Hamilton
Nearby
Auckland Coromandel Tauranga Rotorua Napier Tongariro National Park TaranakiHamilton: Understand
Population ~ 157,000
Hamilton is located 90-minutes south of Auckland, set on the Waikato river. There’s a bunch of free things to do in the city, and Hamilton is within an hour of Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves.
Hamilton: See & Do
The Hamilton Gardens (free!) are a real highlight here! And as far as gardens go, this place is amazing! The gardens span 58 hectares and have 5 collections including Rogers Rose Garden, Hammond Camellia Garden and Te Parapara (a traditional Māori garden). There’s also a kids playground and cafe in the gardens. You can get here by foot from the city center via the river walk.
The Hamilton Zoo has over 600 animals, with daily animal encounters and “meet the keeper” talks.
If you’re around in Autumn (19th – 23rd March 2019), you might cross over with the annual Balloons over Waikato Festival (free!).
If you’re into museums, there are a number of exhibitions, stories and art in the Waikato Museum (free!).
Hamilton: Eat
The Kirk Cafe is an excellent breakfast and lunch option – great food and incredible presentation. Note: Sunday’s they’re not open until 10 am.
Gothenburg is is a brilliant tapas bar, open for lunch and dinner daily. The food is delicious and the setting is grand!
Agenda and Furnace are good dinner options.
For a fine dining experience in Hamilton, Palate is the top pick. Food & cocktails are very highly rated, and you can request to sit at the “kitchen table” to watch behind the scenes.
Head to Ruakura Berry Farm to pick your own berries, and for great real fruit icecreams (open 7 days a week).
Hamilton: Sleep
Hamilton City Holiday Park has powered sites (for campervans or caravans), tent sites as well as self-contained units and cabins. Note: no free wifi.
There are not many good backpacker options in Hamilton, but if you really need a place to lay your head for not too much money, take a look at Backpackers Central Hamilton ($). It’s spacious and close to the bus station (with free breakfast too), but not very a welcoming place to stay.
There might be a market in Hamilton if you wanted to start a quality hostel…
For a luxurious stay in Hamilton, Camelot on Ulster ($$$) has nice modern spaces, a pool, and spa units.
If you’re looking to stay longer in Waitomo, check out the Waitomo Top 10 Holiday Park ($) with a range of motel units, cabins, powered campervan/caravan sites, and tenting sites.
1-Day Trips Near Hamilton
Hobbiton in Matamata is less than an hour (driving) from Hamilton. Tours are available from Hamilton, or you can make your own way there. Hobbiton movie set was a very important location in both Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit movies. Set on a 14 acre (5.5 hectare) farm, Hobbiton is a pretty unique place to visit, particularly for fans! There are 2-hour guided tours of Hobbiton where you visit Bagshot Row, the Party Tree and Bilbo’s Bag End home. There are 44 hobbit holes on view and you can enter a few of them. The Shires Rest Cafe is on site, where you can also get a “Second Breakfast.”
Waitomo is a tiny little village, just under a 1-hour drive from Rotorua. It’s famous for the Waitomo Caves and glow worms, but there’s also a bunch of walks and waterfalls to make a very full day (or 2) in the area.
Also from Waitomo you can go on adventures such as cave abseiling and Black Water Rafting.
Between Hamilton and Waitomo, but out on the west coast, is Kawhia Hot Water Beach. Dig your own instant natural hot water spa.
Raglan is a coastal town with black sand beaches, and a cracker spot for surfers with it’s long surf break at Manu Bay.
Also near Raglan are the Bridal Veil Falls, plunging 55 metres with 4-viewing decks for all the viewing angles!
Where to next?
Nearby areas:
Auckland Coromandel Tauranga Rotorua Napier Tongariro National Park Taranaki
Nearby Regions:
Gisborne/ Hawkes Bay Manawatu-Wanganui TaranakiHamilton Gardens & Hobbiton