Niue Food Itinerary: 7 Days / 1 Week

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How to Get Around Niue in 7 Days

This Niue food itinerary for 7 days (one week) includes travel around a 261.5 km² (101 mi²) island. Here’s a quick rundown on how to get around Niue in one week.

Car Rental

Due to the lack of transport options and to make the most of this 7-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?

(c) niuepocketguide.com

Day 1 – Land in Niue and Start Sampling the Restaurants

Travel time: 5-10 minutes drive.

Welcome to Niue! After going through the customs and quarantine process of Hanan International Airport, as explained in Everything You Need to Know About Arriving in Niue, pick up your rental car outside of the airport or catch an airport transfer organised through your accommodation.

For home cooks, stop by the Swanson Supermarket just outside of the airport (turn left) on your way to your self-catering accommodation. Plus, now is a good time to purchase a Niue Driver’s License from the Police Station nearby.

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

If you’d prefer to eat out tonight, start off your foodie getaway in Niue by eating out at one of the fantastic restaurants available. See a whole list of recommendations in the 20 Best Restaurants in Niue.

Dinner: Hio Cafe & Bar (Tuapa) – Friday happy hour starts at 5 pm (but things change all the time in Niue, so see Opening Hours in Niue: Odd Hours, Tide Times & Things to Know for advice), so enjoy some sundowners, as well as Niuean tasting platters, wood-fired pizzas and more at this highly recommended eatery.

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Day 2 – Do an Orientation Tour and Get to Know Alofi

Travel time: 5-15 minutes drive.

A great way to start your time in Niue is to take an orientation tour to get acquainted with the island. Explore Niue runs excellent morning tours, pointing out all of the highlights, as well as the hidden gems, along the west coast while sharing the best time to visit them. You’ll also stop by a few attractions along the way. Get local insights into the best restaurants around Alofi and the rest of the island, and where to find them. You’ll know Niue like the back of your hand after this tour.

After visiting a snorkelling spot, you’ll be treated to some special Niuean refreshments, such as drinking coconuts and local snacks.

At the end of the tour, asked to be dropped off in Alofi, where you can sort out a few practicalities for the rest of your stay. Book the tours at the Tourist Information Centre that we’ve recommended in this itinerary and head down to the Niue Vanilla Shop to book the tour. If you want to squeeze in a few more experiences, check out the 20 Best Things to Do in Alofi.

Restaurant Recommendations

Once you’re set for the rest of your holiday, treat yourself to lunch and dinner in the capital.

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: Kaiika – Try sushi prepared by a Tokyo chef or sourdough pizza at this popular restaurant!

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Day 3 – Spend the Day at Avatele Bay and the Washaway Cafe

Travel time: 5-20 minutes drive.

If you arrived in Niue on a Friday, then today is Sunday and a day of rest in Niue. While many tours, restaurants, shops and services are closed, there is one place on the island that is open for just this day of the week: the Washaway Cafe!

Found on Avatele Beach, the Washaway Cafe is an honesty bar where you write down your food order at the kitchen and take a table number. Then you help yourself to drinks and simply pay for everything at the end, telling the bar staff what you had. The Washaway Cafe does especially good fish focaccia where the fish is fresh and the focaccia is homebaked.

Swimming and snorkelling are also good at Avatele Beach at low to mid-tide. Watch out for rips in the channel near the boat ramp – learn more in the 10 Most Beautiful Swimming Holes in Niue, as well as more about the importance of the tide in our guide, Tide Times in Niue: Essential for Your Trip!

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Day 4 – Do a Uga Hunting Tour

Travel time: 5-20 minutes drive.

Today, join the Mokalei family from Taue Uga Tours for a tour of their ancestral rainforest where they have been hunting uga for generations. Uga is the local coconut crab; a delicacy in Niue. There are two tours available, a day tour and a night tour. During the day tour, you’ll help set up coconut baits around the forest, meet some of the local uga and learn more about the Niuean legends and their connection with the forest. On the night tour, you’ll get to see uga when they are most active, see how the baits work and learn how to collect uga in a sustainable way so there are coconut crabs left for future generations.

Again, see the 6 Best Guided Tours in Niue for more advice on where to meet and what to bring.

Restaurant Recommendations

Lunch: Cafe Tavana – Have fish and chips the Niuean way, with the freshest of fish with cassava fries!

Dinner: Dolphin Restaurant – Give the restaurant of the Scenic Matavai Resort a try, with its a la carte menu accompanied by the soothing tunes of an island band.

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Day 5 – Do a Niuean Plantation Tour

Travel time: 20-40 minutes drive.

A fantastic foodie tour you can get stuck into, A5 Plantation Tours (Mutalau) is a 4WD tour of a local plantation and rainforest. During the experience, you will learn how to husk a coconut, meet some uga and explore a real plantation where you’ll learn about modern and traditional methods for growing cassava, taro, kumara, watermelon, pawpaw, banana and much more. You’ll even get to taste some of the fruit that is in season.

More details on the tour can be found in 6 Best Guided Tours in Niue.

Restaurant Recommendation

Lunch: Crazy Uga Cafe – Serves up salads, paninis, pasta, fish and chips, etc. for lunch

Dinner: Vanilla Cafe – Treat yourself to some Indian cuisine.

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Day 6 – Niue Market, Vanilla Plantation Tour and Umu Buffet

Travel time: 5-15 minutes drive.

If you arrived in Niue on a Friday, then today is Wednesday when Alofi becomes a hive of activity. Not only is the weaving group in full swing in Makini Hall, which is well worth checking out, but the morning begins bright and early with the Niue Market or “Markete”.

The market runs from  8 am to around 12 pm where you can buy fresh tropical fruit and vegetables to spruce up back at your self-catering accommodation.

Niue Vanilla Tour

After you’re done at the market, head to the Niue Vanilla Shop for your Niue Vanilla Tour. Learn the ins and outs of an organic vanilla plantation where you’ll wander around some 30,000 vines of vanilla, all of which need to be hand-pollinated. The super informative tour will help you understand the expensive market of these flavoursome beans. Again, more details on the tour can be found in the 6 Best Guided Tours 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: Fana Cafe – Start your day off with aromatic coffee and an indulgent locally-sourced brunch.

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

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Day 7 – Catch Dinner on a Fishing Charter

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.

Restaurant Recommendations

Lunch: Katuali Coffee House – A cosy coffee shop that is more famous for its pizzas than its cafe goods.

Dinner: Crow’s Nest – Try fresh fish and chips and salads and indulge in some of the moistest cakes on the island!

(c) niuepocketguide.com

Departure Day – Pick Up Some Niuean Food to Take Home and Depart from Niue

Travel time: 5-10 minutes drive.

All good things, like a Niuean foodie getaway, must come to an end. This morning, we recommend checking in your bags at Hanan Airport when it opens at 9 am. This will then give you time to pick up some Niuean food before catching your flight in the afternoon.

Get some Niuean honey made from the cleanest bees in the world, available to buy at Double M in Alofi. Additionally, pure vanilla products are available at the Niue Vanilla Store in Alofi.

Back at the airport, park your rental car and leave the keys in the car. You’ll also need to get a quarantine certificate for the food you are taking home with you. Then you’ll go through security and be able to enjoy one last drink in Niue at Bo’s Bar by the Runway. For more information on the departure procedure, see Leaving Niue: The Niue Airport Departure Process.

Then, it’s Nonofo ā mutolu kia to Niue!

© NiuePocketGuide.com

Alternative Itinerary: Niue Relaxing Food 1-Week (7-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. Note that there is an eighth day added to this itinerary due to the irregular flight schedule.

• Day 1 – Arrive in Niue, check-in at your accommodation and start experiencing Niue’s restaurants
• Day 2 – Do an orientation tour of the island
• Day 3 – Visit Avatele, its beach and the Washaway Cafe
• Day 4 – Browse the Niue Market
• Day 5 – Join a uga (coconut crab) baiting and hunting tour
• Day 6 – Join a culture, nature or plantation tour
• Day 7 – Swim at the Limu Pools
• Departure Day – Get prepared for departure on an iconic Niue plane day.