Auckland City Travel Guide
Auckland City accommodation, Auckland City activities and attractions, Auckland City maps, transportation to and around Auckland City - the ALL NEW Jasons Auckland City Destination Travel Guide is your complete visitor guide for Auckland City.
Known affectionately as the
'City of Sails',
Auckland's metropolitan area is hemmed in by two magnificent harbours, the Waitemata and Manukau. Auckland City offers an eclectic mix of fashion, food and arts, and a host of activities to keep you entertained.
In the warmer spring and summer months, Aucklanders take to the outdoors in force, making the most of the city's lovely beaches, parks, walkways and cafés - and there's a lively summer calendar of
events. The Viaduct Harbour is a good place to begin exploring. You can dine al fresco in the sunshine at the Viaduct’s stylish eateries, and book a
cruise, sail or whale safari to see the city from the water. A scenic coastal
walk heads out of the city centre along Tamaki Drive to the bustling seaside village of Mission Bay. You can swim, kayak or windsurf at the sheltered sandy beach or relax at a pavement cafe.
The old Ferry Building on Quay Street is the hub of the city's ferry services, and from here, you can visit Auckland’s much-loved harbour landmark, Rangitoto Island. Rangitoto is a great place to visit over summer, when the island's stunning red pohutukawa blossoms are in full bloom. Equally as popular with summer holdiay makers are the beaches and vineyards of
Waiheke Island. You can enjoy walking and swimming at the sandy beaches or join a guided tour of the boutique wineries. Further afield, rugged
Great Barrier Island offers hikes, bushwalks and beaches, or head west to
Waitakere to enjoy the sun, sand and surf at the west coast beaches of
Piha and
Muriwai. Nature lovers can visit the large gannet colony that lives at Muriwai during the summer months.
You'll find great city shopping in the CBD (including Kiwi designers World, Workshop, Karen Walker, Liz Mitchell and Zambesi), the unmissable
Sky Tower - the Southern Hemisphere's highest - and the
Auckland Art Gallery. The Edge on Queen Street is the heart of the city's arts scene, with concerts, shows and theatre at the Civic Theatre, Auckland Town Hall and the Aotea Centre.
Further afield, the city suburbs of Auckland are a bus ride away. Alternative fashions and a great café scene have made Ponsonby Road one of Auckland's favourite spots, while Parnell is popular for its designer art galleries and colonial-style village shopping. Be sure to take a summer stroll in beautiful Auckland Domain, the city's oldest park, and combine it with a visit to the
Auckland Museum. Overlooking the harbour, the museum boasts the world’s largest collection of Maori and Pacific artefacts.
Order your free monthly
Jasons 'Auckland What's On' guide now.
Order your free
Jasons Auckland & Northland RoutePlanner now.
Geographic Location
Auckland straddles New Zealand's narrowest point, an 11km isthmus separating the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours.
Population
Auckland City 400,000; Greater Auckland 1.5 million