Things to do · Auckland · New Zealand
17 best things to do in Auckland
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Iswzo, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Auckland are Sky Tower, Auckland War Memorial Museum and Maungawhau / Mount Eden. Of the 17 picks below, 8 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 12 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Sky Tower
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Sky Tower
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Tower | City Centre | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Auckland War Memorial Museum | Auckland Domain | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Maungawhau / Mount Eden | Mount Eden | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Waiheke Island | Hauraki Gulf | Full day | Mid-priced |
| Auckland Harbour Bridge | Westhaven | 1.5–2 hours for the climb | Expensive |
| Rangitoto Island | Hauraki Gulf | Half a day | Low cost |
| Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki | City Centre | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Auckland Domain and Wintergardens | Auckland Domain | 1 hour | Free |
| Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter | City Centre | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park | Epsom | 2 hours | Free |
| Devonport and Maungauika / North Head | Devonport | Half a day | Free |
| Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium | Tamaki Drive | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Auckland Zoo | Western Springs | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| MOTAT – Museum of Transport and Technology | Western Springs | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Tamaki Drive and Mission Bay | Eastern Bays | Half a day | Free |
| Piha Beach and the Waitākere Ranges | West Coast | Full day | Free |
| New Zealand Maritime Museum | City Centre | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
The 17 best things to do
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Viewpoint · City Centre
1.Sky Tower
At 328 metres, the Sky Tower is one of the tallest freestanding structures in the Southern Hemisphere and the city's main viewpoint, with glass-floor panels on the observation levels and views up to about 80 km on a clear day. Thrill-seekers can walk around the outside ledge on the SkyWalk or leap off on the cable-guided SkyJump from 192 metres.
Go up an hour before sunset to see the city by day and lit up at night on one ticket.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- After dark
- Rainy day
Museum · Auckland Domain
2.Auckland War Memorial Museum
The neoclassical museum on Pukekawa hill in the Domain houses major Māori and Pacific collections, including the carved meeting house Hotunui and the war canoe Te Toki a Tapiri, alongside natural history galleries with moa skeletons and a volcano gallery, and New Zealand's war memorial halls. Daily Māori cultural performances are held in the museum.
Book the Māori cultural performance for the same visit, and see the ground-floor Pacific galleries before tour groups arrive.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Viewpoint · Mount Eden
3.Maungawhau / Mount Eden
At 196 metres, Maungawhau is the highest natural point on the Auckland isthmus, with a 50-metre-deep grassed crater, Te Ipu-a-Mataaho, and terraces left by Māori pā settlement. Vehicles are no longer allowed at the summit, so the walk up is quiet, and the view sweeps across both harbours and dozens of other volcanic cones.
Walking into the crater is not allowed out of respect for its cultural significance; stay on the summit path.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- History
Island · Hauraki Gulf
4.Waiheke Island
About 40 minutes from downtown by ferry, Waiheke has more than 20 vineyards known for Bordeaux-style reds and syrah, olive groves, art galleries and beaches such as Oneroa and Onetangi. Buses and hop-on hop-off tours link the ferry wharf at Matiatia with the wineries and villages.
Book winery lunches ahead in summer and at weekends, and plan your return around the busy late-afternoon ferries.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Couples
- Food
- Outdoors
- Views
- Iconic
Landmark · Westhaven
5.Auckland Harbour Bridge
The steel arch bridge linking the city and the North Shore opened in 1959; its clip-on extra lanes earned the nickname 'Nippon clip-ons'. Guided climbs take you over the arch, and a bungy jump drops from a pod beneath the span towards the harbour.
For a free view, walk out along the Westhaven marina path towards the bridge's southern end.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours for the climb
- Cost
- Expensive
- Active
- Views
- Iconic
Island · Hauraki Gulf
6.Rangitoto Island
The symmetrical volcano that dominates the harbour view erupted out of the sea only about 600 years ago, and its black lava fields are now covered by the world's largest pōhutukawa forest. From the wharf a walking track climbs to the 260-metre summit in about an hour, with a side track to lava caves.
There are no shops or water on the island; bring food, water, sun protection and a torch for the lava caves, and check the last ferry time back.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Active
- Views
- Kids
Gallery · City Centre
7.Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
New Zealand's largest art collection fills a French Renaissance-style building joined to a modern timber-canopied wing on the edge of Albert Park. Highlights include Gottfried Lindauer's and Charles Goldie's portraits of Māori ancestors and contemporary New Zealand and Pacific art.
Combine it with a walk through Albert Park and the University of Auckland's old Clock Tower next door.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Park · Auckland Domain
8.Auckland Domain and Wintergardens
The city's oldest park spreads across an extinct volcano's crater, with sports fields, bush walks and the Wintergardens: two glasshouses of tropical and temperate plants flanking a courtyard pond, plus a fernery in an old quarry.
Walk up through the Domain to the museum from Parnell or Grafton to avoid paying for parking.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
Waterfront · City Centre
1.Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter
The redeveloped waterfront west of the ferry terminal links the Viaduct marina, built for the America's Cup, with Wynyard Quarter's Silo Park, playgrounds, the Auckland Fish Market and harbourside restaurants via the Te Wero bascule bridge. It is the city's favourite place for an evening stroll.
On summer evenings, Silo Park often hosts outdoor events; check the waterfront's listings before you go.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- Kids
- Couples
Park · Epsom
2.Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park
Maungakiekie was one of the largest Māori pā on the isthmus, and its terraced slopes rise from Cornwall Park, a working farm park where sheep graze among old trees. An obelisk marks the summit, with views across the Manukau Harbour, and the park's café and visitor centre explain the area's history.
Bring a picnic; Cornwall Park has wide lawns and barbecues and is one of the most relaxing green spaces in the city.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Views
- History
- Outdoors
Historic site · Devonport
3.Devonport and Maungauika / North Head
A short ferry ride from downtown, Devonport's Victorian main street leads to North Head, a volcanic headland honeycombed with tunnels and gun emplacements built against feared Russian invasion in the 1880s and expanded through the World Wars. The lookout views across to the city and Rangitoto are some of the best in Auckland.
Bring a torch to explore the tunnels, then walk round to Cheltenham Beach for a swim in summer.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
Aquarium · Tamaki Drive
4.Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium
Built into old sewage storage tanks on Tamaki Drive, this aquarium pioneered the moving walk-through underwater tunnel when it opened in 1985. It is best known for its Antarctic habitat with king and gentoo penguins, plus sharks and stingrays.
Combine it with the waterfront walk or bike ride along Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Zoo · Western Springs
5.Auckland Zoo
The zoo's Te Wao Nui section recreates New Zealand habitats from coast to alpine, with kiwi in a nocturnal house, tuatara and native birds, while other zones hold elephants, giraffes and orangutans. The South East Asia jungle track is one of its most recent large areas.
Visit the kiwi in the nocturnal house first thing, when the birds are often more active and the space is quiet.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
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Museum · Western Springs
6.MOTAT – Museum of Transport and Technology
Next to Western Springs park and the zoo, MOTAT displays trams, steam engines, aircraft including a Short Solent flying boat and a Lancaster bomber, and hands-on science exhibits. It is one of Auckland's best wet-weather stops for families.
Pair it with the zoo or a walk around the eels and swans of Western Springs Lakeside Park next door.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Waterfront · Eastern Bays
7.Tamaki Drive and Mission Bay
The waterfront road east of the city runs about 9 km past Okahu Bay, Mission Bay and Kohimarama to St Heliers, with a wide shared path for walking, cycling and skating. Mission Bay has a swimming beach, a fountain children run through, and a row of cafés and ice-cream shops facing Rangitoto.
Hire a bike in the city or use a share scheme and ride the flat route out to St Heliers for brunch.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
- Couples
Beach · West Coast
8.Piha Beach and the Waitākere Ranges
About 40 km west of the city, Piha is a black-sand surf beach split by the 101-metre Lion Rock, reached over the Waitākere Ranges through native rainforest. The Arataki Visitor Centre on the way has track information, and short walks lead to waterfalls such as Kitekite Falls.
Piha has strong rips; swim only between the lifeguard flags, which are usually in place on summer weekends and holidays.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Active
Museum · City Centre
9.New Zealand Maritime Museum
On Hobson Wharf at the Viaduct, the museum traces New Zealand's seafaring story from Polynesian voyaging canoes and early immigrant ships to the America's Cup, including the yacht KZ1 and a re-creation of a cramped 19th-century settler cabin.
Check whether a heritage harbour sailing is running on the day; it is a cheap way onto the water.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, MOTAT – Museum of Transport and Technology and New Zealand Maritime Museum |
| History | Auckland War Memorial Museum, Maungawhau / Mount Eden, Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park and Devonport and Maungauika / North Head |
| Views | Sky Tower, Maungawhau / Mount Eden, Rangitoto Island and Waiheke Island |
| Outdoors and nature | Maungawhau / Mount Eden, Waiheke Island, Rangitoto Island and Auckland Domain and Wintergardens |
| Food and markets | Waiheke Island and Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter |
| After dark | Sky Tower and Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter |
| With children | Sky Tower, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Rangitoto Island and Auckland Domain and Wintergardens |
| On a rainy day | Sky Tower, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Auckland?
Sky Tower. At 328 metres, the Sky Tower is one of the tallest freestanding structures in the Southern Hemisphere and the city's main viewpoint, with glass-floor panels on the observation levels and views up to about 80 km on a clear day.
+What can you do for free in Auckland?
Maungawhau / Mount Eden, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Auckland Domain and Wintergardens, Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter and Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Auckland when it rains?
Head indoors to Sky Tower, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium.
+What is there to do in Auckland at night?
Sky Tower and Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter are best after dark.