Waiheke & Rangitoto Ferries

The ferries out of downtown Auckland are harbour cruises in everything but name. You sit on deck, the city shrinks behind you, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf come up ahead, for not much more than a short sightseeing cruise. The difference is that you get off at the other end. This site lists five island tickets: the Waiheke fast ferry from $35 per person, a Waiheke ferry and hop-on hop-off bus pass, a return ferry to Rangitoto Island, a ferry to the bird sanctuary on Tiritiri Matangi, and a vineyard ferry to Man O’ War Bay at the eastern end of Waiheke.

The Waiheke fast ferry

Our pick is the Waiheke Island Return Fast Ferry (our breakdown), rated 4.7 by 1,232 passengers; our guide to Waiheke ferry times and tickets compares it with Island Direct and the off-peak fare. It is a return Fullers ticket from the Downtown Ferry Terminal on Quay Street to Matiatia on Waiheke, and the crossing takes about 40 minutes each way. Sailings leave Auckland every 30 to 60 minutes: from 6:00am to 11:45pm Monday to Saturday, and from 7:00am to 10:15pm on Sundays and public holidays. Most boats have a licensed café, toilets and luggage and bike racks.

On the way out the skyline falls away behind you, and the rest of the crossing is open Gulf and islands. Waiheke itself is 92 square kilometres of beaches, vineyards, olive groves and small villages. The ticket covers the ferry only. Buses, wine tastings and food on the island are extra. The ferry runs in most weather, though strong winds can disrupt any Gulf crossing.

Fullers moved Waiheke to its off-peak timetable early, in March 2026, after a sharp rise in fuel costs, and a summer timetable usually begins around late October. Check the times for your date when you book.

Waiheke with the hop-on bus

The Waiheke Island Ferry and Hop-On Hop-Off Explorer Bus (our breakdown) costs $56 and is the most reviewed ticket on this site, rated 4.6 by 3,896 people. You take the 9:00am ferry, and the Western Explorer bus meets it at Matiatia at 10:00am. The bus runs an 80-minute loop with 16 stops, taking in vineyards such as Mudbrick, Cable Bay, Stonyridge and Batch, an olive oil tasting at Allpress, Oneroa village and Onetangi Beach, and you hop off and on as you like for the rest of the day. An on-board host suggests stops, and you can track the bus in the Fullers360 app.

Two things catch people out. The bus runs Wednesday to Sunday from April to November and daily from December to March, and not on Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday or Anzac Day. And you must exchange your voucher for a boarding pass at the ticket office at least 60 minutes before sailing. Tastings and lunch are paid for on the day.

Rangitoto Island

The Return Ferry to Rangitoto Island (our breakdown) costs $35 and is rated 4.7 by 278 passengers. Rangitoto rose from the sea about 600 years ago and is the youngest volcano in New Zealand. The ferry takes about 25 minutes from Pier 13, and the Summit Track climbs through lava fields and native forest to the 259 m top in about an hour each way, with a detour to lava caves near the summit. Allow two to three hours for the return walk.

Plan this one carefully. There are only a few sailings a day: the current listing shows one weekday departure at 9:30am, back at 3:30pm, and at weekends 9:15am or 10:30am, back at 2:30pm or 4:00pm. More sailings are usually added in summer. Book ahead, since same-day walk-up tickets are not sold. The island has no shops, cafés or drinking water, so bring food, water, sun protection and closed shoes for the rough volcanic ground. Everyone goes through a biosecurity check before boarding, because the island is pest-free.

Tiritiri Matangi

The Tiritiri Matangi Island Ferry (our breakdown) is $59 and rated 4.7 by 214 passengers. Explore Group runs it from its kiosk in Viaduct Harbour, diagonally opposite the Maritime Museum, via Gulf Harbour on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula. It takes about 80 minutes from the city, or 25 minutes if you board at Gulf Harbour. Tiritiri is an open sanctuary managed by the Department of Conservation, and its walking tracks, beaches and regenerating forest shelter birds such as kōkako, tīeke (saddleback) and takahē, plus tuatara. The lighthouse, which the operator bills as New Zealand’s oldest working one, is near the visitor centre.

The ferry runs Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays, never on an ordinary Monday or Tuesday. From Wednesday to Friday it leaves Auckland at 9:00am and returns at 4:00pm; at weekends it leaves at 8:30am and returns at 5:20pm. There is no food for sale on the island, so pack lunch in a sealed container and take all your rubbish home.

Man O’ War Bay

The Man O’ War Vineyard Ferry to Waiheke Island (our breakdown) is the least expensive ticket on this page at $31, rated 4.4 by 11 passengers. It takes about 90 minutes via Rotoroa Island to Man O’ War Bay at the north-eastern end of Waiheke, where you get around three and a half hours at the vineyard’s beachfront cellar door, restaurant and lawn, with a beach for swimming. Food and wine are extra, and the operator advises booking tastings or a table in advance. The listing gives two starting points, so check which one your option uses. From Labour Weekend in late October, Explore’s summer timetable runs it daily, leaving at 9:15am, with a second 11:30am departure at weekends and on public holidays; return times vary by day. In the cooler months it drops to Wednesday to Sunday, leaving at 9:15am and returning at about 4pm, so check the timetable for your date.

Getting to the right pier

The Downtown Ferry Terminal is the old Ferry Building at 99 Quay Street, at the foot of Queen Street and across from Britomart station. Waiheke ferries normally use Piers 11 and 12, and Rangitoto Pier 13. Charging works for electric ferries are moving boats between piers until mid-2027, so go by the pier printed on your ticket; our full terminal and pier guide has the current list. The Tiritiri ferry and the Explore cruises leave from the Viaduct, a short walk west, and the Red Boats leave from Westhaven Marina, farther west again.

Ferry or cruise?

If you mainly want an hour on the water with commentary, a harbour cruise is simpler. If you want a day on an island, the ferry is the cruise and the destination in one ticket. Our guide to harbour cruises versus the ferry compares them properly, and our guide to which Auckland harbour cruise is right for you covers everything else on the water. If whales are the goal, see the whale watching page, and for every trip side by side, the homepage. Ready to go? Check availability for the Waiheke fast ferry.