The North Island is the place to go for waterfall chasers in Aotearoa. Yes, the South Island has some stunners, but all the most impressive ones are up here — it’s just a fact! This North Island New Zealand road trip route will take you on a scenic loop to the most stunning waterfalls the country has to offer. The best part? You can cover the whole journey in under a week. But you’ll probably want to take more time to explore.
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North Island New Zealand waterfall road trip route
Your entire North Island New Zealand road trip can’t just be alllll about the waterfalls. So don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. You’ll find a list of activities near each cascade along this route so you can diversify and fill out your itinerary.
The full 13-waterfall route is about 900 kilometers (560 miles). But don’t forget, you’ll want to account for lots of mini detours and stops along the way.
Waterfalls along this North Island New Zealand road trip
The 13 main waterfalls on this North Island New Zealand road trip are: Kitekite, Vivian, Bridal Veil, Marokopa, Omaru, Taranaki, Huka, Kakahi, Tutea, Wairere, Owharoa, Wentworth, and Hunua.
Pretty much all of these falls can be reached via an easy or moderate track. And most walks are under an hour long! Let’s dive in. Assuming you’re starting in Auckland, you’ll begin with Kitekite Falls.
Kitekite Falls
About the trail: Kitekite Falls is about 30 minutes each way, out-and-back. The trail is easy-moderate.
Things to do near Kitekite Falls:
- Piha Beach. The most famous North Island New Zealand road trip beach stop you can make. Its magical volcanic black sand is iconic.
- Canyoning. Abseil over Kitekite falls by day or night — with the evening tour including opportunities to see glow worms.
- Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery. Small but beautiful gallery featuring local artists.
Vivian Falls
After rain (@charcharnanse) vs. the very dry summer day I went.
About the trail: Vivian Falls is an easy trail. Depending on where you park, this can be a 5-minute walk or 2-hours out and back to the falls.
Tips: Set Google Maps to “Harker Reserve Parking” for the closest access point. It doesn’t look like much, but there’s a small wooden sign and metal fence that leads to the falls, I promise. Go after rain for the best experience. We went in the middle of a very, very dry summer so the falls weren’t as impressive. That said, they were gentle enough to stand under to cool off!
Things to do near Vivian Falls:
- Pokeno Bacon. Ok not really an activity, but you have to stop for a sandwich!
- Nikau Cave & Cafe. Visit on the way down towards Bridal Veil Falls for a little caving adventure. (Book in advance.)
- The Waikaritu Bushwalk. Right next to Nikau Cave & Cafe, it’s an easy hour loop and leads to a beautiful bonus waterfall.
Bridal Veil Falls
I went when it was raining. I need to go back again soon!
About the trail: Bridal Veil Falls is an easy track. It takes under an hour round-trip.
Tip: Make sure you keep walking all the way down to the base of the falls. There are some stunning viewpoints along the way.
Things to do near Bridal Veil Falls:
- See Raglan. A very cute coastal town popular with hippies and surfers — catch a wave, do some yoga, or visit the boutiques in town.
- Ngarunui Beach. Beautiful black sand.
- Surf lessons. Raglan is New Zealand’s surfiest beach town, so there’s no better place to learn to surf some waves!
- Karioi Canyoning. An adrenaline-pumping adventure! There’s also a night option. The trip was discounted at 20% on BookMe at the time of writing.
- Karamu Cave. Get dirty and explore a cave. It’s not as epic as Waitomo (you’re next stop) but still a great adventure if you love a cave.
- Kayaking. Grab a paddle and explore the limestone cliffs along the coast.
Marokopa Falls
About the trail: Marokopa Falls is an easy track. And the trip is just 20 minutes return from the parking lot. This is definitely one of my top three favourite Aotearoa waterfalls!
Things to do near Marokopa Falls:
- Mangapohue Natural Bridge. A beautiful natural feature you an reach by following a path along a limestone gorge.
- Waitomo glow worm caves. An absolute must-do experience in New Zealand — this is the only country in the world where you can see these weird and wonderful bugs light up a cave ceiling.
- Black water rafting. Explore Waitomo on another level by spelunking through the glow worm caves. I can’t recommend this experience enough.
- Otorohanga Kiwi House. See kiwis at this not-for-profit native bird park. (And sometimes you can see new hatchlings!)
Omaru Falls
About the trail: Omaru Falls is an easy track. Just a 1-hour out-and-back journey.
Things to do near Omaru Falls:
- Forgotten World Adventures. “Drive” a rail cart along the abandoned tracks for a unique and scenic side trip.
- Canoe or jet boat. Break up the driving with a trip down the Whanganui River, whether you want to go for a leisurely paddle or whip around in a jet boat.
Taranaki Falls
About the trail: 2-hour loop. Easy-Moderate. Amazing views of Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings) along the way.
Tip: This is not in Taranaki, the region further west where you’d find New Plymouth. They just share the same name.
Things to do near Taranaki Falls:
- Gollum’s Pool/Tawhai Falls. Just a 15-minute walk from the parking lot on the way to Taranaki Falls.
- Waitonga Falls. An hour’s drive away in case you haven’t seen enough waterfalls yet.
- The Tongariro Crossing. One of the most, if not the most epic day hikes in all of New Zealand! Takes about 8 hours, so adding this to your itinerary is significant, but worth it. You can do it on your own or with a guide, but if you plan to go alone, you’ll need to book a shuttle.
- Mount Ruapehu. In the winter, this is a ski field, and in the summer you can mountain bike or head up the Sky Waka Gondola for awesome views.
Huka Falls
About the trail: There are several short, easy trails that lead to different vantage points. Most just steps from the parking lot. Huka Falls is a must-visit stop on any North Island New Zealand road trip.
Tip: Plug “Huka Falls Lookout” into Google Maps (or click the link for directions). Walk 15 minutes down for the best view (pictured) and fewer crowds. Otherwise, the Huka Falls Footbridge is the more popular area.
Things to do near Huka Falls:
- Craters of the Moon. Not my favourite geothermal walk, but very closeby and very cheap at 10 bucks. Or $5 sometimes on BookMe.
- Jet boat to Huka Falls. The best way to get up close to these stunning blue falls.
- Helicopter over Huka Falls. This would be an amazing experience worth paying for if you’re ready to splurge on a couple of activities.
- Mine Bay Maori Rock Carving. Sail or kayak to this marvel.
- Wairakei Terraces. Great hot springs. (Half price on BookMe at the time of writing!)
- Wai-O-Tapu. Ok I’m getting a little far from Huka Falls now, but this is an incredible geothermal area that you should fit into your plans if you can!
Kakahi Falls (Hell's Gate)
About the trail: Easy 1-hour loop track. It’s lined with several geothermal wonders, including these steamy falls.
Tip: This is the largest hot (geothermal) waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s part of the Hell’s Gate park, so you’ll need to purchase a ticket to enter. Some tickets include access to mud baths and hot pools.
Here are the best things to do near Kakahi Falls (And buckle up, it’s a long list!)
- Mud bath at Hell’s Gate. This is such a must in my opinion. Even if you don’t feel like going full mud, hop in the geothermal pools.
- Redwood Forest. Go day or night, but in the evenings the hanging bridge walkway is illuminated and so beautiful!
- Te Puia. Another geothermal area with incredible steaming cliffs and bubbling pools. They have a night tour that times well with a geyser that goes off every evening.
- Whakarewarewa Maori Village. More geothermal stuff, but this time with a more interesting cultural twist where you can learn about how local communities have used geothermal energy for ages.
- Wingspan. A very cool and educational bird demonstration with rescued native falcons and owls.
- Zorbing. The big giant ball you can roll down a hill in. This was invented in New Zealand, so you gotta try it!
- National Kiwi Hatchery. Another opportunity to see a real life kiwi if you didn’t stop in Otorohanga.
- Jade/Greenstone Carving. Make your own pounamu and learn about this ancient and uniquely New Zealand craft.
- Skyline Rotorua. Take the gondola, eat at the restaurant, and ride the luge, Skyswing, or zipline at this scenic spot overlooking Rotorua. In my opinion? Overpriced. But still worth checking out. Volcanic Hills Winery is also up there.
Always check BookMe for discounts, you can find some great stuff on there!
Tutea Falls (Rafting)
About the experience: No trail for this one! The best way to see this waterfall is to raft right over it. It’s the highest commercially-rafted waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere at 7 metres high.
Tip: Use BookMe and Get Your Guide to find good discounts on rafting adventures. There are a few companies that run tours, and you can usually find discounts around 20-50% off.
Things to do near Tutea Falls:
- See the falls from a distance. Ok fine, if you really don’t want to go rafting or don’t have the time, you can walk 15 minutes to the lookout point and maybe watch someone else raft over the falls.
- Rotorua Ziplines. Face your fear of heights and cruise above the treeline for a unique view.
- Tutea Falls is about as far from Rotorua as Kakahi, so all the activities listed in the previous section would be accessible from this waterfall, too.
Wairere Falls
About the trail: Moderate track that takes around 3 hours to complete the full out-and-back trip. Wairere Falls is the tallest on the North Island.
Tips: Make sure you go right up to the top for some epic views. And if you have a drone and no one is around, you could get some really cool shots here!
Things to do near Wairere Falls:
- The Hobbiton Movie Set. It’s only a short detour from your route between Tutea and Wairere Falls.
Owharoa Falls
About the trail: I don’t think we can call this a track at all. It’s just a few steps from the parking lot.
Things to do near Owharoa Falls:
- Windows Walk. Very cool walk in the Karangahake Gorge that leads through some old railway tunnels.
- Homunga Bay Track. Beautiful coastal walkway, about 3 hours return and moderately difficult.
- Waihi Beach. Cute beach and town.
- Giant L&P Bottle. If you’re not from Aotearoa, you’ll have to try L&P (Lemon & Paeroa) while you’re here. It’s just a lemon soda, but also the pride and joy of the country. Get your photo taken with the giant L&P bottle that was constructed in Paeroa to immortalize it. Tbh, it’s kinda underwhelming. But it’s a very Kiwi stop along any North Island New Zealand road trip.
Wentworth Falls
About the trail: Easy to moderate trail, 3 hours to return on the out-and-back trip. The waterfall and trail are both stunning, with some spots along the way perfect for a quick dip.
Things to do near Wentworth Falls:
- Pokohino Beach. It’s only accessible via a pretty rugged/steep 20-minute hike, but is well worth it!
- Whenuakura/Donut Island. Kayak or paddleboard out to a beautiful collapsed-ceiling sea cave. Tour times depend on tides, so make sure you book a few days in advance.
Hunua Falls
About the trail: Easy loop trail that will take under 1 hour to complete.
Tip: The falls change pretty drastically based on how much rain there’s been lately, so aim to go after rain for the most impressive cascades on your North Island New Zealand road trip.
Things to do near Hunua Falls:
- You’re technically back in Auckland, so the sky’s the limit.
Booking a car for your North Island New Zealand road trip
Driving is the only real way to get around New Zealand, and you’ll (pretty obviously) need a car for this waterfall road trip.
I use DiscoverCars because it pulls data from all the car rental places in the area to help narrow down the best deals. You can usually lock in a car for a small fee and many options have free cancellation. You can also see how well (or not so well) each rental company is rated, whether they offer unlimited kilometers, and much more. There are tons of features that make it a useful tool.
For this road trip, I recommend getting an SUV so you can sail across the bumpy loose gravel roads. The main highways are paved, but side roads, like the one out to Vivian Falls, are rocky and can have a ton of pot holes.
You should also go for something with unlimited kilometers, because the whole route will be 900+! There would be nothing worse than being charged for whatever excess mileage you’ve done at the end of a fun-filled trip.
Keep in mind we drive on the left-hand side of the road, familiarize yourself with road rules, yadda yadda. Be safe out there.
How to split up this North Island New Zealand road trip waterfall chasing journey
I’ve designed this North Island New Zealand road trip as if you’re leaving from Auckland. Here’s how you could break it down if you only have a week to explore:
- Day 1
- Leave Auckland and head to Vivian Falls, explore the Nikau Cave.
- Stay in Raglan.
- Day 2
- Bridal Veil Falls, Marokopa Falls, Mangapohue Natural Bridge, and glow worm cave tour.
- Stay in Waitomo.
- Day 3
- Omaru Falls, Gollum’s Pool, Taranaki Falls, Huka Falls.
- Stay in Taupo or Rotorua.
- Day 4
- Tutea Falls white water rafting, Kakahi Falls and mud bath at Hell’s Gate.
- Stay around this northern area of the lake or in Rotorua.
- Day 5
- Wairere Falls, Paeroa Giant L&P Bottle, Owharoa Falls, Wahi Beach.
- Stay in Waihi.
- Day 6
- Wentworth Falls, Donut Island, Hunua Falls.
- Back to Auckland.
- Day 1
If you have an extra day, you could easily take a break from the driving and spend time exploring Rotorua. There’s so much to do there!
Stay connected on your North Island New Zealand road trip
Download an eSIM so you can access data throughout your North Island New Zealand road trip journey. In this case, I’d go with an Holafly eSIM so you don’t have to worry about how much data you’re using — all their plans come with unlimited data. Alternatively, I’ve also used Saily in New Zealand and the eSIM worked just fine!
Note: Some rural areas of New Zealand don’t have reception, so you may drop in and out of service while you’re driving. Make sure you download your playlists and maps before you hit the road!
