Wellington To Auckland

Our guide to the ways to travel from Wellington to Auckland


How to get from Wellington to Auckland
 
By Car:
 
  • There is a driving route that travels directly through the middle of the North island from Wellington to Auckland. 
    • Route 1: Wellington - Kapiti Coast - Tongariro National Park - Taupo - Matamata (Hobbiton Village) - Auckland
    • The 653 kilometre journey is equal to a driving time of 8 hours (if no stops).
    • Many visitors will choose to add the extra driving time and travel to Rotorua after Taupo before continuing via Matamata to Auckland.  
 
  • There are also a few alternative routes which are less direct and longer.
    • Route 2: Wellington - Kapiti Coast - Whanganui National Park - New Plymouth (close to Mt Taranaki) - Hamilton - Auckland. The driving time is 9 hours (no stopping).
    • Route 3: Wellington - Kapiti Coast - Palmerston North - Napier (Hawkes Bay region) - Taupo - Matamata (close to Hobbiton Village) - Auckland.
 
Car Hire:

If you need to hire a car, check our My Guide Car Rental Comparison Tool.

By Bus:
  • There are a few established bus companies operating daily services including Nakedbus and Intercity.
  • The journey time is just over 11 hours.
  • A less expensive way by bus is to book the overnight service. Intercity departs daily from Platform 9 on Wellington Railway Station at 7.30pm and arrives in downtown Auckland at 6.30am. 
  • Another option is to buy a Hop-On Hop-Off pass for the North Island from one of the nationwide bus operators. This way you can plan your own itinerary, travelling on your own schedule.
 
By Rail: 
 
  • The Northern Explorer departs from Wellington Railway Station arriving into Auckland's Britomart Transport Centre. 
  • The train departs from Wellington to Auckland on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. 
  • The travel time is just under 11 hours. 
  • There are 7 stops with the highlight being the journey through the spectacular Tongariro National Park. Passengers will travel through the volcanic landscape that starred in the trilogy of Lord of The Rings movies.
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By Air:
 
  • Wellington Airport is 8 kilometres from downtown Wellington.
  • The airport Flyer bus departs to the town centre every 15 minutes. The taxi rank and Super Shuttle shared minibus service are located directly outside of the baggage claim area on level 0 of the main terminal.
  • The main flight operators are Air New Zealand and Jetstar. Flights are typically one hour, operate daily and run on a regular basis.
  • Auckland Airport is situated to the south of the city and is about a 45 minute drive.