Half-day Discover Auckland City Sightseeing Tour

Our main pick up point is alongside the Ferry Building on Queens Wharf. There's a pick-up & drop off area, that's the spot. Alternatively, we offer 4 central pick-up locations. Let us know where you are staying and we will advise the closest pick-up point. This is a very comprehensive tour and we pack a lot into the 3.5 to 4 hours. You will get a real feel for Auckland. It's geography, history, sights, and our way of life. This tour is family run, and the commentary is detailed, full of insights from a local perspective and delivered with humor.

We drive along the downtown waterfront area, past the Viaduct Harbour, which is one of Auckland top "going out" spots. Great selection of restaurants and bars. Lots of boats, and home to the America's Cup yachts, and Whale & Dolphin watching boats

The Wynyard Quarter has been transformed into an attractive waterfront restaurant area and is home to the Auckland Fish market. great place to revisit later for some Fish and Chips.

Westhaven Marina is the largest Marina in the Southern Hemisphere. We stop here for great photos of the Harbour, Harbour Bridge, and the Marina. Sometimes we see Bungy Jumpers leaping off the Harbour Bridge. Sorry., but Bungy Jumping is not included in the tour, but I can help you organise it.... There's also nice clean bathrooms here.

We travel over the Bridge to the North Shore, heading to Northcote Point.

We visit Shoal Bay in Northcote Point for arguably the best views of Auckland City from across the Harbour. Great place for photos.

Optional coffee stop. We don't stop on this tour for a formal Morning or Afternoon "Tea/Coffee" break as I prefer to show you as much of Auckland as possible. There's a couple of nice choices for takeaway drinks and snacks. Just bring them back to the bus. I have drink holders installed for this very reason.

Ponsonby is a Victorian/ Edwardian suburb full of lovely older buildings. Fantastic shopping, with that point of difference, and mostly privately owned shops. An extremely varied selection of stores, from fashion boutiques, gift shops, homewares, antiques, cafe's and restaurants. Well worth a re-visit after the tour.

Known as a "colourful' area in the past, it's making a come-back. The nightclubs, bars, and tattoo parlors are still here, but there's also an interesting selection of shops, and cafe's. Definitely worth a re-visit.

Fantastic elevated views of Auckland City from the summit of Mt Eden. It's a 5 - 10 minute walk from the parking lot to the Summit, but well worth the walk. There's bathrooms here.

We drive through the Auckland Domain ( Park) and past the Auckland Museum. You would at least 3-4 hours to visit the Museum, so we don't stop, but the Museum is well worth a visit. Excellent exhibit on Maori and Polynesian culture, and the daily Maori cultural performance is most enjoyable.

We drive through the Victorian suburb of Parnell, and past the Parnell Rose Gardens. If the flowers are in bloom we can stop for some photos.

We are now back on the waterfront, where we enjoy a picturesque drive past Ohaku Bay, Mission Bay, Kohimarama Beach, and on to Saint Heliers.

After Achilles Point we drive through the seaside village of Saint Heliers, and then back along the waterfront, to downtown Auckland.

Achilles Point in the suburb of Saint Heliers affords wonderful views out over the many islands in the Hauraki Gulf. There's also a nice view of Auckland City in the distance. Great photo stop.

We drive along the tree-lined Symonds St, past the University of Auckland, where we head into the downtown area. .

In the downtown city area, I'll point out the Auckland Art Gallery, and show you some of the smaller side streets, like High St, and O'Connell street where there are interesting shops.

Queen St is the main shopping street in Auckland. I point out many lovely heritage buildings, like the Auckland Town Hall & Civic Theater.

We conclude our tour back at the Ferry Building. Alternatively, if you are staying in the downtown area, I'm happy to drop you back at your hotel. This tour is delivered with a comprehensive commentary, not just about the places we visit, but also about the geography, history , and an insight into our way of life. There's' a few funny bits as well.