Nau mai, haere mai. Welcome.

This is Taupō. The heart of Aotearoa New Zealand’s beautiful North Island.

At the centre of our region is sparkling Lake Taupō, the great inland sea of New Zealand. As you travel around the lake, you will find every landscape you can imagine. Snow-blanketed winter ski fields and alpine deserts. Ancient forests alive with birdsong. Trout-filled rivers and the thundering Huka Falls. Steaming geothermal valleys with rejuvenating hot springs. Three towering volcanoes in the awesome and otherworldly landscape of Tongariro National Park.

Discover what makes people love Taupō.

Top things to do in Taupō

Aroha Love
hiking
Love
snow

Zhi Yuen Yap

Pathologist, alpine guide, photographer

“They say a photograph tells 1000 words, but for me, a photograph only tells part of the story. When you look at a photograph, you are missing out on the sensation of the area, being out there in the cold and the wind. The satisfying way your crampons stick on the ice. There is a lot that you can never capture in a photograph.”

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A diverse and awe-inspiring landscape born from volcanic eruptions and carved by ice age glaciers, Tongariro National Park is a place of natural wonders and spiritual significance. Discover the dual World Heritage Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park

Taupō highlights

When to visit

Our towns & villages

Towns & Villages

Taupō town

The Taupō region’s largest town is a bustling lakeside resort in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island. The town has photo-ready mountain and lake vistas every way you turn, and plenty of things to do.