Most people who visit Aotearoa spend just a minimum amount of time visiting Auckland City or skip the city altogether to maximize time for a road trip around New Zealand.
How many days should you spend in Auckland? While taking a few days to explore at your leisure is helpful, in this post, I’ll cover an ideal itinerary for one day in Auckland and prove that even though it’s a short visit, you can still cover a lot of ground in a day.
Use this one-day Auckland City itinerary to jumpstart your trip to New Zealand or enjoy your last day in Auckland before flying home.
1. Breakfast in Auckland CBD
Start the day with a hearty breakfast in Auckland CBD. Grab a bowl-sized flat white paired with eggs and avocado smash with toast at Melba. Sit outside on pedestrianized Vulcan Lane or eat inside with a breeze blowing through the large open windows.
Alternatively, head to Chuffed for a cappuccino and a creative take on oatmeal. Chuffed serves banana porridge made with polenta, lime anglaise, coriander honey and a macadamia crumb delivered up in a sunroom lined with street art.
2. Shop Auckland CBD
After breakfast, take time to shop for souvenirs in Auckland CBD. Global Culture on Queen Street features some fantastic t-shirts with unique Kiwi imagery. I bought a comfy t-shirt featuring a kiwi bird using its beak on a turntable.
I also nabbed a sheep-driving-a-tractor shirt as a gift for my husband. These are not your typical tourist tees and can be dressed up nicely with a blazer.
Explore Queens Arcade and pick up some hand-dyed New Zealand lambswool or possum wool at New Zealand Fabrics and Yarn. Queens Arcade also features a number of well-priced local boutiques.
3. Lunch at Mojo
Have lunch along the harbour in Auckland City. Mojo Coffee is located in an Auckland CBD skyscraper just across the street from the cruise port.
The grilled lemon chicken salad with halloumi was divine and the single-origin filter coffee was top notch, giving me the energy to continue my Auckland exploration into the afternoon.
4. Explore Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter
Head to Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter after lunch. Walk along the harbour to this recently revitalized part of Auckland City.
Stop to admire the yachts on Auckland Harbour which are insanely huge! I especially enjoyed Silo Park, an old industrial area turned into a public park.
Climb the metal structure in the park to get above it all for a walk. The Wynyard Quarter is also home to Auckland Fish Market, a covered food hall featuring some great places for a bite to eat or a drink.
It was a hot day in late March when I visited Auckland City, so I couldn’t resist stopping at Little ‘Lato for a salted butterscotch gelato to enjoy on my walk. Wynyard Quarter should definitely be on your list of top Auckland attractions to see during a short visit.
5. Auckland Pub Stop
Your one perfect day in Auckland is not complete without a pub stop. Head to the Brewer’s Co-operative for a wide selection of craft beer. Don’t spoil your dinner but consider trying Brewer’s Co-operative’s amazing sweet potato fries doused in vinegar.
I tried Deep Creek Brewing Co.’s Aloha Guava Passionfruit Sour, Mata Merry Berry Cider from Mata Beer, and Thunder Pale Ale from Epic Brewing Company. The taps change often so you’re bound to find a craft beer to enjoy no matter what your taste.
6. Dinner and a Nightcap in Ponsonby
Ponsonby is a vibrant residential area in Auckland City that is extremely popular with locals. The fastest way to get to Ponsonby from Auckland CBD is using Uber.
It cost less than $10 NZD to get to Ponsonby from the CBD (avoiding rush hour). Book in at Épicer for an innovative gourmet Indian meal.
I was in Auckland for work and visiting my office, so I ended up going out to eat with a group. This worked out well as we were able to sample nearly a dozen different dishes between us. There are definitely advantages to turning a work trip into a bleisure extension.
Start the meal with a cocktail from Épicer’s extensive menu. I tried a fancy tamarind and date margarita.
Our dinner at Épicer was absolutely awesome. The highlight had to be an Indian-inspired flaming lamb dish finished table-side.
Ponsonby also has some fun bars including Hoppers Garden Bar. Hop on over after dinner for a nightcap before heading back to the hotel.
Hoppers was packed on a Thursday night out and I was definitely digging all the quirky art. What a great way to end a very cool one-day Auckland itinerary!
Map of Things to Do in Auckland City
Click on the image below to open an interactive map of the destinations highlighted in this post about spending one day in Auckland City.
