As well as the Kiwiana decorating the main street, the Ed Hillary Walkway (running off Maniapoto St) has information panels on the All Blacks, Marmite and, of course, Sir Ed.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
7.9 MILES
The guided tour of the Glowworm Cave, which is behind the visitor centre, leads past impressive stalactites and stalagmites into a large cavern known as…
27.62 MILES
The excellent Waikato Museum has several main areas: an art gallery; interactive science galleries; a Waikato River exhibition; and Tainui galleries…
26.67 MILES
Spread over 50 hectares southeast of the city centre, Hamilton Gardens incorporates a large park, a cafe, a restaurant, and extravagant themed and…
13.52 MILES
Te Awamutu Museum has a superb collection of Māori taonga (treasures) and an excellent display on the Waikato War. The highlight is the revered Te Uenuku …
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
21.06 MILES
A community trust has erected 47km of pest-proof fencing around the triple peaks of Maungatautari (797m) to create the impressive Sanctuary Mountain…
9.18 MILES
Ruakuri Cave has an impressive 15m-high spiral staircase, bypassing a Māori burial site at the cave entrance. Tours lead through 1.6km of the 7.5km system…
27.7 MILES
Bush-covered walkways run along both sides of the river and provide the city’s green belt. Jogging paths continue to the boardwalk circling Lake Rotoroa,…
27.7 MILES
One of Hamilton’s more unusual public artworks is a life-sized statue of Rocky Horror Picture Show writer Richard O’Brien, aka Riff Raff, the time-warping…
Nearby Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula attractions
1. Otorohanga Kiwi House & Native Bird Park
0.47 MILES
This bird barn has a nocturnal enclosure where you can see active kiwi energetically digging with their long beaks, searching for food. This is one of the…
7.29 MILES
Near Waitomo Adventures, a steep 20-minute walk leads through bush then along farmland to the abandoned Opapake Pa, where terraces and kumara pits are…
3. Waitomo isite Visitor Information Centre
7.59 MILES
Adjoining the Waitomo isite, the Waitomo Caves Discovery Centre has excellent exhibits explaining how caves are formed, the flora and fauna that thrive…
4. Waitomo Caves Visitor Centre
7.8 MILES
The big-three Waitomo Caves are all operated by the same company, based at the spectacular Waitomo Caves Visitor Centre (near the Glowworm Cave). Various…
7.9 MILES
The guided tour of the Glowworm Cave, which is behind the visitor centre, leads past impressive stalactites and stalagmites into a large cavern known as…
8.87 MILES
Three kilometres west from the Glowworm Cave is Aranui Cave. This cave is dry (hence no glowworms) but compensates with an incredible array of limestone…
9.18 MILES
Ruakuri Cave has an impressive 15m-high spiral staircase, bypassing a Māori burial site at the cave entrance. Tours lead through 1.6km of the 7.5km system…
8. Te Kuititanga-O-Nga-Whakaaro
10.51 MILES
Te Kuititanga-O-Nga-Whakaaro is a beautiful pavilion of etched-glass, tukutuku (woven flax panels) and wooden carvings that celebrates the town’s history.