Things to do in Auckland

Where Auckland is and how the city fits together

The centre sits on the south shore of the Waitematā Harbour. Queen Street runs uphill from the ferry terminal, with Britomart, the old warehouse quarter now full of restaurants, on one side and the Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter, the marinas, on the other. The Sky Tower, 328 m and open since 1997, marks the centre from almost anywhere. Ponsonby and Karangahape Road, to the west, are where people go out to eat and drink. Across the Harbour Bridge is the North Shore, and a ten-minute ferry ride away is Devonport, a Victorian village with two volcanic cones of its own.

The Māori name, Tāmaki Makaurau, is usually translated as Tāmaki desired by many, and the reason is still plain: two harbours, fertile volcanic soil and a short portage between the seas made it the most fought-over land in the country. Many of the cones carry the terraces of old pā. Since 2014 fourteen of them have been owned by the Auckland iwi and cared for with the council, which is why you now walk rather than drive to the top of Maungawhau, Mount Eden. At 196 m it is the highest natural point on the isthmus and the best free view of the city.

Things to do in Auckland

A day in Auckland works best on the water and on the volcanoes, with the city centre as the base. These are what our itineraries book, and what we would add.

• Sail the harbour: Explore runs sailing trips on the Waitematā from the Viaduct, including a dinner sail on 48 of our itineraries. On 13 you crew a former America's Cup yacht, which is more hands-on than it sounds.
• The All Blacks Experience: an interactive rugby exhibition in the SkyCity complex, on 59 of our itineraries. Wētā Workshop Unleashed, in the same complex, is a walk-through of the film effects company's creatures and props, on 42.
• The Sky Tower: the lift to the observation decks is on 21 itineraries. The SkyWalk and SkyJump go from 192 m for those who want them, and 6 of our itineraries include dinner in the revolving restaurant.
• Rangitoto: a ferry across the Gulf and a walk of about an hour to the crater rim, over black lava fields and through the largest pōhutukawa forest in the world. Take water and food. 20 of our itineraries include the ferry.
• Auckland Museum: in the Domain, the city's oldest park, on the rim of an old volcano. The Māori and Pacific galleries are the best anywhere, and there is a Māori cultural performance most days.
• The west coast: 45 minutes over the Waitākere Ranges are the black-sand surf beaches, Piha and Karekare. Swim only between the flags; the rips here are strong and the beaches are among the most dangerous in the country.

Our guide to 48 hours in Auckland lays out a day and an evening in order, with the islands for a second day.

Waiheke and the Hauraki Gulf islands

The Gulf is the part of Auckland people remember. Ferries leave the downtown terminal for dozens of islands, and three are worth a visitor's day. Waiheke Island, about 40 minutes out, has vineyards, olive groves, beaches on the north side and a village at Oneroa. 11 of our itineraries take the ferry over, and 12 add the hop-on, hop-off bus that links the wineries. A few stay the night there instead of in the city, which we like as a quieter last night before a flight.

Tiritiri Matangi, about 75 minutes by ferry, is an open bird sanctuary cleared of predators, where takahē, saddleback and kōkako are easy to see and bellbirds are loud enough to stop conversation. It is on 3 of our itineraries with a guided walk. The ferry does not run every day, so book it before you plan around it. Rangitoto, the closest, is described above.

Getting to Auckland, and where to go next

Auckland Airport (AKL) is about 20 km south of the centre. Allow 30 minutes by taxi or shuttle outside rush hour and closer to an hour in it; the AirportLink bus connects to the train at Puhinui. Nearly every long-haul flight to New Zealand lands here, and there are direct flights from every major Australian city. Domestic flights leave from a separate terminal a short walk away.

How long to stay in Auckland

One or two nights at the start, and often one more at the end. On arrival the first night is for sleep, so two nights gives you a real day for the harbour, a volcano and the museum. A third day is for Waiheke or Tiritiri Matangi. More than that and you are spending time that the rest of the North Island would use better; our North Island itinerary for 10 days gives Auckland the two nights and moves on.

If your trip is mostly in the South Island, you may not need Auckland at all. Fly straight to Christchurch or Queenstown with a same-day connection, and use the time there. Our guide to getting from Auckland to Queenstown covers the options.

Auckland weather and the best time to visit

Auckland is mild, humid and changeable. The average high is about 24°C in January and 15°C in July, and frost is rare. It rains a fair bit, about 1,100 mm a year, mostly in winter, and it often comes as short showers between sunny spells, which is where the local line about four seasons in a day comes from. Summer humidity makes 25°C feel warmer than it would in Christchurch.

February and March are the most settled months, with the warmest sea and the school holidays over. December and January are busy, with the city emptying out to the beaches over Christmas and New Year. Winter is quiet, green and wet, but rarely cold enough to spoil a day. For the day you are there, the MetService forecast is the one to check.

Where to stay in Auckland

Stay in the city centre, near the waterfront, for a short visit: everything above is a walk, a ferry or a short ride away. Ponsonby and Parnell have smaller hotels and better neighbourhood restaurants, and Devonport has bed and breakfasts for people who do not mind a ferry each way. Airport hotels only make sense for a very early departure.

The hotel our itineraries use most is the Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart, on 46 of them, close to the ferries and the train station. Sudima Auckland City hosts 25, Fable Auckland 25 and the Grand Millennium Auckland 15. The Park Hyatt, on the Wynyard Quarter waterfront, is the luxury option on 4 itineraries.