Best Weekend Trips from Wellington

If you’re looking for fun ideas for weekend trips from Wellington, you’ve come to the right place.

I used to live in Wellington, and always loved exploring the lower North Island (and still do!).

In this guide, I’m sharing my favourite weekend getaways from Wellington. These are the places I escape to for nature, sunshine, and beautiful scenery.

Whether you enjoy wine tasting, hiking, photography, or simply relaxing somewhere new for a couple of days, I hope you find something just for you on this list.

So without further ado, here are my favourite weekend getaways from Wellington!

Table of Contents

Weekend Getaways from Wellington

1. Martinborough

A rustic shed in a row of grapevines at Poppies vineyard in Martinborough in the Wellington Region.

🚗 Drive time from Wellington to Martinborough: 1 hour 15 minutes (82 km)

Martinborough is a charming countryside town in the Wairarapa, best known for its abundance of wineries.

This is my absolute favourite weekend trip from Wellington, and a place I’ve visited many times over the years.

The cool, dry climate and well-draining soils around Martinborough help produce exceptional pinot noir, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc, and you’ll find numerous cellar doors offering wine tastings and lunch.

What to do in Martinborough

Bikes parked at a vineyard in Martinborough, New Zealand.

A platter full of delicious food and two glasses of white wine on a table at Poppies, one of the best wineries in Martinborough.

Hire a bike to cycle around to the vineyards—since everything is close together in this wee town, it’s easy to visit a few wineries in a day. Green Jersey has bikes for hire right in town, and the flat terrain here makes for a mellow biking experience.
Visit Martinborough’s wineries. Here are some of my favourite spots:
- Poppies for a wine tasting and platter filled to the brim with a variety of nibbles.
- Moy Hall for a family-run experience in a gorgeous vineyard setting.
- Cambridge Road for natural wine.
Get a craft beer at Martinborough Brewery.
In addition to being an excellent spot for wine lovers, Martinborough also makes a great base for exploring the wider Wairarapa Region. You can day trip to nearby places like Greytown, the Patuna Chasm, and Cape Palliser (more on Cape Palliser in the next entry!).

Where to stay in Martinborough

Martinborough Top 10 Holiday Park for budget-friendly cabins and bike hire onsite
Martinborough Hotel for a cosy boutique stay right in the heart of town

2. Cape Palliser

A road following the coastline at Cape Palliser in the wider Wellington Region.

🚗 Drive time from Wellington to Cape Palliser: 1 hour 45 minutes (121 km)

Out along the wild Wairarapa coastline lies Cape Palliser, a remote place with rugged scenery and untouched nature to enjoy.

Cape Palliser feels far away from it all, and that’s partly what makes it so special. There are no supermarkets or shops here—just rustic beach houses, fishing boats, and the ocean.

If you’re craving a peaceful escape into nature where you can truly unplug and unwind, this is just the place.

What to do in Cape Palliser

A person walking below craggy rock formations at the Putangirua Pinnacles walk in the wider Wellington Region.

People walking up the steep, narrow staircase to the Cape Palliser lighthouse.

Visit the Cape Palliser Lighthouse. You’ll need to walk up more than 200 steps to get there, but it’s worth it for the epic coastal views.
See the Cape Palliser seal colony, which is home to a seal pup nursery. They’re so cute to watch, and this is easily one of the best places to see seals in New Zealand.
Go for a walk in the Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve, the Lord of the Rings filming site for the Paths of the Dead. This eerie badlands area has unique rock formations that look like they belong in a desolate landscape.
On the drive to or from Cape Palliser, stop by the Land Girl Cafe in Pirinoa for a coffee and treat.

Where to stay in Cape Palliser

Pack your tent and camp at the Putangirua Pinnacles Campsite, a basic but beautiful DOC campsite (this is one of my favourite campsites in the North Island).
Book a budget-friendly cabin at Waimeha Camping Village.
Or book a holiday home on Bookabach.

3. Castlepoint

The Castlepoint lighthouse at sunrise, with wooden stairs leading down to the lighthouse and the ocean in the background.

🚗 Drive time from Wellington to Castlepoint: 2.5 hours (165 km)

Castlepoint is a remote, rugged beachside settlement in the Wairarapa.

This is a beautiful place to escape to for a quiet weekend away. To me, it always feels like the edge of the world out here.

There aren’t lots of activities in Castlepoint; instead, this is the kind of place you come to if you want to completely switch off and soak up the wild, windswept scenery.

What to do in Castlepoint

Ty from Weekend Path standing on a rocky outcropping overlooking Castlepoint in New Zealand's North Island.

The Castlepoint freedom camping carpark next to the beach with the Castlepoint Lighthouse and ocean in the background.

Explore the Castlepoint Lighthouse. The landscape around the lighthouse has limestone cliffs studded with fossilised shells, thunderous blowholes, and gorgeous ocean views (keep an eye out for whales, dolphins, and seals!). If you’re a photographer or an early bird, sunset is a magic time to visit.
Walk the Deliverance Cove Track.
Grab fish & chips from the Castlepoint Store to enjoy at the beach.
Go surfing or fishing—but please take care and always mind the conditions, as the ocean is truly wild here.
Visit the Tinui Food Forest on the drive to or from Castlepoint (book ahead).
On the drive into Castlepoint, I always love stopping at Moore Wilson’s and Homegrown Butcher in Masterton to pick up food supplies for the weekend.

Where to stay in Castlepoint

The Castlepoint Holiday Park for a no-frills, budget-friendly cabin—hot tip, Cabin #9 is the absolute best for couples!
Or book a holiday home on Bookabach.

Long Weekend Getaways from Wellington

These destinations are a bit further afield (up to 4.5 hours away), so I recommend saving them for a long weekend when you have at least two nights to enjoy them.

4. Napier & Hawke’s Bay

Golden hour lighting over rolling green mountains at Te Mata Peak, one of the best places to visit in Hawke's Bay.

🚗 Drive time from Wellington to Napier: 4 hours (318 km)

Hawke’s Bay is a fantastic weekend trip from Wellington when you want to soak up some sunshine and sample excellent local wine and food.

Basically, this is as close to a Mediterranean holiday as you’ll get near Wellington!

Pick a base in either Napier or Hawke’s Bay wine country, and spend a great weekend living the good life.

What to do in Napier and Hawke’s Bay

The front of the National Tobacco Company building, a pink and yellow Art Deco building in Napier, New Zealand.

The vineyard at Craggy Range Winery in Hawke's Bay, with views of Te Mata Peak in the backdrop.

Explore Napier’s art deco architecture.
Go wine tasting at one of the excellent cellar doors in the region. Church Road and Mission Estate are popular wineries close to Napier, and I love Craggy Range, Elephant Hill, and Black Barn in the wider Hawke’s Bay region.
Hire bikes to cycle the fantastic Hawke’s Bay cycle trails. You can pair this with some wine tasting at a couple of cellar doors for a stellar day out.
Visit the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market to pick up local produce and get a hot meal from one of the food vendors (I always love the bacon butty cart!).
Head up to Te Mata Peak for gorgeous views over Hawke’s Bay—sunset is a particularly nice time to visit, but it’s gorgeous no matter the time of day.

Further reading: the best things to do in Napier & Hawke’s Bay

Where to stay in Hawkes Bay

Motel de la Mer for a great hotel right by the Marine Parade in Napier.
Te Awanga Cottages for a stay amongst the vineyards with bikes available onsite.

5. New Plymouth

The white Cape Egmont Lighthouse with a red door on a grassy mound with Mount Taranaki in the backdrop.

🚗 Drive time from Wellington to New Plymouth: 4.5 hours (353 km)

New Plymouth is such a unique North Island destination, and one I’ve visited often over the years because I just can’t get enough.

With gorgeous black sand surf beaches, a national park close by, and a wonderful food scene, New Plymouth is a New Zealand beach town with so much to offer.

What to do in New Plymouth

A view through a cave at Tongaporutu (Three Sisters) Beach in Taranaki, with a view of Mount Taranaki in the background.

Tyson from Weekend Path in a swimming hole beneath a waterfall at the Wilkies Pools in Egmont National Park in the North Island of New Zealand.

Walk or cycle the epic New Plymouth Coastal Walkway.
Hit the beach—Fitzroy Beach and Back Beach are both popular surf beaches to visit. Tongaporutu (Three Sisters) Beach is also an awesome spot to explore if you’re up for a day trip.
Visit Pukekura Park and wander through the beautiful gardens.
Head out to Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki (formerly known as Egmont National Park) to go hiking in a goblin forest beneath the mountains. My favourite trails are Pouakai Tarns and the Dawson’s Falls-Wilkies Pools loop—both are easily two of the best day hikes in the North Island!
Drive Surf Highway 45 to visit coastal towns like Oakura and Opunake, and see the Cape Egmont Lighthouse.
Enjoy the delicious food and drinks in New Plymouth. Some spots I recommend are Monica’s for brunch, Bleached for coffee and bagels, Mrs White for woodfired pizza, and Shining Peak Brewing for craft beer and great meals.

Where to stay in New Plymouth

Belt Road for a budget-friendly cabin.
The Devon for a hotel right in town with free bikes to borrow.
One Burgess Hill for a gorgeous stay in the countryside near New Plymouth.

Further reading: the best things to do in New Plymouth

6. Tongariro National Park

The red crater and Mt Ngaruhoe on the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand's North Island.

🚗 Drive time from Wellington to Ohakune: 3.5 hours (287 km)

If you love hiking, Tongariro National Park is the perfect weekend trip for you.

With hiking trails and waterfalls to explore, this is a great place for an active yet relaxing getaway in nature.

What to do in Tongariro National Park

Tawhai Falls in Tongariro National Park, with a turquoise pool at the base of the falls and native bush on both sides of the waterfall.

A golden-hour view of Mount Ngauruhoe from the Taranaki Falls Track in Tongariro National Park, with purple heather flowers in the foregound.

Hike the famous Tongariro Crossing to trek through an otherworldly landscape along one of New Zealand’s best trails.
For an alternative to the Tongariro Crossing, Tama Lakes is another excellent day hike.
Go on a shorter day walk to see one of the waterfalls in this region—Taranaki Falls is my favourite easy trail in the area. I also love the walks to Tawhai Falls and Waitonga Falls.
Cycle the Old Coach Road.
In winter, go skiing at Whakapapa or Turoa. Tongariro National Park is one of the best places to visit in New Zealand in winter if you’d like to see snow in the North Island.
Book a soak in the Ohakune Hot Tubs.

Where to stay near Tongariro National Park

The Powderhorn Chateau for alpine lodge vibes and the indoor soaking lagoon.
Ohakune Top 10 for a budget-friendly cabin.

Further reading: where to stay near Tongariro National Park

Thanks for reading my guide to the best weekend trips from Wellington!

Jac Michael from Weekend Path standing in front of the Castlepoint Lighthouse.

I truly hope this has helped you plan your next weekend getaway from Wellington.

As always, please let me know in the comments if you have any questions for feedback for me—I really love hearing from you!