Outdoor activities in Auckland

THE 10 BEST Auckland Outdoor Activities

Outdoor Activities in Auckland

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    Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked according to revenue made by Tripadvisor on those bookings, plus the number of page views by Tripadvisor users, and the quantity and quality of reviews
Outdoor Activities
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Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 99% of travelers
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from
$206.86
per adult
Shore Excursions
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 92% of travelers
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$216.15
per adult
Bus Tours
5 hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 99% of travelers
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$108.38
per adult
Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$170.32
per adult
Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$244.64
per adult
Movie Tours
2 days
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$737.00
per adult
Shore Excursions
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 93% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$185.18
per adult
Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 97% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$238.44
per adult
Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
from
$157.93
per adult
Likely To Sell Out
6+ hours
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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$148.64
per adult
Showing results 1-30 of 107
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

What travelers are saying

  • Dan A
    1 contribution
    The trip was great and David was an awesome guide! Especially since he jumped in last minute to fill in for a colleague. Hobbiton was such a cool experience and the Waitomo Caves were fascinating! I would highly recommend this tour!
    Review of: Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves Guided Day Trip from Auckland
    Written August 10, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • twinmom8
    Torrance, CA559 contributions

    Really enjoyed this tour with Simon, our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area and history. Waitomo was pretty cool in the caves, and Rotorua/Te Puia had a lot of history going on. Enjoyed viewing the geysers up close and learning about the Maori people. Would definitely recommend it for first-timers to New Zealand.
    Review of: Waitomo Caves & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia from Auckland
    Written August 1, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • JohnDw
    Singapore, Singapore23 contributions
    Wonderful day on the water and so interesting and informative thanks to the experienced and passionate marine biologists on board. Sadly no whales this time but a fabulous pod of playful dolphins provided great entertainment.
    Review of: Auckland Dolphin and Whale Watching Eco-Safari Cruise
    Written August 5, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • LizandTony
    Brea, CA32 contributions
    Our excellent guides, Kevin and Tony, were so very knowledgable, funny and interesting. We were in a small and very comfortable van. We didn't just drive by places, we made several stops where we were able to get out, walk around and ask questions. Stops included a quaint shopping area where we could buy some authentic New Zealand on-the-go lunch fare, a beautiful reservoir and a black sand beach. The rainforest portion of the tour was spectacular, both in terms of natural beauty and our guide's knowledge of the plant life. Among other things, we learned that the silver fern (the national symbol) is essentially glow in the dark, and was used by Maori for trail markers and messages. The tour ended with another beach stop where we had tea/coffee and biscuits. We really loved this experience!
    Review of: Afternoon Black Sand Beach and Rainforest Tour from Auckland
    Written August 6, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • norcal8200
    Concord, CA2 contributions
    Amazing tour. Tony was a great tour guide, knowledgeable, funny and helpful. The little store/restaurant in Piha was a great bonus!
    Review of: Coast and Rainforest Eco-Tour from Auckland with Lunch
    Written August 1, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Cruiser20680734988
    1 contribution
    This trip was really stellar. The group that went was very nice, and it helped make the solo trip more fun. Our bus driver was incredible, and both attractions were stunning.
    Review of: Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo Caves Full Day Tour departing Auckland
    Written August 8, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Examining Misadventures
    Santa Clarita, CA85 contributions
    First off, you need to be able to walk 1.5 km up (UUUUP) a forest path, which is uneven, muddy and/or slippery. It’s a puff going up (about 25 minutes, and our guides did it at a pretty good clip as we were running late and they had another group waiting.
    You also need to be able to handle two hours between loo breaks. And, of course, if you’re afraid of heights, not the tour for you.
    Still good with this? Then you’ll have a wonderful time.
    You can purchase your ferry ticket along with the zip line tour - when we purchased it, at least, there was no up charge so we went with it.
    You do have to line up for the ferry, and while they only allow as many people as there are seats, it can get a bit dicey if you’re at the back of the line. We were instructed to move over and take bags off seats, which not everyone did (and this was a Sunday afternoon in August - AKA winter, so it wasn’t high season by any stretch).
    We were picked up by their shuttle driver (make sure to have your phone ringer turned on), who drove us and ten other people to the location.
    When you get there, and before you suit up, make sure to piddle. There are no restrooms for the next two hours.
    BRING A BUNGEE or tether or something else to secure your phone to your person or they won’t allow you to use it - or they will sell you a bungee for NZ$15 each. Too many people dropped expensive phones and insisted on looking for them in the forest below, necessitating closing down the lines.
    It’s a bunch of fun and the views are glorious. There are two lines so two people go at a time.
    Just… when they tell you to grab the rope at the end, do it. A guide will hold out a rope for you at the end. Take it.
    Gentlemen, please make sure you wear trousers that FIT. One fella mooned the island when the brake at the end of the line kicked in. It took a while for him to get to a point where he could get them back up again and I spent time carefully averting my eyes… so I didn’t gouge them out.
    The walk through the forest is actually very pretty and hopefully your guides have time to do their talks. I think the family that showed up with two extra people threw their timing off, but the employees were very gracious about it.
    It wasn’t cheap but it was a great time.
    Review of: Waiheke Island: Zipline And Forest Walk
    Written August 6, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Vallary W
    6 contributions
    My daughter and I had an amazing time today with Sharma! He took great care of us and was extremely knowledgeable in taking us to the best spots and even taking photos for us! Highly recommend for some breathtaking and awesome views in NZ!
    Review of: Redwood Forest , Blue Springs & Huka Falls Day Tour from Auckland
    Written February 21, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Megan
    2 contributions
    We had a great time on this trip! Rotorua is a beautiful town with lots of cafe and restaurants. The geothermal pools there and in Wai-O-Tapu were also stunning. Our tour guide Grant was absolutely lovely and very knowledgeable about the area and New Zealand in general.
    Review of: Rotorua Highlights Small Group Tour including Wai-O-Tapu from Auckland
    Written June 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • KrissyR3
    Long Beach, CA144 contributions
    Bush and Beach delivered on the tour itinerary and then some. I chose it over other tour operators because of its sustainability practices and having taken this tour now and observed its guides I would also recommend it for their professionalism and friendliness. Booking was easy and staff were responsive; I had a change in pick-up location shortly after I booked and received a prompt, friendly and helpful reply to my email about it.

    Tour day in Auckland was rainy and pickup was slightly delayed as a result, but our guide, Damian, was friendly and welcoming from the start. The van was comfortable and had plenty of room for our group (12 people initially, but two joined a different Bush and Beach van at Hobbiton). Damian and a few other Bush and Beach drivers coordinated efficient pickups from various Auckland hotels and met at a downtown location to make a few swaps and we got on our way. A family with three young children were part of our group, and Damian was wonderful with them, engaging them in conversation. He quickly learned all of our names and felt like a friend right away.

    Damian was excellent at providing information on a breadth of topics, including local industry, politics and demographics, culture, history and landmarks. He did a superb job telling us what to expect from the drive and the sites we visited, and his interactions with fellow Bush and Beach guides and with the staff at Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves indicate that he is a frequent and welcome guide who truly likes his colleagues. The information he shared with us was well practiced but never felt like a script.

    Hobbiton is very inviting, even on a windy and drizzly day. The farm on which it's located is stunning and bucolic, and Damian honed our group's enthusiasm for the visit as we approached by sharing relevant and colorful stories about how the location was chosen and developed. He gave us enough information and pro tips to feel excited and informed without giving spoilers. The staff at Hobbiton were warm, funny, attentive and well prepared. Umbrellas were provided and they were willing to take photos for visitors. The Green Dragon Inn was a delight and the included buffet lunch in the Party Marquee had something to offer everyone. There was construction on one part of Hobbiton when we visited, but it did not detract from my experience. The construction is well communicated ahead of time and there are plenty of charming sites in Hobbiton, so visitors should not feel shortchanged.

    Waitomo Caves was charming in a different way. We had knowledgeable and entertaining guidance from staff there (our guide, Cory, is descended from one of the people who discovered the cave) but my favorite part was the boat ride in the cave itself. You drift on the underground river in near silence as your guide pulls the boat along using ropes suspended from the ceiling. The little blue bioluminescent specks on the dark cave ceiling look like stars. You can see glowworms elsewhere, but this place is magical. To combine it with Hobbiton was a full and extremely memorable day.

    Traffic caught us going back to Auckland, but Damian handled it admirably, and it was a treat to hear his information and a few personal stories he shared. His pride in New Zealand is genuine and infectious. I am grateful to have experienced these sites and would highly recommend this tour. If you take it and are guided by Damian, your experience will be even better.
    Review of: Small-Group Hobbiton and Waitomo Day Tour with Lunch from Auckland
    Written August 3, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Robert M
    9 contributions
    I admit: I'm a LOTR fan, so this was a required visit. And the great guide from Bush & Beach made this all the more memorable. We were picked up right on time from our hotel and, after picking up the other 7 members of our party (for a Fellowship of 9), we were off to Hobbiton. During the drive, our guide offered interesting information about the sites as they went by, and he was engaging with us throughout the drive. He carefully explained the logistics of our visit, including where to meet to begin the tour with the Hobbiton guide as well as where to meet for our lunch (or, as I preferred to call it, "second breakfast"). And Hobbiton was absolutely amazing. The lunch was delicious and I highly recommend the beers and cider. After our tour, we met up again with our guide, who took us to buy some souvenirs and then we returned to Auckland by a different route, so that we could see more of the NZ countryside and small towns. We even stopped for coffee near a racetrack! We were then dropped off right at our hotel's front door precisely on time. It was so relaxing to know that all of the logistics of getting to Hobbiton were in their capable hands and I highly recommend using Bush & Beach to any visitor to Auckland.
    Review of: Small-Group Hobbiton Movie Set Tour from Auckland with Lunch
    Written August 9, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Lisa
    2 contributions
    This was truly one of my best experiences in New Zealand. I actually was just looking forward to the kayak trip but then there was a great grilled dinner and a wonderful hike to the top of the volcano on Rangitito to see the sunset over Auckland. The pictures I got at sunset were fantastic. And then the kayak back in the dark was the best. Our guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable. While I enjoyed the trip, I also learned so much extra information from the guide, Eric. I would recommend this trip to anyone!!!
    Review of: Sunset kayak tour to Rangitito Island
    Written March 3, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Steffi
    95 contributions
    First, Karthik was an excellent guide. We were picked up promptly at our hotel, and were provided a snack bag and water. He was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of info. As we were lucky to be on a tour with just 4 ppl total, we asked a lot of questions as well.

    As far as the attractions - after researching various options we chose a combo of the Ruakuri and main glowworm cave. The Ruakuri was more interesting as we got to see more of the cave. I definitely recommend doing more than just the main glowworm cave - that itself is very brief. Although the glowworms are cool, it’s not worth the 3 hour drive from Auckland to just do a quick spin in a boat. If I were to plan myself based on what I know now, I’d do all 3 of the caves and stop at the Kiwi farm nearby, but as a first visit I’m happy with what we saw.

    Overall very happy with the tour.
    Review of: Waitomo Glowworm & Ruakuri Twin Cave Experience - Small Group Tour From Auckland
    Written July 26, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Jason K
    Los Angeles, CA23 contributions
    This tour ended up being a mix for us. On one hand, our three drivers (Edson, Dallas, and Keith) over two days were very friendly and accommodating, the Waitomo Caves tour, Hobbiton tour, and free time around Rotorua were all amazing. On the other, you could tell that the central organizers of logistics were not on their game for us.

    We were picked up a little after 6:30am on June 30th after being told to be be ready to go by 6:30am. From there, our first driver told us we were already running behind, as my wife and I were going to be handed off to another driver in Matamata to go to Waitomo caves, then back to Te Puia for lunch. It seems like us being behind 30 minutes was because of the rendezvous so far East, only to have to go all the way back West to the caves, then back East again. As a result, we were a little rushed at the Caves (though the tour was still great and we had enough time to buy our photos and a magnet), but very rushed to eat lunch at Te Puia (we had about 25 minutes to eat at the buffet before heading on the walking tour).

    The Te Puia tour was pretty cool. We learned about Maori culture, saw Kiwi birds, steam vents, crafts being created as part of the Maori school, and the food at the buffet lunch was also pretty good. From there, we were taken to our JetPark hotel to settle in before being picked up to go to the Mitai Maori village for a traditional Hangi meal and cultural show. Think luau, but the Maori version.

    The show was really well done, starting with the war canoe river intro, followed by the enclosed chief welcome, and then various dances and songs that were interesting and fun. We really enjoyed that. Then we were brought back into the food hall to have the buffet food, which was largely like a Thanksgiving variation with chicken, lamb, roasted potatoes and veggies, fish chowder, bread, some salad, gravy, and then dessert later (Pavlova, chocolate cake, hot vanilla custard, coffee, tea). There was also a paid bar with wine, beer, and spirits, but because dinner was so late and whirlwind with the buffet, don't plan on having too many drinks.

    Following that we had the Q&A, which was interesting, and then a pointless walk in the rain back down to the river and up to the buses to allegedly see glowworms, but without umbrellas (they ran out) and pouring rain, we didn't see any and just tried to avoid getting super soaked.

    After that, we were driven back to our hotel for a terrible night because the Air Conditioning ended up pumping hot, sulfurous (because of the nearby sulfur steam vents) air into the room despite being set to 16 degrees. We woke up at midnight to the hot, smelly room and just turned off the unit until it cooled down because none of the windows opened and obviously messing with the controller wasn't going to do anything.

    Our itinerary for the next day said to be ready after breakfast (continental, pretty unimpressie) by 7:30am, so we were, but we ended up getting picked up at around 8am to head to Hobbiton (an extra 30 minutes to sleep and pack up would have been nice). There we arrived early, in time for the 9:40am tour, so we had a creme-filled cronut and latte while we waited to queue up for the tour. From there, we were bused to Hobbiton and had a beautiful tour of The Shire, sunny and cool, ending with a tasty beer at The Green Dragon. Loved it.

    After that, Keith said we could do whatever we wanted until we needed to get to the Rotorua airport at 3pm for our flight to Wellington. We thought there would be more of an itinerary, but he recommended a locals-known sandwich place called Ciabatta for lunch (very tasty), followed by us selecting to take the skyline/gondola up a nearby mountain to take in some views and do a wine tasting at the Volcanic Winery tasting room. That was awesome, and then we made our way down the mountain and were ushered to the airport for drop-off.

    All in all, it was a nice tour, but the logistics issues with running late, being rushed, getting picked up at different times than designated in the itinerary, a hotel room without working Air Conditioning, etc. did put a damper on the experience.
    Review of: 2-Day Hobbiton, Rotorua, Waitomo Caves Tour from Auckland with Accommodation
    Written July 8, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Voyager23866952001
    1 contribution
    Enjoyed both Waitomo Caves (We) and Te Puia (Paul) and these guides in both very good, Our Bus Driver Simon was also excellent, very helpful, lovely sense of humour. He also advised that I should have been informed and given a part refund due to the cancellation of the cultural performance - this has not occurred.
    Review of: Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour (One Way)
    Written May 20, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Auckland: Outdoor Recreation Information

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