Auckland to Piha
& the West Coast
Over the Waitākere Ranges to the Tasman Sea — Piha, Lion Rock and the black-sand beaches of Auckland's wild west coast.
Drive time from Auckland
≈ 1 hr each way
West over the Waitākere Ranges. The road is winding in places, which is part of the appeal — the bush runs right down to the coast.
Your vehicle
Private driver, door to door
Collected from your Auckland accommodation, the airport or the cruise terminal, and returned at the end of the day.
The day
Your route, your pace
The itinerary is shaped around your group — stops can be added, shortened or dropped as the day unfolds.
A day on Auckland's west coast
The west coast is a landscape of its own — surf, black sand and rainforest — and it is close enough to the city for a half day or a leisurely full one.
Piha Beach & Lion Rock
Black iron-sand surf, the great bulk of Lion Rock and the wild Tasman Sea — the best-known beach on Auckland's west coast.
Waitākere Ranges rainforest
Native bush, kauri and the road over the ranges — a striking change of landscape less than an hour from the city.
Muriwai & the gannet colony
The long black-sand beach at Muriwai and the clifftop gannet colony, best seen between roughly August and March.
Karekare & Mercer Bay
Quieter west coast beaches and clifftop walks, for guests who would rather avoid the busiest spots.
A half day, easily
An hour each way from the CBD makes the west coast an easy half day, or a full day with lunch and the ranges.
Pair this with another day
Plan your Piha tour
Tell us the essentials — a specialist will shape a private Piha experience around you.