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Auckland / Things To Do

Things To Do In Auckland

Our pick of the best things to do in Auckland—music festivals, road trips, local markets and one-off events.

Highlights

Rest of the best

Bars & Pubs

Isle On Snickel

Venture down one of the smallest, most secret lanes in Auckland CBD and you’ll happen upon a bar and cellar you won’t want to leave. Sitting pretty among a florist and botanical gift shop, a Thai vegan eatery, a Japanese restaurant, and a barista, Isle On Snickel completes a micro-climate that’s a welcome relief from the frenetic energy of the city. 
Local Escapes

InterContinental Auckland

Clear your calendar, a sleek new hotel is opening atop Commercial Bay and you’re going to want to check in, stat. Quietly brewing behind the scenes for quite some time now, InterContinental Auckland has landed and it’s luxe incarnate. 
Local Escapes

voco Auckland City Centre

As soon as you step through the classy, sliding doors at voco Auckland City Centre hotel you know you’re in for a treat. Found midway up Wyndham Street this towering behemoth in the heart of downtown Auckland sits proudly as an oasis from the bustling streets.
A group of people do pilates on reformer machines at So Fitness.
Health + Wellness

So Fitness

Formally a mezzanine micro-studio perched above a hairdressers in Auckland CBD, So Fitness has got some brand new digs and we’re here for it. 
Fitness

Studio Box CBD

Have you heard about the boxing gym that is taking Auckland by storm? Well, let us introduce you to Studio Box. With a Newmarket location already under its wing, a brand new studio has opened up in the city that has evolved the studio's signature workout into a 45-minute, 10-round, full-body cardio and strength class.
Homewares

Babylon Store

If you're a little plant-obsessed like us, and enjoy filling up your home (and your 'Gram) with gorgeous greenery, then Babylon Store has got you covered. 
Things To Do

Goodness Bistro

Goodness Bistro is aptly named – as soon as you walk into the elegant eatery in the newly refurbished Britomart precinct, you won't stop saying ‘Oh My Goodness’. Not least, because everything they make is gluten-free, vegan, organic, paleo and free from refined sugar.
Cafes

Ozone Coffee

This isn’t simply a place to go grab a coffee or have a bite to eat. Tucked away in Westmoreland Street West in Grey Lynn, Ozone Coffee is an experience. 
Things To Do

Playground Fitness

Just when you thought the fitness scene in Auckland couldn’t get any better, new kid on the block Playground Fitness is taking it up a notch by putting the fun back into fitness. Think nightclub-inspired lighting, state-of-the-art cardio and weights equipment, immersive music, and short 'n' snappy sets that'll get your heart rate up in no time.
Things To Do

A-Block Café

Tucked away in Browns Bay is A-Block, a must-try café serving up breakfast favourites with a hot cup of their signature in-house roasted coffee blend. Our pick for a memorable brunch dish goes to the Not So Frenchie, an out of the ordinary French toast. Double-baked bread and butter pudding is soaked overnight, coated in oats and deep fried. If that’s not enough, they plate it up on a pile of Oreo crumble with poached rhubarb. It’s adorned with a whole poached pear (covered in sliced almonds) and premium vanilla Kapati ice cream. Loosen your belts. 
Uptown Bounce Grey Lynn
Fitness

Uptown Bounce Avondale

Relive the joys of your trampoline days at Avondale’s Uptown Bounce. This supersized trampoline park has more than 50 interconnected trampolines—some of which are angled so you can literally bounce off the walls. You’ll also find a trampoline dodgeball area, Olympic trampolines, rock climbing wall and a battle beam where the loser falls into a foam pit. Book in for a one-hour session or sign up for one of their trampoline exercise classes (yes, it’s a thing).  
Uptown Bounce Grey Lynn
Fitness

Uptown Bounce Grey Lynn

We get it. Not everyone loves working out. If you’re looking to add a bit of fun to your fitness regime, Uptown Bounce in Grey Lynn is the place to go. This indoor trampolining hub lets you bounce your way to health with connected tramps, basketball hoops, dodge balls, jelly pits, bounce walls AND vaults. Uptown Bounce also has a bounce fitness class every Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s a low-impact way to tone muscle, improve co-ordination and have a bunch of fun while you’re at it. They also have toddler time sessions Monday to Friday—so you can settle in with a coffee while your little one bounces about. 
People dance at Morning People, one of the best things to do in Auckland.
Things To Do

The Absolute Best Things To Do In Auckland

One of the side effects of becoming the Editor of Urban List is friends and strangers alike are always sliding into my DMs asking for recs (which I dig, by the way—she loves a flex). So I decided I should really be spilling my secrets here, for all of you, too. 
Things To Do

The Best Nightclubs In Auckland

There’s something about dancing I just can’t get enough of. Whether it’s dancing in the moonlight, dancing in the dark or dancing in the rain, there really is nothing greater.
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira entrance.
Things To Do

The Best Museums In Auckland To Visit This Year

If you’re curious about anything (or everything), get yourself along to one of Auckland’s many incredible museums and prepare to expand your mind. From ancient relics to impressive architecture, lush outdoors to lifeforms past and present, Auckland has no shortage of intriguing historic collections to get amongst.
Runners scarper along a street as part of Run4Auckland, one of the best run clubs in Auckland.
Fitness

Auckland’s Best Running Clubs To Join

As the adage goes, if the zombie apocalypse comes after leg day, the ‘fittest’ will be the first ones to go. That said, when your survival odds rest on your ability to head for the hills (and actually make it there), it makes sense to put the leg work in today.
Things To Do With Kids

54 Of The Best Things To Do With Kids In Auckland All Year Round

Auckland's a pretty fun place to grow up. Not only do we have world-class beaches on our doorstep and all the usual family-friendly tropes like a zoo, arcades, and a museum, there's also a host of city exclusives like our very own marine reserve to swim around, a Wonka-esque sugar factory to explore and of course, the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere (which, btw, kids over 10 can even jump off!).
A group of people sit around a high tea table setting in a garden.
Food & Drink

The Best High Tea In Auckland

Whether it’s Mother’s Day, a special occasion, or you just wanna spoil someone (but also yourself!), high tea is always the answer. Lucky for us, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has no shortage of spots serving up a swanky high tea with alllll the treats, including tea, cake, and if you're lucky, a cheeky glass of bubbles.
Someone holds a colourful ice cream from Duck Island Ice Cream, one of the best ice cream shops in Auckland.
Food & Drink

The Best Ice Cream And Gelato Shops In Auckland

I scream, you scream... well, you know how it goes. Whether it's fresh and fruity or rich and chocolatey, in a cone, on a stick or in a cup, we just can't get enough of the cold stuff. So without further ado, here's our pick of the coolest (yes, we did just do that) ice cream and gelato shops in Auckland.
A dog takes a breather on the grass while a stick and ball lies nearby. These are the best dog parks in Auckland.
Wellness

16 Of The Best Dog Parks In Auckland And Where To Find Them

It’s a well-known fact that we here at Urban List love our pooches and so we’ve rounded up some of Auckland’s best dog-friendly parks because—let’s face it—your dog’s already peed on all the trees at your local. So, treat your pup and take them to the best dog parks in Auckland.
Fitness

10 Of The Best Volcanoes In Auckland To Climb

If you’re anything like us, your resolution to get fit may seem like an uphill battle—literally. But here in the City of Sails, we’re lucky enough to be sitting on a whopping 53 volcanoes, and they all offer striking views of our wonderful city. 
The gannet colony at Muriwai.
Things To Do

50 Rad Free Things To Do In Auckland

Sometimes things get a little tight…the washing machine breaks down the same week as the car does, and then the dog gets sick. And, let’s face it, as much as we love the City of Sails, it’s bloody expensive to live here. But this doesn’t mean you need to be bored—with a little creativity and a whole lot of thriftiness, we’ve found the best free things to do in Auckland. You’re welcome.
Things To Do

The Best Hidden Picnic Spots In Auckland For Discreet Al Fresco Dining

It’s hard to spark romance when you’re picnicing with every other human in Tāmaki Makaurau, especially when your thunder could be stolen at any moment by a cute Frenchie pup in a bandana. So (and we hope you’ll forgive us if we give up your secret spot) we’ve decided to spill the beans and reveal 16 of the best hidden picnic spots in and around Auckland.
The tasman track at Piha

Your Ultimate Guide To Auckland’s Best Beaches

One of the best parts about Auckland is the fact that writing a list of the best beaches within a region is absolutely possible. We tend to forget other countries that don’t have this advantage and we need to pay some respect to the blessing.
A girl scales a rock climbing wall with aplomb.
Fitness

Here’s Where To Go Rock Climbing In Auckland

Who says you can't work out and have fun? If you are looking for a workout that combines strength training, agility, stability, yet a conventional run or workout routine at the gym just doesn't quite get your adrenaline rushing, look no further.