Bernard Spragg. NZ / CC0City guide ·New Zealand
The city centre if you have no car; Ponsonby or Devonport if you would rather have a neighbourhood.
Step one · choose the area
The CBD running down to the water, with the ferry terminal, the Sky Tower and the restaurants around the Viaduct. It is the one part of Auckland that works without a car.
Best for
Short stays · Arriving without a car
The ridge west of the centre, wooden villas along the side streets and a mile of restaurants and bars along the main road. Twenty minutes' walk from the CBD, and the better place to eat.
Best for
Dining · Walking
East of the centre, holding the museum and the Domain above it and the shopping of Newmarket below. Residential, green and calmer at night than anywhere central.
Best for
Museums · Families
A Victorian seaside village across the harbour, twelve minutes by ferry, looking back at the skyline it is not part of. The calm is the point, and so is the ferry timetable.
Best for
Views back at the city · Calm
No overall score. Every traveller weights these differently.
| Area | Price | Sightseeing | Walkability | Transport | Food | Nightlife | Quietness | Families | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Centre & Viaduct Harbour | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ponsonby | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Parnell & Newmarket | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Devonport | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
New Zealand