1 Day Auckland Itinerary: First Timers Guide
Auckland is a great addition to a longer New Zealand itinerary. Despite it being the biggest city in the country, you can hit the highlights in just a couple days and spend the rest of your trip exploring further beyond. If you’re short on time and just have 1 day in Auckland, this itinerary is perfect for showing first time visitors the best stuff.
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Where to Stay
I recommend staying in downtown Auckland so that you’re walking distance to all the main attractions. We stayed at the JW Marriott Auckland, which was perfectly situated in the heart of it all. The hotel has undergone a renovation since we stayed there, making the rooms even better than before.
Here are some other hotel options nearby:
Getting Around
We didn’t need to rent a car in Auckland. Uber operates there, which is how we got to/from the airport. Apart from that, we walked everywhere. There is also a bus system, but to get from the airport to downtown, it requires 2 different buses and it takes twice as long as an Uber.
1 Day Auckland Itinerary
Breakfast at Up Café
Located in the Sebel Quay West Auckland (just across the street from the JW Marriott) is Up Café. It’s the perfect spot for a delicious, casual breakfast. We walked in with no reservation and were able to be served quickly.
Auckland Skyjump
The AJ Hackett SkyJump at the Auckland Sky Tower was high on my bucket list. If you’ve been to Las Vegas, you may have seen the SkyJump at the Stratosphere hotel – it was built by the same company (the Auckland one was built first). SkyJump has you jump from 629ft in the air and land safely on the ground just a few seconds later. At the Auckland Sky Tower, you also have the option to do SkyWalk, where you walk around the edge of the building, leaning out over the edge held only by your harness!
My Experience
If you want to participate, make sure to sign up for a time slot in advance. After you arrive, they weigh you and give you a fun orange jumpsuit to wear and a locker to put your stuff in. Then they make sure you’re not holding anything that could fall and that your shoes are tied tight before sending you up to the top.
We were in a group of 6 at the top and jumped in no particular order (some people had somewhere to be and insisted on going first). When it was my turn, they had me smile for some photos before heading out to the edge. The guide told me to hold onto 2 ropes that felt impossibly far apart before leaning out and jumping. Nerves threatened to get the best of me, but I pushed through and jumped. That was the scariest part.
I was surprised that the fall felt “slow”. In fact, it was not a free fall but rather a quick controlled descent down to the landing pad. Compared to the canyon swing I did in Switzerland, this was a piece of cake, but there was still plenty of adrenaline flowing! If you’re looking to sneak in some adventure into your 1 day in Auckland, SkyJump will fit right into your itinerary.
Fun fact: tennis star Coco Gauff ushered in the New Year by jumping off the Auckland SkyJump in January 2024!
After our jump, we were given shirts to commemorate our experience and our ticket allowed us to take the elevator up to the observation deck for great views of the city. There is also the option to just buy a ticket to the observation deck for great views of the city, no extreme activities required.
After you complete the SkyJump, you are eligible for a 20% discount on AJ Hackett experiences for life (you must call and book during business hours to apply your discount).
[Related: Grindelwald Canyon Swing Review]
Lunch at Andy’s Burgers & Bar
For a quick bite to eat after the SkyJump, head to Andy’s Burgers & Bar, conveniently located within the Auckland Sky Tower. Walk ins are welcome and you don’t need reservations. I ordered the Andy’s Cheeseburger and it definitely hit the spot.
We were surprised when our food arrived via a robot! After our meal we could deposit our empty plate with the robot too – it was a cool and unique operation.
All Blacks Experience
Whether you are a huge rugby fan or everything you know about the sport comes from one episode of Friends (I’m the latter), it’s worth your time to check out the All Blacks Experience.
All Blacks is the name of the New Zealand national men’s rugby team and a great source of national pride. They have been incredibly successful on the world stage for decades.
The All Blacks Experience is conveniently located right across from the Auckland Sky Tower (you can take an air bridge between the two buildings to get there). The 45-minute timed-entry tour takes you through the history of the team and how it has become so culturally significant to the people of New Zealand. The interactive tour ends with a video where you get to watch the All Blacks perform the Haka as if you’re the opposing team, which is a powerful sight to see. It ends with time to test your own rugby skills across a variety of fun games.
While I recommend buying tickets in advance to guarantee availability, we did buy ours online only 30 minutes before the tour started.
New Zealand Maritime Museum
After the All Blacks Experience, it’s time to learn about New Zealand’s other top sport: sailing. The New Zealand Maritime Museum covers the history of sailing from the first Māori discovering New Zealand in the 1300s to the Europeans’ arrival to modern competitive sailing.
Unsurprisingly, the New Zealand Maritime Museum is located by the water at Viaduct Harbour. It is open 10AM-5PM each day and we bought tickets on site at 4PM. I would recommend trying to give yourselves at least 2 hours here. We only had 1 hour and felt like we were racing through exhibits to see it all. The museum also offers sailings around the Auckland Harbor Bridge area.
Dinner at Amano
Amano is an Italian restaurant that came highly recommended to me from multiple people. Given that it’s a very popular spot, I made sure to get reservations far in advance. It did not disappoint!
Amano is also located right near the water and was only a 9-minute walk from our hotel. I seriously love how close everything is in downtown Auckland!
For dinner we ordered the bread as a starter. I got the scampi pasta as my main and it was phenomenal. We told them in advance that we were celebrating an anniversary (5 years since the day we got engaged!) and they gifted us with complimentary sorbet for dessert.
This dinner was the perfect way to cap off our short time in Auckland.
Final Thoughts
While it’s impossible to see all of Auckland in 1 day, I’m a firm believer that even a short time somewhere new is better than skipping it altogether.
If you have more time in the North Island of New Zealand, head out to Waiheke Island for an easy day trip from Auckland. Alternatiely, head further south to Rotorua to explore Hell’s Gate or hike challenge yourself by hiking Tongariro Alpine Crossing.
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