Sheltered coves and long surf beaches
Around Coromandel you'll find sheltered coves and long surf beaches. Ask your guide about kayaking — it's the kind of thing that turns a transfer into a day you remember.
Bay of Plenty → Coromandel
Waihi Beach - Bowentown to ThamesDay tours & experiences
If you're based in Waihi Beach - Bowentown and curious about Thames, a private day tour is the simplest way to make it happen.
Thames sits in Coromandel — a rugged peninsula of pōhutukawa-fringed coves, hot sand and old gold towns. With your own vehicle and a local guide you can shape the day around what you actually want to see, rather than a timetable.
Coromandel
What you might experience
A taste of what a day around Thames can hold.
Hot water bubbling up through the sand
Around Coromandel you'll find hot water bubbling up through the sand. Ask your guide about coastal walking — it's the kind of thing that turns a transfer into a day you remember.
Gold-rush history and artisan townships
Around Coromandel you'll find gold-rush history and artisan townships. Ask your guide about beach days — it's the kind of thing that turns a transfer into a day you remember.
Coastal walks to sea-carved arches
Around Coromandel you'll find coastal walks to sea-carved arches. Ask your guide about heritage strolls — it's the kind of thing that turns a transfer into a day you remember.
Tour options
Ways to travel between Waihi Beach - Bowentown and Thames.
Full-day guided tour
A whole day with your own driver-guide — the classic way to see the highlights without watching the clock or reading a map.
Half-day experience
A shorter loop for arrival days, cruise stops or when you want the afternoon back. Fewer stops, same local knowledge.
Scenic transfer with stops
Travelling anyway? Turn the journey itself into the sightseeing, pausing wherever the view, the coffee or the photo is worth it.
Custom group tour
Families, friends and small groups in one private vehicle, with an itinerary written around what your group actually wants to do.
Why travel between these towns
Your driver-guide is a local. They know which lookout is clear in the morning, which café is worth the stop and which short walk is worth the shoes.
The road between Waihi Beach - Bowentown and Thames threads through the kind of country people fly across the world to see — a rugged peninsula of pōhutukawa-fringed coves, hot sand and old gold towns.
Going private means the day belongs to you: no fixed departure times, no coach-load of strangers, and no rushing past something you wanted to photograph.
Gateway experiences
Make the most of both ends of your journey.
Waihi Beach - Bowentown
Before you set out, Waihi Beach - Bowentown is a good place to slow down — Bay of Plenty is known for orchards, avocados and roadside produce and harbour walks and a summit view over the bay.
Thames
Once you arrive, Thames opens up heritage strolls, beach days and coastal walking in and around the wider Coromandel area.
Frequently asked questions
More day trips from Waihi Beach - Bowentown
Ready to see Thames?
Tell us what you'd like to do and we'll come back with a private itinerary and a clear quote.