Martinborough & the Wairarapa
Just over the hill from Wellington lies the capital's wine country. Martinborough is a pretty village whose acclaimed Pinot Noir cellar doors cluster walkably around a leafy town square, set in the wider Wairarapa — a region of Victorian villages, wild coast and native wildlife. About 1 to 1.5 hours from the city, it's the perfect day (or overnight) escape. Here's how to enjoy it.
Martinborough Pinot Noir
Martinborough is one of New Zealand's great Pinot Noir villages, and uniquely walkable — around 30 boutique cellar doors sit within strolling or cycling distance of the central square. Taste your way around, enjoy a long vineyard lunch, and soak up the relaxed charm. A guided wine tour means everyone can sip while the driving's handled. See our food & wine tours.
Greytown, the coast & wildlife
The wider Wairarapa rewards exploration. Wander Victorian Greytown's boutiques and cafés, drive to the wild south coast at Cape Palliser for its fur-seal colony and lighthouse, hike the eerie Putangirua Pinnacles (a Lord of the Rings location), meet kiwi and takahē at the Pukaha National Wildlife Centre, and see the dramatic Castlepoint lighthouse and beach. It's a scenic, unhurried region. See our day trips guide.
Day trip or overnight
Martinborough is an easy day trip from Wellington — drive over the Remutaka Hill, take the train, or join a guided wine tour. To slow down, stay overnight among the vines and enjoy the village in the evening. Time a visit for autumn harvest (March–May) or the Toast Martinborough festival in November (book early). See the wider New Zealand food & wine guide.
Martinborough & the Wairarapa: your questions
Martinborough is a charming wine village in the Wairarapa, celebrated above all for its Pinot Noir — one of New Zealand's premier regions for it. Its great charm is that around 30 boutique cellar doors cluster within walking or cycling distance of the pretty central town square, making for a relaxed tasting day. It's about 1 to 1.5 hours from Wellington. See our wine tasting page.
It's about 1 to 1.5 hours by car over the Remutaka Hill road, or you can take the scenic Wairarapa train line to Featherston and connect onward. A guided wine tour is the easy, relaxed option — everyone gets to taste, and the driving and cellar-door bookings are handled. It's one of the most popular day trips from the capital. See our day trips guide.
Yes — and it's the ideal way to enjoy it. Guided wine tours from Wellington or within Martinborough visit a selection of cellar doors with tastings and often lunch, so nobody has to drive. In the village itself, you can also walk or cycle between many wineries around the square. See our food & wine tours.
Plenty beyond the vines. Explore Victorian Greytown with its boutiques and cafés, the wild south coast at Cape Palliser (seal colony and lighthouse) and the Putangirua Pinnacles (a Lord of the Rings location), the Pukaha National Wildlife Centre for kiwi and takahē, and the dramatic Castlepoint lighthouse and beach. It's a relaxed, scenic region. See our day trips guide.
Autumn (March–May) is glorious — harvest season, golden vines and the region's most settled weather — while summer offers long, warm days for the cellar doors. The famous Toast Martinborough wine, food and music festival is held in November (book early, it sells out). Cellar doors are welcoming year-round. See our best time to visit guide.