Indagare ambassador Jim Klaus recommends the All Blacks Experience at the Sky Tower and says it's a fun multimedia guided tour that teaches about rugby and the history of the team: "It's great for a rainy morning, as it takes a couple of hours." Take a guided tour and learn what it takes to be an All Blacks player. Learn the story behind the All Blacks haka, and test your rugby skills against All Blacks and Black Ferns in the interactive zone.

Established in 1888, Auckland Art Gallery is the largest art museum in Aontearoa, NZ. It holds the most extensive collection of New Zealand and international art in the country, and houses 35 exhibition spaces over three levels. With exhibitions that present modern and contemporary art, works by Maori and Pacific artists, international collections, as well as programs for both old and young, visitors are bound to walk away with a fresh perspective.

In 2024, New York philanthropists Julian and Josie Robertson gifted a collection of 15 works from influential modern European artists, including Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Salvador Dalí, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse, transforming the collection.

Set in the middle of Auckland’s downtown park, the grand Auckland Museum gives visitors a crash course in Kiwiana. Spend an hour here, and you’ll have boned up on enough Maori culture, native flora and fauna, and New Zealand history to see you through your trip. (Cultural tip: New Zealand was not populated by convicts). After your visit, grab lunch in nearby Parnell, Auckland’s oldest suburb.

With the greatest number of exotic and native species in New Zealand, the Auckland Zoo strives to build a future for and improve the understanding of wildlife. From hippos to tigers to the beloved kiwi, visitors can see some of the world’s most impressive species while learning about conservation of these and many other creatures in wild spaces.

Auckland's iconic Sky Tower rises to nearly 1,100 feet and hosts a number of the city's vertigo-inducing activities. There's the Sky Walk on the 53rd floor, where you walk the perimeter of the tower along a four-foot platform. You're suspended by a safety harness, of course, but this is still not for the feint-hearted (or those with vertigo). Also on the 53rd floor is the Sky Jump, where dare devils base jump (attached to a wire, so there's no bouncing up and down like with a bungee) 630 feet into the abyss.

Less adventurous travelers can still enjoy 360-degree panoramas from the Observation Deck on the 60th floor, which has a few glass panels along the floor that cause a rush of excitement when walked over. The Sky Tower is part of so-called Sky City, a convention center with a casino, several restaurants and bars, but it all feels much like a no-descript mall, so there's no need to linger once you've had your fill of panoramas.

The idyllic Waiheke Island is only a 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland's waterfront, but feels world's away, with its sandy beaches, green pastures and hilltop wineries where it's easy to while away an afternoon. The ferry arrives in Matiatia Wharf on the western coast, about a five-minute drive from the main village of Oneroa. Waiheke is just 35 square miles — for comparison: Shelter Island is only slightly smaller at 27 square miles — but it's hilly, so make use of the excellent bus network or be prepared for a challenging bike ride.

Oneroa is a cute little village, with some nice shops and restaurants (a favorite is the Oyster Inn), as well as two good beaches: Oneroa and Little Oneroa. Waiheke is famous for a few terrific wineries, including Mudbrick (home to a supremely romantic restaurant), Man 'O War and Cable Bay. There are also some stunning hikes all across the island: a great one is the Southern Walk, which snakes from Oneroa to Cable Bay winery, then past a massive sheep paddock and along the coast all the way back down to Matiatia Wharf.

A perfect Waiheke day would be to arrive early, spend some time at the beach, have a nice meal in Oneroa, take a long hike with coastal views, and end at a winery like Cable Bay or Mudbrick, with sweeping views across the island and toward Auckland. In-the-known visitors book a night or two at the Boatshed, a tiny luxury lodge that feels like the perfect mash-up of Martha's Vineyard and Montauk.

Waterside dining, markets and an outdoor cinema are just a few of the reasons to visit Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter. A whopping 88-acre waterfront precinct, the Wynyard quarter gives visitors lots to see and do. Enjoy the fresh air and sun, visit the iconic Wind Tree, or simply take in the stunning views of the harbor before diving into a fresh seafood dinner.