Skip to content
Boats moored in Viaduct Harbour with the Sky Tower and the high-rise buildings of central Auckland behind, under a clear blue sky

Where to stay in Auckland

Photo: Radosław Botev, CC BY 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Auckland

Add your dates above to compare prices for your stay.

About Auckland

Auckland Airport is about 21 km by road south of the city centre. The choice is between the city centre on the harbour, the inner suburbs of Ponsonby and Parnell, the North Shore across the water, and Waiheke Island, a ferry ride away.

New Zealand. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Auckland (AKL), near Māngere, about 21 km by road from the city centre. Source
Airport bus
The AirportLink bus runs every 10 minutes from 4:30am to 12:40am to Puhinui station for trains, paid with an AT HOP card or a contactless card. Source
Local charges
No visitor levy was found. The council's accommodation provider targeted rate, charged to providers rather than guests, was not reinstated for 2025/2026. Source
Entry
EU, UK and US visitors need no visa but must hold an NZeTA before flying, from NZD 17 in the official app. A visit lasts up to 3 months, or 6 months for British citizens. Source
International visitor levy
NZD 100 per person since 1 October 2024, up from NZD 35, paid with each NZeTA or visa application rather than per night. Source
GST
GST is 15%. Since 1 April 2024 online platforms collect it on short-stay accommodation booked through them. Source
Parking with a rental car
City-centre Zone 1: NZD 7 an hour for the first 2 hours on weekdays from 8am to 6pm, then NZD 12 an hour; evenings and weekends NZD 4.50 then NZD 7. Under 10 minutes is free. Source
Residential parking zones
Ponsonby, Parnell, Takapuna and other inner suburbs have residential parking zones, where a resident's permit or one-day coupon lets a car park outside the usual time limits. Source
Monthly stays
Holiday homes, hotels and motels are outside the Residential Tenancies Act; for a long sabbatical or holiday, an owner can contract into it. Source
Emergency number
111 for police, fire and ambulance; 105 for the police when it is not an emergency Source

Areas of Auckland

Boats moored in Viaduct Harbour with the Sky Tower and the high-rise buildings of central Auckland behind, under a clear blue sky
Photo: Radosław Botev, CC BY 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons

City Centre

Auckland's densely built centre on the Waitematā Harbour, with the city's largest cluster of high-rise towers and, on the waterfront, Viaduct Harbour's apartments, offices and restaurants. It suits a first visit and short stays without a daily drive.

Auckland Airport
about 21 km

Car and parking

Zone 1 meters charge NZD 7 an hour for the first 2 hours on weekdays from 8am to 6pm, then NZD 12 an hour, paid by plate or in the AT Park app. The Civic car park under Aotea Square charges NZD 6 an hour on weekdays, up to NZD 25 for 5 hours or more, and NZD 13 flat after 6pm.

A two-storey brick building with shops at street level on Ponsonby Road, with cars parked in front and a bus further along
Photographed in 2016. Photo: Schwede66, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ponsonby

An inner-city suburb about 2 km west of the city centre, along a ridge followed by Ponsonby Road, its main street. It suits a short stay or a month close to the centre in a house or flat.

Auckland Airport
about 27 km
City Centre
about 3 km

Car and parking

Ponsonby is a residential parking zone: a resident's permit or one-day coupon lets a car park outside the signed time limits, and homes built after 30 September 2013 get neither. Auckland Transport runs a 29-space car park at 16 Redmond Street. Ask whether off-street parking or coupons come with the booking.

Low white wooden shopfronts with verandas at Parnell Village, seen from across Parnell Road, with a red telephone box and parked cars
Photo: Bjankuloski06, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Parnell

Often billed as Auckland's oldest suburb, with tree-lined streets, Edwardian town houses and 1920s bay villas, and views of the port and the harbour from its hills. Parnell Road, the main street, runs about 2 km from the city centre.

Auckland Airport
about 19 km
City Centre
about 2 km

Car and parking

Parnell, Parnell Central, Parnell East and Parnell South are residential parking zones, where a visitor parks outside the time limits only with a resident's one-day coupon booked for the car's number plate. Ask the host about off-street parking.

Victoria Road in Devonport with cars parked along a row of two-storey shopfronts, looking towards the ferry terminal
Photo: Bjankuloski06, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Devonport

A harbourside suburb at the southern end of the Devonport Peninsula on the North Shore, with a naval base and a name for harbourside dining and heritage charm. It suits a quieter stay across the water from the centre.

Auckland Airport
about 34 km
City Centre
about 14 km

Car and parking

Auckland Transport runs open-air car parks at 20 Clarence Street (88 spaces), Marine Square (52) and Queens Parade (123), with time limits on the signs. The summit road of Mount Victoria has been closed to private cars since 2018 (via GetCar). The ferry to the city takes an AT HOP card or a contactless card.

Takapuna Beach seen from the air at its northern end, with people walking on the sand and houses and trees along the shore
Photo: Bjankuloski06, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Takapuna

A North Shore suburb on an isthmus between Shoal Bay and the Hauraki Gulf, with Takapuna Beach, Lake Pupuke and the North Shore's commercial centre. It suits a beach stay with a car.

Auckland Airport
about 29 km
City Centre
about 10 km

Car and parking

Auckland Transport runs the Toka Puia car park building, the Anzac Street open-air car park and the Killarney Street car park, and on-street parking is paid. Takapuna is also a residential parking zone, so ask the host where a guest's car goes.

The sandy beach of Oneroa Bay on Waiheke Island, with boats at anchor and a bush-covered headland with houses
Photo: Takeshi Aida from Hong Kong, Hong Kong, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Waiheke Island

The second-largest island in the Hauraki Gulf, with 9,310 permanent residents and an estimated 3,400 people with second or holiday homes, reached by passenger and car ferries. Oneroa is a settlement about 2 km by road from Matiatia wharf. It suits a slower island stay.

Matiatia ferry wharf
about 2 km
Auckland city ferry terminal, by sea from Matiatia
about 22 km

Car and parking

The Fullers passenger ferry from the Downtown terminal takes 40 to 45 minutes; cars cross with SeaLink from Half Moon Bay, and the rental terms decide whether a mainland rental may go (via GetCar). At Matiatia, parking closest to the ferry terminal costs NZD 7 for up to 24 hours and the next area NZD 4, plus a 50-cent card fee.

Guides

Questions

Which part of Auckland is best for a first visit?

The city centre, around Viaduct Harbour and the waterfront, for a stay without a daily drive. Parnell and Ponsonby, about 2 to 3 km from the centre, suit a stay in an older inner suburb.

Does Auckland charge a tourist tax?

No per-night visitor levy was found as of September 2026, and the council did not reinstate its accommodation provider targeted rate for 2025/2026. GST is 15%, and visitors pay the NZD 100 international visitor levy once, with the NZeTA.

How much does parking cost in central Auckland?

In Zone 1, NZD 7 an hour for the first 2 hours on weekdays from 8am to 6pm, then NZD 12 an hour; evenings and weekends cost NZD 4.50 then NZD 7. Stays under 10 minutes are free.

Can a rental car go to Waiheke Island?

Cars cross on the SeaLink ferry from Half Moon Bay, but GetCar notes that the rental terms decide whether a mainland rental may go. Parking closest to the Matiatia ferry terminal costs NZD 7 for up to 24 hours.