Things to do in Wellington
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Wellington
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer, warmest and longest days, harbour swimming and most reliable outdoor trips, but peak prices.
Autumn, best value and locals' favourite. March is often most settled, with Martinborough harvest.
Winter, worst weather but best food festivals, lowest hotel prices and peak seal colony season.
Spring, windiest season with gardens in bloom and WOW. November is a shoulder season sweet spot.
What's on
- Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts late February to March
Major arts festival with theatre, music and outdoor spectacle across the city.
- CubaDupa late March
New Zealand's largest free street festival in the Cuba Street precinct with stages and parades.
- Homegrown typically March
Waterfront music festival held in Wellington in March.
- New Zealand International Comedy Festival April to May
Wellington season of the national comedy festival.
- Matariki June to July
Maori New Year public holiday with waterfront celebrations, stargazing and community feasts.
- Visa Wellington On a Plate 1 to 31 August
New Zealand's largest food festival including Burger Wellington with 200 plus burgers.
- Beervana Usually a Friday and Saturday in late August
National craft beer festival at Sky Stadium with festival only releases.
- World of WearableArt Show Late September to early October each year
Wearable art arena spectacle at TSB Arena that transforms the city. Book months ahead.
- Wellington Jazz Festival Mid October
International headliners plus a late night club programme.
- Diwali Festival October to November
Diwali celebrations listed among Wellington's spring festival season.
Best things to do in Wellington
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
National museum with Gallipoli, nature and Maori collections that works as the essential first stop in Wellington.
Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne
Predator fenced valley restoring native forest and birds, with a night tour for a chance to see kiwi.
Wētā Workshop Experience
Guided tour through the film effects workshop behind major fantasy films, led by working artists.
Wētā Cave
Free shop and mini museum next to the workshop, fun for photos but not a substitute for the tour.
Wellington Cable Car
Short red funicular ride from Lambton Quay to Kelburn that unlocks the Botanic Garden and lookout loop.
Cable Car Museum
Free museum at the top of the Cable Car telling the story of Wellington's historic cable car system.
Wellington Botanic Garden
Free 25 hectare garden for a downhill wander past roses, the Begonia House and a duck pond.
Space Place at Carter Observatory
Planetarium and space museum at the top of the Cable Car, best on a clear Friday or Saturday night.
Where to stay in Wellington
Te Aro / CBD Waterfront
first trip, all-round base
Flat bowl with Te Papa, Cable Car and most restaurants within a 5 to 15 minute walk.
Oriental Bay / Mount Victoria
views, quiet, beach mornings
Leafy harbour facing base 10 to 20 minutes from Te Papa, quieter and prettier at dawn.
Thorndon / Lambton Quay
business, history, calm
Parliament, Botanic Garden and grand hotels in a quieter precinct still walkable to Cuba Street.
Aro Valley / Newtown
cheap, local life, longer stays
Student and creative neighbourhoods with cheaper rentals, good buses and local food strips.
Think twice about
- Courtenay Place itself late at night
Main bar strip with alcohol related harm and noise late Friday and Saturday. Stay one or two blocks off it.
- Te Aro Park
Visible rough sleeping can feel uncomfortable late at night when empty. Route via the lit side of Manners Street.
- Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua and the airport area
Safe but poor logistics for a short sightseeing stay. You will commute into the compact centre you came to walk.
- Miramar for a general sightseeing base
Safe but only sensible if the trip is Weta and south coast focused and you have a car.
Best restaurants in Wellington
Hiakai
Degustation of indigenous Maori ingredients told as a story of place in about 30 seats.
Logan Brown
Wellington fine dining since 1996 in a grand former bank chamber on Cuba Street.
Jano Bistro
Small serious seasonal degustation in a Victorian house, the chefs' chef pick in Wellington.
Charley Noble
Wood fired cooking and a raw bar in a buzzing room, fine dining without the hush.
Ortega Fish Shack
Packed European inspired seafood restaurant that suits families and dates equally.
Rita
Thirty seat cottage serving one daily set menu with cooking well above its price.
Capitol
Bistro perfect seasonal Italian leaning cooking opposite the Embassy Theatre.
Kisa
Middle Eastern share plates from a charcoal barbecue, easy for vegan to carnivore tables.
Best bars in Wellington
Garage Project
New Zealand's most experimental brewery, started in a former petrol station in Aro Valley.
Golding's Free Dive
Free house bar in Leeds Street where you can bring Pizza Pomodoro across the lane.
Fork & Brewer
Central brewpub on Bond Street pouring its own beers in a lively city room.
Heyday Beer Co
Pink playful Cuba Street brewery with approachable beers and a fun room.
Fortune Favours
Leeds Street brewery bar in the Hannahs Laneway precinct for fresh local pours.
Hanging Ditch
Cocktail bar tucked down Hannahs Laneway, a good evening finish to a grazing crawl.
Ata Rangi
Benchmark Martinborough winery singled out by local guides for Pinot Noir.
Palliser Estate
Established Martinborough estate recommended for a cellar door tasting by local guides.
Best coffee in Wellington
Customs
Tiny serious flagship for Flight Coffee on Ghuznee Street, a benchmark flat white stop.
Fidel's Cafe
Bohemian Cuba Street institution since the 1990s for coffee and brunch with student soul.
Midnight Espresso
Very late opening Cuba Street cafe that is the student soul of the city's coffee scene.
The Hangar
Dixon Street cafe from Flight Coffee known for serious coffee and a strong brunch menu.
Pour and Twist
Hand brew bar with no espresso machine, for drinkers who want filter coffee done properly.
Raglan Roast
Warehousey no frills roastery cafe serving excellent coffee without the polish.
Outdoor things to do in Wellington
Red Rocks Reserve
Flat exposed coastal track past rust red rocks from Owhiro Bay toward the seal colony.
Sinclair Head Seal Colony
Winter haul out for New Zealand fur seals on rocks and track, viewed from at least 20 metres.
Seal Coast Safari
Four wheel drive safari over private farmland to the seal coast without the long walk.
Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
Pioneering urban bike park with 40 kilometres of singletrack through replanted native bush.
Makara Walkway
Coastal walkway with turbines, gun emplacements and views to Mana and Kapiti Islands.
Skyline Walkway
Ridgeline walkway linking high country views across Wellington's western hills.
Remutaka Rail Trail
Gentle former railway trail through forest, tunnels and gorges, relaxed by eBike for mixed groups.
Martinborough
Flat grid wine town that is New Zealand's Pinot Noir capital, best explored by bike between cellar doors.
Best hotels in Wellington
InterContinental Wellington
Default five star business luxury pick with harbour views from upper floors and a club lounge.
QT Wellington
Art hotel opposite Te Papa with a serious New Zealand art collection and indoor lap pool.
Sofitel Wellington
Polished Thorndon hotel by the Botanic Garden and Parliament for a quieter luxury base.
Bolton Hotel
Independent apartment hotel with large suites and pool, strong for stays of four nights or more.
Ohtel Wellington
Small mid century design hotel on Oriental Parade, calm and harbour front for couples.
Naumi Studio Wellington
Colourful maximalist heritage hotel on Cuba Street, fun and central for most visitors.
Rydges Wellington
Large reliable harbour view hotel that works as the safe mid range pick for groups.
Adina CityLife Wellington
Apartment hotel with kitchen and laundry, best mid range value for families and longer stays.
Is Wellington expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NZ$90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NZ$240 a person |
| Splurge | NZ$550 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne: a few days ahead
- Wētā Workshop Experience: a few days ahead
- New Zealand Parliament Buildings: a few days ahead
- The Opera House: weeks ahead
- Seal Coast Safari: a few days ahead
- Remutaka Rail Trail: a few days ahead
- Kāpiti Island Nature Reserve: weeks ahead
- Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Book weeks ahead: Hiakai, Rita, Zealandia by Night, Kapiti Island, WOW and Interislander vehicle spaces in summer.
- Book days ahead: Weta Workshop first slot, Ortega, Jano Bistro, Martinborough tours and Remutaka eBike tours.
- Go early without booking for Te Papa at opening, the Cable Car outside cruise hours and Harbourside Market.
Is Wellington safe?
- Emergency is 111, non emergency police is 105. Wellington is a safe capital with sensible awareness.
- Lock cars at trailheads and leave nothing visible. Break ins happen at Red Rocks, Makara and Pinnacles car parks.
- Give seals and nesting birds full distance and keep 20 metres from seals. Swim in harbour areas locals use.
- Know Drop Cover Hold for earthquakes and use stairs after a shake.
Wellington travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Pack a proper windproof. Umbrellas die in Wellington southerlies and felt temperature can drop fast.
- Do not rush Te Papa in an hour. Allow half a day or split it across the 48 hour ticket.
- Cruise ship days spike Cable Car queues and Te Papa crowds from 10am to 3pm. Do hills or Zealandia then.
- NZ sun burns even on cool windy days. Wear sunscreen from December to March.
Getting around Wellington: public transport and more
- Walk first. The centre, waterfront and Oriental Bay form a 30 minute walking city, hills are the tax.
- Use Metlink buses and trains with a Snapper card or contactless. The Cable Car has separate ticketing.
- Airport is 8 km away. Airport Express bus is frequent, taxi or rideshare costs about NZ$35 to 50.
- You do not need a car for the city, Zealandia, Weta or a Martinborough tour. You do for Cape Palliser.
Who Wellington suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Wellington your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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