From its beautiful coastline to its spectacular mountains, New Zealand is a place you visit for its scenery – and there’s no better way to gorge on its good looks than by train. Traveling at surface level, you can take in every detail of Aotearoa (the country's Māori language name), stopping off along the way to see more.
What to expect on board
The trains are impressive, with a comfortable 2+2 seating layout that has plenty of legroom. Carriages are roughly the same on all three long-distance rail routes; the exception is the TranzAlpine's slightly more luxurious Manuhiri Scenic Plus carriage, which launched in 2024. Trains include a good onboard cafe, as well as an open-sided observation car. The recorded commentary, delivered via headphones, is excellent (though it does include occasional colorful descriptions of historic rail accidents).
1. Ride the Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington
The lengthiest of three long-distance rail journeys in New Zealand, this route from Auckland to Wellington takes in diverse landscapes on its 10-hour, 680km (423-mile) course across the North Island.
Before hitting the rails, make time to learn a little about the culture and attractions of Auckland. A good introduction to the nation’s first people is a visit to Auckland Museum, where Māori kapa haka (song and dance) performances are held twice daily. Or take a ferry to enjoy the city’s waterside setting and taste some local produce on a wine tour. When you're ready to leave Auckland, it’s time to catch the Northern Explorer train from the unassuming Strand Station.
Given the length of this journey, it can be a good idea to break it up along the way. (The train line even offers guided tours for this purpose.) Hamilton is the first stop outside Auckland and from here it’s easy to visit the popular Hobbiton Movie Set near Matamata. On the outskirts of Hamilton are two other genteel attractions: the lovely Hamilton Gardens, with multiple gardens from different civilizations; and Zealong, New Zealand’s only tea farm, which offers high tea, a tour and a tea ceremony.
Back on the rails, hilly green farming country eventually gives way to the more dramatic terrain of the Central Plateau, which the train reaches by squealing its way up the curving Raurimu Spiral, an 1898 engineering marvel. Another potential break on the journey is National Park Station, where travelers can access Tongariro National Park and its mighty volcanic peaks.
The Northern Explorer ends its long journey by easing along the Kapiti Coast to Wellington, arriving at the most impressive railway station of the trip: a grand 1937 edifice from the golden age of rail travel.
The capital has plenty to offer. In addition to an excellent dining scene – typified by Ortega Fish Shack on the edge of the lively Te Aro district – there are many cultural drawcards. Admire the art gallery within the absorbing Te Papa national museum, or feed your Hobbit fixation by taking a tour of Wētā Workshop, the design company heavily involved with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies.
2. Take the Coastal Pacific from Picton to Christchurch
Before you can catch your next train, there’s water to cross via the Interislander. This 3.5-hour ferry service navigates the Cook Strait from Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the South Island, finishing with a leisurely sail through the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. The ferries are sizeable vessels with food and entertainment on board.
From the ferry landing, it's a short walk to Picton Station where you'll hop on board the Coastal Pacific train. Running daily from January to April and four times weekly from May to December, it’s arguably the most scenic of New Zealand's three rail routes, passing between mountains and ocean as it snakes southward for 6 hours and 348km (216 miles) to Christchurch.
One of its early stops is Blenheim, the hub of the Marlborough wine region. You can spot vineyards from the train, before it travels alongside the Pacific Ocean for a long stretch. Here nature takes center stage – including a colony of fur seals lounging on craggy rocks just offshore. Near the town of Kaikōura there’s another impressive natural wonder: the Seaward Kaikōura Range, snow-topped inland mountains, which run parallel to the tracks.
Finally, after returning to farming country, the train makes its way into Christchurch. The shiny station replaced the one damaged in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes that devastated the city. It is still in a process of change as it continues to rebuild after that geological double-punch. You can learn about that pivotal event at the excellent Quake City exhibition, explore its street art on a guided tour with Watch This Space, or maybe just graze on treats bought at the Riverside Markets.
3. The TranzAlpine crosses the Southern Alps from Christchurch to Greymouth
This final long-distance rail trip is different from the others – instead of mountains providing a backdrop, they’re the heart of the experience. The TranzAlpine train takes 5 hours to cross the Southern Alps as it heads 223km (139 miles) from Christchurch across the South Island to the western port of Greymouth.
The first stretch of the journey cuts through the Canterbury Plains… then suddenly you’re within the mountains. For a while the TranzAlpine follows the Waimakariri River, a distinctive "braided" watercourse that's fed by melting ice. High steel viaducts help the train through this craggy environment.
At 740m (2428ft) above sea level and surrounded by beech forest, Arthur’s Pass is a popular destination for hikers in summer and snow sports enthusiasts in winter. After this high point, the train eases out of the mountains to the lakeside town of Moana before terminating at Greymouth.
The TranzAlpine heads back to Christchurch an hour later, but it’s worth staying over in Greymouth to sample some of its sights: the Māwhere Pā visitor experience (developed in partnership with Wētā Workshop), the impressive coastal rock formations at Punakaiki; and the good food and beer served at the brewhouse of popular local-born brewer, Monteith’s. From North Island to South Island, a rail journey of that epic length deserves a toast.
Train and ferry tickets can be booked through one website
Bookings for the above train and ferry services can be made via the Great Journeys of New Zealand website.
Tim Richards traveled with the assistance of Tourism New Zealand. Lonely Planet contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.
