Best Places to Visit in Wellington

One of the town's top attractions, Wellington Cable Car, is a funicular railway running between the stations of Lambton Quay downtown to the famous Wellington Botanic Garden upwards. The distance covered is a thrilling upwards climb, and the car uses the cable traction for movement. Covering a distance of 612 m and rising a steep hill of the height of 120 m, the trip is a beautiful transition from the chaos in the heart of the city to the beautifully terraced steps on the mountain of the Botanic Gardens.

Timings : Monday - Friday: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Saturday: 8:30 AM - 10:00 PM, Sunday: 8:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Entry Fee : Find Ticket Charges Below

The Matiu-Somes island is the perfect place for a nature lover to spend some time away from the city amid rich flora and fauna. Located off the coast of the city of Wellington, the island is easily accessible by ferry, boat or kayak. If you are sporty, don’t hesitate to hire a kayak from the city and kayak in the beautiful waters around the island. A ferry ride will take around 20 minutes, and about 2 to 3 hours should be more than enough to explore the island.

Mount Kaukau is located at the height of 445 meters above sea level. It is the highest point in the Wellington landscape, and hence, Wellington’s central television transmitter tower, which is 122 meters in height, was built on its summit in 1965. Rimutaka, the city, and Tararua Ranges are visible from this mountain.

Entry Fee : No entry fee

Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve is also known as Otari-Wilton's Bush. Located in Wellington, it is the only public garden in New Zealand. This 100-hectare forest consists of some of the oldest trees, including an 800-year-old Rimu. Otari–Wilton's Bush is now classified as a Garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust as it aims to save and preserve New Zealand's rarest species of flora and fauna.

Timings : 7:30 AM - 5:00 AM
Entry Fee : No entry fee

Considered to be the Bohemian slice of the city, Cuba Street is a pedestrian-only mall in the section between Dixon Street and Ghuznee Street in Wellington, New Zealand. Sprinkled with world-class restaurants, both fine dining and casual, and dotted with big brand apparel stores, op shops, art galleries, boutiques and music shops etc.

Entry Fee : No Entry Fee

The Old St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the best buildings in Wellington, with a display of Gothic and Revival Gothic architecture. With its beautiful stained glass windows, panels, and gleaming wooden interior, you should not miss out on this church if you are in the capital city of Wellington! It serves as an essential landmark of the city, especially in the Thordon area, where it is located.

Timings : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The National War Memorial is dedicated to the several soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country during the first and the second World War. It is also committed to the men, women and children who died during those wars and conflicts. The National War Memorial consists of two buildings from two different eras – the National War Memorial Carillon (1932) and the Hall of Memories (1964) and, in front of these buildings, the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior (2004). In addition, four Rolls of Honour consist of the names and ranks of 28,654 men and women of New Zealand.

Time Required : 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Entry Fee : No entry fee

Based around a picturesque reservoir in Wellington, New Zealand, Zealandia is groundbreaking wildlife conservation ecosanctuary sprawling over a massive area of 225 hectares which is home to some of the rarest and most extraordinary wildlife in the world. Originally called the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, the place was built solely to conserve the depleting forest reserves and natural wildlife.

Timings : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Closed for Christmas
Entry Fee : Adults - $16.50 - $19.50, Kids (16 years and under) - $0.00 - $10.00

Set up by the late former Prime Minister Richard Seddon after being gifted with a cub (more famously known as King Dick, named by Bostock and Wombwell's Circus), Wellington Zoo was the first-ever zoo the country had. Located in the green belt of Wellington, New Zealand, this zoo has become an important tourist attraction over the years because of its varied wildlife and several customized packages for tourists.

Timings : 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Entry Fee : NZD 25 - Adult; NZD 12 - Child

Mount Victoria (also known as Tangi-te keo locally) is a prominent attraction of the city to the east of central Wellington in New Zealand. With a towering height of 196 metres above sea level, the hill rose to fame when the famous Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed here; ever since, it has become a popular tourist attraction owing to the gorgeous panoramic vistas that can be viewed from the top.

The Parliament Building is one of the most visited and interesting attractions for tourists, especially those who take interest in watching live debates and learning more about the political systems of the world. Visitors are taken on guided tours on seven days of the week of the Parliament Building in New Zealand, which is an important legislative structure that is located on Lambton Quay in Wellington. The tour guides give detailed information about the workings of the Parliament and the government apparatus in New Zealand along with information on how to be an active citizen. Visitors can also see the various artworks and objects that are contained in the Parliamentary Collection.

Oriental Bay is also known as Wellington's very own mini Riviera because of the number of visitors it gets and the view it offers.  With nearly 1500 people, Oriental Bay is a top-rated beach among tourists. Oriental Bay will be packed with families and party people during the summer months. This suburb is suitable for swimming, picnicking, cycling or walking on the waterfront. If swimming is not your thing, you can sit back and relax on the sand whilst admiring the people around, the clear seawater and the beautiful view of Wellington's famous beaches. Visitors can also take their dogs and let them enjoy the view off-leash as well.

Entry Fee : No entry fee

The Red Rocks Reserve is perfect for a Sunday stroll on a warm, sunny day. Located just a 20-minute drive from the city of Wellington, the walkway boasts the most breathtaking views, with rugged volcanic ridges on one side and the calm, serene ocean on the other. But, of course, one can't miss the distinctive colour of the red rocks, which get their colour from deposits of iron oxide. The walkway is around 8 kilometres each way, but you are rewarded by seeing fur seals basking in the sun at the end!

Located on the Cable Street waterfront in Wellington, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the massive National Museum of New Zealand. Inaugurated in 1998, the museum is an amalgamated space of the National Art Gallery and the original National Museum, sprawling over six floors. Colloquially known as Te Papa, which loosely translates to “Our Place”, the museum is thronged by more than 1.5 million people every year owing to its brilliant collection of treasures that include Maori artefacts, fossils and facts from natural history and environment etc.

Timings : 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Entry Fee : General Entry - No Entry Fee, Guided Tours Starting from 13NZD

Interislander is a ferry service between the North Island and South Island of Cook Strait, New Zealand. The ferry service in Cook Strait was started in August 1962 by New Zealand Railways Department (NZR). It takes about 3 hours to complete one tour. The ferry was known as 'one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world. You can also spot dolphins during the Cook Strait crossing if you're lucky enough. The Interislander carries around one million passengers and 230,000 vehicles per year on 5,500 sailings. These ferries became a part of 'The Great Journeys of New Zealand' in 2007.

Space Place at Carter Observatory is a planetarium housed inside the historical unit of the famous astronomical observatory located at the top of Wellington Botanic Garden in Wellington, New Zealand. The observatory is named after Charles Carter, who left his estate that turned into what we know as the Royal Society of New Zealand. This society aimed to build a full-fledged astronomical observatory unit near Wellington Parliament which eventually led to the set up of the Space Place Carter Observatory.

Timings : Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 12:00 AM - 5:30 AM, 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday to Friday, + Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Entry Fee : NZD 14 - Adult; NZD 9 - Child