A cultural guide to Auckland
With more than 50 volcanoes, two island-dotted harbors, plentiful beaches, plus a cosmopolitan culinary and cultural scene, this city has something for everyone
Your essential guide to the best things to see and do in Auckland. Find more travel inspiration for more amazing cities here.
Wellington might be New Zealand’s administrative capital, but Auckland is her easy-on-the-eye, harbor-hugging, sun-kissed sister. Certainly, the city’s connectivity to the Bay of Islands and Hauraki Gulf is one reason to fly here, but this sophisticated subtropical waterfront city also makes a superb interlude between New Zealand’s more bucolic pleasures. Linger for three to four days to combine urbane delights—shopping and dining in hip Ponsonby, chic Parnell, and leafy Mount Eden—with exploring the wineries of Waiheke Island, hiking an ancient volcanic cone, and kicking back on the beaches of Takapuna and Mission Bay.
Art & architecture
Before European settlers arrived and colonized the land in 1840, Auckland (also known as Tāmaki-makau-rau, meaning “isthmus of a hundred lovers”) had been a Māori settlement since 1350, where terraced pā (fortified villages) were constructed on volcanic peaks. Two harbors provided seafood, the narrow isthmus had strategic value, and the volcanic soils were fertile. Auckland Museum—a neoclassical architectural gem built in the 1920s—tells the story of New Zealand with excellent Māori and Pacific collections, while Auckland Art Gallery is the biggest collection in New Zealand. As well as colonial landmarks, the city has colorful wooden workers’ cottages and Victorian villas lining side streets in residential districts such as Ponsonby, Kingsland, and Herne Bay.
Expert tips
The essentials
Auckland Airport is located in Manukau, South Auckland. The SkyDrive Airport Express links the airport with the CBD for NZ$20 each way; taxis and rideshare services are the fastest option.
New Zealand’s official language is English, and mastering the correct pronunciation of Māori words (particularly place names) is respectful and appreciated by all.
Accessibility
Auckland is a car-heavy city, with outdoorsy locals relying on a car to get around and escape to beaches at weekends. But for visitors, the city is easily navigable with a comprehensive network of buses, trains and ferries. Rideshare apps are popular too.
Getting around
As a progressive and tourism-focused urban hub, Auckland scores pretty highly for accessibility, particularly when it comes to the city’s public transport options: Ferries, trains and buses are all wheelchair-accessible. Disability-assist dogs are permitted on the Auckland public transport network.
LGBTQ+
Gay travelers will feel at ease in Auckland, which is frequently named among the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the world. While the city is home to the largest Pride event in the South Pacific (held annually in February), LGBTQ+ visitors will find year-round revelry along Karangahape Road (aka “K Road”), the city’s epicenter of queer nightlife. Nationally, New Zealand was the first country in Oceania to legalize gay marriage.
Family travel
A city of family-focused suburbs with slick infrastructure and an abundance of outdoors activities, Auckland is a particularly family-friendly destination. The 40-acre Auckland Zoo is a surprisingly serene day out, while Western Springs Park (home to MOTAT, the city’s science and transport museum) is the best park for families. If you’re a family traveling with an assortment of wheels, you can expect plenty of child-friendly cycleways, skate parks, and scooter parks.
Food & drink
Having experienced British, Arab, Chinese, Indian, Fijian, Filipino, Korean, Tongan, and intertribal Māori immigration (to name a few), Auckland is as multicultural as cities come—and home to a thrillingly eclectic culinary scene. Whether you’re tucking into fish and chips from Takapuna Fish Shop on the beach or indulging in a tasting menu at longstanding fine dining outfit The Grove, every meal is a chance to taste New Zealand’s incredible produce and international culinary heritage.
New Zealand is a major wine destination as well; dedicated wine-lovers should make a pilgrimage to the vineyards, olive groves, and fine dining restaurants on Waiheke Island, just 13 miles from the city center.
The family-owned Tantalus Estate is a great place to start, or take a tour and drink and dine your way around this culinary idyll.
Meanwhile, guided tours from Auckland will take you to scenic localities like Waimauku, Kumeū, and Huapai.
Sports
In New Zealand, rugby is very much the national sport, rather than soccer. Eden Park stadium, with a capacity of 50,000, is the place to see the mighty All Blacks play (learn more about the team on a guided tour). You’ll see all of Auckland society at a game: couples on a date night; students en route to the bars of Ponsonby; and 20-strong family packs who have driven into the city in convoy from suburban beaches.
After the game, you’re a 10-minute train ride from transport hub Britomart, sandwiched between two buzzy, genuinely hip residential areas (Mount Eden and Kingsland), and minutes from cool cafés, boutique wine bars, and brewpubs. Pop into Urbanaut Brewing Co. for a drink and post-match analysis.
Bridging the Central Business District and the shopping malls of Newmarket, sophisticated and unashamedly upmarket Parnell is the ideal neighborhood for travelers who want a taste of the good life. Auckland Domain, the city’s 185-acre park, offers shade and natural beauty, and you’re never short of neighborhood eateries like Non Solo Pizza, cocktail bars like Crown Range Lounge, and posh chocolatiers like Chocolate Boutique. Parnell is Auckland’s oldest neighborhood and still retains a village feel; the eco-certified and elegant Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre is the best address in the area.
Like many reinvigorated areas in Auckland, Ponsonby and Karangahape Road (known as “K Road”) have blossomed over the past two decades into the city’s most name-dropped dining, drinking and shopping districts, as well as being the heart and soul of Auckland’s LGBTQ+ community. Shop for jewelry at Boh Runga, stroll the gourmet taco stands and wine bars of Ponsonby Central food market, and bed down at the bohemian Great Ponsonby ArtHotel to make the most of this artsy and inspiring neighborhood.
If you’re daydreaming about dining on fresh seafood with views of Waitematā Harbor and Rangitoto Island while still having easy access to Auckland’s central museums, galleries, and shops, base yourself in the regenerated waterfront area of Britomart. This nine-block precinct is now a major gastronomic hub; don’t miss the Britomart Saturday Market in Takutai Square. The coolest place to stay is the five-star Hotel Britomart, with chic public spaces and sleek contemporary bedrooms.
Anna Hart is a culture writer specializing in adventure travel and positive-impact tourism. Her work has appeared in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and she is the author of the travel memoir Departures.
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