Best time to visit New Zealand

Timing is simple in New Zealand: almost every destination here peaks in February or January, so one set of dates works for the whole country.

Averaged across every destination listed, New Zealand is at its best in February, scoring 77 out of 100, with January close behind at 74. July is the weakest month nationally at 42. The window is narrow: only 3 months come within eight points of the best, so an itinerary covering several of these places should be built around that rather than around any one city's own peak.

There is real variation inside New Zealand: 19 °C annually in Paihia against 13 °C in Dunedin. Rain splits the country further: Te Anau sees 248 wet days a year against 118 in Timaru, which is a different kind of trip rather than a slightly damper one.