Don't wait for a weekend! Cheeky midweeky deals >
Getting here & around
Taupō is centrally located in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand and is easily accessible by car, bus and plane.
Taupō is centrally located in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand, about 3 ½ hours’ drive from Auckland and 4 ½ hours’ drive from Wellington.
Taupō is within a two-hour drive of Waitomo Caves to the west, Hamilton to the north, Tauranga to the east and Ruapehu to the south.
Closer to Taupō you will find the trout fishing mecca of Tūrangi and the quiet lakeside town of Mangakino. The world-famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing within the Tongariro National Park is close by.
Driving to Taupō
Taupō is an easy drive from all of the main centres on the North Island of New Zealand. Taupō is situated at the crossroads of State Highway One (SH1) and the Thermal Explorer Highway, the country's main highway for road travel, connecting Auckland to Wellington.
Driving Times
| Auckland - Taupō | 3.5 hours |
| Hamilton - Taupō | 2 hours |
| Napier - Taupō | 2 hours |
| New Plymouth - Taupō | 3.5 hours |
| Palmerston North - Taupō | 3.5 hours |
| Rotorua - Taupō | 1 hour |
| Wellington - Taupō | 4.5 hours |
Flights to Taupō
Auckland to Taupō
Air New Zealand operates daily flights between Auckland and Taupō. For more information about scheduled flights to Taupō Airport, visit the Air New Zealand website.
Wellington to Taupō
Marlborough-based air operator Sounds Air provides 15 flights per week between Taupō and Wellington. For more information about scheduled flights to the Taupō Airport, visit the Sounds Air website.
Private Plane Charters
You can also fly to Taupō Airport via private chartered flights, jets and helicopters. Taupō Airport services Global Expresses, to light twin-engine aircraft. Please check out Inflite Charters for private charters.
Airport Parking
Taupō Airport has a public car park adjacent to the terminal building. While secure parking is not currently available, security gates on Anzac Drive are closed at night.
Bus to Taupō
Intercity offers more than 150 services every day connecting over 600 New Zealand destinations. Search for available seats and book your bus tickets to get to or from Taupō via the Intercity website.
Backpacker Bus
There are also plenty of backpacker bus tours to Taupō such as Kiwi Experience, Contiki, Stray and other smaller personalised tours that can get you here with plenty of fun guaranteed.
Local Taupō Bus
Once you’ve arrived, Taupō’s local bus service, the Taupō Connector, can take you pretty much anywhere you need to go around Taupo town centre.
You can also hire a rental car or take a taxi or shuttle/tour to get around Taupō.
