Hawkes Bay Express

See the highlights of downtown Napier aboard the Hawkes Bay Express, a delightful and truly unique sightseeing train that travels through the streets instead of on traditional rails.

Hop aboard the Hawkes Bay Express right at the pier and begin your journey through Napier, one of the most attractive cities in New Zealand. Your modern road train is styled like an old-fashioned steam train and inside you'll find a romantic, old-time atmosphere. Sit back and relax in the wide, comfortable seats and watch vibrant Napier come alive through the train's large windows.

After the devastating earthquake and fire of 1931, Napier was completely rebuilt in the then-modern style of Art Deco. As a happy result, Napier boasts the world's largest concentration of Art Deco buildings, the majority of which have been restored to their original glory. Riding through the streets, you'll pass many of Napier's most iconic buildings, decorated with relief stucco ornaments in geometric patterns, sleek shapes and even Maori symbols. Of the 164 buildings constructed in Napier in the Art Deco style, 140 of them remain and they are truly inspiring.

The Hawkes Bay Express also visits Napier's beautiful Bluff Hill, where the early settlers lived, and the old port village of Ahuriri.