The Best Things To Do In Auckland

From cultural activities to foodie experiences.

As the country’s largest, Auckland is New Zealand’s most culturally diverse city with plenty to do and a stellar food and wine scene to explore.

Ready to go? Here’s our pick of the best things to do in Auckland to make the most of your time in this vibrant harbour city.

In short

If you only do one thing in Auckland, make it hiking a volcanic maunga (mountain). It’s free and because the city is home to more than 50 volcanic cones and craters, you’re spoiled for choice. Rangitoto Island is perhaps Auckland’s best-known volcanic landmark (at around 600 years old). Get to Rangitoto Island by a daily ferry that departs from the Auckland Ferry Terminal in downtown Auckland. Take all supplies (there are no shops on the island).

Explore Auckland’s culture and heritage

the Auckland War Memorial Museum — Auckland War Memorial Museum is steeped in the culture and history of the Pacific. (Credit: Getty/Erik V)

Few civic spaces beat a national museum or gallery for insight into the history and culture of a place. That’s one of the reasons to spend a few hours at Auckland War Memorial Museum/Tāmaki Paenga Hira in Parnell and the Auckland Art Gallery/Toi o Tāmaki in the city centre. At the museum, the ground level explores the story of Pacific people and how Māori and Europeans came to New Zealand. A guided tour of Auckland’s art gallery, meanwhile, introduces you to exhibitions and provides insight into New Zealand’s art practices and traditions.

BOOK IT: Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain costs $AUD 25/13 to enter for adults/children and is open daily. Find out more, at: aucklandmuseum.com.

Auckland Art Gallery on the corner of Kitchener and Wellesley Streets is open daily and free to enter. Learn more at: aucklandartgallery.com

SkyJump or SkyWalk for views and thrills

Sky Tower in Auckland — Sky Tower rises 1,076 feet above the city. (Credit: Getty/denizunlusu)

Reality assumes a different dimension when you’re leaping off a 328-metre tower. Dominating the Auckland skyline for nearly three decades, Auckland’s Sky Tower offers visitors panoramic views of the city, as well as the chance to SkyJump from a platform near the top (they say it’s like base jumping by wire) or SkyWalk around it – without any handrails. Both are thrilling guided experiences operated by the experts at AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand.

BOOK IT: SkyJump and SkyWalk can be booked online or from the Sky Tower’s ticketing office accessed from either Victoria or Federal Streets in the city. The Sky Tower is open daily.

Sail away on Waitematā Harbour

city lights at Waitematā Harbour — Waitematā Harbour shifts from a busy transit hub to the city’s glowing centre stage at night. (Credit: Getty/Sulthan Auliya)

New Zealand is well-known for its sailing prowess. Less well-known is the fact visitors to Auckland can join a professional crew and help sail a real America’s Cup race yacht on the Waitematā Harbour with Explore Group. Two-hour sailing trips leave year-round from Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. Cruise beyond Waitematā Harbour into the Hauraki Gulf to the island nature reserve of Tiritiri Matangi on Explore’s 80-minute ferry. The ferry travels via Gulf Harbour and departs the Explore booking kiosk in Viaduct Harbour.

BOOK IT: Explore’s Waitematā harbour sailing tour and Hauraki Gulf cruise can be booked from the company booking kiosk at Viaduct Harbour in Auckland city or online, at: exploregroup.co.nz

Shop independent fashion in Britomart and Ponsonby

Tiffany and Co. store on Galway Street — The Tiffany & Co. store in Auckland is a mini New York flagship on Galway St. (Credit: Getty/JHVEPhoto)

Downtown Britomart is one of Auckland’s most stylish shopping precincts, home to a slew of independent fashion labels, including Kiwi stalwarts like Karen Walker and those newer on the scene like Kiri Nathan, a fashion house inspired by Māori culture. Across the city on Ponsonby Road, Tatty’s Ponsonby is the go-to for vintage shopping. A few doors away, at Public Record, art, fashion and craft combine in a moody minimalist interior in celebration of all things handmade.

BOOK IT: Auckland stylist Stacey Beatson offers personal shopping and styling services. Book a session with Stacey for expert guidance on boutique shopping in Auckland and seasonal looks by New Zealand designers. For more information and to contact Stacey, go to: staceybeatson.com

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Join a food tour for a taste of the Pacific

Māngere Mountain in Auckland — Bull paddocks at Ambury Farm Park in Māngere Mountain. (Credit: Getty/ synthetick)

A range of new food tours showcasing Auckland’s food heritage has taken off in recent years. Glorious Tours, operated by sisters Ama Mosese and Louisa Tipene Opetaia, of Samoan and Māori heritage, run a small group tour exploring how Auckland became the biggest Polynesian city in the world. Featured on their Auckland Urban Māori Experience tour, for example, is hāngī (traditional earth-cooked dinner) and kava (the ceremonial drink of the Pacific). Velskov, experts in forest dining and regenerative travel, meanwhile, offer The Hotel Britomart Experience, combining a half-day food experience in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges, with a one-night stay (early in the week) at The Hotel Britomart. Guests begin the tour foraging for herbs and plants, then later share lunch in an open-air glasshouse set in native New Zealand rainforest.

BOOK IT: The full-day Auckland Urban Māori Experience tour, starting in South Auckland and featuring a hike up Māngere Mountain (a dormant and culturally-significant volcano), can be booked with Glorious Tours online, at: gloriousnz.com. Also go online to book Velskov’s Hotel + Experience Package, at: velskov.com.

Day trip to Waiheke Island for wine and walking

Little Palm Beach on Waiheke Island — Explore scenic coastal walks on Waiheke Island. (Credit: Getty/Creative Media Productions NZ)

Auckland’s Waiheke Island is a stunning island of vineyards, beaches and great food accessible by public ferry, charter boat and helicopter. A popular getaway in the Hauraki Gulf for locals and visitors alike, Waiheke Island is a worthwhile day trip or weekend stay. Operator Terra & Tide specialises in Waiheke Island tours, covering food and wine, history and heritage, birding, heli-hiking, biking and multi-day walking tours. Their five-hour Private Waiheke Island Wine & Food Tour features wine and olive oil tasting, forest walking and a vineyard lunch.

BOOK IT: Terra & Tide’s Private Waiheke Island Wine & Food Tour can be booked online at: terraandtide.co.nz/touring/private-waiheke-food-wine-tours

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.