Family-Friendly Auckland Day Trip Ideas

No matter what time of the year you visit, Auckland promises a great adventure for the whole family. There are a lot of things you must see and do to complete your New Zealand holiday experience. This place gets more interesting with every minute you spend on its luscious lands and the view, hands down, is Auckland’s most treasured attraction. The best way to enjoy it is by booking Auckland mini bus hire to tour the city and all of its magnificent offerings.

Auckland War Memorial Museum

This stunning old building can be found in the beautiful Domain Park. New Zealand has a uniquely rich history and a visit to the Auckland War Memorial Museum will introduce you to its indigenous Maori culture. The museum has interactive displays like the whare which is a carved meeting house. The kids will surely love to go inside to admire the intricate Maori carvings.

There are also huge canoes that were carved from a single tree and are called giant waka. Digital interactive activities and a hands-on space can be found at the “Weird and Wonderful Discovery Centre” section. In here, they can touch and feel objects in the gallery. Consider to visit during Saturday and Sunday as kids will be treated to special interactive story times. Inside the museum premises is the Kai Room where lockers, toilets, change tables, and other family-friendly facilities can be found. There is also a café in the museum so everyone can enjoy going through a whole day of activities without getting hungry.   

Island Hopping in the Auckland Harbour

There are ferries that regularly leave from downtown Auckland. From there, you can visit two of the most popular islands, Waiheke and Rangitoto. You have the option to have an overnight stay in Waiheke Island as there are lots of family cafes, restaurants, beautiful beaches, walking tracks, and interactive art sculptures for the kids. The same with Waiheke, Rangitoto Island has walking tracks that goes around its perimeters. An extinct volcanic cone, this island sits right in the middle of the harbour which makes it a perfect place to admire panoramic views of the city.

Butterfly Creek

Intended for the animal lovers, a drive to the Butterfly Creek will surely be a delightful experience. Its tropical butterfly house is home to hundreds of exquisitely coloured butterflies. Aside from the gorgeous butterflies, other animals can also be admired such as birds, fish, reptiles, and the country’s famous salt water crocodiles. The picnic playground has a toy train called the Red Admiral which circles the length of the park. There is also a dinosaur kingdom where more than 60 dinosaurs are featured. The life-sized animatronics dinosaurs will surely be a fun attraction both for kids and adults.

Sky Tower

Dominating Auckland’s skyline is the Sky Tower with its height of 328 metres. A quick visit will help get your bearings of the city and let you enjoy the panoramic views of the city and up to 80 kilometres away in all directions. The adults may want to experience base-jumping from the tower or just get thrilled watching from the sidelines. You may also have the whole family feel an adventurous rush by watching the view through the glass floor. If you want to make a visit to the Sky Tower a part of your day trip, make sure to do it on a clear day as both rain and fog can harshly restrict the view. A trip before sunset is also highly encouraged as you can witness Auckland’s magical transformation from day to night.

Park Tours

Want to have immense family fun for free? Auckland has a lot of open playgrounds that everyone in the family can enjoy. If you like giant trampolines, flying fox, and mega slides, the Western Park was recently upgraded for these installations. Cornwall Park, at One Tree Hill is a bigger park equipped not only with swings, slides, climbing frames, and a train, but also with cows and sheep grazing on its grounds. During the hot summer days, the free toddler splash pool at Grey Lynn Park is a great way to cool off. There are a lot more of other parks that has all the necessary park amenities and, best of all, most of them are free!

Auckland Botanic Gardens

Prepare for a sweaty fun under the sun at an overlooked gem in Auckland. The Auckland Botanic Gardens has a variety of family-centred activities that are free. Aside from having a great place to teach the children about plants and ecology, they can also learn how to tell time using a sundial, and frog-hunting in the stinky bog. It has plenty of space for an afternoon picnic while letting the children have fun in the lawn. It is good to note that it can be tricky to take public transport going to the Botanic Gardens so make sure to get a car rental for a visit.

Auckland Zoo

Close to the city centre is the Auckland Zoo. It is the best place for both children and adults to learn about wildlife and conservation of the environment. There is a section for the usual zoo animals and a portion dedicated for New Zealand’s flora and fauna. The park prepares fun animal encounters activities for everyone so you can get up close and personal with the adorable animals. Aside from a vast picnic space, there are also ice cream and snack stands around the park. The zoo is open the whole year expect on Christmas day.

Travelling becomes more special and meaningful when shared with the loved ones. From sight-seeing to fun picnics, Auckland will never disappoint. These destinations are exceptional because they offer activities that will delight every family member. Learning about the rich culture and discovering all the places that the locals want the world to see are just two of the things that one must experience in New Zealand.