Hamilton travel guide

Hamilton Tourism | Hamilton Guide

You're Going to Love Hamilton

With a population of 152,641, Hamilton is the largest city in Waikato, New Zealand by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Hamilton deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

When to visit Hamilton

Hamilton in December
Estimated hotel price
$96
1 night at 3-star hotel
Hamilton in December
Estimated hotel price
$96
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Hamilton in February, when the average temperature is 19 °C, and the highest can go up to 25 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is June, when it can get as cold as 5 °C, with an average temperature of 9 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 120 mm. In contrast, March is usually the driest month of the year in Hamilton, with an average rainfall of 70 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Hamilton

Plane

When flying to Hamilton, you’ll arrive at Hamilton (HLZ), which is located 6 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Hamilton from Australia departs from Sydney and takes around 6h 30m.

Car

Another option to get to Hamilton is to pick up a car hire from Auckland, which is about 71 miles from Hamilton. You’ll find branches of Mode Car & Camper Rentals and New Zealand Discount Car Rentals, among others, in Auckland.

Plane

When flying to Hamilton, you’ll arrive at Hamilton (HLZ), which is located 6 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Hamilton from Australia departs from Sydney and takes around 6h 30m.

Car

Another option to get to Hamilton is to pick up a car hire from Auckland, which is about 71 miles from Hamilton. You’ll find branches of Mode Car & Camper Rentals and New Zealand Discount Car Rentals, among others, in Auckland.

Airports near Hamilton

Airlines serving Hamilton

Lufthansa
Good (7,356 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,417 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,799 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,717 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,762 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (9,630 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,673 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,754 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (10,082 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (4,159 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (7,353 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,332 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,331 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,367 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,286 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,365 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (787 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (945 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (3,996 reviews)
Malaysia Airlines
Good (344 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Hamilton

Average rates range from around $161 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $108 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Hamilton, with prices from $81 to $1,068 per night. Frankton is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Hamilton are about 7% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Hamilton

Most booked hotels in Hamilton

Novotel Tainui Hamilton
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$279+
ibis Hamilton Tainui
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
$205+
Heartland Ambassador Hotel Hamilton
3 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
$141+
Ramada By Wyndham Hamilton City Center
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
$114+
Backpackers Central Hamilton
2 stars
Good (6.7, Good reviews)
$47+
Vr Hamilton
4 stars
Good (6.3, Good reviews)
$81+

Hiring a car in Hamilton

Hiring a car in Hamilton costs $78 per day, on average, or $157 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 18% cheaper than airport locations in Hamilton.

Expect to pay $2.73 per litre in Hamilton (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $32.65 and $43.53. The most frequently booked car type in Hamilton is Intermediate (Mazda CX-5 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Full-size car hire (Ford Ranger or similar) is, on average, 36% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Hamilton costs $78 per day, on average, or $157 if you want to hire it for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 18% cheaper than airport locations in Hamilton.

Expect to pay $2.73 per litre in Hamilton (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $32.65 and $43.53. The most frequently booked car type in Hamilton is Intermediate (Mazda CX-5 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Full-size car hire (Ford Ranger or similar) is, on average, 36% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.