Are you visiting New Zealand’s largest city for the first time and wondering what to expect? Below, discover 10 things you should expect when visiting Auckland.
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Picture this, you’ve just arrived in Auckland for the first time. You know exactly what this city has to offer and what you can expect out of your visit. If you’re like me, you’re reading this in advance of your trip, ready to explore. Whether you wonder about packing, payment methods, or the best places to venture, I’ve got you covered.
1. EXPECT GREAT BEACHES WHEN VISITING AUCKLAND
This is one I had to start with as it is one of the reasons why I’ve lived in Auckland for so long. Even though we live in the biggest city in New Zealand, Auckland has some absolutely stunning beaches and most of them are only an hour max from the city.
Most of my favourite beaches lie on Auckland’s West Coast, but unfortunately, due to the floods at the beginning of 2023, a few are no longer accessible.
My top four favourite open beaches are (in no particular order):
- Muriwai
- Whatipu
- Piha
- Bethells
And don’t forget the North Shore, there are plenty along the coast and in my opinion, the further north you go, the better. Some great North Shore beaches include (in no particular order):
- Takapuna
- Orewa
- Long Bay
2. PACKING FOR ALL FOUR SEASONS
Unless you visit during the warmer months (Jan-March) when the weather is more stable, you should be packing for all four seasons when visiting Auckland.
I’ve always found with living in the city that layers are my best friend and will most times than not, come in handy. I would recommend to carry a couple of options with you, especially if out on a day trip, just in case!
3. UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER
The above might make it sound like Auckland doesn’t get great weather, but to clarify, we do! It’s just a little unpredictable.
In the last year Auckland has had an unprecedented amount of rain, you may have heard (and as I mentioned above) about the flooding from the beginning of 2023. We’re hoping that’s behind us now but just as an example, there have been multiple days in December (which is technically our summer) where I have had freezing wind, rain, cloud and sun all in one day.
4. EXTREMELY FRIENDLY LOCALS
We Kiwis pride ourselves on being incredibly friendly and approachable.
We hope that if you are lost or have a question, you’ll feel comfortable coming up and asking. Or just saying hello!
You can also expect that we’re a bundle of knowledge, so make sure that even if you go into a cafe to grab a coffee, ask the server or barista questions about the area. I’m sure they will be more than happy to share.
5. EXPECT TO NOT TIP WHEN IN AUCKLAND
Tipping when visiting Auckland, and even in New Zealand isn’t really a thing like it is in many other countries.
However, if I do receive really great service somewhere (mainly restaurants) I do tend to give a tip, even if it’s just $5 or $10. This can either go directly to the person who was serving you or alternatively you can add it to the bill to be shared amongst the staff.
Most cafes have little tips jars too, so if I have spare change I’ll drop a couple coins in.
Also, just as an additional FYI, in New Zealand GST is included in all of our pricing so everything that you see on the label is the final price.
6. GREAT VIEWPOINTS IN AUCKLAND
Along with great beaches, we also have some of the best viewpoints and are very easily accessible.
Here are a few favourites (in no particular order):
- Mount Victoria (North Shore)
- Mount Eden (Central Auckland)
- Anywhere along the west coast
- Mission Bay waterfront
- Rangitoto Island
- Waiheke Island
- Auckland Skytower
If you’re up for a day trip whilst you’re in Auckland I would highly suggest visiting either Rangitoto Island or Waiheke.
Rangitoto is a famous landmark on Auckland city’s skyline and is well worth visiting if you have the time. It’s a 30 minute ferry and once at the top you will have 360 views across Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf.
And as for Waiheke, this small but impressive island boasts some of the best wineries and walks you could imagine. Approximately 40 minutes from the downtown terminal will get you there and I can tell you the multiple times I’ve visited this amazing place, it’s always been a hit.
7. UNIQUE STAYS FOR WHEN YOU VISIT AUCKLAND
There are a large selection of hotels that you can expect to stay at, as per the norm when visiting bigger cities. However, there are definitely some amazing unique stays that I would suggest to make a point of adding to your list.
Companies like Canopy Camping, Unyolked, Tiny Away and Riparide supply an incredible range of accommodation that is curated to nature lovers, people who enjoy being unplugged and who love the glamping life.
I have stayed in both Canopy Camping and Tiny Away but heard great things about Riparide and Unyolked.
If you’d like to see more of my Tiny Away stay, feel free to click here.
8. AUCKLAND CULTURE
Auckland (and New Zealand as a whole) has some beautiful Māori history that holds a lot of meaning and deep connection to the land and its people.
If you are wanting to immerse yourself in some of New Zealand culture, my recommendation would be to learn some Te Reo Māori, the native language of Aotearoa. You can find the Māori dictionary here for accurate translations.
Auckland Museum also offers Māori cultural performance twice, daily. You can expect to be immersed in storytelling, song and a performance of our world-famous haka.
There are plenty of other ways to be immersed in our culture, but one that I would advise is to support local and learn authentic stories from the people you meet.
9. WHEN VISITING AUCKLAND, IT IS RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE
This is probably not what you are wanting to hear but Auckland is an expensive city. And in complete transparency, so is New Zealand as a whole. The day to day costs to live are quite high, however if you have come to visit here are some cost effective ways to travel Auckland.
- Buy groceries and cook at your accommodation – even though groceries are expensive in New Zealand, it is definitely cheaper than eating out.
- There are many great hostels in Auckland, staying here rather than AirBnB or hotel will save a ton.
- Take on free activities – as I’ve mentioned above, there are plenty of amazing outdoor activities that are free. We also have places like Auckland museum which have free entry.
- Walk the city. The city itself is walkable and alongside that, public transport is available so I would opt for these two over hiring a vehicle. However, there are reasons why you could even do this for a day, as I explain below.
10. PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS CONVENIENT
And last but not least, in Auckland, we have train and bus systems available and they are really convenient if you are wanting to travel within the city. Buses to and from all the major motorways are also available but if you are planning on venturing outside of Auckland (which you absolutely should), I would recommend to hire a car. This way you have much more freedom to see all the things that New Zealand has to offer.
In this post, we looked at 10 things to expect when visiting Auckland. Whether you’re only staying for a couple of days or an extended period of time, there is plenty to do and see. I’m hoping that in this post you have found some helpful nuggets of info that will make your stay that much more enjoyable.
FAQs FOR WHEN VISITING AUCKLAND
What is Auckland best known for? Auckland is best known for being New Zealand’s largest city. It’s also known for its diversity. One minute you can be in the city and the next, by a beach or up a mountain. Other specific things are the Sky Tower (standing at 328 meters), Eden Park (where a lot of our big sporting events are held), our volcanos (we have a few even right in the city), Rangitoto and Waiheke Islands and top notch food, just to name a few.
Is Auckland, New Zealand worth visiting? I hope my blog post has answered this one, but absolutely! It is definitely worth a visit.
What are the nicest areas in Auckland? There are really lovely areas in Auckland and as per most cities in the world, maybe a few that are not so nice. Where you stay really depends on the type of trip you would like but if you are staying in city you’ll find many options for accomodation and most suburbs on the outskirts of Auckland are really nice, too.