Auckland
A city of sails between two harbours, with volcanoes for hills and islands for weekends.
Auckland spreads across an isthmus between the Pacific and the Tasman, with a harbour on each side, dozens of dormant volcanic cones inside its limits and the Hauraki Gulf's islands off its front. It is the arrival point for most visitors to New Zealand and worth a few days before the road south.
Why go
For the water, which is everywhere: ferries to Waiheke's vineyards and Rangitoto's lava fields, sailing on the harbour, black-sand surf beaches on the west coast an hour from the centre.
And for a relaxed, multicultural city with Pacific and Māori culture in its museums and markets, good food in Ponsonby and Britomart, and a volcano to climb at the end of the street.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The Sky Tower and the waterfront
The needle over the city with its viewing decks, and the Viaduct and Wynyard waterfront below, where the harbour restaurants and the sailing boats are.
02Waiheke Island
Forty minutes by ferry to vineyards, olive groves, beaches and cellar-door lunches on the island in the gulf.
03Rangitoto and the volcanoes
The young volcanic island's cone climbed over lava fields, and in the city Mount Eden and One Tree Hill for the views across both harbours.
04The Auckland Museum and the Domain
Māori and Pacific collections in the war memorial museum on the hill in the Domain's parkland, with daily cultural performances.
05Piha and the west coast
Black-sand surf beaches under the Waitakere ranges, with rainforest walks to waterfalls and the gannet colony at Muriwai.
06Ponsonby, Parnell and the markets
The restaurant strips and boutiques of Ponsonby Road and Parnell, and the weekend markets at La Cigale and Otara for Pacific food.
07Devonport and the harbour by ferry
The Victorian village across the water with its two volcanic cones and the view back to the city, a short ferry from the quay.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
The city centre and the waterfront
Hotels around the Viaduct, Britomart and Queen Street, with the ferries and the Sky Tower on foot.
Ponsonby and Herne Bay
Villas, cafés and restaurants on the ridge west of the centre, a favourite base.
Parnell and Newmarket
Leafy and close to the museum, the Domain and the shopping of Newmarket.
Waiheke Island
Lodges and holiday houses among the vines, for a stay away from the city.
When to go: Auckland
- SummerDecember – February
- Warm, humid and bright, with the beaches and the gulf at their liveliest and the city on holiday over the New Year.
- AutumnMarch – May
- Settled, mild weather with warm sea and the vintage on Waiheke. A comfortable season.
- WinterJune – August
- Cool and wet in spells, rarely cold, with green hills and quiet ferries.
- SpringSeptember – November
- Changeable and fresh, with blossom in the parks and the days lengthening.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Auckland. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- AKLAuckland International
Distance from
- SYDSydney2,160 km
- SINSingapore8,400 km
- JNBJohannesburg12,180 km
- BOMMumbai12,300 km
- DXBDubai14,200 km
- JFKNew York14,210 km
- LHRLondon18,350 km
- CDGParis18,520 km
Getting around: Auckland
The airport is a bus or taxi ride south of the centre. Buses, trains and ferries cover the city with a single transport card; the ferries from the quay are the way to the islands and Devonport.
A hire car is useful for the west coast beaches and for the road south; in the centre, walking and the inner-city bus link are enough.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Currency
- NZD · New Zealand Dollar
- Languages
- English and Māori
- Time zone
- New Zealand Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +64
The atlas
Auckland in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Auckland, month by month
- Jan23°
- Feb24°
- Mar22°
- Apr20°
- May17°
- Jun15°
- Jul14°
- Aug14°
- Sept16°
- Oct17°
- Nov19°
- Dec21°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: November to April.
Mean highs run from 14°C in July to 24°C in February, with about 1,015 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for AucklandModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBAuckland
14,200 km
17 hrs 25 mins · Estimate
From AUHAuckland
14,220 km
17 hrs 30 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Auckland
Plan this trip: Auckland
Open the trip builder with Auckland already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
