Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand. It is also known famously as the “City of Sails,” because it is a lovely place with a suburban coastline. The city also known as Tamaki Makaurau is filled with skyscrapers, clubs, cafes, sights over volcanic hills, and the likes.
It is the most populated city in New Zealand and it is filled with lots of cultural cuisine and events ( food, music, arts, and culture).
It is a wonderful city to spend a few days in! Have you been planning a trip either with your family, lover or friends and you are wondering where are the best places you could go in Auckland?
Find below the best guide you didn’t know you needed on the best day trips from Auckland. Do you want the best of the best? You got it!
Waiheke Island
- Wine Tasting
- Beach Time
This is the best romantic and fun day trip from Auckland for couples. As Waiheke island is just a boat ride away from Auckland’s business district, with two different sides to the island, you can either opt to enjoy the high-life socialites of the city or enjoy some real-time with the town hippies.
Rangitoto Island
- Go fishing
- Hiking
A thirty minutes ferry ride from Auckland, Rangitoto Island is the biggest volcano in Auckland’s volcanic fault. Get your hiking boots ready for an experience of a lifetime. Want to eat seafood for dinner? Then grab your tools and go fishing!
Hobbiton
- Take a Guided Tour
- Have a Drink at the Green Dragon
- Snap a photo with a Character
- Visit lord of the rings filming location
If you are looking for a great day trip for your kids in Auckland, Hobbiton is the place. It is a 2-hours bus ride from Auckland. It is one of the most outstanding and exciting day trips for visitors or tourists.
Franz Josef Glacier
- Hiking
- Helicopter ride
- Chase the Waterfalls
Nature Lover? Okay then grab your plane ticket to Franz Josef Glacier, if you feel up to it, you can also drive which is about 18 hours from Auckland.
Waitomo Caves
- Raft Through the Glow Worm Caves
- Ruakuri Cave Waterfalls
- Otorohanga Kiwi House
Love train rides? Waitomo is the best day trip from Auckland by train. The cave is famous for it being home to beautiful glow worms, take a gentle boat ride to the caves with a local guide to tell you all about the cave.
Take a trip to Ruakari Cave to see its jaw-dropping waterfalls and stunning limestone formation.
Waitakere Mountain Ranges
- Go Hiking
- Check out the waterfalls
- Take a photo with a Kauri Tree
Grab your cameras and hiking boots as you take a tour through New Zealand’s most amazing mountain ranges.
It is a small mountain range formed by the volcanic fault and it’s just 30km from Auckland.
Rotorua
- Skydiving
- Bungee Jumping
- Go-Karting
Being a journey from Auckland, it is quite a longer joulongbut it is well worth the trip. The town (known locally as Rotovegas) is packed with adrenaline sports activities like parachute jumping and bungee jumping.
Travelling with kids, there is Go-Kart, an indoor race track, that winds around the nearby hills giving great views of the countrysides.
Whangarei
- Walk Across The Top of the Falls
- Take a Dip
- Mount Parihaka
Looking for a cheap day-trip, well Whangarei is just the trip you need.
Take in a new view by walking on trails across the top of the falls. Visiting during summer, take a dip in the natural pool.
Coromandel
- Driving Creek Railway
- Coromandel School of Mines and Historical Museum.
- Hot Water Beach
A great day trip for history lovers. Coromandel is known for being a gold mining town, so check out the Coromandel School of Mines and Historical Museum and learn all about it.
Bay of Islands
- Explore the Undeveloped Beaches
- Water Sports
- Russell Port
Are you looking for a quiet getaway, like a self-care journey? The Bay of Islands is a well known destination for tourists, especially in the hot summer months. The bay of islands has lots of water activities to try from such as windsurfing, jet-skiing and water-skiing.
Taupo
- Trout fishing and Prawn Farm
- Bungee Jumping
- Mountain Biking
Being a far place to visit like Rotorua, Taupo is also worth the trip. It is just the place for our seafood lovers, It is a sweet spot for trout fishing and there is a prawn farm to check out. For adrenaline boost, try out other activities like bungee jumping and mountain biking.
Raglan
- Surfing
- Glowworm Canyoning
- Bridal Veil Falls
Raglan is a very popular destination for surfers. If you want to try your hand in the sport, this is literally the best place to be then.
Matakana
- New Zealand Honey Centre
- Puhoi Cheese Factory
- Matakana Wine Trail
This is a day trip for our passionate foodies. Matakana with all delicious types of local food like their sampling local honey, cheese and wine. Make sure to come with an empty stomach!
Tiritiri Matangi
- Bird Tour
- See the Kororā
- Visit the Lighthouse
Tiritiri Matangi is a beautiful island away from the Hauraki Gulf. This island is filled with native birdlife that has been flourishing thanks to major conservation efforts. You can take a bird tour or go sightseeing yourself and try to spot them like the blue penguins known as Korora. Also, make a stop at the oldest working lighthouse and take a pic.
Cape Reinga
- Hang out at the 90 Mile Beach
- Visit the Pohutukawa Tree
- Learn about the Maori Culture
Have you heard of a tree that is 800 years old? No? Well, you can see it in Cape Reinga. Visiting during summer? Then see the 800-year-old Pohutukawa (a popular for new Zealand and its people) tree bloom with bright red foliage. If you continue south to Cape Reinga, you can check out the 90-mile beach to enjoy the spectacular view over the ocean.