Things to do · Wellington · New Zealand
18 best things to do in Wellington
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Wellington are Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Cable Car and Wellington Botanic Garden. Of the 18 picks below, 9 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 8 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Te Papa Tongarewa
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Te Papa Tongarewa
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Te Papa Tongarewa | Te Aro | 3–4 hours | Free |
| Wellington Cable Car | Lambton Quay and CBD | 1 hour with the lookout | Low cost |
| Wellington Botanic Garden | Kelburn | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Space Place at Carter Observatory | Kelburn | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne | Karori | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Mount Victoria Lookout | Mount Victoria | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Wētā Cave and Wētā Workshop tours | Miramar | 1.5 hours with a tour | Mid-priced |
| Parliament and the Beehive | Lambton Quay and CBD | 1 hour | Free |
| Waterfront walk to Oriental Bay | Oriental Bay | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Cuba Street | Te Aro | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Wellington Museum | Lambton Quay and CBD | 1 hour | Free |
| City Gallery Wellington | Te Aro | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Wellington Zoo | Newtown | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Red Rocks coastal walk | South coast | 2–3 hours return | Free |
| Matiu/Somes Island | Wellington Harbour | Half a day | Low cost |
| Old St Paul's | Thorndon | 30 minutes | Free |
| Harbourside Market | Te Aro | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Katherine Mansfield House and Garden | Thorndon | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 18 best things to do
Museum · Te Aro
1.Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand, opened in 1998 on the waterfront, covers Māori and Pacific culture, the country's history, natural history, earthquakes and New Zealand art across six floors. It includes Rongomaraeroa, a contemporary marae, and the general collection is free to enter.
Pick two or three floors rather than trying to see everything; the Māori and nature exhibitions are good starting points.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- History
- Art
Experience · Lambton Quay and CBD
2.Wellington Cable Car
Running since 1902, the red funicular climbs about 120 metres from Lambton Quay to Kelburn in roughly five minutes, ending at a lookout over the city and harbour. A small free museum at the top tells the line's history and displays an original car.
Ride up and walk back down through the Botanic Garden to Thorndon or the CBD.
- Time needed
- 1 hour with the lookout
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- History
Garden · Kelburn
3.Wellington Botanic Garden
Spread over a hillside between Kelburn and Thorndon, the garden combines native forest, exotic trees, playgrounds and the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, which blooms from about November to April. Paths zigzag down from the cable car station with views over the city.
Visit the rose garden in summer, then continue down to Bolton Street Cemetery and Thorndon.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
Museum · Kelburn
4.Space Place at Carter Observatory
Next to the top of the Cable Car in the Botanic Garden, this small observatory and planetarium has full-dome shows on the southern sky, interactive exhibits and a historic telescope used for evening viewing sessions when the sky is clear.
Go on a clear evening to look through the telescope as well as seeing a planetarium show.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- After dark
Nature · Karori
5.Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne
A predator-proof fence encloses a 225-hectare forested valley around old reservoirs, where native species including takahē, kākā, tīeke (saddleback), hihi and tuatara live largely free from introduced predators. Walking tracks lead through regenerating forest, and guided night tours look for little spotted kiwi and glowworms.
Book a guided night tour for the best chance of seeing kiwi; daytime visitors should go early when the birds are most active.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Night tours are small and sell out; book ahead.
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- After dark
Viewpoint · Mount Victoria
6.Mount Victoria Lookout
The summit lookout, about 196 metres above the harbour, gives a 360-degree view over the city, harbour, airport and Cook Strait. The forested town belt below was a filming location for the hobbits' hiding scene in The Lord of the Rings.
Walk up through the town belt trails from Courtenay Place or Oriental Bay; sunset is the best time.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Couples
Experience · Miramar
7.Wētā Cave and Wētā Workshop tours
In the film suburb of Miramar, the Wētā Workshop's visitor centre has a free mini-museum and shop of props, models and collectibles, while paid guided tours show how the company makes creatures, weapons and costumes for films including The Lord of the Rings.
Book a workshop tour if you are interested in film-making; the free Wētā Cave alone takes only about 20 minutes.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours with a tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Workshop tours run at set times and fill up; book online.
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Art
Architecture · Lambton Quay and CBD
8.Parliament and the Beehive
New Zealand's Parliament buildings include the Edwardian Parliament House, the Gothic Parliamentary Library and the circular Beehive, the executive wing designed by Basil Spence and completed in the late 1970s. Free guided tours start from the visitor centre.
Join a free guided tour; when the House is sitting you can also watch debates from the public gallery.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Oriental Bay
1.Waterfront walk to Oriental Bay
A promenade runs about 2 km from Queens Wharf past Frank Kitts Park, the Wellington Writers Walk plaques and Te Papa to Oriental Bay's sandy city beach and diving platform. On calm days locals swim, kayak and jump off the wharves.
Walk it on a calm evening and stop for ice cream or fish and chips at Oriental Bay.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
- Views
Street · Te Aro
2.Cuba Street
Wellington's best-known street is a pedestrian strip of cafés, bars, vintage clothing and record shops, street performers and the swinging Bucket Fountain. It is the centre of the city's alternative culture and the setting for the CubaDupa street festival.
Explore the side streets too; Left Bank Arcade and the lanes off Ghuznee Street hide small cafés and shops.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- After dark
Museum · Lambton Quay and CBD
3.Wellington Museum
Housed in the 1892 Bond Store on Queens Wharf, this museum tells the city's story through its harbour, maritime trade, Māori settlement and the 1968 Wahine ferry disaster. Entry is free.
Combine it with a ferry trip from Queens Wharf to Matiu/Somes Island or Days Bay.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · Te Aro
4.City Gallery Wellington
On Civic Square, the city's public art gallery shows changing exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand and international art in a converted 1940s library building. Some exhibitions are free; major shows may charge.
Cross the City to Sea Bridge from Civic Square afterwards to reach the waterfront.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
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Zoo · Newtown
5.Wellington Zoo
New Zealand's oldest zoo, founded in 1906 in the suburb of Newtown, keeps native kiwi and kea alongside red pandas, lions and chimpanzees, and has a veterinary hospital where visitors can watch treatments through a window.
Check the daily talk and feeding schedule at the entrance.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Nature · South coast
6.Red Rocks coastal walk
From Owhiro Bay on the rugged south coast, a gravel track follows the shore to Red Rocks, outcrops of pillow lava coloured red by iron oxide. Further on, fur seals haul out at Sinclair Head, mainly in the cooler months.
Walk at low tide, keep at least 20 metres from seals and check the wind forecast first.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours return
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Active
Island · Wellington Harbour
7.Matiu/Somes Island
A short ferry ride across the harbour, this predator-free island reserve is home to tuatara, wētā, giant skinks and native birds. Walking tracks pass former quarantine and wartime internment buildings and give views back to the city.
Take a picnic and allow at least two hours; check the ferry timetable, as sailings are limited.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- History
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Thorndon
8.Old St Paul's
Built in 1866 from native timbers, this Gothic Revival church has a dark, beautifully crafted wooden interior and stained-glass windows. No longer a parish church, it is used for concerts and weddings and is open to visitors.
Combine it with Parliament and Thorndon's historic streets on a walking loop.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Market · Te Aro
9.Harbourside Market
Every Sunday morning, stalls beside Te Papa sell fruit and vegetables at low prices alongside bread, coffee and food trucks. It is Wellington's main fresh-produce market and a long-standing weekend ritual.
Arrive early for the best produce and a coffee before the crowds.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Outdoors
Historic site · Thorndon
10.Katherine Mansfield House and Garden
The writer Katherine Mansfield was born in this wooden house on Tinakori Road in 1888. Restored rooms and a Victorian garden recreate her childhood home, with exhibitions on her life and short stories.
Read one of her Wellington stories, such as 'The Garden Party', before you go.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Te Papa Tongarewa, Space Place at Carter Observatory, Wētā Cave and Wētā Workshop tours and Wellington Museum |
| History | Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Cable Car, Parliament and the Beehive and Wellington Museum |
| Views | Wellington Cable Car, Mount Victoria Lookout and Waterfront walk to Oriental Bay |
| Outdoors and nature | Wellington Botanic Garden, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, Mount Victoria Lookout and Waterfront walk to Oriental Bay |
| Food and markets | Cuba Street and Harbourside Market |
| After dark | Space Place at Carter Observatory, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and Cuba Street |
| With children | Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Cable Car, Wellington Botanic Garden and Space Place at Carter Observatory |
| On a rainy day | Te Papa Tongarewa, Space Place at Carter Observatory, Wētā Cave and Wētā Workshop tours and Parliament and the Beehive |
What to book ahead
- Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne: Night tours are small and sell out; book ahead.
- Wētā Cave and Wētā Workshop tours: Workshop tours run at set times and fill up; book online.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Wellington?
Te Papa Tongarewa. The Museum of New Zealand, opened in 1998 on the waterfront, covers Māori and Pacific culture, the country's history, natural history, earthquakes and New Zealand art across six floors.
+What can you do for free in Wellington?
Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington Botanic Garden, Mount Victoria Lookout, Parliament and the Beehive and Waterfront walk to Oriental Bay. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Wellington when it rains?
Head indoors to Te Papa Tongarewa, Space Place at Carter Observatory, Wētā Cave and Wētā Workshop tours and Parliament and the Beehive.
+What is there to do in Wellington at night?
Space Place at Carter Observatory, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne and Cuba Street are best after dark.