It is important to be aware of New Zealand’s public holidays so you can plan ahead for the closures of banks and some businesses, shops, cafes and restaurants. Businesses that do trade on these days may add a 15% surcharge to their services. We have listed the dates below for 2025 and 2026 to make sure you are prepared and get no surprises!
There are four restricted trading days which are Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and before 1 pm on ANZAC Day. Almost all shops are required to be closed. There are some exclusions due to the nature of their trade e.g. petrol stations, cafes, restaurants, fast food outlets and dairies (small convenience stores), however, in smaller towns they will often opt to close as well. Check out in advance what will be open near you on the following days! Small towns and villages are less likely to have places open, so if you are travelling around New Zealand during any of these periods, make sure you plan ahead.
Our New Zealand Travel Specialists can assist you with further information, see our Contact Us page.
2025 New Zealand National Public Holidays
1 Jan: New Year's Day
2 Jan: Day after New Year's Day
6 Feb: Waitangi Day
18 Apr: Good Friday
21 Apr: Easter Monday
25 Apr: Anzac Day
2 Jun: King's Birthday
20 Jun: Matariki
27 Oct: Labour Day
25 Dec: Christmas Day
26 Dec: Boxing Day
2025 New Zealand Regional Anniversary Dates (Please note that these holidays are only celebrated within each province, and not nationwide)
20 Jan: Wellington Anniversary Day
27 Jan: Auckland Anniversary Day
3 Feb: Nelson Anniversary Day
10 Mar: Taranaki Anniversary Day
24 Mar: Otago Anniversary Day
22 Apr: Southland Anniversary Day
22 Sep: South Canterbury Anniversary Day
24 Oct: Hawkes' Bay Anniversary Day
3 Nov: Marlborough Anniversary Day
14 Nov: Canterbury Anniversary Day
1 Dec: Chatham Islands Anniversary Day
1 Dec: Westland Anniversary Day
2026 New Zealand National Public Holidays
1 Jan: New Year's Day
2 Jan: Day after New Year's Day
6 Feb: Waitangi Day
3 Apr: Good Friday
6 Apr: Easter Monday
25 Apr: Anzac Day
1 Jun: King's Birthday
10 Jul: Matariki
26 Oct: Labour Day
25 Dec: Christmas Day
26 Dec: Boxing Day
2026 New Zealand Regional Anniversary Dates (Please note that these holidays are only celebrated within each province, and not nationwide)
19 Jan: Wellington Anniversary Day
26 Jan: Auckland Anniversary Day
2 Feb: Nelson Anniversary Day
9 Mar: Taranaki Anniversary Day
23 Mar: Otago Anniversary Day
7 Apr: Southland Anniversary Day
28 Sep: South Canterbury Anniversary Day
23 Oct: Hawkes' Bay Anniversary Day
2 Nov: Marlborough Anniversary Day
13 Nov: Canterbury Anniversary Day
30 Nov: Chatham Islands Anniversary Day
30 Nov: Westland Anniversary Day
Take a look through our blogs for some great ideas on touring around New Zealand.
At NZSD we have built a business based on one simple belief - that every customer deserves excellent service and honest, accurate advice. Since 2004 we have been creating New Zealand holidays for visitors from all over the world. In fact that's all we do. We are the absolute experts at creating great touring experiences across the North & South Islands.
So how does it work? Well our site contains over 200 great self drive itinerary ideas. You can see exactly where you are going, where you will stay and how much it will cost. But we also know that even with 200 great ideas such as these most visitors want something slightly different or something to suit them specifically. Our team of travel specialists are absolute experts at designing great New Zealand touring holidays. All you need to do is get in touch with us and one of the team will make contact and chat with you about the kind of experience you are looking for. We tailor make a proposed itinerary for you which you can tweak and adjust as much as you wish. When you are happy with the plans you go ahead and book using our secure systems. A deposit payment is needed to book with the balance payment due before you travel. We ensure everything is booked accurately, we ensure that all your timings work, and your itinerary is uploaded to our custom APP so you get lots of great information and features as you travel. While you are here we also provide in country support and help if you need it.
So why work with us? Because we are dedicated to ensuring your New Zealand holiday experience is the best holiday experience you will ever have.