New Zealand · North Island
Wellington
A walkable harbour capital where Te Papa, the cable car and the country's best coffee sit within a few blocks.
New Zealand's capital sits on the southern tip of the North Island, a compact city of timber houses stacked up green hills around a deep harbour, facing Cook Strait. It is small enough to walk, with Te Papa, the national museum, on the waterfront and a cable car climbing to the Botanic Garden. The city punches well above its size for coffee, craft beer and the arts, and it is the home of the film studios behind the Lord of the Rings. The wind is famous, and part of the character.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
English, Māori
Currency
NZD
Timezone
NZST (UTC+13)
Why you'll love Wellington
Te Papa The national museum on the waterfront tells the country's story, from Maori taonga to the giant squid, with the Treaty story at its heart
Compact city The harbour, the museum, Parliament and the best streets for eating are all within an easy walk of each other
Wildlife in town A fenced valley sanctuary minutes from the centre is loud with kaka, tui and takahe, and fur seals haul out on the south coast
Cafes and bars A serious coffee culture and a deep craft beer scene fill the lanes around Cuba Street and Courtenay Place
Best time to visit
Sep-May
14-21° days
41.289° S, 174.777° E
UTC+13 · Pacific/Auckland
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Weather & when to go to Wellington
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Sep-May
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Wellington
No month to avoid outright. Winter, roughly Jun-Aug, is cooler, wetter and greyer, though the museums, cafes and bars make it an easy city season. The wind is the real quirk year-round: gales funnelling through Cook Strait can make the waterfront hard work and sometimes cancel ferry sailings or bump flights.
Top things to do in Wellington
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Te Papa Tongarewa - the national museum
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedThe big waterfront museum covers Maori and Pacific taonga, including a carved marae, the country's natural history, an earthquake house and a colossal squid, plus the national art collection. Allow at least half a day; it is easy to return.
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Wellington Cable Car - up to Kelburn and the Botanic Garden
scenic history 👍 PopularThe red cable car climbs from Lambton Quay to a lookout over the city and harbour at Kelburn, with a small museum at the top. Walk back down through the Botanic Garden and its rose garden to Thorndon and the city.
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Zealandia Te Mara a Tane - the fenced ecosanctuary
nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedA predator-proof fence encloses a whole valley in the hills above the city, where native forest has been restored and rare birds reintroduced. Look for takahe, kaka, hihi and tuatara by day; guided night tours go looking for little spotted kiwi.
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Mount Victoria / Matairangi - the city lookout
scenic 👍 PopularWalk or drive up the town belt hill above Oriental Bay for a view across the city, harbour, airport and hills. The pine-covered slopes below were used as a Lord of the Rings filming location, and the lookout is best near sunset.
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Weta Cave and Workshop - Miramar film tour
culture arts 👍 PopularIn the suburb of Miramar, the effects and props company behind the Lord of the Rings films runs guided workshop tours showing how creatures, armour and miniatures are made, with a small free-to-browse shop and gallery.
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Parliament and the Beehive - tour the seat of government
history culture artsThe round Beehive executive wing, the Edwardian Parliament House and the Gothic Parliamentary Library sit together at the top of Lambton Quay. Guided tours run most days and take you inside the debating chamber.
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Waterfront and Oriental Bay - walk the harbour edge
scenicA promenade runs from the railway station past Queens Wharf, Te Papa and the diving platform to the sandy beach at Oriental Bay. It is the city's favourite walk, run and swim on a calm day.
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Red Rocks - the south coast seal walk
nature wildlife scenicFrom Owhiro Bay a rough coastal track follows the wild south coast to the red volcanic rocks and a haul-out of New Zealand fur seals, mostly seen in the cooler months. On a clear day the South Island mountains show across the strait.
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Cuba Street - coffee, craft beer and small kitchens
food nightlife musicThe bohemian spine of Te Aro, with its Bucket Fountain, second-hand shops and dense run of cafes, taprooms and cheap eats. Wellington takes its flat whites seriously, and the craft beer bars around Cuba and Courtenay Place are among the country's best.
Best areas to stay in Wellington
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Te Aro and Cuba Street
First-time visitors $$Bohemian heart of cafes and bars
Explore hotels in Te Aro and Cuba Street →
Lambton Quay and the CBD
Short stays $$Office towers, shopping and the cable car
Explore hotels in Lambton Quay and the CBD →
Oriental Bay
Couples $$$Harbourside promenade and city beach
Explore hotels in Oriental Bay →
Thorndon
History lovers $$Historic wooden cottages near Parliament
Explore hotels in Thorndon →
Mount Victoria
Longer stays $$Steep villa suburb below the lookout
Explore hotels in Mount Victoria →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Wellington
Getting to & around Wellington
Getting there
Fly into Wellington Airport (WLG), a few kilometres south-east of the centre, or arrive by ferry from Picton or train from Auckland
Flight
Wellington Airport (WLG)
The Airport Express bus runs through Courtenay Place and Lambton Quay to the railway station in around 30 minutes; taxis and ride-hailing take 15-20 minutes. Landings can be famously bumpy in a strong northerly.
Ferry
Interislander and Bluebridge terminals
Car and passenger ferries cross Cook Strait from Picton in around 3.5 hours, through the Marlborough Sounds
Train
Wellington Railway Station
The Northern Explorer scenic train runs the length of the North Island from Auckland
Coach
Wellington Railway Station
Intercity coaches link Wellington with Palmerston North, Napier, Taupo, Rotorua and Auckland
Cruise
Aotea Quay
Cruise ships berth on the harbour, with shuttles or a walk into the centre
Getting around
Walking
The flat waterfront and central city are easy on foot; the suburbs climb steeply up the hills behind
Free
Bus
Metlink buses cover the suburbs, Miramar, the south coast and Zealandia's shuttle stops
TBC
Cable car
Runs every few minutes from Lambton Quay up to Kelburn and the Botanic Garden
TBC
Train
Suburban lines from the railway station serve the Hutt Valley, Johnsonville, the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa
TBC
Harbour ferry
Crosses from Queens Wharf to Days Bay, stopping at Matiu/Somes Island
TBC
Day trips from Wellington
Martinborough and the Wairarapa
Full dayWine country
A small village square ringed by vineyards known for pinot noir, many of them within cycling distance of each other. Tastings, long lunches and bike hire make an easy day; many people stay the night.
Getting there
car | train | tour
About 1-1.5 hours by car over the Remutaka hill, or by train to Featherston and a shuttle or wine tour
Kapiti Island
Full dayBird sanctuary island
One of the country's oldest predator-free island reserves, with forest tracks full of kaka, takahe, weka and tieke. Visitor numbers are limited, so book the crossing ahead; overnight stays offer a chance of wild kiwi.
Getting there
car | train | tour
About an hour north by car or train to Paraparaumu, then a short boat crossing with a licensed operator
Cape Palliser and the Putangirua Pinnacles
Full dayWild southern coast
Eroded rock spires used as a Lord of the Rings location, a fishing village where bulldozers haul boats up the beach, a big fur seal colony and a striped lighthouse at the top of a long stairway.
Getting there
car
About 2 hours by car south-east through the Wairarapa
Matiu/Somes Island
Half dayHarbour island reserve
A predator-free island in the middle of the harbour, once a quarantine station and wartime internment camp, with short walks, native birds, tuatara and views back to the city. Combine it with lunch at Days Bay.
Getting there
ferry
About 20 minutes by harbour ferry from Queens Wharf
A little history of Wellington
Maori know the harbour as Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the great harbour of Tara, and tradition credits its discovery to the navigator Kupe. By the early 19th century Te Atiawa and other Taranaki iwi held its shores, with pa and gardens around the harbour.
The New Zealand Company landed its first settlers at Petone in 1840, naming the settlement Port Nicholson before it became Wellington, after the Duke. The 1855 earthquake lifted the shoreline, and the land it raised became part of today's flat city centre. In 1865 the capital moved here from Auckland, chosen for its central position on Cook Strait. Since then the city has grown as a government town that turned into the country's cultural capital, home to the national museum, orchestra and ballet and a film industry that put it on screen worldwide.
New Zealand Company settlers land at Petone and found the Port Nicholson settlement
A major earthquake lifts the harbour shoreline, creating land for the future city centre
The seat of government moves from Auckland to Wellington
The Wellington Cable Car opens between Lambton Quay and Kelburn
The inter-island ferry Wahine founders at the harbour entrance in a storm
Te Papa Tongarewa opens on the waterfront
The Return of the King holds its world premiere in Wellington
Know before you go
Payment
Cards everywhere
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type I
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+64
Mobile network & SIM card
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FAQs about Wellington
▸ When is the best time to visit Wellington?
Sep-May is the best stretch, with late summer, Jan-Mar, usually the warmest and most settled for the waterfront, the south coast and the islands. Winter, Jun-Aug, is cooler and wetter, better suited to museums, cafes and bars.
▸ Is Wellington really that windy?
Yes. The city sits in a gap where winds funnel through Cook Strait, and gusty days are common in every season. Pack a windproof layer, expect some bumpy landings, and allow slack if you are taking the ferry, as rough seas occasionally cancel sailings.
▸ Do I need a car in Wellington?
Not in the city: the centre is compact and walkable, and buses, trains, the cable car and harbour ferry cover the rest. A car helps for the Wairarapa, Cape Palliser and the wilder parts of the south coast.
▸ How do I get from Wellington to the South Island?
Take the Cook Strait ferry to Picton, a scenic crossing through the Marlborough Sounds that carries cars and foot passengers. Book ahead in summer, especially with a vehicle. Short flights also link Wellington with Nelson, Blenheim and Christchurch.
▸ Is Wellington expensive?
Broadly in line with other New Zealand cities, with accommodation the biggest cost. Many of its best experiences, such as the waterfront, the Botanic Garden, the lookouts and the south coast, cost nothing, and there is plenty of good-value food around Cuba Street.
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