The best way to discover Auckland, New Zealand is on a walking tour - here's why

"It's a squid, honestly," I write on my Instagram stories as I post a photo of me holding a chocolate waffle choc top cone bigger than my head.

You see, it looks a LITTLE bit rude.

But it's in fact a Colossal Squid gelato cone from local maker Giapo, and I am trying to figure out how to eat it.

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At almost $AUD34 it's a big outlay, but it is also large enough to feed a family of six.

The café, which makes up to 12 flavours including iconic Kiwi fayre Hokey Pokey daily, is the first stop on my walking tour of Auckland, New Zealand.

As well as the squid you can get other mammoth cones like a recreation of the city's Sky Tower.

The singer Cher loved the place so much when in town for a concert she started a spin-off in LA.

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Anyway, I'll admit, whenever I see 'walking tour' on my itinerary, I am a little worried.

Because they conjure up images of chattering tourists with hiking poles and guides with headsets reeling off yawnsome history lessons.

Luckily, none of the two I join are anything like that.

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Best walking tours in Auckland

The first walking tour on the schedule is Hello Auckland by the cannily titled Aucky Walky.

Liz Lyons takes a maximum of eight people on various walks she has been running for nine years after giving up corporate life.

After lapping up the sweet gelato and ice cream (also try the kūmara - sweet potato - flavour) cream at Giapo with friendly owner Gianpaolo we embark on the next destination.

Liz says the aim of her tours is to help people find their feet in the city.

And the next spot is just seconds away: Britomart.

"It was a bit dodgy," she explains, saying the area used to be the city's bus terminal.

But with a Tiffany and Co as well as New Zealand brands like Deadly Ponies and Alchemy Equipment taking over the restored buildings, it's far from that now.

It even has a weekend farmer's market and food trucks on a Wednesday.

Liz explains how all this land is reclaimed from the sea, and Māori settled here in the 14th century.

A couple more minutes' stroll, past hip bakeries and cool bars and the Maunga (mountain) mural, we're at Waitematā Harbour.

Liz points out where to get the ferry to popular tourist destinations like Devonport, Waiheke Island, and Rangitoto the 'newest' volcano around here.

One of 48 volcanoes in the area as it only emerged 600 years ago.

But they're all trips to do on another day.

We follow Liz off the main shopping hub, Queen Street, past secret bars (The Nightcar) acclaimed food spots (Vie Coffee & Vietnamese Street Food) and coffee stops (Altezano Brothers coffee in Snickel Lane).

The alleyways will remind travellers of Melbourne (though cars drive down many of them so watch out).

Our next stop is to see Matt Damon lookalike ("I get it all the time") Byron at Cocoa Wilds.

It's a chocolate shop he opened after visiting Italy to learn how to craft the delicacies.

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He tells us they're inspired by the "nostalgic taste of Cadbury's Roses."

But they're far tastier than anything you'd find in one of those tins, in my opinion.

And if all that indulgence has made you thirsty, Liz knows a spot.

She shows us O'Connell Street - named after Dublin's - which is home to her recommended pubs.

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Then it's time for a look at leafy Albert Park where you can get a good view of the famous Sky Tower.

We also wander down Lorne Street, where you'll find budget-friendly Asian cheap eats as well the Auckland Women's Suffrage memorial - this was the first country in the world to give the right to vote to women.

The final destination is a welcome sit down at in Mediterranean pub, Mezze bar, which was set up by a Kiwi with a nod to Türkiye.

While we've only covered a handful of city blocks, Liz has revealed spots we'd never have likely seen otherwise - and we can't wait to return again.

Food tours of Auckland

Elle Armon-Jones might be originally from the UK, but she's well qualified to show visitors Auckland's best dining places

"It was through the food I fell in love with the country," she tells us.

She runs The Big Foodie Food Tours, which guides visitors around the city via their stomachs.

It's our second tour of the visit.

And we join her at the first stop, clothing shop Rodd and Gunn which has tucked restaurant The Lodge inside.

We sip Dog Point Sav Blanc as we snack on meat pies and fish and chips transformed into canape form.

But there's no time to linger as we have to head off to what Elle tells us is her favourite restaurant in the city.

It's hip New Zealand restaurant Culprit Dining Room and Bar which has a sister bar, Little Culprit over the road.

Indeed, the smoked fish croquettes and Sashimi de Atuin paired with shitake milk buns alone would be worth a return trip.

Then it's into a short drive uphill to trendy street, Karangahape Road AKA K-Road.

After tearing ourselves away from the thrift shops, we descend some stairs to discover dimly lit Bar Magda.

There, Carlo Buenaventura concocts food inspired by his childhood in the south of the Philippines.

"Go to Sydney, go to the US. You won't find this type of food anywhere else," he says.

The barbecue asparagus is indeed like nothing we've ever tasted, while meat eaters in our group rave about the pork terrine.

We wash it all down with punch-packing Devil's Medicine cocktail before our next stop.

It's in the upmarket Ponsonby Road (fashion fans listen up, this is your place).

The chocolate and brandy mousse at San Ray is a lip-smacking finish to the tour, before we roll ourselves back down the hill to the city, bellies groaning.

The writer travelled to Auckland as a guest of Accor.

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