You probably know the Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Hobbiton. But did you know that there are many more awesome things to do in Waikato?

Sandwiched between Auckland and Rotorua lies the Waikato region. Its name-giver is the mighty Waikato River that cuts through the region like a lifeline. The complete Waikato Region officially stretches from Taupo all the way up to the Coromandel Peninsula although these two places are often regarded as their own region.

In this article, I’ll focus on all the cool things to do between Auckland and Rotorua. It seems like there’s mostly farmland here and not that much to see. I’ll promise that after reading this article, you will want to spend a lot more time in the Waikato area as there are heaps of hidden gems that want to be discovered.

11 Very Best Things to do in Waikato

One of the two most famous tourist attractions in Waikato. If you ever googled New Zealand attractions chances are you eventually come across the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. New Zealand glowworms are endemic and can really be found all over the country (for example in Waipu Cave up in Northland or in Te Anau on the South Island) but Waitomo District is THE place to go to see them. 

There’s an abundance of ways to see glowworms in Waitomo. You can abseil into a cave, zipline through another, blackwater rafting on cave rivers and much more. 

What’s not really communicated much is that the Waitomo Cave isn’t just one cave. There’s a whole cave system in the area and depending on the operator you choose to book, you’ll visit different caves. 

The most visited and “original” tour is the Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour. It’s the cave with the most glowworms. The tour takes 45 minutes in total and the short boat ride under the galaxies of glowworms is jawdroppingly beautiful.

Click to read our Waitomo Glowworm Cave and Ruakuri Cave review

Driving past the Waitomo Caves, after about 30 km you’ll find signs for Marokopa Falls and Mangapohue Natural Bridge. They’re a short drive apart from each other and both require a short walk to reach them. 

Marokopa Falls is one of the prettiest falls I’ve seen on the New Zealand North Island (although it’s really hard to rank them) but I’ll let you decide. The 35 meter high falls tumble onto massive rocks. 

Mangapohua Natural Bridge is really less a bridge and more a really high tunnel. Over centuries, Mangapohua River slowly ate its way through a Limestone rock, leaving a very impressive high arch. You can’t walk over it but you can walk through it and along the river. 

We’ve been told that there are quite a few glowworms to see at night, so go check out the natural bridge both during day and night.

I keep arguing with myself whether or not I should spill the beans that there is a Hot Water Beach near Waitomo Caves, like the one in Coromandel. It’s very much a hidden gem, even for New Zealand locals.

Kawhia Hot Water Beach lies on the black sand beach off Kawhia Harbour and works exactly like the Hot Water Beach everyone knows. Bring a spade, wait for low tide (2 hours either side is fine), dig a hole where the sand feels warm.

The charming town of Kawhia itself is a journey back in time. It still looks pretty much the same ever since the 1960s and hardly has any accommodation, book ahead (we stayed on the Kawhia campground). 

Check out the Waitomo - Kawhia loop mini-itinerary 

Raglan is known for its amazing surfing. Both beginners and professionals love the reliable waves that seem to roll onto the beaches in always the same intervals. Even if you’re not into surfing, there are plenty of things to do in Raglan. Stroll on one of the many beaches, walk to Bridal Veil Falls or kayak the Pancake Rocks in the sheltered harbour.

Raglan’s known as the place where the hippies (used to) go. The spirit of freedom still lingers in the air and there are a lot of shops with handmade jewellery and offering vegan cuisine. 

We stayed at Solescape, a hostel-slash-glamping place, depending on what you book. It’s a very unusual accommodation with beds in old train carriages, tipi tents and earth domes. The restaurant was incredibly delicious and meals made with herbs and veggies from the garden out back. The view over the ocean is breathtaking.

Right in between the two main highways from Hamilton to Taupo, the artificial lakes Karapiro, Arapuni and Maraetai really are off the beaten path. The area is mainly known by locals who live nearby. Which is a pity as it has some amazing camping, swimming and kayaking in the area. 

On Lake Karapiro, you can hire kayaks (and SUPs) to explore the lake by yourself or with a group. It’s lovely on the lake itself but the magic really happens when you turn off and follow one of the water inlets into a canyon. Lush ferns a lot of mossy, with water dripping, walls await. At night, this canyon turns into a true glowworm wonderland as the little worms love a humid, calm environment.

Click here to read more about our absolutely magical glowworm experience

Cambridge is one of the loveliest places to visit in Waikato. Often, New Zealand towns don’t have all that much charm and look quite similar. Cambridge, on the other hand, looks like the name implies, a lot more English. It even won the 2019 award for the Most Beautiful Large Town in New Zealand.

Cambridge is a great place to stop on your way to Rotorua or Taupo. It has lovely cafes, brick houses and a charming weekend market. 

Hamilton Gardens is a must-see when you’re in Hamilton! Featuring garden collections themed by countries and fantasies, globetrotters, art-lovers and gardeners will equally enjoy walking through Hamilton Gardens. The enclosed part of the botanical garden is divided into four topics. Within the country-themed part, you’ll find a Japanese garden of contemplation, Chinese Scholar Garden, English Gardens (one is the flower garden and the other the Tudor Garden), Italian gardens and a middle-eastern garden. In the fantasy section there’s the Surrealist Garden with sculptures and art that will look great on Instagram as well as other fantasy gardens. The foodie gardener will love the backyard garden as well as the kitchen and herb garden.

Read more about our experience at Hamilton Gardens. Click here!

Hamilton really needs its own “Things to do in…” article as there’s heaps to see. Only some ideas are to stroll around Hamilton Gardens and get some insta-worthy shots in their new surrealist garden.

If you’re a fan of the Rocky Horror Picture Show musical movie (like me), you HAVE to stop in Hamilton. A whole square on the main road is dedicated to the musical. A Riff Raff statue celebrates the fact that creator Richard O’Brien used to live in Hamilton. 

And if you’re a fan of old cars, head past the Classic Cars Museum and marvel at some really beautiful oldtimers.

The other famous attraction and definitely one of the best things to do in Waikato for movie buffs. 

Hobbiton the movie set in both the Lord Of The Rings trilogy as well as The Hobbit, portraying the village the Hobbits live in.

You can’t walk around Hobbiton by yourself, unfortunately, so if you’re keen on visiting you’ll have to choose between one of their tours. 

The Movie Set Guided Tour is the one that’s usually included Hobbiton day tours from Auckland and includes a drink at the Green Dragon Inn at the end of the tour. If you’re hungry you can join the tour that included a lunch in the party marquee. There’s also an evening banquet and seasonal events.

If you’re staying in Matamata, there are complimentary shuttle buses to Hobbiton and back from Matamata i-Site.

Book Hobbiton now:

It requires climbing a lot of stairs but totally worth the leg and bum workout. The Wairere Falls lie in the Kaimai Range, the border between Waikato and Bay Of Plenty. The walk to the top goes over a well-marked path and is easy technically. All in all, you’ll climb a total of about 200 meters of elevation as the waterfall itself is 153m high and it already takes about an hour of uphill walking to get to its foot. 

The view from the top of the waterfall over Waikato (aka Hobbiton) is amazing! Just please do everyone a favour and don’t go too close to the rim. It’s a long way down! 

The Blue Springs Putaruru are exactly what the name implies: A spring of incredibly clear, blue water. Located in Putaruru Waikato, the spring supplies about 60% of New Zealand’s bottled water. 

From the car park at Whites Road, a walkway follows the water to the spring in about 1.5 hours (per way).

As tempting as it is, swimming is no longer allowed in the Blue Springs to keep the spring as clean as it can be.

What are your favourite Waikato activities and Waikato walks? Did I forget something important? Let me know in the comments below!