Greetings, Internet Stranger, and welcome to the best tours in Auckland! Auckland, New Zealand, which despite what some people think is not the capital of New Zealand, has an excellent number of tours and attractions for anyone to enjoy.
Want to cut right to the chase, Internet Stranger? The best activity in Auckland is this delicious food tour with tons of five-star reviews!
In fact, there are so many tours, it’s hard to know where to start. That’s where I come in! I loved the wonderful time I had in New Zealand, and I’m so happy to share the best tours in Auckland that I found with you. Let’s not waste any more time!
1) Big Foody Food Tour
This tour is an amazing chance to experience New Zealand cuisine. Before taking this tour, I really didn’t know anything about food in New Zealand at all.
So that’s why I was so delighted to take the Big Foody Food Tour’s Auckland in the Afternoon excursion. I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time on the tour, just like I did.
You can book this delicious tour for yourself by clicking here.
Then allow me to take you through all the delicious treats that you might experience.
1) feijoa chocolate
You’ll be able to try several different kinds of chocolate on the tour, but my favorite was the feijoa chocolate. Feijoa is a fruit about which I had never heard before visiting New Zealand.
However, Kiwis love their feijoa and put it in just about any dish that you could put lemon or lime in. It has a pleasantly sour taste, like a mild citrus fruit.
Feijoas actually come from Brazil, but Brazilians don’t like to eat them. However, it’s so popular in New Zealand that many families even have their own feijoa trees in their own backyard. Well, you know what they say! One Brazilian’s trash is a Kiwi’s treasure!
Check rates and availability by going here to eat all the feijoas you want!
2) pub grub
Auckland was founded by the British, so naturally many New Zealand dishes have a British influence.
And nothing can be more British than a meat pie! There’s nothing I love more on a cold day than a warm and flaky pie brimming with steak and gravy. And even if it’s a warm day, this authentic meat pie will be more than satisfying.
Our guide gave us a pint of local craft beer to accompany our freshly made pies. She said the beer came from an Auckland-based brewery, Behemoth Brewing Company. Love to support local businesses.
3) tastes of new zealand
We also got to try some bonus treats, like manuka honey, which can only be found in New Zealand and some parts of New Zealand. It’s crazy expensive, so this is really a delightful treat, basically worth the price of admission.
What’s not crazy expensive is every New Zealander’s passion: Marmite! Marmite is a concentrated yeast extract paste, and it tastes…exactly like you’d expect a concentrated yeast extract to taste. But I enjoyed it, and you have to try it at least once if you’re in New Zealand.
4) Giapo
GIAPO!!! gelato is truly one of the most delicious treats in New Zealand. They specialize in creative flavors and elaborate toppings. You can get chocolate in the shape of a giant squid or the Sky Tower on top of your ice cream.
However, you won’t be able to get anything quite so elaborate on this food tour. We were limited to one scoop and one topping. I selected the avocado because I have a fiendish desire to always be trying bizarre foods. This came topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, and every bite was yum.
5) Italian Food!
It was exciting to be able to visit a chic and popular place like this on a food tour. And because we were a group, we were able to sample many more dishes than I’d be able to sample on my own.
We snacked on the burrata with peach, the handmade handkerchief pasta with tomato and ricotta, the tomato salad with pine nuts, and the Angus beef carpaccio with Parm. It was the perfect end to one of the best tours in Auckland!
Check rates and availability by going here to eat gorgeous treats like this!
2) Hobbiton Express Day Tour
Hobbiton, the set of Hobbit Land from the Lord of the Rings movies, is the most popular tour experience in Auckland. You absolutely don’t have to be a fan of the movies to enjoy the tour, which will teach you tons about movie magic, New Zealand, and sheep.
Check rates and availability by going here to find out more about hobbits!
You’ll get picked up from your hotel early in the morning so you can enjoy the beautiful drive to Hobbiton. (You can also nap. That’s totally up to you.)
Hobbiton has changed a lot over the years. Originally, Peter Jackson just created a temporary Hobbiton set for the Lord of the Rings movies. He used a sheep farm for the location because New Zealand has more sheep than people.
After the first three movies were finished, the set was torn down. Then Warner Bros decided they needed even more money, so they built a more permanent Hobbiton set for the Hobbit movies. Now that the movies are all done being filmed, people come from all over the world to visit this adorable set.
Once your bus arrive, you’ll get a guided tour of the Hobbiton set. Be sure to pay attention to the little signs outside of each Hobbit home. The signs give you a clue to the profession of the Hobbit who lives inside.
That honeycomb on the beekeeper’s mailbox is just too cute! Don’t you want to live in Hobbiton now?
See the mold on this gate? Doesn’t it look real? Well, it’s actually made with foam and paint. Your guide will let you touch it gently, if you’ve always wanted to experience the feel of fake mold.
I have no idea why the hobbits have so many gourds. That knowledge has been lost to the sands of time.
Your guide will take your photo inside the painter’s house, which is one of the only Hobbit houses that has a working door. Life is hard for a Hobbit.
You’ll notice that the houses come in all shapes and sizes because he needed to make some actors look much taller than the Hobbits. However, I promise that I’m not Hobbit sized, though I might look that way in my photo.
I just dropped down on my knees to make myself look cute and Hobbity. I suggest you do the same on your Hobbiton tour. (And send me a copy of the picture, so I know my idea is spreading.)
Included with your tour is a yummy all you can eat buffet. The food is filling and tasty, with the possibly exception of the fish. You also get a drink at the Green Dragon Inn, with both alcoholic and non options.
After lunch, you’ll have some time for souvenirs, and then you can get back on the bus!
After lunch is over, say goodbye to the sheepies, and thank them for the lovely tour!
24 Hour Tip
Those are all the secrets of the Hobbiton tour that I can share with you for now.
Check rates and availability by going here to find out the rest of the Hobbit secrets!
3) Auckland Sightseeing Tour
Of course, you might want to spend some time in New Zealand’s largest city actually exploring, instead of eating food or meeting Hobbits. In that case, I recommend this wonderful all day sightseeing tour of Auckland, which is definitely one of the best tours in Auckland.
This tour will take you to all of Auckland’s most famous attractions. You’ll also get some amazing views of the city. Then you’ll be able to learn more about Auckland’s history at the Museum of Auckland. (The admission fee for the museum is separate, but it’s just a small charge.)
You’ll be able to see some of Auckland’s most famous monuments, like the Sky Tower, which you can see in my photo above. However, you’ll have to visit at a later date. Wouldn’t make much sense to waste the tour time going up the Sky Tower! And you’ll get views of the city that are just as good without paying so much money.
Finally, you’ll be able to learn all about Auckland’s history, at the museum and at other points of interest, like the Cornwall Park, the MJ Savage Memorial Park, and Devonport, where you can learn all about New Zealand’s history in the Second World War.
All in all, it’s a fascinating and one of a kind experience that you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and surely one of the best tours in Auckland!
Check rates and availability by going here to explore Auckland on this great tour!
4) Rainforest and Beach Tour
New Zealand is famous for its nature, so even though Auckland is a large city, it seems like a real shame to spend your entire time here in an urban environment.
That’s why I recommend taking this day trip which will show you one of New Zealand’s rainforests and also one of its famous black sand beaches. (No, I didn’t know New Zealand had rainforests either.) You’ll definitely feel that this is one of the best tours in Auckland by the end of your experience.
You can book this tour easily by going right here!
This tour conveniently picks you up from your hotel, if you are staying in central Auckland. You just need to notify them of your hotel location in advance.
Then, you’ll get taken to the stunning Waitakere Ranges rainforest, where you’ll receive a guided tour, so you can learn about what makes this area so special. First, you’ll learn about the history of the place at the visitor center, and then you’ll get to go on the nature walk.
Next, you’ll be taken to the black sand Piha Beach, which is also a one of a kind location. (You’ll also get treated to some yummy snacks to help you enjoy the tour even more.)
All in all, I promise you that this is one Auckland day trip you’ll never forget!
Check rates and availability by going here to see the rainforest and black sand beaches!
5) Hop on Hop Off Tour
Finally, the last tour that I recommend on this list of the best tours in Auckland is the Hop on Hop Off bus tour. This is the tour for you if you are on a strict budget because Auckland can be quite an expensive city, and this is definitely the most affordable tour on the list.
Book this tour by going here to save time and money!
As with any hop on hop off bus tour, you’ll be able to see the whole city and get off at the attractions you want to see in more detail. Auckland is fairly spread out, so I found it convenient to be able to get around the city this way.
You can also choose from a one day or two day pass, depending on how much time you have to spend in Auckland. (I only needed the one day pass.)
The two most prominent stops on the tour are the famous Sky Tower and the Auckland Museum, which are definitely the city’s two Can’t Miss attractions. But don’t be shy about exploring some of the lesser known places like Holy Trinity Cathedral and Princes Wharf!
Check rates and availability by going here to hop on and hop off all over Auckland
Best Tours in Auckland
Where to Stay?
In my opinion, the JW Marriott is the perfect place to spend your time with the best tours in Auckland. It has lovely and comfortable rooms, a great bar downstairs, and the perfect location within walking distance of all the attractions on this itinerary.
Plus the staff couldn’t be nicer! My room wasn’t quite ready when I arrived, so they set me up with a free glass of wine at the hotel bar and took care of me until the room was ready. Thanks, staff!
If you want a great deal on this hotel, click here.
And if you’d rather explore deals on many other hotels in Auckland, click here.
This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay during your day of the best tours in Auckland. With plenty of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.
Best Tours in Auckland
What to Pack?
- A cell charger so that you’ll be able to keep taking photos of the best tours in Auckland
- The best international travel adapter because if you’re American like I am, or European like I am not, you’ll need one to be able to plug in electronics in New Zealand while you explore the best tours in Auckland
- My book Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. This book will show you exactly how solo travel can take your life from BLAH to amazing!
- My favorite travel guide to New Zealand which will help you find even more of the best tours in Auckland
Best Tours in Auckland
How to Get There
By Plane: If you are coming to New Zealand from literally any other country in the world, you’ll need to take a plane. Most of my readers come from the United States or the UK, so you’ll definitely need a flight and they’re not cheap! I recommend using a search engine like Expedia to search for the best prices on flights.
By Car: If you’re coming to the best tours in Auckland from somewhere else in New Zealand, you’ll need a car. I actually came to Auckland by car from Paihia in the North Islands, but I wasn’t driving! Instead, I rode in a car with a group tour of New Zealand, which ended in Auckland.
If you’re looking for a group tour in New Zealand, I highly recommend booking with the excellent G Adventures. You can check out the tours they offer here.
Bus: New Zealand is a popular destination for backpackers, and most of the backpackers I met get around NZ by bus. You’ll want to use the InterCity website to see all the bus routes if you’re going to get to Auckland by bus from somewhere else in New Zealand. They even have highly convenient bus passes.
That’s the best Tours in Auckland!
What do you think are the best tours in Auckland!
Ready to start booking your hotel in Auckland right now?
Please email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com.
Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY spend 24 hours with the best tours in Auckland. If you have time for another 24 hours in Auckland, try this itinerary. And if you want to add 24 hours in Paihia and the Bay of Islands, click here.