1.Explore gardens & galleries filled with incredible art, Matakana

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · from $40Our pick

Explore Sculptureum in Matakana with quirky sculpture gardens, six art galleries, blown glass, and optional wine on a flat 1.4km walk.

“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.”

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2.Vineyards Honey and Black Sand Beaches from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · from $183

Small-group Auckland wineries plus Muriwai black-sand beach, with tastings, lunch and hotel pickup. Honey included.

“This experience was top-notch. The operator who took us around the vineyards was very knowledgeable and made it interesting. I still give him a five star review, even though his phone went black and had to deal with that situation all day.”

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3.Small-Group Kumeu Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · from $192

Half-day Kumeu wine tour from Auckland with small-group tastings at three wineries, a Soljans lunch, and a black-sand beach stop.

“Really enjoyed the wines, the wineries, the countryside, and the beaches. We bought several wines which we truly enjoyed!”

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4.Sheep World Country Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · from $175

Small-group 6-hour sheep farm day from Auckland: shearing and sheep-dog demos, live bees at Warkworth honey centre, plus scenic stops.

“Absolutely wonderful experience! We had a great time seeing the animals and getting to watch the show”

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5.Private Tour: Auckland City and Countryside Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 52 reviews · from $277

Private Auckland city and countryside tour with hotel pickup, Rangitoto and harbour views, Mission Bay, Mt Eden, a waterfall stop, and light refreshment.

“The tour was a bit expensive but the driver was courteous and helpful. We got a good overview of the city.”

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6.Hobbiton Movie Set and Hamilton Gardens Small Group-from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $217

Hobbiton and Hamilton Gardens in a small group day trip from Auckland, with pickup, WiFi, and guided Shire stories.

“It is a beautiful place to visit. I didn’t watch the movie Lord of Rings. However, our local tour guide, Yen or Yam (originally from Singapore), introduced the place so vividly from the director’s selection of the movie shooting site to the selection of local people as his actors and actresses that I am curious to watch the movie myself.”

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7.From Auckland: Hobbiton & Hamilton Gardens Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 10 reviews · 9 hours · from $209

Auckland day trip to Hobbiton and Hamilton Gardens, with small-group pickup, guided set tour, Green Dragon drink, plus botanical stroll.

“Joe was a great tour guide. The van was very comfortable. Hobbiton was fantastic, not to be missed even if you’re not a movie geek. Every group of 40 or so are spaced out over time so you get a chance to see everything up close and take pictures. So many photo ops! Hamilton gardens are beautiful and interestingly designed. Each element is walled off with hedges so the experience is encapsulated. Wandering on your own gives you a great chance to explore each crated space.”

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8.Auckland Town and Country Delights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $183

Small-group East Auckland tour with scenic harbours, Hunua Falls, Clevedon village, and ferry return. Lunch and morning tea included.

“Great personalized we saw allot of the country we would not have found on our own - answered allot of our questions”

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9.Private Tour – Horse Riding, Wine Tasting and Art Trail

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $465

Private Auckland tour with 1-hour guided horse ride through bush, winery wine tasting, lunch, art trail, and pickup included.

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10.Sheep Shearing and Auckland City Highlights Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $164

Sheep-shearing at Sheep World, honey tastings at the Honey Centre, then Auckland viewpoints and waterfront stops with lunch and pickup.

“Our tour to the sheepworld and city tour were outstanding! Alexandro showed his passion and expertise which made the experience both fun and informative. He was very patient with our questions. The personalized attention and warm hospitality made this tour truly memorable. Highly recommended for anyone.”

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11.“City & Coast & Country” – A Relaxed Day Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 6 reviews · 6 hours · from $131

Six-hour small-group West Coast day from Auckland with black-sand beaches, kauri trees, waterfalls, and wine-region stops.

“We had a wonderful tour provided by Stanislav! Went all the way to the west coast from Auckland. Many great stops with waterfall, beach, views, brewery with yummy beer and food and more. He is very knowledgeable about NZ. Highly recommend!!”

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12.Private 2 Day Tour: Hobbiton, Waitomo, Rotorua Geothermal & Hamilton Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviews · from $2,047

A private 2-day North Island loop with Hobbiton, Waitomo glowworms, Rotorua geothermal culture, and Hamilton Gardens, with pickup and hotel.

“Vendu comme une excursion privative avec choix de la langue en francais. La seule chose en francais furent le booklet de 2 pages remis a Hobbiton. Pour le reste un chauffeur muet qui nous a fait faire beaucoup de route pour revenir sur noRead more”

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13.Matakana Art & Horse Riding Experience Private Tour From Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $588

Private Matakana day from Auckland: 1 hour horse riding, Sculptureum art gardens, chocolate tastings, and Rothko lunch with wine.

“We spent a wonderful day with Karthik as our tour guide. The day proceeded efficiently as we were able to experience different aspects of Matakana. I was worried about my toddler riding a horse for the first time but the owners made sure Read more”

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14.Private Auckland Wine & Dine Matakana Country & Cuisine

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $586

Private Mercedes tour to Matakana for wine, honey, cheese, chocolate, Kauri tree photos, and downtown Auckland pickup and drop-off.

“You will be glad if Nigel is your guide. He is a wealth of information on the entire area around Matakana. Plus, he can share several engaging stories about his endeavours over the years. Bravo.”

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