Things to do in Taupo
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Taupo
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer peak for lake swimming, sailing, kayaking and the Crossing, with crowds and high prices.
Autumn is the best overall window, with settled weather in March and April and thinning crowds.
Winter for skiing at Ruapehu and peak Tongariro trout runs, with cold mornings and short days.
Spring shoulder value with full waterfalls and changeable weather, and the Crossing reopening around October.
What's on
- Le Currents 27-28 December
A two day R18 music festival at Riverside Park and the town books out.
- Taupo Summer Concert late January
Classic rock acts at the amphitheatre drawing 15000 plus picnickers.
- IRONMAN New Zealand early March
The town becomes an endurance sport festival for a week with a dawn lake swim start.
- Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge 28 November
New Zealand's biggest cycling event riding around the lake with a festival atmosphere.
Best things to do in Taupo
Huka Falls
The Waikato River squeezes into a chasm and drops with luminous blue green water at huge force.
Maori Rock Carvings at Mine Bay
A 14 metre modern Maori carving only reachable by water, best seen under sail with a swim stop.
Orakei Korako Cave & Thermal Park
Silica terraces, boiling pools and a rare geothermal cave on a quiet boardwalk reached by boat.
Aratiatia Rapids
Watch a dry gorge fill into foaming rapids within minutes when the dam gates open.
Craters of the Moon
A gentle low cost geothermal loop past steaming vents and mud craters without geysers.
LOVETAUPO Sign
The town lakefront sign and beach are the classic photo stop with volcano views across the lake.
Lake Taupo Hole in One Challenge
Hit balls at a floating pontoon offshore for a standing prize in a cheap and silly challenge.
Taupo Museum and Art Gallery
A small museum and garden that adds Maori, volcanic and trout fishing context on a wet half day.
Where to stay in Taupo
Taupo Town Centre and Lake Terrace
first trip, all-round base
Walk to dinner, the marina and the lake beach, with tour and Tongariro pickups from central stays.
Two Mile Bay
repeat visitors and families
A quieter local lakefront stretch with its own swimming beach a short drive south of the centre.
Acacia Bay
quiet and holiday homes
Leafy bayside peace and calm swimming with morning lake light, trading walkability for quiet.
Kinloch
golf and biking trips
At the Kinloch Club doorstep and the Great Lake Trail trailhead, with Taupo town a drive away.
Turangi
Tongariro and fishing
A functional angler and hiker base by the Tongariro River, cheaper and closer to winter trout runs.
Think twice about
- State highway motel strips on SH5 fringe and northern Wairakei Drive
Traffic heavy, charmless and unwalkable, so you will drive everywhere including for coffee.
- Wairakei village as a base
A highway settlement suited to a golf or geothermal stop, with no evening life and no lake.
Best restaurants in Taupo
The Bistro
Taupo's top dinner pick is a small family run room doing regional dishes at mid range prices.
Vine Eatery & Bar
A social shared plates spot with 250 plus wines sold close to retail and craft beer on tap.
Plateau Bar + Eatery
A local favourite for Pacific inspired sharing plates and cocktails in the centre.
Bistro Lago
Polished fine dining at the Hilton, known for slow cooked beef cheek and high tea.
Huka Lodge
Residents first lodge dining built daily around guest preferences with wine pairing included.
Replete Cafe & Store
Taupo's benchmark deli cafe for brunch and Kiwi classics, best before the weekend queue.
Cafe Baku
The earliest lakefront breakfast in town, with big cooked breakfasts and brisk local service.
The Creel Tackle House
Part tackle shop and part cafe serving serious coffee and food at hours that suit the river.
Outdoor things to do in Taupo
The Kinloch Club
A Jack Nicklaus links style course above the lake that punishes wayward shots and rewards accuracy.
Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary
A championship parkland course inside a predator fenced sanctuary full of birds and deer.
Taupo Golf Club
Two local 18 hole courses at everyday club fees, walkable from many motels in town.
Kinloch Village Golf Club
A small 10 hole village course run on an honesty box for unpretentious all day golf.
Hukafalls Jet
A fast jet boat ride to the base of Huka Falls with 360 degree spins and close spray passes.
Taupo Tandem Skydiving
Tandem jumps over the lake with three volcanoes and geothermal fields in one panorama.
AJ Hackett Taupo Bungy & Swing
New Zealand's highest water touch bungy from a cliff platform over clear turquoise river water.
Tongariro River Rafting
Grade 3 rafting over about 50 rapids with a chance to spot endangered whio blue ducks.
Best hotels in Taupo
Huka Lodge
A grande dame river lodge with suites, grounds and tariff included dining near Huka Falls.
Kinloch Manor & Villas
A design led lodge above the Kinloch course with lake views, villas, restaurant and spa.
Acacia Cliffs Lodge
A four suite hosted lodge above Acacia Bay with private decks and uninterrupted lake views.
Hilton Lake Taupo
A full service heritage hotel with pool and tennis for families who want hotel infrastructure.
Suncourt Hotel & Conference Centre
A lakefront hotel on the town edge with a pool and family rooms facing the water.
Beechtree Motel
A clean self contained motel in the sweet spot a short walk from the lake and centre.
Ashbrook Motel
A well located motel with heat pumps and electric blankets that matter on frosty winter nights.
Millennium Hotel & Resort Manuels
A classic Lake Terrace resort directly on the water with a grotto style pool area.
Is Taupo expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NZ$135 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NZ$330 a person |
| Splurge | NZ$1,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Maori Rock Carvings at Mine Bay: a few days ahead
- The Kinloch Club: weeks ahead
- Wairakei Golf: a few days ahead
- Hukafalls Jet: a few days ahead
- Taupo Tandem Skydiving: a few days ahead
- AJ Hackett Taupo Bungy & Swing: a few days ahead
- Tongariro River Rafting: a few days ahead
- Kayak to the Maori Rock Carvings: a few days ahead
- Make the free DOC track booking for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing; it is required for shuttle and guided users.
- Book the Tongariro shuttle days ahead and check the DOC and MetService forecast the night before.
- Book The Bistro days ahead, a week ahead for weekends.
- Book accommodation months ahead for Ironman, Cycle Challenge, Summer Concert and school holidays.
- Book skydive and sailing early in your stay with a weather backup day.
- Check Bookme before paying gate prices at DeBretts and Wairakei Terraces.
Is Taupo safe?
- Swim in roped areas and never swim above Huka Falls or in the Aratiatia gorge.
- Stay on geothermal boardwalks because the crust off track can be thin over boiling water.
- Carry layers, boots and at least 2 litres of water for Tongariro and check the forecast.
- New Zealand UV is extreme even on cloudy days, so use sunscreen beyond the beach.
- Watch for ice and snow closures on the Desert Road and SH5 in winter.
Taupo travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not do two geothermal parks, pick Orakei Korako plus one soak at Wairakei Terraces.
- The Mine Bay carvings are from the late 1970s, not ancient remains.
- Do not save Tongariro for your last day because weather cancels crossings often.
- Do not treat Otumuheke Stream as your only hot soak because it can run lukewarm.
- Waitomo is a 2 hour drive each way and belongs on a transfer day.
Getting around Taupo: public transport and more
- You need a car for Huka Falls, golf, Orakei Korako, Kinloch and Turangi.
- Town centre and lakefront are walkable, with shuttles for Tongariro and headline tours.
- Taupo is 3.5 hours from Auckland, 1 hour from Rotorua and 4.5 to 5 hours from Wellington.
- Parking in the centre is easy and mostly free, and taxis should be booked not hailed.
Who Taupo suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Taupo your trip
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