Auckland Central Business District
In the city centre
From within, Auckland’s CBD holds a clutch of mini-districts. Cool kids head to Britomart and High Street to shop: try Pauanesia for “Kiwiana” and Untouched World for sustainable clothes. Try open-air dining at the family-friendly Eliot Stables, or see Māori and Polynesian art at the Auckland Art Gallery (dazzling after its $100m refit!).
Places to stay from £5 per night
Viaduct Harbour
0.4 miles from city centre
This downtown dive has transformed itself from “blah” to “hurrah”! Auckland’s powers-that-be pumped money into developing this former no-go zone, building it up for the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup yacht race. Today, the Viaduct and adjacent Wynyard Quarter are shrines to top-class dining, trendy bars and cool clubs.
Places to stay from £52 per night
Parnell
1.2 miles from city centre
Parnell, rise. Having thrown off its stuffy image of late, this moneyed city-fringe suburb is flooded with techie start-ups and boutiques. Go to Parnell Rise (the main strip) on Friday night to dine and mingle with Auckland’s young movers-and-shakers – try Mink for café cool, Cibo for designer desserts or Non Solo Pizza for the best slice in town!
Places to stay from £52 per night
Waitakere
7 miles from city centre
West Auckland is vast and huge, but there are three must-dos: take the easy Omanawanui Track, a half-day adventure through native rainforest; have a flat white in the hippie enclave of Titirangi, a tiny township with links to vineyards (try Artisan in Henderson); plus unspoiled Piha Beach – for experienced surfers, runners, trekkers and loafers.
Places to stay from £29 per night
North Shore
5.8 miles from city centre
Say “sure” to the shore! Every suburb has its own flavour – Albany with its vibrant South African community, Takapuna for beaches and café culture, Devonport for historical hoity-toity (and its haunting WWII barracks), and Greenhithe for solitude amid the evergreens. For an afternoon of swimming and barbecuing, head further north to Long Bay.
Places to stay from £12 per night
Manukau
11.5 miles from city centre
Manukau takes some flack for its urban grit – but that’s only half the story. Each suburb teems with openness and warmth. For proof, visit Otara Markets on Saturday for Pacific street-food and bootleg beats, Botany Town Centre and Westfield Manukau for slick shop-stops, or Manurewa’s Botanical Gardens for a theatre of NZ’s diverse flora and fauna.
Places to stay from £60 per night
Auckland Airport Area
8.8 miles from city centre
Though this area typically bustles with cargo companies, you can find little pockets of peace. After touch down, unwind among the vines of Villa Maria winery, or tee off at the 18-hole Aviation Golf Club. At Mangere Markets, pick up the pace amid a medley of languages and Pacific cultures, then strike thrill-ride gold at Rainbow’s End Theme Park.
Places to stay from £39 per night
New Zealand’s most populated city, Auckland is flanked by two harbours and built on a volcanic field, with about 50 volcanoes shaping its landscape. Climb up the grassy slopes of Mount Eden or One Tree Hill for 360-degree views, or stop by Auckland Domain – the city’s oldest park – which sits on the crater of a dormant volcano. Nature lovers can also head to Auckland Botanic Gardens for a peaceful picnic amidst tranquil lakes, exotic flowers and native plants.
Featuring urban skyscrapers set against rolling hills, Auckland’s skyline is dominated by the impressive Sky Tower, a 328-metre-tall structure offering panoramic views of the city. Here, you can dine in a revolving restaurant, take a thrilling walk along the edge of the tower or jump off it to experience a free fall of 11 seconds. Expect more bungee jumping opportunities at the Auckland Harbour Bridge, where you can climb to the top or take a plunge into the water below. If you’re after a more relaxing activity, you can see penguins, sharks and stingrays up close at SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium, or take a sunset cruise for evening views of the ‘City of Sails’ and its yacht-decked harbours.
There are plenty of options for art and history enthusiasts travelling to Auckland. Popular places of interest include the Auckland War Memorial Museum honouring New Zealand’s soldiers, and Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, featuring an extensive collection of traditional and contemporary works – from Maori art to Yayoi Kusama installations.
Tonight
From £54 per night
Next weekend
From £92 per night
Most popular time to visit | October–December |
Cheapest time to visit | January–March |
Local currency | NZD 10 = £4.79 |
Language | English |
Average weekend price | £113 per night |
Average weekday price | £113 per night |
Typical stay | 1 night |
Sky Tower
0.1 miles from city centre
Viaduct Harbour
0.4 miles from city centre
Spark Arena
0.7 miles from city centre
Mangere Bridge (SH20)
6 miles from city centre
Dressmart Onehunga
5.2 miles from city centre
Mount Smart Stadium
5.5 miles from city centre
K Road
0.7 miles from city centre
Aotea Centre
0.2 miles from city centre
Travel from airport is awful.
3 May 2024
Travel from airport is awful. It has never been brilliant but is certainly much worse. Taxi drivers were just not interested in taking us to Pakuranga. This is 3rd world level. Down town Auckland is slowly getting back on its feet. It should develop it uniqueness.
Make the effort and walk down to the Viaduct area.
28 April 2024
Make the effort and walk down to the Viaduct area..this place is pumping...loads of choices for food and drink..you can sit and people watch, admire the beautiful yachts, enjoy the friendly atmosphere...awesome buzzy vibe. If you don't feel like walking back to your hotel? there are plenty of taxis around....another tip, if you aren't going far, ask the taxi driver to take you back to your hotel for XXXX (whatever you feel like offering)..most of them will probably happily oblige to have some fare is better than no fare! There are so many road works in Auckland that paying full fare by taxis can be expensive, always try and barter the price before you get in.
Absolutely beautiful city, terrain, food selection and...
28 April 2024
Absolutely beautiful city, terrain, food selection and BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. Downtown Auckland may be hard to travel for persons with mobility issues due to steep and hilly terrain. You can still see a lot of the land marks, have a car service drop u off directly in front. If you want to see the majesty of the land, get out of the city and canvas the surrounding countrysides or hop on the ferry. I’ll be back to connect how city busses and other transportation/ferry can connect you to other places. Definitely bringing my family back. Something for everyone. Definitely want to see Rotorua and different foods. I loved everything about this place and as a solo traveler, I felt safe.
I'm not normally much of a city guy, but Aukland was a...
28 April 2024
I'm not normally much of a city guy, but Aukland was a really great place to explore. It had that feel of a city that didn't know it's a city. Not a huge amount of chains and a lot more smaller businesses. Having said that if you want some serious shopping there were plenty of the bigger boutiques too. The touristy stuff was actually really good and not too expensive, things like the Skytower and the ferries to the other islands.
Always love going to Auckland never a boring day, Favourite...
27 April 2024
Always love going to Auckland never a boring day, Favourite place to go is for sure the walk (or scooter) around the viaduct. super easy to get lost in the streets of Auckland but if you know your way or have a handy Google map then its beautiful down any street you turn to.
The CBD area has a lot to walk too.
23 April 2024
The CBD area has a lot to walk too. The dinner at the orbit in skytower was very good. The wine tour to Waiheke was lovely! Do note the ferry ride is $55 return if you book online. Piha black Sand Beach is about 50 mins from Auckland. I would suggest a stop off at the Arataki visitor centre before heading to Piha. I would also suggest going to the Mercer bay Loop. It is a bit of a steep walk, but can be done within an hour. Just make sure you do the loop and start where the marker is. The walk up the other way is not as bad as going down. The hop on hop off bus was helpful. I also suggest a stroll up Mount Eden. You get beautiful views of Auckland.
Auckland, New Zealand
From £136 per night
North Shore, Auckland
From £110 per night
Auckland Central Business District, Auckland
From £229 per night
Waitakere, Auckland
From £59 per night
Auckland, New Zealand
From £134 per night
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