Most people drive, and most people assume you have to. You do not. Getting from Wellington to Martinborough without a car is one train and one bus, and on the right service the bus is waiting at Featherston Station within ten minutes of the train pulling in. The whole trip takes about an hour and a half.
The catch is knowing which service. The train runs twice a day each way at weekends and a handful of times on weekdays, and the connections back to Wellington are fewer than the ones out. This is how to do it by train and bus, by car over the Remutaka Hill, or on a tour, with the times that matter.
How do you get from Wellington to Martinborough?
By car, take State Highway 2 north through the Hutt Valley and over the Remutaka Hill to Featherston, then turn onto State Highway 53 for the last stretch to Martinborough. By public transport, take the Wairarapa Line train from Wellington Station to Featherston and the Metlink 200 bus from Featherston Station to Martinborough Town Hall.
Martinborough is 57.7 kilometres north-east of central Wellington in a straight line, but the Remutaka Range sits between them, and the road goes up and over it while the train goes underneath through a long tunnel. That range is also why the weather over the hill is so often warmer and drier than in the city.
By train and bus: the times that connect
Take the Wairarapa Line from Wellington Station to Featherston, then the 200 bus from outside Featherston Station to Martinborough Town Hall. The bus is timed to meet most trains.
At the weekend there are two trains from Wellington each day, and both connect. The 9.55am train reaches Featherston at 10.55am, and the 200 bus leaves at 11.05am and reaches Martinborough at 11.25am. The 6.55pm train reaches Featherston at 7.55pm, and the bus leaves at 8pm and reaches Martinborough at 8.20pm.
On weekdays the evening trains connect best. The 4.25pm train from Wellington reaches Featherston at 5.33pm for the 5.38pm bus, which reaches Martinborough at 5.58pm. The 5.30pm train meets the 6.40pm bus, into Martinborough at 7pm, and the 6.18pm train meets the 7.30pm bus, arriving at 7.50pm. Each of those waits is under ten minutes.
The weekday morning and midday trains are slower to connect. The 8.21am train reaches Featherston at 9.21am and the next bus leaves at 10.05am, a 44-minute wait. The 12.45pm train reaches Featherston at 1.45pm and the bus leaves at 2.20pm. Featherston is a pleasant town to kill half an hour in, but it adds up.
On public holidays the trains and buses run to the weekend timetable, and there are special timetables over Christmas and New Year. Buses sometimes replace the trains for track maintenance, including at weekends and on holidays, so check Metlink's alerts before you travel.
The timetable at a glance
These are the connections from Metlink's current timetable. Times are the train's departure from Wellington or the bus's departure from Martinborough, and the arrival at the other end.
| Wellington to Martinborough | Train leaves Wellington | Bus leaves Featherston | Arrives Martinborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | 9.55am | 11.05am | 11.25am |
| Saturday and Sunday | 6.55pm | 8.00pm | 8.20pm |
| Weekdays | 8.21am | 10.05am | 10.25am |
| Weekdays | 12.45pm | 2.20pm | 2.40pm |
| Weekdays | 4.25pm | 5.38pm | 5.58pm |
| Weekdays | 5.30pm | 6.40pm | 7.00pm |
| Weekdays | 6.18pm | 7.30pm | 7.50pm |
| Martinborough to Wellington | Bus leaves Martinborough | Train leaves Featherston | Arrives Wellington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | 7.55am | 8.25am | 9.25am |
| Saturday and Sunday | 4.55pm | 5.25pm | 6.25pm |
| Weekdays | 5.55am | 6.27am | 7.30am |
| Weekdays | 6.30am | 7.02am | 8.10am |
| Weekdays | 10.35am | 11.10am | 12.10pm |
| Weekdays | 3.40pm | 4.18pm | 5.18pm |
The timetable these times come from has been in place since December 2023. Check Metlink for the day you travel, since a change to either the train or the bus can break a connection.
From Wellington Airport
There is no direct transport from the airport to Martinborough. Take the Airport Express bus or a taxi to Wellington Station and connect to the Wairarapa Line from there, or hire a car at the airport and drive over the hill.
If your flight lands in the afternoon on a weekday, the 4.25pm, 5.30pm and 6.18pm trains all connect with a bus to Martinborough. At the weekend, the 6.55pm train is the last connection of the day, so leave plenty of time between landing and the train.
Getting back to Wellington
The return is where public transport gets tight, so plan it first. At the weekend there are two connections back to the city. On weekdays the last one leaves Martinborough mid-afternoon.
On Saturday and Sunday, the 7.55am bus from Martinborough reaches Featherston at 8.15am for the 8.25am train, into Wellington at 9.25am. The 4.55pm bus reaches Featherston at 5.15pm for the 5.25pm train, into Wellington at 6.25pm. That afternoon bus is the one most weekend visitors catch home, so do not book a long lunch that runs past 4.30pm.
On weekdays, the early buses at 5.55am and 6.30am meet the commuter trains, reaching Wellington at 7.30am and 8.10am. Later in the day, the 10.35am bus meets the 11.10am train, into Wellington at 12.10pm, and the 3.40pm bus meets the 4.18pm train, into Wellington at 5.18pm. After that there is no bus that connects with a train back to the city on a weekday, apart from the late Friday train, which has no bus to meet it.
These times are from Metlink's current Wairarapa timetable. Timetables change, so check the day's times on Metlink before you travel, especially for the trip home.
Bikes, luggage and tickets
Wairarapa Line trains carry bikes and larger luggage in a luggage car at the northern end of the platform, when there is room. You load them yourself, up a few narrow steps, while the crew supervise.
Bikes must be under 180 centimetres long and luggage under 30 kilograms, and large cargo bikes are not carried. The buses have racks for two bikes, first come first served, and buses replacing trains may not have racks at all. If you are bringing a bike for the Remutaka Cycle Trail or the vineyards, go on a weekend morning train and be at the platform early. Or leave the bike at home and hire one in the village when you arrive.
By car over the Remutaka Hill
The drive leaves Wellington on State Highway 2 through Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt, climbs over the Remutaka Hill, and drops into the Wairarapa at Featherston. From Featherston, State Highway 53 runs the last stretch to Martinborough.
The Remutaka Hill road is steep and winding, with tight bends near the summit. It is well made and busy, but it deserves attention, especially at night, in rain or when a front brings snow to the top in winter. The road occasionally closes for crashes, slips or snow, so check the road status before you set out. Once you are down the other side the roads are flatter and easier.
Coming from the north, the drive from the end of the line at Masterton comes down State Highway 2 through Carterton and Greytown. From Greytown, back roads run south to Martinborough. Parking in Martinborough is free and easy on the streets around the Square, except on Fair days.
If you are planning to taste wine, decide who is driving before you leave Wellington. New Zealand's drink-driving limits are strict and enforced.
On a tour from Wellington
A tour takes the driving and the timetable out of it, and there are options from both ends.
From the city, ZoZo Travel runs scenic, winery and food tours, and Kaewa Tours runs private wine and food tours that include the Wairarapa.
Some of the tours based in Martinborough include pick-up from Featherston Station if you arrive by train. Wine tours from the village are compared side by side.
If a full day is too much, the Wellington side has other day trips over the hill, from Featherston to Greytown and the Remutaka Rail Trail.
From the other Wairarapa towns
The 200 bus also links Martinborough with Featherston, Greytown, Carterton and Masterton, so you can reach it from anywhere up the valley without a car.
From Greytown, the 200 bus leaves from Main Street and runs through Featherston to Martinborough. On weekdays nine buses a day run from Greytown through to Martinborough, between 8am and 5.15pm, and at the weekend four do, at 10.45am, 1.05pm, 4.55pm and 7.40pm. Greytown sits between Featherston and Carterton on State Highway 2, and getting around the Wairarapa from Greytown works the same way in reverse.
From Carterton's Memorial Square, the same buses pass through about 10 minutes before Greytown. From Featherston Station itself, the bus is 20 minutes to Martinborough Town Hall.
Taxis and getting around once you are here
Once you are in Martinborough, you do not need a car for the village or the closest vineyards. Walk, hire a bike, or book a taxi.
Claremont Cabs is the local taxi, and it is worth booking ahead, especially for a Saturday night or an early train connection. Most of the places to stay in the village are within a kilometre of the Town Hall bus stop, so you can walk from the bus to your bed.
For the south coast, you will need a car or a tour: there is no public transport to the lakeside settlement at Lake Ferry or the lighthouse road at Cape Palliser.
For everything else, a car-free weekend in Martinborough is easy once you are here.
Frequently asked questions
Published August 2, 2026
