Things to Do in Hawke’s Bay New Zealand

Things to Do in Hawke’s Bay: this is New Zealand’s Food and Wine Country, a sunny stretch of the east coast where vineyards roll toward the sea. Stroll the streets of Napier, one of the world’s great Art Deco cities, rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake. Taste full-bodied reds and chardonnays at the cellar door, cycle quiet trails past orchards and coastline, and watch thousands of gannets nest at Cape Kidnappers. The region’s Māori name is Te Matau-a-Māui.

Experience Hawke’s Bay New Zealand

• Art Deco architecture
• Award-winning wineries
• Cape Kidnappers gannet colony
• Easy, flat cycle trails
• Food, farmers’ markets and festivals

You´ll ❤️ these great things to see & do…

• Walk or ride a vintage car through Napier’s Art Deco streets
• Taste Hawke’s Bay reds and chardonnays at a cellar door
• Cycle the Hawke’s Bay Trails past vineyards, orchards and coast
• Visit the world’s largest mainland gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers
• Climb Te Mata Peak for sweeping views
• Raft the Mohaka River, or discover Māori culture on a guided tour

Where to Experience It in Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay is made up of five areas, so the easiest way to plan your things to do in Hawke’s Bay is by area and theme

• Napier: the Art Deco capital, with guided walks and vintage-car tours, the Marine Parade seafront and the National Aquarium of New Zealand. See Heritage & Art.
• Hastings and Havelock North: the heart of the wine country, with cellar doors and Te Mata Peak. See Food & Wine.
• Central Hawke’s Bay: country towns such as Waipawa, Ōtāne, Tikokino and Ongaonga, with walks, fishing and homesteads. See Walking & Hiking.
• Wairoa District: a quieter northern corner, with rivers and coast. The Mohaka River offers rafting from gentle to grade 4 and 5.
• Wildlife: Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Māui, home to the largest mainland gannet colony in the world. The walking track along the beach can be used only at low tide, so many visitors join a guided tour. See Wildlife & Beaches.
• Cycling: the Hawke’s Bay Trails, a Great Ride of New Zealand with Water, Landscapes and Wineries rides. See Cycling & Mountain Biking.
• Māori culture: guided experiences such as Napier Māori Tours and Waimārama Māori Tours. See Māori Culture.

Events in Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay is a year-round events destination, so there are always things to do in Hawke’s Bay that fit your travel dates.

Coming up in 2026

• Hawke’s Bay Arts Trail, 7–8 and 14–15 November. Studios and galleries open across the region.
• Taste Hastings, 13 November. A food and drink event in Hastings.
• HARVEST Hawke’s Bay Food & Wine Festival, 21 November. A celebration of the region’s food and wine, held in Hastings.
• Sanctuary Sounds Music Festival, 4–6 December. A three-day music festival in Takapau, Central Hawke’s Bay.
• Royal New Zealand Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty, 19–20 December. Performed in Napier.

Summer 2027 (January–February)

• Dress for Deco Vintage Market, 23 January. A warm-up for the festival in Napier.
• Art Deco Festival Napier, 18–21 February. New Zealand’s largest heritage festival, with vintage fashion, classic cars, live music and hundreds of events across the region. The programme is released each October. Festival programme

Autumn and winter 2027

• Hastings Meatball Festival, each March. A food festival in Hastings.
• Hawke’s Bay Marathon, each May. Run through the region’s countryside.
• Matariki Mahuika Beach Fires, 26 June. A Māori New Year celebration in Napier.

Regular events

• Church Road Summer Sessions: a series of concerts at Church Road Winery in Napier, running from 1 November to 7 March.
• Farmers’ markets: weekly markets in Napier and Hastings. Check the official site for current days and locations.

Eat & Drink in Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay calls itself New Zealand’s Food and Wine Country, and it is an official Great Wine Capital of the World. Expect restaurants and cafés, artisan producers and farmers’ markets alongside the vineyards.

• Taste the region’s signature full-bodied reds and complex chardonnays at a cellar door, or book a guided wine tour.
• Look for outstanding coffee, craft beer and apple cider as well as wine.
• Browse more at Food & Wine, or the official Hawke’s Bay Eat & Drink guide.

Hawke’s Bay by Season

Here are the best things to do in Hawke’s Bay in each season, based on the official events calendar.

• Summer (Dec–Feb): the Church Road Summer Sessions concerts, beach days at Waimārama, and the Art Deco Festival in February.
• Autumn (Mar–May): the Hastings Meatball Festival and the Hawke’s Bay Marathon.
• Winter (Jun–Aug): Matariki celebrations and Winter Deco, a smaller Art Deco weekend held in July.
• Spring (Sep–Nov): Central Hawke’s Bay’s Spring Fling, the Arts Trail and HARVEST Hawke’s Bay.

For national dates such as Waitangi Day, Matariki and Great Walks season, see New Zealand Festivals.

Good to Know Before You Go

• Flying in: Hawke’s Bay Airport is about 10 minutes’ drive from Napier and 25 minutes from Hastings. Air New Zealand flies direct from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and Originair flies direct from Hamilton, Palmerston North and Nelson.
• By sea: more than 80 cruise ships visit Hawke’s Bay each year, so Napier is easy to add to a cruise itinerary.
• Book ahead for February: accommodation is in high demand around the Art Deco Festival.

Approximate drive times to Napier

• Taupō: about 2 hours
• Rotorua: about 2 hours 40 minutes
• Gisborne & Eastland: about 3 hours 30 minutes
• Wellington: about 4 hours 30 minutes
• Auckland: about 5 hours 30 minutes

Combine Hawke’s Bay With

Hawke’s Bay sits on the east coast of the North Island, so it pairs well with these nearby regions:

• Taupō – about two hours inland, for the lake and geothermal sights
• Rotorua – Māori culture and geothermal wonders
• Gisborne & Eastland – further up the east coast
• Wellington & Wairarapa – south to the capital and Wairarapa wine country
• Ruapehu – Tongariro National Park and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Popular themes in Hawke’s Bay

Food & Wine · Heritage & Art · Cycling & Mountain Biking · Wildlife & Beaches · Māori Culture

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