With kids · Auckland · New Zealand
Auckland with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ingolfson, Public domain
Quick answer
Auckland is easy with children: beaches with lifeguards, volcanoes to climb, ferries, a zoo and several hands-on museums. Playgrounds at Wynyard Quarter and Mission Bay make good breaks, and most attractions are pram-friendly, though Queen Street is steep. Top picks: Auckland War Memorial Museum, Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium and Auckland Zoo. Families usually base themselves in Parnell.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- Parnell
- Rainy-day options
- 5
- Busiest months
- January
Best things to do with kids
Museum · Auckland Domain
1.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
Aquarium · Tamaki Drive
2.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
3.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
4.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
Island · Hauraki Gulf
5.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
Park · Epsom
6.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
Waterfront · City Centre
7.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
Historic site · Devonport
8.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
Rainy-day ideas
- Sky Tower — Go up an hour before sunset to see the city by day and lit up at night on one ticket.
- Auckland War Memorial Museum — Book the Māori cultural performance for the same visit, and see the ground-floor Pacific galleries before tour groups arrive.
- Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium — Combine it with the waterfront walk or bike ride along Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay.
- MOTAT – Museum of Transport and Technology — Pair it with the zoo or a walk around the eels and swans of Western Springs Lakeside Park next door.
- New Zealand Maritime Museum — Check whether a heritage harbour sailing is running on the day; it is a cheap way onto the water.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, culture, quiet stays and families
Parnell
Parnell climbs east of the city centre with Victorian shopfronts, art galleries, French-style patisseries and the wooden Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Mary's Church. It sits beside the Auckland Domain and Auckland Museum, and the Parnell Rose Gardens lead down to Judges Bay. It is calm and polished, a good choice for couples and culture-focused visitors.
- Good
- Walking distance to the museum and Domain; Quiet evenings; Good cafés and galleries
- Watch out
- Limited nightlife; Steep streets
- Nearby
- Auckland Museum, Auckland Domain, Parnell Rose Gardens, Judges Bay
Family travel tips
- Children often travel at reduced fares on AT services; register an AT HOP card for the concession.
- Bring sunhats and high-factor sunscreen; New Zealand's UV index is very high in summer.
- Swim at sheltered harbour beaches such as Mission Bay or Takapuna rather than the west-coast surf beaches.
- Book Auckland Zoo and MOTAT on the same day; they sit side by side at Western Springs.
Day trips for families
- Muriwai gannet colony (About 45 minutes by car) — On a headland above Muriwai's long black-sand surf beach, thousands of Australasian gannets nest from about August to March, close enough to watch from viewing platforms.
- Tiritiri Matangi Island (About 75 minutes by ferry) — An open bird sanctuary cleared of predators and replanted by volunteers, where takahē, kōkako, saddleback and other rare native birds live in the wild.
- Matakana and Goat Island (About 1 hour by car) — Matakana village has a Saturday farmers' market, wineries and cafés, and nearby Goat Island became New Zealand's first marine reserve in 1975, where snapper and other fish swim close to shore for snorkellers.
- Hobbiton Movie Set (About 2 hours by car) — The Shire set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films sits on a working farm near Matamata, with 44 hobbit holes, the Mill and the Green Dragon Inn on guided tours.
- Waitomo Caves (About 2.5 hours by car) — Boats glide beneath ceilings lit by thousands of glowworms in the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, and nearby operators run black-water rafting and abseiling trips through the limestone caves.
When to go with children
The best months overall are February–April and December. January is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Auckland good for kids?
Auckland is easy with children: beaches with lifeguards, volcanoes to climb, ferries, a zoo and several hands-on museums. Playgrounds at Wynyard Quarter and Mission Bay make good breaks, and most attractions are pram-friendly, though Queen Street is steep.
+What can kids do in Auckland?
Auckland War Memorial Museum, Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium, Auckland Zoo, MOTAT – Museum of Transport and Technology and Rangitoto Island.
+Where should families stay in Auckland?
Parnell: Auckland's oldest suburb, with galleries, the Domain and the Parnell Rose Gardens.