The impossible-to-miss Sky Tower looks like a giant hypodermic giving a fix to the heavens. Spectacular lighting renders it space age at night and the colours change for special events. At 328m it is the southern hemisphere's tallest structure. A lift takes you up to the observation decks in 40 stomach-lurching seconds; look down through the glass floor panels if you’re after an extra kick. Consider visiting at sunset and having a drink in the Sky Lounge Cafe & Bar.
Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images
Sky Tower
City Centre & Britomart
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
One Tree Hill
3.74 MILES
Maungakiekie was the largest and most spiritually significant Māori pā (fortified village) prior to British arrival. At the top of this volcanic cone (at…
Mt Eden
2.04 MILES
From the top of Auckland’s highest volcanic cone (196m), the entire isthmus and both harbours are laid bare. The symmetrical crater (50m deep) is known as…
Auckland Museum
1.21 MILES
This imposing neoclassical temple (1929), capped with an impressive copper-and-glass dome (2007), dominates the Auckland Domain and is a prominent part of…
Auckland Art Gallery
0.3 MILES
Auckland's premier art repository has a striking glass-and-wood atrium grafted onto its 1887 French chateau frame. It showcases the best of NZ art, along…
Auckland Zoo
2.59 MILES
At this modern, spacious zoo, the big foreigners tend to steal the attention from the timid natives, but if you can wrestle the kids away from the tigers…
Civic Theatre
0.21 MILES
The 'mighty Civic' (1929) is one of only seven ‘atmospheric theatres’ remaining in the world and a fine survivor from cinema’s Golden Age. The auditorium…
Mahurangi Regional Park
23.05 MILES
Straddling the head of Mahurangi Harbour, Mahurangi Regional Park is a boater's paradise incorporating areas of coastal forest, pā sites and a historic…
Villa Maria
9.06 MILES
Clearly the roar of jets doesn’t bother grapes, as NZ’s most awarded winery is just 4km from the airport. The parklike grounds of Villa Maria are a green…
Nearby City Centre & Britomart attractions
1. St Patrick’s Cathedral
0.15 MILES
Auckland’s Catholic cathedral (1907) is one of the city's loveliest buildings. Polished wood and Belgian stained glass lend warmth to the interior of the…
2. Civic Theatre
0.21 MILES
The 'mighty Civic' (1929) is one of only seven ‘atmospheric theatres’ remaining in the world and a fine survivor from cinema’s Golden Age. The auditorium…
4. Auckland Art Gallery
0.3 MILES
Auckland's premier art repository has a striking glass-and-wood atrium grafted onto its 1887 French chateau frame. It showcases the best of NZ art, along…
5. Albert Park
0.34 MILES
Hugging the hill on the city’s eastern flank, Albert Park is a charming Victorian formal garden overrun by students from the neighbouring University of…
6. University Clock Tower
0.42 MILES
The University Clock Tower is Auckland's architectural triumph. This stately ‘ivory' tower (1926) tips its hat to art nouveau (the incorporation of NZ…
7. New Zealand Maritime Museum
0.44 MILES
This museum traces NZ’s seafaring history, from Māori voyaging canoes to the America’s Cup. Recreations include a tilting 19th-century steerage-class…
8. Old Government House
0.47 MILES
Built in 1856, this stately building was the colony's seat of power until 1865 when Wellington became the capital. The construction is unusual in that it…