Niue Food Itinerary: 4 Days

4-Day Foodie Itinerary for Niue

Only crazy foodies try to spend just four days in Niue! With so many amazing food tours, restaurants and cultural experiences, such limited time isn’t enough to truly experience “The Rock of the Pacific”. Nevertheless, if four days are all you have, then this Niue food itinerary for four days will certainly help you make the most out of your limited time.

While the below itinerary is fairly action-packed, see a more relaxed version listed at the bottom of this article. Also, note that some activities on this Niue food five-day itinerary are only available on certain days of the week. This itinerary is based on if you arrive in Niue on a Tuesday (local time). If you arrive on a different day, be sure to move days around accordingly. See current flight schedules in Which Airlines Fly to Niue?

Overview: Niue Food 4-Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Welcome to Niue! Start Sampling the Restaurants!
Day 2 – Catch Dinner on a Fishing Charter + Umu Night
Day 3 – Sample Tropical Treats on the Maala Garden Tour
Day 4 – Pick Up Some Niuean Food to Take Home + Departure.

How to Get Around Niue in 4 Days

This Niue food itinerary for four days includes travel around a 261.5 km² (101 mi²) island. Here’s a quick rundown on how to get around Niue in four days.

Car Rental

Due to the lack of transport options and to make the most of this four-day food itinerary for Niue, we strongly recommend hiring a car. Get advice on hiring a car in What You Need to Hire a Car in Niue. Note, you will need to purchase a Niue Driver’s License to drive in Niue, which you can get from the Police Station.

Bicycle/E-Bike Rental

For those that have a bit of fitness and are looking for a fun way to get around the flat and quiet roads of Niue (not to mention, work off the meals), both bicycle and electric bike hire are available in Niue. Find out more about this transport method in The Guide to Cycling & Mountain Biking in Niue.

For alternative transport in Niue, see the 11 Ways to Get to (& Around) Niue. Plus, compare the most popular methods in Should You Rent a Car or a Bicycle in Niue?

Day 1 – Welcome to Niue! Start Sampling the Restaurants!

Travel time: 5-10 minutes drive.

Fakaalofa lahi atu and welcome to your foodie paradise for the next four days! On arrival at Hanan International Airport, go through the customs and quarantine process, as explained in Everything You Need to Know About Arriving in Niue. Then, either pick up your rental car outside of the airport or catch an airport transfer organised through your accommodation.

If you’re a foodie who likes to spruce up your own meals using local ingredients, now is a good time to pick up supplies. Stop by the Swanson Supermarket just outside of the airport (turn left), where you’ll be able to pick up fresh coconut bread from the Rolling Pin Bakery and try the island’s hydroponic greens from Niue Fresh.

Once stocked up, check-in at your foodie accommodation, whether it’s the Scenic Matavai Resort with an on-site restaurant or one of the many self-catering options.

Foodie and Self-Catering Accommodations in Niue

Scenic Matavai Resort (not self-catering; restaurant on site)
Mahofi Cottage
Tuaga Lodge
Taoke Fales
Scenic Matavai Apartments & Villa
Namukulu Cottages
Heleni Jessop’s Fatahega
Stone Villas
Lau’s Getaway
Nic’s Bungalows

While all of these accommodations feature in The 30 Best Accommodations in Niue, check out some of our top picks for self-catering in the 10 Best Self-Catering Accommodations in Niue and advice for choosing the best in How to Pick the Right Foodie Accommodation in Niue.

Restaurant Recommendations

And for the foodie that wants restaurant dining experiences, you’ll have plenty to keep your tastebuds titillated for the next few days!

Dinner: Kaiika Restaurant – Indulge in fresh sushi made by a Tokyo chef at this restaurant in Alofi. New York-style pizzas with a tropical twist are also on the menu. Bookings are highly recommended for this popular restaurant.

Day 2 – Catch Dinner on a Fishing Charter + Umu Night

Travel time: 10-20 minutes drive.

Fishing is a way of life in Niue, and while you might not be joining the local fishermen on their vaka (canoe), you will have a more comfortable experience with one of the local fishing charters.

Locals and passionate expats will share techniques of fishing in tropical waters for wahoo, mahimahi, yellowfin tuna, sailfish, marlin, giant trevally and more. Equipped with the latest gear, you’ll be reeling in the big ones, whether you’re an experienced angler or a newbie.

Generally, fishing charters have a “catch stay with the boat” policy, but most will either give you some to cook up at your accommodation or deliver it to one of the local restaurants where you’ll be able to sample the fish professionally prepared for a discount.

Learn more about the experience in The Ultimate Guide to Fishing in Niue.

Umu Night

Stick around Alofi because tonight (if it’s Wednesday) is umu night at Manuiz (Alofi)! Try local Niuean dishes, such as takihi, povi masima, moa Niue, faikai ika and more! All of which is prepared in a traditional earth oven in true Polynesian style.

You have a couple of other umu nights that you may want to consider inserting into your itinerary: one at Lilo’s Restaurant and the other at Scenic Matavai’s Dolphin Restaurant – more details can be found in The Ultimate Guide to Niue Nightlife.

Restaurant Recommendations

Lunch: Vaiolama Cafe – Get a fresh baguette and a cake from the cafe cabinet and sip on fruity smoothies or a coffee. The cafe also has an 18-hole mini golf course on the clifftops!

Drinks: All Relativf – Located at the Swanson Complex just outside of Alofi, this is the establishment to sip on real-fruit cocktails and smoothies.

Dinner: Manuiz – Try some authentic Niuean dishes, from sweet takihi to lupe (pigeon) risotto at the Manuiz island buffet. Bookings are essential.

Day 3 – Sample Tropical Treats on the Maala Garden Tour

Travel time: 15-40 minutes drive.

Visit a tropical bush garden and plantation where you’ll come away with a wealth of knowledge about Niue’s unique produce, not to mention the taste of delicious fruit still dancing on your tongue, on the Maala Garden Tour (Liku).

You will be shown the maala (garden) by your friendly and characterful hosts, John and Doris, and learn about growing food crops, tropical trees, herbs and much more. Like most of Niue’s guided tours, this is a very casual experience, so the more questions you ask the better! You can certainly pick up a few tips from your passionate hosts who have developed this garden out of a labour of love.

At the end of the experience, you will be treated to a spread of local fruits, nuts and a drinking coconut – many of which we feature in the 10 Exotic Fruits in Niue You Have to Try!

Learn more about what the tour entails and what you need to bring in the 6 Best Guided Tours in Niue.

Restaurant Recommendations

Lunch: Crazy Uga Cafe & Bar – Dine salads, paninis, pasta, fish and chips, etc. for lunch at this rustic cafe on the Alofi waterfront.

Drinks: All Relativf – Located at the Swanson Complex just outside of Alofi, this is a cocktail bar mixing real-fruit cocktails and smoothies.

Dinner: Vaiolama Cafe – Enjoy grill-style cuisine and local music before heading to Avi’s Ark (behind Kaiika) for craft beer and karaoke.

Day 4 – Pick Up Some Niuean Food to Take Home + Departure

Travel time: 5-10 minutes drive.

We told you three days wasn’t enough! Nevertheless, you’ll still get time to pick up some local food items after checking in your bags at Hanan Airport when it opens at 9 am.

A foodie essential to take home in the Niuean honey made from the cleanest bees in the world, and the only honey outside of New Zealand that you can take back with you. Niuean honey is available at the Double M supermarket. Additionally, pick up pure vanilla products at the Niue Vanilla Store in Alofi.

Back at the airport, park up your rental car and leave the keys in the car. You’ll need to go to the Quarantine Office to get your quarantine certificate for the food you are taking home with you. Then go through airport security to enjoy one last drink in Niue at Bo’s Bar by the Runway before your flight.

For more information on the departure procedure, see Leaving Niue: The Niue Airport Departure Process.

Alternative Itinerary: Niue Relaxing Food 4-Day Itinerary

Below is a quick overview of a more relaxed food itinerary for Niue. During this itinerary, you will be staying in the same accommodation.

Day 1 – Arrive in Niue, check-in at your accommodation and start indulging in Niue’s restaurants
Day 2 – Join a culture, nature or plantation tour
Day 3 – Visit Avatele, its beach and the Washaway Cafe
Day 4 – Shop for some foodie souvenirs and get prepared for departure on an iconic Niue plane day.

Alternative Niue 4-Day Itineraries

Is this four-day food itinerary for Niue not quite speaking to you? How about checking out our alternative itineraries for four days?

Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed from this Niue food itinerary, you’re likely to find it in The Food Guide to Niue: Places to Eat, Food Tours & More.

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Niue Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. He is also consulting regularly with Niue Tourism to ensure content accuracy. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

Contact Robin via our contact page