National guide
Day Trips in New Zealand: One From Each of Our 20 Cities
From the Waitangi Treaty Grounds north of Whangārei to Curio Bay in the Catlins, here’s one day trip from every Explore city, picked from each city’s own day trips guide. Most are within an hour or so, and several need no car at all.
At a glance
| City | Day trip | Getting there | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whangārei | Waitangi Treaty Grounds | About 1 hr by car | History, culture |
| Auckland | Tiritiri Matangi Island | Ferry, about 80 min | Birdlife, walks |
| Pukekohe | Glenbrook Vintage Railway | About 30 min by car | Families, rail fans |
| Hamilton | Waitomo Glowworm Caves | About 1 hr by car | Caves, glow-worms |
| Tauranga | Waihi Beach | 45 to 50 min by car | Beach, walks |
| Rotorua | Orakei Korako | About 45 min by car | Geothermal, walks |
| Taupō | Craters of the Moon | About 10 min by car | Geothermal walk |
| Gisborne | Morere Hot Springs | About 45 min by car | Hot pools, bush walks |
| Napier | Kaweka Lakes | About 1 hr by car | Bush, lakes, picnics |
| Hastings | Cape Kidnappers | About 25 min to Clifton | Gannets, coast |
| New Plymouth | Wilkies Pools | About 1 hr by car | Mountain walk |
| Whanganui | Whanganui River Road | 1.5 to 2 hr each way | Scenic drive, history |
| Palmerston North | Waitārere Beach | About 45 min by car | Beach, family swims |
| Wellington | Martinborough | About 1 hr 10 min by car | Wine, cycling |
| Nelson | Te Waikoropupū Springs | About 2 hr by car | Springs, Golden Bay |
| Blenheim | Robin Hood Bay | 30 to 40 min by car | Quiet beach, swimming |
| Christchurch | Ōtamahua / Quail Island | 20 min drive, 15 min ferry | Walks, history |
| Timaru | Pleasant Point | About 20 min by car | Railway, country town |
| Dunedin | Taieri Gorge Railway | Departs Dunedin | Scenic rail |
| Invercargill | Curio Bay | About 1.5 hr by car | Fossils, dolphins, penguins |
North Island
Bay of Islands, about 1 hr north of Whangārei
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
- Paid entry
- Two museums
- Open daily
Where Te Tiriti o Waitangi was first signed in 1840, on a headland near Paihia. The Treaty House, the carved meeting house, the great waka taua Ngātokimatawhaorua and two museums tell the story from both Māori and Crown sides. Allow most of a day, and add lunch in Paihia.
Full guide on Explore WhangāreiMore day trips from Whangārei
Hauraki Gulf, off Whangaparāoa
Tiritiri Matangi Island
- Ferry Wed to Sun
- Free entry
- Rare birds
A pest-free open sanctuary where you can see rare birds like takahē and kōkako up close in regenerating bush. Entry is free; you pay for the ferry, which runs Wednesday to Sunday, and volunteer guides can take you round. Bring lunch: there's no café.
Glenbrook, 30 min south-west of Pukekohe
Glenbrook Vintage Railway
- Steam trains
- Selected Sundays
- Volunteer run
Volunteer-run heritage steam and diesel trains on a section of the old Waiuku branch line, through rural South Auckland. Trains run on selected Sundays and holiday weekends from Labour Weekend to early June, so check the timetable first.
Waitomo, about 1 hr south of Hamilton
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
- Book ahead
- Boat ride
- Paid tours
Guided tours lead through limestone caves to a boat ride under thousands of glow-worms in the Glowworm Grotto. Tours are popular and need booking, and the visitor centre has a café and displays. Pair it with lunch in Ōtorohanga or Te Kūiti on the way back.
Western Bay of Plenty, 45 to 50 min north
Waihi Beach
- 9 km of sand
- Bowentown pā
- Patrolled in summer
A long, relaxed surf beach with 9 km of sand, and Bowentown at its southern end, where coastal walks lead past historic pā sites with views over the harbour entrance. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beach over the peak summer weeks.
Waikato River, 45 min south of Rotorua
Orakei Korako
- Ferry included
- Geysers
- Thermal cave
A hidden thermal valley reached by a short boat ride across the river, with New Zealand's most active geyser field, huge silica terraces and the country's only accessible geothermal cave. A 2.5 km boardwalk takes 1.5 to 2 hours. It's also 25 minutes from Taupō.
Wairākei, 10 min north of Taupō
Craters of the Moon
- Paid entry
- Boardwalks
- Open daily
Boardwalks and paths through a steaming landscape of fumaroles, mud pools and craters, about 40 minutes to walk. It's one of the cheaper thermal walks near Taupō, and cool mornings bring the most steam. Combine it with Huka Falls and the Aratiatia Rapids nearby.
SH2, 52 km south of Gisborne
Morere Hot Springs
- Mineral pools
- Rainforest walks
- Thu to Mon
Saltwater mineral pools set in native rainforest, with walking tracks through the 364-hectare Mōrere Springs Scenic Reserve. The pools are open Thursday to Monday; the reserve tracks are free. Mahia Peninsula's beaches are a little further south.
Kaweka Forest Park, about 50 km from Napier
Kaweka Lakes
- Free
- Easy walk
- Picnic spot
A short, easy walk of about 30 minutes from the Lakes car park near Kuripapango to two small bush lakes, Rototuna and Rotoroa, that make a good picnic spot. The drive along the Napier–Taihape Road is part of the outing; check DOC for current access, as the old Castle Rock Road route is closed.
Clifton, 18 km east of Hastings
Cape Kidnappers gannet colony
- Low tide only
- 19 km return
- Tours available
The world's largest mainland gannet colony that you can easily reach, at the end of a 9.5 km beach walk under high cliffs from Clifton. You can only walk it around low tide, and rockfalls are a real risk, so check DOC's alerts and tide times; tractor and 4WD tours are the easier option.
Dawson Falls, Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki
Wilkies Pools
- Free
- 1.9 km loop
- Goblin forest
A loop track through moss-draped kamahi forest to a series of natural pools carved into old lava by the Kapuni Stream, on the slopes of Taranaki. It starts at the Dawson Falls Visitor Centre. Please stay on the track and out of the water, which is culturally significant.
Full guide on Explore New PlymouthMore day trips from New Plymouth
Whanganui to Pīpīriki, 64 km
Whanganui River Road
- Free
- Sealed road
- No fuel on route
A winding, fully sealed road up the Whanganui River past small riverside settlements, marae and historic sites such as Jerusalem/Hiruharama, to Pīpīriki. Allow four or five hours return with stops, and fill up with fuel before you leave town.
Full guide on Explore WhanganuiMore day trips from Whanganui
Horowhenua coast, near Levin
Waitārere Beach
- Free
- Patrolled in summer
- Shipwreck
A wide surf beach with plenty of shallow paddling water for children, patrolled by lifeguards in summer. The remains of the 1878 shipwreck Hydrabad lie in the dunes nearby. Water quality is usually fine, but skip swimming after heavy rain.
Full guide on Explore Palmerston NorthMore day trips from Palmerston North
Wairarapa, about 80 km from Wellington
Martinborough
- Cellar doors
- Bike hire
- Train plus shuttle
A village square ringed by Pinot Noir country, with dozens of cellar doors close enough to cycle between on flat roads. Hire a bike in the village, or take the train to Featherston and a shuttle if you'd rather not drive. Cape Palliser and the Pūtangirua Pinnacles are further on.
Full guide on Explore WellingtonMore day trips from Wellington
South Island
Golden Bay, near Tākaka
Te Waikoropupū Springs
- Free
- Accessible loop
- No contact with water
New Zealand's largest freshwater springs, with some of the clearest water ever measured. A 1 km loop track, suitable for wheelchairs and buggies, leads to viewing platforms; the springs are wāhi tapu, so no touching the water. The drive over Tākaka Hill makes it a full day.
Port Underwood Road, east of Blenheim
Robin Hood Bay
- Free
- Gravel road
- DOC campsite
A remote bay with a sandy beach at the northern end for swimming in calm weather and surf at the southern end when a swell runs. The narrow, partly gravel road is part of the adventure but not for campervans. Hector's dolphins are sometimes seen offshore.
Lyttelton Harbour
Ōtamahua / Quail Island
- Ferry from Lyttelton
- Pest-free island
- History trail
An 81-hectare island in Lyttelton Harbour, reached by a 15-minute ferry, with walking tracks, small beaches, and the remains of a quarantine station and a ships' graveyard. It's pest-free and being replanted. Take everything you need: there are no shops.
Full guide on Explore ChristchurchMore day trips from Christchurch
SH8, about 20 min inland from Timaru
Pleasant Point
- Heritage railway
- River walks
- Country town
A small country town on the road to the Mackenzie, best known for the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway, which runs heritage trains on a preserved section of the old Fairlie branch. Big trees shade the domain, and the Ōpihi and Te Ngawai rivers meet just north of town.
From Dunedin Railway Station
Taieri Gorge Railway
- 5 hr return
- Thu to Mon
- Book online
A five-hour return train journey from Dunedin's grand railway station to Pukerangi, through the Taieri Gorge over historic viaducts and through hand-cut tunnels, in 1930s carriages with commentary and a café. It runs Thursday to Monday; book online.
The Catlins, about 90 min from Invercargill
Curio Bay
- Free
- Fossil forest
- Wildlife
A Jurassic fossil forest of petrified stumps exposed at low tide, with Hector's dolphins often in the surf at neighbouring Porpoise Bay. Yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals and sea lions visit too. A short sealed track leads to a viewing platform; keep well back from the wildlife.
Full guide on Explore InvercargillMore day trips from Invercargill
Before you go
- Book the ones that need it. Waitomo tours, the Taieri Gorge train, the Tiritiri Matangi ferry and the Quail Island ferry all sell out on busy days.
- Check days and tides. Glenbrook trains run on selected Sundays, Morere is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Tiritiri’s ferry runs Wednesday to Sunday, and the Cape Kidnappers beach walk only works around low tide.
- Take food and fuel. There’s nothing to buy on Tiritiri Matangi or Quail Island, and no fuel on the Whanganui River Road.
- Respect sacred places. Don’t touch the water at Te Waikoropupū Springs or swim at Wilkies Pools; both are culturally significant.
Questions people ask
What are the best day trips in New Zealand?
Waitomo’s glow-worm caves, the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Tiritiri Matangi Island and the Taieri Gorge train are among the best known, and Orakei Korako is one of the most striking thermal areas in the country. Each entry above is an easy day out from its city.
Which day trips are free?
Tiritiri Matangi (you pay only for the ferry), Te Waikoropupū Springs, Wilkies Pools, Kaweka Lakes, Curio Bay, Waitārere Beach, Robin Hood Bay and the Whanganui River Road cost nothing but fuel.
Which are good with kids?
Glenbrook’s steam trains, Waitomo, Craters of the Moon, Waitārere Beach and Quail Island all suit families. The Cape Kidnappers walk is long and hazardous, so families usually take a tour instead.
Can I do any without a car?
Yes: Tiritiri Matangi and Quail Island are ferry trips, the Taieri Gorge train leaves from central Dunedin, and you can reach Martinborough by train to Featherston and a shuttle.
Looking for more in one city? See all 20 Explore city guides. Also see Day walks in New Zealand and Beaches in New Zealand.