The Perfect 5-Day Travel Itinerary to Auckland, New Zealand

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Advisor - Caitlyn Johnston
Curated By

Caitlyn Johnston

  • New Zealand

  • North Island

  • Auckland

  • Adventure Travel

  • Beaches

  • City Travel

  • International Travel

  • Nature Escapes

  • Luxury Travel

  • Downtown

  • Island

  • Tours

A city view of Auckland, New Zealand at sunset overlooking a blue lake.
Curator’s statement

We loved Auckland so much we named our first dog after our trip there. My husband studied abroad in the area for 10 months a few years ago. New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places we have visited and I hope to make your experience as wonderful as mine was!

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Day 1: Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve

Cathedral Cove outside of Auckland, New Zealand with large rock formations in blue waters and a dark cave.

Although it is two hours outside of Auckland, Cathedral Cove is worth the drive and the relaxing scenery. This beautiful part of New Zealand was made famous from the movie Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. On your visit, be sure to walk through the rock formation to get to the beach where the famous scene from the movie was filmed.

Day 2: Free walking tour around Auckland

A city view of Auckland, New Zealand with tall brown and white buildings, with white boats in the blue harbour.

Auckland city offers a free walking tour to learn about the short history of New Zealand. Visit the war museum to discover the culture of the Māori people and ancient artifacts. Lastly, hike up to Mount Eden with a bottle of wine for a relaxing evening and watch the sunset overlooking the city.

Day 3: Exploring Rotorua

A dark image with two blue green glowworm lights at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves outside of Auckland, New Zealand in Rotorua.

Rotorua is known for its geothermal nature in New Zealand and authentic Māori experiences. The Waitomo Glowworm Caves are underground caves in which you can walk through or repel into to see glowworms. 

Alternatively, I suggest taking one of the Hobbiton Tours. As the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in this town, the tours offer a complete picture of how the movies were filmed. Grab a beer at The Green Dragon at the end of your tour for the full Hobbiton experience.

Day 4: Take the ferry from Auckland to Waiheke Island

A small dirt path on a green grassy hill overlooking a blue ocean on Waiheke Island outside of Auckland, New Zealand.

Grab a ticket for the hop-on, hop-off bus to tour different wineries. Check out Cable Bay Vineyards or Tantalus Estate before finishing off the day with some yard games at Wild on Waiheke for some delicious food and fun!

Day 5: Travel to Bay of Islands

Green tree filled islands with blue waters and white boats floating at Bay of Islands outside of Auckland, New Zealand.

If there are a few extra days on your itinerary, drive up to Bay of Islands for a stay at Paihia Beach Resort & Spa or The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, where you can play golf or go to the spa. However, it is worth just visiting for the pure beauty of Kauri Cliffs alone. Kayak down Waitangi River and visit Rainbow Falls for some additional beautiful scenery.

Advisor - Caitlyn Johnston

Travel Advisor

Caitlyn Johnston

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Looking to explore more of New Zealand? Check out Caitlyn's write up on "What to do Outdoors in Christchurch, New Zealand: 4-Day Itinerary".