See New Zealand.
Savour every stop.
Experience the landscapes New Zealand is famous for and get to know the North Island through its food, wine and local stories. We’ll connect it all in a tailor-made trip planned around you.
Get a free tailor-made itinerary
A richer way to experience the North Island
Cross the Hauraki Gulf to Waiheke Island. Walk through Rotorua’s steaming valleys. See Hawke’s Bay’s vineyards spread beneath wide skies, then follow the road through Martinborough to Wellington Harbour. These are the landscapes people come to New Zealand for, and their flavours offer a more personal way to experience them.
Taste wine beside the coast, share kai and stories with Māori hosts, meet the people who grow and make things locally, and discover the character of each region around the table. Our New Zealand-based travel specialists will bring the scenery, stays and experiences together in one seamless trip planned around you.
Travel specialists
Talk to our local travel specialists
Contact usNorth Island trips with a taste of place
North Island places worth travelling for
Waiheke Island
Rotorua
Hawke’s Bay
Martinborough & Wairarapa
Bay of Islands
Wellington
Tongariro National Park
Coromandel Peninsula
Unmissable experiences
Māori cultural and culinary experience
Drink at The Green Dragon
Bay of Islands cruise with lunch
Waiheke Island gourmet food and wine tour
Hawke’s Bay cellar door tour and vineyard lunch
Guided Māori Cultural Eco-Tour
Redwoods nightlights and glowworms
Northern Explorer scenic train
Cathedral Cove scenic cruise
Hawke’s Bay wine and gourmet odyssey with lunch
Mount Tarawera and Orakei Korako flight
Martinborough personal wine tour with lunch
Hamilton Gardens picnic lunch
Wai Whakaora restorative journey
Exclusive Kiwi hatchery tour
Wai-O-Tapu thermal wonderland
Come for the landscapes. Get to know them through flavour.
The North Island is a place of extraordinary contrasts: island-dotted harbours, black-sand beaches, glowworm caves, steaming valleys, volcanic peaks and vine-covered plains. Food and drink provide a thread between them, revealing how the land, climate and culture shape each region.
On Waiheke Island, wine comes with sea air and views across the gulf. In Rotorua, kai is inseparable from manaakitanga - the generosity of welcoming and caring for guests. Hawke’s Bay brings together vineyards, orchards and Art Deco streets, while Martinborough invites you to slow down among boutique producers. In Wellington, chefs, brewers and coffee roasters turn local ingredients into something distinctly their own.
We’ll connect these flavours with the iconic experiences around them, from Hobbiton and Waitomo to Tongariro and the wild coast, creating a journey that feels varied, personal and unmistakably New Zealand.
Prefer an itinerary tailored to your tastes?
North Island destinations with a taste of place
Waiheke Island
Just across the water from Auckland, Waiheke feels worlds away. Beaches and bush-clad bays meet vineyard-covered hills, with cellar doors, olive groves and restaurants offering an easy way to experience the island’s character.
Best for:
Wine tastings, long lunches, island scenery
Pairs well with:
Auckland, Coromandel, Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua brings together some of the North Island’s most powerful scenery and stories. Explore steaming valleys, native forest and mineral-rich waters, then experience Māori hospitality through performance, conversation and shared kai.
Best for:
Māori culture, hāngi, geothermal landscapes
Pairs well with:
Hobbiton, Waitomo, Taupō
Hawke’s Bay
Wide skies, warm days, vines and orchards give Hawke’s Bay its distinctive character. Meet local producers, taste wine where it is made and make time for Napier’s elegant Art Deco streets and the region’s generous table.
Best for:
Winery tours, regional produce, architecture
Pairs well with:
Rotorua, Taupō, Martinborough
Martinborough & Wairarapa
Beyond the Remutaka Range, Martinborough and the wider Wairarapa offer an intimate change of pace: open countryside, characterful towns and boutique vineyards where tasting, talking and lingering over lunch come naturally.
Best for:
Boutique wineries, relaxed touring, Pinot Noir
Pairs well with:
Hawke’s Bay, Wellington
Wellington
Set between green hills and a broad harbour, New Zealand’s capital is compact, creative and easy to explore. Follow the scent of freshly roasted coffee, seek out inventive restaurants and local brewers, then finish beside the water.
Best for:
Restaurants, coffee, craft beverages, city culture
Pairs well with:
Martinborough, Kapiti Coast, scenic rail
North Island food, beverage & travel FAQs
Because flavour creates a connection to place. Within one journey you can taste wine on an island, share Māori kai in a geothermal landscape, meet producers among Hawke’s Bay’s vines and orchards, visit boutique Martinborough cellar doors and explore Wellington’s creative harbour culture.
Absolutely. Your North Island journey can be extended to include South Island highlights such as Marlborough’s vineyards, Kaikōura’s coast, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Queenstown and Milford Sound. Your travel specialist will connect the islands, transport, accommodation and experiences in one seamless itinerary.
Yes. Every suggested itinerary is a starting point. We can adjust the route, pace, accommodation and experiences around your interests, travel dates, budget and preferred way to travel.
Absolutely. The strongest North Island itineraries pair food with the places that shape it: Waiheke’s coast, Rotorua’s geothermal valleys, Hawke’s Bay’s sunlit plains, the volcanic plateau and Wellington Harbour.
Around 8 to 14 days works well for many travellers. A shorter trip can focus on Auckland, Waiheke and Rotorua, while a longer route can continue through Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough and Wellington.
In most cases, yes. Tell your travel specialist about allergies, intolerances or dietary preferences early so they can check each included experience and plan suitable alternatives where needed.
Travel specialists
Talk to our local travel specialists
Planning New Zealand but not sure where to start?
Download our New Zealand travel guide for practical advice on where to go, how long to spend, and how to plan a trip that feels well paced from the start.
