My Favourite Things To Do in Auckland: A Kiwi’s Guide To The Best Auckland Has To Offer

Auckland is an awesome city – not only are you never more than 20mins drive from a beach, it’s got a really unique landscape with 50 volcanoes, a gulf peppered with islands, great dining options, its own culture and some nice short hikes/day walks.

As a born and bred Aucklander, I get seriously offended when I hear travellers say ‘Oh just skip Auckland, it’s not worth hanging around’. It kills me that some travellers only see downtown Auckland, so I’ve written a blog post about what we locals do for fun around here. Hopefully, it gives you a few ideas about what to do in Auckland that will make you want to stick around a bit longer!

Get a 360° view of Auckland – the free way

Mount Eden Crater and City View
Peer into the massive crater at the summit of Mount Eden

Sure, going up to the top of the SkyTower, skydiving or taking a seaplane flight might give you a great 360 degree view of Auckland, but if you’re a local, you’re more likely to head the top of Mount Eden to soak up the cityscape. In my opinion this is one of the best free things to do in Auckland. The best time to go is just as the sun is setting so you can watch the lights come on around the city.

Mount Eden is actually a volcano and has a big, impressive crater. You can walk around the edge of the crater and see some of the best views of the city. Afterwards, walk back down to Mount Eden village for a pint and pot of mussels at De Post, a delicious burger at Corner Burger or a hot chocolate and slice of cake at Frasers. You’ve earned it!

Getting there: Catch the bus or the train from the city.

Visit the historic settlement of Devonport

Mount Victoria, Devonport.
Head to the top of Mount Victoria, Devonport for great views of the harbour and to see some of New Zealand’s military history

Take the ferry from the downtown ferry terminal over to Devonport. See New Zealand’s navy base from the water then explore the colonial-style village. If you’re up for a bit of an adventure, take a walk up Mount Victoria or North Head (two dormant volcanoes) to explore the old tunnels and see the old guns and bomb shelters that were built during World War II to protect the Auckland harbour. According to legend the tunnels at North Head are haunted! (Bring a torch if you have one.)

Getting there: Take the ferry ticket from Downtown Auckland to Devonport.

Ponsonby – The place to be seen

Gypsy Caravan
Dine out in Ponsonby – there’s a great selection of restaurants and bars for all budgets.

Ponsonby is a trendy ‘city-fringe’ suburb where the people are cool, the houses are mega-expensive, the shopping ranges from op-shops to designer and where you’re bound to have a great night out. Ponsonby Road is lined with upmarket cafes, shops, restaurants and bars.

Splurge for lunch at SPQR and sit out on the sidewalk for some great people watching or head inside Ponsonby Central where you’ll find a collection of different restaurants to choose from. If you’re on a backpacker’s budget, head to the International Food Court above the pool hall and take your pick of delicious Chinese, Indian, Balinese, Lao, Malaysian, Japanese or Italian cuisine.

Go shopping in the boutique stores and see what bargains you can find. If you’re there for the evening and want to have a dance – Long Room, Little Easy and Ponsonby Social Club are local favourites.

Getting there: You can walk, it’s only 2.6kms from downtown (although be prepared for a few hills) otherwise you can catch the Link bus from the city.

Hike from Coast to Coast

Stop by the Auckland War Memorial museum at the Auckland Domain
Stop by the Auckland War Memorial Museum at the Auckland Domain

Auckland is so skinny that you can actually walk from one side of New Zealand to the other! Start your walk from downtown Auckland and follow the Coast to Coast markers past key landmarks like the Auckland Domain,  Mount Eden and One Tree Hill. It’s 16 kms in total so you’ll need the whole day for this one – especially if you throw in a museum tour at the Auckland War Memorial museum (which I highly recommend!). The walk finishes at Beachcroft Avenue in Onehunga, a newly renovated beachfront area.  View the Coast to Coast map

Getting there: Walk to the start, then catch the train or bus back into the city from Onehunga.

Walk/bike/skate along the pink path

Get that Insta-worthy shot on the famous pink path
Get that Insta-worthy shot on the famous pink path

The pink cycleway, built in the middle of Auckland’s central motorway junction, is a hit amongst tourists and locals alike. It’s the perfect place to take photos, go for a bike ride or just admire the cityscape – the path is lit up at night too! Make sure to check it out if you have a spare hour or so in the city centre – #doitforthegram

Getting there: Walk from the CBD to the Nelson Street off-ramp (Upper Queen Street) or walk from K’Road to Quay Street.

Must-do in Auckland: Visit Waiheke Island

Stonyridge Vineyard
Never miss a photo opportunity at Stonyridge Vineyard

Waiheke Island was named one of the world’s top regions to visit in Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel’ Guide, but we Aucklanders have been big fans of this gorgeous island since way back when. Waiheke has picturesque beaches, great vineyards, a cute little village and best of all, it’s only a 40 min scenic ferry ride from Auckland city. Waiheke is a big island so if you’re just going for the day choose to visit either the Onetangi area (for which you’ll need to get a bus pass), or the Oneroa area (which you can explore on foot).

In Onetangi you’ll find Wild on Waiheke – they do a wine tasting or craft beer tasting set as well as archery and clay bird shooting. Next door, Stonyridge Vineyard is a great place to stop for wine tasting, a platter and a photo opportunity by the vines. Wander up the road about 100m to Dellows Distillery where they make their own spirits and liquors. Or for something more adventurous go ziplining with Eco Zip Adventures!

If you choose to explore Waiheke on foot, head up the hill from the ferry terminal and turn left for Oneroa village. There are lots of places to eat, some nice shops to peruse and an extraordinary concentration of real estate shops. Head back along the road you came in on and keep going straight (past the hill you walked up) towards Cable Bay.  Taste local wine at the cellar door and try one of their delicious pizzas as you sit on bean bags on the lawn, looking back over Auckland city.

It will be tempting to stay here all day, but keep walking up the road and you’ll find Mudbrick, a Mediterranean-style vineyard and one of New Zealand’s most sought after wedding venues. You can taste test their wines, and it’s also the best place on Waiheke to watch the sunset.

Getting there: Catch the ferry from Downtown Auckland to Waiheke.

Immerse yourself in nature on Tiritiri Matangi Island

Hard to believe you're just a ferry ride away from the city!
Hard to believe you’re just a ferry ride away from the city!

Tiritiri Matangi Island is another short ferry ride away from downtown Auckland. The island boasts some great walking tracks and you’ll see lots of rare native birds.  In the weekend, staff from the Department of Conservation host guided hikes so you can learn more about the wildlife.

It’s a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The price of the ferry may be a little off-putting but, believe us, it’s worth it! It’s a full day activity and you won’t need to spend any extra money on the island (just take a packed lunch in your bag). I’d recommend taking the guided nature walk around the island, eating your lunch at the top of the island by the lighthouse and then spending the rest of the afternoon swimming or sunbathing on the beach before hopping back on the ferry to the city.

Getting there: Catch the ferry from Downtown Auckland

Explore Western Springs & Kingsland

This happens to be my local area, so I might be a bit biased when I say you can’t miss it! Catch the bus to Western Springs, a nice park with a lake in the middle of it for a morning walk. Next door you’ll find the Auckland Zoo and MOTAT (The Museum of Transport and Technology) if either of those options floats your boat.

If not, walk up Western Springs Road and you’ll find Urbanaut Brewery where you can try the local craft beer or do a brewery tour.  Across the main road, you will find the Beer Spot, a casual bar with loads of different New Zealand craft beers on tap. I recommend stopping in at Crave for lunch. Crave Cafe is a neighbourhood initiative where all the profit gets put back into the community, so it’s a great cause with delicious food to boot!

After you’ve filled your belly, head up to Kingsland, a funky precinct that’s also home to our most iconic sports venue: Eden Park, home of the mighty All Blacks. In the evenings the bars offer live music, comedy nights, live sports games and even salsa classes.

Getting there: Catch the 020 Bus to Western Springs, or if you want to skip straight to Crave & Urbanaut – take the train from Britomart to Morningside. Return to the city on the train from Kingsland train station.

Climb Auckland’s youngest volcano

Rangitoto volcano is an iconic figure in Auckland's harbour
Rangitoto volcano is an iconic figure in Auckland’s harbour

Catch the morning ferry to Rangitoto, one of the city’s most iconic volcanoes, rising up out of the Auckland harbour. Don’t follow the tourists up the regular track to the summit though – take the track to the left and go around the outside of the island, checking out the historical baches (little holiday houses), disused quarry site, loads of volcanic rock and a gorgeous little sandy beach before heading up the back of the volcano to the summit.

Take a picnic lunch with you to have at the summit while you soak in the sense of achievement and the views. Head back down the regular track to the wharf, but don’t miss the detour to the lava caves! When you get to the lava caves you’ll see three together. Squeeze yourself through the entrance to the middle cave, which is actually quite big inside and you can adventure through it to come back out the track on the other side.

Getting there: Catch the ferry from Downtown Auckland

Walk the coastal track between Takapuna and Milford

Sunny days at Takapuna beach and a view of Rangitoto Island
Sunny days at Takapuna beach and a view of Rangitoto Island

Catch the bus over the Harbour Bridge to Takapuna, the unofficial capital of Auckland’s North Shore. The shops and restaurants are clustered close to a long, white sand beach. Start your walk by heading left along the beach. The coastal track is about 3kms long with a great little bay in the middle where you can stop for a swim if you need to cool off. Return the same way you came and treat yourself to an ice cream at the Takapuna Beach Cafe.

Getting there: Catch a bus from Downtown Auckland or from Devonport

Explore downtown Auckland

Auckland city lights at night from the Viaduct Harbour
Auckland city lights at night from the Viaduct Harbour

Head down to the Auckland Viaduct and walk around Wynyard Quarter, North Wharf and Silo Park. You’ll often stumble across events taking place, particularly on the weekends. On Friday nights in the summer Silo Park hosts a free outdoor cinema, with a night market and food trucks.

Getting there: Just a short walk away from Britomart.

Wander around the central city

Aotea Square in Auckland
Auckland City Council often puts on free entertainment in Aotea Square

Exploring on foot in the central city you’ll find the Auckland Art Gallery, some fancy shops around High Street, the Chancery and Vulcan Lane, an entertainment hub at SkyCity and great restaurants and bars around Federal Street and City Works Depot.  Further up Queen Street, you’ll find the IMAX Cinemas, Metro Lanes bowling alley and Aotea Square, which often hosts free events.

Long story short, don’t skip Auckland! Stay here and try out some of my suggestions above and I promise you that when you leave you’ll love this New Zealand city almost as much as I do.

Getting around Auckland

You can find ferry, train and bus timetables for Auckland on the Auckland Transport website.  When you arrive, pick up an Auckland Transport HOP card. This is your ticket to getting around on public transport. It costs $10 to buy one (this is non-refundable), which sounds expensive, but it soon pays off because a cash fare one-way on the bus is around $7 and the same trip with a HOP card will cost you around $2.

Getting around New Zealand

Once you are ready to start checking out the rest of the country, book yourself a Stray Tour.  Stray is New Zealand’s hop-on hop-off bus tour company for adventurous travellers. Take your time exploring Aotearoa New Zealand, get further off the beaten track, and meet some great people along the way!

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Jodine

Originally from Auckland, New Zealand. Favourite Stray stop: Mount Cook (New Zealand). Fun fact: she's been to 37 countries (and counting).

Recently we launched heaps new Stray New Zealand Tours. Our new Adventure Tours are the best thing since Hop-On/Hop-Off, we've cranked up the excitement dial to max. And our new Select Tours are perfect for travellers that want to explore without compromising on comfort.

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  • Thanks for this! Really helpful. Makes me feel very excited about the prospect of visiting Auckland.

  • I have been visiting my friend inNew Zealand from 1978 and I would never leave Auckland out of my trip. My friend started off in Wellington and gradually moved up North living in various places in between. Well Auckland will be seeing you very soon.

  • We are leaving Sydney tomorrow to head to New Zealand for a month. We will start in Auckland. I just finished reading your blog and I am now more excited than ever! Thank you for such a great description of all the possibilities to experience.

  • I am leaving Singapore tomorrow going to New Zealand for a three years working visa. I am so excited after reading your blog. I can’t wait to visit those places in Auckland. Thank you.

  • Totally love the 360 view! Looking forward to inspiring pics like this. AUckland is a great city. Also i found here awesome colleagues. Friendly people!The neighborhood is great!

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