Where to stay · Wellington · New Zealand
Where to stay in Wellington
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Tony Wills, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Te Aro. Cuba Street cafés, Courtenay Place bars and Te Papa on the waterfront. Best alternatives — families: Lambton Quay and CBD; budget: Mount Victoria.
Key facts
- First visit
- Te Aro
- Families
- Lambton Quay and CBD
- Budget
- Mount Victoria
- Nightlife
- Te Aro
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Te Aro | Cuba Street cafés, Courtenay Place bars and Te Papa on the waterfront |
| Families | Lambton Quay and CBD | The main shopping street, government buildings and the cable car terminal |
| Couples | Thorndon | Wooden villas, embassies and Wellington's oldest streets |
| Budget | Mount Victoria | Steep streets of wooden houses above Courtenay Place |
| Luxury | Oriental Bay | Art deco apartments and a city beach on the harbour |
| Nightlife | Te Aro | Cuba Street cafés, Courtenay Place bars and Te Papa on the waterfront |
| Food lovers | Te Aro | Cuba Street cafés, Courtenay Place bars and Te Papa on the waterfront |
| Solo travellers | Te Aro | Cuba Street cafés, Courtenay Place bars and Te Papa on the waterfront |
| Shopping | Lambton Quay and CBD | The main shopping street, government buildings and the cable car terminal |
| Quiet stays | Thorndon | Wooden villas, embassies and Wellington's oldest streets |
| Beach | Oriental Bay | Art deco apartments and a city beach on the harbour |
Wellington neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
Te Aro
Te Aro is the creative and nightlife quarter, taking in pedestrianised Cuba Street with its vintage shops and Bucket Fountain, the bars and theatres of Courtenay Place and the lanes in between. Te Papa and the waterfront are at its northern edge, and many mid-range hotels and apartments are here.
- Good
- Walk to Te Papa and the waterfront; Best food and bar choice; Lively evenings
- Watch out
- Noisy on weekend nights around Courtenay Place; Some rooms face busy streets
- Nearby
- Cuba Street, Courtenay Place, Te Papa, Waterfront
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and shopping
Lambton Quay and CBD
Lambton Quay runs through the business district from Parliament to the waterfront, with department stores, offices and the lower terminal of the Cable Car. Business hotels here are convenient for the railway station, Queens Wharf ferries and the Wellington Museum, and quieter at night than Te Aro.
- Good
- Close to the station and ferries; Quiet at night; Easy access to the cable car
- Watch out
- Office-district feel at weekends; Fewer evening restaurants
- Nearby
- Wellington Cable Car, Parliament and the Beehive, Wellington Museum, Queens Wharf
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and culture
Thorndon
North of Parliament, Thorndon is one of the city's oldest suburbs, with Victorian wooden houses on Tinakori Road, Old St Paul's, the Katherine Mansfield House and a handful of cafés and boutique stays. It is a short walk from the railway station and the Botanic Garden.
- Good
- Historic, quiet streets; Walk to the station and Parliament; Close to the Botanic Garden
- Watch out
- Limited accommodation; Steep walks up from the CBD
- Nearby
- Old St Paul's, Katherine Mansfield House, Botanic Garden, Parliament
$$$$ · Best for couples, beach, families and luxury
Oriental Bay
East of the centre along the harbour, Oriental Bay has a sandy city beach, a promenade, a diving platform, the Carter Fountain and art deco apartment buildings climbing the slopes of Mount Victoria. Serviced apartments and a few hotels here give harbour views within a 15-minute waterfront walk of Te Papa.
- Good
- Harbour views and a city beach; Waterfront walk to the centre; Calm in the evenings
- Watch out
- Expensive; Exposed to the wind
- Nearby
- Oriental Bay beach, Mount Victoria, Te Papa
$$ · Best for budget, couples and solo travellers
Mount Victoria
Mount Victoria rises directly behind Courtenay Place, with colourful wooden houses on steep lanes, guesthouses and a town belt of forest trails leading to the lookout. It is a short downhill walk to restaurants and bars, and a steep climb back.
- Good
- Character and views; Close to nightlife; Forest walks on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Very steep streets; Little parking
- Nearby
- Mount Victoria Lookout, Courtenay Place, Oriental Bay
$$ · Best for quiet stays, families and budget
Kelburn
At the top of the Cable Car, Kelburn has the Botanic Garden, the Space Place observatory and the main campus of Victoria University. It is a leafy, quiet base with views over the harbour, connected to the CBD by the cable car in about five minutes.
- Good
- Quiet and green; Cable car to the centre; Views over the city
- Watch out
- Few restaurants; Uphill walk home without the cable car
- Nearby
- Botanic Garden, Space Place, Wellington Cable Car
$$ · Best for budget, families and quiet stays
Petone
Across the harbour at the mouth of the Hutt Valley, Petone has a long, flat beach and Jackson Street, lined with heritage shopfronts, cafés, vintage shops and pubs. Trains reach central Wellington in about 15 minutes, making it a good-value, relaxed base.
- Good
- Lower prices; Beach walks; Quick train to the city
- Watch out
- Outside the city centre; Fewer sights within walking distance
- Nearby
- Petone Beach, Jackson Street, Days Bay ferry
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Te Aro | $$$ | Cuba Street, Courtenay Place, Te Papa, Waterfront |
| Lambton Quay and CBD | $$$ | Wellington Cable Car, Parliament and the Beehive, Wellington Museum, Queens Wharf |
| Thorndon | $$$ | Old St Paul's, Katherine Mansfield House, Botanic Garden, Parliament |
| Oriental Bay | $$$$ | Oriental Bay beach, Mount Victoria, Te Papa |
| Mount Victoria | $$ | Mount Victoria Lookout, Courtenay Place, Oriental Bay |
| Kelburn | $$ | Botanic Garden, Space Place, Wellington Cable Car |
| Petone | $$ | Petone Beach, Jackson Street, Days Bay ferry |
Getting to your hotel
Wellington Airport is in Rongotai, about 8 km south-east of the centre. The Metlink Airport Express bus runs to the railway station via Courtenay Place and Lambton Quay in about 20–30 minutes, and a taxi takes about 15–20 minutes.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Wellington for first-time visitors?
Te Aro. Te Aro is the creative and nightlife quarter, taking in pedestrianised Cuba Street with its vintage shops and Bucket Fountain, the bars and theatres of Courtenay Place and the lanes in between.
+Where should families stay in Wellington?
Lambton Quay and CBD: Close to the station and ferries.
+Which area of Wellington is best for a budget stay?
Mount Victoria ($$): Steep streets of wooden houses above Courtenay Place.