Itineraries for Your Trip to Auckland
3 Days in Auckland for Foodies
I spent a year in New Zealand on a working holiday visa, and indulging in local specialties helped me experience Kiwi life and reminded me of my British homeland. It’s also the only place I’ve ever had fish and chips as good as back home! In Auckland, you’re never far from a seafood restaurant (this is a city set between two oceans, after all), a farmer’s market, or an atmospheric café, and I made it my mission to taste it all.
Whether you want to tuck into fresh-from-the-ocean seafood, experience a Maori-style hangi, or treat yourself to a hokey-pokey ice cream (vanilla with honeycomb), Auckland has plenty to work up your appetite. Let your tastebuds—and this 3-day food-inspired itinerary—guide you.
Dress in layers and bring an umbrella, as Auckland’s sunny skies can quickly turn into showers.
If you only have time for one thing, visit a farmers market.
Orientate yourself in Auckland and kick-start your tastebuds on a food tour. Meet fishmongers at Auckland Fish Market in the Wynyard Quarter and sample local delicacies such as whitebait fritters, crayfish, paua (sea snail), and kina (sea urchin).
Head to the nearby foodie hub of Ponsonby Road, where you’ll find some of Auckland’s best restaurants, serving everything from sushi to tacos. Finish lunch off with a cone from Duck Island Ice Cream. In the evening, head back downtown for cocktails at a rooftop bar in Viaduct Harbour (I like Dr Rudi's Rooftop Brewing Co. for its craft beers).
Wave goodbye to Auckland as you ride the 40-minute ferry or take a 30-minute seaplane flight to Waiheke Island. Known for its white-sand beaches and rolling vineyards, this Hauraki Gulf island is a foodie playground. Go wine tasting, visit an olive oil farm, and dine on seasonal cuisine at one of the island’s winery restaurants (the Trust the Chef lunch menu at Tantalus Estate is divine!).
Back in Auckland, stroll around the atmospheric Auckland Night Markets, held nightly in locations from Auckland to Mt. Wellington. Off the radar of most travelers, these local markets sell cheap eats and tasty street food from around the world.
Try NZ specialties such as freshly shucked oysters, manuka honey, regional cheeses, and organic chocolates at Auckland’s weekend farmers markets. A market’s always happening (Parnell and Grey Lynn are my favorites), but local foodies beeline for Saturday's Matakana Farmers Market, an hour's drive north of Auckland. Visit on a guided tour to avoid taking public transport, which doubles the travel time, and stop for tastings at artisan food producers along the way.
Finally, set sail from Viaduct Harbour on a traditional sailboat cruise and admire the Sky Tower and Waitemata Harbour as you tuck into a 3-course dinner onboard.
