The Perfect Waiheke Island Day Trip for Food & Wine Lovers

In planning our New Zealand trip, a day trip to Waiheke Island was easily one of the parts I was most excited about. A picturesque island with 30 wineries? Um, sign me up. 

I will admit, I had some high expectations and I was a bit nervous I had hyped up the island in my head. I’m happy to report that my nerves were unfounded and this day trip was one of the highlights of our whole trip. And, dare I say, some of the best wine we had in all of New Zealand. My husband and I loved every bit of this day and I encourage you to steal our exact itinerary. 

Waiheke Island feels a world apart from Auckland and yet it’s only a short ferry ride away from downtown, making it an easy day trip. But it’s not just the convenient location that makes this island worth visiting, it’s the luscious greenery, the pristine beaches, the laidback island vibes, and above all, the wine, that will have you wishing you didn’t have to board your return ferry. 

Leaving the ferry port behind on the island you’ll see a sign that says “slow down, you’re here” and that is the exact vibe of this Waiheke Island day trip itinerary. No jam packing your schedule. Slow down, relax, and soak it all in.

Welcome to Waiheke. 

How to Spend a Day on Waiheke Island 

Take the Ferry Over to Waiheke in the Morning

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel in Auckland and then head over to the ferry port. 

We stayed at the SO Auckland and from there, the ferry port is just a five minute walk away. 

We were able to use our $300 American Express Platinum credit towards the hotel stay so we only paid $141 out of pocket for two nights. We also got a $100 credit that we used at the rooftop bar for bites and drinks. If you have the Platinum card, I highly recommend this hotel.

We chose to do the 9:30 ferry departure. I don’t recommend any earlier than that if the first thing you want to do is wine tastings as most cellar doors don’t open before 11 am. 

After you board the ferry, head to the top and enjoy the stunning views on the short 40 minute ferry ride over to Waiheke.

Once you arrive, look for either the 50B or the 50A bus. You shouldn’t have to wait too long as the buses are normally timed around the ferry. There will be a board to show you when the bus will arrive or you can use Google Maps to double check.

Board the bus, tap your credit card, and take a seat.

Ride 19 stops and get off at “Museum and Historical Village”. Be sure to tap your card on the way out as well.

From there, walk just five minutes to Tantalus Estate. 

Try Exceptional Wine and Beer at Tantalus

We booked the 11 am cellar door tasting (the earliest one they offer) so we were about 20 minutes early. I’m glad we did arrive early because it gave us a chance to explore the stunning grounds. Prepare to have your jaw drop a little. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a winery as picturesque as this one. 

A couple of minutes before 11, head to the cellar door, which is near the main entrance. 

The cellar door at Tantalus Estate feels like a cozy neighborhood bar that you want to be a local at, the kind where you’re greeted by name the moment you enter. Perhaps it was the bricks lining the walls and the ceiling that gave off this vibe or the friendly, welcoming atmosphere that made you feel like you belonged there. It was easily a place we could see ourselves coming back to.

You have multiple options for tastings, I highly recommend the library wine tasting which is 40 NZD per person (about $23.50 USD). You’ll get to compare a younger and older version of three wines, for a total of six wines. I love when wineries do this because it allows you to tangibly observe how so many factors influence wine.

Tantalus set a bar that nothing else quite matched on our entire New Zealand trip. Not just because the wine was fantastic but also because of how it was presented to us. I’ve been to a lot of tastings. A lot of times you get a pour and then maybe a little information but I don’t usually feel connected to what I’m drinking. Tantalus was one of a handful of times I’ve left a tasting actually understanding something about what I’d just had, without ever feeling like I was being lectured to. 

Katie, who led our tasting, was incredibly informative. I learned so much about how the wines were made, how the different harvests impacted the flavors, and the history of wine on Waiheke.

After the tasting, if you’re into beer, I highly recommend moving to the outside deck and ordering a flight of beer and some snacks. We got sweet corn ribs with gochujang and fried jalapeños stuffed with cheese. Both were absolutely delicious.

Moans may have been emitted.

Enjoy Local Dishes at Te Motu

Once you polish off your beer and snacks, you will definitely need some lunch so your next stop is The Shed at Te Motu.

It’s just a short walk away from Tantalus. No need to go back down to the main street, you can actually walk alongside the vineyards. Just pull up Google Maps to lead you. 

Te Motu has a completely different vibe than Tantalus which makes them the perfect pairing since you have just a short amount of time on the island. 

Te Motu is one of the oldest wineries on the island. When we mentioned that we were heading there for lunch to one of the people at Tantlus they said it was one of the most Kiwi places on the island.

I love when locals validate my choices. 

Indeed, the moment you walk in, you know it’s a place you’d love to sit and stay awhile, especially with the tantalizing scent of freshly baked bread wafting towards you.

We were seated outside and just soaked it all in. There was an adorable dog walking around. Eric tried to pet her but she wasn’t interested in him. Normally she is a working dog in the vineyards to help scare away the birds from the grapes so it makes sense why she’s not that interested in humans.

At this point we were a bit tipsy so we opted to share a wine tasting. You can order a wine tasting at lunch so no need to go to a separate tasting room. 

We ordered focaccia and it was truly some of the best focaccia I ever had.

It was served with olive oil, balsamic reduction, roasted garlic, and pink Himalayan salt. I loved how sweet the balsamic was which balanced out the oil and the roasted garlic. I also thought that the salt on the side instead of on the bread was a nice touch so you can add however much you wanted. 

We then got a simple green salad which was delightfully fresh with a bright vinaigrette.

For the mains we devoured a roasted leek dish that melts in your mouth and a local lion’s mane mushroom dish. The texture was unreal and it almost had a meat-like flavor.

Whenever we have great food, we know we have to order dessert. And I’m so glad we did because my god, was it positively sinful. It was a homemade banana mochi bruleed with pink peppercorn ice cream and coconut pieces.

I’m literally thinking about it as I write this and I may just have to look up return flights to Auckland just for this dessert. 

Our waitress poured our wines for the tasting throughout our meal and by the end we had tried five different wines including their flagship.

The absolute perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Your choice: More Wine Tasting or the Beach

At this point, it’s up to you what to do. There was no way I could have any more wine so we decided to go to the beach to soak up some sun during our last few hours on Waiheke Island.

We went to Onetangi beach which is also a stop on the bus line. Head back down to the street from Te Motu and look for the 50A or 50B again. 

There’s a couple of spots right near the water if you’re looking for coffee, ice cream, or a snack. 

Head Back to Auckland

After an incredible day, it’s sadly time to head back to Auckland. Hop back on the bus and go back towards the ferry port. 

Next time, consider staying the night at Waiheke. I know I personally will. 

Tips To Help You Plan Your Day Trip to Waiheke

Make Reservations in Advance

Some of the cellar doors require advance reservations so be sure to do those ahead of time. Also check the opening and closing times of each place, especially before you purchase your ferry ticket.

How to Get There

There are daily ferries from downtown Auckland. I recommend booking in advance just so you have peace of mind. We went on a Monday and it was relatively quiet so we could have walked up to the ferry and purchased a ticket on the spot but I’m glad we already had our spots secured.

There are two ferry companies that go to Waiheke: Island Direct and Fullers360. We booked ahead with Island Direct, after seeing several blogs recommend it over Fullers360. It costs $59 NZD for a return ticket.

The ferry ride takes about 40 minutes. I highly recommend going to the top so you can soak in the views of Auckland’s skyline fading into the distance.

How to Get Around

There are a few ways to get around the island: a wine tour, a hop on hop off bus, car rental, and a public bus. 

Unless you’re trying to go somewhere the public bus line doesn’t serve, I highly recommend just taking the bus.

While planning the trip, I saw a lot of blog posts recommending wine tours and after spending a day on the island, I personally don’t think those are necessary. The public bus easily gets you where you need to go and the wine tastings are so informative that you don’t need a guide.

Unless you’re looking to visit a lot of wineries and don’t want to have to think about the bus schedule, I recommend saving your money and just hopping on the bus. 

Each fare costs $2.80 NZD and you can simply tap your credit card. 

Is a Day Trip Enough Time in Waiheke? My Thoughts For You

After spending a day on this island, my answer is no. There are so many other wineries and restaurants we would have loved the opportunity to visit. That being said, there never seems to be enough time to visit all the places you’d like and to stay as long as they deserve. It’s the classic traveler’s dilemma.

Anytime I visit a country for the first time, I like to compare my itinerary to ordering a flight of wine. Each destination is a tiny pour. All of them are worth sampling, though there will be ones I prefer over the others. Waiheke is a pour I would absolutely order a full glass of.

So my take is that while Waiheke absolutely deserves more than just a day trip, if you’re short on time, like I was, then it is 100% worth an addition to your itinerary