Fun things to do in Hahei: 12 fun attractions and activities

I’m so glad we did this! Kayaking with a bit of a history lesson — what a great combination. Our beautiful guide, Moanaroa, was informative and thorough in explaining the kayaking basics and making sure we were properly geared up and ready for our morning out at sea. A big thanks also to Hayden, who looked after our safety and shared fascinating historical insights with such enthusiasm. It was a fantastic way to spend our morning! Love the tea that was included on our rest stop. Highly recommend this experience.

We had an amazing time on the Cathedral Cove Kayak Tour with our guide, Jerard. He was friendly, experienced, and even had great photography skills, capturing some fantastic moments for us. His knowledge and enthusiasm made the tour truly memorable. Highly recommended!

phenomenal views our tour guides were Hayden and Jared, brilliant blokes, very friendly, seemed to enjoy answering questions and just wanted everyone in our group to appreciate and enjoy the beauty/history of were we where. the hot drinks part way through were a very welcome surprise. we asked to change tours last minute due to weather, and the company quite cheerily moved us to the next tour no problems.

Such a fantastic morning. Loved seeing this magical coastline in a kayak with my son. Our guide Georgia was outstanding - we felt really safe and she was full of fascinating stories and insights about the area. A great combo of relaxed meandering and more energetic paddling with a heavenly stop at Cathedral Cove for a perfect hit choccie. Can’t imagine a better way to experience this stunning place.

OMG What a wonderful team of people so polite and caring this is a trip that no one should miss!!! My guide was a lovely sweet young lady called mo ( just an abriviation of her first name) she worked so hard pulling the Kayaks into and out of the water by herself with 2 people inside bless her! And when we reached Cathedral Cove she had all of the stuff to make the whole group hot drinks from Coffee's to Hot Chocolate I would personally like to thank her from the bottom of my heart ❤ for a lovely trip xxx

We had a fantastic tour Louis was super nice and talked to everyone and showed lots of great interest in clients. It was a fantastic family and great fun paddling along the cathedral cove. We had some of the best hot chocolates of our lives. Experience of a lifetime in an incredible place. Louis we can’t wait to see you again

Had an epic time on this kayak tour. Finding the launch point was super easy, just a 1 min walk from the car park down to the launch point on the beach. Check in was smooth and easy. Small group so really personalized. Provided dry bags to keep all my gear dry during the tour. I’m a hobby film photographer so that was great! Our guide for this tour, Lui, originally a Wellington local, took care of everyone so well, super attentive, funny, and we got to see so much with him. I was visiting from Hawaii so I feel very comfortable on/in the ocean. Traveling by myself so I was given a solo kayak and it was great to feel trusted enough to go at my own ability and with the freedom to explore while with the group, while also remaining respectful to the group and tour and making it easier and not harder on Lui. Took us around some of the smaller islands off shore, then got us right onto the beach. We were given time to walk around at cathedral cove, check out the spots, take some great photos, there was even some small shorebreak so I got to bodysurf a bit. All while he made us hot chocolate, coffee and tea right there on the beach. Really appreciated the emphasis on Māori history and legends to honor the rich indigenous culture, some more recent local history, and facts about wildlife in the area. Would recommend 110%, hopefully you get Lui, you won’t regret it!

Amazing tour, friendly and informative guides, the scenery and sites were amazing to see, saw a seal and two penguins, had a great time. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Thank you Scotty and team.

Definitely a "Must Do" experience when in the Coromandel! Not only do you get to see the famous Cathedral Cove, but you get to see SO many other little islands and secret caves that are just not accessible from the shore. Our guide Andy was fabulous giving us loads of interesting information and facts along the way. We loved our experience and they even have a free parking area a few minutes walk from their beach departure which was really handy! Don't miss this tour!

A wonderful tour, felt safe but was still fun! Great knowledge of the geology and the history associated with the area. Clear water and incredible landscapes.

Definitely a great way to check out this part of the coast. They took us to lots of great out-of-the-way places that we didn't know about. Our guide Tim was very professional and knowledgeable. We learned so much and marvelled at everything. Thank you! These guys are worth the ticket price, and depart right from Hahei beach. Plus their tour sizes are relatively small for a more personalised experience.

We booked our tour with the hopes of finding photographing the beautiful scenery along the coast here from the blow hole to Cathedral Cove and we were not disappointed. Our guide Tom told us all about the formations from the geology to the legends about them. It was greatly entertaining.

What an amazing time! Excellent tour and guide was very interesting. Lots of genuine enthusiasm and passion explaining about the bay. Well worth the $$$. I did a few cruises this holiday and this was one of my favourite. Just relaxing and fun.

We had an absolutely fantastic tour! We cruised along the beautiful coastline and got to experience so many incredible highlights, like entering a sea cave, spotting a seal, and visiting the famous Cathedral Cove. The biggest highlight, however, was going inside the Blowhole, an absolute must-do! It’s something you definitely shouldn’t miss and it makes the experience truly unique. They have a great team, I can definitely recommend them! Thanks a lot Nico and Franzi.

Fabulous museum. An absolute treasure. Organized, very cleverley set out. Full of interesting historical facts and stories and eye catching displays. My kind of museum. It felt so clean and tidy and very much loved. We will definitely be back as I didn't manage to get through it all as we ran out of time. 2 favourite exhibitions were the Time line from Kupe's arrival to present day. The best one I've ever seen and the second is the School room with the teacher telling me to sit down I was late, absolutely loved it. As I say, this museum is a real treasure and Whitianga should feel proud.

Loved this hidden gem! Needed more time so will definitely be back (allow a couple of hours). A really well thought out museum that just keeps on going with a fantastic array of displays.

At first, I thought it was a tiny museum from looking at the front. But once inside it was impressive, large and shows a comprehensive collection of history items. There are also small and large real stuffed animals. Entrance is paid, but free for children. Enjoyed every minute of it. Worth visiting.

Excellent regional museum with the added bonus of having had Cook’s extended visit. Balanced and interesting exhibits. Loved it.

Fantastic collection and stories of Whitianga. Learnt so much. Will have to visit again for sure. Staff super friendly!

Very historical and interactive learnt alittle more about the area and its great to see family history runs strong in that area

Brilliant little museum. Worth the time and money. Lots of interesting history and education for visitors.

This was truly an amazing dive experience overall! Went diving with Étienne and skipper Josh. I did the refresher dive and a second dive. Étienne was awesome with reviewing some dive tips before the first dive. I was nervous as I had not been diving for a little while and never in non tropical waters. Étienne gave me the confidence I needed and the good quality gear definitely helped with keeping me warm! He also helped me build confidence in my diving and even took me through some caves on our second dive which I never thought I’d be comfortable enough to do. Josh knew a lot of the history of the areas we were diving and the island making the dives that much more interesting. I was nervous booking this in the ‘off’ season end of September and I am SO glad I did and took advantage of the experience when I could. We saw some awesome wild life, plenty of fishes an eagle ray and a baby hammer head. Overall 11/10 and awesome diving tips I will take with me.

I went out for a dive with Étienne and Josh on Friday and had such a great time! I'm new to diving and Étienne was patient and helpful, and both he and Josh gave me great tips on improving my buoyancy. We saw cool marine life and two sites - thanks for a great day!

Great trip. Personal service, friendly and competent. Good quality gear kept us all warm at the beginning of the "season". We (two adults and two 13yo) all had a great time. Bonus to have a seal swim with us while hugely enjoyable. Thanks so much

Excellent experience from beginning to end. We changed into full wetsuits at the store, had a safety briefing, and then boarded a small inflatable that was towed by tractor down to the nearby beach. Once on the water we took a quick trip to Cathedral Cove for photos and then on to the dive and snorkel site. The divers and snorkellers had separate briefings, then into the water. Even though it was cold (15C) the wetsuits worked well and we (the snorkellers) all stayed in the water for 45 minutes. Fairly clear water, variable depths and plenty of fish with a good range of species. Staff were very professional throughout. Boat was easy to get back on to. One of the best commercial snorkel trips we have taken.

Great diving at Cave Cove and Shipwreck Cove. Clear waters and lots of life. Team at Cathedral Cove Dive & Snorkel were great. Ensured the equipment was good and most of all that we were warm!. Water was 15C but would not have known. Easy to get in and out with the boat. Thanks very much to Wendy and the team.

What a great snorkel experience. We were wearing wet suits and the water was quite comfortable. Sadly the water was not as clear as we had hoped for but our skipper took us to see other areas as well. highly recommended.

I had a great dive with Etienne and Josh of Cathedral Cove Dive & Snorkel at Shipwreck Bay, just off Hahei. It was a really relaxed dive and we saw a lot of marine life. Would definitely recommend this dive shop to any keen divers in the area.

Impressive view and great place for photos. Water is cold outside summer, so don't expect to swimm between April/November There is only drop off area at the top of the hill, parking is at the entrance of the city. You can use shuttle service to go there. It is about 35 minutes walk in a easy pace. Some areas are step and have stairs.

Beautiful scenery! Easy walk down - tougher coming up the steep stairs if you’re not so fit. We left from the Cathedral Cove Gateway car park which is an enjoyable walk in. We were very grateful for an icecream on our way out at the top of the incline to get back. Was quite busy when we were there, a lot of ignorant tourists with no concern for anyone but themselves which was disappointing. But overall a beautiful spot and worth the walk down to see 🧡

Cool cove. Nice walk. Good to see the screen saver photo live and in person. Headed early so less people if this matches the tide id recommend early bird. 1 hour before lowest tide was still good. Walk was more hilly than expected. More ups and more downs than I imagined. I thought id walk up to the bus stop (took us 20mins) then down to the beach. Instead you go back up a hill, round the ww1 memeorail then back down, and back up, then down. Overall to get there took 45mins. 15mins there and then 45min return. (No rush)

Absolutely stunning, truly a wonder of God. Went with the kids at start of Sept school holidays and pleasantly not too crowded. The shuttle from Hahei carpark runs on a 10 minute cycle, was comfortable and quick. Well worth the $7 return. A pleasant undulating 30 walk from the drop-off point. The steep stairs section just before the beach needed some caution to avoid injury. Some parts do not have a handrail. Quite demanding going back up. The walk was totally worth it. The beauty, peaceful serenity made it all worthwhile. Definitely recommend. A great experience. A cautionary note: stay back from the cliff wall base, as there was recent slump.

About a 30 mins walk from the top of the track. You cannot park at the top of the hill, but you can park at the carpark and take the Shuttle Bus. You can swim at the beach. Beautiful spot, very picturesque. You can also come by Water Taxi. Many stairs on the way down, so not suitable keep for strollers

Beautiful hike down to the beach that you may recognize from Narnia. Be honest with yourself though it is a challenging hike if you do not regularly work out. Paved path with actual stairs yes but that isa long hike hanging over steep cliff like plunges, and approx 7 flights of stairs right before you hit the beach. Beautiful and worth it if you are up for the challenge though. Very helpful that there is a bathroom and ice cream stand 3/4 of the way to the beach to give you a pick me up on your way back up the climb. It is also not just downhill them uphill, it is up and down one direction and then up and down heading back

Superb hiking path, very clean, mostly asphalted. Very beautiful scenery along the way. The lookout detour (about 50 minutes) is worth it. Be warned that there are lots of inclines and steps. Paradise found!

Quick easy walk with good views. No information about the Pa or history of the area but the view is fantastic and you can head up the track at any time of day. It's an easy enough walk that people with limited fitness can do it - unlike the Cathedral Cove walk at the other end of the beach.

Beautiful walk, long and hot in the sun, but soooo worth it! Views are stunning! Looking out at open ocean, blue waters and long beaches below

Rain or shine, one of the best spots.

beautiful place, see the beach from above and enjoy the wind and the wonderful view Recommend 🫶🔥🌊

Beautiful spot on a hill overlooking the some small islands and Hahei Beach. The walk there is also pretty nice although tricky to find. Highly recommended if you are in the area visiting Cathedral Cove.

A short walk (15-20 mins) where you can visit the remains of two pā sites — Hereheretaura pā and Hahei pā (where māori villages used to be). No dogs are allowed. The views are spectacular!

Loved the walk and views. Went on to the Blow hole but the tides weren't kind. Was still worth the 3k one way walk.

Nice beach, crystal clear water great swim. Takes about 30 min to get to Catedral Cove by kayak and on the way back look around the other islands. There is also easy walk to lookout in the end of beach.

A serene beach with pristine views and really nice waters. The parking is on the road just above the beach. Plenty of activities going along the beach. There are nets for beach ball, and further down the beach several boating, kayaking, and water taxi service to cathedral cove is also available here. The beach has a long stretch of about 1 KM, so even on a crowded day, plenty of space for everyone to set up camp. There are super clean toilets on the road above the beach. Highly recommended beach

Hahei Beach is one of the best beaches I’ve visited near Auckland. It boasts a breathtaking coastline with clear waters, striking rock formations, and a peaceful, uncrowded atmosphere. The water is pleasantly warm, and there’s plenty of space to relax - whether you’re setting up a picnic table or a tent for a laid-back day by the shore. Parking is ample, making access easy, and the scenic drive there is well worth it. Keen to visit again!

What a cracking beach Hahei is and obviously many others think the same as it was pretty busy on the lovely Saturday afternoon when we were there. Lovely views and a great beachside walk and plenty of indulgences on offer in town such as fabulous fruit ice creams!

Hahei Beach is breathtaking, especially between 8–9 PM when the sky fades into a beautiful pink and blue gradient. The calm water and soft sand make it the perfect spot to enjoy the peaceful evening. A must-visit for anyone on the Coromandel Peninsula!

It’s a beautiful beach with lots of white sand. It has some breathtaking views. We played beach ball and also went on a boat ride. Summer is quite hot and relaxing even though the water is cold, you can get in and enjoy the waves. Water activities are really fun. The usual toilets/changing rooms/showers/etc. The only real gripe I have is the parking at the beach - since the grange rd car park has been closed during the summer. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a tranquil seaside escape.

An absolutely beautiful beach. We had great views from our accommodations, and also went here to catch our boat to Cathedral Cove. I didn't realize before coming to New Zealand how lovely Hahei beach was in and of itself, and wished I would have allocated more time to spend here. It's clear, clear parking and toilets available, beautiful white sand, and lovely sunrises.

exquisite beach and a bucket list to do in NZ. Just a heads up currently is no parking up there you have to catch shuttle from hahei at a cost. every 10 mins so that's very good. from top car park is 40 min walk. this is a very challenging walk for someone unfit so be aware. very steep hills and lots of steps at the end. if you want to take your time with this make sure you come earlier in the day as last shuttle is at 5pm in winter. might be different in summer season. go by boat if a hike is not your thing.

Beautiful reserve with amazing flora and birdy-fauna is a very good option to take a nice walk to Cathedral Cove surroundings. Breathtaking view to the ocean, fantastic, endemic plants makes it a very interesting and educational trip. Colorful and relaxing, everyone should try it.

Beautiful beaches and cliffs and the place is best visited by boat.

Nice regional park with wonderful beaches along the walkway to the Cathedral Cove. Depending on the arrival time, limited car parking spaces might be a pain in the axx. Just have to be patient and wait for your turn as people comes and goes. 45 mins walk to the final destination the Cathedral Cove, a bit challenging for elderly or young ones, must wear sun cream and a hat, unless you wanted to be toasted. Cove is an amazing place with lots of tourists. Plenty of nice photo spots and it's a natural wonder that you must find time to visit.

This beach is relatively safer and cleaner to swim, as compared to other beaches. To reach the cove, one has to hike a good half hour from the car park, probably an hour if you were unlucky like me and had to park in town. All that said, it's all worth when you'll find yourself walking on white sand under the cove! There's also a small waterfall on the other end in case you need a quick shower to get rid of the sand.

Enjoyed Cathedral Cove by arriving by boat. Prefer that option as walking back up hill after a glorious swim in the clean clear water might be miserable in the heat. Many reviewers who walked down and back up still sounded like they enjoyed it nonetheless. Yes it can be crowded for New Zealand standards but compared to European beaches there's still plenty of room. Enjoy your time there as it's very beautiful and lots of fish can be seen in the clear sea water especially if you use a snorkel and mask.

One of the MOST breathtaking places I've ever been! I have traveled far and wide in New Zealand and this is one of it's crowning jewels for sure! It is worth going out of your way to visit! 😊👍

This tour was a highlight of our trip! Our amazing guides took the time to explain so many educational details about the location, fish, nature, etc. The snorkeling was a blast and the boat itself was comfortable and perfect for the size of our group. Would absolutely do again and again!

We just had a perfect early morning tour with Jarret and Jorja. They provided a lot of details and we had a good splash with loads of fish. The whole two hours went by pretty fast. Amazing views of the whole coastline all the time.

Exceptional experience and highly rated. Much more than we anticipated. Skipper was highly informative and his local knowledge on history, geology and marine life made the experience highly memorable. We have done the walk into Cathedral cove in the past, this is a considerably better experience. Not being able to disembark on the beach was a non- event as we ventured around the coast to be shown some awesome sights. Skipper seems to know some of the fish personally on a first name basis.

Had a great trip today with Glass Bottom Boats Whitianga out to Cathedral Cove and the surrounding Whitianga coastline. Steve and Rhi were so friendly and knowledgeable. Well worth going snorkeling and have the glass bottomed boat for viewing the marine life. Would definitely recommend the company. Thanks for a great day out today.

Excellent day out, kids loved it. Amazing scenery and operator had good knowledge of the area and locations. Would highly recommend- especially seeing locations like the marine reserve

Amazing experience! Katie and Amber were awesome guides, the sights along the coast were gorgeous, really neat sea cave, and seeing all the snapper and feeding the fish was really fun for the kids. The kids said the cave and getting to jump in and snorkel at the end (it is really cold, heads up!) were the highlights. I loved the views of Cathedral Cove. Highly recommend!

Amazing experience. Staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. Seen lots of beautiful fish. Were offered snorkelling but was far too cold! Totally recommend this experience to anyone and everyone!

What an incredible experience! Brian, our skipper, was not only knowledgeable but also entertaining and full of insights, making the whole trip even more memorable. The scenery was absolutely stunning, and the boat ride itself was awesome. The choice of music was spot on, and the acoustics inside the cave made it even more magical. I loved the 12-seater boat, nice and intimate and because it’s open, we could see inside the caves so much better than you ever could from a larger boat with a roof. A perfect balance of adventure and comfort. Highly recommend Cave Cruzer for anyone visiting Cathedral Cove!

Brian is great and so is his tour! Honest, funny, and safe, he shows you around the caves, ocean, islands, and more. Even the casual tour is a little exciting on larger swells. Loved the whole tour.

We went on the Cave Cruzer High Thrills Adventure in Whitianga on Saturday, and it was absolutely amazing! From start to finish, the trip was full of energy, excitement, and stunning scenery. The skipper was super knowledgeable and funny, keeping everyone entertained while showing us hidden caves, blowholes, and beautiful parts of the coastline we’d never have seen otherwise. The boat ride itself definitely lived up to the “high thrills” name — fast, smooth, and such a rush! The mix of adrenaline and breathtaking natural beauty was just perfect. We’d 100% recommend this adventure to anyone visiting Whitianga. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday.

Highly recommended! Today we went on Cave Cruzer tour with Brian for two hours to see Cathedral Cove and surrounding caves. We were concerned for our safety but we did not get any other booking so went forward with this uncovered boat and there are no regrets. We loved the 360 degree view . Brian is not only an excellent host with good sense of humour but also very skilled and caring. He gave a lot of overview on caves and beautiful beaches. With us there were couple of families with kids and one of them fell sick, Brian was very considerate towards the child. After a long time we saw a lot of snappers and we loved the music too. The overall experience was absolutely safe, thrilling and fun.

We went for the Thrills experience in late September 2025 with our moms. Ryan was our guide and host. Ryan was amazing with his boat driving skills for the thrills. Ryan also took great photos for us. The most exciting part for me was when Ryan took the boat inside the sea caves. Thank you Ryan and Cave Cruzer for an amazing time. I will do this tour again in a heartbeat.

Awesome 2 hour boatride! Mr. Guide Captain Brian makes for a formidable host. Aboard his vessle there's a keen eye for safety and all aboard's preferences. The cruise itself is very comfortable, thrilling at times, while mr. Brian tells stories on the landscape, flora & fauna and local history. Very entertaining, 100% would cruise with again. Thank you mr. Brian for a great experience and great memory.

Fantastic run with captain Brian. Best views from the water and great background information. Made my wife feel at ease whilst running the waves at hitting 80km/h singing “I’m a survivor”🤣

This wee bay was a good place to stop for lunch. Few wasps around but didn't bother us. Snorkeling from here was awesome with lots of big snapper seen.

Amazing bay, lovely walk. Highly recommended

A small bay and especially prepared for scuba diving. Take your time to exercise and have a view!

Nice view of Gemstone Bay from Cathedral Cove Walk

Beautiful beach on Coromandel Peninsula

Lovely little walk. Beautiful when the suns out.

Amazing walk, one of the best places to do snorkeling. Quite a small place and probably crowded during public holidays but we were the only ones there. Pretty lucky. A nice spot to have your lunch and relax

I can’t get enough of this view. Amazing!!! The water was so clear.

A must do track!! The viewing platform at the end gives you awesome, expansive views of the Te-Whanganui-O-Hei marine reserve and islands as far as the eye can see. There's some good spots along the track for viewing, and views of the Cathedral Cove Beach. Just breath-taking - a photographer's dream! Easy walk, suitable for families or less able people. Around 90 minutes loop all up! Pay for parking at Lees Road carpark and start the track from there.

Google directions are wrong. There is no access to the beach/bay. So many people including us drove there just to see the sign that says so. Find another spot to access Cathedral Cove. E.g in Hahei

Stunning viewing platform, it’s not well advertised but should be. You can get a fantastic view of Driftwood Beach which is a secluded inaccessible beach next to the Cathedral Cove beaches

There is no way of driving with a car to this lookout. The route of Google Maps is incorrect. It leads to a private property! Don't drive in, the owners get pretty pissed. Instead, park at Lee's car park and walk up from there.

Viewing platform about 10min easy walk off the main track to Cathedral Cove. Nice views.

The lookout is a 40-50 minute return “add on” from the main trail and a must do!