever, together. 

However, you don’t have to be daredevils and adrenaline-junkies for your honeymoon to be enhanced by the amazing array of adventures on offer in New Zealand. 

The sense of adventure at starting the next phase of your lives together can be matched in many other ways: from days-long wilderness hikes and romantic horseback rides along the beach, to world-class skiing and subtropical snorkeling or scuba diving, there’s a lot of options to add a touch of adventure to your New Zealand honeymoon.

Reason Four to Honeymoon in New Zealand:

The Ease of Getting Around 

Chances are, you don’t want to spend precious hours of your honeymoon waiting around on train platforms, bus stations and airports, dependent on transport that may or may not turn up. 

That’s why so many New Zealand honeymooners take advantage of the country’s excellent roads, boat services and private flight and helicopter network to plan their own self-drive New Zealand honeymoon. This opens up a whole world of possibilities for your New Zealand honeymoon – from scenic flights and boats into Milford Sound from Queenstown, to winding your way around the remotest beaches and coves of the Coromandel or Bay of Islands in your preferred marital bed: the camper van.

Beyond the obvious advantage this gives you in terms of flexibility and independence, it also means that you’re able to include some slightly harder-to-reach and further-off-the-beaten-track destinations than standard tours and packages will offer. Since you can get to some more remote and isolated places, you can essentially choose to spend your honeymoon alone, together, without really seeing any other humans around! Or, you can throw yourselves straight into the action and thick of it for a few days. The point is, the choice is yours.

Reason Five to Honeymoon in New Zealand:

The Food (& Drink)

New Zealand honeymoons offer no shortage of possibilities for romantic candlelit dinners and memorable food experiences, no matter what your particular tastes or budget are.

If you’re looking to splurge on a fine-dining meal worthy of honeymoon status, you’ll find a surprising spread of top-shelf options no matter where you are: from the subtropical gardens of Ming Poon’s Māha, in Kerikeri, in the far north, to the sensational seafood and stunning views of Rakiura Stewart Island’s Church Hill Restaurant, in the deep south. For those honeymooning on a budget or wanting more of a “local” kind of experience, line up for one of New Zealand’s favorite snacks and street foods – the pie – at Queenstown’s institutional Ferg (Burger) Bakery or the quaint Fairlie Bakehouse. 

Wine lovers can include a romantic bike ride and tasting tour of Marlborough’s “Golden Mile” wine trail on their honeymoon; while craft beer enthusiasts can pop over the hill to explore the world-renowned hops grown (and craft beer brewed) around Motueka and Nelson. Of course, given New Zealand’s lush land and seascapes, you’ll be guaranteed some delicious version of fresh local produce wherever you go – whether that means fresh oysters and line-caught blue cod, or succulent grass-fed lamb, juicy Central Otago stone fruit, hearty Māori potatoes, or delicious manuka honey. 

Reason Six to Honeymoon in New Zealand:

The Romantic Backdrop(s) 

In terms of population, New Zealand is a small country. But in terms of size, it’s actually quite large. And in terms of landscapes, it is incredibly rich and geographically diverse. This combination of low population density and amazing landscapes means you will often have entire swathes of the country alone to yourselves. Perfect for a romantic honeymoon escape from the rest of the world – or that picture-perfect backdrop to make everyone back home jealous!

No matter where you plan to go on your New Zealand honeymoon, you won’t be far from amazing landscapes and world-class scenery. From the subtropical beaches of the far north to the wild, wind-swept islands of the deep south, the eye-catching volcanic landscapes of the central North Island to the imposing Southern Alps running through the spine of the South Island, there will be no shortage of romantic backdrops on your New Zealand honeymoon.

That’s not to say that you’ll be completely cut off from the rest of the world (unless you want to be). New Zealand has an excellent tourism and transport infrastructure, so no matter how quickly you get deep into some remarkable landscapes, you can just as quickly get back on the beaten path and onto the next one!

Reason Seven to Honeymoon in New Zealand:

The Experiences 

For those wanting to plan an active New Zealand honeymoon, there really is no end to the number of options in New Zealand.

Whether you want to walk the world-famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Grade 3 raft down the Tongariro River or swim with the dolphins and spot whales in Kaikōura, explore the coves and caves of Abel Tasman National Park by kayak or jet boat up the Dart River and paddle back down, through ancient beech forests and Lord of the Rings locations, it’s surprising how many fantastic activities you can fit into just a few weeks on your honeymoon in New Zealand.

Those who would like to take things a bit more gently on a New Zealand honeymoon – or those super active honeymooners looking for an “off day” – don’t have to miss out, either. From stargazing under UNESCO skies and soaking in subalpine hot pools at Lake Tekapo to riding the romantic rails of the stunning TranzAlpine train together through the Southern Alps, taking a scenic flight over Milford and Marlborough Sounds or scooting up to land on Franz Josef glacier  by helicopter, there’s a huge number of exciting low-energy experiences to be slotted into any New Zealand North Island or South Island honeymoon itinerary.

Ready to go? 

If you are intrigued by any or all of these reasons to honeymoon in New Zealand, but would like to know a bit more, then check out First Light Travel’s page dedicated to Honeymoons in New Zealand. You can browse their suggested itineraries there; or reach out directly to their NZ honeymoon experts, who can help you put together your own, customized NZ honeymoon itinerary. FLT have been working with couples to plan NZ honeymoons for over two decades, so you’ll be in good hands!

To see what other couples have said about their experiences booking with First Light Travel, you can read the verified reviews page. If you’re ready to start booking or planning straight away, you can also do it directly through FLT. They’ll walk you through the process and take care of everything, from flight and hotel bookings to meeting you at the airport when you arrive!