Afternoon Piha Beach and Rainforest Tour from Auckland
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Auckland, New Zealand
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore the Waitakere Ranges and Auckland’s rugged west coast, including Piha Beach, during an afternoon tour with a guide knowledgeable about New Zealand flora and fauna. From the Arataki Centre, admire sweeping views of the ocean and distant city. Learn about Māori history, stroll on the black-sand beach, and take a nature walk through a lush rainforest while you experience one of Auckland's largest regional parks.
- The afternoon tour leaves time in your schedule for other activities
- Spend time at the Arataki Center, gateway to the Waitakere Ranges
- Hotel pickup and drop off from centrally located Auckland hotels
- Explore beyond Auckland city without the risk of getting lost
What's Included
- Inner city Auckland hotel pick up and drop off
- Guided rainforest walk
- Visit a black sand beach
- Coffee and/or TeaEnjoy afternoon tea refreshments - tea, coffee, juice and cookies
- Enjoy stunning coastal views
- GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- Gratuities
- Food
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.12:30 pm
Itinerary
After pickup from your centrally located hotel, depart Auckland on the drive west to the Arataki Centre—the gateway to the breathtaking Waitakere Ranges. Snap photos of traditional Māori carvings that stand sentinel as you soak up breathtaking views, from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Learn about the region’s history from your guide during your visit to one of Auckland's largest regional parks, followed by a drive to the wild coastline of the west coast. Here, walk along the shores of Piha Beach and marvel at the black sand beneath your feet.
Continue to experience the awe-inspiring power of New Zealand’s nature with a short trip to a lush rainforest setting. Enjoy an easy bushwalk along a path through giant tree ferns as you listen for the calls of local birds. Your expert guide identifies native flora and fauna before returning you to Auckland with a drop-off at your hotel.
Learn about the region’s history from your guide during your visit to one of Auckland's largest regional parks, followed by a drive to the wild coastline of the west coast. Here, walk along the shores of Piha Beach and marvel at the black sand beneath your feet.
Continue to experience the awe-inspiring power of New Zealand’s nature with a short trip to a lush rainforest setting. Enjoy an easy bushwalk along a path through giant tree ferns as you listen for the calls of local birds. Your expert guide identifies native flora and fauna before returning you to Auckland with a drop-off at your hotel.
1
Arataki Visitor Centre - Waitakere Ranges
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Waitakere Ranges
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Piha Beach
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Bush and Beach (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately with comfortable walking shoes
- The tour is suitable for all ages and abilities
- Although lunch is not included, the tour does stop at a local bakery if you wished to purchase some.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Sharyl_N
Excellent half day trip from Auckland to the west side of island. Fantastic stops, views, walk thru forest and visit to Piha Beach. Even tea service at beach! Our guide and driver Warren was a delight. Full of kiwi info and guiding thru our visit. Nice coach, comfortable and safe. It was great to leave the city for a bit, highly recommended.
Reviews
4.9
based on 877 reviews
John_C, Apr 2026
Unique black sands beach. Knowledgeable guides. Walks in rainforest and on beach. Small group. Great scenic stops. Included Māori perspective and history in commentary.
Jeaneen_H, Apr 2026
The whole tour was amazing and wonderful. Our guide Kevin was outstanding and the sites we got to see an experience were wonderful. Highly recommend.
Margaret_M, Apr 2026
Get out of the city proper and see the beautiful scenery. Piha beach and Rainforest are not to be missed. Annie did a super job with her knowledge of fauna and the area. Very enjoyable.
Gabe_L, Apr 2026
One gets see and experience nature and beach environments and learn a bit about the local and native flora.
Corey_T, Apr 2026
Great little half day excursion from Auckland. Pick up was just after noon and was on time. We were with Mark and Andy. Mark was guiding and had SO much knowledge. I was honestly shocked that he knew so much about everything. New Zealand, plants, birds, the beach, you name it, he knew it. Great pair of gentlemen. We did the rainforest walk where Mark pointed out literally everything, and then went to Piha beach which is just jaw droppingly beautiful. Black sand with dramatic formations, can't be beat. What a great way to spend an afternoon.
Lisa_K, Apr 2026
Awesome day. We had a great guide with a wealth of New Zealand knowledge. Black sand beaches were stunning.
Bruce_B, Apr 2026
A great chance to experience the areas outside of the central business district, which make up the awesome beauty, uniqueness of Auckland and the north Island.
The Guide and Driver both knew their stuff and we’re willing to share it personally. It seemed like they truly cared and knew each of us in the bus for the day.
A very well planned, and thought out to her, which I highly recommend!
Patricia_T, Mar 2026
You can't miss out on the spectacular ambiance of the Bush and Beach. Step away from the city into a wonderland of natural beauty. Kevin and Mark were amazing guides. You might be in for a few surprises!
Rebecca_H, Mar 2026
Leon was amazing! He shared his local knowledge of the area and life experiences as he grew up in Piha. The rainforest was nice as well got to see the trees & plants from this region and learn their cool tribal names. The black sand in Piha had this magical sparkle. Wish we had a bit more time at the beach but overall is was the perfect afternoon tour. Highly recommend!
Gregory_P, Mar 2026
We had a great time walking the rainforest and seeing the views. It was a beautiful day and light walk throughout- and learning about the natural plants in the area from Alex, our guide. We also had a great visit to Piha Beach. Our guide was energetic, welcoming and amazing! Great experience for an afternoon!
Danielle_L, Mar 2026
Kevin and Warren are excellent guides! We enjoyed our time at Piha.
There was Bush and there was Beach indeed ;)
MontanaCole, Mar 2026
Cool experience and they bring you to some beautiful places. The guide was knowledgeable. They split the groups in to those who want to hike and those who would rather have it easy. This worked out well.
Cindy_D, Mar 2026
Exceeded my expectations. The experience was amazing. We were picked up in the city center and quickly started the tour. Made a quick stop to pick up food/drink for the long afternoon tour. Alex and Kevin were our guides for the day. They were great. Great pace and just the right amount of information. Piha black sand beach is a must see.
Jan_P, Mar 2026
Great tour and guides! Beautiful nature walk and black sand beach! Really enjoyed the tea and snacks after our beach walk. Very nice tour!!
Dawn_O, Mar 2026
Excellent experience. Beautiful and fun. Guides were knowledgeable and engaging. Met everyone’s needs.
Rebekah_C, Mar 2026
This a was a great experience. I wish they would have taken us to the falls…it was only a bit further but it wasn’t part of the journey. Bring flip flops in addition to regular shoes (for the beach)…bring sunblock and water.
Kristen_T, Mar 2026
This excursion was well done with plenty of knowledge from the guides. Pack water and wear walking shoes.
Aravind_M, Mar 2026
Steve and Anne are very good guide with lots of details around the places we visited.
Time was perfect with lots of Sun 🌞
Linda_R, Mar 2026
The tour was professionally done by friendly and caring staff however the itinerary was ambitious for a half day tour. In reality, it took about five hours with driving time. For those with limited time in Auckland like us, it provided an opportunity to see some of the outlying areas. The guides were knowledgeable and provided a great deal of information about the local flora and fauna. The bush walk was worthwhile but time at the beach was limited. The constant commentary during the drive was a bit tiresome for me but likely others enjoyed it more.
Denise_R, Mar 2026
This review is way overdue! We only had one full day in Auckland and wanted to make the most of it and this tour did not disappoint. The places visited and scenery observed were breathtakingly spectacular! The highlight though were our guides whose knowledge of not only New Zealand history but also the flora and fauna were unmatched. So much is packed into this tour. You will not regret the purchase.
Michael_P, Mar 2026
Mark our guide was knowledgeable and did a great job explaining the black sand at Piha beach, illustrating the magnetic properties of the deposits in the sand. The tea and biscuits were a nice touch. We had an enjoyable time.
Laura_K, Mar 2026
Outstanding! You see a unique, beautiful part of New Zealand and learn why it’s unlike any other place in the world. The guide and drivers do a fantastic job! I’m so happy I got to see the northern part of the North island!
Sharyl_N, Mar 2026
Excellent half day trip from Auckland to the west side of island. Fantastic stops, views, walk thru forest and visit to Piha Beach. Even tea service at beach! Our guide and driver Warren was a delight. Full of kiwi info and guiding thru our visit. Nice coach, comfortable and safe. It was great to leave the city for a bit, highly recommended.
Dan_R, Mar 2026
Gorgeous walk through rain forest. Be prepared for extrenuos walk up the hills. Guide was informative. Piha beach is exactly like the photos but water on west coast where the Tasman sea is too rough to swim or even walk through as we were not permitted by the beach patrol. Scenery is magnificent.
Maya_P, Mar 2026
Today’s visit to the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park and Piha Beach was absolutely spectacular. The rainforest, with its unique vegetation, and Piha Beach, with its dramatic black sand and powerful ocean views, were truly breathtaking. Nature at its finest - wild, beautiful, and deeply calming. A must-do experience when visiting Auckland.
Our guide, Mark, was very knowledgeable and added so much insight to the experience.
Wanda_R, Mar 2026
Lovely tour, worth the money. Our guides are very knowledgeable
We loved the light refreshments too!
William_L, Feb 2026
Great sample of New Zealand. Guide was very knowledgable about New Zealans , the Maori and species in the rain forest
Marilyn_R, Feb 2026
Wonderful trip. Highly recommend. Noel and Leon were great tour guides. Piha beach was a highlight. Walk through rain forest was wonderful.
Mary_F, Feb 2026
I’ve been in Auckland for 4 days, going on an excursion every day, and this one was the best, due in large part to Chris, our guide! He taught us so much, all with his great sense of humor, which brought the 7 guests together as a group! The hike in the rainforest was fascinating! His background in teaching science, along with his love of New Zealand’s outdoors showed in his enthusiasm to show us what makes New Zealand special. While we had fun on Piha beach, Chris was setting up an English tea to warm us up after the chilly ocean water. We also stopped at his favorite bakery for meat pies for lunch. I had my first meat pie & it was delicious! I highly recommend this tour, and when you book it ask for Chris as your guide! I was a fabulous day!
Scott_M, Feb 2026
The tour operator, Bush and Beach was awesome. Muarry , our tour guide provided great commentary and insight throughout the whole tour. The cultural center , rainforest walk and beach was quite impressive. I would not hesitate to recommend this tour company to anyone.
From $120.63
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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