Day 1: Auckland to Waitomo (200 km, about 2.5 hours)
Collect the car and head south on State Highway 1, then SH3. Roads are slower than the map suggests; plan on an 80 km/h average once you leave the motorway. Spend the afternoon at the Waitomo glowworm caves. The main Glowworm Cave boat trip costs around NZ$60; the smaller Ruakuri tour is quieter and better value if you want fewer crowds. Stay in Otorohanga or Waitomo village.
Day 2: Waitomo to Rotorua via Hobbiton (150 km, about 2 hours driving)
Drive to Matamata for a booked Hobbiton Movie Set tour (around NZ$120, book ahead in summer). It is touristy but the gardens are genuinely well kept. Continue to Rotorua in the afternoon. The town smells of sulphur; you stop noticing after an hour. Free thermal areas sit in Kuirau Park if you do not want to pay for a geothermal park.
Day 3: Rotorua
A full day here. Wai-O-Tapu (about NZ$40) has the most colourful pools; go early before tour buses arrive. A Māori cultural evening with hāngī dinner is worth one night. Te Puia, on the other side of town, is the place to see the Pōhutu geyser and Māori carving, so pick one geothermal park if money is tight.
Day 4: Rotorua to Taupō (80 km, about 1 hour)
Short drive, so stop at Huka Falls and the free Spa Park hot stream where a thermal creek meets the cold river. Lake Taupō is good for a slow afternoon. This is your easy day; do not over-schedule it.
Day 5: Taupō and Tongariro
If the weather is clear and you are fit, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a 19.4 km one-way walk taking seven to eight hours, with shuttle transport required (around NZ$45). Check the forecast honestly; it is exposed and turns dangerous in wind or cloud. If conditions are poor, skip it and enjoy Taupō instead rather than risking it.
Day 6: Taupō to Wellington (375 km, about 4.5 hours)
The longest drive of the week. Break it at Tūrangi or in the Manawatū. Arrive in Wellington by late afternoon. The capital is compact and walkable once you park.
Day 7: Wellington
Te Papa museum is free and excellent. Ride the cable car up to the Botanic Garden and walk back down. Wellington's coffee and food scene is the best in the country, so budget for a few good meals. Fly out from here.
Practical notes
Total driving is roughly 1,100 km over the week, comfortable for the time. The single longest stint is Taupō to Wellington, so do not pair it with a big walk on the same day. Fuel runs about NZ$2.70 to NZ$3.00 a litre, and a mid-range rental works out near NZ$70 a day in summer. Book Hobbiton and any Tongariro shuttle in advance from December to February, when both sell out.
On timing, this loop is best from October to April. Winter still works, but the Tongariro Crossing needs alpine gear and experience in snow, and short days cut into driving. If you only have five days rather than seven, drop Tongariro and one Rotorua night and the rest still holds together. Carry a card for everything; many small cafes are now cashless, and parking in Wellington and Auckland is paid by app or meter.
