Route 27 is one of Auckland's most rewarding bus rides — threading through the university quarter, the creative village of Eden Terrace, past the volcanic summit of Maungawhau/Mt Eden and through a string of neighbourhood cafes and restaurants before finishing in the quiet parks of Hillsborough. You could spend a whole Saturday just following this route, getting on and off as you go.
Britomart
Route 27 begins at Britomart on Commerce Street — adjacent to Waitematā Station. The surrounding Britomart precinct is one of the city's best dining and shopping districts, built into the heritage post office building and surrounding laneways. Fort Lane, Galway Street and Takutai Square are lined with excellent restaurants, bars and cafes.
If you're starting your journey here, it's worth knowing that Britomart connects to every Auckland train line (and from late 2026, the City Rail Link), the Downtown Ferry Terminal (5 minutes' walk), and dozens of other bus routes.
University of Auckland
The bus passes through the heart of the University of Auckland campus on Princes Street and Alfred Street — the largest university in New Zealand, with a beautiful heritage section built around the Clock Tower and Old Arts building, and adjacent to Albert Park. The university's General Library on Alfred Street is open to the public. The City Campus stretches across several blocks and includes the excellent Fale Pasifika building, the Waipapa Marae and a cluster of cafes and food spots catering to the student population.
Eden Terrace
Eden Terrace sits between the motorway and the isthmus proper — a neighbourhood of converted warehouses, independent businesses and a quietly growing café scene on New North Road and St Benedicts Street. Kind Stranger (66 New North Road, 4.8 stars) is one of the area's best-loved cafes — a small, sunny weekday spot with excellent coffee and pastries in a genuinely welcoming atmosphere, popular with the film and creative industries nearby. Parable House (45 New North Road, 4.7 stars) is another excellent option, with good specialty coffee and a dog-friendly courtyard. Benedict's (1/30 St Benedicts Street, 4.5 stars) offers a spacious two-floor layout with a great breakfast selection — the mix meat and cabinet treats are consistently good.
Eden Terrace is also home to some of Auckland's best drinking. Galbraith's Alehouse (2 Mt Eden Road, 4.4 stars) is a classic English-style gastropub brewing on-site — real ales, open fires in winter, a lovely beer garden with herb plantings, and a Sunday roast worth booking ahead for. Schapiro's (224 Symonds Street, 4.6 stars) is an American-style sports bar with the best burgers in the neighbourhood — the BLT cheeseburger and prawn cocktail burger are consistently praised, chips dusted in paprika, multiple screens for sport. Small Gods Taproom (2 Shaddock St, 4.7 stars) is a craft beer taproom with 10 rotating taps — a low-key, laid-back spot to while away an afternoon sampling whatever's on. Thu–Sat from midday. Brothers Beer (5 Akiraho St, Mt Eden, 4.1 stars) is a relaxed brewery taproom with old couches, pinball machines, a beer garden and live music — rustic and welcoming, with food worth staying for.
Maungawhau Station
From late 2026, Maungawhau Station (previously Mt Eden Station) opens as a key interchange on the City Rail Link — significantly upgraded with four platforms and connections to the new East-West and Onehunga-West lines. The Route 27 bus stop on Mount Eden Road gives easy access to the station. This is also a key interchange — Routes 25B and 25L run down Dominion Road every 5–10 minutes, connecting to the excellent dining strip that stretches south from here.
Maungawhau / Mt Eden (Maunga)
Maungawhau / Te Ahi-kā-a-Rakataura (Mount Eden) is Auckland's highest volcanic cone and one of the most sacred sites in the region — a place of immense spiritual significance to Māori. The summit rises 196 metres above sea level and offers 360-degree views across both harbours, the city, the Waitākere Ranges. The volcanic crater at the top is a grassy bowl around 50 metres deep — extraordinary to stand beside. Vehicles are no longer permitted on the summit road — get off the bus and walk up from Mount Eden Road.
The walk from the bus stop to the summit takes around 20–25 minutes at a comfortable pace.The maunga is managed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority — please stay on the formed paths, do not enter the crater, and treat the site with the respect it deserves.
Mt Eden Village
Mt Eden village clusters around the shops on Mount Eden Road south of Maungawhau — a lively neighbourhood strip with excellent cafes and restaurants. Altar (465 Mt Eden Road, 4.5 stars) is a beautiful café in a freestanding house with a garden and serene atmosphere — excellent eggs benedict, matcha latte and pork belly pasta, open 7 days from 7am. Jono's (447A Mt Eden Road, 4.3 stars) has legendary fish and chips and a standout eggs benedict with mushroom — a well-loved neighbourhood institution open 7 days from 7:30am. The Garden Shed (470 Mt Eden Road, 4.4 stars) is a large, beautifully designed garden restaurant for lunch and dinner — potato rosti, salmon, steak and a sticky date pudding worth saving room for, with weekend brunch from 9am.
Mount Eden Road — Balmoral
The 2km stretch of Mt Eden Road south of the village is dotted with little neighbourhood shops and some great cafes and restaurants worth hopping off for. Isabella's Mt Eden (551 Mt Eden Road, 4.9 stars) is a neighbourhood gem open 7 days — standout coffee, the famous mince on toast, fresh croissants and a warm local vibe. Tupu'anga Coffee (597 Mt Eden Road, 4.6 stars) is a community-driven café from a Tongan-owned family business with outstanding big breakfasts, fluffy pancakes and a Liu Sipi pie you'll want to take home. Mr Zhou's Dumplings (839 Mt Eden Road, 4.3 stars) is a popular BYO Chinese restaurant with excellent steamed dumplings, crispy fried pork with sweet and sour sauce, and a great-value lunch — open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:30am.
Three Kings
Three Kings is a quiet suburban hub where Mount Eden Road meets Mount Albert Road and Carr Road. The area has some excellent cafes and one of Auckland's longest-running yum cha destinations. Mrs Bun (540D Mt Albert Road, 4.7 stars) is a much-loved Chinese bun and dumpling spot — handmade buns, dumplings, spring rolls and a hunger box deal that represents extraordinary value. The free egg drop soup is a lovely touch. Open daily from 10am. Then there's Kreem Café (4 Carr Road, 4.5 stars) is a sprawling, hugely popular café with one of the largest cabinet displays in Auckland — massive range of donuts, cabinet food, eggs Benedict with fried chicken and extraordinary variety, halal-friendly and open from 6am daily. Just Like Martha (985 Mt Eden Road, 4.6 stars) is a much-loved bistro café a short walk away, consistently praised for French toast, fish burgers, sausage rolls and an atmosphere that feels genuinely homely.
For something more substantial at dinner, Lucky Fortune (532 Mt Albert Road, 4.1 stars) is Three Kings' long-standing Chinese restaurant in the Three Kings Mall, excellent for yum cha on weekends — trolleys, dim sum in bamboo steamers and the kind of buzzy, communal atmosphere that makes it feel like a proper feast. The surrounding Three Kings area has supermarkets, a library and good bus connections onward to New Lynn and the west.
Waikōwhai Park
Waikōwhai Park (8 Waikowhai Road, Hillsborough, 4.4 stars) is the quietly spectacular finale to the Route 27H and 27W journeys — both branches terminate here — a large native bush reserve and parkland perched on the Hillsborough ridge above the Manukau Harbour. The park has native bush walks, magnificent pōhutukawa trees, picnic tables with harbour views, a great playground with flying fox, and an outlook that stretches south across the Manukau to the Hunua Ranges. It's the kind of place locals know well and visitors almost never find. "Beautiful parkland, native bush walks and views south over the Manukau Harbour. Perfect for a picnic." Kereru, tūī and other native birds are regular visitors.
The park is free and open 24 hours. It's also worth knowing that the Manukau Harbour is just 1km downhill from the park — a pleasant walk down to the waterfront. Allow a couple of hours for the bush walk and the views — it's one of Auckland's genuine hidden gems, reachable for just a bus fare.
Fares
An end-to-end trip on Route 27 crosses two fare zones, so costs $4.90 for an adult or $2.90 for children (AT HOP or contactless). Free transfers are available if you board another bus or train within 30 minutes of alighting — useful if you're combining the 27 with a Dominion Road bus or a train connection.
The fare zone boundary runs through Mt Eden village — so if you're only travelling north of here (Britomart to Mt Eden village) or south of here (Mt Eden village to Three Kings or Waikōwhai), each trip will only cost $3.00 for an adult. Hop on, hop off without worrying too much about the fare.
🚌 Using this guide: Route 27 runs frequently — get on anywhere along the route with AT HOP or contactless, and get off when something catches your eye. You can re-board any 27 heading in the right direction. The full journey from Britomart to Hillsborough takes approximately 35 minutes. Plan your trip at at.govt.nz →