Getting here & around

Taupo 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.

Taupo 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 Taupo you will find the trout fishing mecca of Turangi and the quiet lakeside town of Mangakino. The world famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing within the Tongariro National Park is close by.

Driving to Taupo

Taupo is an easy drive from all of the main centres in the North Island of New Zealand. Taupo 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

Flights to Taupo

Auckland to Taupo

Air New Zealand operates daily flights between Auckland and Taupo. For more information about scheduled flights to the Taupo Airport, visit the Air New Zealand website. 

Wellington to Taupo

Marlborough-based air operator Sounds Air provide 15 flights per week between Taupo and Wellington. For more information about scheduled flights to the Taupo Airport, visit the Sounds Air website. 

Private Plane Charters

You can also fly to Taupo Airport via private chartered flights, jets and helicopters. Taupo Airport services Global Expresses, to light twin engine aircraft. Please check out Inflite Charters for private charters.

Airport Parking

Taupo Airport has a public car park adjacent to the terminal building. All parking is free of charge. While secure parking is not currently available, security gates on Anzac Drive are closed at night.

Bus to Taupo

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 Taupo via the Intercity website.

Backpacker Bus

There are also plenty of backpacker bus tours to Taupo such as Kiwi Experience, Contiki, Stray and other smaller personalised tours that can get you here with plenty of fun guaranteed.

Local Taupo Bus

Once you’ve arrived, Taupo’s local bus service, the Taupo 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 Taupo.