Waiheke Island Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
The Waiheke hop-on hop-off bus: the Western Explorer's 16 stops, the Eastern Explorer, the local 50A and 50B buses and e-bikes compared (Oct 2026).
Waiheke’s hop-on hop-off bus is Fullers360’s Western Explorer: it leaves Matiatia daily from 10:00 and loops through 16 stops in about 80 minutes, past Oneroa, the vineyards near the ferry, the Allpress olive grove and Onetangi Beach. Bought with the return ferry it is from US$59 a person (checked October 2026); the local Auckland Transport buses cover the same villages for less, without the host or the vineyard stops.
The four ways round, side by side
| Western Explorer | Eastern Explorer | AT local buses | E-bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | Fullers360, on the ferry and bus ticket | Fullers360 | Auckland Transport | eRide Waiheke, with Fullers360’s package |
| Where | Matiatia, Oneroa, vineyards near the ferry, Allpress, Onetangi | The far eastern end: Man O’ War, a distillery, Onetangi | 50A and 50B: Matiatia, Oneroa, Surfdale, Ostend, Onetangi; 501 Kennedy Point; 502 Palm Beach, Ōmiha | Sealed roads anywhere, not the unsealed roads out east |
| When | Daily from 10:00 | Wednesday to Sunday | Through the day, mostly meeting the ferries | Collect before 2 pm |
| Loop | 16 stops, about 80 minutes | 10 stops, about 110 minutes | Point to point | Your own route |
| Price (NZ$) | 71 bus only; 104 with the ferry | 70 bus only; 104 with the ferry | Local bus fare | 184 with the ferry |
Fullers360 prices from its own pages and the bus routes from Auckland Transport’s timetable effective 25 October 2024, read in October 2026. On GetYourGuide the ferry and Western Explorer ticket is US$59 a person.
The Western Explorer
The bus meets the 9:00 ferry from Auckland and leaves Matiatia from 10:00; after that it runs every 30 or 60 minutes depending on the day and the season, and you track it live in the Fullers360 app. An on-board host suggests stops. The loop takes in vineyards such as Mudbrick, Cable Bay, Stonyridge and Batch, an olive oil tasting at Allpress, the shops and galleries of Oneroa and the sand and cafes at Onetangi; the tastings and food are paid on the day. Book the bus departure when you book, and swap the voucher at the ferry terminal at least 60 minutes before sailing.
What guests say. Of the newest 350 GetYourGuide reviews of the ferry and bus ticket, written between March and October 2026, 250 give five stars. The complaints are about timing: in the cooler months the bus came hourly, a few watched a bus pass their stop, and one guest found the last loop had gone before dinner. Plan around the hourly gaps outside summer.
Check dates for the ferry and Western Explorer →
The Eastern Explorer
The eastern end is quieter and further: Man O’ War Bay, the Passage Rock and Waiheke Distilling Co. stops, and Onetangi on the way. The Eastern Explorer loop has 10 stops at 7 destinations, takes about 110 minutes and runs Wednesday to Sunday; return buses to Matiatia are first come, first served, so head back with time to spare. Stony Batter’s reserve is out here too, but its guided tunnel tours are paused (October 2026).
The local buses
Auckland Transport’s 50A and 50B are the cheapest way between the villages: both run from Onetangi through Ostend, Surfdale and Oneroa to Matiatia. The 501 links Kennedy Point, where SeaLink’s car ferry lands, with Oneroa and Matiatia; the 502 runs via Palm Beach to Ōmiha; and the 503 is a summer shuttle between Matiatia and Oneroa from Labour Weekend to Anzac Day. Check the times in the AT Mobile app on the day.
E-bikes
Fullers360’s ferry and e-bike package, NZ$184, includes the return Walk-up ferry, a full-day e-bike, a helmet and a lock, collected at the eRide shop inside the Matiatia terminal before 2 pm. Riders must be 12 or over, with someone 18 or over, and at least 145 cm tall; helmets are the law in New Zealand, and the bikes may not go on the unsealed eastern roads to Orapiu, Man O’ War and Stony Batter.
The one-day itinerary puts the bus into a day, and things to do without a car lists what is in reach of each.
The Explorer buses’ routes, times, prices and rules and the e-bike package are from Fullers360’s own pages; the ferry and bus ticket from its GetYourGuide listing, read in US dollars on 29 October 2026, with the review tally from its newest 350 reviews; the local routes from Auckland Transport’s Waiheke timetable effective 25 October 2024. All read in October 2026.
Ferry and Western Explorer
The return Walk-up ferry from Downtown Auckland and a full-day pass on the Western Explorer hop-on hop-off bus, 16 stops on an 80-minute loop from Matiatia, with live bus tracking in the Fullers360 app. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, as listed in October 2026.
Check Dates