“In looking over TripAdvisor for small half day tours of Auckland, we found Auckland City Tours and it had 12 5-Star reviews. And nothing else. That's almost impossible on TripAdvisor. We read the reviews and they seemed genuine.
We booked the morning tour and weren't disappointed. If anything, the reviews understated how good Michael Silver is at his job. He's charming, funny and extremely informative. He was raised in Auckland, moved to the US (LA) for 15 years and returned to a much changed Auckland. He draws on those insights to make the city come alive.
We've taken a lot of tours in our three weeks of New Zealand and many others elsewhere. His is one of the top two we ever been on. We highly recommend Auckland City Tours.”
“Lives up to its 5-Star rating ... we booked the morning tour and weren't disappointed ...”
“Not your normal city tour ... This tour included all the usual major tourist spots but the descriptions were given with the in-depth knowledge of an Auckland resident and a world of experience ...”
“Found this half day tour advertised in the Rydges hotel magazine - but couldn't initially find it in TripAdvisor. Really glad we chose this one.
This tour included all the usual major tourist spots but the descriptions were given with the in-depth knowledge of an Auckland resident and a world of experience. We also had a few extra stops away from the main routes that provided great photo opportunities. Having a smaller van instead of a large coach meant that we could reach out of the way places not covered by others. This was especially true with the trip up to Mount Eden. There is very little vehicle access to the summit - but Michael has permission to take elderly or infirm people to the top - lucky for us. Otherwise there is a very steep walk from the car park below. The 360 degree view over Auckland is fantastic and would have been worth the tour fee by itself.
Michael spent longer than the advertised 3 hours taking our small group around as he had so much to show and tell.
This is an owner operated tour by someone who is proud of Auckland and is highly recommended.”
“Had a wonderful time with Michael on this tour of Auckland! He is funny and very knowledgeable about Auckland. During the tour he discusses a wide array of topics and by the time you're finished you really get a feeling of the city.
The tour is appropriately paced so that you have enough time to enjoy the stops which are located so that you see the city from different direction and make some awesome photos.
Would highly recommend this tour.
Thanks Michael for taking me around town!”
“Wonderful tour of Auckland ... by the time you're finished you really get a feeling of the city ...”
“Auckland City Tours is a must for a wonderful and entertaining tour of this great city”
“I cannot recommend Michael Silvey and Auckland City Tours enough. We had the pleasure of spending half a day with him in a small group and he is so outgoing and knowledgeable that he tailored the activities with our special interest in mind. He took the time to get to know us and was generous in his knowledge, effort and time to make sure we received the best of Auckland with our limited time in the city. We will go see him every time we visit.”
“We were only in Auckland 24 hours and our hotel recommended Auckland City Tours. We paid a reasonable amount for a 4 hour tour and Michael picked us up in his van about two blocks from the hotel, across from the ferry building. The van was very comfortable, there were eight on our tour and I believe it sat 12. Michael is local, very knowledgeable and entertaining. We left the van feeling we had gotten a good oversight of Auckland in case we ever return. If you are staying a few days, you might want to do this first off then plan to revisit the areas which interested you later in your trip. This is also a great option for Cruise Ship Passengers.”
“If you are only in Auckland a short time this is a great way to get the lay of the land”
“A different kind of tour ... Michael has that great New Zealander attitude and humor that I've grown to appreciate ...”
“I opted to to take this tour since the free walking tour isn't back in season yet ...... and I'm sure glad I did. Michael Silvey was our guide (and is the owner) and has a perfect personality for being a tour guide (no, I'm not getting a kickback). He will take you to places the locals know and love. Yes, you'll go over the Harbour Bridge and by the Auckland Museum, but also places like Ponsonby and the Fish Market (and the places there for great, inexpensive fresh fish meals) and several Victorian neighborhoods. Michael goes into those interesting stories that locals know and that you'll only get in personal tours. The tour lasts about 4 hours and I booked it from the Harbour Information Centre at the Ferry Building (they were offering a special for $99 which included this tour and another one to Davenport). Yes, he'll make convenient restroom breaks (I've been on some that never do). Michael has that great New Zealander attitude and humor that I've grown to appreciate.”
“Michael was our Auckland City tour guide on 13 February 2016, from about 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. He was engaging, informative, and accommodating. I was very pleased with the breadth of overview and felt as though I have a much better understanding about not only the history and topography of Auckland but also
Michael was an excellent tour guide. I would highly recommend him.”
“...I have a much better understanding about not only the history and topography of Auckland but also
“We had a great tour around Auckland today with Michael”
“We had a great tour around Auckland today with Michael. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, professional and patient. We would highly recommend him and the itinerary of the tour, good value for money as well.
Thank you for a good day.”
“Thank you again for an absolutely fabulous tour. You were very informative and we loved your sense of humour. For me this approach makes for a happier tour and also I tend to absorb more information.
I would like to take this time to thank you again for dropping us at our hotel which saved us a long walk home.
I would and will recommend you to anyone visiting Auckland”
“You were very informative and we loved your sense of humour”
“Your guide and explanation were very nice and helpful”
“Thank you very much for taking us to Auckland City tour on December 31, 2015. Your guide and explanation were very nice and helpful.
My wife and I greatly enjoyed the tour.”
“Your tour of Auckland on Boxing Day was outstanding: comprehensive and relaxed. Your local knowledge deepened my feel for the city and gave me access to much more than the usual tourist tracks. Thank you for the thorough itinerary and thoughtful effort.”
Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Leaders, Melbourne, Australia
“Your local knowledge deepened my feel for the city and gave me access to much more than the usual tourist tracks.”
“Michael has so much knowledge and it is delivered with humour. Nothing is too much trouble. I would thoroughly recommend you to take this trip when visiting Auckland”
Facebook: Janet Venn reviewed Auckland City Tours - 5 stars
“Did the afternoon tour with Michael on Saturday 13th February.
The tour is brilliant, such good value for the cost.
Without this tour we wouldn't have had the same impression of Auckland. We saw so many areas of the city.
Michael has so much knowledge and it is delivered with humour. Nothing is too much trouble.
I would thoroughly recommend you to take this trip when visiting Auckland”
Facebook: Gail B Powell reviewed Auckland City Tours - 5 stars
“My husband and I did the tour with Michael of Auckland City Tours, and it was fabulous, we got more than we expected, and he was such a great guy. I would absolutely recommend this tour to everyone.”
“... it was fabulous, we got more than we expected ...”
“You made the trip extremely interesting and your knowledge is phenomenal.”
“Thank you Michael for a great afternoon tour of the city. We were lucky enough to have you as our personal tour guide as there was just Diane and myself on the tour. You made the trip extremely interesting and your knowledge is phenomenal. You never know we may bump into you in Russell at the weekend.”
“I went on a tour round Auckland with Michael at the end of July 2015 and could not recommend him highly enough - had a great time and he was very knowledgeable thanks again for a great tour - much better than hop on hop off ... great memories of Auckland - many thanks”
“... much better than hop on hop off ... great memories of Auckland.”
“Thanks for an amazing tour of Auckland.
You have a wealth of knowledge about the city and a great way of sharing it. You made it interesting and a lot of
“Thanks for an amazing tour of Auckland. You have a wealth of knowledge about the city and a great way of sharing it. You made it interesting and a lot of fun too.
The weather wasn't perfect but it didn't matter and it definitely didn't dampen your spirits. Your attention to detail, ensuring you knew all of our names and where we had come from made everyone feel special.
Thanks also for going out of your way to drop me back to my accommodation, it was not part of the deal as it wasn't that close to the drop off point, but you were happy to do so.
I would highly recommend anyone coming to Auckland to spend a few hours getting to know the city using your tour as I know it will definitely help me finding my way around now.”
“Just wanted to say a big 'Thank You' for the wonderful city tour of Auckland you gave us recently.
Your wealth of information was exceptional and you answered every question we asked. The vehicle was immaculately clean and smart and just the right size to get to those 'special places' that larger coaches would be unable to, hence we were able to experience outstanding views of the city.
Let me know when you are up and running on Trip Advisor as we'd love to post a comment.
Thank you again for making our Auckland visit very special.”
“The vehicle was immaculately clean and smart and just the right size to get to those 'special places' that larger coaches would be unable to, hence we were able to experience outstanding views of the city.”
“This guy is fun, funny, and knows his history! Take his tour as soon as you arrive and it'll help you decide what you want to do next.”
“When you decide to visit Auckland, New Zealand, be sure to look up Michael Silvey of Auckland City Tours. He will give you a fabulous 4 hour tour.
This guy is fun, funny, and knows his history! Take his tour as soon as you arrive and it'll help you decide what you want to do next. Great guy and fabulous guide!”
“Just a quick note to say, thank you to Michael for the excellent tour that I went on Tuesday afternoon. It was full of interesting information and facts, and we got to see parts of Auckland that I would not have thought to go visit. The small bus meant that everyone got to hear the commentary and could chat with and ask questions of Michael whenever we wanted. A great tour and I would thoroughly recommend it.
I've since taken my husband on a comprehensive walk around Wynyard Quarter and the marinas to see some of the areas in more detail. The Jules Taylor wine was pretty good too!”
“The small bus meant that everyone got to hear the commentary and could chat with and ask questions of Michael whenever we wanted. A great tour and I would thoroughly recommend it.”
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