The Luxury Guide to Greymouth© Kiwi Rail
The Luxury Guide to Greymouth

The Luxury Travel Guide to Greymouth

© Kiwi Rail

Plan a Premium Trip to Greymouth

Lining the banks of the Grey (Mawheranui) River and the shores of the Tasman Sea, Greymouth is a fascinating town on the West Coast. In fact, it’s the largest on the West Coast, making for an excellent base to delve into the mining heritage and explore its surrounding untamed wilderness. From flying over the Southern Alps via helicopter to hiking premium trails like a New Zealand Great Walk, there are many ways to experience the wild rainforests and rugged coast of the area. It’s also a place full of surprises, like how forging your own knife is a highlight for many. After a day of excitement or relaxation, retreat to your luxury lodge or B&B nestled in native bush or on the absolute beachfront.

Plan your premium getaway, including tours, accommodation and dining, with this complete luxury travel guide to Greymouth.

Premium Activities in Greymouth

  • Ride Scenic Class Plus on the TranzAlpine train
  • See the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, Hokitika Gorge or other highlights with Explore West Coast
  • Take on the West Coast Wilderness Trail
  • Hike the Paparoa Great Walk
  • Play a round at one of the local golf courses
  • Fly and land in the majestic Southern Alps on a helicopter tour
  • Do some boutique shopping and gallery browsing in town
  • Make your own knife in Barrytown.

For more details on each experience, see the 8 Luxury Activities in Greymouth.

The Luxury Guide to Greymouth© Kiwi Rail

Luxury Adventure Activities

From premium hiking and mountain biking trails to world-class train journeys, Greymouth offers plenty of lavish experiences for travellers seeking something special. Make your journey in or out of Greymouth out of the ordinary with a train experience on the TranzAlpine. Often ranked as one of the world’s most scenic train journeys, the TranzAlpine is a four-hour event where you get to admire the transformational scenery of the rugged West Coast to the plains of Canterbury. In between are the magnificent mountains of Arthur’s Pass National Park. Heighten the experience with a seat in Scenic Plus Class combining the views with local delicacies and regional wines served to your seat in a carriage with panoramic windows. Book your journey or find out more information on Viator or Tripadvisor.

Pairing quite nicely with visiting Greymouth by train, Explore West Coast takes you on a small-group tour to see the West Coast’s major highlights from Greymouth. Join knowledgable guides for a journey to the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks along the Great Coast Road where you’ll have lots of opportunities to stop for photos. Alternatively, head south to explore the milky blue waters of Hokitika Gorge and walk the West Coast Treetop Walk. Learn more about Explore West Coast on Viator and Tripadvisor.

For a different perspective of the West Coast, join one of the local helicopter operators for a scenic flight over the majestic Southern Alps. Anderson Helicopters offers a diverse range of scenic flights lasting from 30 minutes to 1h20mins, with opportunities to land in glacier-carved valleys or fly around New Zealand’s highest peak, Aoraki Mt Cook. Alternatively, Precision Helicopters offers scenic flights to view six different glaciers and the pristine snowfields called the “Garden of Allah”. They also offer helicopter services for hiking, kayaking and hunting. Both are based in the neighbouring town of Hokitika.

For more luxury adventures, head to the 8 Luxury Activities in Greymouth.

The Luxury Guide to Greymouth© NZPocketGuide.com

Luxury All-weather Activities

They don’t call it the “Wild West Coast” for nothing! So if the rain pours, don’t hit the pause button on your luxury getaway. Take the time to look around the gorgeous art galleries and boutiques of Greymouth. With a history of jade hunting and gold mining, Greymouth has lots of inspiration for talented artists and craftsmen. Visit Garth Wilson Jade for live pounamu (jade) carving demonstrations and to pick out unique pieces. The Left Bank Art Gallery displays a diverse range of artwork, including jade, at its gallery in a historic bank building. For fashion, take a look around Victoria’s or Into Jeans, both luxury boutiques selling high-end women’s fashion brands.

For something a little unique, how about making your own knife? Barrytown Knifemaking is just a short drive north of Greymouth in a small and scattered community where you’ll be handcrafting a knife in the backyard of your friendly hosts among the punga trees and nikau palms. Experience the sweat of the pioneers as you immerse in this traditional skill to forge and hammer your own knife. In this small-group all-day workshop, enjoy drinks, toasted sandwiches and other refreshments throughout. While not traditional “luxury” it’s a unique experience with the impressive outcome of a quality knife that just about any type of travellers can appreciate.

For more all-weather experiences, check out the 10 Things to Do in Greymouth on a Rainy Day.

The Luxury Guide to Greymouth© Paroa Hotel

Fine Dining in Greymouth

Did we mention that Greymouth is a mining town? With that, premium fine dining wouldn’t fit in well here in a town that prefers to keep things casual. Nevertheless, if you seek the most upscale establishments possible here, then some good options include Buccleugh’s on High (68 High Street) specialising in local delicacies like whitebait (when in season between mid-August and November), blue cod, venison and vegetarian options. Similarly, Speight’s Ale House (130 Mawhera Quay) offers hearty West Coast cuisine along with a range of their own beers, enjoyed in the charming setting of a historic building. And if you head a little south to the Paroa Hotel (508 Main South Road), you’ll be served well-presented plates of surf and turf along with magnificent views of the famous West Coast sunset.

Remember, the luxury accommodations in Greymouth also offer some sort of private dining for guests, so be sure to take them up on the offer.

For more dining recommendations, check out The Foodie Guide to Greymouth.

More About Greymouth

That’s it for the luxury travel guide to Greymouth. Find even more tips to make your luxury getaway exceptional in The Luxury Travel Guide to New Zealand.

Sources:

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

About The Author

Laura S.

This article has been reviewed and published by Laura, the editor-in-chief and co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. Laura is a first-class honours journalism graduate and a travel journalist with expertise in New Zealand and South Pacific tourism for over 10 years. She also runs travel guides for five of the top destinations in the South Pacific and is the co-host of over 250 episodes of the NZ Travel Show on YouTube.

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