The 12 best things to do in Napier, North Island, NZ
Last updated on May 17th, 2026 at 05:43 am
Napier – not really on the tourist trail yet, but its an authentic kiwi town with plenty to do for a day or a few days.
So what are the best things to do in Napier? Well, what do wine, art deco, and gannets have in common? Not much – except Napier! Below I cover the 12 (actually about 15 because some are doubles) best things to do in Napier. Its a fun little place – enjoy!
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Plan for your trip
Flights – use skyscanner or booking.com to find and book your flight – I often find the same flight for a lot cheaper than booking direct with the airline!
Insurance – Use EKTA or SafetyWing. TBH I usually use EKTA – they accept any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling – which is perfect for me!
Accommodation – use booking.com or for a hostel – Hostelworld. I use both.
Internet – buy a yesim eSim or Airalo before you go. I use both depending on where I am going.
Buses, trains, ferries – 12Go is always my first option for buses, ferries and trains.
Car rental – use DiscoverCars – they are my ‘go-to’ car rental site
Hiking – I use AllTrails for online and offline hiking trails – it means you know exactly where you are on the trail and makes getting lost a lot harder!!
Tours and Activities – book with Viator, GetYourGuide, or Eatwith. A couple of top tours for Napier are:
- Morning Art Deco Walk
- Afternoon Winery Tour Tasting at 3 Great Wineries
- Cape Kidnappers Gannet, Nature & Sightseeing Tour
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1. Check out the Art Deco and learn about the Napier earthquake!
The art deco architecture is a drawcard to Napier. It came about because of the need to the rebuild the town center after a devastating earthquake in 1931!
You can wander around the town center and just look – there are plenty of wonderful art deco buildings to see. But I do recommend this Morning Art Deco Walk From Napier Art Deco Trust as you will get a lot more insight to the buildings and earthquake.
Of course if you like art deco, then the time to be here is during Art Deco Festival – usually in February – with masses of events and all things art deco seen around town! (See the feature photo1!)
Another thing I really enjoyed was to learn about the earthquake that flattened this town on the Discover Napier Earthquake: Self-Guided Audio Tour. (While you are at ait, watch out for the Sea Walls murals as well – there are around 50 in town.)
And for even more info, the local museum, MTG Hawkes Bay (which includes an art gallery, and theatre), has plenty to browse through – with a great Napier Earthquake display, as well as art deco, Māori artifacts and stories about the region’s history, land, and culture.
2. Watch thousands of Gannets up close and personal
Head out across local farmland to see the huge gannet colony on this Cape Kidnappers Gannet, Nature & Sightseeing Tour. This is one of two key land based gannet colonies in New Zealand and it is the biggest. You are literally right next to the gannets and can watch their antics for hours – whether it is mating, feeding babies or just sitting on the nest.
The gannets are here from around July to April with mating and nesting from July and chicks there from November to February. In April or May they fly to Australia for the winter.
Note: You can walk there along the coastline (5-6 hours) but it has become dangerous in parts so only do that around the hours of low low tide and you are very prepared. I did it recently and watched a cliff landslide right in front of me – it was pretty scary and I was walking in the water for a lot of the remaining walk back to be as far away from the cliffs as possible! Whatever you do, if you do it, don’t walk under the cliffs – stay to the waters edge and be prepared to run!
3. Enjoy the fabulous wine scene
Napier is good wine country – amongst other things! Its known for its red blends but the Chardonnays are great too. My advice – try it all. Places to note are Craggy Range, Mission Estate, Church Road, Linden Estate, and Te Mata Estate – but there are plenty of other great ones to try. Clearly tasting and driving don’t go together too well, but you can go on wine tours if you don’t have a driver.
You can sample some of the local wines on one of these tours:
Craggy Range Winery is also a perfect place to have a delicious meal or stay overnight in luxurious accommodations. So if you’re in the mood to spoil yourself – you know what to do! Another option if you are in a group, is to stay just out of Napier at Kiwiesque – a luxury stay in a vineyard right next to Linden Estate Winery – easy to walk home!
4. Get your bike on……..along the coast or to the wineries or both
Hire an E-bike and cycle yourself along the shoreline to a winery! The furthest on the route is my sisters favorite – Te Awanga Estate – open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am – 5 pm. (Unfortunately I cant drink wine so can’t comment, but she can!)
Or take this Self Guided Coast to Vineyards Cycle Tour which gives you a completely organised route and stop off points at different places and vineyards. The best part is you get picked up from one of the wineries at the end of the day – so you only ride one way!
5. Enjoy the rivers with some easy rafting
Have some chill time on the Mohaka River with this Scenic Rafting trip from Napier – its for those that want to enjoy a rafting experience without the scary parts – small, easy and fun rapids only!
Note this is labelled as a shore excursion, but you don’t have to be on a cruise ship to do it!
6. Go for a walk – take in the views at Te Mata Peak or the Whakamaharatanga Walkway or at Ōtātara Pā!
Te Mata Peak itself has great views over the countryside and wineries to Napier and the ocean. You can simply drive to the lookout but there are some interesting trails you can follow that take between 1.5 and 2 hours. Some of the popular ones (and i think its worth doing one) are:
- The Rongokako Trail – a harder trail – 2 hours
- The Giant Circuit – moderate – 2 hours
- Te Mata Peak Hike – moderate – 1.5 – 2 hours return
But a really fun alternative is to visit Te Mata Peak with a guide – on this 2-hour Te Mata Peak Tour by Supertrike. I haven’t done it yet but it looks like its a good time with a 5/5 star rating with over 100 reviews!
The Whakamaharatanga Walkway is on the other side of Napier. Its an easy 1 hour walk with a couple of options. Walk alongside the Wairoa River and pass some interesting historical sites – my favorite is the Portland Island Lighthouse. The track also takes you past the Whakamahi Lagoon (great spot for birdwatching and there are bird hides) and definitely go up the Rorookuri Hill Summit Trail.
You can find the Whakamaharatanga Walkway on AllTrails but it is not complete. Good for a starter though. Note that the walkway is closed in August and September for lambing.
Finally you can take in a bit of history along with walking and views at the Ōtātara Pā Historic Reserve. You will learn about local Māori history from the information boards and see some remains of the settlement here. You can find the walk on AllTrails here. I di really enjoy this walk, but the views are better on the other two walks in my opinion.
7. ….and in town check out the views at the Bluff Hill Lookout
The Bluff Hill Lookout Loop Walk is a varied short walk up the hill that dominates the town – forest, birds, old houses, and then views over the busy Napier Port, and some verry pleasant gardens and coastal and sea views to enjoy. It can be quite fascinating to watch all the goings on at the port – so a fun spot with entertainment for a picnic! The lookout is good for sunrise too!
Note – you can of course cheat and just drive right to the top. 🙂
8. Marine parade – along the waterfront!
Napier’s waterfront is fun to stroll – you can even have a game of minigolf if you like. The beach is a wild unsafe one for swimming but makes good Pacific Ocean viewing, and the foreshore has a 3 km landscaped path with things like sunken gardens, and a great viewing platform, near the town center.
Start at either end of these two points: At the north end, across the road from the beach is the small but lovely Centennial Garden, complete with waterfall and viewing bridge – a nice start or finish to the walk.
At the other end, to the south, is an excellent start or finishing point at Lick This with its 43 flavors of ice cream and gelato! Yummo!
9. Walk the Ahuriri estuary – a wildlife refuge
I love this estuary walk at any time of day but its really pretty at and around sunset! You can do short or longer walks along the estuary and wetlands and it also goes across an old rail bridge which is really nice as well as you see the wetlands from a little above.
It is a wildlife (mostly bird) refuge and a great place to see birds like the spoonbills, oystercatchers and stilts as over 70 species of waterbirds use the estuary as a feeding and resting area. Some are resident and some are migratory like the godwit that comes from the Russian Arctic!
10. Soak at Ocean Spa Napier
Ocean Spa in Napier is one of my favorite haunts – especially in winter. There is nothing like sitting in hot pools overlooking the ocean. There are also steam and sauna rooms, a pool to do some laps in first, a cafe with decent coffee, and a gym if you’re really keen. Personally, I’m only interested in the hot pools!
11. Head to Ahuriri and the marina to relax
Ahuriri is a little village center beside the easiest beach to swim at in Napier. It flows through to the yachts and fishing boats in the marina area as well. There is a great little boutique movie theater, boutique shops, and plenty of cafes to choose from. Its generally just a nice place to walk and swim – check out the giant chairs on the way to Perfume Point.
Around at the marina are more restaurants and of course plenty of boat action! Don’t miss the old National Tobacco Company Building which now houses The National Distillery Company which produces gin and other spirits on-site, with a “Distillery Door” open to the public (usually Thu-Sat 1-5pm). If you are a gin lover do not miss it!!!
12. Enjoy a walk or stroll and look for the “at risk” dotterels at Westshore
Westshore is a stony-with-sand-patches beach which is good for swimming some of the time and has a steep drop off at others. Great for a walk and seaside views. There is also a walking path from the end of the houses along Westshore Esplanade to Bayview, and, during the nesting season (July to Feb), in this area you can see the elusive dotterel. They are well camouflaged and hard to see, so take your time, but it is a treat to see them.
Look out for the coffee bus on the Esplanade – its great (and yes its coffee and a few goodies served from and in an old bus. I love that bus!! Also keep an eye out for the mobile sauna that comes here sometimes – take a dip then heat up inside!
Bonus – not bonus – the National Aquarium
This is not my favorite place – I’m being honest. Look, its got penguins and kiwi amongst other things – fish of course! But read the reviews and decide for yourself. I don’t like traditional zoos and so this is not a place I’m going to like. For me, its better to go see kiwis and penguins elsewhere if you are traveling around. But, you might like it!
Check this post on where to see kiwis in the wild and in reserves, and this post on where to see penguins in NZ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long should I spend in Napier?
A: Depending on your interests and how pressed you are for time, you can just spend a full day here and combine a wine tour with an art deco or earth quake walk. But for a more in-depth look, where you do some walking or wildlife viewing as well as relax a little, maybe at the hot pools or in some cafes, 2 to 3 days is more optimal.
Q: Is there a farmers market with local produce?
A: Yes, on a Saturday near Clive Gardens
Q: I’m on a cruise and just have a day – what do you recommend?
A: That’s hard! For a touch of everything – art deco, wine etc try this tour, or, do a morning supertrike tour and afternoon wine tour if the timing works with your departure!
But for an outdoor experience either see the gannets or go rafting, then if you have extra time, walk in the town and view the art deco buildings or pick up the self guided earthquake audio tour.
Where to stay in Napier
Luxury: for a group or family stay at Kiwiesque next to Linden Estate, or for two try the Craggy Range Winery
Higher End: The Dome or Cobden Garden
Mid Range: Ashcroft Gardens Bed & Breakfast or MnM’s BnB
Budget: The Nautilus, or Bestern on Mohaka or Expressotel
A 3-bed house: City Center Escape – great for the family or a group
Backpacker: the best option in the town area is a budget cabin at Napier Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park & Motel
Note: Although they are cheap, I can’t recommend the backpackers places like Crash Palace Napier or Bluewater Lodge– unless you are simply sleeping a night and moving on without needing the kitchen area etc. They tend to be dominated by longer term residents. But of course they are cheap…
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