Space to Indulge: A 14-Day New Zealand Food and Wine Journey
This New Zealand food and wine itinerary gives you 14 days to eat and drink your way from Auckland to Queenstown. You will taste wine on a vineyard island, cycle between cellar doors in Hawke’s Bay and sip pinot noir on the Wairarapa coast. Then you will cruise the Marlborough Sounds for mussels and sauvignon blanc and finish by a lake in Queenstown. The food is fresh, the wine is world-class and the views are part of the menu.
Why Choose This New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary
New Zealand has some of the freshest, finest food and wine on the planet, and it is rarely far from the source. Fish is caught off the coast, beef and lamb graze in the Waikato, and fruit is picked in the Bay of Plenty. Whether the meal is fine dining, a food truck or an artisan producer’s table, the setting is part of the pleasure. This New Zealand food and wine itinerary links six regions so that each stop has its own flavour.
You will meet a lot of different tastes along the way:
- Auckland: fusion dishes and Pacific Rim flavours from top chefs.
- Waiheke Island: wine, olive oil and botanical gin.
- Hawke’s Bay: syrah and chardonnay, close to the sea.
- Wairarapa and Wellington: pinot noir, coffee, craft beer, chocolate and cheese.
- Marlborough: Greenshell mussels and sauvignon blanc.
- Queenstown and Central Otago: lakeside dining and boutique pinot noir.
Who This New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary Suits
This trip suits travellers who plan their days around meals. You do not need to be a wine expert, because most cellar doors welcome beginners. You do need to be comfortable with a few flights, one ferry crossing and some days with more tasting than sightseeing.
It also suits people who like a mix of fine dining and relaxed lunches. You can swap a tasting for a bike ride, a seafood cruise or a walk through a gold rush village. The pace is gentle, with two or three nights in most places, so there is time to linger over a long lunch.
Your Route at a Glance
This table sets out the whole trip. The itinerary does not give travel times, so I have added times only where they come from official sources. Check them before you travel.
| Days | Stop | Getting there | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland | Start of the trip | Multicultural dining, Britomart, Federal Street, the Viaduct |
| 3 | Waiheke Island | Ferry from central Auckland, about 40 minutes | Wine, olive oil, botanical gin, a vineyard lunch |
| 4–6 | Hawke’s Bay | Fly from Auckland to Napier. Hawke’s Bay Airport has direct Air New Zealand flights from Auckland | Cellar doors by bike or chauffeured tour, syrah, chardonnay |
| 7–9 | Wairarapa and Wellington | Travel to Wellington via the Wairarapa coast. Wairarapa is about an hour from Wellington | Pinot noir, coffee, craft beer, chocolate, cheese |
| 10–11 | Marlborough | Ferry from Wellington to Picton, about 3 hours 30 minutes | Seafood cruise, Greenshell mussels, sauvignon blanc |
| 12–14 | Tāhuna Queenstown and Central Otago | Check flight connections from Marlborough | Lakeside dining, Arrowtown, Gibbston, pinot noir |
Day by Day: Your New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary
Days 1 and 2: Auckland’s multicultural melting pot
Cosmopolitan Auckland serves fantastic food from top chefs who use fresh local ingredients. Hip restaurants deliver fusion dishes from the Pacific Rim and beyond, which reflect the more than 200 ethnic groups that call the city home. Britomart, Federal Street and the Viaduct are easy places to start in the city centre. See our Auckland guide and food and wine experiences.
Day 3: Waiheke Island wineries
Take a scenic trip across the harbour to Waiheke Island, a foodie paradise about 40 minutes from central Auckland by ferry. The Waiheke Island wineries produce excellent wine, and the island also makes fresh olive oil and botanical gin. Settle in at one of its beautiful vineyards for a long, leisurely lunch. Waiheke is known for exactly this kind of long vineyard lunch, and it also has beaches and a treetop zipline if you want to walk off the meal. See our boat cruises and water activities.
Days 4 to 6: Hawke’s Bay highlights
Hawke’s Bay calls itself New Zealand’s Food and Wine Country. Grab a wine map and visit the cellar doors by bike, or book a chauffeured tour. Sip a syrah or a chardonnay where the vines stretch towards the sea. The region is also known for full-bodied reds, and for farmers’ markets and artisan producers. Hawke’s Bay wine tours range from a self-guided ride on the Hawke’s Bay Trails to a private driver. The Hawke’s Bay Trails are a Great Ride of New Zealand, and the Wineries ride links cellar doors on flat, easy paths. The itinerary counts more than 200 vineyards and wineries to choose from, so a guide helps you pick. Hawke’s Bay is also one of the world’s Great Wine Capitals. Read more at the official Hawke’s Bay food and wine guide.
See our Hawke’s Bay guide and cycling and mountain biking experiences.
Days 7 to 9: Capital cuisine in Wellington
Detour on the way to Wellington along the spectacular Wairarapa coast, and stop to taste Wairarapa pinot noir at one of the region’s many wineries. Martinborough is the best-known wine village, with cellar doors such as Ata Rangi and Palliser Estate. Wairarapa is about an hour’s drive or train ride from the capital. For a relaxed way to taste, Green Jersey Explorer Tours runs bike rides through the vineyards. The Runholder and Luna Estate are well-known places to eat in Martinborough, and the Wairarapa pinot noir pairs well with a long lunch.
In Wellington, join a foodie-friendly tour through the country’s literal and culinary capital. Taste great coffee, craft beer, artisan chocolate, peanut butter and cheese. The official Wellington site has guides to coffee, craft beer and wine bars, which makes planning easy. Then dine in style at an award-winning restaurant, from fine dining to contemporary Māori cuisine. See our Wellington & Wairarapa guide.
Days 10 and 11: A top trio in Marlborough
A specialist seafood cruise covers Marlborough’s three claims to fame. You get incredible views of the Marlborough Sounds, succulent Greenshell mussels and a chilled glass of world-famous Marlborough sauvignon blanc. About 70 per cent of New Zealand’s Greenshell mussels are grown here. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is also worth a day on land, with more than 30 cellar doors to choose from. You can also try Bike & Sip, a cycling tour of the cellar doors along the Golden Mile, and sample King salmon and oysters from the Sounds. Read more at the official Marlborough wine tours page. See our Marlborough guide.
Days 12 to 14: Gourmet gold in Queenstown
Dine on five-star cuisine overlooking Lake Wakatipu, or in the character-filled gold rush village of Arrowtown. Several vineyards and estates serve meals as world-class as their wines. Saddle up on a hire bike to explore the pioneering history, dramatic scenery and boutique vineyards of Central Otago. The Gibbston River Wine Trail runs along the Kawarau Gorge, and it is one of the nicest ways to meet the local pinot noir.
At Kinross in the Gibbston Valley, you can be a winemaker for a day and blend your own pinot noir. Mt Rosa Wines, Carrick Winery, Cloudy Bay and Amisfield are local favourites for lunch and tasting. Visit what is billed as the country’s largest wine cave, and be sure to try the region’s renowned Central Otago pinot noir. You can also cruise Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak, a high country farm, for a day away from the cellar doors. See our Queenstown guide.
How Each Leg of This Food and Wine Journey Works
The route mixes flights, a ferry and some short drives. The notes below explain each leg.
Auckland to Waiheke. The ferry from central Auckland takes about 40 minutes. Book your vineyard lunch first, then plan the ferry times around it.
Auckland to Hawke’s Bay. Fly from Auckland to Napier. Hawke’s Bay Airport is about 10 minutes from Napier and 25 minutes from Hastings, so you reach the vineyards quickly.
Hawke’s Bay to Wellington. The itinerary routes you through the Wairarapa coast. This is a longer day, so book a tasting early and leave time for the drive.
Wellington to Marlborough. The Interislander and Bluebridge ferries cross Cook Strait to Picton in about 3 hours 30 minutes. The route passes through the Marlborough Sounds, which is a treat in itself.
Marlborough to Queenstown. The two regions are far apart, and the itinerary gives no times. Check flight connections and allow most of a day.
Allow extra time for any drive on a tasting day, and nominate a driver or book a chauffeured tour. For a similar style of trip, compare our wine tours and our self-drive tours.
What to Book on This New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary
Many of the best tables and tastings fill quickly, so use this checklist when you plan.
| Experience | Where | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner at a top Auckland restaurant | Auckland | 1–2 |
| Ferry and long vineyard lunch | Waiheke Island | 3 |
| Botanical gin and olive oil tasting | Waiheke Island | 3 |
| Hawke’s Bay wine tours by bike or chauffeured car | Hawke’s Bay | 4–6 |
| Cellar door tastings of syrah and chardonnay | Hawke’s Bay | 4–6 |
| Pinot noir tasting at a Martinborough winery | Wairarapa | 7–9 |
| Foodie tour of coffee, beer, chocolate and cheese | Wellington | 7–9 |
| Dinner at an award-winning restaurant | Wellington | 7–9 |
| Seafood cruise on the Marlborough Sounds | Marlborough | 10–11 |
| Marlborough cellar door tour | Marlborough | 10–11 |
| Lakeside dinner | Queenstown | 12–14 |
| Gibbston River Wine Trail by bike | Kawarau Gorge | 12–14 |
| Wine cave visit and Central Otago tastings | Central Otago | 12–14 |
Local Specialties to Look For
Keep an eye out for these foods and drinks as you travel. They show off what each region does best.
- Greenshell mussels: Marlborough grows about 70 per cent of New Zealand’s supply.
- King salmon and oysters: popular on Marlborough Sounds cruises.
- Beef and lamb: grazed in the Waikato and served across the country.
- Fruit: plucked from the Bay of Plenty, and from the orchards around Alexandra in Central Otago.
- Craft beer and coffee: a strength of Wellington’s compact food scene.
- Olive oil and botanical gin: Waiheke Island’s small-batch products.
Extra Days: Ideas to Extend Your New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary
If you can add a few days, these detours fit naturally into a New Zealand food and wine itinerary.
- Gisborne: known for award-winning chardonnay, seafood caught on the day and an unpretentious dining scene. See our Gisborne & Eastland guide.
- Nelson Tasman: the home of hops, with brew-pubs, cellar doors, Māpua Wharf and Nelson’s Saturday Market. See our Nelson Tasman guide.
- Waipara Valley: an award-winning North Canterbury wine region with winery restaurants, close to Hanmer Springs. See our Kaikoura & Hanmer Springs guide.
- Wānaka: cellar doors and wine-tourism activities, an hour from Queenstown. See our Wanaka guide.
A Taste of Each Stop
Use this table to match each region to its signature tastes on your New Zealand food and wine itinerary.
| Region | Taste first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Fusion dishes | Pacific Rim and global flavours from a multicultural city |
| Waiheke Island | Wine, olive oil and botanical gin | Vineyard lunches with island views |
| Hawke’s Bay | Syrah and chardonnay | Full-bodied reds and complex chardonnays near the sea |
| Wairarapa | Pinot noir | A coastal wine region about an hour from Wellington |
| Wellington | Coffee, craft beer, chocolate, cheese | A compact city with a strong food culture |
| Marlborough | Greenshell mussels and sauvignon blanc | Seafood from the Sounds with a famous white wine |
| Central Otago | Pinot noir | Boutique vineyards in the world’s southernmost wine region |
Time Your Trip Around Food Festivals
If you want to add an event, these are some of the main food and drink dates on the official calendars. Always confirm the dates with the organiser.
- Hastings Meatball Festival, each March: a food festival in Hawke’s Bay.
- HARVEST Hawke’s Bay Food & Wine Festival, each November: a celebration of the region’s food and wine, held in Hastings.
- Visa Wellington On a Plate, August 2027: New Zealand’s largest food festival, with pop-up restaurants and Burger Wellington.
- Beervana, August 2027: a beer and food festival at Hnry Stadium in Wellington.
The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival is currently on hold, so do not plan around it.
Tips for Planning Your New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary
These tips will help you get the most from a New Zealand food and wine itinerary with a lot of tastings. Add a rest day if you can, because several tastings in a row can be tiring.
- Book early: popular restaurants, vineyard lunches and seafood cruises are best booked in advance.
- Plan your driver: use a chauffeured tour, a bike or a designated driver on tasting days.
- Tell them what you need: say if you have dietary requirements when you book.
- Check the season: opening hours and menus at cellar doors vary, and some places close on certain days.
- Pace yourself: a long lunch can replace a dinner, so you do not need to eat three big meals a day.
- Confirm the details: prices, opening hours and menus change, so check each provider before you go.
FAQs About a New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary
Do I need to know about wine? No. Most cellar doors welcome beginners, and the staff will explain what you taste.
Can I do this trip without a car? Mostly yes. The route uses flights and a ferry, and many tastings offer chauffeured tours or bike hire. You may want a car in Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago.
What if I do not drink alcohol? Many producers also offer olive oil, coffee, chocolate and cheese tastings, and the Marlborough seafood cruise is about the food as much as the wine.
Is it a good trip for couples or friends? Yes. The long lunches, lake views and boutique stays suit couples, and the bike tours work well for groups.
Make Your New Zealand Food and Wine Itinerary Your Own
Every day of this New Zealand food and wine itinerary can be adjusted. If you have more time, add a night in Hawke’s Bay or Central Otago. If you have less, drop Waiheke or Wellington. You can also swap a tasting for a hands-on experience, such as a winemaker-for-a-day session. Our team can shape the route around your dates and tastes.
Start Planning Your Trip
Ready to taste? Browse our guides to Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Queenstown. Then compare our North & South Island tours to see how this journey fits with other ways to travel.
