The Hamilton to Wellington drive is a long, but worthwhile journey across the best vistas the North Island has to offer. This exciting trip will take you through gorgeous rolling hills, along with museums and other attractions that you simply can’t miss.
If you’re unsure where exactly to go on your trip, don’t worry. Just use our comprehensive itinerary to get the most out of your New Zealand adventure. We’ll make sure you don’t miss out on the most unique sights the North Island has to offer!
Ready to get GOing on this epic journey? Why not book a hire car with GO Rentals in Auckland? We’ll help you start your trek with the right vehicle match for you and your travelling buddies.
With our one-way rental program, you can return your hire car to a completely different branch at the end of your trip. This means you can create your dream itinerary without compromising on the final destination.
There’s much to see on the North Island, so let’s get you GOing!
Trip distance: 555 km
Days: 3-4
Car recommendation: Large cars/SUVs or Hybrid vehicle
Suitable for: Families, couples, history and nature lovers
A straight-line journey from Hamilton to Wellington is 555 km and will take you roughly 6 and a half hours to drive without any stops. Of course, you should never attempt to drive for this long without taking rest stops.
Additionally, there are some incredible views on your expedition, and some special attractions you don’t want to miss on the way. That’s why we recommend giving yourself 3-4 days to comfortably enjoy a beautiful road trip. Trust us, you won't want to miss out on all the wildlife, culture and history on your way to Wellington.
So buckle up for an adventure across cities, forests, and even volcanic plains with our Hamilton to Wellington guided drive!
Kia Ora from our award-winning employees! We are passionate about New Zealand and have put together our insider local tips to GO the extra mile for our customers!
Hamilton Gardens is a great place to take in the beauty of the fauna and flora of NZ nestled around the Waikato River. Grab a picnic and your walking shoes and spend a couple of hours exploring the creativity around the multitude of garden concepts. My fav is the Italian Renaissance Garden. Helps to forget that you are in the middle of a city! It's always worth a stop when passing through H-Town.
My favourite place to travel in Aotearoa New Zealand is Whanganui a Tara Wellington. Some of the best food and restaurants and cafes, best coffee in New Zealand and a really beautiful waterfront.
Pinnacles Track Wairarapa - Adopt the pace of nature while exploring the beauty of the landscape and the excellent view of Palliser Bay and Lake Onoke. The walk can take 2-4 hours depending on the track you choose.
One of my favourite things to do during the winter is to visit the Wellington Zoo and meet our latest additions to the zoo, the snow leopards – they’ve been with us for a year now. A 10-minute drive from there are some beautiful cafes at Lyall Bay with beautiful views and beautiful food. And then, for a lovely winter’s night, you can take a walk around Oriental Parade and see the fountain light up and see the beautiful lights of the waterfront in Wellington.
Before you kick off your adventures across New Zealand, spend a day or two enjoying everything Hamilton has to offer. The city is famous for gorgeous river walks, an expansive public park and incredible local culture.
Here are some of the top sights to check out while you’re in the city.
Looking to get a little wild? Hamilton Zoo is home to over 600 native and foreign animals surrounded by 25 hectares of beautiful greenery. The zoo’s must-see sights include a hands-on experience with the southern white rhino, encounters with the local tuatara and more.
Hamilton Zoo also has the largest free-flight aviary in the country, completely dedicated to native birds and flora. Connect with nature and educate yourself on New Zealand's rare wildlife. You won’t regret spending a day out at Hamilton Zoo.
Take a breath and get lost in a hand-crafted experience. Hamilton Gardens has over 18 enclosed gardens to explore and enjoy. Each garden is a unique experience designed to transport you to a different time and experience varied cultures and aesthetics.
Surround yourself with native New Zealand greenery in the Te Parapara garden. Or, see gardens inspired by Ancient Egypt, Mughal India or the Italian Renaissance.
When you need a moment off your feet, stop by the Hamilton Gardens Cafe for a quick bite to eat. There are food options available for everyone, and the Gardens shop is just a short walk away.
Reopened on December 2024, the Waikato Museum is your comprehensive guide to the art and culture of the Waikato region. Located right above the river, the Waikato Museum contains over 30,000 Taongo (treasured possessions in Maori culture).
Waikato Museum is dedicated to helping you get involved in the local culture. Receive a first-hand education on the history of the region suitable for all ages with guided tours and the Exscite interactive centre.
Need to take a break from the world? Surrender to serenity in the Taitua Arboretum.
It’s home to a wide range of trees spreading over 49 acres. The Arboretum was originally started in 1973 to provide shelter and shade to local animals. Today, you can enjoy a long, natural walk filled with birdlife, lakes and cosy picnic spots.
The Arboretum also has toilets available, and water taps. Spend a day in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and relax before setting off on more adventures.
When you’ve had a full experience of Hamilton, it’s time to head for the hills. Tongariro National Park is one of New Zealand's most dramatic landscapes. With over three active volcanic mountains and boiling mud pools, the park is an experience like no other.
Tongariro National Park has plenty of lodges and resorts to choose from, so you can take your time enjoying Tongariro’s breathtaking features. We recommend at least one day to enjoy the park as much as possible.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is an unmissable activity for hikers and nature lovers. This popular day-long hiking track has a great selection of paths suitable for newcomers or seasoned experts.
Enjoy incredible sights unique to New Zealand no matter what path you’ve taken. Plan out a journey through an incredible volcanic landscape, or book a guided tour with a local expert.
Ensure you’ve booked ahead before trying the crossing. The official Tongariro Alpine Crossing website recommends booking a shuttle from your accommodation, as there is a 4-hour parking limit at Mangatepopo and Ketetahi Car Park.
Tongariro National Park offers over 60 roller coaster rapids across its range. With grade 3 rapids suitable for newcomers or experienced rafters, Tongariro rafting offers something for everyone.
Enjoy an adrenaline-fuelled ride to areas only accessible by raft as you drift along stunning sights like the Tongariro River. You might even catch a glimpse of rare wildlife such as the whio, an endangered species of duck native to New Zealand.
The Taranaki Falls Walk is a shorter hike with a little bit of everything in it. The walk starts at Whakapapa Village and ends at the Taranaki Falls. You’ll see a wide variety of birdlife and alpine flora before passing Cascade Falls and the enchanting Wairere Stream on your way. Taranaki falls themselves cascade through a lava flow over 15,000 years old.
The Walk is a full circuit, and on the way back you can see volcanic landscapes of pumice and ash, ancient lava flows and wind-eroded gullies.
Enjoy a sky-high view of Mt Ruapehu with the Sky Waka Gondola. The Gondola travels over 1.8 km up the mountain's northern slopes. The inside of the cabin has clear floors, giving you a complete floor-to-ceiling view of the mountainside.
Once at the top, enjoy stunning vistas of Mt Ruapehu’s Pinnacles Ridge and a meal at Knoll Ridge Chalet. You can also find a selection of delicious meals at the Four Peaks Alley.
After exploring the volcanic landscapes of Tongariro National Park, you’ll next head towards the charming city of Palmerston North. Palmerston North is a leisurely 2 hours away from the National Park and will take you through quaint villages and rolling hills.
Palmerston North is a great place to find unique galleries and museums, including one dedicated to New Zealand's national pastime.
Visit Manawatu Gorge to experience the rich geographical and cultural history of the Manawatu-Whanganui Region. The gorge is a natural playground, home to a wide range of local fauna and flora. This includes the maidenhair fern, which only grows in this region.
Hit the walking trails to see birdlife, beautiful lakes and even the WhAtonga, a sculpture tribute to one of the three great chiefs of the Rangitane tribe.
Te Manawa, literally meaning ‘The Heart’, is a free general entry museum dedicated to local arts, science and heritage. With special exhibits on the Manawatu River, historic buildings and past settlers, the Manawa Museum is your chance to fully immerse yourself in the Manawatu-Whanganui Region. Be sure to take a look at the museum schedule to see what events and exhibitions are on!
Explore a wide and stunning park with rose gardens, BBQ areas, aviaries, and even a mini railway for scenic views with your family. Recently the Esplanade has added the Central Energy Wildbase Recovery Centre, where local birds are healed before they are sent back into the wild. This means you can admire some of the rarest species of birds in the country before they get sent back home.
Be sure to visit the Peter Black Conservatory before you go. This hothouse will give you a taste of exotic foliage hand-crafted by local horticulturalists.
The New Zealand Rugby Museum is the first public rugby museum in the world. See the full story of how rugby came to New Zealand, and the formation of the National Rugby team, the All-Blacks. Learn about the rich history of the game, from its myths and legends to how it changed New Zealand as a nation.
You can even test your rugby skills in the ‘have a go’ area. Compare yourself to the best of the All-Blacks with a series of rugby challenges for you and your family!
The trip to Wellington from Palmerston North is the shortest leg of this expedition, but it’s no less eventful. In just under 2 hours, you’ll find yourself in the nation’s capital.
The Wellington Botanic Garden is a stunning area of specialised plants and colourful displays that covers over 61 acres of land. The garden offers spectacular sights of ancient forests and colourful, varied flower displays, all in view of the city and the harbour.
The Botanical Garden is constantly updated with new events and displays. No matter what time of year you visit, you’re sure to find something to enjoy for everyone.
Transporting over a million people a year, the Wellington Cable Car is one of the highlights of the city. This cable car is over 120 years old and is still used by locals and visitors alike. The car departs from Kelburn Terminal and gives you an old-fashioned, relaxed ride with a beautiful view of the city surrounding you.
There is also a cable car museum at the hilltop, chronicling how much Wellington's most popular transport has changed since it was first installed.
Be sure to visit New Zealand’s National Museum while you're in town! The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa was opened in 1998 after merging the national museum with the national gallery.
The museum is a thorough collection of New Zealand’s history, from the bones of extinct megafauna to modern art exhibitions and events. There’s a lot to see in Te Papa, so be sure to plan your visit in advance so you don’t miss out on anything!
Here’s your last chance to experience New Zealand’s birdlife on your road trip! Zealandia Te Mara a Tane is the world's first fully fenced ecosanctuary based in an urban location. The ecosanctuary is over 555 acres of land dedicated to birds and is responsible for re-introducing over 18 species of local birds to the region.
You can enjoy the sanctuary by foot with a guided tour, by torchlight with nighttime walks, or even by sea with boat and river tours. The Zealandia experience will let you experience New Zealand's local and rare wildlife up close, all right within Wellington.
The Hamilton to Wellington Road trip is a long, beautiful journey through some of the best landscapes New Zealand has to offer. Here are some tips to make sure your time on the road is comfortable and secure.
Our Snap Happy Photo Competition has customers revv’d up about how far they can go in a modern car hire in New Zealand! Submit a cool photo of your GO travel memory and be in with a chance to WIN up to $500 back from your booking too.
We were up from Dunedin visiting my elderly mother when we decided to take a trip to the Hamilton Gardens. My son had never been there before so hiring the rental car made it possible for us to visit this amazing spot.
We set ourselves a challenge to do the 20km Tongariro Crossing before we got too old. Pleased to say we made it…just. It was a great experience and for us a great achievement. Magnificent scenery and we had perfect weather. It made us appreciate how easy travelling around NZ in a GO Rentals vehicle was compared to having to use your own legs to get anywhere.
One of the highlights of my cousin's and my journey through New Zealand was exploring iconic filming locations from Peter Jackson's “The Lord of the Rings“. We sought out the most breathtaking spots featured in the films, including this rocky landscape in Tongariro National Park. Here, we recreated the scene of Frodo and Sam on their way to Mount Doom. Having the Toyota Yaris Cross proved invaluable in navigating this rugged terrain.
The photo was taken at Island Bay Beach to recreate/revamp a picture that was taken when we were little in the same spot. We're originally from Wellington but have lived overseas now since '96. From start to finish booking the car with GO Rentals has been super easy! Renting a car can be scary with hidden fees etc. But everything was clear, upfront, and seamless. I spent no more than 5 mins at pick up/return. I've been a returning customer for over 15 years because of this service! Thank you again. Always an absolute pleasure with high-quality cars and service.
The best part of a Kiwi road trip is the freedom of the open road. With GO One-Way Rentals, you can gear up for an epic North Island trip, without the stress of returning to your starting point in time for drop-off.
If you’re beginning your holiday in Auckland, pick up a one-way Auckland to Wellington hire car for your trip. You can even continue your journey all the way to South Island, dropping your vehicle off in Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin, or Invercargill.
One-way rental is a great way to maximise your trip before you have to step on the brakes.
The Hamilton to Wellington drive is your chance to see the most breathtaking sights that the North Island has to offer. Your time exploring and learning about these areas will be an experience that stays with you forever.
GO Rentals is here to be your trusty travel companion through all your New Zealand adventures. Our team of local experts is always working hard to bring you complete peace of mind.
We offer 24/7 roadside assistance, as well as coverage for toll roads and government road taxes with our Total Road Care package. We also offer basic car insurance coverage with all of our hires, and extra insurance options if you want further coverage on your journey.
Looking to make your trip even easier? Download our GO App for stress-free vehicle reservations, shuttle bookings and more.
Book with us today to kick off a once-in-a-lifetime road trip.
