Wellington (New Zealand)
Wellington is New Zealand's capital, a compact harbour city of hills and wind with a national museum on the waterfront, a wildlife sanctuary within minutes of the centre and the film studio behind some of the biggest fantasy movies.
This guide covers Wellington and its surroundings: Te Papa Tongarewa, Zealandia, the Wētā Workshop tour, the Cable Car and Botanic Garden, a Lord of the Rings locations tour, a harbour cruise and the Seal Coast Safari. It also covers Wellington Zoo, a guided e-bike tour, a helicopter flight, food and craft beer tours, and day trips to Kapiti Island, a Martinborough winery, Stonehenge Aotearoa, the Remutaka Rail Trail, Staglands and the Picton ferry. Eight hotels, from luxury addresses on Lambton Quay to a budget base near the station, and six guides explain what to book, when to go and where to stay.
Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand)
New Zealand's national museum on the Wellington waterfront, with Māori and Pacific treasures, natural history, history and the national art collection under one roof. It is open daily, and international visitors aged 16 and over need an entry ticket.
Zealandia Ecosanctuary
A fenced valley of regenerating native forest minutes from central Wellington, where rare birds, tuatara and other wildlife live without introduced predators. A guided daytime tour is the easiest way to spot them.
Wētā Workshop Tour
A behind-the-scenes tour of the Wellington studio that builds props, costumes and creatures for major films. The 90-minute guided tour is one of the city's best-reviewed experiences.
Wellington Cable Car
A short funicular ride from Lambton Quay up to Kelburn, with the best view in the city at the top. It runs every ten minutes, every day except Christmas Day.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
New Zealand's national museum on the Wellington waterfront, with Māori and Pacific treasures, natural history, history and the national art collection under one roof. It is open daily, and international visitors aged 16 and over need an entry ticket.
A fenced valley of regenerating native forest minutes from central Wellington, where rare birds, tuatara and other wildlife live without introduced predators. A guided daytime tour is the easiest way to spot them.
A behind-the-scenes tour of the Wellington studio that builds props, costumes and creatures for major films. The 90-minute guided tour is one of the city's best-reviewed experiences.
A short funicular ride from Lambton Quay up to Kelburn, with the best view in the city at the top. It runs every ten minutes, every day except Christmas Day.
A hillside garden above the city, reached by the Cable Car and open from dawn to dusk. Roses are at their best from November to March, and it makes an easy, free walk back down to Lambton Quay.
A small-group full-day tour of Wellington-region film locations, with a Weta Workshop visit and a hobbit-style lunch. It is the one Lord of the Rings tour to pick if you want the locations as well as the studio.
A predator-free nature reserve off the Kapiti Coast, reached by boat from Paraparaumu Beach, where rare birds live in native forest. A guided day tour is the simplest way to visit.
A half-day small-group winery tour from Wellington to Martinborough in the Wairarapa wine region. It is the one Wairarapa product, well reviewed and easy for people who do not want to drive.
A 3.5-hour 4WD trip along Wellington's rugged south coast to the region's fur seal colony and a leaning lighthouse. It has a 4.9 rating across hundreds of reviews.
A 90-minute commentated cruise on an electric passenger ferry from Queens Wharf. It shows the city, hills and harbour from the water, with a 4.9 rating from past guests.
A city zoo in the suburb of Newtown, a short ride from the centre and open almost every day of the year. The Animals of Aotearoa tour puts the focus on the native species that make New Zealand wildlife so unusual.
A purpose-built henge in the Wairarapa, near Carterton, designed around the southern sky and star lore from several cultures. Guided daytime and sunset tours run about 90 minutes.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Lambton Quay, Wellington CBD
A five-class luxury hotel at 2 Grey Street, a minute from Lambton Quay and two minutes from the Cable Car. It has an indoor pool, a 24-hour gym, two restaurants and a bar.
Check rates →Te Aro, Cable Street
An apartment-style hotel at 90 Cable Street, two minutes from Te Papa, with an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, gym and studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments.
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$$$Te Aro, Cuba Street
A four-class design hotel at 213 Cuba Street, five minutes from Cuba Street Mall. It has a restaurant, a bar and compact rooms in a lively part of Te Aro.
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$$Oriental Parade, Wellington waterfront
A 76-room hotel at 40 Oriental Parade facing the harbour, a five-minute walk from Te Papa. It has a restaurant, a bar and room service at mid-range prices.
Check rates →Featherston Street, Wellington CBD
A budget-friendly central hotel at 153 Featherston Street, six minutes from Wellington Station and two from Lambton Quay. It has a restaurant, a bar and free cribs.
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$$$Pipitea, Featherston Street
A 280-room hotel at 75 Featherston Street with an indoor pool, hot tub and gym, three minutes from Wellington Station and two from Lambton Quay.
Check rates →Bolton Street, central Wellington
A 129-room luxury hotel at 11 Bolton Street, a short walk from Lambton Quay, Parliament and the Botanic Garden, with a grill restaurant and 24-hour room service.
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$$$Lambton Quay and Grey Street
A 107-room hotel at the corner of Lambton Quay and Grey Street, two minutes from the Cable Car, with a restaurant, bar, gym and apartment-style rooms.
Check rates →A practical primer for a first trip to Wellington: what to book ahead, how to get around, how many days to allow and where Te Papa, Zealandia, Wētā Workshop, Kapiti Island and the Wairarapa fit.
Where to stay in Wellington: luxury on Lambton Quay, apartments beside Te Papa, a design hotel on Cuba Street, a waterfront mid-range pick and a budget base near the station.
A three-day Wellington itinerary: the waterfront and Te Papa, the Cable Car and Botanic Garden, Zealandia and Wētā Workshop, then a choice of day trip, with wet-weather swaps and practical tips.
A guide to eating and drinking in Wellington: flat whites and cafe culture, Cuba Street, seafood and local produce, craft beer, Wairarapa pinot noir and how to book a food or beer tour.
When to visit Wellington: what summer, autumn, winter and spring are like, how the wind affects plans, when roses bloom, how Zealandia hours change and what to book in each season.
The best day trips from Wellington: Kapiti Island, Martinborough wine, Stonehenge Aotearoa, the Remutaka Rail Trail, Staglands, the Seal Coast Safari and the ferry to Picton, with logistics for each.
