Voted Auckland’s Most Popular Hostel 4 Years In A Row!

Adventures in Auckland: Entertainment & Activities


As the bustling heart of New Zealand – Auckland is the country’s largest metropolis in both the size of its urban sprawl and in it’s population. Consistently ranked amongst the worlds top ten most liveable cities, Auckland is a diverse and inclusive city with no shortage of sights, sounds, smells, activities, restaurants and nightlife to entertain all. The Attic is fortunate enough to lie smack bang in the middle of the city’s downtown area, just moments from its main drag – Queen Street and mere minutes walk from iconic & historic buildings and event centres such as Auckland’s famous Sky Tower, Aotea Centre and regenerated viaduct areas.

We’ve compiled a short series of blogs that showcase our team’s favourite sights, activities, restaurants and bars that are right on our doorstep, or within a maximum 5 minute walk from The Attic’s central Wellesley Street West location. Read on for the full list…


1) Skyworld Indoor Entertainment:

Including a Metrolanes bowling alley, a rock climbing centre, Event cinemas, minigolf, Megazone Games, an indoor Maze and an international food court; There’s literally days worth of fun to be had here at The Skyworld Indoor Entertainment centre. Whether it’s a stag/hen, birthday party, rainy day or you and your crew just fancy hours of activity based fun.

The Skyworld complex can be found It can be found just off Wellesley St West, about 1 minute or 100m away from The Attic and right by the Civic Theatre – another stalwart of the Auckland heritage and events scene!

2) SkyCity Casino & Complex

Feeling lucky? SkyCity casino is Aucklands only casino but boy it’s a real doozy. Found just 200m up the road and around the corner from The Attic. As part of the Skycity mega complex you can find the main casino with over 100 table games, restaurants, bars & a theater. The casino offers favorite table games such as Blackjack, Baccarat, Jai Sai and Roulette plus more than 1,200 slots and gaming machines. It’s open 24 hours, seven days a week. You should make Skycity Casino your last stop of the evening on your way back to The Attic Backpackers, right at the end of your groups’ big night out in Auckland. Skycity is a mere 3 minutes away, just around the corner on Federal Street.

Else where in the Skycity development you’ll find great food and drink spots which we’ll cover in more depth in other blogs. But for Happy hours, you have to check out Huami’s $10 deliciously refreshing Gin specials between 5:30- 7pm or grab a bowl of deep fried pickles and an award winning Reuben from Federal delicatessen!

3) Classic Comedy Bar

The Classic is located on Queen Street, near to Town Hall just around the corner and a short walk from The Attic Backpackers across Aotea Square. Quite simply, this is Auckland’s home of comedy. There are stand-up shows on most nights, and entry is usually a reasonable $20 for four acts. It’s the archetypical comedy venue – there’s a small bar out front with all sorts of comedy memorabilia adorning the walls, while the interior is quite intimate. Sit near the front and you’re bound to be the target of some banter! Being possibly the only full-time comedy venue in Auckland, the Classic gets it’s fair share of quality acts – the list of performers reads like a who’s who of Kiwi comedy, and the place attracts international acts regularly also. But it’s the local stalwarts that keep the Classic going. In short, the Classic is always a great time. Make a night out of it with a visit to Tanuki’s Cave for some yummy Yakitori before your show!

You can also find plenty of free comedy nights around the city, usually aspiring comedians testing new material. Bar Tabac off Queen Street, on a Tuesday & Wednesday night is Attic Backpackers team members fa
vourite spot.

4) All Blacks Experience

A brand new Rugby themed, Auckland experience as of 2021. Found just around the corner from The Attic backpackers, opposite the Sky Tower. The All Blacks Experience guides visitors through a state-of-the-art showcase of the New Zealand Rugby teams – The All Blacks, the Black Ferns, and our other national rugby teams in black. The centrepiece of the guided tour gives visitors the chance to stand in the middle of the field in a stadium packed with fans, and literally come face-to-face with a four-metre-high haka. The journey also includes first-hand stories from legends of the game, and a chance to try out kicking, catching and lineout skills against today’s All Blacks and Black Ferns, in the Handson interactive zone. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the game or just a fair weather fan – this is an experience not to miss!

This 90 minute experience is priced at around $45 for an adult/ $25 for a child, it certainly made rugby fans out of our team!

5) Sky Tower

The crowning jewel of the Auckland skyline, and instantly recognisable around around the world. The Skytower dominates Aucklands skyline and offers thrill seekers the chance to step up into the clouds and experience Auckland like never before.

Before you take the elevator up, decide what kind of experience you want to have. With the opportunity to simply visit the observation deck, 50 floors up and soak up the views. Maybe you’re feeling brave? Take a #SkyJump off the tower or view the Sunset from the outdoor catwalk as you’re suspended perilously off the edge of the observation deck! Was all that too much? Take things easier, and add some culinary flare into the mix. Try a dish or four at one of the two revolving restaurants, Orbit 360 or The Sugar Club – both fine dining venues score rave reviews

Ever wonder why the Skytower is a particular colour? click to find out

We recommend heading up to The Sugar Club and taking advantage of their late night happy hour – open until 11pm, with views of the City in darkness even more majestic.