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Overview
A city break in Aotearoa New Zealand's biggest city, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, has never offered more. There's an itinerary to suit all timeframes and holiday personalities — from the city-slicker to beach-goer, the shopping-focused traveller to the foodie whose appetite leads the way.
It's a city constantly evolving its offerings, with hospitality joints popping up left, right, and centre. So, we've scoped the best experiences and places to note with 100% Pure New Zealand to help you make the most of your Auckland break.
Add an extra car ride out of the city or linger a little longer in the big smoke — it's over to you to indulge your whims. What we can promise is all roads lead to a memorable stay. One with world-class views, innovative foods or even dramatic black sand underfoot.
The Hotel Britomart
Stay: The Hotel Britomart
The Hotel Britomart pulls out every stop for a distinctly Aotearoa New Zealand stay in downtown Auckland. Exposed timbers and brick nod to the building's past life as a factory and Masonic house, while modern luxury oozes from local artisan-crafted furniture, recycled glass chandeliers and crockery. Inside the rooms, minibars are filled generously with local treats.
The 99 sustainable rooms are categorised by their views. Generous windows offer direct glimpses of the Waitematā Harbour, the CBD's skyline, or the vibrant laneways. The Wairoa Suite, the largest of the five Landing Suites, offers sprawling rooftop views framed by architecturally designed wooden details.
Downstairs, the all-day restaurant kingi focuses on elevated seafood, with a sommelier-curated wine library showcasing local terroirs. Tucked away in the on-site lane are a fleet of complimentary vintage bikes, ready for adventures.
Stay: Mövenpick Hotel Auckland
Auckland is a food-lovers paradise, and now you can stay at a hotel where food is the focus. Mövenpick Hotel Auckland's daily Chocolate Hour indulges guests with a complimentary daily buffet of truffles, cakes and fondue between 3.30–4.30pm. When it's time to break the sugar rush, on-site restaurant BODA offers panoramic harbour views, Korean-New Zealander cuisine and inventive cocktails. Or retreat to the sleek, monochromatic suites, knowing the 24-hour ice-cream sundae service means that your next sugar hit isn't far away.
A central location makes Mövenpick Hotel Auckland the perfect base for urban adventures. Step out from the lobby to Auckland's main Queen Street or explore the local boutiques and eateries in the adjacent Commercial Bay. For adventures further afield, Auckland's main Britomart Train Station is on the same block to connect you to most mainland suburbs, while the main ferry terminal — the gateway to wine-mecca Waiheke Island and bird sanctuary Tiritiri Matangi — is just a few metres beyond.
See: Ever-Changing Landscapes with GO Rentals
As exhilarating as city life is, renting a car, even for a day, is your ticket to seeing Auckland in all its glory — and fast. After all, you're never more than 45 minutes away from a beach. Jump in a GO Rentals four-wheel-drive to venture through the bush, to wineries and eventually to the surf-ready black sand beaches of west Auckland.
Closer to town, soak up all dimensions of Auckland through the skyroof of a climate-friendly GO Tesla. Cruise through the bustling beach strips of the eastern suburbs like Mission Bay and Kohimarama along Tamaki Drive.
Drive up one of Auckland's many maunga (mountains) for quintessential Auckland views. Mt Eden and Mt Albert offer panoramic views, and the nearby townships are brimming with artisanal bakeries and cafes for picnic essentials. Round out your journey by offsetting emissions with CarbonClick, and you'll feel just as good as you did driving breezily behind the wheel.
See: Explore the City's Seaside
You can't come to Auckland without experiencing it from its most impressive vantage point: the glittering Viaduct and surrounding Hauraki Gulf.
If you stay in Auckland's city centre, you'll be a short walk from Te Wero Island — a nook in the Viaduct that houses many of Auckland's bustling harbourside bars and restaurants like St Alice, Dr Rudi's and it-bistro, Soul Bar. It's an ideal spot to rug up and maximise your culinary experiences. Otherwise, the area's public transport and ample roads make it accessible from all directions. The nearby New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa runs harbour cruises on the beloved wooden boat, Breeze, for a different vantage point of the city too.
ai_yoshi via iStock
See: Nature and Heritage Your Way at Auckland Domain
Auckland's sprawling park is home to 150-year-plus trees as well as a stunning winter garden that's well worth the visit on any trip to Auckland. It's New Zealand's oldest public park, 200 acres in size and has four kilometres of walking tracks that can be used to explore the scenery and peaceful vibes above the city.
It's serene surroundings can be enjoyed year-round, but if we're being honest, it's particularly magical when temperatures dip in the city. The gardens' sculpture walk takes on a new dimension when experienced with a bite in the air, with the cool metal of the sculptures in stark contrast to the grassy greens of the park.
Taste: Exquisite Pacific Fusion at Metita
At the newly opened Metita restaurant in SkyCity, explore the urban ritual that Aucklanders love most: indulging in new fusion cuisines. Offering contemporary Pasifika cuisine, Metita explores the intricate flavours of the many island cultures that call New Zealand home and chef Michael Meredith's Samoan roots. Dishes include inventively garnished meats, caviar and corned beef buns, and the signature oysters cooked in marrow.
There's no shortage of things to do, see, drink, and eat here. Being Auckland's largest entertainment precinct, SkyCity houses 15 bars and eateries as well as the iconic Sky Tower and its 350 metre-high city views. There's also the award-winning East Day Spa (home to the nation's only marble lounger tepidarium) and two hotels.
Taste: Authentically Loved Auckland Eats
Aucklanders have solidified their love of eating into a collaborative list of must-try dishes: Auckland Iconic Eats. This list is updated yearly by public vote, and the quality is consistent. Favourites include the chicken parfait from Britomart's Mr Morris, succulent fish sliders from SkyCity's Depot and Gochu's pork and kimchi-stuffed milk buns. Consider it a starting point for your next sit-in menu, or treat it as a bar-crawl-like mission to tick off as many as possible and test the limits of your belt buckle.
Taste: New-Wave Māori Flavours at Ada
Adding to the list of cuisines that are hard to find outside of New Zealand is Ada, where Chef Kia Kanuta prepares elegant Māori comfort kai (cuisine). Rewarewa fried sourdough is topped with a bespoke mushroom grown only for Ada, paua (abalone) gets a vongole and chilli-infused twist, while snapper is battered whole and served with his iconic Marmite béchamel. Everything is harvested sustainably and served with the finesse of Chef Kanuta's French training.
Ada is in The Convent Hotel, located in the trendy suburb of Grey Lynn, 15 minutes from downtown and easily accessible by bus or car. Lovers of interiors and architecture will appreciate the space's sleek transformation from a former 1922 Spanish-revival nunnery to a boutique hotel.
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