Things to do in Bay of Islands
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bay of Islands
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer peak, warmest sea, every operator running, highest prices, cruise ships and the need to book everything.
Autumn is the connoisseur season, warm sea into April, fewer crowds and lower prices, with a mini peak at Easter.
Winter is mild and quiet with reduced operators, some closures, cooler sea and Matariki events in mid winter.
Spring wakes the Bay up, operators extend days, birds breed on pest free islands and November is the value warm pick.
What's on
- Waitangi Day 6 February
The national commemoration at Waitangi with dawn service, waka, kapa haka, food stalls and very large crowds.
- Bay of Islands Sailing Week late January
The big summer regatta centred on Opua, Russell and Paihia, filling marinas and accommodation.
- Matariki Pewhairangi Festival of Arts and Culture late June to mid July
A Bay wide Matariki festival across Waitangi, Paihia, Russell and Kerikeri.
- Russell Birdman Festival July, check locally
Costumed entrants launch off Russell wharf for charity, a mid winter institution to check locally before planning around.
Best things to do in Bay of Islands
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
New Zealand birthplace site with two museums, a guided tour, a cultural performance and the great ceremonial waka.
Motukokako / Hole in the Rock
A sea tunnel through an island at Cape Brett that boats pass through only when swell and wind allow.
Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands
The long established Paihia cruise operator for Hole in the Rock, island stops and the full day Cream Trip.
Urupukapuka Island
The largest eastern Bay island, pest free with birdsong, summit views, quiet bays and a five hour circuit walk.
Pompallier Mission and Printery
A French Catholic mission printery from 1842 that produced nearly forty thousand books, many in te reo Maori.
Christ Church
New Zealand oldest surviving church from 1835, in a graveyard that tells the rough whaling era story.
Flagstaff Hill / Te Maiki
The hill where Hone Heke cut down the flagstaff four times, now the best sunset viewpoint over the Bay.
Stone Store
New Zealand oldest stone building from the 1830s, still trading, with a museum upstairs at the Mission Station.
Where to stay in Bay of Islands
Paihia
first trip, boats and convenience
Walk to the wharf, ferries, cruises and restaurants, with the widest choice at every price and summer crowding.
Russell
couples, history and quiet
Historic waterfront, the best dinner setting and a slower pace, reached by passenger ferry with fewer and pricier beds.
Kerikeri
value, food, gardens and road trips
Roomier and cheaper beds, wineries and the Mission Station, with a 25 minute drive to Paihia for every boat.
Best restaurants in Bay of Islands
Sage @ Paroa Bay Winery
The Bay special occasion restaurant at Paroa Bay Winery, with estate wines and a terrace over vines and water.
Terra Restaurant
Paihia fine dining room serving a seasonal menu built on Northland ingredients in a small room.
The Duke of Marlborough
Dinner on the historic Russell waterfront terrace, local seafood and a long wine list over the anchorage.
Charlotte's Kitchen
Shared plates, wood fired pizza and local fish at the end of Paihia wharf with the best working harbour view.
Zane Grey's Restaurant and Bar
Waterfront dining on Paihia wharf named for the writer who made the Bay famous for game fishing in the 1920s.
Omata Estate Vineyard & Kitchen
A winery kitchen near Russell for a long lunch of platters and estate wines among vines over the water.
Marsden Estate
A Kerikeri winery courtyard restaurant overlooking vines and a lake, serving lunch with estate wines.
Plough & Feather
The pub beside the Stone Store at Kerikeri Basin, serving pub food and local drinks in a riverside garden.
Best bars in Bay of Islands
Tipsy Oyster Tapas & Cocktail Bar
Oysters, tapas and cocktails in Paihia, best used early evening as the grown up start to a night out.
Best coffee in Bay of Islands
Third Wheel Coffee Co.
The specialty coffee pick in Paihia, a small busy cafe serving proper espresso and a short breakfast menu.
Honey House Café
Coffee and baking on the riverbank beside the Stone Store, in the heritage gardens at Kerikeri Mission Station.
Outdoor things to do in Bay of Islands
Explore Bay of Islands
The other major cruise operator from Paihia and Russell, with island stops including Urupukapuka Island.
R. Tucker Thompson
A gaff rigged tall ship day sail where you can haul sails and climb the rigging, funding youth voyages.
Cape Brett Track
The serious ridge hike to Cape Brett Lighthouse for experienced walkers, with a DOC hut and cottage at the end.
Puketi Kauri Forest
Great kauri forest inland from Kerikeri with boardwalks and guided day and night walks run under DOC rules.
Motuarohia Island
Roberton Island, with a steep track to a lookout over the Twin Lagoons and a swim stop in settled weather.
Waitangi Mountain Bike Park
A built trail network in forest behind Waitangi that gives families and riders a good no boat day.
Best hotels in Bay of Islands
Paihia Beach Resort & Spa Hotel
A small beachfront resort and spa at Te Ti Bay, a short walk from Paihia wharf with balconies over the water.
Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands
The reliable mid range Paihia hotel in subtropical gardens, a short walk from the wharf with a pool.
Haka Lodge Paihia
The best budget base in Paihia, dorms and private rooms across from the beach and a minute from the wharf.
Eagles Nest
Five luxury villas on a private estate above Russell, most with private infinity lap pools and chefs on call.
The Duke of Marlborough Hotel
Waterfront rooms at New Zealand most historic hotel on The Strand in Russell, with dinner downstairs.
Russell Holiday Park
The established holiday park on the edge of Russell village, the budget cabin and campsite way to stay in Russell.
The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs
A luxury lodge and championship golf course on a coastal estate above the Cavalli Islands near Kerikeri.
Kerikeri Park Lodge
Large modern units in park like grounds on Kerikeri Road, a quiet inland base with space and birdsong.
Is Bay of Islands expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NZ$140 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NZ$320 a person |
| Splurge | NZ$750 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Waitangi Treaty Grounds: a few days ahead
- Motukokako / Hole in the Rock: a few days ahead
- Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands: a few days ahead
- Explore Bay of Islands: a few days ahead
- R. Tucker Thompson: weeks ahead
- Puketi Kauri Forest: a few days ahead
- Sage @ Paroa Bay Winery: weeks ahead
- Terra Restaurant: weeks ahead
- Book Christmas to January accommodation, charters and the tall ship months ahead.
- Book Sage and Terra weeks ahead in summer and Waitangi online for summer and Waitangi Day.
- Book a morning boat early in your stay so a weather cancellation can move to another day.
Is Bay of Islands safe?
- No swimming within 300 metres of a marine mammal in the sanctuary, and leave the water if one approaches.
- Almost no beaches here are patrolled, so supervise children constantly and swim within your limits.
- New Zealand summer sun burns in about fifteen minutes on the water, so hat, sunscreen and a shirt are equipment.
- Rural Northland roads are narrow, winding and unlit, with one lane bridges and stock, so allow extra time.
Bay of Islands travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Any operator still marketing swimming with dolphins in the Bay, which has been banned since 2019.
- Putting your only boat trip on your last day, when weather cancellations are common all year.
- A cheaper cruise with only twenty minutes ashore on an island stop.
- Driving back from a Russell peninsula winery lunch after drinking, with no taxi booked.
Getting around Bay of Islands: public transport and more
- Fly to Kerikeri Airport then shuttle or rental car, about 25 minutes to Paihia, or drive from Auckland in about three and a half hours.
- The Paihia to Russell passenger ferry takes about 15 minutes and the last sailing sets the end of a Russell evening.
- Cars reach Russell by the Opua vehicle ferry or the long old Russell Road.
- A car is near essential for Kerikeri, the wineries, Cape Brett and Rawhiti, and optional in Paihia itself.
Who Bay of Islands suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Bay of Islands your trip
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