Have only 3 days to spend in Auckland? Here’s a 3 day itinerary of my visit to Auckland, which includes day trips visiting Rotorua, Waitomo, and Hobbiton.
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Intro
Auckland is a city that has so much to offer with modern skylines and beautiful harbor side views. It also offers easy access to some of New Zealand’s most iconic attractions only a short drive away. With 3 days, you can explore Auckland’s urban highlights and also venture out to geothermal landscapes and bucket list film locations that make the North Island so magical. This 3 day Auckland itinerary that covers must-see sights and exciting day trips,
Note that this itinerary is jam-packed with activities to see as much as you can in a short amount of time. To maximize seeing sights, learn about culture and history, and take the guesswork out of logistics, we opted to do day tours with a tour guide/driver from Auckland. But of course, all sights can all be visited on your own, so feel free to tailor this itinerary to fit your own interests, pace, and/or schedule.
Recommended Auckland Tours & Activities
Book unforgettable experiences and check out the below recommended Auckland tours, activities and attractions that are mentioned throughout this post:
How to Get to Auckland
To get to Auckland, you fly into the Auckland International Airport (AKL). From the Auckland airport, you can take an Uber or taxi into Auckland’s main city center.
Where to Stay in Auckland
For me and this itinerary, I prioritized a convenient location to all the main sights we planned to see. So we opted to stay at the Penthouse Glory located right the harbor. We found this hotel’s location to be perfect since it was right in the harbor with plenty of restaurants and bars nearby.
Book the same stay by clicking here or add your dates and click “Search” for availability in the widget below:
AUCKLAND 3 DAY ITINERARY
The above map shows all the points of interest mentioned in this Auckland itinerary. The points are color-coordinated as:
- Day 1 Points of Interest → DARK BLUE
- Day 2 Points of Interest → LIGHT ORANGE
- Day 3 Points of Interest → PURPLE
HOW TO USE THE ABOVE AUCKLAND MAP:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Click a Colored Point of Interest | Shows additional information and details of the selected Point of Interest |
| Click the Four-cornered Square at the Top Right | Opens the map in a Larger Map view in your personal Google Maps account |
| On Larger Map view, click the STAR ☆ under “Auckland, New Zealand“ | Adds the Map to your personal Google Maps account to access anytime on Computer* or on Phone App** |
| * On Computer: In your Google Maps, Click “Saved” on left bar → Click “Maps” → Click “Auckland, New Zealand“ | ** On Phone App: In your Google Maps app, Click “You” on bottom bar → Scroll to bottom → Click “Maps” → Click “Auckland, New Zealand“ |
High-Level Itinerary
| Day 1: Explore Auckland City | |
| 🚶♀️Wander the Auckland Waterfront | Morning |
| 🏙️ Explore the City & Head up the Sky Tower | Afternoon |
| 🍽️ Dinner with a View at the Sky Tower | Evening |
| Day 2: Day Trip to Rotorua | →Day Tour to Rotorua 6:20 AM – 6:00 pm |
| 🌋 Te Puia | Morning |
| 🌈 Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland | Afternoon |
| 🚐 Return to Auckland | Evening |
| Day 3: Hobbiton Movie Set & Waitomo Glowworm Caves Day Trip | →Day Tour to Hobbiton 6:10 AM – 5:00 pm |
| 🏡 Hobbiton Movie Set Tour | Morning |
| 🌌 Waitomo Glowworm Caves | Afternoon |
| 🌅 Return to Auckland | Evening |
Day 1: Explore Auckland City
Start your first day of your 3 day itinerary in Auckland exploring the city. You’ll get a mix of waterfront walks, iconic towers, and a buzzing food scene.
Morning: Wander the Auckland Waterfront
In the morning, wander around the Viaduct Harbour, one of Auckland’s most scenic and lively areas. Along the harbor, you can stroll the boardwalk and admire the parked boats in the marina. You can also grab some coffee at a waterfront cafe to start your day, then explore Wynward Quarter, where you’ll find tons of restaurants, bars and public art. This are is easy to explore and ideal for getting your bearings in the city, and the area surrounding your harbor-side hotel.
Afternoon: Explore the City & Head up the Sky Tower
In the afternoon, head to the Sky Tower! Auckland’s Sky Tower is the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere, so it’s a must-visit while in town. It’s the best place to take panoramic views of the harbor, the city, and the surrounding islands and ocean views.
At the Sky Tower, you take a glass elevator to the viewing decks, and you can walk across glass floors looking straight to the ground. For the more adventurous and thrill-seekers, you can book the SkyWalk or SkyJump experience where you’re literally hanging off the tower! (definitely not for the faint of heart).
Evening: Dinner with a View at the Sky Tower
While you’re at the Sky Tower, why not have dinner with some amazing views. You can choose to eat at the Orbit 360 Dining, where the restaurant slowly rotates around so you get to see all of Auckland just at your dinner table. You can also choose to dine a the Sugar Club, which is a more upscale fine-dining experience. If you can, make a dinner reservation right around sunset, so you can watch golden hour above Auckland, and the city lights start to turn on.
Day 2: Day Trip to Rotorua
On the second day of your 3 day itinerary, take a day trip to Rotorua, which has some of New Zealand’s most unique landscapes with geothermal wonders and steaming valleys. Most day tours depart early from Auckland and usually includes entry to both Te Puia and Wai-O-Tapu.
Book Rotorua Day Tour
If you want to experience all the stops on this day with a live tour guide who also provides transportation, then book it by clicking here, or in the widget below. I highly recommend booking a tour so you can have a driver/guide AND you can learn as much as you can about New Zealand landmarks, history, and culture.
Te Puia: New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute
The first stop will be at Te Puia, a cultural and geothermal center famous for the Pōhutu Geyser. The Pōhutu Geyser is one of the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere and you can see it erupt and shoot water up to 30 meters in the sky!
Not just that, but you’ll see bubbling mud pools, get a short tour around the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute, look at beautiful wood carvings and weavings, spot the iconic kiwi birds at the Kiwi Conservation Centre, and learn about the Māori culture traditions, and history. You can also opt to watch the Māori show, where you can watch the performers perform the famous haka, followed by a hot buffet lunch afterwards.
Te Puia has a rich cultural significance and tours here are educational and visually stunning.
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland (Or Hot Springs)
Next, you’ll visit Tai-O-Tapu, one of the most colorful geothermal parks in the world. Here you’ll see vibrant otherworldly landscapes with land and water colored bright yellows, oranges, greens, and reds. You’ll really feel like you’re on another planet.
At Wai-O-Tapu, you’ll walk through the geothermal park and pass by steaming craters, geysers, and volcanic terraces, and maybe even spot wildlife that have found to thrive in these unique conditions.
You can also choose to instead visit Polynesian Spa or Secret Spot Hot Tubs where you can dip in the hot springs to relax and unwind.
Evening: Return to Auckland
After a full day of exploring geothermal landscapers, you’ll head back to Auckland for a relaxing night. Grab dinner at the waterfront or unwind at your hotel.
Day 3: Hobbiton Movie Set & Waitomo Glowworm Caves Day Trip
On the last day of your 3 day itinerary in Auckland, take another day trip and visit two of New Zealand’s most beloved experiences: magical glowworm caves and the whimsical world of Middle-earth at Hobbiton.
Book Hobbiton & Glowworm Day Tour
If you want to experience all the stops on this day with a live tour guide who also provides transportation, then book it by clicking here, or in the widget below. I highly recommend booking a tour so you can have a driver/guide AND you can learn as much as you can about New Zealand landmarks, history, and culture.
Morning: Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
The day begins with a scenic drive to Matamata, where the the Hobbiton film set is located. And yes, it is the REAL filming location for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies! As a LOTR fan myself, visiting the Hobbiton film set was a bucket list item and a dream come true for me. It was definitely one of my favorite things I did in New Zealand.
To experience the Hobbiton film set, you are required to go on a movie set tour with a guide. You are not allowed to enter the set on your own. But the tour guide will stop at all the iconic locations, where they will stop and let the group know of what scene was filmed right there, and any fun facts about the set.
Some highlights of the tour:
- Bilbo’s Bag End
- Charming Hobbit holes with colorful round door
- A fully-built full scale model of the interior of a hobbit home
- The Party Tree
- The Mill
- Stunning Shire Gardens
- Endless photo opportunities
- A Complimentary drink at The Green Dragon Inn (at the end of the tour)
Okay even if you’re not a LOTR fan, visiting Hobbiton will still offer an enchanting experience and the incredible attention to detail and full scale sets will blow your mind.
Afternoon: Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Next, you’ll head to the Waitomo region to see world-famous glowworm caves with your own eyes!
If you join the tour, the guide will stop at a restaurant for an included lunch, although non-water beverages are an extra cost.
Then once at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, you go with a Glowworm staff member who will guide you into and through the cave, provide history and information about the cave and ancient rocks, and then they point out some glowworm and give more fascinating facts about these creatures.
After the mini tour, then you hop on a boat, where you’re to keep quiet and also turn off ny devices that emit light so that you can glide into the caves in pitch-blackness. The darkness will allow the worms to glow, and you’ll be able to see them glowing blue with your naked eye. They’re so incredible and mind-blowing!
Evening: Return to Auckland
After your fun-filled day, then you’ll head back to Auckland in the early evening, just in time to enjoy a final night in the city. Stroll along the harbor, or grab a cozy dinner in the Viaduct.
Final Words
3 days in Auckland might not be a lot of time, but it is enough to see some of the major highlights that the north Island has to offer, especially if you’re a first-time visitor. You’ll get to explore Auckland city a bit, see surreal geothermal lands, witness fascinating glowworms, and experience being a hobbit on a world-famous film location. Auckland is an amazing based for all these adventures and more, and hopefully you’re already planning your return visit to spend more time in this beautiful country. I hope this 3 day itinerary in Auckland helps you plan your epic New Zealand adventure.
Have you been to Auckland before?
I’d love to hear what you thought — drop your favorite spots in the comments!
(new zealand māori “thank you!”)
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