5 easy day trips from Auckland

You can spend a lifetime discovering all that Auckland has to offer, but there is plenty afield too. We’ve curated the following five easy day trips to help you appreciate the beauty and diversity of the upper North Island of New Zealand.

Be sure to prep ahead for the ride: the country’s state highways are often winding, single-carriageway rural roads that can be slower than you expect. Always check traffic on Google Maps before you set off and pack your Hertz rental car full of snacks and water.

1. Hobbiton Movie Set Tours, Matamata

Though it’s been more than 20 years since the premiere of the first film of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, this enchanting rural location boasts enduring appeal 

Available by guided tour only, a trip around the classic movie set south of Auckland takes two hours, with enough time to explore the village’s meandering pathways, gardens and 41 hobbit hole exteriors, followed by a visit to The Green Dragon Inn for a refreshing, hobbit-y Southfarthing ale.

And Hobbiton is about to get even better. From December 2023 you’ll be able to finally go inside the hobbit holes, with three existing façades transformed into connected, fully fledged interiors designed by Middle Earth illustrators and art directors.  

Total distance: 168 km 

Drive time: two hours  

Rent a car and earn miles

2. Wild West Coast beaches: Muriwai, Te Henga/Bethells, Karekare, and Piha 

These four vast and wild beaches on Auckland’s west coast boast crashing surf, huge outcrops of rock, hot black iron sands and subtropical rainforest. Muriwai, Te Henga (also known as Bethells beach), Karekare and Piha feel like big empty islands, especially outside of peak hours.  

There are walking trails, art gallery stops, golf courses, horse trekking and cafes to enjoy alongside the beaches. Try a surf lesson and stay for a spectacular sunset to view the west coast’s rugged beauty in golden-hour light. 

If you visit Muriwai from August to March, you’ll also be able to spy a massive colony of about 1,200 breeding pairs of takapu or gannets nesting on the headland. Their smell and screeching are truly sights to behold – take binoculars for the best view. 

Total distance: 37-44 km 

Drive time: 45 minutes to an hour 

Rent a car and earn miles

3. Matakana

A beautiful village north of Auckland, Matakana is a popular holiday spot in the heart of winemaking country, boasting a thriving Saturday farmers’ market, unique specialty stores and scores of local food and craft producers.  

This is a village that carefully and intentionally developed itself, starting with the refurbishment of an old timberyard in 2002. It’s a place where curated local and handmade goods outshine big box and chain stores.  

Matakana features a stunning three-theatre boutique cinema complex, and art lovers will appreciate the Sculptureum – three striking world-class sculpture gardens with six indoor galleries and a restaurant. 

Don’t miss Matakana River Tours , a daily one-hour cruise featuring historical and cultural commentary, within walking distance of the main village. There are also paddleboard options for the more adventurous. 

Total distance: 70 km

Drive time: one hour 

Rent a car and earn miles 

4. Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton is the next-biggest city south of Auckland and aside from its normal city attractions and the huge and beautiful Waikato River, the city’s pride is in its wonderful public gardens.  

Hamilton Gardens is a free world-class garden complex open every day of the year and sees visitors flowing from one inspired garden to the next, enjoying a dizzying range of natural plant life all set within 58 hectares of curated landscapes and architecture. It’s like travelling between different countries every few steps, and is a wonderland for children. You’ll probably be stopping every few minutes at each Instagram-worthy view.  

Once you’ve had your fill of the gardens, visit Victoria Street in Hamilton proper to refuel at popular restaurants, bars and cafes, and check out local history at Waikato Museum .  

Total distance: 132 km 

Drive time: 90 minutes 

Rent a car and earn miles

5: Hot Water Beach, The Coromandel

Hot Water Beach is a stretch of beautiful Coromandel coast with one delightful oddity: hot water bubbles out of the sandy beach, allowing you to soak in your own hand-dug oceanside hot pool. 

Enjoying the pools is all about timing. The hot water vents, the result of an underground river of hot water that flows to the surface at the Pacific-facing Hot Water Beach, are clustered in one area and are only revealed for two hours either side of low tide. Dig to craft your pool with spades that can be hired from the local cafes. Don’t forget your jandals and togs (Kiwi slang for flip-flops and swimwear). 

The beach and roads can get busy in summer afternoons and evenings, so if the tides work out, consider planning a weekday dawn soak, leaving the rest of the day free for you to explore the rest of this beautiful, relaxed region before returning to Auckland.  

Total distance: 175-230 km (depending on detour) 

Drive time: Hot Water Beach is usually a two to four hou drive depending on traffic and season. However, a cyclone in February 2023 damaged roads, requiring a detour until at least March 2024 that has lengthened the drive to around three to five hours. Be sure to check local road status before you go. 

Rent a car and earn miles