Northern Explorer Train Journey from Auckland to Wellington
Auckland, New Zealand
- 11 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Leave the planning and driving to a train conductor while you travel on the Northern Explorer, a long-distance scenic train service running from Auckland to Wellington. Experience the beauty and variety of New Zealand—from the farmlands of Waikato to the volcanic peaks of the Central Plateau and the sparkling Kapiti Coast—while riding a comfortable train. A great way to trade the grind of vacation travel for a bit of romance.
- Skip bus tours and driving for the romance of train travel
- Journey in trains with award-winning carriages and specially designed seats
- Take advantage of open-air viewing decks and GPS-triggered audio commentary
- Journey through Tongariro National Park and the Raurimu Spiral
What's Included
- One Way Rail Journey
- GPS triggered audio commentary
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and Drinks (available to purchase)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Excess luggage charges (where applicable)
Meeting and Pickup
Operating hours.7:45 am
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Wheelchair accessible, please advise at time of booking if travelling with a wheelchair.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Stroller accessible
- Please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure and check in at the station to receive your boarding pass
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Kenneth_W
The food was excellent and just kept coming.
Along with all the beverages they had to offer.
Scenery was spectacular.
The staff was incredibly attentive and made the 11 hours fly by. I would do it again tomorrow.
Reviews
4.2
based on 215 reviews
Lindsay_R, Apr 2026
Long but scenic. The crew are very helpful and the process to board was streamlined.
The food covered a lot of tastes and well priced.
A must do trip for anyone. Just try to go on a clear day to enjoy the scenery.
Highly recommended.
Cynthia_W, Apr 2026
The view was good, but the journey was very long (over 12 hours in this case). The train stopped long time due to someone stole the copper from the signal box. Once is enough.
Lisa_S, Mar 2026
Comfortable seats and great visibility from the train, but a long ride became longer with over 90 minutes worth of delays.
Kenneth_W, Mar 2026
The food was excellent and just kept coming.
Along with all the beverages they had to offer.
Scenery was spectacular.
The staff was incredibly attentive and made the 11 hours fly by. I would do it again tomorrow.
vanessa_B, Mar 2026
S lovely way to see the country . A very comfortable train and very clean. Easy to move around and very good facilities.
Stuart_B, Feb 2026
Lovely scenery. Very friendly staff. A great way to view the central part of the North Island.
Comfortable seats.
Wendy_H, Jan 2026
From Auckland to Hamilton we rode buses then boarded the train in Hamilton. No notice that this was happening. This was not caused by weather but by a known maintenance on the Auckland line. We heard from other tourists that the entire route has been replaced with a bus and no partial refund which is inexcusable because the bus is much cheaper. The train part was lovely but not worth the uncertainty of not knowing what you will get until you arrive that morning.
Christine_H, Jan 2026
Check in was chaotic at Auckland station due to the train not leaving from there but from Hamilton. No communication to tell us this until we arrived at station. On board catering was understaffed, food was ok.
Richard_d, Jan 2026
Really beautiful scenery, but a very long ride. The section through the national park is stunning, but I wish the trip was about half as long.
Michael_B, Nov 2025
Beautiful scenery. Train ride was nice. Biggest issue was we were supposed to arrive around 6:25 and didn’t get to Wellington until almost 7:15pm. 12 hours was just too long for me as we boarded at 7:15 (train leaves at 7:45).
Chandni_P, Nov 2025
My husband and I really enjoyed our train ride from Auckland to Wellington. The seats were comfortable, the views were beautiful, and the service was friendly and attentive. A relaxing and memorable trip highly recommended!
Robert_S, Nov 2025
It’s a long day but nice way to see the countryside in New Zealand. The service and food was great. Met nice people along the way.
Bruce_T, Nov 2025
It was an excellent trip although it was a long journey it turned out a really great trip, with lots of foods and varieties of meals all the way through the end of our journey. It was worth it! Tia was an excellent staff.
Jeanette_G, Nov 2025
Lack of communication from viator regarding cancellation of train.
Lack of refund on canceled train journey.
Lance_c, Oct 2025
We could not enjoy the experience as the train was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. There was flooding from bad weather.
Inga_S, Sep 2025
When I booked this i knew it was more expensive,booking with the restaurant.$300 more...I ate at the snack bar which was ok.especially for the price difference.the scenery was just beautiful.the train ride was confortable,but I was ready to get there.the people working on the train were very nice.
Carol_B, Jun 2025
Lovely smooth trip, beautiful scenery and great service. Easy hassle free boarding. Great seating with lots of leg room. Super helpful staff.
Stuart_P, Apr 2025
The team on board where amazing great vibes always there to help great selection in the Cafe cart the quiz was fun
Kevin_C, Mar 2025
Scenic relaxing ride through the new Zealand countryside. Staff was professional and courteous. I had a chance to converse with many different people with various backgrounds and cultures
Michel_S, Mar 2025
You go through a lot of cities. So, it’s not all sight seeing. The food is good but not enough employees, so be patient. Picture opportunities are frequent but you need to outside in that open wagon a very long time. All worth once in your life.
ANTONY_F, Mar 2025
Long journey.. uncomfortable if you get put into a four, especially if facing backwards... we had poor visibility for 1st half. It is pretty but a little monotomous
Howard_L, Mar 2025
Comfortable ride, thank goodness , as it’s a long journey. Excellent service. Friendly staff. Good food. On time. Lovely scenery. Good commentary, when points of interest are coming up. Handy viewing car.
Audra_P, Mar 2025
The ride was a nice relaxing way to travel from Auckland to Wellington. Thanks to our concierge Harry to make sure our hotel in Wellington met our needs as well. The crew on the train were friendly and the food costs reasonable. You can bring your own snacks with you too ❤️. Highly recommend
Kay_M, Mar 2025
The WiFi does not work as promised and there are no printed alternatives. Ticketing at departure took 35 mins. One person reduced to writing our seat numbers on a scrap of paper. The ride itself was pleasant especially through national park. The cafe food was average, take a picnic.
Sharon_T, Mar 2025
It was an 11 hour trip but it didn’t feel that long as there was so much to see.
The train has an open viewing deck which was fantastic. Highlights were seeing the Waikato plains, the rolling hills, the snow capped Mount Ruapehiu and going over 3 viaducts.
The train also followed the Raurimu Spiral.
It was very comfortable with large glass windows and leg room. The food and coffee were good and the staff were friendly and helpful.
Deborah_P, Feb 2025
Very easy to get about. The food on the train was better than I expected. The open car behind the engine is a must visit.
Susan_D, Feb 2025
It was a relaxing ride even though it was over 11 hours. We enjoyed going to the observation car to stand for a while and see the views without looking through glass. We enjoyed the snack and food car where they had places for you to sit and enjoy your drink and food. We had good leg room in our seats.
Rochelle_M, Feb 2025
This was a great way of seeing the North Island that we’d otherwise missed if we took a flight instead. It’s a long journey but it was nice to have the open air sightseeing car to get some fresh air. Unfortunately, having booked via Viator, we were not able to select our seats and we traveled 12 hours facing backwards sharing a table with another couple. It was a little cramped.
david_h, Feb 2025
Great experience travelling through the countryside. Comfortable seats. Well organised. Good choice of food from buffet car.
Aileen_S, Feb 2025
The scenery and route from city to city was good. Very helpful staff. Enjoyed the experience in the open carriage
From $158.97
per person-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.
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Northern Explorer Train Journey from Auckland to Wellington
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11 hours
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