Northern Explorer Train Journey From Auckland To Wellington

The beautiful mountainous scenery and intimate railway experience is one in a million. Worth the day trip with like minded people

A spectacular experience of the scenic plus option. An old friend and I treated ourselves (her visiting from Australia) and had the best day! The food was delicious, the scenery stunning (especially from the open viewing deck), and our hosts so friendly and attentive. Our host Dawn was a joy. Couldn’t recommend this treat of a trip more highly.

The views were fabulous, especially on the left if heading south. Don't expect to take a lot of pictures, there is a great deal of reflection on the windows so just look and enjoy. It did get quite warm in the carriage even though we were travelling in August so do layer your clothing. I wonder how hot it may be in the summer, even with the air conditioning. The food was fabulous, drinks were good quality and limitless. My Viator ticket gave me a massive discount on the Premium fare which made it more worthwhile than purchasing direct from the Trainline. Luggage is ticketed and goes in the hold. The Viator ticket seems to indicate no food for the Premium fare but there was so much individually served, silver service. Most people could not eat everything because by the end of the day it was a bit too much food but the taste and presentation was excellent. I highly recommend this trip on the Viator price which is much lower than buying direct.

I only can review the service at the counter due to the train being canceled for an earthquake. The check in process was quick but very unfriendly. The train looked old and ragged from the outside, but we never made it in, maybe it’s better.

There are no headphones so you have to bring your own Service in dining carriage is very slow App needs updating of information Wonderful viewing

Just amazing! Stunning views of volcanic landscapes, countryside, and the famous Raurimu Spiral. Comfortable seating and amazing staffs and delicious local food with local wine. One of the highlights of our 12 days New Zealand trip.

People in charge,all were very nice.train comfortable,people all very nice ,thank you

Due to northern explorer and general north island outage of all trains we were held up around fifteen minutes mid travel The courteous service made up for it

Well worth doing this trip if you're in New Zealand and enjoy train travel. Great travelling from top to bottom of North Island in a relaxed manner. The open air carriage was the highlight for me. Plenty of toilets on board. Make sure you check in early. Do book larger bags in, however be prepared to wait when collecting at the end of the journey as there are many bags to unload. There are mobile device charging points at every seat. Plenty of leg room. There's a decent cafe-restaurant carriage. Prices are very reasonable. Have cash with you in case WiFi connectivity has fallen away. Snacks can be pre-booked online. The crew are helpful. Have your ticket readily available to show. There is good commentary throughout the journey without needing the website "app". The scenery is lovely, even if the weather is cloudy. Be prepared for windy and chilly Wellington. The train was very busy. Book well in advance.

The staff are friendly, food is amazing and the views spectacular, would highly recommend and family

Wonderful way to see New Zealand’s north island countryside. Made it a full day adventure round trip Auckland to Wellington and back with a flight back on Air New Zealand. Long day though we enjoyed the experience.

Long but scenic. The crew are very helpful and the process to board was streamlined. The food covered a lot of tastes and well priced. A must do trip for anyone. Just try to go on a clear day to enjoy the scenery. Highly recommended.

The view was good, but the journey was very long (over 12 hours in this case). The train stopped long time due to someone stole the copper from the signal box. Once is enough.

We were in Scenic Plus. There was a cook and two wonderful Maori cabin attendants assigned to the carriage. We were fed every 2 to 3 hours on the trip, usually small plates, and great local food. Meals were accompanied with a choice of local wine. New Zealand wines are very good and hard to fine outside the country. The trip is long (about 10 hours) but it didn’t seem long. The scenery was interesting. There is a commentary that you can get on your cell phone at points of interest. Clean rest rooms in the carriage. The Rairimu spiral is not obvious from inside the train. I think you have to observe it from the outside to appreciate it. The station in Auckland is only outdoors. We took a cab to get there from our hotel. We stayed at the Copthorne, which is not very far from the station, but too far for us as older people to walk with luggage. They don’t assign seats with your ticket purchase, but we got our seat assigned shortly before the departure date. Seats are at tables and we had a table to ourselves. Each group had its own table, although the tables could seat up to 4 people. Train on time, with no problems. A high point was the attendants singing in Maori language at the end of the trip, but I am certain not every train ride includes this. From Wellington station it was a short walk to our Rydges hotel. This train trip was one of the highlights of our New Zealand trip and I highly recommend it.

Comfortable seats and great visibility from the train, but a long ride became longer with over 90 minutes worth of delays.

Wonderful, great host and unbelievable food

The food was excellent and just kept coming. Along with all the beverages they had to offer. Scenery was spectacular. The staff was incredibly attentive and made the 11 hours fly by. I would do it again tomorrow.

The experience was fantastic and the train itself is in great condition. The price was good as well. The travel time was long but it didn't feel that long. We were in the scenic seats and were definitely happy with the space. The scenery is absolutely stunning and it’s fantastic to be able to walk to the open carriage where you can get awesome photos. It’s a good way of walking around instead of sitting down the entire time. The seats and space were so comfortable. But I would also ensure to eat lunch during lunchtime or buy the sandwiches or crossiants early. This is my only recommendation - eat early or buy early. We went to buy lunch at 2pm as we didn’t want to miss the snow covered mountain which was amazing.. It was disappointing that only the hot heating up food was left. We didn’t eat and only had snacks as no muffins were left. For the amount of people on board there just wasn’t enough sandwiches and snacks available. We did bring our own snacks onboard. Plenty of ice cream but no cookies, muffins were left. It was unfortunate but we certainly enjoyed the whole experience and would highly recommend this trip to anyone. The age group were a mix of young and old as the train ride is not only for the elderly as its for everyone.

S lovely way to see the country . A very comfortable train and very clean. Easy to move around and very good facilities.

Lovely scenery. Very friendly staff. A great way to view the central part of the North Island. Comfortable seats.

This was a fantastic trip. We upgraded to the plus class and it was worth it . They fed us the all the day. The food was just perfect. Almost too much. If you can get the lovely lady named Dawn to serve you ---- ask for her !!! . She deserves a promoton or a large raise. She lifted the whole trip for us and the whole group just loved her !!!!

From Auckland to Hamilton we rode buses then boarded the train in Hamilton. No notice that this was happening. This was not caused by weather but by a known maintenance on the Auckland line. We heard from other tourists that the entire route has been replaced with a bus and no partial refund which is inexcusable because the bus is much cheaper. The train part was lovely but not worth the uncertainty of not knowing what you will get until you arrive that morning.

Check in was chaotic at Auckland station due to the train not leaving from there but from Hamilton. No communication to tell us this until we arrived at station. On board catering was understaffed, food was ok.

Really beautiful scenery, but a very long ride. The section through the national park is stunning, but I wish the trip was about half as long.

We travelled on the Saturday before Christmas and it was busy as you would expect. But that didn’t have any negative effect at all. We had the upgrade which was well worth it. We were fed every 2 hours and drinks were constantly available. The food was very good and though you couldn’t choose, the selections made for us worked well. 11 hours flew by making it a very pleasurable experience.

What a great experience! Superb service from start to finish, the food and drink throughout was excellent, and with the scenic plus add on, great value for money.

We rode the Northern Explorer on a Saturday and it was the most crowded of the three train rides (though it also might have been because it was a Saturday). The TranzAlpine was clearly the most popular but they had a bigger train running for that trip. The Northern Explorer train was only one where we had to share a table in the scenic plus carriage. We were seated across from an older couple who were nice enough. We rode all three of the train trips, and added on the scenic plus upgrade, and it was DEFINITELY worth it. They feed you basically every 1.5-2 hours and you get a paired wine plus any additional tea, coffee, or juice that you want with each meal. All the food was delicious and well prepared. Also the scenic plus carriage has bigger windows and higher levels of insulation for a quieter ride. All the train journeys were definitely worth it - it was a lovely way to see a lot of the country, plus the audio tour if you download the app is a good addition. (There are also written books of info available but they don’t have as much as the audio tour.) The open air carriage is also very fun, even just for taking pictures without having glare from the windows. But if you have allergies then make sure you bring eye drops and allergy medication before going out to the open air carriage.

Beautiful scenery. Train ride was nice. Biggest issue was we were supposed to arrive around 6:25 and didn’t get to Wellington until almost 7:15pm. 12 hours was just too long for me as we boarded at 7:15 (train leaves at 7:45).

My husband and I really enjoyed our train ride from Auckland to Wellington. The seats were comfortable, the views were beautiful, and the service was friendly and attentive. A relaxing and memorable trip highly recommended!

It’s a long day but nice way to see the countryside in New Zealand. The service and food was great. Met nice people along the way.

It was an excellent trip although it was a long journey it turned out a really great trip, with lots of foods and varieties of meals all the way through the end of our journey. It was worth it! Tia was an excellent staff.

Enjoyed the experience. Food was good and some of the scenery beautiful. However it would have been good to be given more information on New Zealand's history during the trip. There were only two announcements during the trip and fully appreciate not everyone wishes to be disturbed by continual announcements but a printed sheet or an audio with headphones would have definitely added to the enjoyment of the trip. We were not travelling with any young children but imagine it could be boring for them as it is a long journey

Lack of communication from viator regarding cancellation of train. Lack of refund on canceled train journey.

Totally worth every cent-brilliant from start to finish-wonderful staff and food...great way to see part of our lovely Country.

We could not enjoy the experience as the train was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. There was flooding from bad weather.

When I booked this i knew it was more expensive,booking with the restaurant.$300 more...I ate at the snack bar which was ok.especially for the price difference.the scenery was just beautiful.the train ride was confortable,but I was ready to get there.the people working on the train were very nice.

Great trip. Food & service excellent. Have used frequently for business, allows me to work & read papers in a relaxed atmosphere. I never turned up to a meeting unprepared or with skipped agenda knowledge when I travelled by train the day before. It was my secret method for hostile meetings. Sure beats the hustle/hassle of airport protocols.

The scenery on the Northern Explorer is beautiful, but the seating system needs improvement. I was assigned a backward-facing seat at a table for four, which made me carsick, and staff were unhelpful when I asked to move. Luckily for many portions of the ride there were empty seats and I was able to move around. Also food runs out quick get it early. Tip: Call ahead to request your seat preference so you’re not stuck with an uncomfortable assignment.

You have to do it once in your life and for me, this was the once in your life moment. Yes, cheaper and faster to go by air or maybe even drive but a train journey through the North Island is a must at least once.

its 300% the price of normal travel in this train for free ( microwaved meal) . food in normal class( scenic) cafe is much better..do go scenic plus ever...

We took a return journey on the Northern Explorer from Wellington > Auckland and then again from Auckland > Wellington a few days later. Every single part of the trip was better than expected, from the ease of boarding (seriously quick and smooth, far better than any airport experience), to the comfy seats (probably better than our car), the onboard WiFi and USB ports (could have done with another USB port but we made it work, bring a battery pack if you're really device-heavy), the coffee and food in the dining cart (sure, it wasn't gourmet but the coffee was as good as most Wellington cafes and the sandwiches and pasta are far better than Wishbone or any other takeaway joints), and the views of rural New Zealand backyards made the trip seriously interesting and we didn't even find time to read our books. In particular, the staff were super lovely and attentive and really made the trip feel "kiwi". I would pick this mode of travel over driving on NZ's roads or dealing with airports/flights/transfers almost any time, as I arrived in AKL feeling very relaxed and ready for my holiday. If we had to nitpick, sure the cutlery was wooden and the toilets smell like toilets and the ride is pretty wobbly/bumpy (NZ don't make rails like the Europeans) and sometimes we would have loved to jump out of the station and spend 20mins exploring the small towns, but it really exceeded our expectations and became part of our holiday, not just a means to get to our holiday. Recommended.

Worst experience on the nothern explorer today. We called the day before we traveled and was assured that the train would be running ahead despite the weather bomb that is currently hitting the north island of New Zealand. The train was delayed by around 40 min as the train was late coming into hamilton and then when we were aboard the train we were first told there was a mechanical issue with the train so was being fixed and then we were told that as we had missed our departure time from the station we had to wait a further 10 min. Not even 30 seconds after the train departed we were told a slip had closed the track and so the train service would be cancelled at the next stop and we would be transferred to busses to get us to wellington 2 hrs later than we were supposed to be!. They won't even give a full refund (only 75%) even though you pay $519 per person for the scenic plus option where you are meant to get meals and drinks included but because they have put us on a bus no drinks or food can be served even though you pay for this service!. A total let down and the most expensive breakfast i have ever had. DO NOT RECOMMEND TRAVELLING WITH GREAT JOURNEYS NEW ZEALAND.

All good, the weather was a bit closed in, however the Rangitikei made up for that completely. Winter company was pleasant - staff were great!

Lovely smooth trip, beautiful scenery and great service. Easy hassle free boarding. Great seating with lots of leg room. Super helpful staff.

The team on board where amazing great vibes always there to help great selection in the Cafe cart the quiz was fun

Believe it or not, our train ride that we planned and were so looking forward to, ended up being a bus ride!!! When we arrived at the train station to check in, we were informed that there was a problem with the train and we would be getting on a bus.There was no prior communication We planned to celebrate our anniversary on the train; not an 11 hour bus ride.

The train seating was comfortable and the scenery was absolutely sensational when out of the city. Staff were wonderful and thoughtful but there were a couple of issues. There wasn’t enough food in the cafe for throughout the trip and in fact, one item on the menu was sold out before we even left the station at Auckland. The other issue is the smell in the toilets which was dreadful. A simple deodoriser would certainly go along way to solving this. Also there was no soap to wash your hands in the toilets. Not hygienic at all!

Scenic relaxing ride through the new Zealand countryside. Staff was professional and courteous. I had a chance to converse with many different people with various backgrounds and cultures

If you enjoy train travel and the thought of being relaxed and looked after for several hours appeals, then I highly recommend this journey. As part of a NZ holiday where you have a mixed selection of ways to travel and different destinations in your itinerary, this is a great option. Some reviews have said the train is a bit slow and the scenery is 'ok'. Well really, it's a tourist train. I thought the views were marvellous. We booked the 'Plus' option so we had a table which was nicely set with a cloth, cups etc. As it happens, the catering car was out of action that day and there was no hot food. We were informed before setting off and were offered a full refund or $100 rebate if we chose to go ahead. However, even more unfortunately, the sandwiches were awful. We were led to believe that supper would be hot, but it turned out to be more sandwiches, a few cold meats and cheese. All pretty dreadful and a huge disappointment of course. I think we merit more than $100 and will be writing to say so..... A heads-up: the cutlery is wooden and all drinking vessels are plastic, which I couldn't help thinking was a bit of a let down.