New Zealand · MUSEUMS
The 14 best museums tours you can book right now, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
Auckland War Memorial Museum ticket for $16, skip the line, explore three floors of Maori, Pacific and war stories, plus cafe.
“It is quite interesting and value for money, however it is very crowded and full of school visits all day long, making it difficult to navigate through the museum. Really nice section for the insects and animals”
Explore Sculptureum in Matakana: sculpture gardens, art galleries, and optional vineyard wine tasting, a great day-trip from Auckland.
“The artwork and glass art inside the building is fabulous. The gardens and the sculptures are beautiful. The driftwood sculptures of the horses and the whale are amazing. The bronze sculptures were just lovely. I loved the boy pushing the girl on the swing. The sculpture of the boy holding the dolphin is apparently an early work by Leonardo Da Vinci and is quite stunning.”
Skip the line at Auckland War Memorial Museum. Explore three floors of Māori treasures and Pacific heritage in 3 to 4 hours.
“The museum was amazing however we had problem with ticketing. We had to wait for a long time to get our tickets - I would not describe this as 'skip the line'. When we finally made it to the counter, they couldn't find our booking/tickets and we had to wait for a long time again. At the end, the museum staff just gave up and let us in.”
A living Māori cultural performance at Auckland Museum, with general admission included. Watch waiata, poi, and learn the meaning of haka.
“I highly recommend this experience. It was beautifully done, the story telling was wonderful. I am familiar with the Māori culture & enjoyed it immensely. My partner travelling for the first time to NZ said it was excellent!”
Skip the line at Omaka Blenheim for WWI and WWII combo exhibits, Stalingrad audiovisual scenes, and rare aircraft.
“A Fantastic day! the people are great, the exhibition is amazing!”
Auckland Museum plus Living Taonga Māori performance: waiata, poi, haka meaning, storytelling. Ticketed all-day museum access for $37.
“Better come early at least 20 minutes before the show , The show is more than amazing, Don't miss it”
Explore the New Zealand Maritime Museum in Auckland for $14, with hands-on exhibits and sea stories from migrations to America’s Cup design.
“Great museum and beautifully designed. We were lucky to be there while the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix was underway ~ so it was exciting and great location to watch the race.”
Omaka’s Knights of the Sky in Blenheim: Sir Peter Jackson’s WWI planes, cinematic dioramas, and rare artifacts. 45 min to 2 hr.
“We drove from Christchurch to Blenheim just to visit Omaka and we were not disappointed. The exhibits are brilliant and it is easy to see how passionate the museum is about their pieces. The design of the displays are first class and it was wonderful talking to the volunteers. Stay a while, see both WWI and WWII.”
Skip-the-line WWII exhibits at Omaka in Blenheim, featuring Night Witches, Weta mannequins, and a multimedia Battle of Stalingrad.
“Excellent presentation and guide knowledge! I was impressed with the quality of restorative workmanship!”
Auckland War Memorial Museum Gallery Highlights Tour: a 1-hour guided intro to Māori, Pacific navigation, geology, and NZ history, plus admission.
“I’m so glad we included the Auckland War Memorial Museum in our itinerary — it’s easily one of the best cultural experiences in the city.”
Cruise day sightseeing around Dunedin plus Larnach Castle, the Dunedin Chinese Garden, and the Toitu Settlers Museum, with included tickets.
“Tour operator re assign us to different company whose tour was focused on visiting CAstle. Our Guid was amaizing, he showed us a lot and his son performed sctish dance. We visited the longest streert, but missed Chinise Guarden and MuRead more”
Private Auckland night tour with SkyBar cocktail, Devonport views, Harbour Bridge photos, Westhaven Marina lights, and Auckland Domain displays.
“Great personalised experience, Carlos remained flexible and we went and viewed some boats , as we discovered interests in chatting!”
Small-group Auckland highlights tour with Harbour Bridge, Mount Eden 360 views, Auckland Museum, and the Domain Wintergardens.
“I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Sam was an excellent tour guide. He's very knowledgeable, personable, and friendly. He ensured I had a good experience and took pictures and videos along the way, which he sent me. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to appreciate some of the true beauty and history of Auckland!”
Spend a full day in Auckland hitting harbor views, Mount Eden, top museums, cathedral and coastline lookouts, plus art in the city.
“This is a wonderful city, and I felt like a queen being driven around from a place to place with a lovely tour guide who is a gentleman and very knowledgeable”
From the fiords to the geothermal belt, sorted by what you want to do with the day.
