Niue Luxury Itinerary: 5 Days

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How to Get Around Niue in 5 Days

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

Car Rental

Niue is an island to explore independently, due to the limited transport options available. To make the most of this five-day luxury itinerary for Niue, we strongly recommend hiring a car, which we give advice in What You Need to Hire a Car in Niue. Note that you will need a Niue Driver’s License, available from the Police Station nearby the airport.

Alternatively, there are airport transfers, bicycle hire and motorcycle hire on the island available, which will limit what you can do but provide another way of exploring. Learn more in the 11 Ways to Get to (& Around) Niue.

(c) M. Crawford - Niue Tourism

Day 1 – Arrive in Niue and Check-in at Your Resort or Villa

Travel time: 5-10 minutes drive.

Fakaalofa lahi atu and welcome to Niue! On arrival at Hanan International Airport, go through the airport customs and biosecurity process, as outlined in Everything You Need to Know About Arriving in Niue, then your car rental or accommodation transfer will be waiting outside of the airport for you. With the Police Station nearby, now would also be a good time to pick up a Niue Driver’s License.

When you are ready, check-in at your chosen accommodation. A few recommendations are as follows:

Luxury Accommodations in Niue

• Lau’s Getaway
• Scenic Matavai Resort
• Scenic Matavai Apartments & Villa
• Namukulu Cottages
• Stone Villas
• Tuaga Lodge
• Breeze
• Lalopine Rockhouse
• Taloa Heights
• Anakule

For more information on each accommodation, see the 10 Best Luxury Accommodations in Niue.

Dining Recommendations

Tonight (and every night while you’re here), be sure to treat yourself to the fabulous restaurants available on the island. Dine on sushi prepared by a Tokyo chef at Kaiika and enjoy impeccably presented plates at the Dolphin Restaurant of the Scenic Matavai Resort – just as a couple of recommendations. See The 20 Best Restaurants in Niue for more delectable choices.

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Day 2 – Take an Orientation Tour and Spend the Day in Alofi

Travel time: 5-15 minutes drive.

Since Niue is going to be your home in paradise for the next few days, it only makes sense to get fully acquainted with it. One of the best ways to do so is with an orientation tour. Join Explore Niue for a guided tour of the west coast, being pointed out all of the best attractions, learning about the history and culture of the island, and getting all the essential tips for making the most of your getaway in Niue. The tour is further explained in The Best Guided Tours in Niue.

Now that you are an expert on the west coast of Niue, spend the rest of the day getting to know Niue’s capital, Alofi. See where the useful services are, book tours and experiences at the Visitor Information Centre, and, of course, dine somewhere fabulous for lunch – see the 10 Best Cafes in Niue.

Dining Recommendations

For lunch, make things simple with well-presented plates from the Dolphin Restaurant (Scenic Matavai Resort) or stop by the rustic cliff-top eatery of the Crazy Uga Cafe (Alofi). For dinner, head into town and enjoy some of the best pizzas on the island at the cosy Katuali Coffee House (Alofi).

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Day 3 – Spend the Day Exploring the West Coast Sea Tracks

Travel time: 10-30 minutes drive.

If you arrived in Niue on a Friday, that means it’s Sunday again and the perfect time to visit the caves, snorkelling hotspots and chasms of the west coast.

Note that the attractions for snorkelling are tide-dependent, so change the order you visit them according to the tide. Learn more in Tide Times in Niue: Essential for Your Trip!

Avaiki and Palaha Caves

Just before low tide, find the Avaiki Cave Sea Track near the village of Makefu. The short track takes you down to a huge cathedral cave with a gorgeous pool at the base, ideal for snorkelling. Travel a little further north and you’ll also find the Palaha Cave, offering more magnificent viewings of grand limestone caves.

Limu Pools

A calm turquoise oasis for swimming and snorkelling awaits at the Limu Pools near the village of Namukulu. Follow a well-formed sea track down to the main pools that are best enjoyed at half-to-full incoming tide. Alternatively, there is a small side pool with a coastal arch that is better snorkelled at low tide.

Matapa Chasm

Suitable at all tides, the Matapa Chasm is a wide chasm harbouring an array of colourful tropical fish. Walk down a seven-minute rocky sea track through the forest to emerge at the chasm. The track starts from the grassy parking area in Hikutavake.

Talava Arches

While you’re at the Matapa Chasm, don’t miss the trail for the Talava Arches located right next to it! The Talava Arches can be enjoyed at any tide but is best at low tide if you want to walk across the reef and under the arch. The sea track is a 30-minute walk through the forest (sturdy shoes required) and a series of limestone caves. You’ll emerge at a stunning view of the coastal archway where there’s a great opportunity to snorkel in the coral-lined channel below.

Dining Recommendations

For lunch, you may want to make your way to Avatele Beach where the Washaway Cafe (Avatele) is open for one day a week! The restaurant works on an interesting “honesty bar” concept where you help yourself to drinks, write down your own food order and simply pay at the end. While not exactly “luxury”, it’s still quite the novelty!

Additionally, Crow’s Nest (Alofi Commercial Centre) is open for dinner, not only serving fresh fish and chips but a range of moist cakes and desserts. We even recommend saving some room and making it a dessert night!

(c) Niue Tourism

Day 4 – Go on a Scuba Diving Excursion and Relax with an Island Massage

Travel time: 10-20 minutes drive.

You can hardly be surrounded by some of the world’s clearest waters and not go scuba diving! Niue has PADI-accredited dive operators who will gear you up and take you out to some awe-inspiring dive sites.

Scuba Diving in Niue

As the island is made up of porous limestone with no lakes or rivers, rainwater filters through the island not only carving out amazing caves, chasms and cathedrals but allowing the visibility to reach as far as 80 m (262 ft)!

Wildlife you may encounter on your dive include painted crayfish, sea snakes, barracuda, countless tropical fish, turtles and more. Swimming with humpback whales is also available with Niue’s dive operators during the wintertime. See The Guide to Scuba Diving in Niue to help plan your dive.

Spa Treatments in Niue

After putting your body through its paces with scuba diving, now is a good time to treat your body to some R&R. One utterly indulgent way to do that is with a massage either in the privacy of your accommodation or at the cliff-top Maulu Spa (Tamakautoga). Lana will treat you to your choice of treatments, whether it’s a therapeutic massage with natural coconut oil (or something else if you prefer) or a tropical body scrub.

Alternatively, Vilina (Alofi) offers sumptuous facials that will leave you feeling radiant. Learn more about spa treatments in Niue with The Best Spas in Niue.

Dining Recommendations

Start your day off with aromatic coffee and an indulgent locally-sourced brunch at Fana Cafe (Swanson Complex). For dinner, try something different on the eclectic menu of Kaiika (Scenic Matavai Resort) with cooked and fresh Japanese cuisine, as well as sumptuous sourdough pizzas. Book ahead!

(c) niuepocketguide.com

Day 5 – Departure Day

Travel time: 5-10 minutes drive.

This is when you realise that five days in Niue wasn’t nearly enough time to spend on this island paradise. Nevertheless, you’ll still have time to enjoy a coffee or a fresh-fruit smoothie at one of Alofi’s cafes before checking in for your flight.

We recommend checking in your baggage in the morning and then coming back to the airport later when departure check-in opens. All is explained in Leaving Niue: The Niue Airport Departure Process, so you know what to expect.

If you have a rental car, return it at the airport by parking it in the car park and leaving the keys in the car. Yes, that’s how it’s done in Niue!

Then, it’s time to depart Niue for your flight to Auckland! One last tip, there is a cute bar in the departure lounge, Bo’s Bar by the Runway, which serves up a range of drinks and snacks.

Then it’s Nonofo ā mutolu kia to Niue!

© NiuePocketGuide.com

Alternative Itinerary: Niue Relaxing Luxury 5-Day Itinerary

Below is an overview of a more relaxed luxury itinerary for Niue, giving you a balance of rest and adventure.

• Day 1 – Arrive in Niue, check-in at your luxury accommodation and ease the flight aches with a spa treatment or yoga session
• Day 2 – Do a guided orientation tour of the island
• Day 3 – Join a scuba diving trip or swim with whales
• Day 4 – Try your luck on a fishing charter
• Day 5 – Treat yourself to Niuean souvenirs at the Airport Market, Kauhi Krafts and more before getting prepared for departure on an iconic Niue plane day.