Best Things to do in Raglan New Zealand

In this Raglan travel guide you will uncover the most unforgettable things to do in Raglan for your wild west coast day trip. From amazing bush walks to the wild Raglan surf beaches, This small coastal town is where you can relax and unwind for a cup filling break away from your busy work life. Check out the beautiful Mt Pirongia walking tracks, beer tasting at Workshop Brewing or simply enjoy the warmth of the local Raglan pubs.

Great coffee, the incredible Bridal Veil falls and world renowned Raglan surf beach will easily fill your Raglan itinerary for an amazing holiday. This Raglan travel guide brings together great walks, amazing views and even better food, so whether you’re a Waikato local or you’re visiting New Zealand for the first time, Raglan should be on your New Zealand travel itinerary.

Best Time to Visit Raglan

The best time to visit Raglan depends purely on your itinerary goals. Hiking and surfing in Raglan is enjoyable throughout the year, you’ll just need extra layers and a longer wetsuit through the colder months, however if you’re wanting to sunbathe and drink cold beers in the sunshine then December through to February is when you need to visit Raglan.

• Summer (Dec–Feb): Peak season in Raglan. Ideal for beach and water based activities, and enjoying the vibrant town atmosphere.
• Autumn (Mar–May): The best season for surfing, with reliable waves and mild, comfortable weather.
• Winter (Jun–Aug): Often considered a “hidden gem” time with fewer crowds, calm days, and a cosy, creative atmosphere. However, it is also the wettest season.
• Spring (Sep–Nov): Warmth returns, along with excellent surf conditions and blooming local nature

Getting to Raglan

Getting to Raglan is pretty easy if you have your own personal vehicle, unfortunately New Zealand isn’t the easiest to travel if you are relying purely on public transport. So if you can I would highly recommend either hiring a campervan or a rental car for a day or two just to explore outside of Auckland on your own!

Auckland to Raglan

Driving from Auckland to Raglan takes just under 2 hours. Follow state highway 1 south out of Auckland and follow that until you reach the stae highway 1C turn off; follow that around to the right and follow signs for Raglan. Once you reach the small town of Whatawhata turn right onto state highway 23 and you’ll be on an almost straight shot to Raglan.

Hamilton to Raglan

If you’re planning on visiting Hamilton while your in Raglan or need to pick up some supplies then that’s easy enowugh to do in a morning day trip.A Raglan day trip is extremely popular among Hamilton locals so if you’re wondering around Hamilton and need some tips or sights to see on the way out to Raglan I’m sure anyone will be kind enough to throw you some recommendations.

Head west out of Hamilton and jump straight on state highway 23, I haven’t driven this direct route before but I’m pretty sure Raglan will be sign posted pretty soon when leaving Hamilton so just follow those. State highway 23 links straight up to Raglan so as long as you don’t turn off from that route you shouldn’t have too many issues finding the coastal surf town.

Finding Raglan Accommodation

Finding accommodation in Raglan isn’t difficult if you don’t have high expectations, this small west coast settlement is a very popular surf town and so many of the accommodation options reflect exactly what a surf town thrives on; uncomplicated, relaxed and rustic environments. AirBnb is a good place to start if you’re looking to stay for a night or two, otherwise camping in Raglan is always a great option if you’re not a fussy sleeper.

Raglan Surf Beaches

Raglans coastline and beach is one of the best in New Zealand, with surfers flocking to Raglan every summer to catch a wave and ride the wild beach. Stretching for what seems like forever, grab your binoculars and keep an eye out for the surfers riding the waves way out from the beach front

Surfing at Raglan Beach

The Raglan surf is one of the best in the world (or so I’ve heard), and you’ll soon understand why when you head down to any of these Raglan beaches. The waves break far out beyond the beach so there’s plenty of waves for everyone. But not only great to catch some waves, Raglan beach is a popular spot to walk your dog during the morning. The beach is about a 10 minute drive from Raglans main town centre, but there is plenty of parking so don’t need to worry about arriving early to secure a parking spot.

• Manu Bay
• Whale Bay
• Ngarunui Beach
• Ruapuke Beach
• Indicators

Raglan Walking Tracks

If you’re looking for ideas in Raglan for non-surfers, then look no further than these amazing Raglan walking tracks. Bridal Veil Falls draws in thousands of visitors every year, and it’s not hard to see why from the pictures below. If you’re looking for hiking trails in Raglan then head to Mt Pirongia for the freshest air amongst native forest.

• Te Toto Gorge lookout

Visiting Bridal Veil Falls

Location: Kawhia Road, Makomako
Distance: 1km loop
Walking Time: 10 minutes to top of falls, further 10 minutes to the bottom.
Difficulty: Easy

I have visited many waterfalls throughout New Zealand and internationally, but I think Bridal Veil Falls in Raglan takes the win for the most incredible waterfall with the least amount of effort. Bridal Veil Falls is 55m tall with hundreds of thousands of liters of water plummeting to the pool below everyday. The top two viewing platforms are wheelchair friendly, before you make a 250 stair descent to the main viewing platform at the bottom of the falls. If you would like o read more about Bridal Veil Falls or simply just want more pictures then check out my post on Bridal Veil Falls here!

Fo more information on the Bridal Veil Falls track and update on weather conditions visit DOCs website here.

Hiking Mt Pirongia

Mt Pirongia is a short drive south of Raglan and a great place to explore some of the west coasts incredible forest. According to the Mt Pirongia DOC website there are 11 hiking and walking trails around the Pirongia forest park ranging from under 1 hour bush walks to over night hiking trips. We explored the Nikau walk and Kaniwhaniwai caves which took us just over two hours to complete, this was walk super flat and easy enough for young families to complete. The cave at the end of the track was a pretty cool sight but I happily stayed outside while Paul ducked his head in to check it out.

Camping is allowed in certain areas of the forest but you will need to bring your own cooking equipment and portable shower as the only thing provided at these camp sites are long drop toilets.

Hiking Tracks at Mt Pirongia

• Hihikiwi
• Tahuanui
• Ruapane
• Mangakare Nature walk

Raglan Restaurants

These Raglan restaurants are well worth their own mention; from homely pub food at Veranda Bar or The Wharf Kitchen and Bar, to delicious bowls of fresh ingredients at The Shack or WYLD Restaurant.

The Shack

We were pleasantly surprised with the food options available in Raglan; We usually expect to be inundated with pub food whenever we visit a small town in New Zealand, but the choices between fresh food and Asian fusion were a breath of fresh air. We stopped for lunch at The Shack and ordered scrambled eggs on sourdough and the chilli crunch rice to share, the eggs were beautifully soft and the sourdough had the perfect crunch to soft bread ratio, and the chilli crunch rice was amazing! We were keen to have a second meal at The Shack but thought we better experience the other restaurants Raglan has to offer first.

WYLD Restaurant

Next stop for dinner was WYLD, this very pink and fun restaurant offers smaller sharing platters and a range of great cocktails. The food was super tasty, fresh and exactly what we needed after a long day of hiking. I would definitely be coming back here for dinner when we next visit Raglan. WYLD is directly across the road from the pub so a short walk if you want to enjoy a good dinner then hit the pub for a few pints.

Other Things to do in Raglan

Raglan might be popular for surfing, but when the rain sets in or the weather is too rough, you can always check out the shops, dine at various restaurants, or even taste the local beer at the brewery down the road.

• Barrelled Wines Vineyards
• Sunset Cruise on Raglan Harbour

Raglan Beer Tasting – Workshop Brewing

If the weather has taken a turn for the worse which means any beach or bush walk plans have been canned; then spend your afternoon tasting some of Raglan best beers at Workshop Brewing at 2 Park Drive, Raglan. Workshop Brewing create tasty beers while encouraging a more sustainable environment by selling reusable beer holders and provide refillable beer growlers. Beer tasting is a great way to socialise, experience something new or just fill in the time while you wait for the bad weather to pass, either way Workshop brewing should be enjoyed if you’re coming this far west!