The Top Things to Do in Auckland with the Kids

New Zealand’s most-visited city and cultural hub for all things Kiwi, Auckland is also an awesome place to explore with the kids in tow, with family-friendly sightseeing, eateries and green spaces galore. The unique, natural make-up of this city, with its harbours, beaches, islands, coastline and marine life, make it ideal to spend time with your children. Here’s our guide to the 12 best things to do with the family in Auckland.

Also see the top things to do in Auckland.

If it’s your first time here, sightseeing in Auckland with kids doesn’t get easier than the hop-on-hop-off bus. Better still, buy a pass in advance to last a day or two to explore the city. Buses leave SKYCITY every half an hour, from 9am until 4pm. The tours last an hour and take in several tourist attractions. You can choose to hop off at any of them for closer inspection and hop back on again when you’re ready. Remember to take a drink and warm layers for sitting on the open deck – where the kids will love it – and you can sit back and enjoy the commentary from your tour guide.

Across the water at Devonport’s North Head, you can catch an Auckland whale and dolphin watching cruise. As long as your kids can cope with 4.5 hours on a boat, this will be the experience of a lifetime as you explore the waters of Torpedo Bay. Get up close with various species of whale – the perfect photo op!

Keep your eyes open, too, for orca, dolphins and seabirds as you sail the seas, listening to expert commentary from marine scientists. Those stunning views of Rangitoto Island, Auckland Harbour Bridge and seascapes across the Hauraki Gulf are pretty impressive, as well. Favourite moments for the children (and you) will undoubtedly be dolphins racing alongside the boat and whales spraying from their blowhole!

Escape the city with a family day at the beach. The journey out of Auckland, past Mount Wellington and on to Half Moon Bay is an experience in itself. From here, take the ferry and enjoy the hour’s sail across the water to Waiheke Island.

There are three tempting vineyards offering tours and tastings, but by far the most family-friendly things to see is Wild on Waiheke. It’s a boutique vineyard offering a host of fun activities, such as laser clay pigeon shooting and archery. There's also a children’s play area, al fresco tables, chairs and a bar. As well as a whizzy playground and giant trampoline, it’s home to Wild Estate Vineyard and Waiheke Island Brewery. It's also one of the best places to eat in the area, too.

In Kingsland, Eden Park is New Zealand’s largest arena and a Mecca for major sporting events. This is the home turf of the Auckland Blues rugby team, and you can watch them battle their opponents. The Auckland cricket team plays home matches here, too, and you can also catch international ODIs and T20 games. Between these two sports, there are regular events throughout the year, so check your itinerary and treat the family to a thrilling sporting experience during your stay in Auckland.

One of the great places to visit in Auckland with the kids is Sheep World, an hour’s drive north of the city. New Zealand is home to about 30 million sheep (about six times the human population!), and while you’re here, discover more about sheep breeds and the journey wool takes from animal to the jumper you’re wearing. You can even have a go a sheep shearing and feeding.

You can watch sheepdogs in action and take the short Eco-Discovery Trail through streams, bush and wetland before enjoying a picnic at the play area. This is a great way for getting the kids outdoors and connecting with the rural side of New Zealand life.

Wondering what to do in Auckland to get that out-of-town feeling? Explore the natural beauty of the Hauraki Gulf. Rangitoto is New Zealand’s youngest volcanic island and another easy ferry trip from Auckland with the kids. Catch the Fuller’s passenger ferry from the downtown terminal on Quay Street for the half-hour sail to Rangitoto.

The surprisingly gentle climb to the summit – at 260 metres – is perfect for families. Explore the lava fields and tube-shaped lava caves. Allow a good half day to make the most of your wild walk and relaxing picnic en route. Top tip: take your own water and don't forget to wear some sturdy boots!

Calling all movie fans! Fancy a day in Middle Earth? This incredible Hobbiton tour from Auckland is an 8-hour immersion in the fantastical set of one of the most epic film trilogies ever. You can live and breathe life in Hobbiton, stop for a drink of ale at The Green Dragon and have a guided tour of Bilbo and Samwise’s home turf. If you like Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit, you'll be in Tolkien heaven as you swing by the party tree, lunch at the party marquee and prop yourself up on Bilbo’s latch gate.  This is one of the best activities in New Zealand, never mind Auckland!

Go west for some of the best beaches in Auckland, or take it easy with a an Aucklands Highlights tour of the West Coast. It takes 45 minutes to drive there, but the last stretch on Piha Road treats you to stunning scenery as you cut through lush greenery, deep within Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. Start with a walk along the beach to take in the breathtaking views, stroll to the impressive Lion Rock and enjoy the black sand between your toes. Currents can be strong and waves can be big, here, so unless you’re an experienced surfer, let the kids play in the sand while you admire the wave-catching from the safety of your beach towel.

Tāwharanui Peninsula is about 80km north of Auckland, but the beauty of this regional park is awe inspiring – the broad, sheltered bays give you sense of escape and calm that’s hard to find. Less well known than the beaches on the west coast, Tāwharanui offers more solitude, safer swimming, beachfront cafes and an ecology trail for walkers and bird-spotters, leading directly from the shore.

If you find yourself with an empty summer Sunday in Auckland, make the most of the family activities at Silo Park. Find it on the corner of Beaumont Street and Jellicoe Street, next to the waterfront, downtown. Take a picnic or enjoy the first-class food trucks when you’re there, camp out on your blanket and chairs and let the kids roam this huge open space. They’ll discover playgrounds to suit all ages and sizes, a paddling pond for cooling off, giant games and puzzles alongside picnic benches, plus more than enough room to run and play.

There’s a busy calendar of events running through the summer, which brings additional entertainment, live music and open-air concerts to inner-city Auckland. As the afternoon draws to a close, the family can wind down together and watch a movie on the giant screen at the open-air cinema. This is also a cool thing to do with the kids on Friday evenings. First showing is 5pm.

Kiwis love their fish and chips – especially at the seaside! Some of the best places to try them are on the waterfront at St Heliers Bay. Order takeaway and sit on the beach, or find a shady bench along the promenade with a view of the bay and islands across the water.

For your second course, grab the kids and head to Mission Bay for ice cream. It’s only about 2km along Tamiki Drive from St Heliers – great for a stroll. The scenery along the way, as well as stopping off to build a sandcastle or two, will keep the kids going, and your reward at the end is an array of ice-cream parlours from Movenpick, Ben and Jerry’s, Kiwiyo and New Zealand Natural.

The Crab Shack is a relaxed quayside spot serving seafood and specialising in crab. Sandwiched between the Maritime Museum and the ferry terminal, it’s one of the best restaurants in the city for an impromptu meal with the family before exploring the bustling waterfront. With staff in cut-offs and T-shirts and a fuss-free kids' menu, it’s a top Auckland restaurant for families.

Drive out of town for 20 minutes, towards Henderson, and treat the kids to breakfast or lunch at The Grounds Eatery. Set in 5 acres of parkland it's got the best playground your children will ever go to – that's a promise! One of the top restaurants in Auckland, its menu celebrates New Zealand ingredients, with dishes crafted to accompany some of the best local wines.

Here’s a quick guide to three of the best family bars in Auckland. They’re the kind of places that have cottoned on to the fact there’s money to be made if you cater to children and thirsty parents. Northcote Tavern will lure you on to a ferry trip across the bay or short drive over Auckland Harbour Bridge – the garden is great and the atmosphere is welcoming.

Brothers Brewery and Juke Joint, on the other hand, have gone all out to make sure children have plenty to do while you enjoy a break. From the full-sized truck filled with toys to the courtyard and sandpit outdoors, kids will love it. Specialising in craft beer, it’s just around the corner from Mount Eden station, so you can leave the car at home. Equally central is The Good Home Mount Eden on Normanby Road. With a dedicated room for kids to play in, you’ll have a job getting them out when it’s time to leave.

Let’s hear it for Auckland. When you’ve seen enough on the coast, head downtown. And when you want to escape the city, take to the beach. Enjoy exciting family ventures, explore natural and urban landscape and discover the volcanic islands – and find your own blissful bay along Auckland’s coastline.