Things to Do in Taranaki

Spectacularly beautiful, Taranaki is a region of rural landscapes, amazing surf beaches, and a perfect cone-shaped mountain, Taranaki Maunga, and it’s the perfect place for an inspiring road trip. Meander along winding river gorges or cruise quiet highways under the gaze of the mountain, stopping to explore wild surf beaches along the way. The region’s main centre, New Plymouth, is a cosmopolitan town with great restaurants, galleries and boutiques.

Experience Taranaki

• Rural landscapes and amazing surf beaches
• Taranaki Maunga
• Perfect place for inspiring road trips
• New Plymouth Coastal Walkway

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

• Mount Taranaki rising from green farmland is a spectacular sight, especially when iced with snow in winter
• Surf Highway 45 follows the curve of Taranaki’s coastline: 105 kilometres of surf and some of the country’s best surf breaks
• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Zealand’s leading contemporary art gallery, is home to the collection of world-renowned modern artist Len Lye
• The Puke Ariki Centre combines a library, a fascinating museum, a visitor information centre and a café in one stunning building on the New Plymouth waterfront
• The New Plymouth Coastal Walkway runs 13 kilometres along the picturesque waterfront
• Forgotten World Highway, winding 150 kilometres from Stratford to Taumarunui, State Highway 43 offers a soul-satisfying road trip through a rugged landscape and tiny, isolated communities
• Remember to check out the Pouākai Crossing, Taranaki’s premier one-day walk

Where to Experience It in Taranaki

Taranaki is easiest to plan by theme: the mountain, the coast, the arts and the gardens. Where we have a matching activity, the name links to it.

• Taranaki Maunga: the Pouākai Crossing is the premier one-day walk in Te Papa-Kura o Taranaki National Park. Shorter options include the Kamahi Loop Track and Wilkies Pools. See Walking & Hiking.
• Surf and coast: Surf Highway 45 and the New Plymouth Coastal Walkway, with Len Lye’s Wind Wand and the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge along the way. See Wildlife & Beaches.
• Art and heritage: Govett-Brewster Art Gallery / Len Lye Centre, Puke Ariki and Gover St Gallery. See Heritage & Art and Museums.
• Gardens: Pukeiti, Tūpare and Pukekura Park in New Plymouth, plus Hollard Gardens in Kaponga and King Edward Park in Hāwera. See Nature.
• Road and cycle trips: the Forgotten World Highway runs from Stratford to Taumarunui, and the Forgotten World Cycle Trail links Taumarunui to New Plymouth. See Cycling & Mountain Biking.

Events in Taranaki

These dates come from the official Taranaki visitor site (checked 15 October 2026). Please confirm dates with each organiser before you plan around them. For New Zealand-wide dates, see our New Zealand Festivities page.

• Spring Festival, 30 October – 8 November 2026. Four festivals run together over ten days: the Centuria Taranaki Garden Festival, the Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival (over 40 gardens), the Taranaki Arts Trail (artists open their studios) and Taranaki Sustainable Trails. Official festival page
• WOMAD Aotearoa, 12–14 March 2027. A three-day world music and arts festival at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth.
• Autumn arts season. The official autumn guide highlights the Taranaki Art Show and the ANZAC Day Classic in April. Confirm the 2027 dates before you plan.

Free Things to Do in Taranaki

Some of Taranaki’s best experiences cost little or nothing, which makes them good fillers for a free afternoon between tours.

• New Plymouth Coastal Walkway: 13 kilometres of promenade, public art and playgrounds, with Taranaki Maunga framed by the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge.
• Pukeiti Garden: free entry to rainforest tracks and alpine gardens.
• Ōpunake Loop Trail: a coastal hilltop walk in South Taranaki.
• Gover St Gallery: free entry to a community gallery showing work by more than 120 artists.
• Aotea Utanganui, Museum of South Taranaki (Pātea): koha (donation) welcome.

Taranaki on a Rainy Day

When the maunga is hiding behind cloud, these are the official suggestions for staying dry.

• Puke Ariki (New Plymouth): hands-on exhibits on Taranaki history, taonga, geology and the natural environment.
• Taranaki Pioneer Village (Stratford): more than 40 original buildings from the 1850–1950 era.
• Tawhiti Museum (South Taranaki): detailed miniature scenes and the Traders & Whalers boat ride.
• Aotea Utanganui (Pātea): permanent galleries on life, geology and Māori taonga in South Taranaki.

Taranaki by Season

• Summer (Dec–Feb): surf beaches on Surf Highway 45 and long days on the Coastal Walkway.
• Autumn (Mar–May): the region’s arts and events season, including WOMAD in March.
• Winter (Jun–Aug): snow on the maunga. Try the Kamahi Loop Track, Dawson Falls / Te Rere o Noke or the Manganui Gorge suspension bridge. Manganui Ski Area opens when snow and access allow.
• Spring (Sep–Nov): gardens in bloom, with the Spring Festival from 30 October.

Good to Know Before You Go

• Where it is: Taranaki sits roughly halfway between Auckland and Wellington on the North Island’s west coast.
• Flying in: Air New Zealand flies daily to New Plymouth from Auckland and Wellington (about 50 minutes) and Christchurch (about 90 minutes).
• By road and sea: regular bus services run north and south, and cruise ships dock at Port Taranaki.

Approximate drive times to New Plymouth

• Hamilton (Waikato & Waitomo): about 3 hours
• Palmerston North (Whanganui & Manawatu): about 3 hours
• Rotorua / Taupō: about 3 hours 30 minutes
• Tauranga (Bay of Plenty): about 4 hours
• Auckland: about 4 hours 30 minutes

Combine Taranaki With

Taranaki is easy to add to a self-drive tour or a custom tour, and it pairs well with these nearby regions:

• Whanganui & Manawatu: south of Taranaki, about 3 hours to Palmerston North
• Waikato & Waitomo: about 3 hours north, for glowworm caves
• Ruapehu: the Forgotten World Highway links Stratford to Taumarunui
• Wellington & Wairarapa: the capital, halfway down the island

Popular themes in Taranaki

Walking & Hiking · Nature · Heritage & Art · Museums · Wildlife & Beaches

All North Island Regions