25 Most Instagrammable Places in New Zealand

Last Updated on 19th July 2023

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Looking for the most Instagrammable photo locations in New Zealand? I’ve got just the post for you in this ultimate guide to the 25 best Instagram spots in North and South Island New Zealand!

After travelling around the truly beautiful country for almost three months, it’s safe to say that we saw more than our fair share of the most Instagrammable places in New Zealand while we were there.

From the top of the North Island, right down to Wellington, all the way down to Milford Sound, Mount Cook and the southernmost point of the South Island; we covered a fair few miles around my favourite country in the world.

If you’ve got a trip planned to NZ and are looking for the best places to take some pics, or you just fancy a nosey at one of the most picturesque countries in the world, here are the top New Zealand Instagram spots!

Read more: Is New Zealand Expensive? How Much Money We Spent In 3 Months In New Zealand

Top 25 Instagrammable places in New Zealand summary

• Cathedral Cove
• Hobbiton
• Oriental Bay
• Waimangu Volcanic Valley
• Tongariro National Park
• Mount Maunganui
• McLaren Falls Park
• Rotorua Redwoods
• Sky Tower Auckland
• Fiordland National Park
• Haast Blue Pools
• Milford Sound
• Abel Tasman National Park
• Mount Cook
• Moeraki Boulders
• THAT Wanaka Tree
• Purakaunui Falls
• Burke’s Pass
• Pancake Rocks
• Franz Josef Glacier
• Lake Pukaki
• Lake Tekapo
• Hokitika Gorge
• The Hooker Valley Track

North Island – most Instagrammable places in New Zealand

We spent exactly six weeks on the North Island of New Zealand and in between housesitting and looking after an abundance of animals, we also explored many beautiful areas around the island.

Check out some of the best photo spots on New Zealand North Island!

Read more: North Island vs South Island New Zealand – Which Island Is Better?

1. Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove is without a doubt one of the most photogenic places in the North Island of New Zealand.

It’s home to the most beautiful white-sand beach with stunning views and stretches of coastline to explore on the way there.

The walk to get to the Cove is absolutely spectacular but once you arrive at the beach, you’ll be hard-pressed to put your camera down; it’s a beach lover’s Instagram dream!

Check out my entire guide to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach!

2. Hobbiton – most Instagrammable spots in New Zealand

Our day at the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour was one of the absolute highlights of our 3-month trip around New Zealand.

Regardless of whether you’ve seen the LOTR or the Hobbit trilogies or not (although it definitely does help to have seen them!), you’ll struggle to find a more adorable place on the North Island.

From the lush green grass, and expanses of rolling hills, to the Green Dragon Inn and the lake, as well as the actual Hobbit holes themselves, Hobbiton is such a beautiful place to go wild with your camera!

Book your tickets to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour here!

3. Oriental Bay, Wellington

Wellington was my favourite city in the North Island and that was largely due to the fact that it was just so unbelievably Instagrammable!

From the food in Wellington to the city streets to the cable car; it was all just so beautiful. Arguably the most Instagrammable place in Wellington however is the view of Oriental Bay.

The yachts and boats in the harbour as well as the stunning houses up on the hill and the colour of the sea itself make this one of the best places in the North Island to photograph.

Check out my guide to the best free or cheap things to do in Wellington!

4. Waimangu Volcanic Valley

Waimangu Volcanic Valley was yet another one of my favourite places on the North Island.

It’s so unbelievably photogenic; the hot steam emitting from the thermal pools, the mountainous landscapes and the beautiful lake at the end of the track all make Waimangu truly Instagram-worthy.

Book your Waimangu Volcanic Valley tickets here!

5. Tongariro National Park

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is not only a Lord of the Rings fan’s dream Instagram location, it’s also one of the most beautiful hikes in the whole of New Zealand.

With the towering ‘Mount Doom’ as your backdrop, as well as all the stunning “smaller” mountains, rolling hills and beautiful landscapes, it’s hard not to find something to take a picture of in Tongariro National Park!

6. The view from Mount Maunganui

Mount Maunganui was one of my favourite places back when I lived in New Zealand in 2011 and it certainly didn’t disappoint when we hiked up to the top again on our 3-year anniversary!

The views from the top are absolutely exquisite and you get bonus Instagrammable points if you walk to the top in time for sunrise (like we did) or sunset!

7. McLaren Falls Park – the most Instagrammable places in New Zealand

McLaren Falls Park resides just outside of Tauranga and is remarkably beautiful at any time of year.

Personally, I’d recommend visiting in autumn if you’re looking to take some truly astonishing pictures; the colours on all the trees and flowers are so stunning and you’ll also find plenty of wildlife to snap as you walk around the lake too!

Read more: The Best Hiking Trails In The Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand

8. Redwoods Rotorua

While they might not be quite as famous as the Californian Redwoods, the ones in Rotorua are still mightily impressive.

The whole forest is an outdoor lover’s dream and whether you embark on the Treewalk or just wander around underneath the towering trees, you’ll find ample opportunities to gaze up towards the sky with your camera! The Redwoods in Rotorua are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand.

9. Sky Tower – the most Instagrammable places in Auckland

Auckland has many Instagrammable places such as Queen Street, Devonport and Waiheke Island but one of the most iconic shots is simply the Auckland skyline from the water.

You can see the unique Sky Tower (which is also worth going up to see the most astonishing views of the city from above), as well as many other buildings punctuating the cityscape.

Read more: Sky Tower Auckland Restaurant – Orbit 360° & Observation Deck, New Zealand

South Island – most Instagrammable places in New Zealand

If the North Island didn’t offer enough photo opportunities for you, then you’ll find plenty more Instagrammable locations in the South Island!

From Milford Sound and Queenstown to Mount Cook and Wanaka, there’s certainly no shortage of Instagrammable places in the South Island!

10. Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park was quite possibly my favourite place in the whole of the South Island; especially the Milford Sound Road.

The picture above is one of the best pictures (it did very well on Instagram so you guys must have loved it too 😉 ) that we took during our whole time in New Zealand. We were lucky enough to snap a good few pictures without anyone else in them so if you have the patience, you can definitely find the most Instagrammable angles and locations in Fiordland!

Read more: The Ultimate 5-Week South Island New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary

11. Haast Blue Pools

The Blue Pools are an incredibly popular destination in the summer months in New Zealand as they’re idyllic for swimming, frolicking and jumping off the bridge into the spectacularly clear water below!

While we visited in winter and not summer, we were still blown away by how blue and crystal clear the water is so they’re definitely Instagrammable at any time of year!

12. Milford Sound – best Instagram spots in New Zealand

As I mentioned above, I was totally obsessed with the whole of Fiordland National Park and the Milford Sound Cruise was no exception.

Many people would argue that it’s better to see Milford Sound just after it’s rained or when it’s actually raining so that the many waterfalls are much fuller, but I’d disagree somewhat.

We visited on a day when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and while it was unbearably cold, we took some truly fantastic pictures.

Everywhere you look along Milford Sound is absolutely breathtaking, so make sure you have your camera to hand!

Travel tip: book your Milford Sound Cruise here!

13. Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park is so vast and expansive; you certainly won’t struggle to find some beautiful photo opportunities.

There are many lookout points dotted throughout the park, as well as numerous hiking trails that all have stunning places to photograph!

14. Mount Cook

Mount Cook Road and Mount Cook National Park as a whole is one of those places that you just can’t get the true scale of with just a picture, but you can certainly give it a good try!

It’s definitely one of the most Instagrammable spots in New Zealand and any picture you take of it will make an excellent phone screen background (or even a large-scale print!).

15. Moeraki Boulders – most Instagrammable places in New Zealand

The Moeraki Boulders are yet another incredibly unusual but remarkably beautiful force of nature in New Zealand.

These weird and wonderful spherical boulders punctuate a stretch of the Koekohe beach along the Otago Coast of the South Island.

A quick Google or Instagram search will show you just how strange they are, but they make for a great photo opportunity in South Island New Zealand!

16. THAT Wanaka Tree

The infamous Wanaka Tree is one of the most Instagrammed places in New Zealand.

It’s a relatively small and almost nondescript tree that resides near the edge of Lake Wanaka and yet somehow thousands of tourists flock to it to snap that iconic picture.

If you manage to see the tree in every season, you can truly appreciate the changes of the colours with each season; we saw it in winter and it looked so magical set against the snowy mountains behind.

17. Purakaunui Falls

Nestled in the Catlins Forest Park, Purakaunui Falls is another iconic summer destination for travellers and locals alike.

While it may look lusher in the summer, you’d definitely struggle to snap a picture without anyone in it as it gets so busy with people swimming underneath the falls and lounging on the rocks.

Bonus points if you manage to get a long exposure shot of the waterfalls!

18. Burke’s Pass – most Instagrammed places in New Zealand

This adorable little pitstop along Burke’s Pass feels quintessentially American and ever-so Instagrammable.

It’s almost always very quiet as very few people realise what it actually is (it’s actually a few little antique boutique stores!) so when you go to take your pictures, make sure you have a look around inside too; there are some incredible little antique gems!

19. Pancake Rocks

The Punakaiki Pancake Rocks are an incredible force of nature in the South Island.

Unfortunately for us, it was absolutely lashing it down with rain on the day we visited, but we still managed to snap a few great pictures of these remarkable rock formations.

If you arrive at the right time, you might even see the blowholes in full force right next to the Pancake Rocks!

20. Franz Josef Glacier

The Franz Josef Glacier is one of the top Instagram spots in New Zealand, but only if you’re lucky enough to actually see it!

During our 2019 New Zealand road trip, we tried (and failed!) on several different occasions to see the world-famous glacier, but to no avail. So, if you do manage to snap some pictures of Franz Josef, let me know in the comments below!

Bonus best Instgrammable places in New Zealand

• Lake Pukaki
• Lake Tekapo
• Hokitika Gorge
• The whole of the West Coast!
• The Hooker Valley Track

More New Zealand content:

• The Ultimate 5-Week South Island New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary
• A Luxury Yurt Break In South Island New Zealand With Glamping Hub
• New Zealand North Island Itinerary – Ultimate Guide Of The Best Things To Do
• 20 Best Things To Do In South Island New Zealand
• 33 Fun Facts About New Zealand
• What Is New Zealand Famous For? 40 Things That Make New Zealand Special

Pin for later – Instagrammable places in New Zealand

Have you ever been to New Zealand? Have these Instagrammable photos convinced you to add NZ to your bucket list? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter at @imjustagirl_16.