10 Budget-Friendly New Zealand Activities Under $100

You’ve set up flight alerts, waited patiently for a great deal and booked a campervan- all set for your trip to New Zealand! But before you go - have you considered pre-booking some of your activities?

New Zealand is a backpacker’s paradise - you’ve heard about the hikes, the magnificent Milford Sounds and have that one mate who won’t stop telling you about their skydiving experience in Queenstown. If you’re making your way to this little pocket of the globe, also known as the ‘adventure capital of the world’ - you know you’ve got good reason to do some activities, even if you’re on a backpacker’s budget! Sure, the cost of the regular attractions in New Zealand like bungee jumping, skydiving and skiing can quickly burn through your wallet, but you can still experience the beauty of New Zealand on a budget - the best thing to do is do your research and book activities ahead of time so that you know you’re getting the best bang for your buck. 

Here are 10 affordable activities under $100 that will round up your trip perfectly:

Kaikoura is a coastal town on the South Island of New Zealand and is widely known for its abundant wildlife - dolphins, sperm whales and seabirds. Hop onboard this cruise that will take you to the best spots as you learn all about them from a professional guide.

We’d highly recommend jumping in the big blue for a magical close-up encounter - swimming with dolphins in their natural habitat would definitely be one for the books!

Quick tip - Water conditions can get rough so be sure to opt for the sea sickness medication which is provided by the crew on the day. 

Location - From Christchurch: 2.5 hour drive

Found only in Australia and New Zealand, you may think that glow worms would be a species of worms, but they are actually larvae of a primitive fly and can be found in caves or rocky structures, where they thrive in wet habitats. In the darkness, they turn a dazzling blue- prepare to be mesmerized!

Hop on a scenic cruise vessel and travel to the caves of Te Anau, then be pulled through the caves along ropes by boat that will take you to a hidden grotto where thousands of glow worms live - when you gaze up, you’ll see one of the coolest views you’ll find on this planet. 

Quick tip - no photography and video filming is allowed in the cave for safety reasons - so it’s time to put those smartphones away and bask in its beauty 

From Queenstown: 2.5 hour drive

From Dunedin: 5 hour drive

When you hear the word 'glacier', you know you're in for a snowy adventure! Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier are two of New Zealand's most famous glaciers, filled with deep valleys and an array of natural wonders.

A helicopter flight to the glaciers will set you back a couple hundred of dollars, so if you’re working with a budget - we’d recommend taking a small hike through the Franz Josef Glacier Valley to enjoy some dramatic landscapes and great photo backdrops instead. 

After a three hour hike, you’ll be rewarded with a complimentary pass to the Glacier Hot Pools where you can warm up from all that snow- ahh, bliss! 

From Greymouth: 2.5 hour drive

From Wanaka: 4 hour drive

From Christchurch: 5 hour drive

Your New Zealand trip would not be complete without checking out Milford Sound. It’s basically a fiord - 16km in length from the head all the way out to the open sea. It’s lined with rock faces that go up to 1,200m high from the water - be wowed by its towering peaks, bodies of water and the majestic Mitre Park.

You'll even get a taste of pure glacial waters fresh from the towering waterfalls! 

Quick tip - Milford Sound receives 182 rainy days per year! That makes it one of the wettest places on earth - make sure you dress accordingly and whip out that raincoat for this day

From Te Anau: 2-3 hours drive

From Queenstown: 4-5 hours drive

If the Kawarau Bridge Bungy sits outside your budget but you’re still after a dose of adrenaline-  a great alternative is the Kawarau Zipride. 

You’ll get the option to pick out which position you’d like to be in while zipping through the Kawarau River - either a more comfortable ‘sightseer’ position where you are seated facing forward, or if you’re feeling up for it - the ‘batman’, where you are seated upside down and backwards. 

Zoom up to 60kph through three segments of 130m ziplines that hang over the forest floor- with views of the Kawarau River and Gorge! (If you can keep your eyes open).

Location-  Queenstown CBD - Queenstown Bungy Centre, located in ‘The Station‘ building, corner of Shotover and Camp Streets 

Sightsee in Christchurch in the most iconic way possible - on the vintage Christchurch Tram that’s been running since 1882! It’s slower than a bus, which only means more time for you to take in the views - it’s a great choice as you’ll be able to cover more ground in comparison to walking, and no parking headaches involved! 

Hop on and off as you like and get unlimited rides for a day. Some of the sights you’ll catch include the Cathedral Square, Canterbury Museum, Botanic Gardens and more.

Quick Tip - You won’t want to miss Stop 3 and 4 for the farmer’s market and river

Location - Christchurch CBD - The tram begins at Cathedral Junction, there are 17 stops along the route

One of the most affordable activities in Queenstown is the Skyline Gondola and Luge ride. Set high above Lake Wakatipu, it is arguably one of the best vantage points of Queenstown.

Take the gondola to the top, jump in a Luge cart and be prepared for a thrilling, gravity fuelled downhill ride. You can either opt for the blue track which is for beginners, or try out the red track when you’re feeling  a little more confident - with more curves and bumps!

Once you get to the bottom, hop on the chairlift and play to your heart’s content! 

Location - Queenstown CBD  

What’s the verdict?

Once you’ve had your fair share of nature, head on over to the Ice bar in Queenstown. Ditch the conventional bar and take it to the Minus 5 Ice bar - where you can bring out the inner ice queen in you! Sit on ice furniture (we should mention this is also created by an expert ice carver), drink cocktails from ice glasses and flaunt that custom-made jacket plus UGG boots which are provided.

Another spectacular natural showcase in New Zealand to add to the list- the thermal wonderland is a distinct geothermal park where you can find a great concentration of geysers, sulphuric pools, bubbling muds (yes, they bubble) and hot springs. 

Spend the day exploring this 18 sqkm natural wonder and catch a glimpse of the park’s most famous lady, the Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts 10-20 meters up in the air everyday at 10.15AM when a surfactant is dropped into the opening of the vent.

From Rotorua: 30 min drive

From Taupo: 45 min drive

Once you’ve had your fair share of nature, head on over to the Ice bar in Queenstown. Ditch the conventional bar and take it to the Minus 5 Ice bar - where you can bring out the inner ice queen in you! Sit on ice furniture (we should mention this is also created by an expert ice carver), drink cocktails from ice glasses and flaunt that custom-made jacket plus UGG boots which are provided.

From Queenstown Airport: 20 minute drive

A visit to Gibbston Valley Winery is a unique experience. Unlike most wineries, its known best for its long, breathtaking wine cave, where casks of some of the finest New Zealand wine can be found. 

You can opt for the wine cave tour alone, which allows you to head down underground into the caves to walk the well-lit paths lines with wine casks. You can also tour the winery itself and the cave, learning about how the wines are made and processed in Gibbston. In both tours, you get to taste a number of fine products from the winery, from 3-4 wines. The prestige tour combines both tours and adds in a delicious 2 course meal paired with the perfect wines, giving you the full experience of the award-winning products of Gibbston Valley.

Location - 

20 minute drive from Queenstown CBD

So, what are you waiting for? Start planning that road trip you’ve always wanted to do and don’t worry about burning a hole in your wallet. After all, New Zealand is the place for new experiences.