Wintergardens at Auckland Domain
Two historic glasshouses in Auckland Domain - the Tropical House with steamy exotic plants and the Cool House with seasonal displays. Plus Fernz Fernery and formal gardens. Free entry.
Cheap Things to Do in Auckland Under $30
There are 67 activities in Auckland on Do Auckland that cost $30 a person or less. Council pools are $9, Timezone Queen Street starts at $5, and Auckland Zoo, MOTAT and Stardome all sit under $20. Every price on the site is the entry price, checked against the operator.
Zone Bowling Botany
Twelve lanes sharing a building with an eighty-machine Timezone, plus laser tag and bumper cars. Groups over six should book for lanes side by side.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
New Zealand's largest art institution with over 15,000 works across four floors of a stunning heritage building. Free entry for NZ residents. Free guided tours daily at 1.30pm.
BOUNCEinc North Shore
Trampoline park with huge free jump area, dodgeball court, X-Run obstacle course, high rope challenge and trampoline wall. Mini area for tots with slides and ball pits.
MOTAT - Museum of Transport and Technology
New Zealand's largest transport and technology museum across two sites in Western Springs. Aviation hall, heritage tram rides, historic village and hands-on exhibits make it a great family day out.
Cornwall Park Cafe
Family-friendly cafe in the heart of Cornwall Park serving brunch, lunch and coffee. Outdoor seating overlooks the park where sheep and cattle graze. Open daily.
Auckland Botanic Gardens
Explore 64 hectares of beautiful gardens and native forest at Auckland Botanic Gardens, just 20 minutes from the city. Free entry. Includes themed gardens, sculpture trail and cafe.
Treasure Island Adventure Golf
Pirate-themed mini golf with two 18-hole courses near Auckland Airport. Features shark-infested waters, blasting cannons and a pirate ship. Great for families and birthday parties.
Metrolanes
Twelve lanes on level three of Skyworld, a bar, and an outdoor deck over Aotea Square. Under twelve can walk in. Card only, no cash.
Tepid Baths
Iconic central city swimming pool in a 100-year-old building. 25m seven-lane pool, 15m learners pool, spa, sauna and state-of-the-art fitness centre.
Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery
West Auckland's regional gallery presenting contemporary art and design exhibitions. Five levels with a rooftop terrace and spectacular views in scenic Titirangi. Free entry.
Holey Moley Auckland
Eighteen new holes of mini golf built as a bar on the Viaduct, with karaoke rooms and darts. Under-eighteens until 7pm, ID after.
Pah Homestead - Arts House Trust
Free art gallery in a historic 1879 mansion in Monte Cecilia Park. Rotating exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand art. On-site cafe with views of One Tree Hill. Entry by koha/donation.
Timezone Queen Street
Over a hundred machines across two floors on Queen Street, plus karaoke booths and mini bowling. Best as an hour in town, not an afternoon.
Auckland Domain
Auckland's oldest park covers 75 hectares around an extinct volcano. Features formal gardens, the historic Wintergardens, sports fields, and is home to the Auckland Museum. Perfect for picnics.
Lloyd Elsmore Park Pool & Leisure Centre
Family-friendly Pakuranga pool complex with two 25m pools, learner's pool, splash pool, spa, steam room and sauna, plus an outdoor splash pad. Free for kids under 16.
Karekare Falls
Peaceful waterfall hidden in the rainforest near Karekare Beach. Easy walk to reach a perfect spot for photos or quiet contemplation. Made famous by the film 'The Piano'. Free.
Massey Park Pool
Family aquatic centre in Papakura with hydroslide, lazy river, wave pool, and a heated 50m outdoor lane pool in summer. Hosts 'wave raves' with pumping music.
Torpedo Bay Navy Museum
Free museum exploring the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy through naval officers' stories from the World Wars. Includes naval-themed playground and seaside cafe.
New Zealand Maritime Museum
Discover New Zealand's seafaring story from Polynesian voyaging to America's Cup victories. Located on the Viaduct Harbour with options to sail on heritage vessels. Free for Auckland residents.
Karangahape Road (K Road)
Auckland's most eclectic strip with vintage shops, indie galleries, cocktail lounges, late-night eateries and live music venues. Free to wander, best explored by foot in the evening.
Waitakere Ranges Regional Park
16,000 hectares of native rainforest with over 250km of walking and tramping tracks. Visit Arataki Visitor Centre for Maori carvings, displays and views over the Tasman Sea.
Extreme Edge Panmure
Over two hundred climbing routes in a converted aircraft hangar, plus auto-belays if you have no partner and a pirate zone for the under-nines.
Ambury Regional Park
Working farm just minutes from the airport with cows, sheep, chickens and pigs. Coastal walks, picnic areas and free BBQs. Great for kids learning about farming. Free entry.
Takapuna Beach
Stunning North Shore beach with views of Rangitoto Island, soft sand and safe swimming. Lined with cafes and restaurants. Great for sunrise photos. Free, easy access.
Otahuhu Pool & Leisure Centre
Six pools including a 25m lane pool, learner pool, toddlers pool, leisure pool, spa and a dedicated bombing pool. Stunning splash pad with flower fountains. Free for families.
Cornwall Park & One Tree Hill
Auckland's largest urban park with sheep, cattle, walking tracks and a working farm. Climb to the summit of Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill for panoramic views. Free entry, open daily 7am to 7pm.
Western Springs Lakeside Park
64-acre park in central Auckland with a spring-fed lake, walking tracks, native birds, eels and the Fukuoka Japanese Garden. Adjacent to the zoo and MOTAT. Free entry.
Gloputt Mini Golf
Sixteen holes under blacklight in Takapuna. Fully indoors, no kitchen, bring your own food. Cheap, weatherproof, and you can usually just turn up.
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Three floors of New Zealand's stories from Maori and Pacific cultures to natural history and military heritage. Set in a magnificent heritage building in Auckland Domain. Free for Auckland residents.
Hunua Falls
Stunning 30m waterfall in Hunua Ranges Regional Park, an hour south of Auckland. Easy walk from the car park to the falls. No swimming due to safety, but great picnic spot. Free.
Clip 'n Climb Mt Eden
Colourful, themed climbing walls including stained glass, glow-in-the-dark, timed walls plus a vertical drop slide. Auto-belay system means no climbing partner needed.
Te Henga (Bethells Beach)
Wild west coast black sand beach 50 minutes from the city. Less crowded than Piha, with sand dunes, Lake Wainamu and walking tracks. Watch the sunset over the Tasman. Free.
Soljans Estate Winery
Family-run winery in Kumeu with cellar door, cafe and lunch options just 25 minutes from the CBD. Perfect for a half-day wine tasting in the Kumeu wine region.
Game Over Auckland
Indoor electric go-karts on a two hundred metre track at Albany, with laser tag and a forty-machine arcade in the same building. Book ahead.
Albany Stadium Pool
Modern aquatic centre on the North Shore with leisure and lap pools, splash pad, spa, sauna and over-pool climbing wall. Designed for families and exercisers alike.
Muriwai Beach & Gannet Colony
Black-sand west coast beach famous for its huge gannet colony at Otakamiro Point (August-March). Dramatic clifftops, surfing and walking trails. Free to visit, 45 mins from city.
Mission Bay Beach
Auckland's most popular eastern beach with safe, clear waters, palm-lined promenade and waterfront cafes. Swim, kayak, paddle board or relax under a pohutukawa tree. Free and accessible.
Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq Newmarket
Circus-themed arcade bar on level three of Westfield Newmarket. Bowling, dodgems, VR, cocktails. Over-eighteens only after 8pm Friday and Saturday.
Howick Historical Village
Living history museum showcasing the early settlement of Howick from the mid-to-late 1800s. Explore real homes and daily life of early settlers. Educational and family-friendly.
Game Over Pakuranga
Two-level electric go-kart track at Pakūranga, with Ninja City, eight bowling lanes, mini golf and an arcade under the same roof. Mini karts for three to six year olds.
PINS Tenpin Bowling
The west Auckland lanes in Henderson, with a tap room called Pints attached. Disco bowling Friday and Saturday. Runs later than anything else here.
Albert Park
Charming Victorian-era park in the heart of the CBD next to the Auckland Art Gallery and University of Auckland. Mature trees, central fountain, ornamental gardens and band rotunda. Free.
Stardome Observatory & Planetarium
Planetarium shows in One Tree Hill Domain, and on clear nights, telescope viewing with someone to point out what the southern sky has that the north does not.
West Wave Pool & Leisure Centre
All-ages aquatic centre with one of NZ's longest hydroslides, wave pool, lazy river, 50m lap pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room.
Fergs Kayaks Auckland
Kayak, SUP and paddle board hire and lessons on Auckland's waterfront. Guided tours include Rangitoto Island summit, bioluminescence night kayaking and city lights night tours.
Mount Eden / Maungawhau
Auckland's highest natural point at 196m, this dormant volcano offers 360-degree views of the city. A 10-15 minute walk to the summit reveals a 50m-deep crater. Free, no parking on the cone.
Afterlife Billiards
Twelve pool tables at the top of Queen Street, hired by the hour. Booths, coffee, bubble tea, and the latest hours of anything on this page.
Auckland Zoo
Home to at least 130 species of native and exotic animals across 17 hectares in Western Springs. See kiwi, tigers, giraffes, orangutans and more. Also offers behind-the-scenes encounters.
Piha Beach
Wild and rugged black-sand surf beach 45 minutes west of Auckland. Iconic Lion Rock divides North and South Piha. Surf lessons available; respect the strong currents and swim between flags.
Game Over Auckland - Jurassic Mini Putt
Twelve indoor holes through full-size animatronic dinosaurs. Twenty to thirty minutes a round, so pair it with the karts. If they can hold a putter, they can play.
The Classic Comedy Club
New Zealand's home of stand-up for twenty-five years, on Queen Street. Friday's ten o'clock L8 show stacks eight professionals and is the one to see.
Mt Albert Aquatic Centre
Underwater playground with hydroslide, river run and a wave pool that turns on every 30 minutes. Caribbean Pirates theme keeps kids engaged. Indoor pool great in any weather.
Gravity NZ Trampoline Park
1000 sqm of connected trampolines, ninja course, extreme dodgeball, foam pit, basketball hoops and an under-5s area. Sessions every half hour. Two locations, St Johns and Manukau.
Mudbrick Vineyard Waiheke
Award-winning Waiheke Island vineyard with cellar door tastings, restaurant lunches and panoramic harbour views. The most photographed wedding venue in NZ. Ferry from Auckland.
Gravity NZ Trampoline Park Manukau
Gravity's Manukau park. Interconnected trampolines, dodgeball courts, foam pits and challenge areas, plus Toddler Time sessions for under fives. Walk-ins welcome when there is space.
Cornwallis Beach & Wharf
Quiet sandy beach at the southern entrance to the Manukau Harbour. Historic wharf great for jumping off (summer only) and fishing. 45 minutes from CBD. Free, lots of picnic spots.
Parnell Rose Gardens
Beautiful rose gardens (part of Dove-Myer Robinson Park) with over 5,000 rose bushes overlooking the harbour. Best from late spring to early autumn. Free, open 24 hours, with the bottom of the gardens
Live Wire Super Park Highbury
Indoor entertainment hub with trampolines, foam pits, inflatable zone, ball pit, mini town playground, 6-lane bowling alley, laser tag, mini golf and arcade games.
Shakespear Regional Park
Predator-free open sanctuary at the tip of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Walking tracks, beaches, cattle and sheep grazing, and native birds including takahe. Free entry.
Manukau Heads Lighthouse
Climb the only public-access lighthouse in the Auckland region for expansive ocean views from the tip of the Awhitu Peninsula. 1.5-hour drive south of the CBD. Free entry, donation welcome.
Butterfly Creek
Wildlife park near Auckland Airport with a tropical butterfly house, NZ's only saltwater crocodiles, kiwi house, petting zoo, animatronic dinosaurs and a mini-train ride. Family Pass $85.
Long Bay Regional Park
Family-friendly North Shore beach with safe swimming, picnic areas, BBQs, walking tracks and a playground. Great cafe nearby. Free, parking available, popular in summer.
Highwic Historic House
Beautifully preserved Gothic mansion built in 1862, owned by Heritage NZ. Tour the elegant rooms and spectacular gardens for a step back into Victorian Auckland.
Kaipātiki Hot Springs (formerly Parakai Springs)
Indoor and large outdoor thermal pools heated to 32°C with a gently sloping beach area for kids and two thrilling hydro slides. BBQs, picnic areas and onsite cafe. Open year-round.
Wynyard Quarter Waterfront Walk
Free walk along Auckland's revitalised waterfront. Pass restaurants, public art, the Silo Park playground and Karanga Plaza. Plenty of events, music and activities throughout the year.
Odyssey Sensory Maze
13 zones of lighting effects, illusions, sounds and obstacles in the heart of the CBD. A self-guided 20-30 minute sensory adventure that all ages can enjoy. Open daily.
Prices here are the cheapest way in, so a family session or a peak time slot can cost more. If your budget is nothing at all, the free listings cover beaches, parks, the War Memorial Museum and the Art Gallery.
Common questions
What can you do in Auckland for under $20?
Quite a lot. Council pools are $9, Auckland Zoo is $19, MOTAT is $19 and Stardome is $18. Bowling at Zone Botany is $14 and Howick Historical Village is $14.
What is the cheapest activity in Auckland?
Free, if you count the beaches, regional parks, Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Art Gallery. Of the paid listings, Timezone Queen Street starts at $5 and the council pools are $9.
Are these prices per person?
Yes. Every listing shows a per person price and, where the operator sets one, a total price for a group booking. You can switch between the two with the price filter.
Do prices change?
They do, especially in school holidays and at peak times. Prices on Do Auckland are checked against the operator and dated. Always confirm on the operator's own site before you book.