Auckland Sky Tower with a Toddler: A Family Guide to Visiting New Zealand's Iconic Landmark
Auckland's Sky Tower is one of the first landmarks you'll notice when you arrive. Part of the city skyline for almost three decades, it has also become a familiar sight in New Year's Eve coverage around the world. As one of the first countries to welcome the New Year, New Zealand's celebrations are among the first to appear on international broadcasts, with the Sky Tower providing the instantly recognisable backdrop as fireworks light up the Auckland skyline.
Auckland's iconic Sky Tower is visible from all over the city!
We were keen to visit during our time in Auckland, but travelling with an almost-three-year-old did make us wonder how much he'd get out of the experience. Sky Tower is very much a family-friendly attraction, but we were curious to see how a young child would react to the views, glass floors and sheer height of the tower. Some of the Sky Tower's more adventurous experiences also have age and weight restrictions. So, was Auckland Sky Tower worth visiting with a toddler? We headed up to find out.
Disclosure: We were kindly welcomed to the Sky Tower as part of a collaboration. As always, all opinions and experiences are our own.
A brief intro to the Auckland Sky Tower
The Sky Tower opened in 1997 and stands 328 metres above Auckland, making it the second tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere. It was an ambitious piece of engineering when it was built, particularly in a country famous for its seismic activity and remains one of New Zealand's most significant architectural landmarks.
To put its height into perspective, Sydney Tower stands at 309 metres, while the Eiffel Tower is now marginally taller at 330 metres following the addition of a new antenna in 2022.
Part tourist observation platform, part dining destination and part adrenaline experience, the Sky Tower offers several different ways to experience Auckland from high above the city, including SkyWalk and SkyJump. It is also part of the wider SkyCity complex, with restaurants, bars and entertainment venues at ground level and higher up the tower.
For families, the main attraction is the observation area, where you can look out across Auckland, Waitematā Harbour and the surrounding landscape. Standard admission gives you access to three different viewing platforms:
Main Observation Level – 186 metres above street level
The Lookout – 192 metres above street level
Sky Deck – 220 metres above street level
All three offer 360-degree views across Auckland, with the higher levels providing increasingly elevated views over the city and beyond. On a clear day, visibility can extend for around 80 kilometres, taking in Auckland's volcanic landscape, boats crossing the harbour, the Hauraki Gulf and surrounding ranges.
Our Visit:
After checking in and recieving our tickets, we were shown into a lift with a glass floor that rocketed up to the 51st floor, the ground dropping away dizzyingly beneath our feet. On exiting the lift, we were immediately hit with enormous panoramic views through the wraparound floor to ceiling windows. A definite wow moment.
The Main Observation Level is the biggest of the three, with lots of open space and two levels of walkway - one set down about a foot or so right next to the windows, interspersed with sections of glass flooring, and the main level slightly higher. Illustrations on the windows point out landmarks you can see, like the Auckland Museum and different volcanic features.
The glass flooring, where we could look directly down towards the streets more than 180 metres below, actually turned out to be a major family highlight! At first Jamie was apprehensive, shuffling to the edge of the glass and peering down, before he was happy enough that it was solid and stepped on for a good look at the tiny cars driving below.
If you're lucky, this is where you'll be able to watch people doing the SkyJump being hoisted past the window before plunging down again at incredible speeds - they must be mad!!
After we'd done several laps of this floor, we jumped back into the lift and hopped up 2 floors to the Lookout, where we walked past a very nice looking bar seating area (the Lookout) and bought a couple of scoops from the Lewis Road Creamery ice cream concession (made in New Zealand )There are plenty of chairs and tables where you can pause and enjoy the view with a coffee or sweet treat.
Speaking of food, there are several dining options within the Sky Tower. As well as The Lookout, SkyBar is an adults-only venue for guests aged 18 and over, while Orbit 360° Dining is the tower's revolving restaurant, offering a set-menu dining experience with a dedicated children's menu for under-12s.
With energy levels revived, we got back in the lift and headed up to the 60th floor Sky Deck, the highest level in the Sky Tower. We were really lucky with weather on our trip and the visibility was absolutely astonishing - we could see for MILES!
The lift back down again also has a glass floor, so the ground rushes up to meet you.
Don't miss the Sky Tower Gift Shop if you want to pick up a souvenir before you leave, with Sky Tower and Aotearoa-themed keepsakes such as manuka honey skin care, merino wool products and cuddly kiwi toys. There's also some giant Auckland letters to take a photo with once you exit back outside.
Is Auckland Sky Tower suitable for toddlers?
Yes! Children of all ages are welcome at the Sky Tower, and standard admission includes access to all three observation levels (children aged two and under enter free).
The question for us was really what Jamie would make of it. At almost three, he was old enough to understand that we were going somewhere very high, but his idea of an interesting day out was still very much based on what he could see, touch and explore.
There was plenty for him to investigate as we moved around the observation levels, whether that was looking through the windows, going round and round the circular walking route, spotting things in the city below or braving the glass floor sections.
Younger children won't necessarily appreciate the views in quite the same way as an adult, but looking down at tiny cars, spotting familiar landmarks, watching the lifts arrive or just taking in the unusual experience of being so high above the city can all become part of the fun.
If you're visiting during the school holidays, it's also worth checking what's happening at the Sky Tower. SkyCity runs themed school holiday activities three times a year, with previous programmes including dinosaur, Minecraft, Christmas and The Wild Robot-themed activities.
Can children do SkyWalk, SkyJump or SkyRide?
All the more adventurous experiences currently have a minimum age of 10, so none of them were an option for Jamie during our visit, but families travelling with older children or teenagers can also take on one of the tower's adrenaline experiences.
SkyWalk takes place 192 metres above Auckland, with a guided walk around the outside of the tower. Participants are secured to a safety system as they make their way along the 1.2-metre-wide exterior walkway, with no handrail between them and the views.
SkyJump is a 192-metre controlled freefall from the Sky Tower. Participants step off the platform and descend towards the ground at speeds of around 85 km/h, secured to a wire-guided system rather than a traditional bungy cord.
The newest addition is SkyRide, which launched in 2026. Riders are taken to the top of the tower before making a high-speed descent back towards ground level, reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h. The experience can be enjoyed solo or as a tandem ride, although participants must be at least 10 years old.
How long do you need at Auckland Sky Tower?
SkyCity suggests allowing around an hour for a family visit, which gives you enough time to explore all three observation levels, take in the views, spend some time at the glass floor sections and stop for a coffee or ice cream. We were there for about 90 minutes, including an ice cream break, nappy change and watching a few SkyJumpers.
The Sky Tower's central location also makes it easy to combine with other Auckland attractions, with the All Blacks Experience and Wētā Workshop Unleashed both within the SkyCity complex.
We visited the All Blacks Experience in the morning and walked round to the Sky Tower entrance afterwards, which is a really great way to fill a half day with 2 of Auckland's most iconic attractions.
If you'd like to read more about the All Blacks Experience, we've also written about our experience of visiting with Jamie.
If you're planning to visit more than one SkyCity attraction, it's also worth checking the available combo tickets. There are currently combination tickets for the Sky Tower with the All Blacks Experience or Wētā Workshop Unleashed, as well as a Triple Combo covering all three attractions.
Is Auckland Sky Tower pushchair-friendly?
Yes, and this was something we particularly appreciated when visiting with Jamie. Having visited viewing platforms in other cities where pushchairs had to be small and foldable, go through security or be left behind altogether, we were pleased to find the Sky Tower much easier in this respect. In Seoul, for example, pushchairs were not permitted at all, which was particularly frustrating when we'd timed our visit around Jamie's nap and were hoping for a peaceful coffee and a look at the views.
Auckland Sky Tower FAQs
Where is Auckland Sky Tower?
Auckland Sky Tower is in the heart of Auckland CBD, on the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets, within the SkyCity complex. It's within easy walking distance of attractions including Aotea Square, making it straightforward to combine with other central Auckland sights.
How much does it cost to visit Auckland Sky Tower?
At the time of writing, Sky Tower admission costs NZ$47 for adults aged 15 and over, NZ$25 for children aged 3-9 and is free for children aged two and under. A family ticket for two adults and up to two children costs NZ$140. Admission includes access to all three observation levels.
Prices and ticket options can change, so it's worth checking the official Sky Tower website before your visit.
Is the Sky Tower safe during an earthquake?
Given that New Zealand is well known for its seismic activity, it’s a reasonable question to ask when you’re standing more than 200 metres above Auckland.
The Sky Tower was designed with earthquakes in mind from the beginning. Its reinforced concrete shaft and foundations were engineered to cope with significant seismic forces, and the tower was designed to remain essentially undamaged in a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurring within around 20 kilometres of the tower.
The tower is also designed to withstand winds of more than 200 km/h. In extreme winds, the top of the concrete shaft can safely sway by around a metre - an impressive amount of movement for something that looks so solid from the ground.
So while being at the top of a 328-metre tower might sound slightly alarming when you start thinking about earthquakes, the Sky Tower was specifically engineered to cope with the forces that come with its height and location.
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