Auckland Explorer: Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Tour
Auckland, New Zealand
- 1 day (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See Auckland’s major sights and attractions with a hop-on hop-off city bus tour featuring informative audio commentary. Perfect for first-time visitors, it’s a great way to explore the city. The bus tour takes about an hour to complete. Enjoy the flexibility of a 1-day or 2-day pass, hop off at key points including Parnell Village, the Auckland Museum, or the Sky Tower, and stay connected with Wi-Fi on board.
- Create your own sightseeing itinerary to suit your schedule
- Stay on the bus for the loop or hop off to visit Auckland attractions
- Be as active or relaxed as you like by staying on board or getting off
- Ideal for first-time visitors to Auckland, New Zealand's largest city
What's Included
- Hop-on hop-off tour
- Informative English commentary
- GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- WiFi on board
- Enjoy onboard multilingual audio commentary in Mandarin, Spanish, German, and Japanese via an app
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Operating hours.9:00 am
Departure Point
- You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.
Ticket Redemption Points
Itinerary
Start your hop-on hop-off bus tour in Downtown Auckland. You can create your own sightseeing itinerary with a flexible ticket, valid for one or two days. Listen to interesting audio commentary during the entire loop. Buses depart regularly throughout the day on a seasonal schedule.
If you like, hop on and off throughout the day to explore Auckland on your own or visit top attractions. Discover New Zealand history at the Auckland Museum, meet King and Gentoo penguins at Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium, and soak up the city skyline from the Sky Tower, to name a few.
If you like, hop on and off throughout the day to explore Auckland on your own or visit top attractions. Discover New Zealand history at the Auckland Museum, meet King and Gentoo penguins at Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium, and soak up the city skyline from the Sky Tower, to name a few.
Red Tour
10 Stops
6 Points of Interest
Duration: 1 day
Operating Schedule: The first bus departs at 9:00 am and the last bus departs at 4.00 pm - departing each stop every 30min (*timings may vary due to traffic conditions)
1
Stop 1/23 Customs Street East
2
SkyCity Auckland
3
Auckland Art Gallery
4
359 Broadway
5
Auckland Museum
6
Holy Trinity Cathedral
7
279 Parnell Road
8
12 Tamaki Drive
9
Hapimana Street
10
23 Tamaki Drive
Points of interest passed by on this route
Sky Tower
Auckland Museum
Hauraki Gulf
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Bastion Point
Princes Wharf
Free Blue Loop - October to April
6 Stops
1 Point of Interest
Duration: 1 day
Operating Schedule: The first bus departs at 9:30 am and the last bus departs at 3:30 pm - departing each stop every 30min (*timings may vary due to traffic conditions)
1
Auckland War Memorial Museum
2
Domain Wintergardens
3
Mount Eden
4
Eden Park
5
Auckland Zoo
6
MOTAT Museum of Transport and Technology
Points of interest passed by on this route
Eden Park
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Please note, some days when cruise ships are in port, we can be extremely busy. Additional coaches are used to help with the crowds, however, wait times may still increase.
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.0
based on 1,242 reviews
Dana_E, Mar 2026
What a perfect way to see the city, with great commentary! We definitely recommend this to learn and discover.
Misael_N, Mar 2026
AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE! Became sick after traveling across the globe, and they took zero initiative to accommodate us - seeing that we couldn’t use the passes due to being ill. STAY CLEAR OF GIVING THEM YOUR MONEY!!!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’re truly sorry to hear that you became unwell during your trip and hope you are beginning to feel better. Travel insurance is important in situations like this, as it can help cover unexpected events that impact your plans. We hear how frustrating this must have been and appreciate your feedback. Wishing you safe travels ahead!
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Gail_S, Mar 2026
Great way to see all the sights of Auckland. Something for everyone to see. Commentry is very interesting.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Gail_S,
Thanks so much for your lovely review! We’re glad to hear you felt there was something for everyone and hope you learned a few new things during your time with us.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Michele_B, Mar 2026
Great hop on/off tour to cover the main sights of Auckland and to orient yourself to the city (CBD) and close surroundings.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! We hope you’re feeling well oriented around Auckland after your time with us onboard.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
LaVonne_W, Mar 2026
Good way to get a view of the city. The commentary was enjoyable. The bus was never to full to get on at any stops we made. We really enjoyed the Wintergardens, Mt Eden and the zoo.
Ryan, Mar 2026
Fun way to see Auckland! We hopped off at a few stops along the way and really enjoyed passing by the others. We enjoyed the outer tour stops the most, Mt Eden, Wintergardens, Kingsland, and Auckland Zoo. We wish we would have had time to see MOTAT as well. We left at 9am and spent the whole day until 4pm. And we only got off at 4 stops so choose wisely! The commentary was wonderful and helped us learn about the city.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Ryan,
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! We’re so glad you had a great time with us and hope you picked up a few new facts along the way. Thanks again for joining us onboard!
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Joan_M, Mar 2026
We always enjoy the Hop on Hop off in most cities. It is a very good way to get around and you usually get picked up between 20 and 30 minutes at each stop. Auckland worked really well in a timely manner.
sera_f, Mar 2026
Good overview of Auckland. The audio was not good…lot of static. The tour covered the most important sites to visit.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora sera_f,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’re pleased you enjoyed getting an overview of Auckland on the Auckland Explorer Bus. However, we’re sorry to hear about your experience with the onboard commentary and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further. If you’re willing, please contact us at info@explorerbus.co.nz with your booking details.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Anonymous, Mar 2026
Study up on Auckland history to make it worthwhile. Got off one time to change drivers bc he couldn’t speak English. Very frustrating. No merchants downtown take Amex !! Take your visa or Mastercard. Fortunately there were good samaritans who bailed me out
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your experience further. If you’re willing, please contact info@explorerbus.co.nz with the details of your booking.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Dianne_H, Mar 2026
A wonderful way to get around the city of Auckland & to see all the important attractions.
Bus run every 30 minutes.
Commentary onboard is perfect, concise & easy to understand.
Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora,
Thank you for your kind review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed using the Auckland Explorer Bus to explore Auckland’s top attractions, and we hope you picked up a few new facts along the way. Wishing you safe travels ahead!
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Karen_B, Mar 2026
It isn’t very informative. I felt like it was a waste of money. If you are someone who can’t get off at the stops and just ride around the whole time, it was boring.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Karen_B,
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear it didn’t quite hit the mark for you. Our hop-on-hop-off bus is best enjoyed by getting on and off at our different stops, so you can explore the attractions and things to do around beautiful Tāmaki Makaurau. Wishing you safe travels ahead!
Many Thanks,
Madeline
Alice_F, Mar 2026
The time between returns to stops is unpredictable. There is no way to see where the busses are. They should install the bus tracking app feature to track bus locations at all times, like the hop on hop off bus system in Las Vegas, NV.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Alice_F,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate your feedback regarding the timing of the buses, and a tracking app is something we are looking to introduce in the future. If you’d like to discuss your experience further, please feel free to reach out to info@explorerbus.co.nz with your booking details.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Jan_G, Mar 2026
Informative and clear commentary, but we were bumped from a nearly empty bus to an overcrowded bus. We couldn’t even sit together. Very disappointing.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Jan_G,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the commentary and hope you were able to learn a few new things about Tāmaki Makaurau. We’re sorry to hear that other parts of your experience weren’t as positive for you. If you’d like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to us at info@explorerbus.co.nz with your booking details.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Vicki_J, Mar 2026
A little pricey for what you see but to avoid hills, worth it!! Would encourage anyone with only a day to see the city: do the Hop on Hop off bus
Joce_G, Mar 2026
Easy to catch. Not a lot of stops. We only had to wait once for the next bus, but that was because a cruise was in town. Got us to all the places we wanted, plus more. We did both the blue and red tours.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Joce_G,
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted you enjoyed exploring the city’s iconic landmarks with us and had a great time on both routes.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Patricia_S, Mar 2026
The hop-on hop-off bus tour was awesome. The busses were comfortable and the narration was easy to hear. The bus driver was also very helpful. After this tour, I felt that we had a very good understanding of Auckland and it's layout. I would highly recommend this inexpensive tour to anyone coming to Auckland for their first time experience.
Edward_F, Mar 2026
Viator sold us a voucher with inadequate instructions on how to redeem. Gave us an address but didn’t say there was no location there. Only an agent standing on the street 10 minutes before the bus departed.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Edward,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that you found the redemption process unclear on the day of your tour. Our voucher does include redemption information, including the address and start time, and advises guests to present their voucher at one of the listed redemption points. We appreciate your comments regarding the clarity of the instructions and the experience of locating our team on the street and have taken your feedback on board. Wishing you safe travels ahead!
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Chi_N, Mar 2026
Informative and convenient. Took you to the major hotspots in the city and was close by to major accommodations.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Chi_N,
Thank you for your lovely review! It’s fantastic to hear that you enjoyed the convenience of the Auckland Explorer Bus and our stops at Auckland’s top attractions.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Mary_H, Mar 2026
Commentary very comprehensive. Driver pleasant and knowledgeable. Stops explained well. Bus kept clean.
Jennifer_W, Feb 2026
Typical hop on hop off bus. Great way to see Auckland in 2 hours. No problem getting on the bus. Stops are far from each other, bus comes every 40 minutes. We very much enjoyed our journey!
DON_B, Feb 2026
We waited 1.5 hours to get on the Bus. Once on we chose to stay on for fear of losing our seat. Two cruise ships were in port at the same time so there was not nearly enough bus running. Poor planning by the company translated into a waste of time for us. In addition, there are not many stops that were interesting. Suggest you find another tour in Auckland.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora DON_B,
Thank you for sharing your review. We’re disappointed to hear about your experience and would appreciate the chance to discuss it further. If you’re willing, please reach out to us at info@explorerbus.co.nz with your booking details.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Patricia_B, Feb 2026
This is an awesome way to experience Auckland. We were just a minute late getting to one of the stops and the bus driver stopped and waiting for us to get on the bus. Would highly recommend.
Michelle_C, Feb 2026
Great way to get the lay of the land and see where things are located to help better plan what to see/do in the city.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora,
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that the Auckland Explorer Bus helped you get your bearings around Tāmaki Makaurau, and we really appreciate you choosing to travel with us!
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Horacio_D, Feb 2026
The hop-on hop-off is a good option to see the City, particularly for people that have little time. The City isn't too big and the tour is about 2 hours long with stops at most key landmarks. The only drawback is the hours of operation, which end around 5 pm. As such, any stop along the way requiring more than 30 minutes (War Memorial, Mt. Eden, the zoo) are nearly impossible to visit unless one has at least 2 more days.
Robyn_R, Feb 2026
Too many people. Hard to get on let alone get off. Staff were pleasant and a bit embarrassed about the wait times.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Kia Ora Robyn_R,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and would like the opportunity to look into it further. Please email us at info@explorerbus.co.nz with your booking details so we can review and address your feedback.
Many Thanks,
Madeline and the Explorer Bus Team
Andre_B, Feb 2026
We have to wait 45mn for the first Hop-on Bus. The description should say that average bus waiting time might be increase to 45mn when there is 2 ships docking.
JosephA_B, Feb 2026
Great way to get around and see the sights of Auckland. Need better direction posted on exactly where to start the journey. We had to go back to the original information as if we were rebooking to get information on the meeting location, which turned out to be around the corner from what came up. I did contact you all via text, and received a very detailed reply when I was halfway through the tour.
Joel_M, Feb 2026
Since we use different buses, something that was common was that drivers were not kind, they were rude and treat people like cattle. That’s weird since everyone else in Auckland NZ, are kind and helpful
In other countries hop on hop off services have option of headphones with different languages. Also they had USB to connect your phones
Last, the driver said there were two more buses Coming after, he lied there were no more buses, had to take a taxi
Karen_F, Feb 2026
An excellent way to do a tour of Auckland. We stopped at the Sky City Precinct, the War Memorial/Museum and stayed on to do a full loop on the bus. Just what we wanted.
Hedy_B, Feb 2026
Loved the ease of booking, hopping on/off and the fun ride with narrative of the different areas we explored in Auckland. Lots of stops and you don’t have to hop on at Stop#1—you can buy tickets at any of the stops!
From $41.13
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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