Guides · New Zealand
Auckland tickets
Ticket and booking rules for Auckland: timed entries, closing days and official links, checked September 2026.
Checked September 2026 against official sources
Auckland
Bookings and opening rules
Follow the official link before you buy. Full walking days: Auckland itinerary.
Tickets and opening days
- Auckland War Memorial Museum is open 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 17:00 at weekends, and late until 20:30 every Tuesday; general admission for international visitors is NZ$32 for adults, NZ$16 for children aged 5 to 15, free under 5 and NZ$86 for a family of two adults and two children, while Auckland residents enter free with proof of address and other New Zealand residents by donation; charges may apply for some special exhibitions, events and experiences.Source: Auckland Museum, hours and admission · checked Sep 2026
- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00 except Christmas Day, and admission to its general collection exhibitions is free for all; the main entrance is at 1 Kitchener Street, on the corner of Wellesley Street East.Source: Auckland Art Gallery, visit · checked Sep 2026
- Fullers360 ferries to Waiheke leave from Piers 11 and 12 at the Downtown Ferry Terminal, 99 Quay Street, with up to 22 sailings on peak days from 6:00 on weekdays and 7:00 at weekends until about 23:45, a crossing of about 40 to 45 minutes; adult return fares are NZ$62 walk-up and NZ$46.50 off-peak, and child fares (5–15) NZ$28 and NZ$21.Source: Fullers360, Waiheke Island · checked Sep 2026
- The Fullers360 ferry from Auckland to Rangitoto Island takes about 25 minutes and costs NZ$55 return for adults and NZ$25 for children aged 5 to 15, departing at 9:30 and 10:30 on weekdays and 9:15 and 10:30 at weekends and public holidays, with early sailings via Devonport; the summit walk of 2.3 km from the wharf takes about an hour up and two to three hours for the round trip.Source: Fullers360, Rangitoto Island · checked Sep 2026
- The summit road and the tihi (summit) of Maungawhau / Mt Eden have been permanently closed to private motor vehicles, including motorbikes and scooters, since January 2016; the maunga is open 7:00 to 20:30 in summer and 7:00 to 19:00 in winter.Source: Tūpuna Maunga Authority, Maungawhau · checked Sep 2026
On the day
What to watch at each stop
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
- Daily 10:00–17:00, closed Christmas Day; collection free, some exhibitions ticketed; corner of Kitchener and Wellesley Streets
Questions
Quick answers
Which days should I plan around?
The Auckland Museum is open 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, 9:00 to 17:00 at weekends and until 20:30 on Tuesdays. The Art Gallery is open every day 10:00 to 17:00 except Christmas Day. The Sky Tower is open daily into the evening. Waiheke ferries run from 6:00 on weekdays and 7:00 at weekends until late; the Rangitoto ferry has only morning departures and set return times, so it is a day with a timetable. Maungawhau's gates are open 7:00 to 20:30 in summer and 7:00 to 19:00 in winter. Weekends fill the Waiheke ferries and vineyards, so book the lunch and take an early boat.
How much do the tickets cost?
The Auckland Museum is NZ$32 for international adults, NZ$16 for children 5 to 15 and NZ$86 for a family, free for Auckland residents and by donation for other New Zealanders. The Art Gallery's collection is free. The Sky Tower is about NZ$40 for adults and NZ$20 for children 6 to 14. The Waiheke ferry is NZ$62 return for adults at peak times and NZ$46.50 off-peak, NZ$28 and NZ$21 for children. The Rangitoto ferry is NZ$55 return for adults and NZ$25 for children, and the island is free. The Devonport ferry is around NZ$8 each way with a card. Maungawhau, the Domain, the beaches and Mt Victoria are free.
What are the rules on the maunga and the islands?
Maungawhau's summit road has been closed to private vehicles since 2016 and the tihi, the summit, is walked to and looked from but not walked on: the Tūpuna Maunga Authority asks visitors to keep off the crater and the summit cone, which are sacred to mana whenua. Rangitoto is a pest-free sanctuary: check your bag and shoes for soil and seeds before the ferry, leave no food, stay on the tracks and take everything home. Waiheke's beaches have no lifeguards outside summer and the island's roads are narrow, so the bus is easier than a hired car.
The days these rules belong to
3 days in Auckland
Auckland's centre is walkable, its museums are on a hill and a ferry ride solves the rest. Day one is on foot from Maungawhau, by bus or a 40-minute walk from downtown, through the Domain and back into the city for the gallery, the tower and the waterfront. Day two is a Fullers360 ferry to Waiheke, 40 minutes each way, with the island's buses and taxis between the beaches and the wineries. Day three is the Rangitoto ferry at 9:15 or 9:30 and the two-to-three-hour summit walk, then a short hop to Devonport and a bus along Tamaki Drive. The Auckland Museum charges international visitors and is free for Aucklanders; the Art Gallery is free for everyone; the Sky Tower is open late; Rangitoto is a pest-free island where shoes and bags are checked. The weather changes by the hour, so a rain shell goes in every bag.
