The 10 Best Museum Visits in Auckland

1.Auckland War Memorial Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 293 reviews · 1 day · from $16Our pick

Explore Auckland Museum’s Māori, Pacific, natural history, and war galleries, with three floors of New Zealand stories in a landmark building.

“We spent our multi-hour airport layover visiting the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and it was such a nourishing use of our time. The space carries the essence of Māori architecture and provides plenty of ways to engage in shared knowledge of the physical, cultural, and socioeconomic formations of New Zealand.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Explore gardens & galleries filled with incredible art, Matakana

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · from $40Top rated

Explore Sculptureum near Auckland, with three sculpture gardens, six galleries, glass art, quirky works, wine, coffee, and rural Matakana charm.

“The artwork and glass art inside the building is fabulous. The gardens and the sculptures are beautiful. The driftwood sculptures of the horses and the whale are amazing. The bronze sculptures were just lovely. I loved the boy pushing the girl on the swing. The sculpture of the boy holding the dolphin is apparently an early work by Leonardo Da Vinci and is quite stunning.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Skip the Line: Auckland Museum General Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 183 reviews · from $16

Explore three floors of Māori, Pacific, natural history, and wartime exhibits at Auckland Museum, with flexible admission and optional tours.

“The museum was amazing however we had problem with ticketing. We had to wait for a long time to get our tickets - I would not describe this as 'skip the line'. When we finally made it to the counter, they couldn't find our booking/tickets and we had to wait for a long time again. At the end, the museum staff just gave up and let us in.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Māori Cultural Experience & Auckland Museum General Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 92 reviews · from $38

Pair a moving Māori cultural performance with Auckland Museum admission, from haka and poi to New Zealand heritage exhibits.

“It was wonderful! Such an amazing experience to learn about Māori culture. I would definitely recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Māori Cultural Experience & Auckland Museum Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 59 reviews · 1 day · from $37

Pair Auckland Museum admission with a moving Māori performance featuring waiata, poi, storytelling, and the origins of the haka.

“Loved the singing and playing and the chants and movements were spellbinding. We were given a great welcome and the performers clearly loved what they were doing. Highly recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Maritime Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 29 reviews · 1 day · from $14Best value

Explore Auckland’s Maritime Museum for Pacific migration, Māori traditions, shipping, yacht design, and hands-on ocean stories for $14.

“Great museum and beautifully designed. We were lucky to be there while the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix was underway ~ so it was exciting and great location to watch the race.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Gallery Highlights Tour and General Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · from $29

Explore Auckland Museum with a one-hour highlights tour covering Māori culture, Polynesian navigation, nature, geology, and wartime history.

“Large Museum where you can learn a lot about New Zealand history the Maori culture and the Polynesian culture in general.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private Night Tour of Auckland, Sky Tower Bar, Bridge & Museum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $399

See Auckland after dark with private stops at Devonport, the Harbour Bridge, Westhaven Marina, Sky Tower Bar, and Auckland Museum.

“Great personalised experience, Carlos remained flexible and we went and viewed some boats , as we discovered interests in chatting!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Auckland Museum and Highlight Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $111

Review of Auckland’s four-hour small-group tour, with Mount Eden views, Māori heritage, Auckland Museum, gardens, and guide Sam.

“I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Sam was an excellent tour guide. He's very knowledgeable, personable, and friendly. He ensured I had a good experience and took pictures and videos along the way, which he sent me. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to appreciate some of the true beauty and history of Auckland!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Auckland Full Day Attractions & Museums Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $217

See Auckland in one day, from Mount Eden and the Harbour Bridge to the Auckland Museum, gardens, galleries, and Gulf views.

“This is a wonderful city, and I felt like a queen being driven around from a place to place with a lovely tour guide who is a gentleman and very knowledgeable”

Check availability →Read our full review