Greetings from New Zealand! Since I am wrapping up my travels, I want to share a packing list of all the things that I used or wished I had during the trip! Keep in mind, everything on this list might not be applicable to you, but it should at least provide some inspiration or guidelines!

  • 4-5 t-shirts
  • 3 short sleeve athletic shirts
  • 2-3 long sleeve athletic shirts
  • 2-3 nicer tops
  • 2 sweatshirts
  • 1 warmer jacket if you get cold easily (the South Island is quite a bit colder!)
  • 1 rain jacket
  • 4 pairs of leggings/casual pants
  • 1-2 pairs of jeans
  • 1-2 pairs of shorts
  • 3 pajama sets
  • 1-2 swimsuits
  • Socks and underwear
  • 2 pairs of hiking socks (necessary if you have higher hiking boots that come over your ankle to prevent chafing)
  • Dirty clothes bag
  • Laundry detergent
  • Hiking boots
  • Tennis shoes that can get wet/dirty (optional; you can also just wear your hiking boots)
  • Everyday tennis shoes
  • Sneakers to wear with cuter outfits (optional)
  • Sandals (I recommend waterproof sandals that can be used in showers/on beaches)
  • Hat
  • Winter hat (optional)
  • Gloves (optional)
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen (I only wore it twice while on hikes)
  • Small backpack or belt bag
  • Plug adaptor
  • Voltage converter (optional; only necessary if you don’t have a dual voltage hair dryer/flat iron/curling iron, and most of our hostels provide hairdryers)
  • Charging cords
  • Portable charger (super useful!)
  • Umbrella (optional but useful)
  • Water bottle
  • Medicine
  • Kindle
  • Airpods
  • Quick dry towel
  • Credit/debit card
  • NZ money (Some washing and drying machines only take coins, and some buses or small shops only take cash. There are also plenty of places to exchange money in NZ.)
  • Passport
  • Bandaids
  • Tissues
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Airtags (could be useful to put in bags)

Hopefully this list is helpful! Attached is a photo from my hike at Roys Peak!