Huka Lodge
Wairakei, Taupō, New Zealand
Location
On the Waikato above Huka Falls
Huka Lodge sits on the emerald Waikato River a few minutes above Huka Falls near Taupō, in seventeen acres of parkland — around ten minutes from Lake Taupō.
Transfer
Drive or fly to Taupō
Around three and a half hours' drive from Auckland, or fly to Taupō or Rotorua via Auckland and transfer.
Villas
Riverside suites & cottages
Around twenty riverside lodge and junior suites, plus two private cottages — the Alan Pye and Alex van Heeren — refreshed in the 2025 refurbishment.
Best For
Who it suits
Couples and milestone travellers drawn to heritage, fly-fishing and riverside calm, with the two cottages suiting families and house parties.
Board Basis
Lodge-inclusive
A lodge-inclusive basis — breakfast, pre-dinner drinks and canapés and a multi-course dinner.
About the Resort
Reborn for its second century
Huka Lodge has been New Zealand's most storied luxury lodge since 1924, when it began as a trout-fishing camp on the emerald Waikato. Reopened in 2025 after a Baillie Lodges refurbishment, it offers around twenty riverside suites — fireplaces, high-beamed ceilings, French doors onto river-view terraces — plus two private cottages. Dining runs over the river, the cellar holds more than 4,000 bottles, and the experiences are pure Huka: fly-fishing, heli culinary escapes and the falls just upstream.
Accommodation
Suites & Cottages
Around twenty riverside lodge and junior suites with fireplaces, high-beamed ceilings and river-view terraces, plus two private multi-bedroom cottages.
Suite
Lodge / Junior Suite
Sleeps two, king. A fireplace, high-beamed ceiling, picture windows and French doors onto a river-view terrace, with a large tub and separate shower.
River viewFireplace
Cottage
Alan Pye Cottage
A self-contained multi-bedroom cottage with its own pool and grounds — ideal for families or house parties, on the river.
Exclusive-usePrivate pool
Cottage
Alex van Heeren Cottage
A self-contained multi-bedroom cottage in a private riverside setting.
Exclusive-usePrivate setting
Food & Drink
Lodge-inclusive dining
Fine dining over the river, with private rooms and an al-fresco terrace.
Main
The Dining Room
An expanded dining room and bar over the river.
Riverside
The River Room
Floor-to-ceiling glass onto the Waikato.
Private
The Loft & Piper Room
Intimate private dining rooms.
Wellbeing
Spa & wellness
A dedicated spa and wellness area added in the 2025 refurbishment, plus an outdoor pool.
New spa
A dedicated spa and wellness area.
Outdoor pool
An outdoor swimming pool in the grounds.
On the river
Fly-fishing and walks along the Waikato.
Activities & Experiences
Signature Experiences
Heritage, river and helicopter.
Fly-fish the Waikato
A century of trout-fishing heritage.
The Ultimate Huka Experience
A signature helicopter journey.
Craggy Range Culinary Escape
Food, wine and a scenic helicopter flight.
Epic Rotorua
A culture-and-adventure day out.
Huka Falls
The thundering falls just upstream.
Getting There
Location & Transfers
By road
About 3.5 hours from Auckland
A scenic drive from Auckland to Taupō.
By air
Via Taupō or Rotorua
Fly to Taupō or Rotorua via Auckland, then transfer.
Guest Reviews
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“The most extraordinary place I have ever stayed. Nothing prepares you for the depth of the silence, the beauty of the reef, or the sheer generosity of the experience.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“We’ve stayed here three times now. The house reef has no equal. The stargazing was, genuinely, one of the most moving experiences of my adult life.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“I had stayed at Four Seasons, One&Only and Velaa before visiting Huka Lodge. They are all magnificent. But this is different in a way that is hard to articulate.”
✓ Verified via feefo
Good to Know
Good to know
Board basis
- Lodge-inclusive — breakfast, pre-dinner drinks and canapés and a multi-course dinner.
Reopened
- Reopened in 2025 after a Baillie Lodges refurbishment.
Families
- The two private cottages suit families and house parties.
Getting there
- Fly to Auckland (AKL), then drive or connect to Taupō.
Book This Property
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Tell us about your stay
Dates, party size, villa preference and budget.
Destination
Dates & party
Date flexibility
Adults
2
Children
0
Budget & accommodation
Budget per person (flights + hotel)
£4,500
£500£50,000+
Villa preference
Flights
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