Coast and Rainforest Eco-Tour

Immerse yourself in the stunning natural beauty of West Auckland with this full-day eco-tour. Explore rainforests, black sand beaches, and clifftop walks, led by an experienced local guide.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Arataki Visitor Centre - Waitakere Ranges - After pick up from your Auckland city centre hotel we have a short (30min) drive to the Arataki Visitor Centre – gateway to the coastal rainforest. Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views over the rainforest back to the city and across to Auckland’s southern harbour. The visitors centre is also home to some traditional Maori carvings and your guide will talk about them and explain their significance for the area.

Your eco-tour includes a guided hike in an area of original rainforest where ancient kauri trees tower over the unique trees and plants that have developed separately from the rest of the world for millions of years. Your experienced guide will explain about the local plants and animals as you walk through the forest.

*This hike includes stairs

  • Mercer Bay Loop - After lunch, hike the clifftop tracks with stunning views along the coast and out across the Tasman Sea.

  • Piha Beach - During the day we go to an awe-inspiring west coast beach where you can walk along the soft black sand beach, watch the surf waves crashing in and feel the clear ocean breeze. This unique small group tour operator is a Qualmark Endorsed Visitor Activity and provides expert guided eco-tours in the greater Auckland region - a company delivering a quality product focusing on the natural and cultural heritage of the area.

As well as keeping you entertained and informed, our guides will make sure you have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and make sure there are lots of photo opportunities. We have been running tours in this area for over 34 years so you will be being looked after by the local experts.

  • Waitakere Ranges - Enjoy a rainforest walk in the Waitakere Ranges
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
  • Picnic lunch
  • Light refreshments
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST) included
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

This full-day tour is perfect for nature and hiking enthusiasts. Your knowledgeable local guide will lead you through various rainforest, beach, and clifftop trails. West Auckland’s black sand beaches and rainforests are unique to New Zealand, making this tour an excellent way to explore the region’s highlights. (3 x 1-hour short hikes)

*A GOOD LEVEL OF FITNESS IS REQUIRED. This tour is not suitable for individuals with mobility issues. The hikes include stairs and varying gradients. Please note that the areas visited may change based on weather conditions and the fitness levels of participants on the day.

*We are currently unable to visit a waterfall due to track and road closures caused by a cyclone in 2023.

  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Good level of fitness required.
  • Please note: tour includes a minimum of 3x 1 hour short hikes, including stairs
  • Not recommended for travelers who find stairs challenging
  • Not recommended for travelers with any kind of mobility issues
  • Not recommended for young children
Location
SkyCity Auckland
Federal Street
If you have not confirmed an inner city hotel pick up with us then our central meeting point is SkyCity Hotel entrance. If you are meeting here this will need to be confirmed with us. Please call to confirm at least 24 hours prior - 0800 423 224
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(179 Ratings)
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Carolyn_l
Jul 23, 2024
Beautiful views, great food, amazing guide! - We started the day with our hopes quite low, because it was quite rainy and cloudy, but the trip was wonderful! Meredith was delightful and very knowledgeable! Not only did we get to take in breathtaking views, we also learned a lot about the local flora and fauna from her. She also has great taste because everyone enjoyed their lunches. Since the weather wasn't ideal, all the places we visited were pretty empty which was really nice.
Review provided by Viator
Tanja_s
Jul 1, 2024
Great outdoor experience - Absolutely wonderful day hiking in the rainforest and Piha beach. Our guide Meredith was great in telling us about the birds and plants, and about Auckland in general. Definitely the highlight of my trip to Auckland.
Review provided by Viator
Vicky_h
Jun 27, 2024
Beautiful vistas & wonderful guide - It was amazing that 30 minutes from downtown. Auckland is another world! The beauty and the serenity of walking to the rainforest was an experience. I’ll always remember. Murray , our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. I thought we learned so much about what is New Zealand as we walk the rainforest and the black sand beach. This is one of the best tours I’ve ever been on. Bush and Beach does it Right!
Review provided by Viator
Oliver_b
Jun 23, 2024
Fabulous - Stayed in Auckland a extra couple days just to do this trip and was not disappointed. Wonderful experience and I'd recommend to everyone.
Review provided by Viator
Sara
Jun 19, 2024
Amazing experience - Alex was our guide and he was wonderful! He was knowledgeable of the history of New Zealand, Auckland, the land, agriculture, plant species. Really, you name it and he had a wealth of information to share. He accommodated for our family of three as we were the only ones on the tour for the day. Lunch that was provided was delicious. The sights were breathtaking! Would highly recommend this tour and this company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brianrp8709qg
Jun 7, 2024
Great day out of Auckland! - This was an excellent day out of Auckland to explore the rainforest and coast. Our guides were friendly and very informative and the walks were amazing with respect to views and learning about the flora, fauna, and evolution of the area. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Extraordinary706747
May 18, 2024
Fantastic tour from Auckland - So happy to have booked this tour. This was such a lovely day of hiking, exploring and learning about New Zealand. Our guide was fantastic and everyone staying in Auckland should do this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Crystal_h
May 18, 2024
Great photos, experience, and exercise :-) - Chris was a great guide! We had three manageable hikes/walks. Our favorite was the beach walk at low tide but the walk down to the 600 year old Kauri tree was cool too (albeit a lot of uphill steps at the end). He took our fitness levels into consideration and gave us educational and interesting stories along the way.
Review provided by Viator
Angie_b
Apr 25, 2024
Fabulous views - Erin was fabulous! Cliff views, volcanic rock formations and beach views were so beautiful. Great Cafe for our take away picnic lunch too.
Review provided by Viator
Marcia_l
Jul 10, 2024
Very interesting, relaxed day. - Piha Beach. The views of the coast line and the mountains. The information we learned about New Zealand’ flora and fauna.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 9 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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