Auckland’s best walking tour begins at Auckland Domain, Auckland’s oldest park. The park sits on Volcano Pukekawa’s explosion crater and its tuff ring. You can also find Auckland War Memorial Museum here, located in an iconic neo-classicist style building. The neighbouring Winter Gardens showcase beautiful tropical plants throughout the year. To get to the Auckland Museum, catch either the Inner Link or Outer Link City Bus and get off at 470 Parnell Road, find more info here.
Blog: Best walking tour of Auckland
Take the centennial walkway through the park, heading north towards Grafton Road. Join Grafton Road and walk over the Motorway Bridge before taking the first left, down onto Grafton Gully Cycleway. Follow the Cycleway all the way through the parkland. When you reach the traffic lights, cross the road and continue onto Cycleway. Take the first left and follow the footpath until it meets Wellesley Street. Walk alongside Wellesley Street and then cross over Symonds Street onto St Paul Street.
Halfway down the block on St Paul Street, you will come across the St Paul St Galleries One and Two, which are part of Auckland University of Technology. The gallery features rotating exhibitions and the entrance is completely free of charge! Leave a buffer of 30 minutes in your schedule to enjoy the gallery.
Continue following St Paul Street as it crosses over Wakefield Street and then take the first right to follow the footpath next to the car park to take you onto Mayoral Drive. Turn left from the footpath onto Mayoral Drive and follow the road over Queen Street and around until you reach Greys Avenue. Turn right up there and follow the walkway into Aotea Square. You are now in the Central Business District of Auckland and Aotea Square is particularly popular for markets, gatherings and concerts. The square was opened in 1979, but was redesigned in 2010 to give it the look that it now has.
You will also see Auckland Town Hall on the square—a venue known for its excellent acoustics. The town hall hosts many different live concerts as well as Council functions.
Blog: Best walking tour of Auckland
Exit the square from the opposite end that you came in from, and turn left onto Queen Street, one of Auckland’s most popular shopping destinations. Follow Queen Street up until the crossroads, and turn left onto Wellesley Street. Stay on Wellesley Street until you meet Federal Street on the right. Walk down Federal Street towards Auckland’s Sky Tower. Visible on the Auckland skyline for miles in every direction, construction for the Sky Tower began in 1994 and cost NZ$76 million. The view from the tower is unforgettable; tickets for admission cost NZ$20 for students. After taking in the views from the Sky Tower, continue your walk up Federal Street. At the intersection of Wyndham Street, you will see St Patrick’s Cathedral. This Cathedral is open to the public 7am to 7pm. The schedule of Masses can be found here.
Continue walking down Wyndham Street until you reach Queen Street, and then turn left. Take the first right on Queen Street and walk down Vulcan Lane, where you can find popular eateries and shops. Turn left at the end of Vulcan Lane and walk up High Street-another of the most popular shopping destinations in Auckland.
Continue walking up High Street; when the road meets Fort Street, turn right. Follow Fort Street all the way up to the Beach Road Crossroads. Cross over the road here and walk down Britomart Place. On the left you will see the Britomart Shopping Street, home to many interesting boutiques and eateries. Top Tip: check Britomart out in the evening- the square uses fairy lights to create an amazing ambience.
After exploring Britomart, return to Britomart Place and continue walking until you meet Quay Street. Turn left here and cross over the road so that you are walking adjacent to the water. Walk up Quay Street until you reach the ferry terminal on your right. If you have a spare afternoon you can catch the 10-minute ferry to Devonport to walk up North Head, where there are World War II tunnels to be explored! Ferry tickets can be purchased at Terminal Four, or once you are on the boat. A ferry timetable can be found here.
Once you have come back from your ferry trip, continue walking along Quay Street with the water on your right. At the end of Quay Street you will reach the New Zealand Maritime Museum. Here you can learn about the Seafaring History of New Zealand, with admission fees costing NZ$17*.
After your time at the Maritime Museum, walk next to the water around the viaduct basin and enjoy the views of the boats moored up in the harbour and the iconic Hilton Hotel, shaped like a cruise ship. Walk onto Viaduct Harbour Avenue and then turn right onto Halsey Street. Walk along Halsey Street until you reach Jellicoe Street. Take the second right from Jellicoe Street and then left so that you are back walking with the water on your right. Keep walking straight on this footpath past the popular Wynyard Quarter restaurants until you reach Silo Park – the last stop on your walking tour. The council converted this industrial area into a recreational space by repurposing the silos for a summer-long program of cinema on the lawn. If the weather is warm, you can catch the night markets and a free film in this trendy space every Friday evening from 9:00pm.
*Admission Price for 1 Student as of October 2017. Other prices may vary.
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Blog: Best walking tour of Auckland
