Auckland Cruise Port Guide to Top Tours and Free Activities

Welcome to Auckland, our home city. When your ship docks at Auckland cruise port, you’ll find yourself in the heart of New Zealand’s largest and most vibrant city. Not only do we live here, but as avid cruisers, we have cruised in and out of this port many times and picked up friends who’ve visited for just a day.

With just one day in Auckland, it can be challenging to decide what to see and do. Whether you prefer organised Auckland shore excursions or exploring on your own, the city offers a diverse range of attractions.

From the iconic Sky Tower to the bustling waterfront, there is plenty to experience. If Auckland is the starting or ending point of your cruise, we recommend adding a few days to enjoy more of the city.

We love sharing our city! Below, we guide you through the best ways to experience Auckland in one day.

Map of Auckland cruise port highlights and dock location

Cruising into Auckland is easy. The ships typically dock right in town at either dock at Princess Wharf (Auckland Cruise Ship Terminal) or the very nearby Queens Wharf (Auckland Main Cruise Dock). Either option makes it easy to walk off and enjoy my city!

Check the wharf schedule to see where your ship will arrive and how long you will be in Auckland.

Tour or DIY: What is the best way to enjoy the Auckland cruise port?

The answer to this depends on what you want to see, and whether or not you think a guide is worth the cost. We go into more detail on the advantages and disadvantages of shore options here.

That aside, Auckland is an easy port to walk off and explore on your own, but you will see less and miss out on the commentary. A short walk will take you to the Maritime Museum, Queen Street, or the Sky Tower, and we detailed this and more below.

What are the must-sees from the Auckland cruise port

Trying to see Auckland in a day is impossible, as with nearly every port we have ever visited. However, with a cruise, that’s usually all you get.

Therefore, if I had only one day in Auckland, I would try to get a taste of the city, and include as many as possible from our must-do Auckland list:

• Enjoy one of the many panoramic views of Auckland harbour
  In our opinion, the best places to do this are Mount Eden (huge 50m deep crater and Auckland’s highest natural point), North Head (stunning skyline from across the bay, plus cannons, tunnels and military buildings), Bastion Point (historic site overlooking Mission Bay and lots of islands), or from the observation deck of the Sky Tower Although it’s the tallest free-standing tower in the Southern hemisphere if you are well-travelled, it may not seem that tall.
• Visit a museum or the Wintergardens
  There are plenty of great museums in Auckland. A few favourites are the Auckland War Memorial Museum (also called Auckland Museum, it is home to the largest collection of Maori artefacts in the world), Maritime Museum (shares the story of the Polynesian immigration), SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s aquarium (marine life and Antarctic penguins), and Wintergardens (stunning living museum featuring glass houses and a fernery).
• Enjoy some of the city’s open space
  Take a walk along the waterfront, discover Cornwall Park, or take a ferry out to one of the smaller islands.
• Head to the west coast for black sand beaches and the rainforest
  Just an hour to the west of the CBD, the west coast is known for its black sand surf beaches along the edge of a sub-tropical rainforest. It won’t take long to know why it’s called the wild west coast. Our two favourite beaches are Piha and Muriwai.
• Discover our uniqueness
  So many one-offs here – take a walk down Queen Street and know that the dirty stream it once was is still under there or visit Holy Trinity Cathedral, the world’s only example of Pacific Gothic architectural style.

Read next: 75 Free and Nearly Free Things to Do in Auckland New Zealand

Our recommended itinerary to enjoy the Auckland cruise port

Let’s put this all together. If you are energetic and happy to do some exploration on your own (it’s easy to do in our city), we recommend splitting up your day. Spend half of your time on one of the Auckland shore excursions, and the other half on your own.

Spend half your one day in Auckland on a tour

Join a half-day highlights tour that includes at least one viewpoint, one volcano (Mt Eden covers both of these in one visit), and a few of the other places from above that interest you.

Based on our personal experience, the tour descriptions, and the reviews, we picked what we believe are the top three half-day independent tours. All of these pick up at the dock and mention that they are suitable for cruise passengers.

Also, all three are small group tours so you get a bit of individual attention, something that is often lacking on the more expensive tour options offered by your cruise ship.

DIY – Explore the second half of the day on your own

To complete your one day in Auckland, set out on foot. From the Auckland cruise port, you can go in any direction.

Head south into town (Queen Street, Sky Tower, Albert Park, Art Museum)

Simply cross the main road (at the light), and you are in the Auckland CBD (central business district). From here, take a self-guided walk down Queen Street.

At Victoria street, you can either turn right and head to the Sky Tower (save time and reserve your ticket in advance), or turn left to beautiful Albert Park (personally, I would only do the park in daylight hours). On the other side of the park is the Art Museum.

If you are an adrenaline junkie, don’t get the general pass up the Sky Tower. Instead, either jump off or walk the permitter up near the top, outside on the ledge. Reserve your SkyJump or SkyWalk tours in advance so you don’t miss out.

Head west towards Wynyard Quarter (Maritime Museum, super yachts, waterfront dining)

If you turn to the right on the main road (Quay street – pronounced Key Street), it’s just a short walk to Viaduct Harbour where you will find the Maritime Museum.

In the marina, you will usually find two former America’s Cup boats docked (if you time it right, you can even go out on one of them).

It’s called the “City of Sails” for a reason, and in addition to the America’s Cup option, if you want to get out on a purely relaxing sail, check out this 1.5-hour cruise. Both start from Viaduct Harbour. (Carefully check the timing before booking)

Cross the Wynard crossing bridge, and you will be in the redeveloped trendy Wynyard Quarter neighbourhood. This is a great place to enjoy seafood or gelato or to just sit along the waterfront and admire the super yachts.

Head south on a ferry (Waiheke Island for wine tasting, beaches, zipline)

You can take a ferry out to Waiheke Island for lovely beaches, fabulous wine tasting, or the Eco Zipline, but watch your time closely, as you don’t want to miss a ferry back to Auckland and, therefore, miss your ship.

If you really want to visit Waiheke, this might be one excursion we would recommend taking with your ship.

Head west along the waterfront (coastal walk, SEA Life Kelly Tarlton’s)

Another lovely walk is just to turn left on Quay Street and walk along the coast. Of course, the first part isn’t so nice as you will pass the container terminal, but after that, it’s lovely.

If you want to visit SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium, the 5.5 km waterfront walk will take you about 75 minutes, so you might want to consider a bus, taxi, or Uber in one of the directions. Reserve your SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium admission here.

Other options for Auckland cruise port fun

There are plenty more things to do in Auckland. If you have been here before and done many or all of our suggestions above, or you just have specific goals in mind for the city, here are a few more options.

• Auckland scenic full-day shore excursion: If you want to do it all with a guide, this 8-hour tour hits most of the same sights on the first half-day tour we recommend, then heads out west to the black sand beach and a wine tasting. Reserve your full-day Auckland shore excursion here.

• Auckland Explorer Bus: In contrast, if you want to do it all on your own and don’t want a driver, one great DIY option is the Auckland Explorer hop-on-hop-off bus to many of the city’s key sites. Reserve your hop-on-hop-off bus in advance here.

• Wineries Honey and Black Sand Beaches from Auckland
  A 6-hour tour that heads out west to three great wineries: Kumeu River Wines, Westbrook Winery, and Soljans Estate Winery, and then on to Muriwai Beach. Reserve your tour here.
• Half-Day Auckland Volcanoes Tour
  This 5-hour tour will take you to Auckland’s four tallest volcanoes: Mt. Eden, One Tree Hill, Mangere Mountain, and Mt. Wellington. A moderate physical fitness level is required for this one. Reserve your volcanoes tour here.
• Hire a private guide
  If none of this appeals, you don’t like to do it on your own, and you want to cram the maximum amount into your one day in Auckland, you might want to hire a private guide.
• If you are in the Auckland port for an extended time (or if you didn’t get to some of the popular destinations during your cruise), you may want to consider one of these day tours from Auckland that get you to the most popular nearby destinations.

What to bring when cruising in New Zealand

Good news. We offer several free packing lists, including one for cruise travel. If you are like us and like to have everything you need, but not tons of extra stuff, check out these tips for packing light while cruising.

Where to stay in Auckland

If Auckland is your port of embarkation or disembarkation, you might want to stay the night. There is no better option (in my opinion) than the Hilton Auckland. Located on Princes Wharf, next to the international cruise ship terminal, you couldn’t be closer. 

More than just convenience, we found the Hilton to be luxury wrapped around comfort, stunning waterfront views, easy access to city attractions, impeccable service, and delicious food options. 

From the harbour view rooms, you will see your ship while it’s in port and watch the ferries come and go the rest of the time. Bow suites offer always unobstructed views. Book your stay at Hilton Auckland here.

If you waited too long to book and the Hilton is full, check out these Auckland hotels. 

Where to next: What to do at each of the New Zealand cruise ports

If you haven’t read it yet, don’t miss our general tips for first-time visitors to New Zealand or our overview of cruising in New Zealand. We have written more on each cruise port here:

• Bay of Island Cruise Port

• Auckland Cruise Port

• Tauranga Cruise Port (Rotorua, Hobbiton, Mt Maunganui)

• Napier Cruise Port

• Wellington Cruise Port

• Picton Cruise Port

• Christchurch Cruise Port (Lyttleton or Akaroa)

• Dunedin Cruise Port

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What will you do from the Auckland cruise port?

Read more on the region . . .