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.

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Sky Tower
City Centre & Britomart
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
One Tree Hill
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Mt Eden
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Auckland Museum
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Auckland Art Gallery
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Auckland Zoo
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Civic Theatre
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Mahurangi Regional Park
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Villa Maria
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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
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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…