Introduction
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

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. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Hamilton has to offer.

When to visit Hamilton

Hamilton in October
Estimated hotel price
$95
1 night at 3-star hotel
Hamilton in October
Estimated hotel price
$95
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 domestic flight to Hamilton departs from Wellington and takes around 1h 15m.

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 Autounion Car Rental and DISCOUNT.QUEBEC , 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 domestic flight to Hamilton departs from Wellington and takes around 1h 15m.

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 Autounion Car Rental and DISCOUNT.QUEBEC , among others, in Auckland.

Airports near Hamilton

AKLAuckland Intl
HLZHamilton
TRGTauranga

Airlines serving Hamilton

Lufthansa
Good (7,073 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,342 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,879 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,950 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,593 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,795 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,726 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,725 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,228 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,570 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,331 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,360 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,024 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,278 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,206 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,294 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (865 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (775 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (2,924 reviews)
Malaysia Airlines
Good (255 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Hamilton

Average rates range from around $174 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $165 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Hamilton, with prices from $85 to $1,182 per night. Frankton is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Hamilton are about 15% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Hamilton

Most booked hotels in Hamilton

See all
Novotel Tainui Hamilton
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
$292+
View
Heartland Ambassador Hotel Hamilton
3 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
$174+
View
Ventura Inn & Suites Hamilton
3 stars
Good (7.9, Good reviews)
$179+
View
Backpackers Central Hamilton
2 stars
Good (7.3, Good reviews)
$46+
View
Ramada By Wyndham Hamilton City Center
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
$164+
View
Vr Hamilton
4 stars
Good (6.9, Good reviews)
$85+
View

Hiring a car in Hamilton

Hiring a car in Hamilton costs $138 per day, on average, or $413 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 20% more expensive than at Hamilton.

Expect to pay $2.85 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 $34.11 and $45.47. The most frequently booked car type in Hamilton is Full-size (Class Full-size SUV or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Class Intermediate Car or similar) is, on average, 59% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Hamilton costs $138 per day, on average, or $413 if you want to hire it for 3 days.

You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 20% more expensive than at Hamilton.

Expect to pay $2.85 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 $34.11 and $45.47. The most frequently booked car type in Hamilton is Full-size (Class Full-size SUV or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Class Intermediate Car or similar) is, on average, 59% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Find car hire in Hamilton

Hamilton Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Hamilton city guide for the best Hamilton travel tips. To help you organise your Hamilton trip ideas, this Hamilton visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.